The me too Movement

The Me Too Movement, that was started in 2006 by Tarana Burke, who is a survivor of domestic violence, is a social reform to not only put a stop to sexual harassment/abuse but to create pathways of healing for survivors. According to the Me Too Movement website, “17,700,000 women have reported sexual assault since 1998” (metoo.org). This statistic shows the number of women who have been put through sexual violence and saw the light at the end of the tunnel from the Me Too movement as a source of healing and empowerment.

The Me Too movement encourages survivors to start a healing process by opening up about their stories and by speaking publicly to help encourage others who could be in need of help or in similar situations. Celebrities like Bill Cosby, Harvey Weinstein, Woody Allen, Les Moonves and many more have all been accused and convicted of sexual abuse or harassment over the course of this movement. For example, In March 2018, Michigan State University found that their sports doctor, Larry Nassar, would be found guilty of sexual abuse/harassment (Eggert, 2018). The survivors of Nassar’s abuse not only came together to make sure he was reprimanded for his actions but also brought the Me Too revolution into the limelight.

Larry Nassar, a physician at Michigan State University and the USA Gymnastics National team doctor was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of sexual abuse and child pornography. Nassar was charged for abusing over one hundred and sixty young athletes over the course of a decade while “treating” them of medical injuries. Nassar preyed on the majority of his patients while he was treating the young women with sports injuries whether they were college athletes or United States Olympic teams. In 2016, Nassar was fired from Michigan State University because he violated the chaperone rules that university staff need to abide by (Johnson, 2018). Soon after, Rachael Denhollander publicly accused Nassar of sexual assault. Denhollander was fifteen years old when she suffered from back pain and needed to be treated by Nassar. She was sexually abused by Nassar during these sessions for over the course of a year, but the abuse ultimately continued for sixteen years after until she was strong enough to file a police report. In her testimony, Denhollander talks about how she was abused while her mother was in the same room, but to Nassar’s advantage obstructed her mother’s view so that she would not see what was really happening (CNN, 2018). Denhollander describes Nassar as the most dangerous type of abuser and is known as one who manipulates his victims to think he was healing them, not to mention the trust the athletes and their parents had in Nassar as well as within the gymnastics organization.

The fierce five Olympic Medalists include Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, Simone Biles, and McKayla Maroney who all spoke about their abuse throughout the course of their gymnastic careers, all suffering from different medical injuries. Nassar was found guilty for all of the encounters with the team members and was sentenced to life in prison (Graham, 2018). After the trial, three hundred women and one male athlete came out with statements that Nassar had abused them as well. The young women affected by Larry Nassar’s abuse joined the Me Too movement and made sure Nassar was punished for the pain he caused. Two-time Olympian, Aly Raisman writes in her book, “Fierce: How Competing for Myself Changed Everything,” about the abuse she suffered by Nassar and the pain she still feels after all the years of pain (Reiss, 2017). She continues to travel on her book tour and spread her wisdom and bravery to those listening who might be or have been a victim as well.

The Me Too Movement for these gymnasts involved more than gaining justice against their abusers, but for making a difference in the world and being advocates for women going through the same abuse. This movement is a Social Reform that continues to bring women together who are in pain, who are in recovery, and who need help with directing their life in a better direction. I believe this movement to be one of the strongest social movements occuring in our culture today for both men and women who are coming together and taking a stand against sexual abuse. As a result of the Me Too movement gaining popularity in the public eye and seeing just how many people were being affected behind closed doors, The Domestic Partner Violence Resource was created and added to the Me Too Movement website as a call center for those in need of help or guidance that were involved in a situation where they felt taken advantage of sexually or harmed in any way. This page has different resources with professionals to contact depending on the situation. Some resources include National Domestic Violence Hotline, National Organization for Victim Assistance, and Safe Horizon which all empower women to speak up about situations in a safe environment where they need help and guidance (metoo.org). A social movement is defined as organized actions that empower populations to rise up against a matter or situation that needs to be fought about and changed. Protesting in a way that is not violent, advocating for what is right, getting justice against an abuser and standing up to take a stance are all characteristics of what a social movement is. What these gymnasts did to put their abuser, Larry Nassar away was a compilation of the definitions of what a social movement means to everyone.

The Me Too Movement continues to bring victims of Domestic violence together whether they were US Olympic athletes, or the average woman who are suffering behind the scenes. This social reform, regardless of the backlash women are getting for coming forward about, is something that needs to be brought into the light even further. Those apart of the Me Too Movement continue to spread positive wisdom, knowledge and guidance to those affected and those in the public light continue to travel as a group to communicate and educate others who might be in danger of abuse. Sexual abuse is a matter that needs to be talked about due to the millions of women affected by it. The Me Too Movement does not judge women based on their stories, but instead brings together women from all over to empower each other to join the movement and work to feel safe again.

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