Here are a few statistics that will enable you to grasp it …
- Facebook: the hashtag had been used by more than 4.7 million people in 12 million posts during the first 24 hours
- Twitter: The hashtag was tweeted nearly a million times in 48 hours, according to Twitter.
- In the U.S., Facebook said 45 percent of users have had friends who posted “me too.”
- According to TIME, the hashtag trended in 85 countries and was tweeted out 1.7 million times.
Why started this?
Here is a tweet that points you at the Origin story …
https://twitter.com/Alyssa_Milano/status/920067975016624128
There, via that link, you will discover the story of Tarana Burke. She created “Me Too” back in 2006 on MySpace. Her vision was, and is, the promotion of “empowerment through empathy”.
Now we have #ChurchToo
A couple of days ago Twitter users Hannah Paasch and Emily Joy started #ChurchToo, and so this is now exposing sexual abuse and harassment within religious communities.
Below are a few of the many many tweets. I’ll simply put them out there without any further comment … except to add the observation that the tweets below are simply scratching the surface …
https://twitter.com/yellowinmysoul/status/933103015338262528
https://twitter.com/alittleotmark/status/933117484328214528
Let’s not forget to call out the people who didn’t believe us when we told them our stories, the pastors, parents, teachers, who left us hurting & alone. You are responsible too. #churchtoo
— Casey 🐢 (@ccurrin93) November 21, 2017
https://twitter.com/yellowinmysoul/status/933093791703089152
https://twitter.com/jambie61/status/933069623599169545
#churchtoo. Which is why, although I believe in God, I no longer will believe in church or religion. I refuse to step inside another church or say to a priest "Father bless me for I have sinned". If I want that blessing, I'm going straight to God with the request. No middle man
— Zada Leon☮️ (@ZadaLeon) November 22, 2017
https://twitter.com/RobinAnderson15/status/933377935515496450
https://twitter.com/yellowinmysoul/status/933099888602112001
I was 13 and the pastor’s daughter. A prominent church member molested me and I reported him to the church. The church covered it up, fired my father, and made the church member an elder. #ChurchToo
— Emily McGlawn (@emilymcglawn) November 23, 2017
https://twitter.com/Jonee614/status/933347143334670336
https://twitter.com/sarahrlacour/status/933323138812776448
https://twitter.com/andeemoriah/status/933080508073877504
At the church where l spent most of my adult years, l began to tell people about the hell of my childhood. Repeatedly l was told that l had to stay in contact with all my abusers because they didn’t know God and I was the only way they ever would. #churchtoo
— Shannon Dingle, M.A.Ed. (@ShannonDingle) November 21, 2017
https://twitter.com/DMcNulty70/status/933349637246849027
#churchtoo A teacher and a esteemed member of the baptist church in grew up in was caught with a student. 4th grade. Others came forward. The church protected him. My best friend was one of his victims. She committed suicide in HS.
— Abe'sCat🇺🇸🇺🇦🐾🌈⚾📚 (@Cindi1218) November 22, 2017
https://twitter.com/imthetallone123/status/933631928195883008
https://twitter.com/ladyDeconstruct/status/933152232027062272
Back in middle school, l told my pastor that l wasn’t safe at home. I️ was being physically abused and sexually assaulted. I needed him to intervene. He chose to trust my parents over me and not report what l told him. #churchtoo
— Shannon Dingle, M.A.Ed. (@ShannonDingle) November 21, 2017
I was raped when I was 9 by a member of my church. The pastor, and my parents, told me I needed to forgive him, as that is what Jesus would do. They made me hug my rapist and tell him I forgave him.#churchtoo
— NotYourFuckingDoll (@darcorina) November 22, 2017