Actor and comedian Aziz Ansari has been accused of sexual assault by a woman publicly known as Grace. Grace told website babe about her encounter with Ansari in a piece published this week that has sparked big buzz around Ansari and the acts that reportedly took place that night. 

In light of these discussions — in which many have brushed off the encounter as a "normal" or "ordinary"  experience — some are missing the point that Grace's account serves to not only give voice to a woman who has been silent about a sexual encounter she did not desire, but also women like her who have faced similar unwanted experiences with men. 

In her account, Grace said she went on a date with Ansari in September after meeting him at the Golden Globes. After dinner, the two returned to his apartment where Ansari is said to have continuously pressured the young lady into sex. He continuously tried to initiate intercourse, Grace told babe.net, who also said that she gave verbal and nonverbal indications that she was not interested in having sex.

“I don’t want to feel forced because then I’ll hate you, and I’d rather not hate you,” Grace recalled telling Ansari. His alleged response to this was “Let’s just chill over here on the couch.” Soon after, Grace said Ansari pointed to his penis expecting her to perform oral sex on him, which Grace said she did. She left soon after, crying the entire cab ride home.

Grace's recount of the events of that night falls in line with many of stories women have told through the #MeToo campaign, and it stands out because it sounds so familiar to so many women. That's exactly why we have to keep talking about it. It has potential to truly focus the conversations on sexual assault around the imbalance of sexual power among men and women and the boundaries women draw. 

Too many women have come forward sharing stories of men disrespecting their personal space and having their bodies treated as a playground by men who don't respect the agency women have over our bodies. As a woman who stands as a member and survivor of the #metoo movement, I know first-hand how mounting pressure can allow a man's power to prevail.

Countless women hide in the shadows of shame because they too place total blame on themselves for feeling compromised. But the onus does not rest on them, and moments like this should be better spent reevaluating seemingly "ordinary" stories like these and society's broken relationship with sex and consent.

Women have been silenced for too long — they didn't start speaking now to be pushed aside, or silenced again.