History of Feminism
Related: About this forumEnding Rape Illiteracy
This week, a DC-based feminist group projected the phrase rape is rape onto the US Capitol building. The action was meant to highlight survivors stories and bring attention to the way rape is often mischaracterized. The sentiment may seem an obvious onewho doesnt understand what rape is?but the message, sadly, is much needed. Tuesday evening at the final Indiana Senate debate, Republican Richard Mourdock explained why he opposes abortion with no exceptions by calling pregnancy from rape "something that God intended"- the latest in a long line of "gaffes" by male politicians about sexual assault. It was only this January that the FBI updated its archaic definition of rape, male politicians gaffes about rape have become par for the course, and victim-blaming in the culture and courts runs rampant.
Feminists have done a lot to change policies, but not enough to change minds. Despite decades of activism on sexual assaultdespite common sense, eventhere is still widespread ignorance about what rape is, and this absence of a widely understood and culturally accepted definition of sexual assault is one of the biggest hurdles we have in chipping away at rape culture.
When Todd Akin uttered his now-famous line that women rarely get pregnant from legitimate rape, he didnt misspeak. This was something he thought was trueboth the bizarre logic about pregnancy and the idea that there is such a thing as a rape that isnt legitimate. Last year, Wisconsin state representative Roger Rivard told a newspaper reporter that some girls rape easy. Now under fire, Rivard attempted to clarify his comments, claiming they were taken out of context.
What the whole genesis of it was, it was advice to me [from my father], telling me, If youre going to go down that road, you may have consensual sex that night and then the next morning it may be rape. So the way he said it was, Just remember, Roger, some girls, they rape so easy. It may be rape the next morning.
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MadrasT
(7,237 posts)Really great article.
redqueen
(115,103 posts)but not enough to change minds.
MadrasT
(7,237 posts)Mmm-hmm. Good stuff.
redqueen
(115,103 posts)thanks for posting those two. I wish more people understood what this all means.
We are mocked and ridiculed for pointing out the fact that women are the sex class... posts here which spell out the way that we exist in a perpetual state of YES! are hidden and become fodder for jokes elsewhere on this site... but these are serious issues, and the more people speak up about it, the better.
ismnotwasm
(42,014 posts)Something to the effect that these rape 'redefinitions' came from threatened male sexual privilege? No playing in the rape culture sandbox without a lot of ugly pushback.
It's really good to see this.
MadrasT
(7,237 posts)"threatened male sexual privilege" but that was my theory.
I am fed up with hearing men trying to control conversations about rape and abortion. (And I mean "ready to open up a can of whoop ass" fed up.)