When Womxn and Grrrls Are Killed

When women and girls are killed
It is especially heartbreaking, though you may not be sure why
Maybe it's 'cause when women and girls are killed
It's often no surprise

When women and girls are killed we say things like
"It was bound to happen"
We say, "What did you expect from her father? Her spouse? Her boyfriend?"

When women and girls are killed
The silence becomes conventional
And when they determine the assault wasn't sexual
We all act like that was a plus

At the rate at which women and girls are getting killed
The next victim is one of us

When women and girls are killed
It's because of every choice that she made

[Spoken by Chorus]
Vanessa Guillén

It's because she chose to make eye contact instead of look away

[Spoken by Chorus]
Muhlaysia Booker

It's because "boys will be boys" wasn't a good enough reason

[Spoken by Chorus]
Jennifer Laude

For her to defend herself at the risk of being beaten

[Spoken by Chorus]
Toyin Salau
Valerie Reyes

And when the decision is between death or prison
Especially when you have children
There is no choice at all
Just a hope and a prayer
That you'll get probation

[Spoken by Chorus]
Rosenda Strong
[?]

When women and girls are killed
It's because of her location, her lack of education, the occupation that she chose
When a man is murdered, we never blame it on his clothes
But we do when it's a woman

[Spoken by Chorus]
[?]

Never do we blame a system
A system built on the wisdom of old and sexist cis men

[Spoken by Chorus]
Flor Contemplacion
[?]

When women and girls are killed
It is our collective failure
A reflection of us from the ugliest of angles
When our women and girls become our angels before being given a chance at becoming women at all

When young, brown women and girls are killed
We assume its due to their faults
Like when [?] and [?] were killed
Tell me - what were your first thoughts?

[Spoken by Chorus]
Savanna LaFontaine-Greywind
Tina Fontaine
Riah Milton
Marielle Franco
Breonna Taylor
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