#metoo
You are not alone. Together we can de-stigmatize speaking out about our experiences with sexual harassment, assault, and more.
- Top Story - November 2017
#MeToo
There’s this hashtag going around Facebook recently - you might have seen it? It goes like this: "If all the women/femme aligned folks who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote "#MeToo” as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem."
Kate NicholsPublished 6 years ago in Viva Comfort of Darkness
Darkness. It’s comfortable. I’ve hidden in it since I can remember, like delving into a cool black lake and submerging my head beneath the water, disappearing from reality. It stings my skin and makes me feel alive. Refreshed. To everyone around me, I am still invisible. I am safe, now. No more of that, no sir. I’ll probably have to go to the diner soon, to meet her, but I don’t want to. Little sister doesn’t understand me because she’s had a perfect life. After all these years, she loves to make damn sure I know it. She left me by myself that night, after we promised to always be there for each other. All that talk about sex — she loves it.
Nadia ZielinskaPublished 6 years ago in VivaOf Course Men and Women Can Be 'Just Friends'
“Can men and women really be 'just friends?' Asking for a friend...” The Facebook page for the website SoulPancake.com decided to throw some chum in the water of the ongoing gender conversation by sarcastically asking if men and women can really be ‘Just Friends.’ I get what they are trying to do, kick up some social media dust for some action on their Facebook page. That said, the social media team for SoulPancake.com might want to read the room a little before they get cute with the traffic friendly cheapies. The question of whether men and women can be "just friends" is much more of a hot button than they seem to think.
Sean PatrickPublished 6 years ago in Viva#metoo: Thoughts for the Men We Love
I am really looking forward to the day when I don't first need to preface this post by saying I understand a lot of readers may not necessarily agree with this, and that clearly I am not casting all men into a pit of shame and blame. I'd really like to not need to remind the men who I love dearly that I do not see them all as mainstream jerks who've ruined my, or other women's lives.
Katie FroesePublished 6 years ago in VivaThe #metoo Denier
I’m a sexist. This revelation was as much of a surprise to me as I’m sure it is to you reading it. Even more so when I consider my family, made up predominantly of strong women, and my friendship group full of bright, intelligent wonderful ladies, to whom I regularly preach the importance of women and female friendships. Not to mention the fact that I identify as a feminist.
Lara DoldenPublished 6 years ago in VivaMore Than #Metoo
Social media is in my head. It’s the train wreck I can’t stop myself from looking at, or the venue of marketing for my company, so a necessity, I say. Some days it’s the politics I can’t stomach, the absurd clickbait people I love and admire share, or other days it’s filled with the worldly horrors of mass shootings and natural disasters that I used to be able to escape by not watching the news and hiding on my social media. Not any more. I vacillate between eye rolling at oversharing and the need to add my voice, to believe there’s a purpose and people care what my inane opinions are... the struggle is real, as they say.
#MeToo
This is the definition given to the word 'rape' in the dictionary: unlawful sexual activity carried out forcibly or under threat of injury against the will usually of a female (paraphrased, because the full definition is MUCH longer). Unfortunately, society today defines it only as the act of forcing sexual intercourse. They say that what happened to me is called sexual abuse, not rape. I disagree.
Jasmine YinglingPublished 6 years ago in Viva#MeToo
I don't think that my story is unique in any way what so ever. Every day on the bus I have to put my head phones in to avoid getting hit on by old men who reek of vodka. If they do catch me with my headphones out, I have to say I'm not interested, or if that doesn't work, that I am a lesbian.
Toni RiojasPublished 6 years ago in VivaMy True #Metoo Story
My true #Metoo story has yet to be told. I have shared other experiences like having my bra snapped by boys at school, instances of male classmates grabbing my butt while making nasty comments about me, and guys whistling or catcalling at me from their cars. These I have expressed openly as many others can relate. Although, these moments were uncomfortable, it was still so much easier to share. When it comes to my deeper story though, I hesitate to type the words.
Kimberly SterlingPublished 6 years ago in VivaDo I Deserve to Say "Me Too?"
Last week, we saw the emergence of a movement. Famous actress Alyssa Milano (whom I know best for her role on the TV sitcom Who's The Boss?) recently started a movement that encourages women to speak out about sexual harassment.
Kendra Felicity WheelerPublished 6 years ago in Viva"You Should Leave"
I’ve been catcalled since I was 12 or 13 years old. I became a woman before my friends, and men don’t discriminate based on age when they know they’re safe yelling from the windows of their trucks. I could count those instances as the beginning of my story, but I don’t really think I saw men as a danger until my second year of college.
Christine HarazimPublished 6 years ago in Viva- Top Story - October 2017
Crossing a Line
Recently I was shown an article about a famous singer who was at a benefit concert. He was singing to a large crowd of mostly women. Yes there were men there too, but there was a huge crowd of women that were very close to the stage. As the singer often does when he performs he got very close to the edge of the stage. Many of the people there had their hands raised up in the hope that he might touch them. He also often takes flowers from them and other gifts. On this particular night like he often does he knelt down, and just as he did one woman grabbed his private part. Now this was not a brush of her hand, it was a grab. He quickly grabbed her hand and removed it. Because he was in the middle of his song he had to continue singing.
Lilli AdamsPublished 6 years ago in Viva