Harvey Weinstein.
Kevin Spacey.
Brett Ratner.
Louis C.K.
Andrew Kreisberg.
Eddie Berganza.
Ed Westwick.
Jeremy Piven.
Mark Schwahn.
Those are just a few of the men in Hollywood who have been accused of sexual harassment since the beginning of October. When "The New York Times" published an article on October 5, 2017, titled "Harvey Weinstein Paid Off Sexual Harassment Accusers for Decades," most of the world was absolutely outraged and in utter shock, but others weren't surprised, they were relieved.
In the article, "The New York Times" exposed Weinstein of his cruel, misogynistic treatment towards women that had spanned three decades. More than 70 women came forward accused Weinstein of sexual harassment, many of them A-list actors, like Angelina Jolie, Kate Beckinsale, Ashley Judd, and Gwyneth Paltrow. While it is uncertain exactly how many women he paid off throughout the years, he reached at least eight settlements with different women so they would keep their mouths shut, and his secrets hidden. After Weinstein was exposed, it wasn't just his story that unfolded.
After Weinstein's secrets were unleashed, women came out of hiding left and right; they were tired of hiding something that was eating them alive. Once Weinstein was exposed, they finally had the bravery to come forward and expose every sexual harassment incident they had been a victim of.
If you were to get on Facebook or Twitter at this moment, I can guarantee that you would scroll past at least one news article about a sexual harassment allegation. I can guarantee that you would be sickened to your stomach and disgusted with society. I can guarantee that your heart will shatter at least once because of the likeliness that one of your favorite actors or producers is a culprit on that list.
While it's evident that Hollywood has a problem, it's not just Hollywood.
It's high school.
It's college.
It's sports.
It's your workplace.
It's the streets.
It's everywhere.
Women can't leave the house without being cautious of their safety. Women are advised to avoid walking alone at night because of the dangers they might encounter along the way. Women are STILL fighting for equal rights like equal pay and equal opportunities. Women are still treated like they are inferior to men.
When are sexual harassment and sexual assault going to stop?
When are people of power going to stop abusing their power and start acting the way they should be? AS LEADERS.
When will people be able to go to work without fear of being sexually harassed by their creepy boss or coworker?
When are women going to be able to walk down the street without being cat-called by a guy at every corner?
When is society going to stop slut-shaming women, and saying that they were "asking for it"?
When is society going to stop making women feel powerless and unworthy?
When is society going to stop looking down on survivors, making them so terrified to speak up that the secrets are just eating them alive?
When is society going to decide "enough is enough" and actually fix the problem? We need to speak up and fight back against these disgusting pigs. Even if you have never been sexually harassed/assaulted, everyone is at risk. We need to stand with ours brothers and sisters; we need to listen to them, we need to believe them, and we need to support and love them.
I am not only proud of all of the women and men who have spoken up in recent weeks about being a survivor of sexual harassment/assault, I admire anyone who has ever had the courage and bravery to stand up and share their story. I stand with you.
To all of the sexual predators still in hiding: Come out of the shadows and expose yourself. Your true, disgusting identity and motives will be revealed soon enough. Don't be more of a coward than you already are.