Believe Women

“Believe Women”, and its implied unconditionality in the court of law or the court of public opinion, is a statement that often is jarring to a lot of guys.

But I’ve always thought “Believe Women” applied in a specific context. If you’re a first-line responder: a support-line, an emergency room, a first-contact in law enforcement in conversation, or even just a friend she trusts, then yeah, that’s when you believe. It’s not the time and place to express doubt.

Someone comes in bleeding & crying, you don’t interrupt the story with a bunch of “did he really?” or “is that ketchup?”. Be a mench.

That goes for all who’ve faced violence, not just women. But there’s a reason and context for the slogan since historically, women have more often been doubted.

If we (all humans) move to a validation-first style of talking and listening to each other, this wouldn’t even be an issue.

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