Research and experience have shown that sexual harassment is prevalent in every industry, and showbusiness is unfortunately no exception. With scores of stories coming to light over the course of the past few years alone, the extent to which this issue continues to go unaddressed will only become apparent in years to come.
The cases we are all familiar with are of course those of the victims who step forward, and are brave enough to discuss in the public eye and under vast scrutiny, what they went through. What we do not hear about are the stories of the victims that remain silent, sometimes due to public pressure, sometimes due to embarrassment and more often than not, because they lack the support system they need in order to speak out. This is where SpeakOutShowbiz comes in.
Comprised of a team of volunteers, many of whom themselves were victims of sexual assaults, we seek to encourage those who have no voice, to Speak Out. It is thanks to the victims who, despite the difficulty decided to speak out, that the likes of Harvey Weinstein and P Diddy have been held publicly accountable for their despicable actions. And it is as a result of many victims who did not feel comfortable or empowered enough to speak out that the likes of former ABC producer Stephen McPherson, now the owner of Promise Wines, and comedian Louis CK have managed to continue along their career paths unimpeded.
The victims are of course not to blame, and it is the aim of our organization to a ensure that justice is served and no victims are intimidated by the powerful men responsible. Although they often resign their position of power, as Stephen McPherson did when he suddenly left ABC, and as accused harasser Bill Cosby did when allegations came to light, this is not enough. Stephen McPherson and Bill Cosby, among others, not only evaded responsibility for their actions, they have yet to express remorse or apologize.
Instead, Stephen McPherson’s attorney described what happened as his client finding himself in, “Situations which can easily be misinterpreted or misrepresented. Seems like it goes with the territory, and there is nothing further to discuss”. Bill Cosby claimed he apologized to the family, but that information has never been verified. We seek to give a voice back to the voiceless. To give power back to the powerless. To ensure that justice is served.
It is often thought that sexual crimes become less of an issue as time goes by. Victims become desensitized to what happened to them and the lack of prosecution becomes an issue that can be lived with. Nothing could be further from the truth. The single most detrimental impediment to the healing of the victims of the actions of the likes of Stephen McPherson and Bill Cosby is not seeing justice served. And that cannot happen if circumstances don’t change and victims are not empowered to speak out. SpeakOut Showbiz seeks to be that change!