#MeToo Founder Says Campaign is for All Survivors: Male, Female

Founder Tarana Burke says that despite attempts to segregate the #MeToo Movement, the founding principle of the campaign is solidarity for all survivors of sexual crimes.

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"When we call this a women's movement, we leave out so many people. We leave out men, and that's dangerous,"  Burke said during a presentation at the University of Illinois.

“I would venture to say that most men who use the hashtag #MeToo are really survivors of child sexual abuse who have never had any outlet. Sexual violence happens to all people,” said Burke.

"'Me too' is about healing and the possibility of healing...It is a movement about survival. It is not about perpetrators,” the social rights activist said.

Tuesday afternoon, thousands paraded across the United States in support of the #MeToo movement one year since a tweet from Charmed series actor, Alyssa Milano, sent Burke’s hashtag viral on October 15.

According to AFP, Chicago community organizer Karla Altmayer said, “Today, thousands of workers across the country have stepped out of the shadows and onto the picket lines. We can no longer accept that one out of two workers experiences workplace sexual violence under their watch.”

 

Burke began the movement against sexual violence in 2006, particularly in low income, African-American communities in an effort to help young girls cope with their experiences. She contacted Black Twitter in order to raise awareness about her campaign.

Within 48hours, the hashtag #MeToo with over 15 million impressions and 12 million Facebook posts in the first 24 hours.

Burke said, "We are at a uniquely historic moment. If we don't turn this ship around right now and share the narrative about 'me too,' we will lose a golden opportunity to actually do something about sexual violence in this country."