by Ariel Hsieh ’19, Staff Writer

On January 7, 2018, celebrities wearing all-black arrived at the 75th Golden Globe awards. The reason? They were demonstrating their support of the #TimesUp movement: a call for gender equality, with their fundamental message stated as “No more silence. No more waiting. No more tolerance for discrimination, harassment or abuse.”

#TimesUp has risen just months after the #Metoo hashtag went viral from allegations of sexual harassment against Harvey Weinstein. Following those allegations, thousands more women have come out about their sexual harassment stories, igniting the #Metoo campaign.

The #MeToo hashtag was established by social activist Tarana Burke, and came to public attention when actress Alyssa Milano started to use the hashtag in response to the accusations against Harvey Weinstein on October 15, 2017. In the first 24 hours after Milano’s tweet, half a million people responded to her tweet, and 12 million posts and comments on Facebook went up. At the end of November, Twitter confirmed that 1.7 million tweets on #MeToo had been made. In the span of a few months, numerous prominent actors and public figures have been accused of sexual harassment and assault, resulting in their firings or resignations.

On January 1, 2018, a letter of solidarity, beginning with “Dear sisters,” signed by 400 actresses, was posted with the words “Time’s Up.” The letter expressed the goal for “fellow sisters” to stand in solidarity with the women who have been victims of sexual harassment or assault, and to push for “swift and effective change to make the entertainment industry a safe and equitable place for everyone.” (1)

Actors and actresses both decided to wear black at the Golden Globes to stand in solidarity, arriving at the red carpet in all black in support of #TimesUp. The night included several references to the sexual harassment and assault issue, culminating in Oprah Winfrey’s acceptance speech for her Cecil B. DeMille award as she said on national television, “Their time is up.”

“It’s humbling, but it’s also empowering,” said Ms. Burke at the red carpet of the Golden Globes. “This is such a bold statement for women who work in Hollywood to make in solidarity with women across the world.” “We feel sort of emboldened in this particular moment to stand together in a thick black line,” Meryl Streep said when asked why she wore black to the awards. On stage, Oprah ended her speech with the message that inspirational people like the actors and actresses that have broken the silence are the ones who will “take us to the time when nobody ever has to say ‘Me Too’ again.”  

Critics of the #TimesUp movement accuse it of being established by Hollywood elites and therefore does not apply to the outside world. However, numerous actresses, including Kerry Washington, have stated that “It’s not just a Hollywood issue. It’s a problem across the board.”

With more allegations of sexual harassment and assault every day, the push for gender equality has reached across the globe, with people in more than 85 countries posting about it. Activists encourage people of all genders to confront the issue: for men to listen and women to speak up.

Earlier in December of 2017, the “Silence Breakers”, referring to the voices that launched the #MeToo movement, were named Time’s People of the Year. The naming, which encompasses all the women and men who have spoken out about how they have been sexually harassed or abused, is a testament to the global conversation sparked by these “silence breakers”. “It’s not just a moment, it’s a movement,” affirms Ms. Burke. “Now the work really begins.”

To continue the efforts of #TimesUp, on January 20, 2018, people took to the streets for the 2018 Women’s March on the anniversary of the 2017 Women’s March that attracted hundreds of thousands of participants that rallied worldwide. #MeToo and #TimesUp hashtags were seen on hundreds of signs as people protested against sexism, racism, and misogyny.

(1) https://www.timesupnow.com