Despite our mutual agreement that “sexually-based offenses are considered especially heinous,” as echoed in pop culture, the American public has a history of mistreating unmasked sexual assault survivors of high-profile convicted offenders like former USA Gymnastics national team doctor Larry Nassar, film producer Harvey Weinstein, and “America’s dad” Bill Cosby. We question the motives of survivors, dissect their personal lives, harass their loved ones, interfere with their employment, ridicule their appearance, satirize their trauma, and blame them for being somewhere at a certain time, wearing a particular outfit, or ingesting any substance. And they’re not the only survivors who experience scrutiny.
