oliviagatwood:Once, I taught a workshop on slut-shaming at a middle school and a seventh grade girl...

oliviagatwood:

Once, I taught a workshop on slut-shaming at a middle school and a seventh grade girl raised her hand every time I asked a question and every time, she gave beautiful, eloquent answers. It was the first time I’d ever heard a twelve-year old use the word “objectification”. The last time she raised her hand, she stopped speaking mid-sentence and when I asked her why, she said, “Because they don’t like it when I talk so much.” I asked who and she pointed to everyone in the room. “Nobody likes it.” When the class was over, she left before I could meet with her. But with some persistence, I figured out her name and where her next class would be. I found her there, in the back of a class room, quiet in her desk. I told her one thing, “Please, never stop talking. If they tell you stop, talk louder.” And I hope she did. I so desperately hope she never stopped.

Today, on International Women’s Day, I give you one of my favorite quotes by the always-quotable Audre Lorde:

"I have come to believe over and over again that what is most important to me must be spoken, made verbal and shared, even at the risk of having it bruised or misunderstood."

Speak loud today and every day. Speak Like a Girl, my friends.

Olivia Gatwood everybody.