A jeering cry echoes throughout our nation: “Your body, my choice.”
A man with dozens of sexual misconduct and predation allegations now sits as president-elect of the United States, indicative of this country’s deep-seated systemic issues.
In this country, someone is sexually assaulted every 68 seconds, as per the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. In this country, women in certain states must wait until they are on the verge of death before legally receiving a life-saving abortion. In this country, a thirteen-year-old rape victim was forced to give birth.
In 2006, Tarana Burke coined the phrase “Me Too” as a way for sexual violence survivors to find solidarity and collective healing. It originated among communities primarily made up of low-income, young women of color. In October 2017, prominent actress Alyssa Milano published a tweet calling for sexual harassment and abuse survivors to come forward and voice the words, “Me Too.”
Less than 24 hours after the tweet was published, 4.7 million people posted using the phrase.
Rowena Chiu and Drew Dixon are two women whose stories were pushed to prominence during the #MeToo Movement. They were both featured panelists at the #MeToo and Women of Color in the Arts event hosted by UC Santa Cruz’s Arts Division, Film and Digital Media Department, and the Office for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion on Nov. 14.
Chiu is a British writer and social justice advocate who, in her work, highlights the abuse of power in Hollywood, centering justice, healing, and change. In the late ’90s, she worked as a junior assistant to Harvey Weinstein, and she later came forward to accuse him of sexually assaulting her. Chiu has stated that Weinstein and his team pressured her into signing a non-disclosure agreement afterwards, which kept her silent for decades. To date, over 80 women have accused Weinstein of inappropriate behavior, ranging from intimidation to rape. Currently, Chiu sits on the Palo Alto School Board and works at the World Bank and various non-profit agencies.
Dixon is a writer, music producer, and advocate for sexual assault survivors. She formerly worked as an A&R record executive and came forward about assaults she endured in the music industry. Her story is featured in the 2020 documentary “On the Record.” Now, Dixon serves as the Executive Vice President of The Pop Culture Collaborative, a philanthropic resource and funder learning community that supports and centers artists and activists sparking narrative change and social justice for women, the LGBTQIA+ community, BIPOC, Muslims, immigrants, and refugees.
City on a Hill Press sat down with the two advocates after the event to speak about their experience with the #MeToo movement and the future of activism.
“I mean it changed my life, saved my life, literally,” Dixon said. “I was going to sleepwalk to my grave and never tell the story and be completely erased from hip hop history and was going to be unempowered potentially for the rest of my life.”
Chiu, in her own interview, spoke on the impacts the #MeToo movement has had for thousands of women.
“It’s really an illustration that no matter how small you feel your voice or your influence to be, you can make a difference,” Chiu said.
Advocacy and the Arts
Art is a powerful tool for resistance; historically instrumental in dismantling inequitable social, political, and corporate structures. It exists as a complement to other forms of activism, and can be powerful in a myriad of ways. From sparking conversation to criticizing those in power to passing down stories to memorializing those lost in struggle and more.
“Art is what makes us human beings,” Dixon said. “The genius of the human experience is expressed in art, and I think it may be the most powerful force we have. It propels all, it elevates us to something — to a sort of emotional, creative, intellectual space where we can imagine beyond what is in front of us.”
However, according to Chiu and Dixon, the subjective nature of the medium leaves industry newcomers at the mercy of those who have the power to elevate or devastate their careers.
“There is this tendency to think that creative people can sometimes be [afforded] a little bit of a creative license because they’re such a creative genius,” Chiu said. “They behave like ordinary rules don’t apply to them, and they don’t behave in the way that other people do.”
#MeToo movement activists achieved significant victories in changing the legal standards surrounding workplace conduct, such as the signing of the Speak Out Act into law in 2022. The act bars the use of non-disclosure agreements in cases of sexual assault and harassment.
“The rules about sexual assault are not there to take away your fun,” Chiu said. “They’re there so that we can respect other human beings.”
Rules that safeguard women in the workplace reduce not just rates of harassment in the workplace, but also the rate of sexual discrimination. However, the rules are only effective if victims feel safe enough to come forward. Estimated in a study by the University of California San Diego’s Center on Gender Equity and Health, 87 to 94 percent of those who experience sexual harassment in the workplace never file a formal complaint. Often, victims who choose to speak out face intense repression, manipulation, and retaliation.
Marginalized individuals, including those with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, incarcerated individuals, and people of color are disproportionately affected by sexual assault and sexual violence in the workplace and beyond. They are also more likely to experience retaliation for reporting it. Dixon suggests utilizing one’s privilege in working to change internal culture and making the workplace safer for underrepresented groups.
“I understand where I have privilege, and I try to spend it and deploy it in service of justice and equity and fairness,” Dixon said.
#MeToo and Activism in the Current Political Climate
Now, amidst cries of “Your body, my choice,” a perversion of the phrase “my body, my choice” often used by women’s rights activists, Chiu and Dixon believe that advocacy work is more important than ever.
“I think the more that women’s rights are being challenged and the rights of minorities are being challenged, the more grassroots organizations like advocacy groups, like activism groups, like nonprofits feel that they have to be the front line,” Chiu said. “Because that’s not something that’s coming from institutions, it’s not something coming from governments, and so it has to rise up from the grass roots.”
Digital harassment of women has surged in the weeks following Donald Trump’s election win. The normalization of violence against women is a concern shared by millions across the nation. Trump himself was found liable of sexual abuse in May of 2023, with at least 24 other women alleging sexual misconduct. Since becoming president-elect, he has suggested numerous cabinet picks with a similar history of alleged sexual abuse.
Trump’s first nomination for Attorney General, Matt Gaetz, withdrew from his position amidst controversy surrounding allegations of sexual misconduct. Even with Gaetz’ withdrawal, Trump’s proposed cabinet still has two members who have sexual misconduct allegations against them.
“The various advocacy groups that I work with, whilst I feel there is a period of grieving, we’re also determined to rise up and fight because such terrible things have been said in the process of the campaign,” Chiu said. “All of us still have traumatic memories from [Trump], so I think we feel more ready and more girded and more willing to kind of fight for the values that we hold dear and the things that we consider important and our advocacy work, because this isn’t a time to kind of sit back and rest on our laurels.”
Despite losses in the executive branch, grassroots activists remain hopeful. Down-ballot victories for Democrats show that resistance endures as Republicans take control of all three branches of government. As seen in 2016, the conservative turn has reignited public interest in activism. Here in Santa Cruz, since the most recent election, nonprofits have seen a noticeable increase in volunteer inquiries.
For the millions who feel distraught about the current state of the country, activists like Dixon urge them to take action.
“Don’t let it overwhelm you, because we need you,” Dixon said. “Hang on to that fire. Hang on to that fire.”
