UPDATED Nov. 13,??? ??? ??? ??? ?? 2017 at 6 p.m. PT with comments from the hashtag creator.
Since apparently believing women about sexual abuse that happened when they were young is just too much (and it's easier for politicians to give a "safe" response that effectively protects abusers), Twitter users decided to clear things up with a powerful hashtag: #MeAt14.
Women shared photos of themselves at 14 in order to show that at that age, a person is still a child -- and therefore incapable of giving sexual consent to a 32-year-old man ... like Senate candidate Roy Moore, as allegations against the Alabama judge suggest.
SEE ALSO: Sean Hannity's defense of Roy Moore is costing him advertisersAttorney Catherine Lawson started the hashtag campaign "to illustrate there is no acceptable version of this story," she said in an email. "Teenagers can't consent to a relationship with a grown adult, ever."
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The campaign comes as a response to the Washington Post'sreport last week of a non-consensual sexual encounter between then 32-year-old Moore and then 14-year-old Leigh Corfman. Moore, now 70, also allegedly pursued three other teenagers, then aged 16, 17, and 18. Following the report, the initial reaction of many Republicans and Evangelical Christian leadership -- Moore identifies as a staunch conservative Christian -- ranged from denial to batshit justification. After backlash, some politicians changed course and fully denounced Moore.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who originally called on Moore to step aside "if these allegations are true" on Thursday, said on Monday, "I believe the women." A chorus of Republicans echoed the Kentucky senator's "if" phrase to imply the victims could be lying. Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, also said Monday that Moore should withdraw. The tide has turned for Moore.
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Moore denies Corfman's allegations, and in an interview with Sean Hannity of Fox News, when asked if he dated teen girls when he was 32, he said he didn't remember. He later added, "I don't remember ever dating any girl without the permission of her mother." A former coworker at the Etowah County District Attorney's Office has said Moore dating high school girls was an open secret among colleagues. In Alabama, the legal age of consent is 16.
After Moore wasn't immediately rejected by his party, 30-year-old Lawson, a North Carolina-based lawyer, decided to show what it means to be 14 in regards to dating, relationships, sex, and social decisions.
Then everyone started sharing the hashtag. Lawson was inspired by the online response.
"I hoped people would share their pictures, but many went on to show powerful vulnerability," she said. "I've been incredibly moved by stories of innocence and of exploitation that remind us every child deserves a community that protects them."
Celebrities have joined in on the social media movement, including actor Alyssa Milano who pushed forward the #MeToo movement, an online effort to call out sexual harassment and assault, and The Daily Show co-creatorLizz Winstead.
Once the hashtag gained momentum people were posting 14-year-old pictures of themselves and sharing what they were like at that age.
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Moore can sue the Washington Postand try to bring down the women who came forward, but it doesn't change that 14, as demonstrated by so many people online, is just too young to give consent.
As Lawson, the hashtag creator, said, the prolific #MeAt14 tweets go beyond the Moore allegations.
"Whether it's tech, entertainment, or politics, people are drawing a line in the ground and emphasizing that abusive, predatory behavior cannot be tolerated," she said. "Consequences may take time, but this is not behavior we're going to continue making excuses for."
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