How a Hashtag Could Promote Change
How #MeToo could move from social campaign to social change
This article covers the #MeToo movement on Twitter and the need for men to take a step up and start standing up to violence.
Many women began coming to Twitter and other social media outlets to tell their stories with violence and sexual harassment. This wasn't just women in the United States, but women from all over the world coming together to share their experiences. Although we were hearing from all of these women, the men were staying silent. Showing very little support towards the hashtag, many believed that men wouldn't stop "because men won’t stop unless other men say so.” As the hashtag continued to grow, a few men began posting in show of support with their own hostages: #IWillSpeakUp and #SupportSurvivors.
Although this article was written in 2017 the concept of men needing to take a stand for women is still relevant. Just recently, both the men and women's United States hockey teams won gold during the Olympics. After the men won, they had a call with the president who mentioned 'having' to invite the women's team to the White House along side the mens team. After the president said that all the men hockey players began laughing, this was followed by social media backlash. So many were happy to see the teams win gold, but after there reaction to the president's comment many were not happy. What is laughable about women hockey players, who also just won a gold medal for the country, being invite to the White House? Now people are asking why no one in that room stood up for the women's hockey team.