French actress Catherine Deneuve joined an array of women to speak out about sexual harassment in an open letter published in the newspaper Le Monde Tuesday.
The group, consisting of around 100 women, have attacked the “puritanism” which, they say, has been sparked by the ongoing sexual harassment allegations.
Deneuve, 74, was joined by writer Catherine Millet, as well as numerous doctors, sex experts, journalists and artists to make the claims.
The women wrote that “as a result of the Harvey Weinstein affair there has been a legitimate raising of awareness of sexual violence against women,” especially in the workplace.
Despite pointing out that “this was necessary,” they added: “But this liberation of speech is turning on itself: People are being intimidated to speak in the right way or to stay silent on what makes them angry. Those who refuse to comply with such injunctions are looked upon as traitors, accomplices!”
The ladies also referenced the #MeToo campaign, which has seen countless people speak out about their own experiences of sexual harassment and abuse since the horrific Harvey Weinstein expose came to light in October.
However, Deneuve and co. insisted the movement has led to “denunciations and public accusations of people who, without giving them the possibility of responding or defending themselves, have been placed on exactly the same level as sex offenders.”
They went on, “This expeditious justice already has its victims, men sanctioned in their job functions, forced to resign, etc, while their only wrong is to have touched a knee, tried to steal a kiss, spoken of ‘intimate’ things during a professional dinner or to have sent sexually suggestive messages to a woman whose attraction was not reciprocal.”
According to Deadline, one of the excerpts translated from the original French read: “As women, we don’t recognize ourselves in this feminism that, beyond the denunciation of abuses of power, takes the face of a hatred of men and sexuality. We believe that the freedom to say no to a sexual proposition is not without the freedom to importune. And we consider that one must know how to respond to this freedom to annoy other than by closing ourselves off in the role of the prey.”
RELATED: Rose McGowan To Address Sexual Harassment Furor In New E! Series
Another stated, “Above all, we are conscious that the human being is not monolithic: a woman can in the same day lead a professional team and enjoy being the sexual object of a man without being a ‘slut’ nor a vile accomplice of the patriarchy. She can ensure that her salary is equal to that of a man, but not feel forever traumatized by a rub on the subway, even if it’s considered a crime. She can even see it as the expression of a great sexual misery, or a non-event.”
In a follow up open letter published by Liberation, Deneuve defended her stance but clarified she does not condone sexual harassment.
“Yes, I like freedom. I don’t like this characteristic of our times whereby everyone feels they have the right to judge, to arbitrate, to condemn,” she explained. “A time where simple denunciations on social media generate punishment, resignation and sometimes, and often, lynching by the media… I don’t excuse anything. I don’t decide the guilt of these men because I am not qualified to do so. And few are… No, I don’t like this pack mentality.”
Continuing, “Yes, I signed this petition, and yet it seems to me absolutely necessary today to underline my disagreement with the manner in which some of the signatories claim the right to permeate the media, distorting the spirit of the original text.”
“Obviously nothing in the text claims that harassment is good, otherwise I would not have signed it,” she concluded.
