My Weekend Crush

Evan Rachel Wood is brave and strong and powerful. By naming her abuser this week, she called out more than just Marilyn Manson but the entire culture that bolsters bad men and seeks to silence brave women. Still here’s the thing, she shouldn’t have to be so brave. Instead we should do a better job as a society of holding men who abuse women (or men, or fucking anybody) accountable. But we just don’t. The sad truth is too many men (and some women) believe you shouldn’t ruin a man’s career because of a woman’s accusation.

Believe women is more than a slogan. It’s a reminder that all too often our culture simply doesn’t believe women precisely because they’re women.

Why else would 26 credible accustations of sexual assault and harassment be a nearly forgotten footnote to the Trump presidency? Imagine, if you will, that 26 men had credibly accused Donald Trump of sexual assault/harassment. Or if 26 men had credibly accused any prominent female politician of sexual assault/harassment. Oh, how different the predominant news narrative would be. But here we are, once again, simply asking people to believe us when we tell them what we have experienced and not to dismiss us offhand simply for being women. It’s more than tiring. It’s enraging. And Evan Rachel Woods of the world shouldn’t have to be so brave. But I’m just thankful that they are. Happy weekend, all.