Yesterday survivors gathered in Albany to see @govkathyhochul sign the Adult Survivors Act into law. Survivors have spent years ripping ourselves open to get this bill passed. We told our stories to elected officials only to be met with “but why did you wait so long to report?” We spent countless hours helping elected officials understand that trauma takes time. We wrote op eds, held countless press conferences, lobby days, and more. All of this work is unpaid for survivors. Advocates who do this work get a paycheck, survivors do not. Our travel to Albany isn’t reimbursed, our meals aren’t covered, we aren’t paid for the time it takes to write op-eds, we aren’t compensated for the emotional labor and toll of telling our stories. We don’t get a raise when a bill is passed, and our stories and labor may be used in donor and fundraising appeals. I say this not to undermine the work of advocates, trust me, but to name the thing that often isn’t named. I love survivors unconditionally, as the three dimensional humans they are. I also know they have to pay for childcare, they need to care for themselves because storytelling is exhausting, and this work is heavy. Yesterday was monumental and historic, and was also a teachable moment.