Over the Rainbow: Words of healing from survivors of rape

"i know now that i am better than they are (the rapists). i know that when they raped me, they saw something inside of me that they thought was beautiful- that they knew they could never have. and they still cant have it- it belongs to me. and they are even uglier than before. this is a strong truth."
traer latham

"Healing ourselves is a form of justice. It changes the intended outcome of the damage they wrought. There is a level of intense defiance to my healing - see, you evil bastard? I am better than you. Can't keep me down. You failed! You attacked me in your weakness, and I triumphed in my strength. The evil you created? No more - I have exchanged it for good."
Cherub

"i know now Through my journey, I have learnt that my strength lies in my voice. That my ability to carry on goes hand in hand with my ability to use my voice. Break the silence! Every time you tell your story, whether it be on an online message board, to a friend, or to a room full of people, you are breaking the silence. Just know that you are never alone, and you can survive. You are a survivor, and that in itself is beautiful.

You are wonderful, a REAL, amazing, inspirational SURVIVOR and that is beautiful."

Jules

"You are not what they did to you"
Louise