Butthurt.
Have you heard that word overused lately? I sure have. In particular, it’s been used most recently to describe American voters who are unhappy with the outcome of the past election, and are exercising their right to speak about it. A couple of weeks ago, I was chastised by men and women on a self-help Facebook group for asserting that using the word “butthurt” to describe others’ feelings might be invalidating, unfair, and lazy.
In addition, I was on a friend’s social media page, where I saw this video.
In the friend’s comment section, someone described this and anyone who expressed these sentiments as “butthurt”.
YOU LISTEN TO ME. NOW.
That is not “butthurt”, those comments endorse sexual assault. And sexual assault is against the law.
This is not the left being dramatic, or “too millennial”, we are seeing things AS IS. We are supporting laws. If you choose to use the word “butthurt” to describe those who decry statements such as the ones Trump has made, I firmly believe you are making a statement against the law.
And if you’re turning a blind eye because sexual assault has never happened to you, you’re part of the problem too. What about your sisters? Your fiance? Your mother? All of these women at some point have probably experienced either rape or some form of an unwanted sexual advance.
So when you dismiss our free speech, our grave concerns about the rights of women and minorities and the LBGTQ community, as “butthurt” –
We see you as lazy.
Too lazy to consider to someone else’s feelings because they inconvenience your privileged, white, Trump-winning, victorious world.
Too lazy to put themselves in the shoes of a woman who was taken advantage of when she was drunk.
Too lazy to imagine what it’s like for a black girl who’s everyone’s token black friend and is treated like a pariah.
Too lazy to consider the feelings of the families of the Pulse victims, whose son or daughter was gunned down because of who they were attracted to.
(By the way: the first example happened to me, the second has happened to my best friend repeatedly, and the third…well, we saw that on the news, didn’t we?)
I mean, do you really want to stand on that side of justice? Dismissing others’ feelings about death and sexual assault as “butthurt”?
What would be much more law-abiding, more understanding, and mature would be the act of listening. And believing someone’s perception of life, simply because it’s theirs. And not getting defensive on a facebook comment thread, because actually looking at the history of sexual assault and hate crimes and taking responsibility for it is too painful for you to acknowledge.
Maybe it’s you who’s “butthurt”.
So yes, if speaking up about rape culture and sexual assault and hate crimes makes us butthurt, then we are butthurt. If supporting laws that forbid these crimes make us butthurt, then you can call a spade a spade.
But we know the truth.
You are lazy.
And it’s sick to dismiss those who have had to endure rape kits and physical assault as “butthurt”, when they’ve had real live wounds to attend to.
