After the Steubenville rape case, there have been numerous blog posts (including mine) dissecting aspects of rape culture. Writer Elizabeth Bear makes an excellent point in her blog: when people say that the survivor had her whole life ahead of her, they fail to see that she still does. Bear writes: “Surviving sexual assault is not the end of a life. Rape culture includes this pervasive idea that the person who is raped is ruined forever, that ‘she’ll never be the same,’ that she’s soiled and broken. Guess what? Hundreds and hundreds of rape survivors go on to lead productive, fulfilling lives! Yes, it’s an act of violence. Continue Reading →
Abuse
Recent posts
Wife-Beating Here And There
In a stunning reminder that misogyny is everywhere, televangelist Pat Robertson advises a Christian man to convert to Islam so that he can beat his disobedient wife. Which is not so far removed from an Egyptian cleric’s advice to husbands to beat their wives to keep them obedient. It would be nice if leaders (both religious and secular) everywhere spoke out against domestic abuse rather than condoning it. Or maybe they should consult us sex educators/researchers first so we can confirm for them that relationships based on abuse and fear are neither healthy nor desirable. Follow us on Twitter @mysexprofessor. Continue Reading →
Sadly, We Still Need A “Violence Against Women Act”
The Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) that funds domestic abuse shelters and increases federal penalties for domestic violence is up for renewal… but is meeting resistance from, unsurprisingly, a number of Republicans. Apparently the fact that the bill requires nondiscrimination against LGBTQ recipients of aid and would grant more visas to abused immigrant women is problematic. I’m floored that a) we still need to federally discourage violence against women, and b) there are people who don’t want to extend that kind of help and resources to, um, everyone. Follow us on Twitter @mysexprofessor. Continue Reading →