Yesterday at the 2018 Women’s March in New York City, Halsey took the stage to read a powerful poem about her personal experience with multiple instances of sexual assault and rape. The singer-songwriter delivered the poem titled “A Story Like Mine” in lieu of a traditional speech.
“I don’t really know how to do a speech unless it rhymes,” she said. “So I’m gonna do a little poem for you guys.”
In the poem, Halsey describes an experience of childhood sexual assault in 2002 (when the singer would’ve been 8 years old), being forced into sex by a boyfriend in 2012, and being assaulted by a “man that I trust” in 2017. She shares how after being forced into sex, she had to perform through a miscarriage and how being a public figure hasn’t helped protect her (or others) from abuse. She also describes joining a friend in a trip to Planned Parenthood in 2009 after her friend was raped. Watch the speech below and read a full transcript of the poem here.
here is my entire “A Story Like Mine” poem from today’s #WomensMarch2018 in NYC tw: rape / assault. Thank you. pic.twitter.com/l3fji73woM
— h (@halsey) January 20, 2018
