#MeToo

On Oct. 15, actress Alyssa Milano took to Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to spread the hashtag, #MeToo, to showcase the growing issue of sexual harassment in society.

Milano asked for sexual assault victims to write “me too” in reply to the tweet or the post the hashtag on Facebook/Instagram.

The hashtag was created in response to allegations of sexual misconduct from Harvey Weinstein, powerful film producer and former film studio executive who was recently accused of rape and other forms of sexual misconduct by many women in the film industry. The hashtag began trending on social media immediately — with countless men and women survivors sharing their own stories of sexual harassment.

Within three days of its posting on Twitter, Milano’s tweet accumulated over 24,000 retweets and over 50,000 favorites.

#MeToo has caught the attention of numerous celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Debra Messing, Evan Rachel Wood, Gabrielle Union, and more.

Some celebrities, like actress America Ferrera, shared their own harrowing encounters with sexual assault. Ferrera disclosed on a lengthy Instagram post her experience with sexual harassment at just nine years old.

Celebrities and public figures aren’t the only ones speaking out. Voices from Temple University are also expressing support for sexual assault victims through the #MeToo hashtag.

Her Campus Temple’s president, Sarah Madaus, posted an Instagram with the caption “Me too. In this outfit. It doesn’t matter what you’re wearing. #ItStopsWithUs #MeToo.” Madaus also took to Facebook, where she once more updated her status with those two powerful words: “me too.”

“My original ‘Me Too’ post was on Facebook. I was empowered by the posts from some of my best friends, who were involved in much more traumatic situations than me…” Madaus said.

From her social media posts, Madaus hopes that people understand that clothing choices never warrant unwanted sexual advances.

“Bottom line, it doesn’t matter what the woman is wearing, because men don’t care. They’ll harass or assault us in a sweatshirt or in a bodycon dress. And it doesn’t matter if we were wearing a revealing outfit, because sexual assault and harassment is never our fault and we need to erase the belief that we cause the problem,” Madaus added.

Logan Beck, Temple University alumna and former president of Her Campus Temple, didn’t shy away from speaking up against sexual assault either.

On Oct. 16, Beck posted a “me too” status, where she too condemned the belief that women are “asking for” sexual assault through their clothing choices. Her status ended on a personal note: “I was wearing jean capris, a t-shirt, sneakers, and I was riding a Razor scooter. I was 9. Was I asking for it?”

Beck was exposed to sexual harassment as a young child in her own yard, where she was approached by a man in his truck.

“[He] asked me, ‘Have you ever seen a penis before?’ He then proceeded to remove his pants and show it to me,” Beck said.  

“The point of my Facebook post was to show that it doesn’t matter if you’re a 9-year-old in jean capris and riding a scooter or a college girl wearing tight clothes–it can happen to anyone,” Beck said. “We need to stop using clothing as an excuse to justify sex crimes.”

“Me too” is more than just one sentence, two words or five letters. It’s a sign of solidarity among a courageous community that, despite hardships and suffering, is able to join together in support and unification.

Unfortunately, ending sexual harassment is not going to happen overnight, and it will take far more than just words. However, by using the #MeToo hashtag, everyone is exposed to the unsettling frequency of sexual assault. Equally as important, victims are given a voice — which is something that no one can take away from them.