Stopping sexual harassment
Hollywood: a shimmering beacon of hopes and dreams, at least that’s what they lead you to believe. Once the curtain falls and the cameras shut off, the dreams quickly turn to nightmares.
All over the world, people are victims of sexual assault. Most of the crimes area swept under the rug, especially in Hollywood. The directors, producers, and even other actors use the power they have in the industry to manipulate and intimidate up-and-coming individuals in the movie business. They hold their power over other, less influential people, and will often sexually harass, abus
e, or rape them.
Recently, many abusers have been outed in the news. From the likes of Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, and Sylvester Stallone, to name a few. Accusations and even police reports have been brought to light recently. The once esteemed rich and famous, now told to be committers of heinous crimes.
These allegations and stories of sexual assault have lately been revealed, since power comes in numbers. Many times in the past when victims would try to speak of their experiences, they would be silenced or questioned and many would not believe their stories. Now, since so many men and women have had similar stories, and the world is more connected, their claims have been taken under serious inspection.
This surge in sexual assault accounts has been brought about from numerous factors. Most notably, the #MeToo movement, in which women and men alike would share their stories about sexual abusers or assaulters. This has brought much attention towards the topic within recent months. A notable example is the New York Times article showing that Harvey Weinstein is a sexual abuser and harasser. The article included testimonies from many different accusers of Weinstein such as Ashley Judd and Rose McGowan and caught the attention of the American public.
Despite many allegations only recently coming out as women feel more empowered in the fight for equality, sexual assault and harassment has been occurring for years. It needs to be stopped.
