Thread by @JulieSLalonde

We are having a long overdue conversation about publication bans in Canada & I am here for it!

But it's important to understand that many survivors welcome the publication ban because it is not safe for their stories to be out in the world.

thestar.com/news/gta/2021/…

I think of "Jane Doe Vs. Metropolitan Toronto Police" who has enjoyed the safety of a publication ban since the '80s. In that time, she has done incredible work for survivors, changed the legal system, etc.

I asked her recently & she says she never intends to lift it.

I "came forward" about being stalked by my abusive ex & have gotten many supportive messages but I've also gotten death threats, threats of legal action from his family, ostracized from my hometown, etc.

It's also one of the first things you learn about me in a Google search.

There is debate on the legal history of publication bans here. And yes, "So the victim doesn't wear the shame" is sexist nonsense wrapped up in blatant victim blaming.

But my fear with #MeToo is that we are pushing survivors to be "out" & assigning shame where there is none.

MANY sexual assault survivors are not "out" & it's not because they're cowards or drowning in shame. It's because they think their sexual assault is nobody's business, they don't want to be "out" to family or colleagues & they want to move forward without a label.

I support this

The issue here is CHOICE.

Morrell is a rare case of the legal system doing its job & convicting. And Morrell STILL had fight for the right to tell her story publicly.

Sexual assault is about taking someone's power away from them. Survivors should be be allowed to take it back.

I absolutely support Morrell & the numerous other badass survivors who want to take their stories & turn them into action.

But I want to be mega clear that as both a survivor & an advocate, I fully support a survivor's right to file their story away & never mention it publicly.

TLDR : Resilience is futile.

There are no "good" victims and "bad" victims.

You are badass if you lift the publication ban.

You are badass if you want to maintain the publication ban.

You are badass if you fought the publication ban & lost.

You are badass because you exist.