#YesAllWomen

Men often do things that make women feel uncomfortable, or worse. Following the shootings in Isla Vista, California on May 23 — perpetrated by Elliot Rodger, a young man with a deeply misogynistic worldview — thousands of women took to Twitter to speak out about their experiences of fear, harassment and gender-based violence under the hashtag #YesAllWomen. The sentiments expressed are well summarized in this tweet by @AdelaideKane: “Not ALL men harass women. But ALL women have, at some point, been harassed by men. Food for thought.”

Within just a few days, #YesAllWomen had gotten over a million tweets. In their totality, the 140-character testimonies detail the presence of deep-seated and systemic violence against women in the United States and beyond. Male responses have included, as might be expected, ones of vitriol (see #NotAllMen) but also ones of solidarity and support, written under the spin-off hashtag #AllMenCan. Here are some of the most poignant comments.

@sharpegirl
Because I wore a fake wedding ring when I waitressed. “Belonging” to another man was the only way to get customers to back off. #YesAllWomen

@stack2thefuture
I’d like to recommend every guy read the #YesAllWomen posts. Don’t comment, don’t defend. Just read and think about living in fear.

@Tuls_
Because we cannot preach equality if we only tell the women to show less skin but never tell the men to show more respect #YesAllWomen

@NatalieCathleen
Why do we have to remind everyone that “She’s someone’s daughter” or “She’s someone’s wife”? “She is someone” should be enough. #yesallwomen

@emaateasdalee
Because, no means no, and I shouldn’t have to explain myself, ever. #yesallwomen

@Jcicely
#yesallwomen because reading some responses from some men so full of disdain and vitriol is exactly the reason we need this conversation.

@RachelMcKibbens
#YesAllWomen because after a stranger sexually harassed me in a bar, I told him the bartender was my husband, and they guy apologized TO HIM.

@TamerKattan
#yesallwomen made me feel attacked for being male. I don’t like it but it’s fair and it’s right. Read the posts. It’ll make you a better man

@lynnbixenspan
A man on the street told me I needed to cover up cause I was making him think impure thoughts. I was wearing a t-shirt & jeans. #yesallwomen

@HarrisonMooney
Because the friendzone is the fictional exile of the entitled. “Sexual partner” is not a woman’s default mode. #yesallwomen

@Sean_Hollenhors
My wife has had a self defense/escape plan since she was a teen. I cannot fathom how it feels to live like that. No man can.

@schemaly
#YesAllWomen know what it’s to be constantly interrupted, mocked for voicing legitimate concerns, called crazy for resisting oppression

@jessismiles__
#YesAllWomen because even a taped confession admitting to raping me wasn’t enough to put him in jail.

@wheresaddie
Because men don’t text each other that they got home safe. #YesAllWomen

@LauraLikesWine
Because I now wear shorts under dresses in crowded bars after being groped and even penetrated by unseen hands. #YesAllWomen

@RepSpeier
Because women serving in the military shouldn’t fear getting raped by their colleagues more than they fear the enemy #YesAllWomen

@emilyhughes
Because every single woman I know has a story about a man feeling entitled to access to her body. Every. Single. One. #YesAllWomen

@literaticat
In college, we’d regularly find girls who had been roofie’d and left passed out in the parking lot next to our dorm. REGULARLY. #YesAllWomen

@JoyceCarolOates
Why does the suggestion that half the human race be treated with respect by the other half arouse such fury in the latter half?#YesAllWomen

@OneBookishMom
In college, a police officer told us to scream FIRE if we were in danger of being assaulted otherwise people won’t get involved #YesAllWomen

@MiniiG
Because a mans biggest blind date fear is her BMI and a woman’s is never making it home #YesAllWomen

@peeg13
Because when girls go to college they’re buying pepper spray and rape whistles while guys are buying condoms #yesallwomen

@aimeemann
The cops who asked me “Well, what were you wearing?” when I reported an attack and attempted rape. #YesAllWomen

@LuluAntariksa
“Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them.” -Margaret Atwood #YesAllWomen

@woah_autumn
#yesallwomen because “you’re starting to sound like a feminist” should not be an insult

@neilhimself
The #yesallwomen hashtag is filled with hard, true, sad and angry things. I can empathise & try to understand & know I never entirely will.

@cmclymer
Because as a man who writes feminist articles, I’ve never received death or rape threats. My female colleagues? EVERY DAY. #YesAllWomen

@EmilyPuccio
#YesAllWomen Because there’s such a thing as a rape whistle.

@deannaraybourn
I’ve spent 19 yrs teaching my daughter how not to be raped. How long have you spent teaching your son not to rape? #yesallwomen

@revealedrome 
Because a smile back can get you followed, but no response can get you killed. And neither one guarantees the harassment ends. #yesallwomen

@MichaelSkolnik
#AllMenCan stop calling women the b-word. In music, in life, in general. Fellas, we know better and must be better.

@robjones_1989
#AllMenCan seek to understand how their actions/words either perpetuate or challenge oppressive attitudes/systems

@silvrbackgringo
#AllMenCan listen and believe when they are told their words and actions are causing harm. You may not have “meant” to, but you still did.

@jimmyrustlah
#AllMenCan understand that a dress is not a yes. Women don’t owe you anything.

@AutistLiam
#AllMenCan Refuse to accept “boys will be boys” as an excuse for sexist or violent behavior from themselves or others. 

@cmclymer
#AllMenCan Know that yelling at women on the street is not flirting. It’s harassment. And “flirting” after she says stop is also harassment.

@PengiunGalaxy
#AllMenCan listen to a woman’s story and resist the urge to challenge and unpick it in the hope that she’s exaggerating. She probably isn’t.

@A_McDo
#AllMenCan accept that it’s our job, not womens’, to end violence against women. Challenge sexism and misogyny in all-dude conversations.

@anateboteo
Because when I was raped my own father told me “women have been getting raped for centuries, don’t make a big deal of it” #YesAllWomen

@kyoung146
#YesAllWomen because I can’t go running at night without being absolutely terrified

@nanglish
Because a lot of you are reading these and thinking “ugh yeah, we get it. Calm down.” #YesAllWomen

@SophiaBush
I shouldn’t have to hold my car keys in hand like a weapon & check over my shoulder every few seconds when I walk at night #YesAllWomen

@MintMilana
Because my friend got roofed at my Halloween party and we didn’t report it because “he’s friends with everyone” #YesAllWomen

@lilydugas
Here’s to the day when I can pump gas at 10pm and not be absolutely terrified #yesallwomen

@joshgroban
Because we all know someone who’s been made to feel like it wasn’t assault when it was. #yesallwomen

@scemaly
#YesAllWomen because our bodies and reproduction are regulated like public property

@fridasbrow
Because part of growing up was learning how to reject a man without hurting his ego so he wouldn’t come back & do something. #yesallwomen

@schemaly
BC when my husband asks me to slow down when we walk together I realize he hasn’t spent his life avoiding street harassment #YesAllomen

@ginad129
#YesAllWomen have learned how to defend themselves with their keys if they are assaulted in a parking lot

@eIectramy
#yesallwomen because the media will mourn the lives of ruined high school football players, but not of the girls they assaulted

@katekilla
Girls grow up knowing that it’s safer to give a fake phone number than to turn a guy down. #yesallwomen

@Ceilidhann
#YesAllWomen who have participated in this hashtag have steeled themselves for inevitable backlash and possible threats.

@bottrill
#YesAllWomen because when a girl is harassed or even groped by a stranger in public, we’re told to “take it as a compliment”

@emilylhauser
What is male privilege? You can choose to take a break from thinking about this. I never can. #YesAllWomen

@ZerlinaMaxwell
#YesAllWomen because your right to your Walmart gun doesn’t trump my right to BE ALIVE. #backgroundchecksSTAT

@michellerwiss
Because I used to tip car drivers 40% for “not raping and killing me” when I was in high school. #YesAllWomen

@Jcicely
#yesallwomen because feminism and women’s rights aren’t a women’s issue. They’re human issues.

@aaroneheinz
#AllMenCan listen and respect women’s problems because we have NO IDEA. 

@PSPandamonium
#AllMenCan use their privilege to fight the patriarchy.

@underpope
#AllMenCan call other men out on their sexist comments, jokes, and behaviors.

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