Photo by Charlotte at flickr.
As a feminist and an activist, I deal with a lot of ignorant and hateful people. When I tell people that I am a Women’s Studies major, I either get an eye roll or a lecture on how it is a useless area of academics. Recently, Miranda posted a great piece that touched a few buttons of men in the comment section. They don’t think men can stop rape. It was typical: nasty “you little ladies do not know what’s what and I (a self considered highly intelligent superior male) have to educate you in the error of your ways” thing, and it got me thinking about people who oppose actions taken in the movement against sexual assault/abuse/rape of women. Opponents of preventive education, anti-rape education, and ending violence against women and the social tendency to blame survivors often focus on three main myths:
- That few women are victims of sexual assault/rape/abuse.
- That people who are survivors of sexual violence are ever, in any way, at fault or instigators of the violence.
- That rape cannot occur in a relationship or with someone with whom the victim has had sex with before.
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Yesterday, we posted Tran’s Bill of Rights, a piece that summarized her summer of learning and discovering. Today, we wanted to post a link that was sent to us from Ross Wantland- a 2007 piece called “We the Women.”
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As the editor of Where Is Your Line?, I have often written about the unique power of the internet and the bold approach of THE LINE campaign takes toward contributing to various conversations with a loud voice about ending sexual violence, empowering people through their sexuality, and beginning conversations on sex and relationships that have never before been started.
Today, I am writing to unveil more powerful voices. THE LINE is a campaign that is centered on this very blog: a central, open, unique, and diverse place filled with contributing ideas and ideals that open dialogues on sex, relationships, violence, feminism, contemporary culture, and more. Writing and sharing information in this electronic format supports a culture, an internet, and a campaign that is open, affirming, and personal. We do not want to be selfish – and we want to keep up!
THE LINE is building a blogroll, and it will continue to grow. Below is a recent listing of blogs we’d like to include, and short statements as to why. We’re looking for submissions- from organization heads, media professionals, and you.
Leave organization names, blog titles, or even just web addresses for some of your favorite voices online in the comments below. Tell us what you want more of and what you want to hear about. By sharing your interests and your other favorite places to read about the issues underneath this campaign, you’re opening our eyes to new information and new perspectives, as well as feedback on what you like to read and in what style.
You can get insight into what we’re reading in the archives and via our twitter feed. Let us know here, on Facebook, or even on Twitter what you’d like us to be reading.
We’re looking forward to hearing from you.
As the editor of Where Is Your Line?, I have often written about the unique power of the internet and the bold approach of THE LINE campaign takes toward contributing to various conversations with a loud voice about ending sexual violence, empowering people through their sexuality, and beginning conversations on sex and relationships that have never before been started.
Today, I am writing to unveil more powerful voices. THE LINE campaign is centered in this blog, and we know how important voices and the action of speaking out can be. And so, THE LINE is building a blogroll, and we want to use it to give you more: more coverage of information you care about, more frequent updates on people and situations we care about, and more variation of topics in our own blogging cycle. We want to talk to you here more frequently, and we want to give you the ability to trace our information – and more – through our blogroll.
As we develop our list of authors and organizations to listed to, we’re looking for submissions- from you.
Tell us in the comments below what you want us to be reading- your own personal blogs, your favorite news sites, your favorite organization news feeds. If you think it’s important, we do, too, and we’d like to include it. You can get insight into what we’re reading in the archives and via our twitter feed. When we post the list, you’ll be able to see it here – and submit quick! We’re hoping to post it within the next week.
Thanks for being involved. We’re looking forward to hearing from you.
This summer, I gained a new perspective on relationships and women’s empowerment. There are two main reasons for the feminist thoughts in my head – a teacher and the internet.
In the beginning of summer, I was talking to a teacher about relationships and the term “whipped.” (I had told her stories about friends who had let their partners control their every move because they felt that they were “too in love to care.”) Being the amazing teacher she is, she said:
“You have the vagina in this relationship. A man needs you. Regardless if it is for sex, love, or procreation.”
As raunchy as it may be, it’s true: it takes two to have a successful relationship (or more, depending on your own style). There must always be a division of power in order to have a relationship, and when your partner begins controlling every move, it’s more of an imprisonment. When people respect each other, the foundation is set for a strong partnership.
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Men Can Stop Rape poster via TCADSV.
Here’s a scenario: I’m out to dinner with a group of sophisticated, professional-type couples. Someone asks me what I do and everyone politely pauses to listen to my response. I respond that I’m a rape crisis intervention counselor and advocate for rape victim’s rights, and I can literally watch 50% of the group turn off, click, and nonchalantly start to chat amongst themselves about something else. Meanwhile, the rest of the table will either make sympathetic sounds, perplexedly question why I would choose to “spend my time doing that,” or get wide-eyed and stare at me like I’ve cornered them and they’re planning an exit strategy.
The second group is usually comprised of the women. The first group – the group of people that seems to think the topic of rape is irrelevant to their lives – consists of men.
By and large, rape prevention education is targeted towards girls and women, implying that rape is a “woman’s issue” and therefore, of no concern for boys. This strategy has the damaging auxiliary effects of: 1) promoting the antiquated and dangerous belief that a woman is solely responsible for putting on the breaks during sexual activity, 2) communicating to boys and men that they need not concern themselves with such frivolous matters as consent, mutual fulfillment or sexual autonomy, and 3) thereby condoning sexual violence because, you know, boys will be boys.
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