Me, I lost my virginity at age 5 by my babysitter from church.  

After he was done with me he told me that he knew how my mother felt about virgins and would get rid of me if she found out I was no longer one.

At 5, I believed him.  

The fear and shame the church had been teaching me kept me quiet for another 15 years.

Due to being raped by a caregiver I joined an incest survivor group here in Port Townsend in the ‘80s. I was totally shocked by the number of women in that group. They were raped by fathers, grandfathers, step-fathers, brothers, uncles and even priests as children.

We all have no proof.

As we got older classmates, football teams, dates and even sometimes strangers raped us. If you did not get DNA you have no proof.

Then they wonder why are women so angry? We are tired of not being believed as the Republicans plan on making us second-class citizens with no choice about our own body.

It has been happening for a long time.  

I will be 70 this month and the concern only how men could be damaged by what they did makes me sick.

It just teaches a new generation of men that they can rape you, lie about it, play victim and then tell you to grow up and get over it.

Gigi Stockton

Port Townsend