…but we should.

At 17, I was assaulted by a man 3 times my age, the catalyst for a cycle of abuse that would haunt me for years. I lost so much of myself, I instead became something I couldn't recognise, a shadow of who I was. My only physical being was one forced to entertain my perpetrators. A deep-seated anger grew, allied by my depersonalisation. It took a while to feel a little more myself, something of which I'm still working on. Elements of my past still follow me, scars are still visible, and my vulnerabilities remain.

My story isn't unique. A vulnerable, autistic, young person being taken advantage of isn't new. So why don't we see people talk about it? We know these conversations happen, we see protests for judicial and social reform often, so why is nothing happening? Why is the only wide-spread "advocacy" we see one which benefits racist ideologies?

Art may not be able to alter the world overnight but art makes what we have to say loud. Art insures that conversations are had - that people are listening. I want to make people listen.