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Women, Choose the Bear!
Gisele Pelicot’s Cautionary Tale
If women ever need to be convinced to choose the bear in the woods, Gisele Pelicot’s story will make the choice for them. Pelicot, a French woman, spent several years married to a man who had her raped by over 50 men while she lay unconscious.
Her husband had drugged her on every occasion of the assault and allowed men from all walks of life to violate her. These were men who worked in law, medicine, and education. These were men with wives and families of their own. These were men who had no issue with raping an unconscious woman and going about their lives as if it were nothing — as if she were nothing.
Currently, Pelicot is battling four different STIs.
But Pelicot didn’t hide in her home or flee the country. No. She wanted her attackers to be named in open court. She didn’t hide her face. Pelicot wanted people to know who she was and what had happened to her.
I applaud her efforts. As a victim of sexual molestation myself, Pelicot is my new hero. It took me years to talk about what had happened to me. Pelicot didn’t shy away from the attention her case would bring to light. Pelicot wanted people to realize, especially women, that what had happened to her was nothing to be ashamed of.
