On Oct. 5 last year, the New York Times published their Harvey Weinstein article that would change the nation.
This past year has been a blur of sexual assault cases against powerful men. From Harvey Weinstein bringing the movement to the forefront of international media to Bill Cosby being sentenced to jail for drugging and assaulting women to Larry Nassar’s years of abusing young gymnasts (both male and female) to the recent chaos surrounding the Supreme Court confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh. To say in the least, this year has not only brought empowerment to women (and men) to seek justice for the horrible things that have happened to them, but it has put pressure on the men to be more accountable and aware of the situations they put themselves in.
To be honest, it’s about damn time and I’m proud of what this movement has accomplished so far.
And it shouldn’t stop anytime soon.
#MeToo and Time’s Up have finally put women on the road map of empowerment, recognition, and most importantly, giving women a voice they never thought they would have against their assaulters. It is so important for women to finally begin taking back their agency and demanding respect. But it is more important that women are finally starting to get the respect they deserve.
It’s only been a year since this movement started, but it’s only the beginning. This movement was a huge step for women and men who have been hiding their stories because of embarrassment and fear. It’s time every single person owns up to their narrative. It’s time we, as a country, stop giving high profiled and very important jobs to people who don’t even have the decency to respect another human being, let alone an entire industry, sport or country. It’s time to continue to demand respect and stop recognizing assaulters, harassers and rapists as “good people.”
As the movement goes forward, I would like to see people stop standing behind people because “they never knew that” or “he would never do that” and instead demand the truth, allow them to be tried and pressured. To stop people from acquiring such a high status and using that to their advantage. It’s time that respect and consent are everyone’s priorities.
#MeToo has opened so many doors so far and it needs to keep opening more until we can get to a world where women aren’t afraid of walking alone and aren’t asked for sexual favors in order to rise up the corporate ladder or be told they “asked for it.”
The time has come in the last year, women are putting their foot down. And it’s a beautiful thing.
Time’s up.