In trying to figure out what a feminist whose friend is accused of rape should do, I turn to the women who have already publicly responded to the men they know and trusted who were confronted with accusations of sexual misconduct.

While it is great that Brown’s case has been spotlighted, it is also important to realize that her story is symptomatic of a larger issue: the criminalization of child sex trafficking victims.

Sexual assault can and does happen to anybody, no matter their gender, race, sexuality, or any other factor. The more survivors who share their stories, the more those people are supported and believed by the public, the closer we’ll come to actually making a change.

Over 12 million women — some famous, many not — have since used #MeToo to share their experiences with harassment and/or assault.

How I realized that “virginity” is a crucial element of a broader sexist culture that aims to oppress women through their bodies.

In July of this year, Columbia University settled alleged rapist Paul Nungesser’s lawsuit against the school for gender-based discrimination. Nungesser was accused of raping then-fellow Columbia student Emma Sulkowicz, who gained attention for her 2014 performance-art piece Mattress Performance (Carry That Weight).

There are very few (if any) women who haven’t thought about it. We think about it as we walk to our cars after a night out, as we jog around the block after the sun’s been down for hours, as we watch our little sisters leave home. We clutch our keys between our fingers and tense our muscles.