Men are tweeting how they will change rape culture in response to the viral #MeToo campaign.
On Monday, Australian journalist and screenwriter Benjamin Law created the hashtag #HowIWillChange as a way for men to publicly commit to actionable change against cultures of sexual violence. “Guys, it’s our turn,” Law tweeted. “After yesterday’s endless #MeToo stories of women being abused, assaulted and harassed, today we say #HowIWillChange.”
The “Me Too” campaign was originally created by activist Tarana Burke 10 years ago, but was recently turned into a hashtag after actress Alyssa Milano wrote a call-out on Twitter asking followers to share their stories of sexual harassment and assault using the phrase “Me too.”
Since the hashtag went viral on Sunday, hundreds of thousands of people ― mostly women, but some men and genderqueer folk ― shared stories of sexual misconduct that ranged from sexual harassment to rape. The act of sharing stories and realizing how many women have had similar experiences was cathartic and powerful for many survivors.
As #MeToo stories flooded social media, many women began asking men what they were going to do to address rape culture. Law’s #HowIWillChange allowed men to do just that.
Law kicked off the hashtag by sharing actionable steps he’s going to take to address sexual violence.
On Wednesday, Milano retweeted Law’s original call-out and asked men to weigh in on the conversation using the hashtag #HowIWillChange.
Men on Twitter responded to Milano’s call-out with heartfelt ways they’re going to commit to ending sexual violence against women.
“I will call out other men on sexism,” one man wrote. “I won’t be complacent with the status quo. I won’t allow another man to harass a woman.”
Another male Twitter user wrote he will “never accept the diversion tactics of abusers,” and “never enable, even passively, the behaviors that lead to this.”
Scroll below to read more #HowIWillChange tweets.
Head over to Twitter to read more from #HowIWillChange.