Culture

Rose McGowan Makes Her First Public Appearance Since The Weinstein Allegations: ‘It’s Time To Clean House’

Rose McGowan gave an impassioned, chilling speech at the Women’s Convention in Detroit, Michigan, on Friday; speaking out publicly for the first time since the long history of sexual harassment and assault allegations against Harvey Weinstein came to light earlier this month. Since then, dozens of accusers have come forward with similar stories about the Hollywood producer, as well as other public figures in the media.

As Mika Brzezinski put it earlier on Friday morning, “We are at a pivotal moment in history where unacceptable harassing behavior towards women will no longer be swept under the rug,” and McGowan’s speech certainly reflected that sentiment. She started off thanking all of the fabulous, strong, and powerful “me toos,” because as she notes, “we are all me toos.”

“I have been silenced for 20 years,” McGowan continued,”I have been slut shamed, I have been harassed, I have been maligned, and you know what, I’m just like you. Because what happened to me, happens to all of us in society, and it cannot stand.”

McGowan’s speech became especially charged about halfway through when she declared, “I came to be a voice for all of us who are told we are nothing. For all of us who have been looked down on. For all of us who have been grabbed by the motherf*cking pussy,” to cheers and applause.

She continued, skewering Hollywood’s role in the treatment of women. “It is the mirror you’re given to look into. This is what you are as a woman. This is what you are as a man. This is what you are as a boy, girl, gay, straight, transgender,” she said. “But it’s all told through 96 percent males in the Director’s Guild of America. That statistic has not changed since 1946, so we are given one view, and I know the men behind that view. And they should not be in your mind, and they should not be in mine. It’s time to clean house.”

You can watch her speech in its entirety below: