First Lady Chirlane McCray, has responded to a recent New York Daily News story that falsely portrayed her love story to husband and New York City mayor, Bill de Blasio. Penning an op-ed for Refinery29, the First Lady of New York City points out the difference between sexual harassment and her experience, making it very clear that her love story does not belong under the #MeToo movement.
On the #MeToo movement:
“My story is just that: mine. It’s not for anyone to twist into a scandal just to sell papers, get clicks, or score cheap political points. And I will certainly not stand quietly while my story is misused in ways that diminish the experiences of the one-in-four women who face harassment in the workplace. Women can speak for themselves. When we do, people should listen. When we tell our stories, believe us. And if a person can’t tell the difference between asking someone to lunch and sexually harassing them, they have missed the point of the #MeToo movement entirely. We’re not saying please anymore.”
The difference between sexual harassment and respectful dating:
“When we conflate respectful dating and flirtation with sexual harassment, we do a giant disservice to this important moment in our culture. We undermine a real opportunity to talk about consent and respect between adults. We miss the chance to make real change and educate our youth about what healthy relationships look and feel like. Others may try to hijack my love story, but we won’t let anyone hijack this movement. Because, fact: Women don’t need anyone telling us what is or isn’t harassment. We know already, and now it’s time to listen.”
Please find a link to the full op-ed here.
What do you think?
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