Sexual assault is not just something that happens to other people.Of the 8 women writing this editorial, 5 have been sexually assaulted or raped.

We are not an exceptional group of women.

1 in 5 women and 1 in 71 men have been victim of rape in America. 1 in 2 women and 1 in 5 men have been victim of sexual assault other than rape. 64 percent of transgender people are victims of sexual assault, and 9 of 10 rape and sexual assault victims are women.

We are often told that sexual assault and rape is our fault: We shouldn’t have worn that dress, we should have known better than to walk alone in that part of town, we shouldn’t have let our guard down. We are told that it is our fault, that we are asking for it and even that we should be flattered.

We think that is bullshit.