I should not be surprised.
Dominique Strauss-Kahn is a KNOWN and EXPERIENCED SEX OFFENDER, particularly in France, where he has been accused of sexual harassment and assault by a number of women. Meanwhile, his history of sexual abuse seems to have missed the radar of both the mainstream media and the prosecution, who seem more interested in seeking arbitrary details about Miss Diallo’s past life that have NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CASE.
THE EVIDENCE IS THERE. The prosecution has usurped the RIGHT OF THE JURY (who actually indicted DSK) TO EVALUATE A CASE. They dropped it because the only argument they had was a slanderous one. This is not only unprofessional. THIS IS NOT JUSTICE.
District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance MADE A PROMISE during his campaign to stand up for sexual and domestic violence victims. He was even endorsed by famous feminist Gloria Steinem. But did he not get the memo? Does he understand that feminism isn’t just for the rich white women who support your campaigns? No. As bell hooks once said, feminism is for everybody. We have a duty, as feminists, to stand up for the oppressed, no matter where they hail from. Because we understand that we live in a culture that facilitates oppression of women, of people of color, of queer folks, of the poor, of immigrants, of the disabled. Many of us are very personally familiar with it. Miss Diallo is unfortunately a very public example of the shoddy cards people like us are dealt in the so-called justice system. This system was not made to serve us. This system is upheld by a bunch of entitled rich white guys like DSK, snake-oil salesmen like Vance and his team of cronies, the immoral members of the NYPD, and the hostile circus that is the media.
It is time we start recognizing the war against rape survivors. For all those who ever wondered why only 6% of rapists ever see jail time, here is your explanation. For all those who ever wondered where the feminist movement went, we’re back and we’re here to stay. For all those wondering why there is still no equality here today, it’s because there is no equality where there is no justice. And we cannot put our trust in politicians, we cannot put our trust in the cops, and we definitely cannot trust rape apologists like the NY Post or the Times to help us fight for justice. It’s ours to fight for, it’s ours to win.
“So in the DSK rape case, we’re supposed to believe that an African immigrant housekeeper suddenly decided to have sex with a wealthy white man 30 years her senior for 3 minutes on a bathroom floor in the middle of her work shift. To believe this story, you must know nothing about race, class, power and rape.”
— Sherry Wolf (via jessrosney)
![powerpussysays:
[Image description: purple and black alternating diamond pattern in background. At the center is a pissed-off grey and white cat. Top text: “you say ‘slut’” Bottom text: “like it’s a bad thing”]](http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lqdae300o01qkgsm7o1_500.jpg)
[Image description: purple and black alternating diamond pattern in background. At the center is a pissed-off grey and white cat. Top text: “you say ‘slut’” Bottom text: “like it’s a bad thing”]
(via girl-farts)
TRIGGER WARNING for rape
This is an update on the incident I posted about earlier. This is the woman who was supposed to be my friend.
This plays a large part in the reason that I am a feminist.
I’m surprised you stayed level. Props to you.
Things I find problematic:
1. The accuser has no problem telling the OP that she likes a rapist and is willing to see him.
2. She identifies the rapist as her ‘man’ despite the fact that he rape the OP.
3. She uses her psuedo-concern to extract details to further victim blame and slut shame the OP.
4. Although trivial, her use of question marks and exclamation points would make me want to tattoo her eyes with grammar rules.
5. She’s completely OK with the OP being raped but makes sure to consider it a ‘sad situation’.
6. She says the OP had ‘no business’ doing what she did but calls her a ‘whore’ as if she got paid OR* consented to the act in the first place.
7. She clearly doesn’t understand what it means to be drunk and unable to consent under those circumstances.
8. Even after she knows all of the details she wants to know she doesn’t comfort or support the OP, she merely explains they’ll no longer be friends and she’s choosing a rapist over OP.
(via bmoburns)
TW FOR RAPE/RAPE APOLOGY/RAPE CULTURE
This photo was taken the night I was raped.
March 20, 2010.
The boy who has the red ‘X’ over his face was my attacker. The rest are my friends.
The photo was taken at a cast party. He was supposed to have given me a ride home.
I’m finally letting the world know. I’m sure many people at my school already knew because of rumours due to the police officers that hovered around me. But now, over a year later, I’m ready to officially admit it to everyone: I was raped.
I’ve almost posted this many times before, but I lose courage. I’m going to post it this time. I want to spread courage to other people. No matter what the circumstances were, it is in no way your fault. If you were sexually assaulted, you are not in the wrong. If you didn’t want it to happen, it shouldn’t have happened.
I know how you feel. Dehumanized, degraded, unimportant, ashamed. I WAS ashamed. Because of what he did to me I felt ashamed. Why did it feel so embarrassing? You should not be ashamed. It is an act of violence. Someone attacked you. Fuck them. They should not be allowed to get away with it. He was not allowed to get away with it.
Yes, you will cry. Yes, you will feel awful. And yes, it gets better. Tell someone. A parent, a friend, a teacher, anyone. It helps, I swear on my life it helps.
You’re not alone. You’re never alone. You are important. You are strong.
I’m happy. You deserve to be happy, too.
-Annabella
it’s really sad and all that you got raped, but i’m assuming that you’re the girl whose face isn’t blurred and is hanging all over your presumed attacker, touching his chest, and letting him invade your personal space.
maybe you should also think about the messages that you send instead of blaming it all on the “attacker”.
no, gaby. that statement is all kinds of wrong.
I’m
notsorry…WHAT. WHAT. WHAT WHAT WHAT.delete your reblog. delete your blog. delete everything.
Dear Shitnugget that posted the worst comment I have ever seen after a personal story like this:
Flirting is NOT consent
Touching someone casually is NOT consent
Getting a ride home with someone is NOT consent
Being friends with someone is NOT consent.An enthusiastic “YES” is the ONLY consent. That is it. End of the story. No arguing. No “but…” No “yeah well…” .
Nothing this person is doing in the photo is enthusiastically giving consent to her attacker (NO QUOTATIONS. he attacked her, he is an attacker).
what a terrible person that should never open their mouth again. if there is no consent there is no rape. and this is CONSENT, not touching, not flirting, nothing but CONSENT. it doesn’t matter what the actions of the victim were, it’s about the attacker’s actions only.
Reblogging for OP’s message and commentary nailing the piece of shit rape apologist who is victim blaming her.
(Source: prisoner0, via rebel-grrrl-deactivated20120414)
I don’t like laws but since they are what we are working with these are the reasons I think sex work should be legalized.
1) Sexual Violence
Sex workers, regardless of if they work by their choice or someone else’s, currently cannot report rapes and assaults without turning themselves in. Sex workers should NOT get themselves thrown into jail because they are reporting their attackers.
2) HIV and STDS.
If you’re a sex worker or if you’re visiting a sex worker it is in both your best interests that you don’t pass HIV on to the other person or get it yourself. If prostitution was legalized it would be easier to regulate who has been tested and who hasn’t. I would also be possible to offer medical benefits to sex workers so they can afford to be tested every couple of months.
Many tools and educational resources one would need for safe sex are not readily available to everyone. If sex work were legalized systems could be put into place allowing workers and customers access to protection and education. It will also then be easier for sex workers and their customers to come to a consensual agreement as to when and what kind of protection is used.
3) Small business
When brothels were legal most brothel owners were women and were previously sex workers. When prostitution became criminalized sex workers could no longer depend on the protection of the police or other citizens so they had to get male pimps to protect them from their own customers. Legalizing sex work would take away the need for a pimp. This would make it safer for sex workers to enter and exit the business as they choose. It would also allow sex workers to pick and choose their choice of bosses. It would also allow sex workers to start their own business and work for themselves.
4) It’s their fucking decision.
I don’t care what happens in anyone’s bedroom as long as it’s consensual
Jovanie Saldana, who has been named by prison authorities and the media despite being the victim of sexual assault, has now had her basic rights violated many times over. She was violated when a prison guard entered her cell and forced her to perform oral sex on him. She was violated when her brave decision to report this assault resulted in an investigation that placed her under scrutiny and revoked her right to privacy. She was violated when she was sent to a male prison, both denying her true gender and placing her at extreme risk of further physical and sexual violence. And she was violated when her name was released and spread without concern for her privacy or safety.
Clearly, trans prison inmates are not seen to be deserving of the same rights as their cis, non-inmate counterparts. That Saldana is a black woman also could not have helped these abusive figures to see her as more human. (Indeed, trans women of color are at much higher risk of violence than white trans women.) Saldana’s cousin strongly believes that the transfer to a men’s prison is retaliation for her rape allegations; the timing, media attention, and reaction of the prison guard’s union certainly make these charges credible.
(Source: thecurvature, via transfeminism)
found this gem under the comments on an article about SlutWalk Philadelphia.
i cannot handle this world.
Disgusting. Every single sentence.
“I’m not condoning rape, obviously you should never rape anyone. Unless you have a reason like you wanna fuck somebody you think won’t let you. In which case, what other option do you have?”
—
Louis C.K. (via nathanisdead)
Rape jokes aren’t funny no matter who says them.
