French feminist journalist who created the French “Me Too” movement using the hashtag #BalanceTonPorc” (translated as #DenounceYourPig). French-Swiss rapper Chilla (Mareva Ravarinelo), known for her feminist lyrics, released the song “Balancetonporc” in 2018.
On 14 October 2017, Muller first used the hashtag #balancetonporc on Twitter, inspired by the title of an article on Harvey Weinstein published in Le Parisien.
The hashtag went viral, but there was an almost immediate media backlash. Soon after, 100 high-profile French women, including actress Catherine Deneuve, former pornographic actress and radio host Brigitte Lahaie, art critic and author Catherine Millet, signed an open letter by Abnousse Shalmani which criticized the #MeToo / #BalanceTonPorc campaign.
The people who signed the letter, especially Deneuve and Millet, were criticized for saying men should have the “right to pester” women. The letter also told people not to be bothered by small amounts of sexual harassment, for example men who rub against women on public transportation. The letter states women should “consider it as the expression of a great sexual misery, or even as a nonevent”. French politician Marlène Schiappasaid some aspects of the letter were “profoundly shocking” and “we have immense difficulty convincing young women that when a man rubs his genitals against a woman in the Métrowithout her consent, it is an act of sexual assault that can lead to three years in prison and a 75,000 euro fine.
A week after its publication, Deneuve issued a letter of clarification, and said although she still agrees with the spirit of the original letter, she wants to clarify that she does believe sexual harassment and assault are real problems, and apologized to all victims of unpleasant sexual acts who read the letter and felt hurt by it.
Political commentator Anastasia Colosimo said the movement to prevent sexual misconduct at work is more accepted by younger women in France because they take sexual freedom as a given, while older feminists are afraid #MeToo may hurt the sexual revolution.
Link to Wikipedia biography