Content warning: This essay mentions sexual assault.
“You have options.”
Those were the only words 12-year-old me heard as I was staring at a positive pregnancy test. Those were the only words that gave me hope of having the life I have now.
At 5 years old, my stepfather at the time began sexually abusing me. The older I got, the worse it got. I was supposed to be a carefree child, but I was forced to live in survival mode.
When I was 12, after years of abuse, I was impregnated by him. I remember standing frozen in fear, clutching a positive pregnancy test, feeling as if my world had stopped. That was the first time I was told those three words: “You have options.” In the depths of my darkest moments, even then, I had my options. A few weeks later, I miscarried.
I was too young to really understand what was happening to me. But, knowing there were options, knowing that I had a voice in the situation, is what I held onto. But now, unfortunately, women and girls across the country don’t have that freedom.
Too many Americans have no options. All because of Donald Trump.
On June 24, 2022, Donald Trump’s Supreme Court majority took away the constitutional right to choose from American women and girls. In my home state of Kentucky, an abortion ban with no exceptions for rape or incest took effect. Because of Donald Trump, that day, millions of women and girls woke up with no options. Because of Donald Trump, that day, I woke up reminded I will always be a 12-year-old me. I will always be a survivor that needed her options.
I thought about all the girls who now don’t hear that they have options.
As my Facebook feed was flooded with people celebrating this decision, my mind was cast back to being the pregnant 12-year-old, wondering if those same people would look at her and celebrate that she has no freedom. I thought about all the girls who now don’t hear that they have options. I thought of the countless girls who had already been robbed of their childhoods, who were now being robbed of their future, too.
After graduating high school in 2020 and moving away to college, I never talked about what I had been through — especially not on social media. But the day Roe was overturned was different. I opened my notes app and poured my heart out, completely opening up about my story publicly. I hit the “post” button and threw my phone across the room, not knowing what to expect. I had hoped to change some hearts and minds. I never imagined the impact that it would have.
I never imagined I would become an advocate for reproductive freedom, but when I had the opportunity, I knew I had to do it for the younger me.
I am now a first-generation college graduate, breaking generational cycles one by one. I never imagined I would become an advocate for reproductive freedom, but when I had the opportunity, I knew I had to do it for the younger me.
In recent months, I have been traveling across the country spreading awareness about the stakes of this election, fighting for Vice President Kamala Harris, as she fights for us. In August, I took the stage at the Democratic National Convention to speak out against Trump’s abortion bans, and to give a voice to other survivors across our country.
Trump brags about overturning Roe v. Wade. He is proudly responsible for each and every one of the cruel abortion bans across the country, and he calls them a “beautiful thing to watch.” But don’t be confused, he’s not done yet.
We’ve heard of Project 2025. It contains detailed plans to ban abortion in all 50 states, with or without the help of Congress, and prosecute doctors for sending or receiving abortion medication in the mail — something that Trump’s running mate, JD Vance, has demanded the Department of Justice do.
But Project 2025 does so much more. It would restrict access to birth control. It would roll back protections for LGBTQ+ people and use government programs to promote a model of marriage that doesn’t include them. It would rip away environmental protections and the Department of Education. It would end student loan forgiveness.
If there is ever a time to get involved politically, it is now.
As young people, we have never had the opportunity to have our voices heard. I know that feeling more than most. But things are changing. Today, it doesn’t matter where you come from. If you believe in what you believe in, we can all stand up for it together. Vice President Harris exemplifies that more than anyone else. She has spent her career fighting for the people and defending our rights. That is the future America needs — a leader who will fight for all. That is the future I will be voting for come November. Because that is the future Kamala Harris will deliver as President of the United States.
And to every survivor reading this, know that you are not alone. Your pain is valid, and your courage is inspiring. And most importantly, your voice is powerful. Together, we can transform our experiences into a force for change.
If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, you can call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline at 800-656-HOPE (4673) or visit hotline.rainn.org.
