Here we go again. If we needed more proof that the general narrative about sexual assault and harassment is about protecting women, look no further: #MeToo: Harvey Weinstein case moves thousands to tell their own stories of abuse, break silence
“If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote ‘Me too’ as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem,” wrote the actor (Alyssa Milano)
Just to be clear: if this is what the world wants, fine. If the real concern for feminists is women and women only, fine. But let's drop the pretense that there is any concern or compassion for men and boys here; it's an afterthought at best.
And lest anyone come forward and say "Well why don't you do your own thing?" My response is this: any efforts to help men that are not lockstep with feminism and led by feminists are frowned upon, and even then are regarded with suspicion.
So, this is what I recommend as options here.
1. Stop pretending feminism is intended to help men. It isn't; it's meant to help women.
2. Actually be consistently intersectional if people really believe that. Be open to actual discussions about the issues.
3. Or here's a crazy thought, drop the rape culture narrative and focus on freedom and access to the law and opportunity for everyone.
Updated List of articles targeting men as abusers without qualification:
1. CNN: Mandaotory sexual harassment training: while this may appear neutral on the surface, all the examples cited are men harassing women, who are also the only specific sex mentioned as victims.
2. #MeToo in Vox. Interestingly, in the video, Tarana Burke mentions that she does not want the campaign to focus on just one sex, but this seems like a casual ad on to her main focus, which is on women, particularly women of colour.
3. CNN: Anita Hill: Anita Hill and other speakers speak p and talk about how women need to be heard, men need to listen and respond. All men are complicit.
4. LA TImes: Women coming forward
5. Time: Half of Women in America claim to have been sexually harassed.. Bearing in mind that this is out of a sample size of roughly 270 people. One cannot help but note that if THIS sample size is enough to prove something, why are the sample sizes for male abuse, harassment and mistreatment, which are in some cases roughly similar, virtually ignored?
6. Washington Post More from Tarana Burke about women, particularly women of colour.
7. CNN article urges men and boys to step up and honour women.
8. Forbes article: men need to change. The article begins on what appears to be a neutral note but quickly drops this tone and focuses on the idea that women are victims, men are perps.
