Tw; rape. My best friend made a rape joke and I got really really mad at him and yelled at him. Afterwards he apologized (I had to correct his apology bc it was one of those "sorry IF I offended you but he apologized the right way afterwards) should I forgive him?
Asked by Anonymous
tw: rape
I cannot tell you what to do; only you can decide whether you feel comfortable being his friend or not.
What I can suggest is maybe writing a letter to him; full with your feelings and educational information about rape and rape culture. If he is worthy of your friendship he will read it and 1) feel ashamed and admit that he was wrong, and 2) he will try very hard not to make that mistake again.
It is hard to accept others unconditionally; especially when they engage in harmful behavior but do you think you should write him off completely? Are you giving up on him? It is okay if you want to. Removing toxic people from your life can be very beneficial. However, if you choose to remain his friend just keep doing what you did; tell him how you truly feel. Loving someone unconditionally means flaws and all. You can hate the flaws. You can hate a culture that he has been exposed to. You can even hate some of his actions; but you can still love him. <3 I hope this was helpful and I hope you are okay.