Around 2 years ago, I was with a roommate in this transitional housing program. One night, I am sleeping to get up for a really early shift, like pre-6 AM. I hear my phone ring while I'm sleeping, and it's him complaining about some mess or something of the sort he saw in the living room. He was basically accusing me of causing it, but it turned out that this "mess" he was complaining about didn't exist, and this was a bluff for him to get me over to the living room so that he could... do something to me.

I really wanted to back out and go to bed. I told him that I have work in the morning, and this is causing me too much stress. He proceeded to strip right in front of me, even though I made it clear to him that I'd rather not. He was seeming really demanding for us to have sex, so out of fear and under pressure, I told him, "Okay, I'll do it with you."

This moment was really horrific to me when it happened, and I think back to it nearly every single day, but I never have actually told anyone about it in my personal life or even online. It got too much today when I started crying just now because of it.

I'm so scared that if I'm around the wrong people, something like this could happen again. I'm trying to hold back my tears, but really pondering about what happened is so scary that I can't.

I just needed to say something about it, even if it's anonymously online.

  • UlyssesT [he/him]
    ·
    1 day ago

    What you had suffered is horrifyingly common among people in economically precarious conditions (such as transitional housing programs). The banality of evil is such that it's often very difficult, or nearly impossible, to punish predators in such situations.

    Please do your best to remember that you are a person that deserves dignity and safety, now and always, and what you went through did nothing to change that.