“This is not just a feminist issue. It’s everyone’s issue.”
In this compelling presentation, Zerlina Maxwell challenges us to rethink our understanding of rape. Zerlina details how rape culture affects us all as she brings up issues such as consent, bystander intervention, and rape in same-sex relationships.
“I stumbled into rape culture,” she proclaims. This is the case for many survivors who are confronted head-on with insidious misconceptions about rape after their attacks. Hopefully, this type of conversation becomes more common.
Hopefully, we can continue to educate ourselves and shift our attitudes as a society so that nobody else has to stumble through the aftermath of rape alone. Listening and heeding Zerlina’s words would be a good start down that path.
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Photo Credit: YouTube
I went back and listened to her talk again. I think she tried to be inclusive of everyone, but I think she automatically focused on women more because she’s speaking from her own personal experiences and perspective. I feel like we’re all fighting for the same cause, but we all have our blind spots and that’s where collaboration comes in. I hope people who have more information about male survivors and female perpetrators will share their knowledge and enlighten the rest of us who are eager to learn and understand more. It’s certainly something I’ve become more aware of as… Read more »
#RapeCultureIsWhen you can talk about rape culture for over 5 minutes and deny by omission that women rape. #RapeCultureIsWhen you mention rape culture is boys will be boys over and over and not mention female rapists once. #RapeCultureIsWhen male victims are erased through legislation. #RapeCultureIsWhen sexual assault hotlines turn men away. #RapeCultureIsWhen when infographics around rape fail to take into account female perpetrated rapes. #RapeCultureIsWhen political capital is viewed as more important than victims. #RapeCultureIsWhen we don’t teach women not to rape. #RapeCultureIsWhen it’s not rape because 2 women are every man’s fantasy. #RapeCultureIsWhen this comment pointing out the existence… Read more »
All true, but it is all genders and all people that have to be educated on this.
When you read the few articles that deal with the situation it is usually men who go “Nice! Were where those women/teachers/etc. when I was young?” and women who go “This is misogyny and takes the attention away from the real victims.”
Both attitudes are toxic and must be fought equally.
What women can do … potential rapists “men.” Nice that she “mentioned” men who can be raped and given the fact that at least men represent 40%, you’d think that they would get a good representation in her speech. Of course not …..
Lets take a look at her major talking points. Please tell me of which talking points you disagree with: 1. Victim blaming happens. After her rape, someone she confided in said, “You were drinking, what did you expect.” 2. Rationalizing “blurred lines” around consent becomes an acceptable reason to justify when rape occurs because we can blame the victim instead of the rapist. 3. People aren’t just raped by complete strangers. 4. Rape happens to men. 5. Rape culture is real and it’s bad for EVERYONE. It’s everyone’s issue. 6. An iconic picture used to immortalize feel-good feelings when the… Read more »
@ Erin
“8. 3% of rapists ever spend a day in jail. 3%! That’s crazy. (Meanwhile we got people in jail for doing some pot.)”
Fewer than that if you include all the rapists of men.
And fewer then that even more if you include all the rapes that go unreported for both men and women John.
I will take your reponse to mean that you don’t actually disagree with any of her major talking points though.
@ Erin “I will take your reponse to mean that you don’t actually disagree with any of her major talking points though.” I don’t know that would be accurate. If you understand where that statistic comes from, you’d know that it erases the overwhelming majority of male victims. For example, there is no way that 40% of male rape victims report their rape with as many as 95% identifying only female rapists in surveys that were not used to compile that statistic. I’ve always maintained that the erasure of victims is an aspect of rape culture. It may not get… Read more »