As with many women and men across the country (and world), Natalie Portman has officially had it with the pervasive and inescapable nature of rape culture. Whether its rearing its ugly head in the form of Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court nomination, the whole of Donald Trump's presidency, or the ongoing list of Hollywood predators, the ways our society is structured to protect abusers is downright exhausting.
On Friday, during a speech at Variety's "Power of Women" event, Portman delivered a powerful speech indicting the ways the entertainment industry gaslights women, but also, ways the culture at large needs to stop empowering abusers and perpetuating sexist narratives.
She kicks off the speech by indicting serial sexual abuser Harvey Weinstein and the ways the justice system has protected him.
"Harvey Weinstein, the man whose name has become synonymous with 'serial rapist,' might never suffer any legal consequences," she said, referencing the fact that a charge was recently dropped from his case.
She then went on to shut down the common myth that women are excluded from positions of power solely because they choose to be mothers and caretakers (and not because of intimidation, boys' club mentality and institutionalized sexism).
Portman then listed a handful of ways the entertainment industry can work harder to eradicate and fight back against a culture of violence against women. Her game plan placed an emphasis on increasing diversity in writer's rooms, taking a year off depicting violence against women in media, refusing to work with abusers, and more.
This is a great speech to send to anyone who needs a thorough explanation of why women are so angry and tired, but also, to bookmark for when you need a boost.