SAVANNAH, GA – Charges of sexual assault in Hollywood have prompted a nationwide movement, taking the social media world by storm.
Women across the country are empowering others to take a stand against sexual harassment and sexual assault, posting the hashtag “Me, Too” on social media. The goal is to show the magnitude of the issue, and just how many people are affected by sexual assault.
“This is happening every single day, right here in our backyard, and unfortunately, the sad thing about it, from our prosecutor’s office to law enforcement, the response is often as deficient as what we’re seeing played out on our national stage,” said Kesha Gibson-Carter, Executive Director of the Rape Crisis Center in Savannah.
Actress Alyssa Milano started the social media trend on Twitter Sunday evening. She tweeted, “Suggested by a friend: If all the women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted wrote ‘Me too’ as a status, we might give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem.” Since that post, more than 34,000 women have shared their stories using the hashtag.
“I applaud their efforts, I applaud their tenacity and I applaud their confidence that they have in knowing who they are and standing up to a person who violated them,” said Gibson-Carter.
The Savannah Crisis Center has responded to more than 150 reported rapes this year. Carter-Gibson told News 3, the center is embracing the movement in the hope that it will encourage victims of any type of sexual assault to speak out.
“It was not your fault, it’s not okay, we’re glad you disclosed and we’re here to provide support to you,” said the Executive Director.
To contact the 24-hour Rape Crisis hotline, call 912-233-7273.
For more information on the Rape Crisis Center, click here.