Search results for: preventing rape
‘Dear Daddy’ – This Daughter’s Letter Makes Rape Culture Chillingly Obvious
This shows just how much gender-based violence is ignored and even encouraged every day. How many chances to intervene in rape culture can you point out here?
Read More4 Things We’re Not Saying When We Say ‘Rape Culture’
“The Middle East is where the real rape culture is!” If you don’t believe in rape culture, you’re probably misinterpreting what it is – so here’s the truth you need to know.
Read More‘Should I Report My Rape?’ 5 Questions to Help You Decide
It’s not as easy as some people think to decide if you should report your rape – so we understand if you’re struggling with it. Asking yourself these questions can help.
Read More5 Reasons Why Non-Traditional Rape Narratives Are Important
“They challenge stereotypes about rape.” Society tends to only present certain stories about sexual assault – which leads to a lot of misconceptions. Here’s why it matters to include non-traditional narratives.
Read MoreWhy We Need the Opposite of Rape Culture – Nurturance Culture
“It is time men recognize and nurture their own healing gifts.” We’re trying to shut down rape culture – but what do we need in its place? You’ll love this enlightening vision of nurturance culture.
Read More6 Common Expressions That Uphold Rape Culture and Objectify Women
We’re probably all guilty of using expressions that perpetuate rape culture at some point – it’s hard not to when they’re so ingrained in the way we speak. So let’s talk about what’s behind these phrases.
Read MoreA Love Letter to Two Spirit and Native LGBTQIA+ Survivors of Corrective Rape
If you’re queer and Native, and you can relate this author’s experience of sexual violence, we hope this affirming letter reminds you that you’re not alone. Here’s what this survivor of corrective rape wishes someone had told them.
Read MoreIt’s Not ‘Forced Sex,’ It’s Rape – And Why Not Calling It That Is Dangerous
People will talk in all kinds of circles to avoid saying the word “rape.” But do you know about the dangerous affect that has on our world?
Read MoreWhy Keeping to Yourself and Ignoring Strangers Is Not the Way to Fight Rape Culture
This story of street harassment isn’t just about the person who assaulted me. It’s also about how other people witnessed my attack and did nothing.
Read MoreVictim Blaming Is Nothing New – Here’s a Brief History of Rape Culture
Can you guess what Marina found out about the early days of rape culture? You may be surprised by how long it’s been around.
Read MoreMale Rape Is No Laughing Matter (Even Though We’re Taught to Think It Is)
Male rape survivors often face a specific kind of victim-blaming. One man shares his experience and why our culture’s idea of masculinity confirms that, to him, rape is sincerely hilarious.
Read More4 Reasons Why Men Joke About Gay Rape
As a gay feminist, I’ve had to tell many the straight boy, “Those jokes make me feel uncomfortable. Please stop.” The percussive nature of gay rape jokes can certainly get a laugh, but they also speak to some of our societal attitudes regarding rape and queer sexuality. Here are some answers to the question, “Why do people think gay rape jokes are okay?”
Read MoreTo End Rape Culture, We Must Address These 3 Things
As with all other systems of oppression, rape culture is a beast with tentacles and spores across countless other facets of inequality. The following 3 things may not appear to be major components of rape culture at first glance, but undoubtedly fuel and are fueled by it. Dismantling and addressing these things must be part of our movement to end rape culture.
Read MoreChivalry vs. Kindness: Which One Enables Rape Culture?
Chivalry refers to all of its historical relevance. It carries the weight of patriarchal male privilege and female subordination dichotomies. And as such, if taken with all of its historical context and breadth of connotation, can be considered to be a part of rape culture. And if you’re not trying to bring up all that jazz, then maybe chivalry simply isn’t the word you’re looking for.
Read MoreI Lost A Job For Calling Out The Company’s Rape Apology
CultureMap, who I was a columnist for, ran an article speculating that perhaps the girl who reported being raped by a high school baseball star was lying – without citing any details that imply that other than “kids are supposed to lie.” To make sure they knew I wasn’t secretly cool with treating victims as probable liars, as long as they wrote me checks, I wrote that it was bullsh*t and got fired for it. (Trigger Warning)
Read MoreLove After Rape: Being the Partner of a Sexual Assault Survivor
When Tim learned his girlfriend, Marina, had been sexually assaulted, he saw how sex was scary for her. They decided to work through the sexual trauma from her rape together (Trigger Warning).
Read MoreThere’s a Rape Epidemic in America That No One Is Talking About: Debunking 4 Myths About Male Survivors
Due to patriarchy, our society does not want to acknowledge the frequency and impact of sexual violence directed at boys and men. Because of the misogynist socialization of masculinity, boys are taught to embrace and celebrate their abuse. This leads to years of silent trauma for too many men. Let’s debunk some of these harmful stereotypes and inaccurate myths.
Read MoreWhy We Need To Discuss Sexual Pleasure in Reproductive Rights and in Our Bedrooms
We work so hard on reproductive rights – from advocating for increased access to abortion care, tackling abortion stigma, to dreaming up contraceptive innovations. But the underlying truth in all of this — that people have sex for pleasure — is something we don’t talk about. But we need to. So let’s change that.
Read MoreHow Our Othering of Sexual Assault Survivors Allows People to Doubt Them
Many of us fall into the trap of “othering” survivors without even realizing it – and here’s how and why we must change these victim-blaming patterns.
Read More3 Stereotypes About Asians That Prevent These Domestic Violence Survivors from Getting Help
We all know that racial stereotypes are bad, but do we really understand what the effects of these stereotypes are? Racial stereotypes impact everything from personal relationships, to economic success. And for Asians and Pacific Islanders, they stand in the way of domestic violence survivors and the help they need. Here are three examples.
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