Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Found via Twitter...

This is an entry from Daily Kos that someone on my Twitter feed posted today and I am glad she did. Too often sexual assaults is presented as a woman's problem. So much of what is out there about rape prevention is aimed at women and is defensive. It's all about us watching our backs, not going certain places alone, how to get away from an attacker, etc. There are too few programs/interventions aimed at the majority of those committing the sexual assaults: men. If we're going to change the stats regarding sexual assaults committed against women then something needs to change because what we're doing now isn't working.

For the record, the actual entry itself is potentially triggering, so be careful.


Daily Kos: On Rape and Men (Brace Yourself)
I am a male. I am a feminist. This diary is for 1) fellow feminists and 2) anyone who underestimates how pervasive the patriarchal sense of entitlement to a woman's body is in our culture. What does that mean? It means it's for everybody: honestly, I think you're one or the other. Black and white? Probably.

...

If you're a man reading this, this is what you have to do: you have to make your male friends uncomfortable. You have to bring up this subject out of the blue and tell them everything I just told you. You should especially quiz them on some of the recommendations on the rape prevention list. I don't give a shit if they look at you funny for it, especially if you believe them to truly be your friends. Addressing and preventing rape requires the audacity of reason, with an emphasis on "audacity." And if you encounter a man who consistently refuses to accept some of the arguments outlined in this diary, you should be watching him closely from now on.


Also for the record, this entry is talking about cis women. I suspect the incidence of rape committed against trans women is far higher but the stats are even harder to collect/estimate correctly.

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