In light of the kidnapping of hundreds of Nigerian schoolgirls by radical Islamic terrorists, the #BringBackOurGirls hashtag has been adopted even by the White House, with first lady Michelle Obama holding up a handmade sign. Now New Jersey senators Robert Menendez and Cory Booker have launched their own form of hashtag diplomacy by adopting the companion hashtag #RealMenDontBuyGirls.
With @SenatorMenendez this afternoon speaking abt ongoing situation involving #BringBackOurGirls in Nigeria. pic.twitter.com/U6iLUc1eOK
— Cory Booker (@CoryBooker) May 9, 2014
The hashtag would seem to have picked up some momentum from celebrities, but as the BBC notes, many of those photos date back to 2011, when Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore kicked off a campaign against human trafficking.
The story behind the #RealMenDontBuyGirls campaign http://t.co/t0QHve8eLI #BringBackOurGirls pic.twitter.com/74GVCEtWb9
— BBC Trending (@BBCtrending) May 8, 2014
#BringBackOurGirls #BringBackOurDaughters pic.twitter.com/80BeSBxNo7
— Eliza Dushku (@elizadushku) May 9, 2014
No one could disagree with the sentiment, though. Right?
https://twitter.com/mtkampen/status/464833446250938368
#RealMenDontBuyGirls? the problem with this is that right now, out there in the real world, real men, dangerous men are buying real girls.
— Mtho (@PastorChooch) May 9, 2014
https://twitter.com/effyeahtigers/status/464899688018108416
https://twitter.com/stcolumbia/status/464120678757568512
https://twitter.com/RWJBoon/status/464859939282747392
@CoryBooker Cory, I love you, but toxic masculinity – this idea that there are REAL MEN – is what encourages things like these kidnappings
— Derek / Rush (@Seraph1337) May 9, 2014
@phemale61 @CoryBooker gender is a social construct. this "real men" campaign to rescue women crap is chauvinist as hell
— Derek / Rush (@Seraph1337) May 9, 2014
https://twitter.com/hboulware/status/464153063792840705
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