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Time cover salutes US sex-harassment whistleblowers
The “Silence Breakers” — people who have shared their stories about sexual assault and harassment — were named Time magazine’s “Person of the Year” on Wednesday.
The magazine’s cover features Ashley Judd, Taylor Swift, Susan Fowler and others who say they have been harassed.
Time praised those who have given “voice to open secrets, for moving whisper networks onto social networks, for pushing us all to stop accepting the unacceptable”.
Women who spoke out, initially against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein and then others, helped spawn what’s being called the #MeToo Movement, with millions sharing stories of sexual misconduct on social media.
The tweets and posts began after actress Alyssa Milano followed a suggestion from a friend and tweeted: “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.”
The hashtag was tweeted nearly a million times in 48 hours.
“As women, we have to support each other and stand together and say, ‘That’s it. We’re done. No more,’” Milano said.
The magazine’s cover was timely.
Six Hollywood actresses filed a lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein on Wednesday in New York, claiming that his actions to cover up assaults amounted to civil racketeering.
The lawsuit claims that a coalition of companies and people became part of the growing “Weinstein Sexual Enterprise” and worked to conceal his widespread sexual assaults.
At least 75 women have come forward to detail accounts of assault, harassment and inappropriate conduct by Weinstein, 65, who is being investigated by police in Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, New York and London
And on Capitol Hill, Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon said in a tweet on Wednesday that he expects Senator Al Franken to resign Thursday as yet another woman came forward with accusations of sexual misconduct against the Minnesota Democrat.
“It is the right thing to do given this series of serious allegations, ”Wyden said.
Franken’s support among his fellow Democrats was collapsing on Wednesday as a host of female Democratic senators called upon him to quit.
Senators Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Patty Murray of Washington, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii, Kamala Harris of California and Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire all called on Franken to step down.
Democratic Representative John Conyers resigned from Congress on Tuesday after a nearly 53-year career, becoming the first Capitol Hill politician to lose his job in the torrent of sexual misconduct allegations sweeping through the country’s workplaces.
The 88-year-old civil rights leader and longest-serving member of the House announced his “retirement” on Detroit talk radio, while continuing to deny he groped or sexually harassed women who worked for him.
After being publicly accused by one woman after another in recent weeks, Conyers, who was first elected in 1964, faced growing calls to resign from colleagues in the House, including Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi.
While Hollywood and media titans accused of sexual misconduct have been swiftly shown the door in recent weeks — including TV hosts Matt Lauer and Charlie Rose and actor Kevin Spacey — that has not been the case in Congress, where lawmakers have invoked due process and clung to the argument that the voters have the final say.
Aside from Franken and Conyers, Republican Representative Blake Farenthold of Texas and Democratic Congressman Ruben Kihuen of Nevada have all rebuffed calls to step down, while Republican Congressman Joe Barton of Texas has said he won’t seek re-election next year.
As #MeToo’s Milano told Time, the movement “took away the power from the predator, and placed the power on the victim.”
We have to support each other and stand together and say, ‘That’s it. We’re done. No more.’ ”
Actress Alyssa Milano