In recent years, the increasing prominence of the #MeToo movement has raised awareness about sexual harassment and assault and their dynamics, most recently exemplified by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s accusation against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. Using this incident as a springboard, Karen Weiss explains in this piece for our “Sexuality & Gender Studies Now” series how “gendered accounts,” or the ways people excuse or defend inappropriate social behavior, exacerbate the victimization of those who have experienced sexual assault or harassment.
