#MeAt14: Women tweet photos of when they were age Roy Moore's accuser was
Women are reacting to the allegations that Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore had attempted sexual relations with a 14-year-old girl when he was 32 by posting images of themselves to Twitter of them when they were that age.
On Thursday night, shortly after the Washington Post reported the claims against Moore, Catherine Lawson, a North Carolina lawyer, posted to Twitter a photo of herself at 14.
“Can’t consent at 14. Not in Alabama. Not anywhere,” Lawson wrote, adding the hashtag “#MeAt14.”
Can’t consent at 14.
Not in Alabama.
Not anywhere. #MeAt14 pic.twitter.com/AFUw1Ru4X2— Catherine R L Lawson (@catlawson) November 10, 2017
Other women followed Lawson’s lead.
#MeAt14 I wouldn't say this kid is ready to "date" a man more than double her age. pic.twitter.com/BOFpHPUJuV
— Maisie Fleur (@maisie_mclean) November 11, 2017
Can’t consent at 14.
Not in Alabama.
Not anywhere. #MeAt14 pic.twitter.com/4V51WZJljC— Eden Dranger (@Eden_Eats) November 11, 2017
After hearing all the Moore defenders, I had to recalibrate myself and find a pic of me at 14. Here it is. For the record, I had ZERO idea what I was doing in any romantic or dating capacity (and fortunately was not allowed to date). pic.twitter.com/PGGC3QykRp
— Asha Rangappa (@AshaRangappa_) November 11, 2017
Sarah Thyre, a Los Angeles comedian, posted hers on Saturday.
Not dating anyone, much less a 32yo #MeAt14 #NoMoore pic.twitter.com/JwOtFU0ZkK
— USA (@SarahThyre) November 11, 2017
Inspired by Thyre, Lizz Winstead, the activist and co-creator of “The Daily Show,” tweeted a photo of herself at 14 and asked her more than 127,000 Twitter followers to do the same.
This is me at 14. I was on the gymnastics team and sang in the choir. I was not dating a 32 year old man. Who were you at 14? Tweet a pic, tell us who you were and pic to the top of your page #MeAt14 #NoMoore pic.twitter.com/HPVzMgaD8h
— Lizz Winstead (@lizzwinstead) November 12, 2017
Alyssa Milano — who last month helped fuel the so-called #MeToo movement encouraging women to come forward with their own stories of sexual assault following the claims against Harvey Weinstein — joined the #MeAt14 moement.
#MeAt14 I worshipped my brother. I loved my dog, Pucci. I loved OMD. I had Big hair. I was happy. I was innocent.
Please share your #MeAt14. pic.twitter.com/ccPyVHgcVS
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) November 12, 2017
And many others did, too.
This is me at 14, a shy and innocent bookworm. No way is a 14-yr-old developmentally prepared to date a 32-yr-old man. #MeAt14 #NoMoore pic.twitter.com/e5pYBcMyx3
— Fern Naomi Renville (@Fern_Renville) November 12, 2017
This is me at 14. I wasn't dating yet, I was playing mini golf with my dad when this was taken. #NoMoore #MeAt14 pic.twitter.com/cKFG3Zr1PT
— Becca (@Becclaroo) November 12, 2017
I was eating a lot of chocolate chip cookie dough and learning to do the “hustle” and not worrying about a 32 year old man trying to hustle me. #MeAt14 pic.twitter.com/xp7UPiiZdq
— Katie Couric (@katiecouric) November 12, 2017
This is me at 14. I was grounded for this whole summer, so not sure how this pic was taken. #MeAt14 pic.twitter.com/l2VdlLSBal
— kathy (@mamacamaro) November 12, 2017
This is me at 14. I wasn’t dating a 32 year old male. I was listening to Rick Springfield, taking ballet classes, and collecting Barbie dolls. #MeAt14 #NoMoore pic.twitter.com/py2iAV0aqM
— Felicia (@mzflea) November 12, 2017
This is me at 14. The only 32 year olds I knew were my teachers. #MeAt14 #NoMoore pic.twitter.com/3OwsyA1ouS
— Rachel Wolf Tulley (@RachelWTulley) November 12, 2017
#MeAt14
I was really into my spiral perm, writing fan fiction about Mozart, playing the piano upside down, and doing dramatic performances of Juliet’s balcony soliloquy while I was alone in my room. pic.twitter.com/bJGAwFFjdZ— Jennifer de Guzman (@Jennifer_deG) November 12, 2017
#MeAt14 obsessed with hockey and Les Miserables and The X-Files and full of developmentally appropriate immaturity and impulsivity because FOURTEEN IS AN ACTUAL CHILD. #NoMoore pic.twitter.com/e2m1SpPvAH
— Maria M loves these specific emoji: (@MariaMelee) November 12, 2017
By Sunday morning, the hashtag #MeAt14 was trending in the United States.
This is me at 14. I was in a production of Guys and Dolls. Here we're singing "Bushel and a Peck." I was not dating a 32 year old man. Who were you at 14? Tweet a pic. #MeAt14 #NoMoore pic.twitter.com/JuTQRIsSzd
— Nell Scovell (@NellSco) November 12, 2017
This is me at 14. I liked sports. And hairspray. And at this age someone had to explain to me what "necking" was. #MeAt14 #NoMoore pic.twitter.com/ATIqIgz5c6
— Kay Cannon (@KayKayCannon) November 12, 2017
I was a kid, but I'd seen plenty of men jerk off at me on my way to school. I went to church, but knew the bible didn't mean I was sexually available to men over twice my age. #MeAt14 #NoMoore @lizzwinstead pic.twitter.com/mHkY0Z6eE3
— Mary Beth Williams (@embeedub) November 12, 2017
This is #MeAt14. So excited to graduate from 8th grade, still trying to figure out how to do my bangs. I still had a teddy bear. (Don’t tell the other kids at school.) I had big dreams. None of them involving 32 year old men. pic.twitter.com/K9nszrNCNs
— Sarah Watson (@SarahWatson42) November 12, 2017
#MeAt14 My parents would have called the police if a 32 year old man was hanging around wanting to 'date' me. #Alabama – what is wrong with you? You have to be better than this. So much better. #wethepeople #rockthe36 pic.twitter.com/sdP6PxFWa6
— Dayna For Congress (@daynasteele) November 12, 2017
This was me at 14, on the right. I played volleyball, had braces, practiced dance moves in front of the mirror, and loved to read. 32-year-old men were adults to me. #MeAt14 #NoMoore pic.twitter.com/qXKkJ17V93
— Stephanie Buck (@StephMBuck) November 12, 2017
#MeAt14: Rocking the New Jersey girl mullet, braces recently off, loving @StagedoorManor, not dating any 32-year-olds @lizzwinstead pic.twitter.com/KPXKVvnAY6
— Tara Dublin (@taradublinrocks) November 12, 2017
What were you doing at 14? Guessing it wasn’t dating a 32 yr old. #MeAt14 pic.twitter.com/ZtVbVJ804f
— Marie Renaud (@MarieFrRenaud) November 12, 2017
This is me at 14. I had clear braces and was reluctant to smile; this was a rare moment. I had kissed one boy, and that was a very big deal. Yet I had already been harassed by older men & was starting to become aware of how dangerous the world was for girls. #MeAt14 #NoMoore pic.twitter.com/NI3phxLcF7
— Stefanie Iris Weiss (@EcoSexuality) November 12, 2017
This is me at 14. Shy, introverted. Brand new boobs. Secretly depressed. Three years into my parents ugly divorce and painful, endless custody battle. If a 32 yr old man had swept in, ‘cared for’ me, taken an interest- I really can’t say what would have happened. #MeAt14 #NoMoore pic.twitter.com/komRDclQm2
— Laura Silverman (@LauraJSilverman) November 12, 2017
On Thursday, the Post published its bombshell report quoting a woman, Leigh Corfman, who alleged that in 1979 — when she was 14 and Moore was 32 — Moore partially undressed her and himself, touched her over her undergarments and guided her hand to touch him. The age of consent in Alabama was then and continues to be 16.
The story also quoted three other women who said Moore hit on them when they were 16 to 18 and he was in his 30s.
Moore initially dismissed the report as “fake news” and an attack by “the Democratic Party and the country’s most liberal newspaper” — and now denies even knowing Corfman.
Read more from Yahoo News: