The #metoo movement hasn’t gone far enough

While many people believe that the #metoo movement has gone too far, its founder believes that it hasn’t gone far enough.

“We certainly didn’t go far enough! Tarana Burke told me in an exclusive interview ahead of a conference she will give in Montreal on June 8 as part of the International Summit on Eco-citizenship (SIDE). It is the mayoress of Longueuil, Catherine Fournier, victim of the former deputy Harold LeBel, who recently did useful work by testifying with courage of her career in the judicial system, who will present her on stage.

When Tarana Burke, an African-American social worker from the Bronx, started the “me too” movement in 2006, it started out as a grassroots initiative with young black girls. Its goal: to allow survivors of sexual violence to come together, share their stories and find together a form ofempowerment through empathy.

It was by drawing on her own experience as a survivor that Tarana Burke had the idea to launch such a project.

“What has really helped me in my journey is the empathy shown to me by other survivors. They are the ones who helped me find the word “survivor”. I didn’t identify myself that way. I didn’t even consider myself a victim. I felt like I had been complicit in my own abusive situation. I felt helpless. I didn’t think healing was possible or that I was worthy of it. So when I felt other survivors seeing and hearing me for the first time, that empathy was a vehicle of empowerment for me. I felt there was something on the other side of my pain. »

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The least we can say is that the #metoo adventure has been a trip full of surprises for Tarana Burke. She certainly didn’t expect her community initiative to turn into an international movement in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein case that made the #metoo hashtag go viral in 2017.

She also admits that she did not expect the movement to suffer such a backlash either. When people told her to beware of the backlash, she naively refused to believe it. Because after all, what kind of backlash could spark a movement that does nothing but demand consent and an end to sexual violence? she wondered.

After the breaking of the #metoo waves, the undertow is, alas, very real.

Sexual violence is not about sex, she often repeats. It is an issue of social justice. “It has everything to do with power. Domination, privileges. And how people exercise their power. »

The backlash is embodied by a refusal to face a difficult reality, observes the activist. It’s not just about abusers. “I believe we all play a role in rape culture, the culture that has paved the way for the proliferation of sexual violence. »

Instead of making the examination of conscience which is essential in the circumstances, it is easier to take refuge in voluntary blindness.

“We don’t want to admit that we haven’t given this issue the attention it deserves. We prefer to say: “Oh! You are going very far! It’s not that bad! You complain too much! Come back!” »

If the #metoo movement had really gone as far as claimed, sexual violence would not yet be so rampant. It is true in the United States. But it is even more true in Canada, especially with regard to indigenous women, underlines Tarana Burke.

Unfortunately, instead of being alarmed by what is truly alarming, some consider that what to fear more than anything in the wake of #metoo is the culture of banishment. For Tarana Burke, the so-called “cancel culture” is an imaginary big bad wolf.

“If you look at the people who have been put in prison, we are talking about a handful of people who are serial predators like Harvey Weinstein or R. Kelly. People who have committed attacks for several decades, causing a large number of victims. But generally, when we talk about people who have been “cancelled”, we are talking about privileged men who still enjoy their fortune and their freedom. So what does “cancelled” mean in such a context? »

The fact is that we see many more victims than aggressors being “banned” for having dared to make a public denunciation. “When you look at the women, and in some cases men, who have come forward, these are people who can no longer work, who have been scorched on social media. »

After being sexually abused, they suffer reprisals from fans.

“There is no glory in making an unveiling. There never was. Especially for celebrity survivors. But also for others. »

It should also be kept in mind that the #metoo movement has very little to do with fame. “It is mainly about ordinary citizens who have to deal with sexual violence in their lives and who have caused these two words to go viral. »

More than 15 years after founding #metoo, faced with the violence of the backlash and the immense work that remains to be done, what gives Tarana Burke the strength to continue?

It depends on the day, she told me.

Tarana Burke says she feels “programmed to respond to injustice”. “Despite everything, to be honest, there are many days when I wake up without feeling like it! »

But even these very tired mornings, she tries to fight differently to overcome her survivor’s trauma and feel absolute freedom. “It can be expressed more creatively by writing a poem, a song or a one-on-one conversation. I think it’s important for people to understand that the ways in which you respond to injustice don’t always have to be to raise your fist to create a movement and go to the front. »

Tarana Burke also feels inspired by the story of her ancestors who fought against slavery. His great-great-grandfather who was born a slave never stopped believing that another world was possible. By dreaming in turn of a world free from sexual violence, she is following in his footsteps.

“It’s about envisioning such a world and living from that vision. That doesn’t mean it’s going to happen in ten years. But I think my work sows the seeds that will allow such a world to emerge. »