Honest Thoughts on The "Me Too" Movement (and Why It Backfired)
When I first saw the now famous “Me Too” movement pop up on my twitter feed, it made me surprisingly happy. As a survivor of sexual violence, and one who had already come forward on social media and spoken out against their abuse, I was excited for others to feel the feeling of freedom that I felt. In November of 2016, I was sexually assaulted. By now I have come to terms with this, but I kept my assault a secret for nearly four months. I told people slowly, one-by-one, starting with the few people that I trusted, until one day I stepped forward publicly; posting a collection of poetry detailing my assault and the mental health crisis that followed. I posted this on the six month anniversary of my assault, and the amount of positivity I received brought me a newfound feeling of hope and happiness that had been absent from my life for quite a long time. Me Too was, as I hoped, the opportunity for more survivors to speak about their experiences and ultimately end the stigma while furthering their own healing.