Women of Hollywood launch initiative to protect all women from sexual harassment.

Courtesy of the New York Times:  

Driven by outrage and a resolve to correct a power imbalance that seemed intractable just months ago, 300 prominent actresses and female agents, writers, directors, producers and entertainment executives have formed an ambitious, sprawling initiative to fight systemic sexual harassment in Hollywood and in blue-collar workplaces nationwide. 

The initiative includes: 

— A legal defense fund, backed by $13 million in donations, to help less privileged women— like janitors, nurses and workers at farms, factories, restaurants and hotels — protect themselves from sexual misconduct and the fallout from reporting it. 

— Legislation to penalize companies that tolerate persistent harassment, and to discourage the use of nondisclosure agreements to silence victims. 

— A drive to reach gender parity at studios and talent agencies that has already begun making headway. 

— And a request that women walking the red carpet at the Golden Globes speak out and raise awareness by wearing black. 

Called Time’s Up, the movement was announced on Monday with an impassioned pledge of support to working-class women in an open letter signed by hundreds of women in show business, many of them A-listers. The letter also ran as a full-page ad in The New York Times, and in La Opinion, a Spanish-language newspaper. 

“The struggle for women to break in, to rise up the ranks and to simply be heard and acknowledged in male-dominated workplaces must end; time’s up on this impenetrable monopoly,” the letter says.

During the holidays my mother asked me what I thought it was that triggered the #MeToo movement.

I told her that was simple, Donald Trump. 

My mom thought it was the Harvey Weinstein scandal, but I told her that Harvey Weinsten would very likely have kept right on treating women like shit and getting away with it, if women had not been shocked, angered, and mobilized by an admitted abuser of women defeating the first viable female candidate for the job of president.

That was why the day after the inauguration we saw women lead the biggest protest in this country's history, and that is why we are seeing women coming together to not only protect themselves from the Donald Trump's of this world, but to chase them out of positions of power and influence forever.

Time Magazine had it exactly right when they chose the #MeToo movement for their "Person of the Year," and I think we are only seeing the very beginning of what this movement is capable of achieving.

More women than every before are entering politics, and I am telling you that chances are far more than just 50/50 that the next President of the United States will be female.

This is going to be the era of the woman, and you can take that to the bank. 

Gal Gadot refuses to reprise her role as Wonder Woman until sexual predator Brett Ratner is removed as one of the producers.

Courtesy of Page Six: 

“Wonder Woman” star Gal Gadot is continuing to battle accused Hollywood sexual harasser Brett Ratner by refusing to sign for a super­hero sequel unless the movie-maker is completely killed from the franchise. 

A Hollywood source tells Page Six that Gadot — who last month backed out of a dinner honoring Ratner, where she was due to present him with an award — is taking a strong stance on sexual harassment in Hollywood and doesn’t want her hit “Wonder Woman” franchise to benefit a man accused of sexual misconduct. 

Ratner’s production company RatPac-Dune Entertainment helped produce “Wonder Woman” as part of its co-financing deal with Warner Bros. The movie has grossed more than $400 million internationally, and Ratner’s company will take a healthy share of the profits. A Warner Bros. insider explained, “Brett made a lot of money from the success of ‘Wonder Woman,’ thanks to his company having helped finance the first movie. Now Gadot is saying she won’t sign for the sequel unless Warner Bros. buys Brett out [of his financing deal] and gets rid of him.”

This may not seem like such a huge deal in the larger scheme of things, but trust me, it is.

Currently women are feeling more empowered than ever to come forward and talk about sexual harassment and their past victimization.

At the same time Wonder Woman has been embraced as an icon of female strength.

For Gadot to use her new position in the movie industry to come out this aggressively, and this publicly, against a powerful member of Hollywood is to give a voice to all of those women who have felt alone and powerless against movie producers, directors, employers, managers, etc. in years past.

Symbolism is important, and what better symbol of feminine strength and power than Wonder Woman herself?

Militias and Right Wing "patriot" groups are now providing security for certain pro-Trump politicians. Oh, I have a bad feeling.

Courtesy of The Trace:  

Energized by Donald Trump’s coarsely confrontational nationalism, the armed right-wing fringe is doing more than stepping out of the shadows in 2017. Detachments of armed men in fatigues have become fixtures at liberal protests, forming the vanguard of what’s become known in some quarters as the “counter-resistance.” 

Now, in a smattering of states with histories of right-wing extremism, chapters of groups like the Oath Keepers and Three Percenters may be emerging as even more direct political players, providing security for local pro-Trump politicians and Republican organizations. In one case, a Three Percenter was found to be employed on a state lawmaker’s staff. 

When self-designated patriot groups first emerged during the early ‘90s, they identified as enemies of the “New World Order” heralded by George H.W. Bush, and tended to oppose the government, regardless of which party was in power. But experts say that the recent activity of some militia members could be evidence of a greater shift in political allegiances.

“You can’t be anti-government if your guy has the top job,” said Mark Pitcavage, who researches far-right extremism for the Anti-Defamation League. 

With right-wing extremists who venerate the president looking for new enemies, some state and local politicians who are remaking partisanship in Trump’s image may see militias as a way to tighten their grip on power. The brash political style and “America First” agenda ushered into the Republican Party by Trump appeals to people in the militia movement, drawing them toward the political mainstream, said Amy Cooter, a sociologist at Vanderbilt University. Just as important, Cooter said, groups like the Three Percenters are eager for confrontation with anti-Trump liberals, who are themselves taking to the streets. “On the local level, some Republicans appear to be tapping into that agenda.”

Yep, having armed Right Wing extremists managing crowds during political events and responding to protesters. Nothing about that seems like a disaster waiting to happen.

Some of you might remember that I wrote about this early last month.

However at the time it seemed to be happening only in Oregon.

Apparently in the era of Trump bad ideas spread like herpes.