You can always count on a hashtag to unify people. As the news of Harvey Weinstein continues to unfold, women across the world are standing with all victims of sexual assault via a simple hashtag, #MeToo. As I scrolled down my Facebook feed I wondered, "can I confidently use the hashtag as a way to take a stand with others?"
I have amazing memories from my childhood. I was raised by my mother, a single, hard-working woman from Guyana. Although my upbringing was pretty normal, I've had encounters that I learned tuck in the basement of my memory. Children tend to suppress the traumas that shape them as an adult. While I know I was physically abused by a former babysitter and her children, I have no recollection of sexual assault. Thus, I don't think I can confidently say, #MeToo.
As a teenager, I had the typical high school experience. By the age of 13, I was a bit developed, which managed to grab the attention of the boys. The other teens were experimenting, but I was too scared to learn what the hype was about. That didn't stop others' curiosity. One day, as I walked down the crowded hallway, I felt a sharp sting to my chest. I stepped to the side and stood in shock as I realized someone had squeezed my nipple and disappeared into the crowd.
As I got older, situations like that continued to happen. If it wasn't someone slapping my behind and running away, it was the family friend spying on me every morning after I got out of the shower. Perhaps the most traumatic experience was during my senior year in high school. It was Saturday morning and I was on my way to a PSAT class. As I headed up the hill to Jamaica High School, a man with a bubble jacket stood outside of his home. "Good Morning," he said. "Good Morning," I replied. As he continued to talk, I turned around to see that he was fully erect and exposed. Like a scene out of a movie, I took off running.
Entering the workforce wasn't any better. By the age of 25 I had already been sexually harassed by an employer and a co-worker from different organizations. It became the norm. If I had a dollar for every time I was violated by a man, I'd be insanely rich. We've learned to ignore catcalls on the street instead of educating men to be responsible for their speech. We're inclined to let men down gently instead of teaching them to take rejection gracefully. As a result, sexual assault and rape culture is very common. Of course this doesn't include all men, but judging by the amount of #MeToo's on social media, there is a disconnect between how women are viewed and how they should be treated.
As I ponder whether or not I can confidently say #MeToo, I realize that I just did. Some of us have been saying it since we were teens. Some of us suppress our past to the point where someone else's #MeToo leads to your own.
