A gay man’s role in the thick of #MeToo
The #MeToo movement that is resonating through our societal culture has caused an earth-shattering shift in how we perceive the workplace. Formerly a subject where the silence was deafening, the cacophony surrounding endemic sexual abuse has finally been exposed. Due to Hollywood mogul and inveterate harasser, Harvey Weinstein, women’s angry voices have been lifted under a male-dominated landscape.
What I find profoundly celebratory in these outspoken times is a gay man’s role in allying with women. The homosexual male has grappled with continuous abuse from a masculine culture since records began. It is women mostly who have stood by the LGBT community through times of systemic abuse and coercion. Now, the shoe is on the other foot. The LGBT sphere have a duty to perform by projecting outrage and vilification to a toxic hetero-normative world that has gone unnoticed far too long.
Most of my sociable life I have had close female friendships. My acquaintance with men didn’t really begin until I went off to university. Together, my female friends and I rouse fiery conversations on the dominant role of straight men in society. What I found incomprehensible was my straight male friends’ reactions to the #MeToo movement. Instead of expressing outright condemnation, some have used this “woke” movement to defend their own behaviours. ‘Not all men are like that’ is the phrase I typically hear. I know they’re not, which is why I’m starting the conversation. Surely men should take this platform to express utter contempt for our own gender’s indefensible actions? Instead of supplying our own adequate behavioural patterns around women, we should help to tackle this issue. If ‘not all men are like this’, it should be simpler to be more exasperated through our embarrassing naivety of what is happening.
With my own voice as a young gay millennial, I am deeply offended with the deviant sexual harassment embedded in all industries. It is significant to note that although women make up the majority of the victims, LGBT individuals have also grappled with their share of harassment. The infamous story of Kevin Spacey and his prolifically inappropriate behaviour towards young men garnered tremendous backlash. The same goes for the fashion photographers, Bruce Weber and Mario Testino. Both are accused of sexual misconduct by amateur male models. The hashtag has travelled to all corners of society seeping with gross indecency. The dismantling of macho normality is being questioned. It is essential that victims of the gay communities align with women to undo disseminating abuse.
During this swing in a gendered power dynamic, I stand with all women in this quest for an egalitarian work environment. The #MeToo movement has revealed a complacent harsh reality that we should all be shocked by. The famous quote, “every woman needs a gay best friend” has never been more fitting. Lest we forget the ardent support of a pro-LGBT world from the likes of Madonna, Cher and Lady Gaga. Women have fought for LGBT rights in the past and during times when it was critical. Now, as all sufferers of an incessantly temperamental patriarchy, our alliance must be robust. The sheer callous behaviour from my gender will never be overlooked again. I am deeply dismayed at this ubiquitous time. However, my resounding chants for women who have developed enough courage to speak out will definitely continue.
