Following the claims of sexual harassment against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein by several women, women everywhere are speaking up about the times they have been abused and against their abusers.
Started by Tarana Burke more than 10 years ago and now being used by celebrities and everyone else, the #MeToo hashtag is opening eyes and enlightening people to just how far the issue of sexual harassment is spread, and just how much it has been normalized.
#MeToo, more than anything, is giving people the courage to speak up without the fear of condemnation.
See some #MeToo tweets below:
You know us. We are your family members. Your friends. Your co-workers. Your neighbors. And yes, even your heroes. We are everywhere. #Metoo https://t.co/MMX5QCJUCb
— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) October 18, 2017
'I trusted him. My drink was drugged. I can't remember much of what happened.' Thank you Penny for bravely speaking out today. #MeToo pic.twitter.com/UdvubSX9LP
— Loose Women (@loosewomen) October 19, 2017
One in five women has been the victim of attempted or completed rape in their lifetime #metoo
— FB (@ForeignnBae) October 19, 2017
Sarah Doyle's poem #MeToo in the Morning Star today pic.twitter.com/He9dm3QDoi
— Jody Porter (@jodyporter_) October 19, 2017
You don’t have to believe me. I lived it. It’s now about helping other people in the world scared to stand up to their abusers. #MeToo
— KAYA (@KayaJones) October 19, 2017
Here's the full story how I was shamed by my boss after going public about my sexual assault.??#MeToo ? pic.twitter.com/cw2BTOTwQT
— LIZ THE?IS COMING? (@LizCrokin) October 19, 2017
I’ve been really scared to share this, so please no hate for it. This is some of my #MeToo story… pic.twitter.com/hK9Bf2iYD7
— ➸ Kelly ♥ (@EvilRegalKelly) October 18, 2017
I feel scared to post this but it's important for me to realize that it was not my fault. Girls, it't never your fault. #MeToo
— Anonimo_Camila (@Camimore2020) October 18, 2017
Really going to speak up. My rapist/ abuser was my boyfriend at the time. Took me years to accept what it actually was #metoo
— Sarah L. Sheppard (@scrappysheppard) October 18, 2017
Mine was my brother #metoo
— Kasia Fields? (@kasialynn7) October 18, 2017
You're both being so brave.
It was my father.
Thank you for giving us the courage and the voice.#MeToo— RebelMel #IvansArmy (@mimicreature) October 18, 2017
I probably will never have the courage to speak up about this, but for what’s its worth, #MeToo
— b. (@baileybettes) October 18, 2017
As a child, who was sexually assaulted aged 14, I find the woman on BBC Radio 4 accusing us of "victimhood" utterly abhorrent. #MeToo
— Madeleina Kay (@albawhitewolf) October 18, 2017
I didn't tweet #MeToo bc I was scared it was attention-seeking or that my assaults weren't Bad Enough, which feels like part of the problem
— no dana, only zuul (@DanaSchwartzzz) October 18, 2017
I was able to get away, not everyone can. #MeToo pic.twitter.com/E84eg64fDQ
— Champagne mami? (@kenzieemccaann) October 18, 2017
“Boys will be boys” is not an excuse. #MeToo
— Danayi Musamirapamwe (@DanayiM) October 18, 2017
being sexually assaulted is embarrassing, belittling and humiliating. But i myself and every other victim stand strong together❤️ #MeToo
— meg hopwood (@myhopwood) October 18, 2017
#MeToo for how long i thought my experience wasn't valid because 'other people have had it worse'
— eleanor? (@boringblueb0y) October 18, 2017
I pray that if I ever have a daughter, she never experiences the things I have #MeToo
— ari (@ariana_shanae) October 18, 2017
#MeToo isn’t a pity party for women and men who’ve dealt with this. It’s real proof that this isn’t ok and it happens. Every. Single. Day.
— Morgan Taylor (@radiomorgtaylor) October 18, 2017
If you're a man surprised by #MeToo, you're not listening to the women in your life or they aren't comfortable talking to you. Fix that.
— Robbie Kemp (@Robbie_the_Kemp) October 18, 2017
Photo Credit: Twitter
The unfortunate truth is that “Metoo” is the status of majority of us girls who grew up/ are growing up in Naija ?. No thanks to Houseboys, Randy uncles, cousins, teachers and the list goes on. God help/save the girl child.
I know this is true and real but people are misusing it. So I flirt with you with sexual undertone is harrasment?? Wow!
If we are dating now and we had sex and tomorrow you get angry and break up for whatever reason, that sex is a rape? Because someone described something like that up there as rape.
I was once almost raped by the infamous Alhaji Gay that died some years back and I know rape or even attempted rape can be really disgusting. However, me asking you to a drink is in no way some type of harrasment. You people should calm down! Say no, go and tell him you only came because you respected him, whatever but don’t say he harassed you!
please elaborate….because I do not want to believe that you are shaming people and you want them to only tell the stories that fit your definition. And if we could not do hypotheticals….because what you think will happen isn’t what happens.
just sitting in my seat jeje and waiting for this to hit Naija twitterverse??-what am I thinking! In Nigeria sexual harassment is practiced @ the frequency with which we greet good morning and the perpetrators are both female and male. I’m gonna be waiting forever.
which is more important to you: that people are misusing it or that people are able to put voice to their trauma.
And yes flirting with sexual undertones to someone who does not want it or has communicated that they don’t want it or under the false pretense of an unrelated matter, is sexual harassment. It happens to men and women.