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Those who have vulnerably come forward and shared #metoo, know that this is just the beginning, but thank you.
There may be charges to be laid, and court dates to attend, as well as days and months, possibly even years of healing ahead. For those of us who can – forgiveness.
But let’s do more hard things and go beyond that initial transparency. What practical things can we do to educate, and protect our children, and the generations to come, from sexual assault and abuse? How can we change society?
As we all know, many of those coming forward in the beginning of this incredible movement, have been actors and actresses. Is it reasonable to ask that they petition their peers to turn down roles that promote sexual promiscuity and sexual violence? And what about the writers?
Can a film wishing to make a powerful statement about a sexual matter, say it without the skin? Do we really need to see it all to understand what’s happened? Are there different ways to tell the story?
Is it reasonable for the consumer to boycott movies that promote sexual violence? If we know of someone who has been raped, should we be watching that kind of subject matter on television, or paying to go to that kind of a movie? We can’t blame Hollywood writers, if we keep showing up.
Should we be asking ourselves what kind of gaming we are involved in, and does it promote sexual abuse?
What kind of music are we listening to, and how do the people dress when performing that music on stage? What kind of sexual messages are they portraying? And how on earth did they get to that place where they thought they needed to dress a certain way to be heard? And what about our most impressionable audiences who are actually beginning to believe ‘sleaze’ is the norm? Do role models realize what they are responsible for?
How is our language evolving? Does the casual ‘f’ word sound so casual to someone who has been raped? I know it doesn’t!
All of these questions and suggestions don’t even begin to address generational issues, but it is a way to go beyond the initial testimonial.
Those of you who have been sexually assaulted, including myself – we can make a difference for ourselves, our children and our future, by making counter culture choices. Our world is saturated with sexual propaganda, but we can see through it, can’t we?
Just as those of us who have come forward, have helped others come forward, we need to do the rest together as well. We need to keep coming forward and taking practical steps to go beyond.
Yesterday, on the radio, I heard about the long waiting lines for those seeking counsel. Please call your local Central Alberta Pregnancy Care Centre, who have trained client advocates able to listen for free, who will plug you in to further resources, and help you establish a support network. It is a confidential and safe place. One of their programs I have benefited from is called ‘Steps to Sexual Health’. They have a 24 hour help line: 1.844.343.1611 (Central Alberta Canada), or look online for a Pregnancy Care Centre near you.