Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Praises #MeToo Movement: 'It's About Time'
The latest anti-harassment campaigns #MeToo and Time's Up have sparked a sense of hope among the women and men who have suffered at the hands of their attackers.
The movements have more than hundreds of thousands of people attached to it, including well-known actresses in Hollywood. On Jan. 20, a global women's march took place, the first one for 2018, which was attended by celebrities such as Alicia Keys, Ashley Benson, Whoopi Goldberg, Alyssa Milano, Viola Davis, Halsey, and Natalie Portman.
While these movements have a plethora of people giving their full support, there are others who have criticized the campaigns and called them "witch-hunts." One person who is not against these new advocacies is Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Ginsburg Says #MeToo
During an interview with NPR's Nina Totenberg at the Sundance Film Festival, Ginsburg recalled an incident that occured while she was in college. The judge elaborated that a professor tried to put her in an uncomfortable position after giving her an advanced copy of an exam. Ginsburg stated that she knew "exactly" what he wanted in return and that was one of many situations she dealt with.
Ginsburg continued that she grew at a time when sexual harassment was not dealt with and was simply brushed off as "boys being boys." Ginsberg was then asked what she thought about Hollywood's recent efforts to combat harassment in all work places.
"I think it's about time. For so long women were silent, thinking there was nothing you could do about it. But now the law is on the side of women or men who encounter harassment, and that's a good thing," Ginsburg stated.
Ginsburg also stated that she's confident in the progression that has been made and is not concerned by any potential backlash.
"Let's see where it goes. So far, it's been great. When I see women appearing every place in numbers, I'm less worried about backlash than I might have been 20 years ago," she continued.
Ginsburg's comments come after the Time's Up movement almost suffered a setback. Actor and comedian Aziz Ansari was accused of sexual misconduct by a woman on the website, Babe. The woman known as "Grace" stated that she felt "uncomfortable" after she and Ansari performed sexual acts together in his apartment. Ansari admitted to this and also stated that he privately contacted the woman when she reached out to him.
The woman drew criticism from numerous public figures and media sites that felt the woman "damaged" everything Time's Up and #MeToo stand for because of her "reckless" claims that could also damage Ansari's career.
