The No Metoo Movement

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Muted group theory is based on the concept that dominant groups in society systematically oppress minority groups through language. Cheris Kramarae (1981) extended this idea by putting a, “...focus on how men as the dominant group block the ability of women to fully express their experiences,” (Palczewski 108). As the dominant group in society, men dictate the power of subordinate groups by determining the language that exists for them to use. Furthermore, Kramarae states that by muting women, they, “‘...are not as free or as able as men are to say what they wish, when and where they wish, because the words and the norms for their use have been formulated by the dominant group, men,’ (p.1)” (Palczewski 108). The concept of muted group theory is evident across a wide variety of social and political movements throughout history. The #MeToo movement is a fairly new movement which allows survivors, mainly women, of sexual assault or violence to speak out about their experiences. The phrase “Me Too” was coined by Tarana Burke in 2006. …show more content…
One example comes from Laverne Cox, a transgender actress who, like many, has spoken out about her personal #MeToo experience. After sharing her story and receiving feedback from people, she said, “I notice when some trans women have come forward and say that they have been sexually assaulted there has been a different tenor in terms of the ways they’ve been believed as opposed to other women who are not trans,” (Perez). The difference in reaction is due to the fact that she is transgender, which sets her identity apart from many of the cisgender women in Hollywood who are also sharing their stories. She also makes the point that Harvey Weinstein did not challenge any of his accusers, until he was accused by Lupita Nyong’o, a black woman. Cox notes that the link between his challenging her accusation and her race could not have been a