There’s nothing easy about sharing an experience with sexual harassment or assault. For many, including myself, it can be a challenge to navigate the range of emotions and thoughts that come up when talking about this delicate subject. However, the outpour of support and courage from the recent “Me Too” social media campaign has offered an important outlet to continue the conversation.
Although the original “Me Too” campaign started ten years ago with Brooklyn-based activist Tarana Burke [1], actress Alyssa Milano sparked a new conversation Sunday when she tweeted “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet”.[2] This lead millions of individuals to respond to her message, sharing their own stories and offering support to others.
Seeing the sheer number of “Me Too” responses from friends, family, and acquaintances both surprised me and made me feel supported. I was surprised to see how many people had been affected by sexual harassment and assault. Sometimes the silence surrounding these topics makes it seem like an experience is an isolated incident, something to be dealt with on your own. Individuals are repeatedly told not to report, not to speak up, not to share their experiences with others. But I think the “Me Too” campaign directly challenges such practices by dedicating a space for people to be heard. Their responses inspired me and comforted me. For the first time, I did not feel alone.
However, I want to recognize that my response to this campaign is one of many responses, voiced or not. Some may not feel compelled, or even ready to, share their experiences and opinions. And that is okay. Acknowledging those who did respond and their vulnerability, and acknowledging the voices of those choosing not to share, both are incredibly powerful. This campaign has successfully brought to light the “magnitude of the issue”, highlighting those who have and have not shared, those offering support for survivors, through those who are willing to tackle this issue head on.[2]
Considering that one in three women experience violence sometime in their lifetime, it is crucial that we continue conversations about sexual harassment and assault.[3] These issues cannot and will not be solved by a tweet or post- they require continuous efforts to support survivors and change the culture that allows such acts to occur. There is no easy or straightforward path to change, but in this case a simple “me too” serves as a step in the right direction.
- Santiago, Cassandra, and Doug Criss. “An Activist, a Little Girl and the Heartbreaking Origin of ‘Me Too’.” CNN, Cable News Network, 17 Oct. 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/10/17/us/me-too-tarana-burke-origin-trnd/index.html.
- Milano, Alyssa. “If You’ve Been Sexually Harassed or Assaulted Write ‘Me Too’ as a Reply to This Tweet.” Twitter, Twitter, 15 Oct. 2017, twitter.com/Alyssa_Milano/status/919659438700670976.
- Women, UN. “It Is Time We Listen to the Voices of Women around the World. It Is Time We Take a Stand against Violence against Women. #MeToo.”Twitter, Twitter, 17 Oct. 2017, twitter.com/UN_Women/status/920286336074076160.