In 2017, the #MeToo movement exploded in the wake of multiple sexual abuse accusations against Harvey Weinstein. As a result, multiple high-profile people found themselves accused of sexual abuse or assault — some from many years prior — including Dustin Hoffman, Jeffrey Tambor, Louis C.K., Matt Lauer, Al Franken, and many more. Some lost their jobs, while others managed to survive the accusations. At the height of the movement, the message was clear: sexual abuse/assault should not be ignored, and we had to “believe women” who came forward — even if the accusations were weak.
For example, actor Aziz Ansari was publicly accused of sexual misconduct, even though by his own accuser’s account, when he was asked to stop, he did — the problem was that he didn’t pick up her “non-verbal cues.” The accusation caused some fractures in the movement, as some believed the charge trivialized the movement while others insisted that Ansari’s actions were no different than actual rape or sexual assault.
Of course, the #MeToo movement became heavily politicized. A weak and decades-old accusation made by Christine Blasey Ford against Brett Kavanaugh nearly thwarted his nomination to the Supreme Court. Despite Ford’s lack of credibility, the lack of corroboration (even from alleged witnesses she named), the exculpatory evidence provided by Kavanaugh, and the problems with Ford’s testimony, Democrats insisted her accusations were to be believed. Yet, when Joe Biden was accused multiple times of sexual misconduct, including rape, those accusations were largely ignored by the media. Christine Blasey Ford won an ACLU Courage Award, not Tara Reade.
The politicization of the #MeToo movement ultimately destroyed the campaign. The movement that sought to bring awareness to how widespread sexual assault is has essentially gone dormant, and those who would normally be advocates for victims are now trying to cover up sexual assault that doesn’t fit the narrative.
For example, in Virginia, Attorney General Jason Miyares is investigating how Loudoun County Public Schools handled two sexual assaults, but two Democrats in the state legislature have been trying to shut it down.
State Sen. Jennifer Boysko and Del. Suhas Subramanyam have called on Miyares to end the investigation, calling it a political stunt.
“The attorney general has made it clear that this will be a rigged, politicized investigation and politicize the events that have taken place in Loudoun to make himself look good, rather than actually do anything to help protect kids in our schools, and give parents peace of mind,” Subramanyam claimed Friday.
Miyares, however, called their efforts shameful.
“The Office of the Attorney General is dedicated to discovering the truth about what happened in Loudoun County this past year, because every Virginia family deserves answers,” Miyares spokeswoman Victoria LaCivita said in a statement. “The fact that two Loudoun County officials want to deny the public the truth is shameful.”
“Uncovering the mistakes that led to two minors being sexually assaulted at school shouldn’t be partisan and will not be reversed,” LaCivita added.
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Why do Boysko and Subramanyam want the investigation shut down? Because the teen who assaulted two of his classmates is “gender fluid.” Just as Whoopi Goldberg said Roman Polanski’s rape of a 13-year-old girl in 1977 wasn’t “rape-rape” because that incident doesn’t fit “the narrative,” these incidents are not “rape-rape,” either. That’s why it was okay when the school district tried to cover up the assaults, and it was acceptable to sweep the incidents under the rug. Actress Alyssa Milano hasn’t spoken out as an advocate for the victims in this situation, because doing so doesn’t advance the left-wing cause.
The #MeToo Movement can’t exist if it only sees sexual assault through a political lens, so it’s safe to say the movement is dead. It’s become too political to be taken seriously anymore.