Celebrities are boycotting Twitter today in solidarity with Rose McGowan
Earlier this week, amidst the numerous accusations of sexual harassment and assault against Harvey Weinstein, Rose McGowan’s Twitter account was suspended. In an act of solidarity, other celebrities are coming together to boycott Twitter on McGowan’s behalf.
Twitter notified McGowan on Wednesday that her account had been suspended — allegedly due to the inclusion of a private phone number in one of her tweets, which technically violates site policy.
And while McGowan’s account has since been restored, many celebrities were quick to show their outrage over the way Twitter handled the situation, as well as the site’s general lack of action regarding sexual harassment on their platform. Software engineer Kelly Ellis initially came up with the idea to boycott for a day, suggesting the hashtag #WomenBoycottTwitter.
#WomenBoycottTwitter Friday, October 13th. In solidarity w @rosemcgowan and all the victims of hate and harassment Twitter fails to support. https://t.co/G0my9EyKpQ
— Kelly Ellis is Pro-Abortion (@justkelly_ok) October 12, 2017
And so far, #WomenBoycottTwitter has reached a huge audience, including McGowan’s Charmed costar, Alyssa Milano.
Tomorrow (Friday the 13th) will be the first day in over 10 years that I won’t tweet. Join me. #WomenBoycottTwitter pic.twitter.com/xoEt5Bwj5s
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) October 13, 2017
Tomorrow I follow the Women. #WomenBoycottTwitter
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) October 13, 2017
I stand with #WomenBoycottTwitter. I love this platform, but it’s time to do better. See you all in 24 hours. ❤️
— Brianna Wu (@BriannaWu) October 13, 2017
Tomorrow. And maybe even forever. #WomenBoycottTwitter
— chrissy teigen (@chrissyteigen) October 13, 2017
https://twitter.com/udfredirect/status/918736044685758464
Boycotting Twitter is a way to stand against the system. But some argue that going silent may not be helpful during a time when the world is listening to those who have been assaulted or marginalized in their industry.
I will not be silenced by Twitter or anyone else.
A woman's opinion matters. Boycott? Shout loud instead #WomenBoycottTwitter 🚫— Geraldine Walsh (@_GeraldineWalsh) October 13, 2017
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Others have noted that the boycott will not keep women silent, it’s to prove that Twitter users have power. The fewer clicks on the site, the less money the site makes…which incentivizes them to listen to users and make concrete changes to their platform.
Ok ok Jesus, let me clear this up. #WomenBoycottTwitter will not silence us, but @Twitter will make much less $$ b/c of fewer clicks. I’m in pic.twitter.com/LPEbKJwpgM
— Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) October 13, 2017
We stand in support of every woman (and man) taking action to bring positive change, and applaud the bravery of every victim speaking out on this issue.
