Time magazine announced that its 2017 Person of the Year would be the “Silence Breakers” – a group of women and men who catalysed the global conversation surrounding sexual harassment and assault.
One of the women featured was Taylor Swift, who, in August this year – just a couple of months before the Harvey Weinstein allegations broke – sued the man who sexually assaulted her in 2013 for a symbolic $1.
And during an interview with Time, Taylor revealed how “lonely and draining” the legal process had been, but that she wanted to offer a message of support and solidarity with other survivors.
She said:
My advice [to other victims] is that you do not blame yourself and do not accept the blame others will try to place on you. You should not be blamed for waiting 15 minutes or 15 days or 15 years to report sexual assault or harassment, or for the outcome of what happens to a person after he or she makes the choice to sexually harass or assault you.
But some people, in part because of Swift’s silence during the #metoo movement and apolitical public image, took issue with her inclusion in the issue.
https://twitter.com/yashar/status/938434852436762625
https://twitter.com/notoriousTBL/status/938473797732069376
Taylor Swift shouldn’t be on that cover.
That should’ve gone to Kesha. #TYTLive
— kristina oakes. (@kristinakolbert) December 7, 2017
Game of Thrones’ Sophie Turner saw this commentary on Twitter and shut it down with a one-word response to one critic’s tweet.
Did we really need Taylor Swift in here though?
— Kate Ritchie (@kateritchie) December 6, 2017
She Replied:
Turner herself tweeted her support of all the people in the issue and retweeted another person’s post that contained a little jab to President Donald Trump:
YES. So very proud of these people. You will not be silenced. You are heard. And we believe you and stand with you. https://t.co/eCa0jAe8Ph
— Sophie Turner (@SophieT) December 6, 2017
Show it to your daughters. Show it to your sons. Show it to the soon-to-be-ex-President. #Loser https://t.co/6U0LJLGKkM
— Jason Isaacs (@jasonsfolly) December 6, 2017
After that, Twitter gave an outpouring of love for Turner.
one of the reasons why i love you
— ً (@sangsterthoumas) December 6, 2017
Glad you changed it from women to people. Sexual Assault affects everyone.
— Matt 🥩🍔🍰 (@p1anetmatt) December 6, 2017
https://twitter.com/HeyitsNat_A/status/938425411054325761
This is the best thing!!
— Elias (@EliasHatzon) December 6, 2017
Go Sophie!
