Ten Things to End Rape Culture

Walter Mosley’s piece is an excellent, excellent takedown of victim-blaming and is a sensible, well-written article with practical take-aways. I encourage you all to read it and to spread it.

We have far, far, far too much rape in our society. Women in our society are raped at an astonishing, depressing, tragic rate. The rape of children, irrespective of gender, is also enabled by our larger rape culture.

Much of the bastions of rape culture come from ‘social conservatism’ of the wingnut variety. The fetishization of masculinity, the hatred expressed towards female sexuality displayed in anti-abortion laws that humiliate— all of this contributes to a culture where women are raped.

Point #1 is right on the money:

1. Name the real problems: Violent masculinity and victim-blaming. These are the cornerstones of rape culture and they go hand in hand. When an instance of sexual assault makes the news and the first questions the media asks are about the victim’s sobriety, or clothes, or sexuality, we should all be prepared to pivot to ask, instead, what messages the perpetrators received over their lifetime about rape and about “being a man.” Here’s a tip: the right question is not, “What was she doing/wearing/saying when she was raped?” The right question is, “What made him think this is acceptable?” Sexual violence is a pervasive problem that cannot be solved by analyzing an individual situation. Learn 50 key facts about domestic violence. Here’s one: the likelihood that a woman will die a violent death increases 270% once a gun is present in the home Remember, a violent act is not a tragic event done by an individual or a group of crazies. Violence functions in society as” a means of asserting and securing power.”