🔮🥀⛓✂️TOUCH✂️⛓🥀🔮 🥀🥀You laid your hand upon my thighs🥀🥀 🥀🥀You ..

🔮🥀⛓✂️TOUCH✂️⛓🥀🔮 🥀🥀You laid your hand upon my thighs🥀🥀 🥀🥀You said it’s how you’ve always sighed🥀🥀 🥀🥀You laid your hands upon my hair🥀🥀 🥀🥀You made a living being there🥀🥀 🥀🥀You laid your hand upon my breast🥀🥀 🥀🥀You faltered not at my request🥀🥀 🩸🩸You laid your blade upon my heart🩸🩸 🩸🩸You trapped from the very start🩸🩸 🩸🥀I laid my face upon the ground🥀🩸 🩸🥀Dying inside makes no sound🥀🩸 TW: Sexual Abuse, Grooming, Assault ⛓✂️🥀THE PROFESSIONAL🥀✂️⛓ - Next in our series this month highlighting 🩸🥀💈🪒GROOMING🪒💈🥀🩸 we discuss abusers in ‘places of power’ or privilege using their position to manipulate. “You can trust me, I’m a professional”. Often times when being groomed its is easier for someone in a profession (in my case a hair stylist) to use their job as a mask to touch, coerce, or overall groom you through their mask of a job. This can be anyone: Your doctor, dentist, religious leader - teacher, massage therapist, bar tender, even your local hot dog vendor. More often than not we find predators in jobs allowing them access to human beings in a way most people must give full trust to this person. That way it seems unlikely to be doing something wrong. A an example would be the abuse committed by Larry Nassar from the USA Gymnastics team. He was a physical therapist people both trusted and vetted. People’s silence and fear allowed what he did to continue. 🥀 It’s important in our lives and communities that we 1.) listen to our hearts - does it feel wrong? It probably is 2.) listen to our peers - has someone told you this person is a red flag / do they feel like someone that makes you uncomfortable? They probably are / do for a reason 3.) listen to vulnerable people - is this person a minority, marginalized, disabled, medicated, abused, or otherwise a compromised person that may not be able to speak up for themselves? Are they being gender/orientation marginalized (“he’s a man that can’t happen to him - they are trans they are confused - she’s a woman she’s asking for it - they said they were ACE they obviously lied”) They should probably have someone with them and if they are telling you something you should do your best to listen and find resources. Often times people with prior abuse (this is ME btw as well) will suffer from what’s called “disassociation”. That means instead of trying to fight or flight away in times of trauma, they will shut down, sometimes completely. This is a very common response to people with sexual abuse related PTSD. In this world of horrible humans, there are those who are superheroes, and I’d like to say thank you to all the people who have helped me (including all the people in the jobs I listed) who continue to provide me a safe space to live, and protect me when I need it. The ones who listen to me fully when I need them too. You are my light and I wouldn’t be here without you. I love that I have places I feel safe where I know if I need help I can ask, and people will listen. Where I don’t have to worry about being hurt. It’s important to listen ~ learn ~ love - it can help save a life If you or anyone you know is struggling please call 800-273-8255 or visit https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org - There is now a trans hotline for those who need specific help including emergency service 1 (877) 565-8860 or their website https://translifeline.org