To preface, when I say non-violently, I mean without force or much force used. And as a second point to my preface, I am in absolutely no places ADVOCATING sexual assault. I'm just pointing out that it isn't as big of a deal as it's made to be.

This all happened 5+ years ago.

I have been sexually assaulted 2-3 times in my life, all as an adult. None of them was a big deal. I'll describe the first, as that was one that went on the longest, but if people are curious, I can describe the other two.

Each involved a gay man and naivety/trust.

I was very innocent, felt that everyone talked about sex and consent first, and most people didn't engage in sex or anything sexual until they had been dating for at least a month or two (as I said, phenomenally innocent).

The first incident happened while I was sleeping - it was the third or fourth time I had ever drank in my life, and I passed out on a bed with about 3 or 4 other people, including a cute girl and a gay guy, who I was sleeping in between.

At some point during the night, I start to dream that the girl is giving me a handjob, and I gradually wake up to find that the gay guy has his hands in my pants, and is the one actually doing this. As soon as I wake up, I stop him, leave the room, still half drunk, and go sleep on the floor in the living room.

Afterwards, I felt a little weird and gross, but it wasn't a big deal. I wasn't scarred or scared, I didn't throw up or cry. I'd compare it to taking a trip to a foreign city, and having your wallet stolen and having to eat out of a garbage can in order to survive for a couple of days - you feel a little icky and a little violated, but it's not really bothersome after the fact.

Why am I bringing this up here? Because there's a lot of discussion about sexual assault and how it is absolutely verboten to question it, classify it, or not feel it's the most horrible thing ever.

There are almost certainly rapes and sexual assaults that are traumatizing. But there are almost certainly assaults that, like mine, just really aren't that big of a deal.

The question of whether rape/assault has occurred or not is always a valid question (hell, question whether mine occurred, I don't care). And there were certainly things I could have done in each case to have prevented myself from being harmed - that isn't victim blaming, that's taking responsibility.

Rape is oftentimes made out to be the most horrible thing that can happen to a person - and I agree that a violent sexual assault probably is one of the most horrible things that can happen. But a lot of sexual assault isn't really a big deal (not that I'm advocating it).