#metoo
You are not alone. Together we can de-stigmatize speaking out about our experiences with sexual harassment, assault, and more.
Chris Brown Cleared in Rape Investigation
On January 22, news broke that Chris Brown was being detained in Paris, France for rape allegations. In the wake of Lifetime’s Surviving R Kelly and the #MeToo Movement, the internet did not take the allegations against R&B singer Chris Brown lightly. Press sites and social media quickly began to denounce the singer and bring up his criminal past. Brown’s 2009 domestic violence case was highly publicized, along with his other run-ins with the law and tumultuous relationships. Despite his rocky past, in recent years Chris Brown has been staying out of the media and trouble. Many believe this can be attributed to his new role as a father to his daughter Royalty Brown.
Owning My Truth
For a while I've let the sexual abuse I've experienced control me. It was like this forbidden thing to talk about. It felt so taboo to own my truth, say it out loud, and finally be okay with it. I could not give myself the permission to be okay with life. How could I give myself permission to live a happy life when I experienced trauma, and had to say good-bye to the little girl inside of me too soon?
Doe's Crafte`Published 5 years ago in VivaJustice?
You never really understand until it happens to you, the trauma that leads to sleepless nights the bruises that never quite seem to fade. The abuse you receive being called a liar having to face the friends and the family. You hear the similar stories on the news or the incident that happened at the nightclub down the road and you watched tv programmes try and portray the storyline to increase awareness and help those in need. You watch it all, and listen to the stories all with the constant thought "this could never happen to me" you say it until it does. Then you forget about the stories that you heard trying to empathise with the victim because now you are the victim and like so many others it’s your story, it’s your voice that needs to be heard and the repetition of trying to get people to understand why you feel the way that you do. You are now the one in the position who is trying to convince people that you are not the liar, that what you are saying is the truth. You no longer have to pretend to understand because now you do and the sad part about it all is that you shouldn’t have to understand because it never should have happened to you.
Louise RalphPublished 5 years ago in VivaThe Christmas Party and Sexual Harassment
But despite all the fun and games, Christmas parties can occasionally have a much darker side. In recent years the #MeToo movement against sexual harassment and sexual assault has been sweeping the globe. It’s main aim is to show prevalence and to show other individuals going through the same thing that they are not alone. It has not only risen awareness in general but has also highlighted the some of those ‘innocent’ work party events are actually sexual harassment and assault in the workplace.
Nathalie MartinPublished 5 years ago in VivaThe Fear Behind Cat Calling
There was an instance some years ago where I was leaving my mother's house late at night. Before heading home, I decided to head towards a fast food place and grab a quick bite. It was a Sunday night and, being a relatively small town, the streets were empty. As I crawled to a stop at a red light, I noticed a white car that was in the second lane to my left. Two men looked to be in their early 30s and, once I stopped right next to them, were staring dead in my direction.
Ashlyn HarperPublished 5 years ago in VivaWhat I Really Mean When I Say Me Too
The #MeToo movement has given a voice to countless women (and men, but for the purposes of this article, I’m just going to refer to women) who have survived sexual violence. For many, it was the first time they were able to admit to being a survivor of a sexual assault. For others, it was something they’d already announced to the world, so to speak, and writing those two little words really wasn’t such a big deal.
Holly PainePublished 5 years ago in Viva'Baby It's Cold Outside' Becomes Hot Topic in #MeToo Era
"Baby It's Cold Outside" has, thanks to #Glee (and #ErinDavis and #MikeCooper from 98.1 #CHFI in #Toronto), become one of my favorite #Christmas songs of all time. Before I talk about the lyrics, I just have to say that #ChrisColfer and #DarrenCriss looked like they were having a terrific time singing what had been until that point a duet between a man and a woman, and when I heard Davis and Cooper's version on CHFI, it struck me that these two cohosts and friends were having a ball singing it.
Christina St-JeanPublished 5 years ago in VivaThe Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
When I was a teenager, something unexpected happened to me that was hard to overcome, but as the years went by I learned to accept that what happened happened and to move on from it. Sadly, that was hard to do, but the man I am with today helped me through that journey to get over what has happened. This poem was written before I had met him as a start to get over what has happened to me, and after such a long time, this dragon tattoo represents the truth about me as a person.
Trinity ShadowPublished 5 years ago in VivaAn Open Letter To My Rapist
It's hard to even put into words what I feel about you. Every day for months the hatred I have felt has rooted deeper into my heart. It's even harder to fathom a day where I haven't pictured your face or even the way you smell. You haunt me. An unwanted essence that festers inside my chest. Most days I feel like I'm trapped. I feel as though the doors to my dungeon are slowly closing but I'm too weak to stand up and make my way out. It's filthy down here. I'm covered in dirt in my mind. I'm dirty. I can feel the dirt seep into my veins corrupting me more and more. Day by day the dirt sinks deeper and I decay. Only I'm alive. I'm alive and I'm dead and I hate you.
The Darkest SunrisePublished 5 years ago in VivaWhat It Really Means to Be a Survivor
I was a little girl. I went to a babysitter during the days I wasn’t in school, and when school was done during the year. She wasn’t anything great. She was mean sometimes, nice others. The other kids that were there were nice, too. I even have one I still talk to.
Not In UsePublished 5 years ago in Viva'I'm Not Pretty Enough to Be Cat-Called'
"I'm not pretty enough to be cat-called." My roommate said this to me. This sticks in my head constantly, and I think about it often. It pops into my head now every time I get cat-called while out being busy with my life. I cannot get over how unfair and awful it is that I heard this. Not to just me, but to her, too.
#MeToo Moves Forward but Why Do We Still Support Chris Brown?
The #MeToo movement has made some major moves in the way the world looks at sexual assault, and for the most part, things seem to be moving forward, however, the music industry has turned a blind eye to certain artists' past discrepancies, while we're all distracted with Hollywood. Since I’ve been alive, music has had a long history of objectifying women and using sexuality to sell records. Now with the #MeToo movement, it seems as if we are beginning to hold the powerful accountable for their actions, and calling people out, but that is not always the case. Male artists who have been caught and convicted of assault against women remain at the top of the charts and unscathed by a movement that has shaken the country.
Stephanie MurguiaPublished 5 years ago in Viva