Perth blogger Constance Hall has described an unwanted sexual experience she had been “too ashamed” to tell anyone about.
In a candid social media post, the mum told her followers the #MeToo movement and discussions of consent had got her thinking about her own sexual experiences and what sex had meant when she was younger.
She also shared a chilling memory that typifies just why these discussions need to take place.
“I remember waking up to a man having sex with me, too ashamed over how much I had drank and not being able to remember how we ended up in bed, I didn’t tell anyone,” she wrote.
Listen: Tracey Spicer joins Holly Wainwright and Rachel Corbett to deep dive on why the #metoo movement has kick-started a new way of thinking worldwide. (Post continues.)
Hall said rather than confront the man she “gathered my things, even thanked him for a fun night and ran”. She also said she felt how others’ saw her prevented her from reporting the encounter as sexual assault.
“I felt that my reputation as a party girl cancelled out my ability to be a victim. How stupid is that?”
“So I find the spotlight on consent a much-needed one.”
Hall said that because in her youth “consent” wasn’t in their vocabulary, “a lot of misconduct and rape was overlooked”.
Top Comments
And if the male was equally drunk...what then? People, both male and female, make stupid decisions when they are drunk. It doesn’t automatically mean sexual assault took place.
She makes an excellent point. It sounds old fashioned, but respect and *self* respect is talked about so little these days, it's definitely something that needs to be rediscovered.