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
There Is a Profound Difference Between Justice and Identity Politics – National Review
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 toxic – Julie Bindel – The Guardian
Sign a contract before sex? Political correctness could destroy passion – Slavoj Žižek for RT News
The Horizon of Desire – Longreads
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 peuvent–elles 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