My Appeal to Those Suspicious of #MeToo
Now, if
you think I’m describing a modern-day op-ed, you would actually be mistaken. I
am referring, rather, to the words of the eighteenth-century abolitionist William
Wilberforce in his mouthful-of-a-title book A Practical View of the
Prevailing Religious System of Professed Christians, in the Middle and Higher
Classes in this Country, Contrasted with Real Christianity. In section five
of chapter four, Wilberforce addresses a problem in the performing arts in
particular. Here’s how he begins this section (and I encourage you to read it
in its entirety):
It
is an undeniable fact, for the truth of which we may safely appeal to every age
and nation, that the situation of the performers, particularly of those of the
female sex, is remarkably unfavourable to the maintenance and growth of the
religious and moral principle, and of course highly dangerous to their eternal
interests.
Wilberforce
doesn’t explore how or why the performing arts are unfavorable to women in
particular. But he does go on to explain the Christian’s duty toward those who
are being exploited. And the more I thought about it, the more I saw the
connection between Wilberforce’s concerns and the concerns brought about by the
#MeToo movement (which, henceforth, we will refer to without the hashtag).
The shared
concern between Wilberforce and Me Too might be generalized like this: in
society at large, and in unique ways in the entertainment industry, women are often faced with sexual objectification,
degradation, and even abuse. (The purpose of Me Too has since expanded,
and as a result “has come to mean different things for different people,” but
sexual abuse is still a core focus of the movement.)
There are
many factors that separate William Wilberforce from the Me Too movement.
There’s the obvious amount of time between the two—over 200 years. Also, much
of Wilberforce’s perspective would be viewed with suspicion, and possibly even disgust,
by many within the Me Too movement. If Wilberforce were to be accused of sexism
(rightly or wrongly), it would be toward women, whereas if Me Too were to be
accused of sexism (rightly or wrongly), it would be toward men. And ultimately,
Wilberforce’s deep Christian roots would give him a better handle on how to
bring about true and lasting change, whereas many promoters of Me Too still
suffer from a large degree of confusion about the solution (as I have noted here
and here
and here).
At the
same time, there are some key similarities between Wilberforce and those
promoting Me Too. Both share a concern for those whose plight has been
ignored—and even exploited—by society. Both are willing to buck conventional
beliefs and practices in order to promote cultural change. Both see greater
value in human dignity than the masses content with continuing the status quo.
And both have had a great impact on me, helping me to see with greater clarity
the “open secret” that is our culture’s abuse of women, as well as my own
heart-level complicity in that cultural mindset.
NO
MOVEMENT IS BEYOND CRITICISM
Are there
legitimate critiques of Me Too? Absolutely. For example, the movement
“lacks specificity and, as a result, undermines the severity of the sexual
harassment that props up rape culture.” Another concern is the willingness of
the recently-formed Time’s Up campaign
to accept contributions from “agencies [that] were integral to [Harvey] Weinstein’s
ecosystem of victimization. . . . [These agencies] deserve accountability.
Instead, thanks to Time’s Up, they get to be allies.”
Not all
critiques of Me Too are created equal, however. The concern about the abandonment of due process, for instance, is not without merit, but it is
overblown—especially considering that victims of sexual abuse have gone without
due process for so long themselves. The injustice of false accusations is
nothing to dismiss, to be sure. But when faced with the reality of decades (at least) of unjust sexual abuse, emphasizing concern
over the possibility of future false
accusations gives the appearance, if not the reality, of a warped sense of
priorities.
Is there
hypocrisy within the ranks of Me Too and Time’s Up? Yes, there is, as there is
with any movement. Thankfully, people of differing political persuasions are
also pointing out the inconsistencies, as evidenced by recent feminist
critiques of the Grammys and Sports Illustrated.
All things
considered, when critics respond to Me Too with nothing but suspicion or
condemnation because it involves hypocrisy, I am reminded of another group of
people—those who refuse to darken the doors of the church because “it’s full of
hypocrites.” Yes. Yes, it is. Welcome to the human race. Hypocrites are everywhere,
not just in the places you don’t want to associate with.
OF BABIES AND
BATHWATER
Even with
all its baggage, Me Too is, at its root, promoting a worthy cause—a cause similar to that championed by William Wilberforce in 1797. And long before Wilberforce,
our Savior demonstrated a scandalous care for the downtrodden, including women.
Part of Christianity’s legacy, in fact, is providing advocacy for the
oppressed. Just because Me Too is largely “secular” (or whatever label you want
to use), it doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate the good that is coming from it.
There is
something special about diverse groups uniting for a worthy cause. For example,
the pro-life movement finds support from religious and non-religious groups,
from supporters and opposers of the patriarchy, and from people on varying ends
of the political spectrum. The ideological melting pot that is the pro-life
movement involves some contradictory worldviews. Those differences are worthy
of debate in the right contexts, but they need not—and are not—hindering all
participants from fighting for the dignity of the unborn.
Similarly,
I may not be a card-carrying member of Time’s Up, and I may not be involved
with Me Too in any official capacity. I am still grateful for what these
campaigns have done in promoting the protection of women (and men) who are
victims of sexual abuse and manipulation, and who have had little to no
recourse. In the words of Val Dunham,
If
nothing else, the Me Too campaign enacted a widespread solidarity victims of
sexual violence are often not privy to. Survivors of sexual assault and
harassment often endure the isolating darkness of silence, unaware of one
another’s presence until someone is emboldened to whisper in the shadows. The
campaign, however imperfect, fashioned fellowship out of isolation.
That is something for which we can all be thankful.