The Vista NOTRE DAME ACADEMY*3535 W. SYLVANIA AVE.* TOLEDO, OH 43623*VOL 68 ISSUE 3*Dec. 12, 2017
#MeToo Movement Gives Voice to Women Hannah Dailey Who knew one simple two-word hashtag could catalyze a movement for social change? #MeToo was started on social media, predominantly Twitter, during October 2017, a time period in which a flood of sexual misconduct allegations were coming out against film producer Harvey Weinstein. Actress Alyssa Milano popularized the hashtag and encouraged women and men to tweet it to demonstrate the widespread nature of sexual harassment and abuse. Since then, millions have used the hashtag as a way to share their story. The hashtag elicited discussion of sexual harassment in Hollywood, most predominantly, as well as in politics, the music industry, and education. “The #MeToo movement is so powerful in that it’s gently pushed the conversation of sexual assault — not just in the workplace or in the entertainment industry, but in general society and in day-to-day life — into light and allowed for countless people to speak up and share their experiences. Sexual assault and harassment is often something swept aside or under the rug and often left untalked about, but #MeToo is really trying to change that, and in a simple way,” senior Carly McGoldrick said. The hashtag was tweeted almost a million times within the first 48 hours after Milano’s original post. Some simply posted “me too,” while others opened up in detail about the abuse they have encountered. For many, this was the first time sharing their stories. “This movement makes it obvious that there are enormous societal barriers that exist that make justice for sexual violence survivors difficult. So many peo-
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Alyssa Milano’s original tweet that popularized the hashtag #MeToo on Twitter. Photo courtesy of Twitter.
ple have this "oh, but it isn't rape if..." mindset that turns the majority of rapes into somehow consensual sex,” senior Kate Brown said. “Statistics show that people drastically overestimate the false accusation rate for rape and drastically underestimate the prevalence of sexual assault and harassment. This movement shows that no, women don't report rape because they regretted last night; rape victims face the kind of vitriol and accusations that their attackers simply don't receive,” she added. Milano wanted to elevate the conversation and put the emphasis on the victims rather than the perpetrators. A Facebook study showed that 45% of users had a friend who tweeted the hashtag. The hashtag’s purpose is to showcase just how unnervingly common the problem of sexual assault is. The number of women and men who have tweeted the hashtag is disturbing, and perhaps even surprising to some. In This Issue: Page 5 What to do on Snow Days
“To me, the #MeToo movement is bittersweet in the darkest sense. Yes, it has helped to expose the normalization and secrecy that walks hand in hand with sexual assault, but it also breaks my heart each time I see a new post,” senior Caroline Dziubek said. “I can deal with that heartbreak, though. The first step of changing “button under the desk” culture is shedding light on the issue’s immensity, and the #MeToo movement does just that.” “I really like the opportunity #MeToo gives women to come out with their stories and not feel alone. The support a community gives to those struggling is very important to the healing of those who are victims of sexual assault, and #MeToo gives women that community,” junior Katie Jackson said. Some may say the movement is demonizing men and is only damaging relationships between men and women, but it is truly just to bring light to how widespread the issue is and inspire social change. The hashtag is supposed to get people talking about how society can best fix this issue and offer support to those who have been affected. “I think it is giving a great jumping point for victims who might be too nervous to say something since they think sexual assault isn’t a common thing. Bringing to light how common of an issue it is helps start to break the stigma and victim blaming that is often associated with assault cases,” senior Laura Mosler said. “The stories of sexual assault and harassment survivors have never been so accurately represented; I hope this will create a society that is more helpful to survivors and less forgiving of attackers,” Kate said.
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