Hiking for Me Too (PCT Part 2)

I'll never forget October 17th, 2017. It was two days after Alyssa Milano famously wrote: "If you've been sexually harassed or assaulted write 'me too' as a reply to this tweet."

I had never used a hashtag or publicly talked about the sexual harassment and stalking I had endured. But, I could see and feel the world around me changing. "We have power now," I thought. "We're not alone. We don't have to live separated by silence." I posted #MeToo on my Facebook that night. I also cried.

Over 4.7 million people posted #MeToo within 24 hours of Alyssa Milano's call to action. It was both devastating and comforting - frightening and empowering - knowing how many of us now stood together. We were united by our shared trauma but more importantly our conviction to demand better treatment. I promised myself I would never be silent again.

I originally wrote "Hiking for Me Too" a month before my PCT hike, and it was my first time publicly sharing that I am a stalking survivor. To my relief I was heard, believed, and supported thanks to the courage of millions of women who spoke up before me.

I hope reading this article reminds you that our traumas can be a catalyst for change and connection. You never know the impact your honesty and vulnerability will have on others. So share your stories. You might not start a movement, but courage can be contagious, and you might inspire someone to raise their voice.

This is the second of six PCT posts I am republishing. Originally written in February of 2019.

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Calvary Women's Services mission to offer women “a safe, caring place for tonight; support, hope and change for tomorrow" is close to my heart, because for a period of my life, I experienced what it's like to not feel safe where you’re sleeping.

In 2015, I was sexually harassed and then stalked. My stalker used his seniority to try to pressure me into going on dates, and when I reported him, he retaliated against me. He sent me threatening messages, repeatedly alluded to having a gun, and even flew over 3,000 miles to pay my parents an unannounced visit in Oregon.? There is no concise way to articulate the fear and isolation my stalker's actions inflicted on me and the people I love most. But through this experience, I learned a life-changing lesson about privilege and the stability and protection it can provide.

After filing a police report against my stalker, I spent three years in and out of courtrooms, where I watched the cases of other victims unfold. My story has a happy ending, but most of the cases I saw did not. I received legal protection from the court against my stalker, while countless women failed not due to the validity of their cases but rather their limited access to resources.

These cases are haunting because, without protection from their aggressors, many of these women will have lives filled with fear, isolation, and hardship. According to the D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness, 75% of homeless women in DC are survivors of violence, indicating that there is a strong link between violence against women and homelessness. As stated in Yori Yearwood's brave and beautiful essay in the Washington Post, "Homeless women are the sexual assault survivors no one talks about".? They are the overlooked population of the ever so important Me Too Movement.

It's a privilege to use my thru-hike as an platform to create awareness for women's homelessness and organizations like Calvary Women's Services...a privilege I'll remember every time I face discomfort or challenges on the trail.

If you're able, please join me in empowering women to make lasting changes in their lives by making a donation to Calvary.