2017 has been an irrefutably big year for sexual assault victims. What started off as a few powerful women coming forward to share their stories has turned into a national conversation. Time Magazine even named the women and men who spoke out as their person of the year calling them “The Silence Breakers.”

If sexual assault has been going on in Hollywood for years why are so many victims choosing 2017 to speak out? It could be traced to the article in New York Times where actor Ashley Judd was the first to accuse film producer Harvey Weinstein of forcefully attempting to seduce her and take advantage of her when her career was just beginning. This story emboldened countless other women to tell their stories. Among the 84 women who claim Harvey was inappropriate are Cara Delevingne, Gwyneth Paltrow, Salma Hayek, and many victims who wish to remain anonymous.

It is sometimes easy to see celebrities as being completely different from regular people. Society tends to think of them as being privileged, with no problems at all. The unfortunate truth is that sexual assault can affect anyone, and in ‘show business’ it can be especially prevalent because of the power that people in some positions have over others careers, especially the beginning artist who is struggling to move higher up in status.

Just as there is an imbalance of power in Hollywood, the same happens in politics. Just this week Alabama voted in a special election for their U.S. senator. Their choices were Democrat Doug Jones or Republican, and accused child molestor, Roy Moore. While in the past accusations of sexual harassment and assault, namely those against President Donald Trump, were not taken seriously enough to affect a candidate’s campaign, the new awareness in the U.S. played a large role in Roy Moore’s eventual loss in the election.

As celebrities and politicians are beginning to be held responsible for their actions, this could send a message to the average American that sexual misconduct will no longer be accepted. If even the leaders who seem exempt face repercussions, and the celebrities we aspire to be use their platform to speak out against the horrible acts and prove that they know what it’s like, then maybe the country is on the right path.