Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: With a barrage of revelations in recent months about sexual harassment by high-profile men in the worlds of media and entertainment, local attorneys and advocates aimed to provide information and support to women at a panel discussion Sunday.
4 comments:
I feel like this panel and this discussion are really important for the Me Too movement, especially to keep the momentum and conversation of it going past the initial Twitter hashtag dies down. Many people, men and women, have had this happen and sympathize with the movement but don't know what to do if it happens or what their rights and protections are. I feel like more panels and talks like this need to happen, and even need to happen company by company, in order to educate people as to what is and isn't okay and what they can do if they feel they're being violated or sexually harassed. And while I agree that not everything can be fixed with rules and some must be societal change, like freelancers being harassed, I also think there should be a way that freelance workers and independent contractors can report things that happen instead of having to suffer in silence or speak up and have no protection from being fired or even a guaranteed action to be taken.
I hate having to write at least three articles a week about the #MeToo movement. It’s emotionally draining for me as I am reminded over and over that this industry is disrespectfully sexist. But there is one part of the article that I agree with immensely, the only way we will change the current systemic bullshit is if we chip away at it a little bit at a time. Always follow your work’s protocol for sexual harassment, document everything, and go to the hospital if necessary. Choose to take care of yourself, because if you are asked to leave from a company because you didn’t accept sexual advances, at least you have proof of the horrendous sexist that is apart of the company. The only way to work towards a more equal opportunity workplace in the entertainment industry is to keep fighting. We as females need to stand together. That’s the only way.
This discussion is crucial to the Me Too movement. As Sarah pointed out, we have gone as far as the initial momentum of the creation of the movement can carry us. The celebrities and politicians we look up to have spoken out, alongside everyday members of our community. The beginning statements have been made, and it would be a mistake to let the movement fizzle out now. It is too often that grassroots movements reach this point, lose power and momentum, and then die out because the initial cathartic response has ended and the message becomes tired. I really hope that the Me Too movement does not reach this same fate. The more conversations that we can have that actually advance the discussion, rather than just calling attention to the fact that the movement is a thing in the first place. The point of this movement is to actually make change, and sitting and just talking about the problem won’t fix anything. It is only with action that things happen.
I really appreciated this article and the real life advice given to those who struggle with not knowing how to deal with sexual assault or harassment from their employers or colleagues. I find it so relieving to read solutions to this horrendous problem that seems never ending and never changing. I think what was most important to be said in this article was the idea of documenting. As quickly as you can it is so important to write down what happened, who, and when it happened. I hope that this solution proves to be effective. It is so frustrating to accept that these kinds of things are happening and we have to learn what to do after it happens instead of being taught how not to let this happen and understanding how horrible it is to commit a crime like this. I am sure there will be situations like the situation implied of being assaulted by a client or someone not working alongside you and how the regulations change but we should have a system that can deal with these problems across the board, not just in industry.
Post a Comment