Silence is the sexual abuser’s friend. Those who know, must speak up | Suzanne Moore

Whether or not the allegations against Harvey Weinstein are true, it’s clear that open secrets in male-dominated industries only exist because people stay quiet

“It’s unbelievable,” the BBC arts editor told listeners of the BBC’s Today programme. Will Gompertz was discussing sacked Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein’s alleged conduct over decades. Unbelievable is an unfortunate phrase. Gompertz did not mean that he didn’t believe the women who have accused Weinstein of sexual harassment, I guess, he was just expressing shock.

Because a powerful man being accused of abusing women both in and out of the workplace is an entirely believable scenario. In fact, it is utterly familiar. According to the New York Times, Weinstein, a major player in Hollywood for almost 40 years, has reached settlements with at least eight women after allegations of sexual abuse. He says the story is false, defamatory and has threatened to sue the newspaper.

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from The Guardian http://ift.tt/2g4bjcz