Me Too

Me Too
Name	Me Too movement
Founded	2017
Founder	Tarana Burke
Location	United States
Focus	Anti-sexual harassment movement

Me Too

The Me Too movement emerged as a social movement addressing sexual harassment and sexual assault after a viral social media response in 2017 that amplified earlier organizing and survivor advocacy. It linked celebrities, journalists, activists, politicians, unions, and institutions in public reckonings and policy debates, intersecting with ongoing campaigns in civil rights, labor, and feminist activism. The movement influenced legal cases, corporate practices, and cultural production across media industries and international human rights arenas.

Background and Origins

The origins trace to long-term organizing by activist Tarana Burke and grassroots groups such as Just Be Inc. and survivor networks connected to organizations like National Organization for Women, Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, and Women’s March. Earlier antecedents include campaigns and literature by figures such as Gloria Steinem, bell hooks, Audre Lorde, Alice Walker, and movements like Second-wave feminism, Third-wave feminism, and #MeToo predecessor campaigns that shaped discourse in workplaces and universities. Influential investigations by journalists at outlets including The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Washington Post, BuzzFeed News, and The Guardian helped catalyze public attention alongside reporting on institutions such as Harvard University, University of Southern California, Stanford University, and Wynn Resorts.

Movement and Campaigns

High-profile revelations involving individuals such as Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey, Matt Lauer, Les Moonves, and Charlie Rose triggered campaigns spanning industries represented by unions like Screen Actors Guild, Actors' Equity Association, and professional organizations including American Medical Association and American Bar Association. Social media mobilizations linked hashtags, survivor testimony, and advocacy by celebrities like Alyssa Milano, Rosanna Arquette, Ashley Judd, Reese Witherspoon, and Drew Barrymore to institutional calls from companies such as Twitter, Facebook, Netflix, and The Walt Disney Company. Grassroots initiatives involved labor groups like Service Employees International Union, student coalitions at Columbia University and University of California, Berkeley, and campaigns by nonprofits including Peace Over Violence and Coalition Against Trafficking in Women.

Impact and Cultural Reception

The movement reshaped cultural production and critique across film, television, literature, and journalism, influencing awards ceremonies such as the Academy Awards, Golden Globe Awards, and Tony Awards and prompting policy statements from festivals like Sundance Film Festival and institutions like The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Media responses included investigative series by ProPublica, opinion pieces in The Atlantic, Vox, and New York Magazine, and adaptations in fiction by authors like Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and playwrights premiered at venues such as Public Theater and Royal Court Theatre. Cultural debates engaged commentators including Ta-Nehisi Coates, Rebecca Traister, Elaine Showalter, Maureen Dowd, and Roxane Gay and influenced curricula at Columbia University School of Journalism and programs at Yale University and University of Oxford.

Legal and Policy Responses

Legislative and regulatory responses emerged in the United States with amendments to statutes and procedures in bodies like U.S. Congress, administrative actions at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and changes in state laws in jurisdictions such as California, New York (state), and Illinois. Institutional reforms occurred at corporations including Uber Technologies, Google LLC, Amazon (company), and Fox Corporation, and within academia at University of Michigan and Cornell University. International legal debates engaged bodies such as the European Court of Human Rights, International Criminal Court, United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, and national legislatures including Parliament of the United Kingdom and Australian Parliament.

Criticisms and Controversies

Critiques emerged from commentators and scholars like Cass Sunstein, Jonathan Haidt, Christina Hoff Sommers, Katha Pollitt, and Joan Walsh about due process, public shaming, and workplace dynamics. Legal challenges and high-profile disputes involved entities such as SEIU Local 2015, Harvard Law School, and media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. Debates around intersectionality referenced theorists Kimberlé Crenshaw, Patricia Hill Collins, and Angela Davis, while labor-focused critiques involved unions such as United Auto Workers and advocacy by groups like National Alliance to End Sexual Violence. Discussions about online amplification and platform governance implicated Twitter, Inc., Meta Platforms, Inc., YouTube (Google), and regulatory proposals debated in forums including European Commission.

Global Spread and Variations

The movement inspired parallel campaigns and local adaptations in countries including India, France, South Korea, Australia, Brazil, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, Japan, Canada, and Mexico. Notable national instances included protests and legal actions involving institutions such as SABIC in Saudi Arabia, university cases at University of Cape Town, film industry reckonings in Bollywood, and legislative reforms in Sweden and Norway. Transnational advocacy involved organizations such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, International Labour Organization, and networks like Association for Women's Rights in Development and Women Living Under Muslim Laws.

Category:Social movements