Thread by @kwilliams101

I am not Vanessa Guillen - I am alive.

And I have used every method I could to raise alarms about sexual harassment and assault in the military & its aftermath.

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I wrote about my personal experiences being harassed, having my complaints ignored by my command & mocked by my male peers in intimate, excruciating detail in my first book. wwnorton.com/books/Love-My-…
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I talked about being sexually harassed and guys constantly staring at my boobs in the Army on @nprfreshair (and was later mortified at having said boobs on public radio):
npr.org/templates/stor…
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I co-wrote on sexual assault in the @USArmy with my best friend, to elevate a voice with less of a platform who was willing to share her personal trauma to try to get people to pay attention:
slate.com/human-interest…
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I wrote about @DeptVetAffairs' efforts to improve care for survivors of military sexual trauma.
csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opi…
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I wrote about what senior @USArmy leaders were getting wrong about sexual assault.
trumanproject.org/home/doctrine-…
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I wrote about victim blaming.
ywca.org/blog/2013/09/3…
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I described 7 common misconceptions about military sexual assault.
thedailybeast.com/seven-misconce…
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I wrote about how the military could use data in new ways to identify chains of command that weren't doing well on tackling sexual harassment and assault.
thehill.com/opinion/nation…
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I wrote about hazing - which is how men are more likely to characterize their military sexual assault experiences.
taskandpurpose.com/thelongmarch/h…
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I wrote about how @DeptVetAffairs is failing male victims when deciding claims of PTSD related to MST.
thehill.com/opinion/health…
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I wrote about how the culture of sexual harassment that pervades the military continues when #womenVets use VA hospitals:
thehill.com/opinion/health…
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And I wrote about sexual harassment at VA *again* when leaders failed miserably in responding to a prominent example of it.
thehill.com/opinion/health…
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I reviewed @RyanDostie's hauntingly beautiful memoir about serving, which included details of her rape, her command's failure to respond appropriately, and the psychological aftermath.
ausa.org/articles/janua…
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I co-wrote a piece about VA's need to improve MST response with @SamanthaKubek.
taskandpurpose.com/opinion/milita…
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I worked on the @RANDCorporation Military Workplace Study which detailed the depressingly high rates of harassment and assault.
rand.org/nsrd/projects/…
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I gave print, radio, and tv interviews. I gave Congressional testimony. I gave keynote speeches. I talked on panels. I moderated panels of other women.
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So in the past 15 years, I have both bared my private shame and worked to bring cold hard data to light. I have elevated the voices of other women, and of men. I have been just one voice in a chorus of voices warning you.
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Like a modern day Cassandra, perhaps, WE TOLD YOU. We said, hey, #MeToo in the military. DO SOMETHING.

LaVena Johnson is dead. Vanessa Guillen is dead. How many others are dead? How many murdered? How many have died by suicide?

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Was this enough to get attention? Military women have told our stories for decades. We have warned you for decades. Begged for action, for change. Will you do something now? Or will we have to scream this all over again next year, next decade? #enough
/end

I am also not Vanessa because I have not experienced the additional discrimination & silencing that women of color experience in the military & as veterans. Pay attention to what #womenVets like @_pamcampos are saying, now & always.

LISTEN to #womenVets. Listen to authors @AnuBhagwati @msdc14 @kate_germano and @Tri_OR_Die
cnas.org/publications/p…

Listen to @MLDoyleauthor @kaylahchanel @RyanDostie and @RambaKy

READ #womenVets telling their own stories.
See how long we've been talking about the same shit.
nebraskapress.unl.edu/potomac-books/…