(no subject)
In the next few days I am hoping to set up an PROPER BLOG, in which I intend to record my responses to reportage on rape and the utterly skewed interpretations I often find inherent. Cheerful reading huh? I will probably not have such a narrow focus as this, but to start with this will be what I use it for, as I am planning on a small campaign against the Lib Dem/coalition proposal for anonymity for men accused of rape until charged (but more on that another time.)
Today's food for thought is on the news that there were several alleged rapes at Latitude festival this year. I'll refer to the article in The Guardian on this.
Rapes at Latitude prompt launch of safety awareness campaigns.
I suppose I should begin with something of a disclaimer, that *of course* it would be naive and foolhardy to react in the extreme and not educate and encourage women to think about their personal safety and take reasonable measures to keep themselves safe. We can't ignore the world that we live in and say "Oh but it's the fault of the perpetrators, not the victims, so the women shouldn't have to change anything." Would that it were, but it's just not practical.
But, you know what? In spite of knowing this, it does really grate my cheese (where did that come from?!) that I seldom read a news story like this without it focussing on the response required from the women to protect themselves. A necessary measure, yes, but why why why do we so seldom hear about measures to tackle the problem rather than cauterize the symptoms of this behaviour, ie the attacks upon the women? The problem is the behaviour and the actions of men who have such a ludicrous sense of entitlement and power over women that they choose to rape. Note the use of the word "choose" there. I reject in the majority of cases that men are helpless slaves to their sexual impulses and can't control themselves; we're not talking about men in general here, the majority of whom would never dream of raping someone, we're talking about a specific sort of man who does and would. Why should it be down to women to accept that this behaviour is an inevitability of the world, and if they wish to be brazen enough to LEAVE THE HOUSE then they must take measures to protect themeselves from it?
To borrow from 'The Equality Illusion' by Kat Banyard it is not the same as going out in a storm and standing in the middle of a field with an umbrella. Of course men are also vulnerable to things such as muggings and attacks late at night, but I resent the inference that by being out at night women have to think about who they are with, how they get home, what they are wearing, and any spontaneity that may alter the course of a night out means that they dangerously choose to expose their body to the vagaries of sexual predators.
Melvyn Benn, the chief executive of Festival Republic which runs Latitude, said the organisation was planning to raise awareness of the potential dangers faced by female festival-goers at all its events, which include Reading, Leeds and the Big Chill.
Let me repeat that obviously I am not condeming, nor even criticising those who want to make women more aware of these dangers. Great, every little helps, and we should all be trying to be safe. What I am trying to get across is that we should be far more angry that this is even necessary. There should be an equally strong move to talk to the men at these events about how unacceptable this is. There are few crimes where the victim is so often given the blame for it ever occuring, but with rape this happens time and again. If a woman wanders off from her friends in the dark what does she expect?
What she should expect is not to be subjected to a sexual attack, yet time and again we are forced to accept this as an inevitability.
Finally. I did want to talk about this UTTERLY VILE piece from The Metro last week, but I know that Het wanted to write something about this and I don't want to tread on her toes, so to speak. In summary then, here is what I imagine was going through the reporter/editorial mind: "OMG LOLZ it's really funny and totally awesome when women masturbate and this lady DIED doing it. Haha let's all point and laugh at her fucking PICTURE which we've published in the most prurient article imaginable. We won't outright say it, but it's obvious that the inference is that she was doing something DIRTY and WRONG because let's face it, women aren't allowed to enjoy sex if there's no man being gratified too. Ed: Let's all go and shoot ourselves in the fucking head for this utterly despicable, pointless and hurtful article." If this makes you as angry as it did me maybe email the editor? Ultimately probably pointless, but it's better than doing nothing.
Today's food for thought is on the news that there were several alleged rapes at Latitude festival this year. I'll refer to the article in The Guardian on this.
Rapes at Latitude prompt launch of safety awareness campaigns.
I suppose I should begin with something of a disclaimer, that *of course* it would be naive and foolhardy to react in the extreme and not educate and encourage women to think about their personal safety and take reasonable measures to keep themselves safe. We can't ignore the world that we live in and say "Oh but it's the fault of the perpetrators, not the victims, so the women shouldn't have to change anything." Would that it were, but it's just not practical.
But, you know what? In spite of knowing this, it does really grate my cheese (where did that come from?!) that I seldom read a news story like this without it focussing on the response required from the women to protect themselves. A necessary measure, yes, but why why why do we so seldom hear about measures to tackle the problem rather than cauterize the symptoms of this behaviour, ie the attacks upon the women? The problem is the behaviour and the actions of men who have such a ludicrous sense of entitlement and power over women that they choose to rape. Note the use of the word "choose" there. I reject in the majority of cases that men are helpless slaves to their sexual impulses and can't control themselves; we're not talking about men in general here, the majority of whom would never dream of raping someone, we're talking about a specific sort of man who does and would. Why should it be down to women to accept that this behaviour is an inevitability of the world, and if they wish to be brazen enough to LEAVE THE HOUSE then they must take measures to protect themeselves from it?
To borrow from 'The Equality Illusion' by Kat Banyard it is not the same as going out in a storm and standing in the middle of a field with an umbrella. Of course men are also vulnerable to things such as muggings and attacks late at night, but I resent the inference that by being out at night women have to think about who they are with, how they get home, what they are wearing, and any spontaneity that may alter the course of a night out means that they dangerously choose to expose their body to the vagaries of sexual predators.
Melvyn Benn, the chief executive of Festival Republic which runs Latitude, said the organisation was planning to raise awareness of the potential dangers faced by female festival-goers at all its events, which include Reading, Leeds and the Big Chill.
Let me repeat that obviously I am not condeming, nor even criticising those who want to make women more aware of these dangers. Great, every little helps, and we should all be trying to be safe. What I am trying to get across is that we should be far more angry that this is even necessary. There should be an equally strong move to talk to the men at these events about how unacceptable this is. There are few crimes where the victim is so often given the blame for it ever occuring, but with rape this happens time and again. If a woman wanders off from her friends in the dark what does she expect?
What she should expect is not to be subjected to a sexual attack, yet time and again we are forced to accept this as an inevitability.
Finally. I did want to talk about this UTTERLY VILE piece from The Metro last week, but I know that Het wanted to write something about this and I don't want to tread on her toes, so to speak. In summary then, here is what I imagine was going through the reporter/editorial mind: "OMG LOLZ it's really funny and totally awesome when women masturbate and this lady DIED doing it. Haha let's all point and laugh at her fucking PICTURE which we've published in the most prurient article imaginable. We won't outright say it, but it's obvious that the inference is that she was doing something DIRTY and WRONG because let's face it, women aren't allowed to enjoy sex if there's no man being gratified too. Ed: Let's all go and shoot ourselves in the fucking head for this utterly despicable, pointless and hurtful article." If this makes you as angry as it did me maybe email the editor? Ultimately probably pointless, but it's better than doing nothing.