If you're on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram, you've surely seen it -- the meme that urges victims of sexual assault and/or harassment to respond by posting "Me Too" in order to highlight the enormity of the problem.Though the first Me Too campaign began years ago, this new incarnation seems to have been prompted by the Harvey Weinstein revelations.
It's been sobering, thousands and thousands of women -- and some men -- who have responded and sometimes shared their stories. One commenter suggested that if a woman didn't say Me Too, she was probably in denial.Which got me to thinking. . .
I've never been sexually assaulted -- or even sexually harassed, as far as I can remember. I've been very fortunate (or oblivious.) Really, the only incident that stands out is a phone call once (back when we lived in Tampa) from someone who started telling me he wanted to __ __ ___(insert common phrase for oral sex.)
I laughed and said, "____, is that you?" Because John and I had a friend back then who just might have thought that would be a funny thing to say.
The caller was understandably taken aback. "Uh, yeah," he said, "this is ___."
And then I suddenly realized this wasn't our friend and hung up. The phone rang a few times and I ignored it. End of story.
As I said, I've been fortunate. I certainly was aware of discrimination against women and experienced it to some degree in college and as a teacher. And I had friends who suffered sexual assault or harassment.
I think I've always been aware of the possibility, have always had the awareness that It's Not Safe out there. Not fair, not right . . . but, ultimately, not safe.
I hope this Me Too campaign raises awareness and prompts victims to speak out at once against those offenders, as well as those who perpetrate this culture by hushing it up or dismissing bad behavior as "locker room talk" or "boys will be boys."
I hope that things will change. Weinstein has resigned from most of his posts of authority. I'd like to see the trend continue.
