No Means No | Teen Ink

No Means No

February 2, 2024
By Molly_Jo BRONZE, Guthrie, Oklahoma
Molly_Jo BRONZE, Guthrie, Oklahoma
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Does it really bother you that much that she is female

Do you really believe that, just because she is a girl 

She is not an object

What she wore that night did not justify your actions

She did not ask for that

“Boys will be boys” and 

“Men can’t control themselves”

But then we are ridiculed for our response

Justifying poor behavior will only make the problem worse

We are like a rival spy trekking through enemy territory

Constantly on point of a possible attack

We are trapped behind the bars a man has set in place

Like a prisoner at a males’ mercy

You carelessly violate her and then have no remorse for your despicable actions

You ignore her cries like a bully who has no regret

She is not weak because she is a female

You claim “I didn’t know any better and I have needs”

You think it will not affect her but it does

Just because she does not show her wounds does not mean that it won’t scar

You victimize yourself like a murderer who wants to avoid the consequences

I am not an object and my body should not come up in any conversation

She is not weak

Your hands are like vicious thorns digging deep into the skin

Take them off of her

Women do not exist simply for the pleasure of men

No means no

No does not mean convince me

We are not useless

A woman invented the WiFi you use to degrade that innocent girl

You are like a ruthless lion on the prowl searching for an innocent victim 

She is not weak for showing her emotions

She is not asking for attention for wearing that

She is not a catfish because she wears makeup

She is not a pick me for not having stereotypical interests 

She is not basic for liking ordinary things

Teach your sons not to misogynists or we will teach our daughters how
to rebel


The author's comments:

I wrote this because my school outnumbers girls two to one and it is very hard to fight for equality under those circumstances. Me and my friends were constantly screamed at and degraded on a regular basis. We were told to normalize boys talking about our bodies and treating us like objects but I was not going to give up on it. Writing this poem help me put my emotion into words and stand up for myself and others. The world isn't perfect and there will always be injustice but the world can't keep me quiet from speaking out about what I believe.


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