Golden Globes blackout launches #TimesUp movement
At the 75th Golden Globes, held on Jan. 7, 2018 in Beverly Hills, the red carpet was filled with celebrities, many of whom were dressed in black. As a part of the recently formed #TimesUp movement, many attendees wore black to stand in solidarity with victims of sexual harassment. The creators of #TimesUp, a collective of more than 300 actresses, shared their experience with #WhyWeWearBlack, saying in an Instagram post that they wore black “for equity and parity across all industries. For safety among every worker in every occupation. For inclusion of all women and marginalized people.”
On the carpet, eight actresses, including Emma Stone and Michelle Williams, brought well-known advocates as their dates. Stone was accompanied by Billie Jean King, a famous tennis player who advocates for females in sports and LGBT+ rights. Stone portrayed King in the recently released movie, Battle of the Sexes.
“Every generation has to fight for equality and its now Emma’s turn with her generation. And it’s great to be here tonight wearing black. We really have to—it’s gotta stop, it’s gotta stop now. And we have to help each other and it’s everybody, all genders together,” King told People magazine.
Tarana Burke, creator of the viral hashtag #MeToo, accompanied Williams, and told E! News “[#MeToo] is so powerful because we’re seeing a collaboration between these two worlds that people don’t usually put together and would most likely have us pitted against each other. So it’s really powerful to be on the red carpet tonight.”
During the show, there were many great speeches and award presentations demonstrating support for #TimesUp. Media personality and philanthropist Oprah Winfrey gained media attention for her speech after accepting the Cecil B. DeMille award.
Oprah stated during her speech, “So I want all the girls watching, here and now, to know that a new day is on the horizon! And when that new day finally dawns, it will be because of a lot of magnificent women, many of whom are right in this room tonight, and some pretty phenomenal men fighting hard to make sure that they become the leaders who take us to the time when nobody ever has to say ‘me too’ again!”
Laura Dern, while accepting her award for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries, or Motion Picture Made for Television, made a statement that summarizes the message of #TimesUp and #MeToo.
“It was a culture of silencing and that was normalized. I urge all of us to not only support survivors and bystanders who are brave enough to tell their truth, but to promote restorative justice may we also protect and employ them. May we teach our children that speaking out, without the fear of retribution, is our culture’s new North Star.””
The action didn’t stop at the Golden Globes. The movement formed Jan. 1, beginning with a letter signed by 300 women in the film industry, promising their support in removing sexual harassment from the workplace.
To achieve their promise, they started a legal defense fund with the National Women’s Law Center, as stated on their official website, for “subsidized legal support to women and men who have experienced sexual harassment, assault, or abuse in the workplace and while in pursuit of their careers.”
The fund has already received around $15 million, with large donations from celebrities, such as Blake Lively, Anne Hathaway, and the Timberlakes, as well as donations from the general public that average from $25 to $50.
Carol Robles-Roman, CEO of Legal Momentum, which deals with women’s legal defense, told Variety “I think [the fund is] going to give girls a message that these are rights that we have. You have a right not to be harassed, or sexually assaulted, and there are professional people in place to assist you and make sure it doesn’t happen.”