How the #MeToo Movement Inspired Millennial Males to Make a Change
By Jaya Alaan
It all started with a tweet.
“If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet,’” Hollywood actress Alyssa Milano tweeted on Oct. 15.
The tweet received over 25,000 retweets, over 53,000 favorites and over 69,000 replies and is still continuing to grow. In the following weeks, the ‘Me Too’ hashtag flooded social media platforms as sexual violence survivors and advocates used the tag to share their story.
Although the tag was mainly used by women, the movement inspired millennial males to change rape culture in society. Rape culture is defined as an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in the media and popular culture.
“A woman — I feel like that’s the strongest being God created,” said Simeon Cullens, who is a 21-year-old millennial male.
It did not take long for the male community to respond to the movement.
In just 24 hours, the ‘How I Will Change’ tag was created, which called for men to express how they will change in order to put a stop to sexual violence and rape culture.
“The Me Too campaign has made me feel, that as men we need to start policing up our friends,” Nathan Crutchfield, 22, said.
Crutchfield said that this movement “hits home” for him because both his mother and sister have been victims of sexual and physical abuse.
“We have to understand that even if something doesn’t directly affect us or impact us, it does,” Cullens said.
Cullens comes from a single-parent home and identifies as a feminist. He said that he too, knows people that have been affected by sexual violence.
Both Cullens and Crutchfield agree that the biggest issue with rape culture is victim blaming.
“The ‘she shouldn’t have done this, she shouldn’t have been wearing this outfit, she shouldn’t have been by herself,’” Crutchfield said. “I don’t think we should have to be cautious of what kind of clothes we are wearing or just being by ourselves.”
Along with victim blaming, Cullens said that society has built “weapons” to attack a woman’s appearance to make her feel insecure.
“Women have to think so much more than men do,” he said.
“It upsets me…that you can objectify a woman’s body because you no longer see her as human being, she is a mannequin to you.” — Simeon Cullens
Moving forward from this movement, both men believe the key to ending rape culture is themselves.
“Men in this current generation, we need to take responsibility over our friends and the people around us,” Crutchfield said.
Cullens also thinks that the media needs to stop “massaging” this issue.
“Even in the (media) you want to make things family friendly,” he said. “You can’t make topics that are such a big issue in our generation, family friendly.”
