Thread by @CndnSheepdog

I want to talk about #MeToo ( #YesAllWomen ) & @JustinTrudeau 's response - and yes, there has been a response. I'm writing from the perspective of a woman who spent 30yrs working with survivors & offenders & who is also a #MeToo survivor. 1/?

More than a yr ago I saw that old story about JT and the reporter being circulated by JT haters. Along with that were calls for a nice conservative lady to come forward with allegations against him. There were even offers of money for doing so. 2/?

There were also requests from right wingers for a man, any man, to come forward with sexual abuse allegations or even just gay sex allegations against him. Everyone can plainly see that this is not about #MeToo but about weaponizing a good movement for bad ends. 3/?

Now it's in the mainstream media, already framed, with the needs, wishes & rights of the woman lost and #MeToo distorted in the process. 4/?

Survivors have the right to speak about their experience even years later, but when the survivor wants it brought up, not when everyone else does. 5/?

When a survivor discloses, it's crucial that we listen to what she (or he) needs and not run with what we think. I cannot stress this enough. 6/?

There is a long list of compelling reasons why survivors don't disclose. A big one is secondary victimization. Time and again, survivors' experiences are pounced upon by other, discussed, judged, and weaponized, increasing the pain and consequence to the survivor. 7/?

In the case of the incident involving Trudeau, the matter was dealt with 18 years ago. The woman who reported has stated she does not want to talk about it. This is a neon sign for people to stop dredging it up. 8/?

Instead, once again, a woman's "no" is ignored. Again, a survivor's disclosure & experience is being used by others for their own purposes. 9/?

Did anyone stop to consider how this woman might be impacted by having this dredged up and plastered all over social media and MSM 18 years after the fact? 10/?

Did anyone consider how dredging this up after it was already dealt with, then dissected it and using it as a tool and weapon, and taking over the narrative for other purposes might impact survivors who are contemplating disclosing what happened to them? 11/?

This campaign targeting @JustinTrudeau was and is not really about #MeToo but about making political jabs while bastardizing an important and much needed movement, needs of all survivors be damned. 12/?

If you are disregarding the wishes and needs of survivors then not only are you no ally, you are causing more harm. 13/?

Part of the #YesAllWomen #MeToo movement is to bring to light what women face, to tell men they have to do better, and to make our society a safer and better place. 14/?

I saw a lot of men react in surprise. (This surprised me bec women have been talking, advocating, & writing about this since forever. Considering the dismissal of our concerns & the drowning out of our voices is so ingrained in our society, I shouldn't have been) 15/?

The men out there who have some courage have opened their eyes to their own shitty behaviours. I'm seeing men confess that they now realize they were jerks & are now committed to do better. 16/?

When a man does the work to be a better man & to be an ally to others, should we tell him that he is forever barred from progress because he did something shitty years ago? Are we not allowed to change, to grow? 17/?

As for @JustinTrudeau 's response, he did respond. He responded directly to the woman 18 years ago. He responded to her BEFORE it was made public. When she did publicly say her piece, his response was to respect that instead of retaliating or discrediting her. 18/?

Fast forward to now. The woman doesn't want to talk about it, so @JustinTrudeau 's response is that he's not talking about it. This is the correct response. This is the response that respects her needs, wishes, & privacy. 19/?

It is the agents of the conservative smear campaign (and now MSM) who are ignoring her needs and keep asking. When a question has been answered, continuing to ask the same question isn't about seeking answers but about something else. 20/?

If @JustinTrudeau speaks about this matter, not only will he be disregarding this woman's wishes, but he will be pouring gasoline on the fire. I hope he stays the course. 21/?

#MeToo is about helping survivors and making this society safer and better. It's not meant as fodder for entertainment or ammunition for other's own ends. @JustinTrudeau responded 18 yrs ago & is responding now. Some just don't like the response. 22/22