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Women in Hollywood and beyond are rallying behind TIME naming "The Silence Breakers" as the "Person of the Year," with Alyssa Milano and #MeToo founder Tarana Burke leading the charge on Wednesday morning's "Today" show.
"This was just the start. I've been saying from the beginning, it's not just a moment, it's a movement," Burke told Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb. "Movements take time, they build over time, and they're strategic. I think now the work really begins. Hashtag is a declaration, but now we're poised to really stand up and do the work of it."
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Corey Feldman, Sean Astin Defend Alyssa Milano From Backlash Over Underage Hollywood Sex Abuse
View StoryMilano takes no credit for creating the #MeToo movement, but she did help spread awareness by calling for her Twitter followers to utilize the hashtag to tell their stories. On "Today," she named her former "Charmed" co-star Rose McGowan as an inspiration for her interest in the cause.
"My friend Rose McGowan had been very hurt and silenced for a long time, and she was fighting back and I wanted to support her in what she was going through," she said. "And in turn, support women everywhere. So I thought, you know, if women could just come forward and say #MeToo -- just two beautiful words that Tarana started -- then we could really start to shape this and get an idea of the magnitude of this issue and this problem. And I sent the tweet and I went to sleep. I woke up and there were 53,000 replies."
TIME Magazine's editor-in-chief, Edward Felsenthal, explained the choice in the cover story. "These silence breakers have started a revolution of refusal, gathering strength by the day, and in the past two months alone, their collective anger has spurred immediate and shocking results: nearly every day, CEOs have been fired, moguls toppled, icons disgraced. In some cases, criminal charges have been brought."
"It became a hashtag, a movement, a reckoning, but it began, as great social change nearly always does, with individual acts of courage," he wrote. "For giving voice to open secrets, for moving whisper networks onto social networks, for pushing us all to stop accepting the unacceptable, the Silence Breakers are the 2017 Person of the Year."
The response to TIME's choice went viral almost as quickly as Milano's original #MeToo tweet, with support for the movement and the women who stand behind it rising up to be heard once again across social media. As "The Silence Breakers" tops the trending topics on Twitter, here are some of the best tweets:
Recognizing "The Silence Breakers": #MeToo creator Tarana Burke, @rosemcgowan and more in their own words #TIMEPOY pic.twitter.com/GbatmXTh64
@TODAYshow
I'm honored to be a part of the Time Person Year issue with @TaranaBurke. This is for every woman who came forward. This is for every woman who was brave enough to say #MeToo. I hear you. I stand with you. I see you. I am you. #BreakTheSilence pic.twitter.com/MRSSKKPWeu
@Alyssa_Milano
Thank you @TIME . Thank you for listening. Thank you for including me. We are being heard #metoo. #2017 https://t.co/qZqZU7gKzd
@SelmaBlair
Honored to stand among these strong,brave individuals to fight for what's right... and take our lives back.
@terrycrews
https://t.co/S8EinJ9vR1
As a woman, I am so proud of this cover and of all the frontline heroes in my life #MeToo
@EllenBarkin
@AnnabellSciorra @RoArquette @AsiaArgento https://t.co/oos01WpS0n
#TimePersonOfTheYear: The Silence Breakers, who spoke out against sexual abuse and demanded justice and accountability. I commend TIME for this choice and stand with every woman and man who added their voice to the #MeToo movement. Most of all, we believe you. #sheherdpower pic.twitter.com/1ydfru2Wuh
@BethBehrs
Well done, Time - 'The Silence Breakers' was the spot-on choice. They are at the heart of the paradigm shift we are now experiencing.
@boyndog
Now -- let's hear the Truth being told by all those women the President has tried to silence... pic.twitter.com/maQO9nuPuo
The silence breakers help men, not hurt them. They force us to think about who we are, and about the culture of bullying, intimidation, and mistreatment that extends beyond sexual harassment. Many men fear these same abusers. We just suffer fewer consequences from them. #TimePOTY
@Crutnacker
EVERY ONE of 'The Silence Breakers' have added value to the cause. Please don't discredit the inclusion of ANY of these women or devalue their contribution - their actions have been momentous. We should be thankful.#TIME #TIMEPOY pic.twitter.com/kVCB1n7xgN
@KeloidKrown
In coping, I see myself in every woman on the cover of The Silence Breakers. Unhidden, loud, brave. That's why it's important.
@marissxal
A heartfelt thank you to all the silence breakers. Especially @TaranaBurke who started the #metoo and @Alyssa_Milano who signal boosted it. https://t.co/MRi2AW6DVY
@ashleyn1cole
You didn't break us.
@AynRandPaulRyan
We didn't even bend.
Hillary was right. We ARE stronger together.
Time Person of the Year: The Silence Breakers#TimePOTY#TimePOY#BreakTheSilence#MeToo#HerToo#WednesdayWisdom pic.twitter.com/X8MmtXVAHS
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