This week, Twitter has been flooded with the hashtag, #MeToo. This is a movement for victims of sexual assault and sexual harassment originating from the Harvey Weinstein case. The hashtag is to show the magnitude of people, not just women, who have been sexually assaulted and harassed. The sad part? There were thousands upon thousands of #MeToo tweets. With each tweet, someone was sharing their story or showing their support for the victims. One of the most heartbreaking tweets that I came across was one girl saying, "I'm just thankful that I was only sexually harassed." How sad is it that this woman had to be thankful that she was just sexually harassed instead of worse? That is truly heartbreaking. I have come to realize that it is harder to find someone who has not been affected by sexual assault or harassment than someone who has. Sexual assault and harassment can go from an unwanted sexually crude joke or comment to a guy trying to touch you inappropriately even after you move his hand away. Consent is not an absence of a "no", it is an absolute "yes". There should be absolutely no doubt. If there is, then ask. Ask if that person is comfortable with you doing that. If a victim comes to you, do not doubt them. Do not make them feel like it is their fault. Do everything in your power to reassure them. Make sure that they know that it is not their fault. They are not responsible for what someone else decided to do. Most importantly, love and support them. Be their shoulder to cry on. Be a listening ear. Let them come to you. If they want to open up, then listen. If they don't want to open up, please do not force them. They need to come to you in their own time. If you have been sexually assaulted or harassed, please talk to someone. I promise, you are not alone because #MeToo.
Politics and ActivismOct 24, 2017
#MeToo
The hashtag is to show the magnitude of people, not just women, who have been sexually assaulted and harassed.
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