We Believe You

Introduction 1

I-Before

Our Stories-Elise Siemering, Lauren, Andrew Brown, Anonymous S, Aysha Ives, Anonymous V, Fabiana Diaz, Anonymous XY 7
From "The Elegy of I"-Sari Rachel Forshner 18
I'm Going to College-Andrea Pino 20
Colleges 26

II-How It Happened

Our Stories, continued 35
The Attacker: A Chorus 44
Assaulted by Strangers, Twice-Zoë Rayor 54
Dear Abuelita-Andrea Pino 61
I Startle Easily-Anonymous A 64
Star Wars-Johanna Evans 69
Blackout-Abbi Gatewood 71
Gang Rape at Oregon State-Brenda Tracy 72
A Letter to My Daughter-Anonymous K 74
Right After 78

III-Trauma and Betrayal

Our Stories, continued 85
Friends: A Chorus 102
The Surprising Bravery of Others-Anonymous V 103
Code Switch-A. Zhou 106
Parents: A Chorus 112
Rape Culture: A Chorus 114
From "The Elegy of I"-Sari Rachel Forshner 115
Tennis Was My Life-Elly Fryberger 117
People You May Know-Kevin Kantor 123
The Punishments: A Chorus 128
Betrayals-Andrea Pino 130
Untouchable: Being a Trans Survivor-Princess Harmony 133
The Dangerous Myth of the "Ideal" Survivor-Princess Harmony 138
Anger: A Chorus 141
Unaccepted Students Day-A. Lea Roth and Nastassja Schmiedt 142

IV-Healing and Everyday Activism

Our Stories, continued 160
My Dog, My Best Friend-Zoë Rayor 186
Our First Conversation-Annie Clark and Andrea Pino 188
Speak Out-Julia D. 191
If It Happens to You: A Chorus 197
Accepting Entropy: How My Dad Used the Second Law of Thermodynamics to Teach Me How to Survive-Liz Weiderhold 199
Again-Regina Gonzalez-Arroyo 202
Relationships After: A Chorus 204
Olivia Benson Believes Me-Anonymous H 206
The After-Sari Rachel Forshner 210
Slowly, You Start Forgetting-Anonymous V 214
f(Survival): A Function of Survival-Aditi 216
I Believe Myself: On Creativity and Healing-A. Lea Roth and Nastassja Schmiedt 223
My Own Lingerie-Abbi Gatewood 226
"Lux Libertas"-Andrea Pino 228
Women's Studies Built Me-Stephanie Canales 231
The Teal Forks Timeline-Fabiana Diaz 237
Then Came Activism: A Chorus 242
The Professor: Some Notes on My Experience-Katie Rose Guest Pryal 245
Songs for Survival: A Playlist-A. Lea Roth and Nastassja Schmiedt 256
I Am a Phoenix-Brenda Tracy 258

V-Declarations of Independence

Statement from the Artist on Doing a Self-portrait About Rape-Chloe Allred 277
Tattoos-Annie Clark 280
Reclaiming College-Lilly Jay 282
School After: A Chorus 284
Dear Harvard: This Fight Is Not Over-Ariane Litalien 287
An Important Event-Sofie Karasek 292
I Write On-Annie Clark 296
I Have Been Told That My Skin Is Exceptionally Smooth-Regina Gonzalez-Arroyo 304
Dear Emily Yoffe-Kamilah Willingham 310
How to Become an Activist-Annie Clark and Andrea Pino 322

Rights and Resources

Help 101: What to Do Immediately After Experiencing Violence 327
Resources: Our Top Picks 329
"Why Didn't You Go to the Police?"-Annie Clark 333
Title IX 335
Campus Sexual Assault Victims' Bill of Rights 336
A Note on Representation-Andrea Pino 337
Glossary 340

Our Fuller Dedication 346
Acknowledgments 349