Authenticity is the currency of the survivor story. Once that currency is debased by fakes, the entire movement suffers. In the end, a survivor story is a gift. It is a handing over of pain in the hopes of preventing pain in someone else. It requires immense courage to share, but it also requires something equally rare from the audience: the courage to listen.

Too often, non-profits expect survivors to relive their worst memories for free. Ethical campaigns budget for speaker fees, therapy support, and flexible schedules. A survivor’s story is intellectual and emotional labor of the highest order.

We can read that “1 in 4 women will experience severe intimate partner violence” and feel a flicker of concern. We can hear that “suicide rates have increased by 30% since 2000” and nod somberly. But statistics live in the abstract part of our brain. They do not make us cry. They do not make us change our behavior. They do not, ultimately, build movements.