Men, can we listen for once?

This week will be remembered not for Thanksgiving or football or Black Friday shopping, but for yet another round of brave women (and a few men) coming forward to tell their stories of sexual harassment, or worse (far worse), at the hands of men in Hollywood, the media, government and other powerful segments of society.¹

I will not ramble. It's time for men to shut up and listen. And believe. And figure out how we can be part of the solution as we work together to build new government, business and societal infrastructures that do not enable, provide space for or tolerate sexism or harassment of any kind.

Listen, believe and follow these women.

At times like this I want a moratorium on men covering this issue. They are only making it worse. And since every day a slew of them are revealed as assaulters themselves anyway... https://t.co/sQ23YEsJt5

— Sarah Kendzior (@sarahkendzior) November 20, 2017

I appreciate that men are posting that they realize now the world is scary for women, and thank you for realizing, but dude, we’ve told you 10000 times. You should have realized before.

— Elise Foley (@elisefoley) November 20, 2017

And think of how tiring it can be for women of color, who have to deal with racist crap in addition to all the sexist stuff. https://t.co/pazX3gmNCf

— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) November 20, 2017

One of the toughest parts of this fall has been realizing that so many male colleagues assumed our careers didn't take off like theirs because we were less talented.

— Amy Sullivan (@sullivanamy) November 21, 2017

So many of these sexual harassment stories involve women right at the start of their careers. How many talented, intelligent young women have these industries have lost as a result of men making them feel unwelcome?

— Louisa Loveluck (@leloveluck) November 21, 2017

We need an accounting of the economic toll of sexual harassment and workplace abuse on women.

Having to turn down new opportunites instead of working with a harasser.

Losses in productivity.

Getting fired for reporting toxic behavior.

Choosing to quit altogether.

— Karen Attiah (@KarenAttiah) November 20, 2017

Also being exposed right now: Hiring, retention, promotion, management practices that create this, accept this, enable this. So so so many complicit. https://t.co/Y63own1pkn

— S. Mitra Kalita (@mitrakalita) November 20, 2017

For those "learning" and finally "seeing" the reality of sexual harassment suffered by women in the workplace, ask yourself: what have you ignored abt racism in the workplace? How many stories did you dismiss as "hypersensitivity" or "political correctness"?

— Sherrilyn Ifill (@Sifill_LDF) November 21, 2017

Please remember that every time anyone has told you that your list has no women, your panel has no women, your guests include no women, they're talking about the same system that led to all this.

— Linda Holmes (@nprmonkeysee) November 21, 2017

Newsflash: it is not uncommon for a woman to be polite even in uncomfortable situations. That is not a romantic overture, nor does it indicate any degree of interest. It is called not making a scene. We’ve been trained in it (basically) since birth.

— Emily Ochsenschlager (@NPREmily) November 20, 2017

Disbelieving victims of sexual harassment and/or assault has ruined more lives than believing them ever could.

— Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz) November 21, 2017

Every day allegations are coming out against men who assault women. These are rich and powerful men but there are so many women who don't have a voice today. Women who fear losing their jobs. Women who feel trapped in an abusive relationship. Women who are too afraid to speak.

— Jackie (@Jackstar009) November 9, 2017

This — the president of the United States casting doubt on a victim’s memory because it was “a long time ago” — has to be extremely chilling for some victims who might be thinking about sharing their stories https://t.co/07GPVYGpNx

— MJ Lee (@mj_lee) November 21, 2017

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Footnote
1. A partial roll call of the men who have been the subject of allegations, some of them criminal in nature, in recent days, weeks and months: Donald J. Trump, Roy Moore, Louis C.K., Harvey Weinstein, George H.W. Bush, Kevin Spacey, Sylvester Stallone, Al Franken, Glenn Thrush, Michael Oreskes, Richard Dreyfuss, Jeffrey Tambor, Brett Ratner, John Conyers, Larry Nassar, Mark Halperin, James Toback, George Takei, Danny Masterson, Charlie Rose, John Lasseter, Eddie Berganza, Roy Price, Jeremy Piven, Russell Simmons...

Added November 29: Matt Lauer, Garrison Keillor.
Added December 14: Dustin Hoffman... (This list will never be complete.)