The #MeToo movement ignited a firestorm in October, taking down powerful Hollywood moguls, politicians, and media elites accused of committing sexual harassment, assault, and even rape. It began with accusations of sexual assault and rape against film executive Harvey Weinstein and quickly ensnarled over 90 famous men, including trusted TV news personalities Charlie Rose and Matt Lauer and politicians such as Democrats Rep. John Conyers of Michigan and Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota. Republican Roy Moore of Alabama who was supposed to be a lock to win a Senate seat lost because of alleged sexual misconduct from forty years ago.
On Oct. 15, actress Alyssa Milano urged women who’d been sexually harassed or assaulted to share their stories along with the hashtag “me too.” Milano said in a tweet that more than 1.7 million people in 85 countries had used the hashtag. Ironically, the #MeToo movement came after Vice President Mike Pence was roundly mocked by the media for following the Billy Graham rule of never being alone with a woman who isn’t his wife, while Hugh Hefner was lauded for his decades of work as a pornographer.
Several prominent Christian authors and speakers, including Beth Moore and Jen Hatmaker, have joined hundreds of evangelical women in calling out sexual and psychological abuse under the #SilenceIsNotSpiritual online campaign. The campaign says that Christians and society face an “urgent and defining moment in history,” and gives its thanks to those in churches who stand with and support survivors of violence.
This ugly event has a strong silver lining, and the silver lining is that women who have victimized, and men for that matter, are now being heard and the people who victimized them are now being called to account for what they’ve done. It’s ugly, but it’s the truth and it’s coming out. Truth is always a good thing.