This is for those loud voices who’ve made a cottage industry out of unsolicited criticism of #MeToo. The ones insisting — from the beginning — that the movement against sexual harassment and abuse had gone too far. The ones arguing that the organized public outcry against rape culture would not produce any serious punishments. And the ones confidently asserting that “#MeToo” would have no long-term impact.
I’m pleased to declare those naysayers wrong. In one fell swoop, the recent back-to-back prison sentencing of two high-profile sexual predators has not only demonstrated the ongoing need for #MeToo but also the influence of the movement. First, Ghislaine Maxwell, long-time companion to American financier and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein was sentenced to 20 years in prison, convicted of five charges including child sex trafficking, recruiting and grooming four underage girls from 1994 to 2004. Annie Farmer was 16 when she says Maxwell began grooming her. Experts describe grooming as methodical relationship building characterized by focused attention and gift giving that often includes other family and community members. Farmer told CBS’ Morning Show that Maxwell’s presence made her think it was OK to be around Epstein, only to eventually be molested by Maxwell and Epstein. She said she was relieved to know Maxwell will be “Spending the majority of her life behind bars for the crimes she committed.”
One day after Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted, singer R. Kelly was sentenced to 30 years in prison for federal racketeering and sex trafficking. For nearly 30 years the singer successfully denied accusations of preying on underage girls, including the singer Aaliyah whom he fraudulently married in 1994 when she was 15 years old. He avoided jail even after extensive reporting and an explosive three-part documentary detailing his long history of sexual perversion.
I would argue that the Maxwell and Kelly convictions are directly tied to #MeToo’s steady campaign to bring sexual abuse and rape to the forefront of America’s consciousness. It was just five years ago that Ronan Farrow’s 2017 New Yorker magazine article helped spark its founding. The reporter shared the shocking stories of women forced into repeated and gross acts of sexual harassment by then-powerful mogul and TV producer Harvey Weinstein. Soon after, actress Alyssa Milano sent this October 2017 tweet: “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” Thousands responded to the tweet, millions to the callout. Turns out activist and abuse survivor Tarana Burke had coined the term a decade earlier to help young women of color who were survivors of sexual abuse know they were not alone. In 2017, when #MeToo became a rallying cry, Burke joined the leadership in the broad-based effort to fight the social stigma of sexual abuse, harassment and rape.
Decades of time in prison will never make up for the physical and emotional damage suffered by the victims of Maxwell and Kelly. These are bittersweet victories, but I fear this much delayed and much deserved punishment would never have happened without #MeToo. Yes, the young movement sometimes stumbled, and the cynical and often-sexist pushback led some to sour on its efforts. But because #MeToo shined a floodlight on sexual abuse and rape culture, many victims found the courage to speak up. And because they spoke up and are continuing to share their stories, the movement lives and grows.
