VACANCY

llamrei:

Rape Culture 101 [Trigger Warning: Rape Culture, Rape]

septuplelutz:

Frequently, I receive requests to provide a definition of the term “rape culture.” I’ve referred people to the Wikipedia entry on rape culture, which is pretty good, and I like the definition…

Sorry, need to apologise. I re-read what you wrote and I realise that you aren’t insinuating that rape is on a par with murder. My bad!! xx

(Source: aryaesque)

babyyouvebeenhad:

vacancydesign:

llamrei:

Rape Culture 101 [Trigger Warning: Rape Culture, Rape]

septuplelutz:

Frequently, I receive requests to provide a definition of the term “rape culture.” I’ve referred people to the Wikipedia entry on rape culture, which is pretty good, and I like the definition…

Just to give my own thoughts here:

While I agree with what is said, at no point is a reference made to the possibility of men being raped, or men being sexually harassed. I concede that this is largely an issue for women, but in the name of equality I suggest that this is altered to include all persons, not just women.

Furthermore, while I do believe ‘rape’ as a word is bandied around too much these days, there is no law that says one cannot use the word rape as a metaphor. We use words such as murder, kill, abuse for both literal and figurative meanings, and I would class them to be as terrible if not worse than rape.

Please do not think I am against what is being said, I agree with a lot of what is written here. I just think that you need to be careful at what you submit to the internet, it can have a lot influence as I am sure everyone is already aware. We do not want to drive a further wedge in between genders when the gap has closed significantly over the last hundred years!

This is from the point of view of a 20 yo female who has been a victim of sexual harassment / molestation.

“Rape culture is 1 in 33 men being sexually assaulted in their lifetimes. ”

It’s understandable if you missed that, it was a repetitive text, easy to skip over things.

‘Rape’ isn’t on the same level as ‘murder’ and ‘kill’; obviously they’re all horrible things to happen to a person, and it’s hard to judge which is worst, but here’s the issue; nobody thinks murdering somebody is in any way acceptable, but there are a lot of people who justify rape, or who don’t take rape cases all that seriously. Letting people use ‘rape’ as a metaphor for overcharging or giving someone a hard time just feeds into this culture of people trivialising rape. 

Obviously rape affects people of all genders, not just people who identify as women, and I don’t think this text denied that at any point, but the statistics written here speak for themselves. 

I don’t totally understand how this ‘drives a wedge between the genders’ because, as far as I can see, the writer at no point said men were the only people who raped, or that women were the only victims, or that men were inherently evil and biologically destined to be rapists. What was said, was that we live in a society that makes rape essentially okay. While this is something that is almost certainly a consequence of patriarchal society, it is not just men who trivialise rape. Rape contributes to the gap between the genders, pointing out the issues surrounding it doesn’t. 

Actually, if you look at the way the text is written, you can see how much of it is intended to only be in support of female cases:

“Rape culture is encouraging women to take self-defense as though that is the only solution required to preventing rape. Rape culture is admonishing women to “learn common sense” or “be more responsible” or “be aware of barroom risks” or “avoid these places” or “don’t dress this way,” and failing to admonish men to not rape.”

 “Rape culture is the assertion that wives can’t be raped. Rape culture is the contention that only nice girls can be raped.”

“Rape culture is a ruling that says women cannot withdraw consent once sex commences.”

“The “normal” rapist (whose crime is most likely to be dismissed with a “boys will be boys” sort of jocular apologia) is the man who forces himself on attractive women, women his age in fine health and form, whose crime is disturbingly understandable to his male defenders. “

“Rape culture is the objectification of women, which is part of a dehumanizing process that renders consent irrelevant. Rape culture is treating women’s bodies like public property.”

“Rape culture is treating 13-year-old girls like trophies for men regarded as great artists.”

Yes, there’s one paragraph given to men, but if (as she states herself) 1 in 33 men will be a victim of sexual harassment, do you not think they are more deserving of a place in this rhetoric? I understand her desire to show the multi-faceted nature of sexual perversion, aggression, harassment, etc. but she needs to cover all ground. It’s obvious that she’s been very moved by the issue, but you shouldn’t let emotions get in the way of reporting an unbiased account of the nature of rape. Male “survivors” need to be accounted for more than this.

I suggested it drives a wedge between genders as I feel that this is a topic where both genders deserve an equal footing, even if it is more prevalent with women. While I believe that she in no way intended for men to be seen as “inherently evil or biologically predisposed to be rapists”, she doesn’t give what I would call a completely balanced view. There should be more of a sense of universal sympathy than the one we see here.

Furthermore, while I do believe it is very important that people understand the significance of the word “rape” and that it should not be used to make jokes or in light-hearted “banter”, from a purely literary perspective, you cannot deny that sometimes the word can be used appropriately, and to actually emphasise the weight behind its meaning. As an example

“The militia raped the land of its fruit and produce.”

Rape has more than one meaning. As much as I worry about its use, there is no right over the word. People are at liberty to use it as they please, and putting a censor on it does not aid your cause.

Also, it worries me slightly that you would think of rape as being on a par with murder.

(Source: aryaesque)

llamrei:

Rape Culture 101 [Trigger Warning: Rape Culture, Rape]

septuplelutz:

Frequently, I receive requests to provide a definition of the term “rape culture.” I’ve referred people to the Wikipedia entry on rape culture, which is pretty good, and I like the definition…

Just to give my own thoughts here:

While I agree with what is said, at no point is a reference made to the possibility of men being raped, or men being sexually harassed. I concede that this is largely an issue for women, but in the name of equality I suggest that this is altered to include all persons, not just women.

(Source: aryaesque)