Your UnSlut Project

Submitted by @it_is_just_me_Ree

You can say that I was bullied in my early years right when I entered elementary school. I was "that Indian girl" though I'd prefer to be called "Brown Girl". I grew up in a small town and there weren't many people. I'll tell you this, everyone in my town was white, so I was different. But I shouldn't have been. I mean I was the second generation here in the U.S. But I was different, to them. I had tanned skin, dark hair, brown eyes, so of course I would stand out.

I remember walking into my second grade class. That was the first time I had entered into a private school. When I walked in, I remember seeing those perfect blondes and those boys that would grow up to be those athletic jocks. One of the comments when I walked in was, "Don't you think this class stinks?" Another one was, "Oh look, we've got a colored girl in our class."

But this girl, who I remember, would make my life hell. She said, "No, we've got a peasant." I looked at her and then myself. I mean, I was pretty sure my family was better off financially than her's. It turned out I was right, but it didn't stop her.

The following years, through private school, that girl bothered me, calling me names, trying to degrade me all the time, and whenever she could find my flaws, she would point them out. I did have friends, I'd say they were great friends though they were popular and friends with the popular crowd. They would occasionally defend me and stop her from doing what she did. Of course I was grateful for that but it still hurt. I mean just because my appearance and beliefs were different, she had no right to treat me different. It hurt even more because I did nothing to stop her.

Soon enough, in high school, things changed. We'd all hit puberty and we were different, physically and mentally. Then there was this boy, Nathan. We were in our tenth year and he had asked me out. Of course, everyone made a big deal about it and random people would bother me about it. They would say to say yes, and others would say to say no.

The first time, I felt as if this was some type of revenge, so I said no. Some girls would be like, "Why'd you say no?" Others were like, "You're a b****." Some girls were like, "You don't deserve him." Nathan was the boy girls swooned over. But he didn't stop. It was already the eleventh year and he still bothered me about.

Then one day, I said, "Alright."  We had went out on a date. We decided we should give it a try. And finally, we were boyfriend and girlfriend. He really made me happy and we stayed a couple. Some girls were glad for me, such as my friends, but other girls just bothered me about it. They went to the extreme, so that I decided to end it. Nathan was hurt by it and he stopped talking to me. I was heart broken.

But he didn't understand the peer pressure I faced. Some girls called me, "Slut." Some called me, "B****." Others would say, "Whore." There were more names for me. I held the title till we graduated. But one thing they didn't know was that I was a virgin throughout high school. 

One day, Nathan came to my place and apologized. We talked like we were old friends and I finally told him what I was facing. He forgave me and we are still friends now. Some of you guys must be like, "This is long and boring," and others must be like, "This is a stupid insight." You guys might think I didn't face anything bad, there are worse encounters, and I agree. 

But I want to say, Don't I deserve respect for who I am? Why am I treated different than others? Why was I called those words when people didn't know the facts? Was it fair? 

It isn't fair that people are being bullied just because of their appearance, of who they are, and what their social status may be. That isn't the right thing to do. I believe all people are made equal and all should be treated equally, especially women. So shout-out to all those who are bullies, racists, and those who do not support feminism. I hope you know the impact you have on this world. As for the bullies, I know you guys aren't bad people, but just consider what you do. For racists, all people are made equal. I hope you guys know that. And for those who do not support feminism, well: ever heard of women's rights?