I am not a follower of the television show Law & Order: SVU (Special Victims Unit.) There’s something about the glorified police brutality and the idea of people’s trauma as entertainment that turns my stomach. Then I heard they did an episode called “Legitimate Rape.” The title is a play on the outrageous comments made by Todd Akin, a Republican candidate for a Senate seat in Missouri last August claiming victims of “legitimate rape” rarely get pregnant. I became curious about how they took this on, and figured it was worth watching, just this once.
Posts tagged rape culture
Stop Asking Me “Why Do You Hate Men?” – The Real Question is Why So Many Men Hate Women!
Break the Silence ©2007-2013 ~AzFaka
I’ve been thinking lately about the charge that is eventually leveled against anyone that actively fights for women to be treated as human beings. “YOU HATE MEN!!”
Not true. But before I go all into defense mode…let me turn the question: Why is it that men hate women?
Look at the world we live in, and look, honestly, at what this world is like for women. Look at how many women are raped, the majority of the rapes carried out on women by men that they trust, friends even. One of the ones they thought was one of the “good guys.”
Look at how many women are beaten, again mostly by their so-called ‘partners’
N17 photos sent in from Atlanta, Georgia
N17 Report from Atlanta!
N17 report sent to Stop Patriarchy from Atlanta, Georgia:
The Military Culture of “Be All You Can Be” Patriarchy
(Inside the military and in the lands they invade and occupy)
As a part of the Call “N17: Take to the Streets! Stop the War on Women!” by the movement to “End Pornography and Patriarchy: The Enslavement and Degradation of Women,” Revolution Books Atlanta brainstormed with some people to come up with a bold expression that could be taken to the annual School of America’s Watch (SOAW) at Fort Benning, in Columbus, Georgia. People come from all over the country (and some other parts of the world) to participate in the SOAW protest demanding the closing of the School of Americas because of its program of training reactionary armies from Latin America in CIA torture techniques, and consequently being responsible for torturing and murdering tens of thousands of people over the years.
Since the military is such a concentration of the oppression of women, we really wanted to expose the whole culture of patriarchy it embodies. We decided it would be important to have an interactive piece that would draw people in and find out their thoughts on the war on women. We waited until we got to the protest to put it together in order to bring others into the process on the spot. Three women enthusiastically took it up right away. The title of the piece was “The Military Culture or ‘Be All You Can Be’ Patriarchy (Inside the Military and in the Lands they Invade and Occupy).”
We had a very bright piece of yellow felt that was 7’ x 8’. One of the women lied down and her body was outlined on the fabric. Then we attached pieces of paper in the shape of bullets going into and exiting the outline of the woman’s body, with words on each bullet: Rape, Pornography, Sexual Harassment, Homophobia, Torture, Degradation of Women, Denial of Abortion, Prostitution, Strip Clubs. As people came by to check out the display they added more to it, expanding the Homophobia bullet to include Transphobia, Heterosexism and Cissexism; and adding more bullets for Sex Trafficking, Domestic Violence and Glass Ceiling. Attached at the bottom of the display was a scroll of paper for people to write their comments, and next to that was the mission statement of “End Pornography and Patriarchy: The Enslavement and Degradation of Women.” The whole piece was taped down in the middle of the street leading to the entrance of the military base that had been closed off for the protest.
N17 End Porn and Patriarchy Pageant in NYC!!!!
We made quite a noise in the big bad city :)
FED UP! Why I’m Taking It To The Streets N17.
by Karlee
On November 17th, in conjunction with actions around the nation, I’m taking the fight against patriarchy to the streets because the war on women is real, I’m angry, and the solution is not more female Senators.
I am fed up with “legitimate rape,” “gift from god rape,” “enjoyable rape,” detainee rape, and the rape culture that continues to blame victims and encourage rapists at every chance. When a comedian makes a joke about rape it’s defended, but when he’s challenged it’s “heckling.” Women walk around every day wounded with the trauma or shaking with the fear of becoming one of the rape statistics.
I am fed up with the attacks on abortion AND birth control. The “woman’s place rhetoric.” Without these basic rights, women can’t be free! Forced motherhood is female enslavement.
I am fed up with ”sex positive” rhetoric. Porn is destructive to women’s humanity AND their sexuality. I am fed up with the increase in violence that accompanies a more mainstream industry. I am fed up with all industries that profit from the degradation of women.
Every day is a battle and every block, every ally, every classroom, every home is a war zone as women’s lives are stolen, and their futures foreclosed. This has gone unchallenged for far too long. I’m breaking the silence because in the 30 minutes it took me to write this 120 women have been beaten and at least 10 have been raped. Reproductive rights are in grave danger. I cannot think of one corner of the globe where women are not routinely abused, degraded, sold… Half of humanity is under attack, that’s why I’m taking it to the streets, and that’s why you should join me.
Join me. Find an event near you. Or organize your own!
Planned Actions So Far…
- Oakland: StopPatriarchyBayArea@gmail.com
- NYC: StopPatriarchy@gmail.com
- LA: EndPatriarchyCSULA@gmail.com
- Eureka: Karlee.Tiller@gmail.com
Stop Patriarchy protesting the war on women outside of a porn store near Times Square during our 10-day stretch of Taking Patriarchy by Storm. Yeah, we get a bit rowdy… why the hell shouldn’t we!?
Our stance on the porn industry is simple. We are against it. It destroys the lives of women. It keeps us in a constant state of oppression and degradation. It turns us into commodities to be consumed. It perpetuates patriarchy. It teaches the masses that violating and degrading women is ok, after all, “look how mainstream it is; look at the money these women are making… They have the choice. They choose to do it.” Give me a break… the choice argument is so played out. We are living in a time where it is acknowledged that are choices are completely laid out for us. We have a set of options. And as it turns out, the porn industry is made a completely legitimate option for women. Why is that? Why are we not questioning this more? BREAK THE SILENCE!!!! Questions? submit them to our website/blog. We’d be happy to engage. =)
stoppatriarchy.org
stoppatriarchy.tumblr.com
Response to Abigail: “RAPE is NEVER the Victim’s Fault”
from Andrea Strong
Andrea Strong is a Steering Committee Member of End Pornography and Patriarchy: The Enslavement and Degradation of Women.
[Written after reading the letter, “I Still Don’t Call It Rape and the Weight of It Gets Heavier All the Time” from Abigail Lynn.]
Rape is NEVER the victim’s fault. Let me repeat that: Rape is NEVER EVER EVER EVER the fault of the victim. If you were raped, suspect you were raped, or if you were coerced by words or charm or threat, and may not call it rape, but still feel violated, IT WAS NOT YOUR FAULT.
We live in a RAPE culture, a culture where people think that rape has to with sex. Rape has little to do with sex; it is about one person controlling another: whether through physical violence, emotional pressure, or leveraging of power or other social capital, to the point where the victim of the rape feels anything from humiliation all the way up to fear for their life as the dominant emotions. Any female, from the age of 6 months to 90 years old, of any nationality, from any walk of life, wearing any kind of clothing, doing any kind of work or activity (sometimes even sleeping in her own bed), is at risk. Any female in any physical environment, at any time of day or night, is at risk. It could happen in her own home, at a college frat party, at her kindergarten playground, at her church or temple, at her job, in her car, on the street, on the bus or subway, etc., etc., etc. The aggressor could be her boyfriend, her teacher, her priest, her husband, her friend, her date, a stranger, her employer, her boss, her client, her co-worker, even her father/brother/uncle/ or other family member, etc., etc.,etc.
This idea that women that get raped somehow asked for it: by their dress, by their behavior, by the work that they do – like prostitution, or pornography, (or babysitting!!), those ideas are wrong. Let me be clear, they are wrong because morally it’s wrong, not to mention ludicrous, to blame a victim of a crime for the crime that someone else committed against them. BUT moreover, those ideas are wrong, meaning that those ideas don’t reflect reality; they don’t accurately describe why rapists rape women.
“I Still Don’t Call It Rape and the Weight of It Gets Heavier All the Time”
from Abigail Lynn
[part of our growing collection of Stories from the War Zone]
I was 42 before it really, seriously dawned on me that my first sexual experience was an assault. Even now, in my late 50s, I cannot say that it was rape. Rape is what happens to others; this wasn’t “as bad.” Even as I write about it now I have to soften it, distinguish it from real pain, by calling it an assault.
It was 1970; I had just turned 15.
Really?!?
From Alex.
So there we were, in Union Square, taking patriarchy by storm. We had the Bootprints display, as well as the Warzone banner (see previous posts below), and were attracting a crowd. We took turns shouting out our Call to Action (see above under “call”), and many people who find this sick society intolerable were engaging us, giving donations, adding their stories, and signing up to our list. Then, along comes this guy…
He is carrying this sign and yelling at us from a distance. I approach. He says:
“You people have nothing new to say. If it were up to people like you, only rich guys would ever have sex.”
This was intriguing. I said to him:
“We don’t think people or sex should be exchanged for money at all. You don’t know anything about us. Do you want to?”
Him: “Oh yes I do. I know. You people are all the same. If you really want to end porn, you should just have sex with anyone, people like me, in public. You don’t give it up for free so we need porn. There, I won. You don’t have anything to say to that.”
And he proceeded to walk away. This was not acceptable. I shouted after him:
Protest pics - ”50 Shades of Grey: BAD FOR WOMEN! BAD FOR SEX!”
Protest TONIGHT in NYC: “50 Shades of Grey” BAD FOR WOMEN! BAD FOR SEX!
7:00 TONIGHT - Protest!
50 Shades of Grey -
BAD FOR WOMEN! BAD FOR SEX!
at: SideBar
118 E. 15th Street, New York City
by Irving Place [4,5,6,R,N,Q,L to Union Sq.]
here’s what’s happening:
SideBar is hosting a “50 Shades of Seduction” event. They’re advertising:
“Can’t get enough of Grey? Come indulge in some eXXXtra Grey at this 50 Shades of Seduction event…..The Hands Tied Ticket includes admission, 45 minute S&M class taught by Mistress Gia inspired by the highly addictive trilogy and one Grey-tini Cocktail.
The Hands Tied for Two Ticket includes admission for two, 45 minute S&M class inspired by the highly addictive trilogy taught by Mistress Gia and 2 Grey-tini Cocktails.”
But we’ll be there to say:
50 Shades of Grey
BAD for WOMEN! BAD for SEX!
COME JOIN US…bring a sign -
We’ll be calling on people to reject the view of women and of sex that is promoted in the book, not to imitate and celebrate those views.
50 Shades of Grey glamorizes the story of a powerful man hurting a woman who cares for him using riding whips, chains, paddles and violently degrading sex. This is not ‘just fantasy.’ This does harm.
Every day millions of women around the world are hurt through the real-world acts of rape, battery, sexual slavery, pornography and sexual abuse. Women should be fighting to end their oppression and degradation, not celebrating it or seeking to get ‘in on’ their own objectification, commodification and degradation.
50 Shades of Grey is also bad for sex. More space needs to be opened up for people to imagine and experience the full richness of sex between mutually respectful and equal partners. Instead, this book pushes people to get over their discomfort and wallow in degradation and enslavement.
From the Call to End Pornography and Patriarchy: The Enslavement and Degradation of Women:
“It is long past time that this new generation stand up, reject, and RESIST this culture of rape and pornography; this culture that labels women “selfish” if they choose not to become mothers; this culture that reduces women and girls to sexualized objects while denying their full multi-dimensional humanity (including their right-as one essential part of this-to explore their sexuality without shame or stigma); this culture that demonizes and bullies LGBT people.
“Women are not objects. Women are not things to be used for the sexual pleasure of men NOR are they breeders of children. WOMEN ARE HUMAN BEINGS CAPABLE OF FULL EQUALITY IN EVERY REALM!”
