Herman Cain sexual allegations: a reminder for women to speak up
The allegations of sexual harassment against Herman Cain follow a too-familiar story line. There is still tacit acceptance that some men in power are sexually exploitative. But women are starting to shine a floodlight on behavior that used to lurk in the shadows.
New York
Coming off of what felt like a summer of theatrical blunders by men in power, starring a colorful cast of characters – Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Congressman Anthony Weiner, and French political star Dominique Strauss-Kahn – the latest sexual harassment hoopla surrounding Republican presidential hopeful Herman Cain strikes me as little more than an encore.
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But that’s what makes it so noteworthy.
His case has unfolded with a predictable and familiar plot. Mr. Cain has been accused by multiple former subordinates of inappropriate behaviors and sexual harassment. He denies all charges: “I have never acted inappropriately with anyone. Period.”
He tries to destroy the credibility of his accusers. Alternately, he insists that this is all one big distraction from the real issues at hand, like the economy.
The voting public will make up their own minds about Cain and sexual harassment. But landing on that truth is actually less important for the future of this nation than acknowledging this one: In the shadowy spaces of our society – online comment sections, late nights at the office, dorm rooms right before dawn – too many men still feel entitled to violate the inalienable rights and dignity of women.
Beneath the polite veneer of our post-feminist society, where girls sweep the Google science fair, Hillary Rodham Clinton puts 8 million cracks in the glass ceiling, and men do housework, there is still tacit acceptance that some men in power are sexually exploitative and some men online are unaccountably vile. It’s just kind of the way it is.
ANOTHER VIEW: Forget sex claims. Herman Cain is too much like Obama
But as Twitter filled up with news of Cain’s denials, a parallel trend began. Women started tweeting direct quotes from some of their most disturbing hate mail with the hashtag #mencallmethings. The meme was started by Sady Doyle, a feminist journalist, in an attempt to make visible the often invisiblized online harassment that women with opinions face every day. [Editor's note: An earlier version included an incorrect hashtag.]
It was painful to watch the vitriol stream through my Twitter feed – though I’ve developed a tough skin about my own hate mail, mostly managing to wear it as a badge of honor.
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