Vix -- Your post was powerful. I am so glad you brought up the Me Too movement and put it into context for me. I have felt all these complicated and confusing emotions. You said it perfectly: we simultaneously feel empowered to condemn and expose gender-focused discrimination, harassment, and abuse/violence -- while at the same time the scope and scale of this treatment leads to feeling raw and vulnerable.
I work in a previously male-dominated world (that has changed over the years). I witnessed first hand the effects of these abuses on real people (and it was across the board; it didn't matter what the company name was or what State that company was in).
The Me Too movement has allowed women I know in real life to start telling their stories out loud for the first time. Each of them starts their story with "I never said anything because I didn't think I would be believed ....." And then they watch my face/eyes carefully to make sure I believe them. It is crucial to them that they be believed. They reiterate how important it is that they be believed.
I do believe them. The emotions are so deep and so raw.
The thing is that the men seem to still think this is just a few very isolated incidents. They can't seem to grasp the scope and scale of the issue. They minimize it by breaking it down to a single women's name or a single group of women. Say how awful. Then move on as if nothing had happened.
I could go on. I am going to stop because this may not be the forum to express all that I feel. But suffice it to say, I feel this is such an important movement and that I hope with all my heart it does not loose momentum.
