Why #YesAllWomen is This Week's Most Important Hashtag
"...Don't tell me I should smile more."
Elliot Rodger (pictured above) planned and executed a mass shooting on Friday night, killing six people and injuring several. Even more disturbing, Rodger uploaded a series of selfies and YouTube videos on Friday afternoon detailing his plans for "retribution" against girls who weren't attracted to him.
Once news broke about his violent crimes and vicious words against women, the hashtag #YesAllWomen began trending on Twitter as a way for women to respond to those defending Rodger, but ultimately it turned into a much larger dialogue to bring attention to the very apparent (but often ignored) safety issues women face every day.
Much like the #BringBackOurGirls campaign, users on Twitter have employed the popularity of the social media outlet to highlight pressing issues. See below for some of the most recent conversation:
because I'm taught to just "ignore it" when a random man whistles at me, but he isn't taught not to do things like that #YesAllWomenMay 27, 2014
Because we are told that 'boys will be boys' - as if men can't and shouldn't take responsibility for their actions. #yesallwomenMay 27, 2014
#YESALLWOMEN because people think I'm bossy and PMSing when I express my opinions.May 27, 2014
#YesAllWomen because there's never been a debate over whether or not a man means No when he says it.May 27, 2014
#YesAllWomen because women have to avoid eye-contact with men in public in order not to "lead them on"May 27, 2014
No but seriously, don't tell me I should smile more. #YesAllWomenMay 27, 2014
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Hallie has worked in beauty editorial for ten years and has been editorial director at Byrdie since 2021. Previously, she was a senior editor at Byrdie since 2016. During her time at Byrdie, she's written hundreds of high-performing stories on skincare, wellness (including fitness, diet, mental health, body image, et al) makeup, and hair. She's a regular on set, helping to source inspiration for makeup and hair looks, as well as interviewing celebrities, models, and other notable women and men in the beauty space.
Before that, Hallie ran Marie Claire's social media and wrote beauty and culture stories for the site, and helped launch Time Inc.'s digital-only beauty brand, MIMI. After college, she contributed to Time Out New York’s Shopping Style section before landing her first beauty editor gig at Hearst's Real Beauty. Hallie's writing has also appeared in ELLE, Cosmopolitan, and InStyle. Hallie graduated with a BA in Communication Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.