When People Tell You Who They Are, Believe Them

Written by: Devon Church, BScN, RN, Psychotherapist

I’m tired.

Tired of watching sexism get brushed off as culture.
Tired of misogyny being minimized.
Tired of powerful people laughing, deflecting, or going silent when the conversation turns to harm against women and children.

This week it showed up in the hockey world in a way that was blatant and ugly. And at the same time, it’s showing up on a much bigger stage as more of us are forced to confront who knew what, who stayed quiet, and who still cannot seem to say clearly that abuse and exploitation of women and children is wrong. Full stop.

These are not separate conversations.

They are about power. And what happens when people with power are never required to be accountable.

When someone jokes about sexism, shrugs off misogyny, or gets more upset about being criticized than about actual harm, they are telling you something. They are showing you who they are safe for and who they are not.

A lot of us are learning in real time who we can trust. And it hurts.

It hurts to realize that some people care more about protecting institutions, reputations, or political loyalty than protecting women and children. It hurts to watch survivors get sidelined while systems scramble to protect themselves.

Sexism and misogyny are not abstract ideas. They create the conditions where abuse is normalized. Where children are doubted. Where women are blamed. Where silence is rewarded.

That is a mental health issue.

Living inside that kind of culture does something to people. It creates anxiety. Hypervigilance. Anger. Grief. It teaches people to constantly scan for danger. It erodes trust.

At Acceptance, we are not neutral about this.

We believe survivors.
We name sexism and misogyny when we see them.
We do not excuse it as tradition, politics, or locker room culture.

Mental health care means more than teaching people to breathe through their panic. It means being honest about what is causing it.

This moment is not just about hockey. It is not just about politics. It is about whether we are willing to pay attention when people show us who they are.

And whether we are brave enough to respond.

We are paying attention. And we are not looking away.