Feminism: Rape Culture, Male Privilege and the Miseducation of Men OR My Rape-Fatigue Magnum Opus
A friend of a friend wrote an infuriating article essentially detailing the non-existence of rape culture and the "problem with feminists". Essentially, mansplaining for days.
Naturally, as the "left-wing lib-rull feminazi" that I am, I was not pleased. But since my last interaction with that person on the topic ended in a particularly spectacular flounce, (on his part) I resolved to rebut, but remain civil.
It will be difficult, but I will soldier on.
My main issue with his piece is that his information is inaccurate. Many of the "facts" he states have long been disproved He is clearly unaware of what feminism actually constitutes and the fact that it is not a monolithic group. And his blasé attitude toward the existence of rape culture is not just ignorant, but dangerous. It indicates his inability to recognize or reconcile male privilege, which becomes a problem when you make long proclamations about how to deal with rape; a problem that you are far less likely to encounter as a straight cisgender male.
But the biggest and most pressing problem is his (seeming) denial of rape culture. Without an understanding of what rape culture is and how it works, everything I say is essentially useless. So here's a nice concise definition:
"Rape culture is a concept used to describe a culture in which rape and sexual violence are common and in which prevalent attitudes, norms, practices, and media normalize, excuse, tolerate, or even condone rape." -RapeResistance.org (retrieved from Wikipedia)
What that means is that we live in a culture where it is acceptable to question a rape victim's culpability in her assault. It means that in order to avoid rape, we tell women to cover up and not to entice men, rather than tell men that they are not entitled to our bodies for any reason. It means that we teach men that women's bodies are for their consumption and enjoyment, and that women have no value outside of how they can gratify men sexually. It means that even when a rape is reported, a woman stands the chance of not being believed. And when she is believed and charges are filed and the case makes it to trial, her past sexual consensual experiences will be used as evidence to discredit her. It means that after having to relive her trauma by recounting her story in front of strangers and being called a slut for her sexual history, she will likely not be the lucky 1 in 30 whose trials lead to a conviction; which for many women means either being forced to see their attacker on a daily basis, or uprooting their lives in order to avoid him.
So I will educate this friend of a friend, and anyone else who cares to read this. I will refute the arguments made point by point. It's important that when it comes to rape we start dispelling the long held myths. These myths are the very essence of rape culture, and they make it okay for ordinarily good men to justify sexual assault to themselves and others.
