TW: rape, abuse, DV, sexual assault

After watching Deaf U, I had to take a lot of time to process this. I felt my time to process this was more than necessary but I couldn’t understand why. It took me a few days to realize I am processing this more longer than I want to 1/?

because there were so many triggering situations within the show and NO trigger warnings AT ALL. Gallaudet U is an unique community within itself. Pretty much everyone knows everyone. Going through college was really tough time for a lot of women in Gallaudet. Graduating 2/?

Gallaudet, I knew 50+ stories on rape, sexual assault, and many forms of abuse within relationships on campus. A lot of the stories happened to my close friends and myself. Some were reported, some shared their stories in the community, and a lot haven’t open up at all. The 3/?

worst part of this is even with the 50+ stories and many reports, only TWO rapists were temporary banned from Gallaudet and no one went to jail or had any legal consequences. Women at Gallaudet already have a hard time speaking out their stories due to how the deaf community 4/?

gives support to these women which is almost to nothing. As I was watching Deaf U, I was conflicted with their bravery for sharing but it was really triggering of them sharing experiences on this campus without the audience knowing they would do this especially when there 5/?

are a lot of survivors watching this show. As much as I want to applaud them, it is heartbreaking because I know the rapists/abusers, based on my experiences, wouldn’t get any consequences. What this community does for the survivors is banish them or minimize their stories 6/?

and then cheer their beers to the rapists/abusers. I know there are so many more women that wants their stories to come out but are deadly afraid due to the rapists/abusers’ status in the community. The higher their status, the more they look good in the community, the more 7/?

support they would get from them, and then the survivors would be brushed to the side. As of right now, there are many deaf rapists/abusers who are working as admins at deaf schools/Gallaudet/RIT, government officials representing deaf people, deaf celebrities, owns deaf 8/?

businesses, and so much more but since “the community is so small”, survivors are forced to put their experiences aside to “support our minority”. This is what is happening within this show as well. Watching this show, I saw one person on the show who is a known domestic 9/?

violence abuser and he also has a history of assault and robbery which I’ve seen with my own eyes. I was appalled they had him on the show. First, no trigger warnings and now a cast member is a known abuser. I have enough of giving rapists, abusers, and their supporters 10/?

the spotlight in the deaf community. This is NOT OKAY. Survivors, I stand with you. #DeafU, do better next season or don’t even bother filming season 2. 11/end