While many of us were celebrating Valentine’s Day with roses, chocolates, and glasses of wine, there was a different kind of celebration going on—one that focused on self-love and what it means to be a survivor. The hashtag #SurvivorLoveLetter took hold on Tumblr that day and is a powerful representation of those who have survived sexual violence. Launched by the co-founder of the sex education company imMEDIAte Justice, Tani Ikeda, this platform became a place to publicly declare “self-love or honor a survivor in your life.”
In an interview, Ikeda spoke about the challenges she faces each Valentine’s Day—the day she was sexually assaulted. She speaks about the importance of these survivor love letters and her own love letter is simple: “Don’t give up on your own happiness.”
Read through these powerful and poetic messages dedicated to loved ones and to survivors themselves:
images via tumblr
