On October 30th, a story broke out about Kevin Spacey making a sexual advance to actor Anthony Rapp when he was only 14 years old. The story broke first on BuzzFeed and spread to other major news outlets very quickly. Rapp recalled the moment with true clarity. Rapp was invited to a party that Spacey was hosting in 1986. He was the only person there that wasn’t an adult making things more uncomfortable. Throughout the party, Spacey was giving Rapp special treatment and making sure he was enjoying myself. Then towards the end of it, Spacey was described to be visibly drunk and forced himself on top of Rapp.
In our society it is seen as emasculating if a man can’t hold his ground and having a moment like this happen to a male celebrity would theoretically blacklist them. There’s a hidden stigma that you have to keep up appearances despite how you are truly feeling. These are some of the many reasons why Rapp didn’t come forward until now.
Talking about abuse has not been a common thing … until now. People do not feel comfortable sharing these horrific experiences. It can even get those who were abused to think that they almost deserved the abuse. So naturally, Rapp didn’t say anything to anyone for some time. “It was this thing that happened, and I locked it away,” Rapp said.
As soon as this story broke out, Kevin Spacey released an apology on his personal Twitter account:
It was very much criticized because Spacey used his sexuality as an excuse for his action. Being gay does not equal being a sexual predator. Being drunk doesn’t excuse his behavior either. Many people were outraged that Spacey made this his opportunity to come out. Coming out is usually celebrated with a group of supportive people that love you for who you are. In this instance, it was used to cover up a mistake that happened 30 years ago. Netflix announced that they will be suspending production of House of Cards as a result.
Adding insult to injury, Spacey’s scandal is happening at the same time as Harvey Weinstein’s. As everyone knows now, Weinstein has been accused of sexually harassing women in Hollywood for decades. Recent reports stating as far back as the 1970s. It was an open secret everyone whispered about, but never stepped forward about.
For years, women had to watch men like Weinstein continue to succeed while they have to feel shame about the incident. Now, women are finally breaking their silence, talking about their experiences and exposing sexual predators that are among us.
A couple of days ago, #MeToo was trending on Twitter to shed light to other women (including those not in the spotlight) who have been victims of sexual assault/harassment. The power behind the hashtag and how quickly it got received shows the actual magnitude of the problem at hand. It makes this issue more of a reality when you personally know a female that was affected by sexual harassment to any degree. Rapp was inspired to share his story because of all the women coming forward about their own.
Hopefully, this is the type of movement that will finally bring change to how people are treated in the work force. Not just women, but anyone who is not a straight white male. Nobody should have to succumb to sex to land a job. Nobody should be treated any less than anyone else based on their sexuality, gender, race, or religion. People need to be treated as people. Point blank.