Loving Safely

Why do some people need endless explanations before they’ll respect a reasonable boundary? You explain calmly, reassure them, and answer their questions. Yet somehow, you’re still defending the precaution while …

Before you accept the invitation, you start thinking about what you can bring. And somewhere between the grocery list and offering to come early to help, you forget that somebody …

Someone can be deeply loved and still have nobody at home they feel safe telling. Having worked on hotlines, I know that people sometimes call or open a chat because …

Years ago, I interviewed for a position with a statewide sexual violence coalition. I had earned my bachelor’s degree (Organizational Management and Development) from a Christian university not far from …

I literally have a theme song for when I need to return to this lesson. Blame It on Me by Chrisette Michelle. “You can say whatever you like. As long …

At first glance, the story of Marcia Johnson can produce a very simple conclusion. A nonprofit dedicated to helping poor people posted Samuel Scott’s $5,000 bail after he had been …

Which facts may another person deliberately falsify while seeking someone’s romantic or sexual consent, and at what point does society stop treating deception as clever self-presentation and start recognizing the …

You are allowed to have preferences that produce absolutely no social benefit whatsoever. Your personal life does not have to double as public service. There is not a single soul …

Retracing Mattie Michael’s Footsteps: Sometimes We Have to Ask Why We Love the Way We Love There are women we meet in stories who stay with us because we recognize …

 Harm does not always arrive announcing itself as hatred. Sometimes it comes smiling, agreeing with 80 percent of what you say, and spending the remaining 20 percent figuring out exactly …