By Danielle Seymour
Staff Writer
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, a time that is dedicated to ”raise public awareness about sexual violence and educate communities on how to prevent it.” This is a month that reminds us to fight for survivors, no matter their race, gender, age, clothing choice, or level of sobriety. This is a month to be aware of the values ingrained in our culture that lead to sexual assault and encourage the reform of these values. These values made it so there are people who think they can treat others like they are not human, and created a justice system that does not always deliver justice. This is also a month to remember that sexual assault is an issue when it is no longer front page news, and when it is not news at all.
In Oct. 2017, The New York Times published an article, officially exposing the sexual assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein. This marks the beginning of the MeToo movement, a nationwide movement against sexual assault, with a mission to support sexual assault survivors and influence legislators to make a change in a broken system. We are still in what many call the “Me Too era” over a year later, and the movement has had many wins, but also devastating losses.
The phrase “Me Too” was created long before the movement became nationwide. It was officially coined in 2007 by a woman named Tarana Burke.
“Ms. Burke created Just Be Inc., a nonprofit organization that helps victims of sexual harassment and assault…And she gave her movement a name: Me Too” said Sandra Garcia of The New York Times.
This phrase later became the phrase that gave so many sexual assault survivors a voice through a simple hashtag. Seeing thousands and thousands of posts and tweets marked with the Me Too hashtag, the magnitude of the problem became apparent, and a movement was born.
but it’s a fantastic place to start.
This month, do your part to end the widespread problem that is sexual assault.
This movement took down a lot of powerful men who abused this power. It all started with Harvey Weinstein, but it got bigger as more survivors felt empowered to speak up.
On Oct. 18, 2017, Olympic gymnast McKayla Maroney tweeted about the assault she suffered at the hand of Lawrence G. Nassar, the former team doctor. Her courage gave many other women their voice, and hundreds came forward to accuse Nassar of assault. Dozens of women testified against him, securing his sentence of 60 years in prison.
On Jan. 1, 2018, an organization arose from Me Too called Time’s Up. This was a coalition formed by 300 women in Hollywood, many of whom wore black in solidarity with the movement at the 75th Golden Globes Awards. This is a coalition that is dedicated to ensuring that women have a respected and safe space in the workplace, no matter the profession. In 2018, their legal defense fund accumulated around $22 million dollars in donations to ensure that victims get the justice they deserve.
On Jan. 20, 2018, people across the nation took part in the 2nd annual Women’s March, one year after President Donald Trump was inaugurated. People marched to show their disapproval for our current administration, and to remind us that a man accused of sexual assault by 23 women is in the White House.
The Me Too movement has come in and out of the news cycle over the last year, but there were new accusations made every month, bringing down vile men who used their power to prey on the most vulnerable. This list of men includes Matt Lauer, Roy Moore, Garrison Keillor, Russell SImmons, Al Franken, Woody Allen, Mario Batali, Gary Goddard, James Levine, Bill Cosby, R. Kelly, and many, many more.
While the Me Too movement had some undeniable wins to be celebrated, there will always be losses, one of the most notable being Brett Kavanaugh. Christine Blasey Ford, along with multiple other accusers, claimed that Brett Kavanaugh had sexually assaulted them. Ford accused Supreme Court nominee of sexually assaulting her when they were both in high school. A hearing was held on Sept. 27, 2018, but Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in as the 114th Supreme Court justice weeks later.
There are also those injustices that slip through the cracks, those that seldom make the national news. These are cases that go unnoticed or that we can simply do nothing about. Sometimes the system just fails us. One such case occurred in Dec. 2018, where a man named Jacob Anderson was charged with four counts of sexual assault for raping a 19-year-old woman at a frat party. He took a plea deal, which gave him no jail time and did not require him to register as a sex offender. Instead, he paid a $400 fine and went on with his life. To put this in perspective, some cities have fees for traffic violations that can cost more than $500.
If you, or anyone you know is experiencing or has experienced rape, molestation, unwanted sexual contact of any other form, or any kind sexual harassment from anyone that made you uncomfortable (or experiences them in the future), call the police or call the National Sexual Assault Telephone Hotline. Sexual assault is a crime and is not something that should ever be taken lightly. Do not be afraid to speak out if this happens to you.
Sexual Assault Awareness will be vital, until there is no one left who can say “Me Too.”
