#MeToo events in ABQ, SF

New Mexico is joining in the national #MeToo effort against sexual harassment and assault, with events scheduled for both Albuquerque and Santa Fe.

In Albuquerque, nine women will tell their stories of sexual harassment, rape, abuse and assault at Aux Dog Theatre, 3011-3015 Monte Vista NE, at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 9. A $15 donation is requested. The Albuquerque event will benefit Crossroads for Women, which provides services for housing, mental health, recovery, physical and dental health, independent living and vocational and parenting skills.

The Santa Fe event takes place at 7 p.m. Monday, Dec. 11, at Teatro Paraguas, 3205 Calle Marie, Suite B. A suggested $15 donation will go toward women’s charities.

The movement spread virally beginning in October as a social media hashtag denouncing sexual assault and harassment after sexual misconduct allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Since then, millions of people have used the hashtag to come forward with their experiences, including many celebrities.

The purpose of the local events is to show the community the magnitude of the problem, co-facilitator Ramona King said.

“We’ll have women who are telling their stories for an audience,” she said. “It’s because of all the many women that are coming out when men have assaulted them.

“We’re doing this to specifically put it out there. Women are telling their stories. We’re holding men accountable for acts that were unacceptable and in some cases brutal.”

Similar #MeToo events will occur in 12 cities across the country, including New York, San Francisco and Seattle, from Dec. 7 to Dec. 11.