Sexuality Policy Watch

From #MeToo to #TimeIsUp

(Lucy Nicholson/Reuters)
(Lucy Nicholson/Reuters)

The #MeToo movement erupted in October 2017  after several sexual harassment accusations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein became public. It is worth noting, however, that the core idea  —  “I was also harassed” — was originally crafted by Tarana Burke in 1997 to respond  to the needs of marginalized women.

The new #MeToo rapidly exploded, reverberating worldwide and affecting the internal gender dynamics of a whole range of institutions in the worlds of politics,  sports, diplomacy and even Evangelical churches.  It caused resignations and triggered lawsuits against and ostracization of men for real claims of abuse but also for non-provided accusations. In January 2018, a group of French celebrities, including the actress Catherine Deneuve, made public a manifesto criticising the movement on various grounds, in particular for not recognizing the games of seduction in heterosexual relations and for feeding art censorship. Long before, the French group raised its voice, however, a number of American but also Canadian feminists had already raised concerns about the frames and collateral effects of the movement. Some of these voices have also explored structural aspects of gender inequities that are being left out of the me too frame.

SPW offers here a compilation of articles in English and French:

#MeToo Floods Social Media With Stories of Harassment and Assault – The New York Times

#MeToo: how a hashtag became a rallying cry against sexual harassment – The Guardian

What if #MeToo meant something different? – The Huffington Post

How #MeToo Stands to Marginalize Trans and Gender-Nonconforming People – Them

#MeToo: Don’t make trans and queer survivors a footnote – Feministing

#MeToo was started for black and brown women and girls. They’re still being ignored. – The Washington Post

Tarana Burke Says #MeToo Should Center Marginalized Communities – The Nation

When #MeToo Goes Too Far – The New York Times

Sex, Consent and the Dangers of “Misplaced Scales” – The New Yorker

The Patriarchs are falling. The Patriarchy is stronger than ever. – The New York Times

The Guardian view on #MeToo: what comes next? – The Guardian Editorial

Al Franken’s Resignation and the Selective Force of #MeToo – The New Yorker

The #MeToo Movement Looks Different For Women Of Color. Here Are 10 Stories. – The Huffington Post

Publicly, We Say #MeToo. Privately, We Have Misgivings. – The New York Times

Melinda Gates: It’s Time for a New Era for Women – Time 

#GENDER&SEX=DIFFERENT – Magaly Marques

Nous défendons une liberté d’importuner, indispensable à la liberté sexuelle” – Le Monde

Legendary French Actress Catherine Deneuve Decries #MeToo Movement As ‘Puritanism’ – The Huffington Post

France, Where #MeToo Becomes #PasMoi – The Atlantic

Why Did Catherine Deneuve and Other Prominent Frenchwomen Denounce #MeToo? – The New Yorker

Catherine Deneuve’s claim of #MeToo witch-hunt sparks backlash – The Guardian

La dessinatrice Emma n’a pas apprécié la tribune de Catherine Deneuve sur le “puritanisme” – HuffPost Edition Française

The Lefty Critique of #TimesUp Is Tired and Self-Defeating – The Nation

“Les porcs et leurs allié.e.s ont raison de s’inquiéter”: Caroline De Haas et des militantes féministes répondent à la tribune publiée dans “Le Monde” – FranceInfo

There Is a Profound Difference Between Justice and Identity Politics – National Review

« A force de laisser croire qu’il est aussi grave de dire que de faire, on finit par inciter au rejet de l’autre » – Le Monde

Don’t let corporations co-opt #MeToo – The Guardian

Les féministes peuvent-elle parler? – Mediapart Blog

The Backlash to #MeToo Is Second-Wave Feminism – Jezebel Blog

«Un porc, tu nais ?» – Libération

Feminism is in danger of becoming toxicJulie Bindel – The Guardian

Sign a contract before sex? Political correctness could destroy passionSlavoj Žižek for RT News

The Horizon of Desire – Longreads

En réponse à la tribune du Monde, Osez le féminisme ! invite à ne pas “diviser les femmes entre elles” – Konbini

Am I a bad feminist? Margareth Atwood for The Globe and Mail

Well, are you a bad feminist? – The Globe and Mail

Catherine Deneuve : «Rien dans le texte ne prétend que le harcèlement a du bon, sans quoi je ne l’aurais pas signé» – Libération

Mario Testino and Bruce Weber ‘sexually exploited models’ – The Guardian

Laure Adler : “Pourquoi je n’ai pas signé la tribune sur ‘la liberté d’importuner’” – Télérama

Sexual harassment inquiry launched by MPs amid ‘huge public concern’ over misconduct allegations – Independent

« LA LIBERTÉ D’IMPORTUNER EST UNE ODE À L’IDÉOLOGIE NÉOLIBÉRALE » – Le Nouveau Magazine Litteraire

 The game is rigged – The Cut

Lettre d’un homme trans à l’ancien régime sexuel – Libération

Will the feminists of the future claim the #metoo movement – or disown it? – New Statesman

In The Midst Of #MeToo, What Type Of Man Do You Want To Be?Ijeoma Oluo for The Establishment

FEMINISM HAS BEEN HIJACKED’ – Spiked Online

Anti-feminism and anti-gender far right politics in Europe and beyond – openDemocracy

Can Feminists Speak? –  Les féministes peuventelles parler? Manifesto in different languages

Maybe Men Will Be Scared for a While. But maybe to fear women is to begin seeing them as people – The Cut

Sadly, Colin Firth’s words on Woody Allen have a power that women’s don’t – New Statesman

A Chinese #MeToo Movement? Not Yet – Human Rights Watch

#MeToo is Important, But the War on Women is a Far, Far Bigger Deal – Human Rights Watch

#MeToo in Afghanistan: Is Anyone Listening? – Human Rights Watch

Infighting will save #MeToo – The Week

Beware #MeToo backlash: it masks ugly lies about women – Human Rights Watch

Monica Lewinski: Emerging from ‘The House of Gaslighting’ in the age of #MeToo – Vanity Fair

South Korea’s rapid MeToo movement spreads to schools as pupils accuse teachers – The Telegraph

Saying #MeToo in Japan – Politico

#MeToo reaches Vatican as magazine hits out at clergy’s exploitation of nuns – The Telegraph

Rebecca Solnit on #MeToo, mass movements and the 10th Anniversary of “Men Explain Things to Me” – Democracy Now

#MeToo movement must include disabled people – Them

The strange alliance between #MeToo and the anti-porn movement – The Guardian



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