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L.A. Taco Guides

You’re Not Too Strong, Smart, or Pretty to Be Raped: A Survivor’s No-BS Guide to Ending Gender-Based Violence 

"We must acknowledge that [society] works by promoting perpetual war against girls, women, and femmes," writer and survivor Myriam Gurba says. "Your job is to decide which side of the war you’re on and commit to that fight."

10:20 AM PDT on March 31, 2026

a drawing of a survivor of rape/domestic violence sitting with their chest to their knees

Illustration by Ivan Ehlers for L.A. TACO.

Hi! My name is Myriam Gurba, and I enjoy curating safe spaces for survivors.

If you’re a survivor or someone who loves survivors, welcome!

If you’re an abuser, bye! I hope that the door hits your deceitful ass on your way out.

Music brings spaces to life and the soundtrack playing here includes “Survivor” by Destiny’s Child, “I Will Survive,” by Gloria Gaynor, and “Goodbye Earl” by the Dixie Chicks. Feel free to DJ and add to our playlist.

Like many women who are multiply marginalized, my survivor resumé is quite extensive. For starters, I survived childhood in the United States of America. 

I survived the fashion trends of the 1980s. I survived Catholic high school. I survived eating a weed brownie that was the size and consistency of a large adobe brick. I survived the first Trump presidency, and like you, I’m surviving the second Trump presidency.