"There’s much to say, and we can benefit from talking about it"
Margaret Cho has shared her thoughts about sexual assault and the Time’s Up movement.
Speaking to The Daily Californian, Asian American comedian Margaret Cho said she was proud for breaking the silence on her sexual assault.
In 2015, Cho revealed that she had suffered years of sexual abuse and rape. “I had a very long-term relationship with this abuser, which is a horrible thing to say,” Cho said at the time. “I didn’t even understand it was abuse, because I was too young to know. I endured it so many times, especially because I was alone a lot.”
Reflecting on when she broke her silence, she told The Daily Californian, “I just thought it was the right time. And I still think that there is so much to be gained by being very open about our experience. I’m proud that I talked about this.”
Known for her stand up comedy, Cho often references her experience with sexual violence in her set. “In my mind, it was the right thing because there were comedians like (Daniel) Tosh talking about raping women,” Cho said.
“If you’re coming from the perspective of a survivor, then it’s very important to talk about,” she added. “There’s much to say, and we can benefit from talking about it.”
Discussing the Time’s Up movement, Cho said, “The time is truly up, it’s so exciting to see what’s happening now and be a part of it. I love it.”
In another part of the interview, Cho went on to talk about the importance of diversity in the entertainment industry. “I think diversity is really important. Comedy is an art form, and we need to ask these sorts of questions. It’s really about being an iconoclast, really remarking on what society’s about, and you definitely need diversity for that voice to be valid,” she said.