As someone who has dealt with her fair share of bullying, Monica Lewinsky has decided to take on this subject that is very personal to her.
Lewinsky was the subject of cyber bullying for years after her affair with President Bill Clinton made headlines everywhere, and up until recently, she kept quiet and remained out of the public eye. Now, almost 20 years later, she has gone on to turn this humiliating and emotional time in her life into something more positive.
The 42-year-old contributing Vanity Fair editor has revealed that she is taking on a new job as strategic ambassador to Bystander Revolution, which is an anti-bullying organization, according to ABC News. October is Bullying Prevention Month, and this specific organization has come up with its own campaign, Month of Action, to fight back. It will have different challenges on each day of the month as a way to get people to change the way they view and react to this serious nationwide problem.
"It's all about forming habits of action," Lewinsky said on "Good Morning America" on Wednesday. "So a little bit of kindness, a little bit of courage, a little bit of inclusion and we can really start to shift the culture and take the power out of bullying. Imagine that you've gone through this horrific, life-changing experience and you were traumatized and humiliated and all of a sudden you realized one day that you could actually help other people because you had survived it. It would just be really hard to sit back and remain silent."
She went on to explain that she believes it is time she stands up for this issue and that as someone who has dealt with it on a personal level, she knows she can make a difference. Her main message for people who are being bullied is, "Please don't suffer in silence."
Lewinsky has lived all these years as someone who was afraid to even use her real name when doing simple things like ordering pizza, but things have changed. "I really think that I'm grateful to have this opportunity," she said. "And I'm - even though I suffered from shame, I'm not ashamed of who I am."
As someone who's name has remained in headlines for decades, even though she's stayed out of the public eye, there is a lot of stuff Lewinsky has to keep to herself, especially when it comes to dating. "You can ask it, but I keep my personal life private," she told People. "I think people have known enough about my romantic life for a lifetime."
She's not trying to make a new name for herself in any way, she just wants to bring awareness to this issue of online shaming that hits very close to home for her. "I think that Bystander Revolution's mission and my mission is to change things, for people to feel less alone in their experiences," Lewinsky said. "I've been able to give a purpose to my past. I want other to know they can do it too."
