feminism shouldn't just be about rape

[tvmum1976]

controversial topic. I've written a blog about it and wonder what people think?

Actually, tv, do you not think it might be insulting to suggest on a big feminist forum that the women posting are likely to 'forget' about rape? When it is highly likely you are talking to and about women who have themselves been raped and are therefore very unlikely to display that kind of casual attitude towards rape?

I was responding to the pp who said "Rape is an issue for feminists because it is a gendered crime. It is the crime where men exert their dominance over women." - which is why I made the point that men too, can be raped. Nothing more. It isn't really mentioned that often I wouldn't say. The vast vast majority of conversation about rape is about rape affecting women.

yes, you are almost certainly right that my friends haven't bothered to search for the LFN. But that doesn't really mean a whole lot I would say. The point that I was making is that I don't think their name has punched through to the mainstream in the way that it should as an organisation, whereas the Reclaim the Night brand (i hate that word by the way, but it does probably sum up what I am trying to say) is very well known. So the organisation has name recognition for its work on anti-rape causes, but not other causes.

The fact that men can be raped doesn't mean rape isn't a gendered crime though, does it? Women cannot rape.

The media ignores feminists. Or attacks them. That's why it's hard to hear about them.

Its' just ignorant for someone claiming to be a feminist in the media not to be aware of that.

That was EXACTLY the point I was making. That feminist issues get ridiculed or ignored in the press, EXCEPT for the subject of rape. For example, Michael Winner was interviewed on Radio 4 the other day, opposite a woman from a feminist group (didn't hear which one) about the new Playboy club. She was demeaned and ridiculed by Winner, who frankly was a total idiot and could barely string a sentence together, but when rape got mentioned, suddenly Winner became a 'feminist' and said "oh well that is a serious issue..." meaning that no other feminist issue was serious. It is the only feminist issue which is taken remotely seriously by the media, and I would argue that that is because it is reinforcing gender roles of women as being in need of protection ie victims, rather than demanding equality which is a lot more threatening.

The fact that men can be raped doesn't mean rape isn't a gendered crime though, does it? Women cannot rape.

excellent point. You are right.

Actually, tv, do you not think it might be insulting to suggest on a big feminist forum that the women posting are likely to 'forget' about rape? When it is highly likely you are talking to and about women who have themselves been raped and are therefore very unlikely to display that kind of casual attitude towards rape?

I absolutely did not say this!

It was Kat Banyard from UK feminista, author of the Equality Illusion

I disagree that the media take rape seriously. People pay lip service to rape but they don't genuinely take it seriously.

tc, sorry, I have misunderstood ... I took your post saying 'don't forget men get raped too' to be saying that we shouldn't forget (and maybe were forgetting) that men got raped. Hence my post.

thanks Alice. I thought she did very well, given what an unbelievable tosser Michael Winner was and how little he was challenged on it by John Humphries.

That was to tv, even. Sorry!

I disagree that the media take rape seriously. People pay lip service to rape but they don't genuinely take it seriously.

How do you mean Alice?

I agree with Alice, it is lip service.
If they really meant it they would do something about it.

and didn't Winner get photographed with Mike Tyson (will google and check) - if so that shows how sincere he was...

They say, 'oo rape yes that's really bad', then pedal another rape myth.

They don't tend to actually dig a bit deeper than, 'oo rape is really bad'. No-one says, 'you know what I don't mind a bit of rape me'. It's all meaningless unless they go beyond that.

That's not the point you were making tvmum.

You weren't blaming the media for ignoring feminism, you were blaming feminists for our voices being ignored.

I don't think that's right. In the blog I was (trying) to say that the media ignore feminist issues, which is obviously very wrong, but they somehow seem to make an exception for the subject of rape, which doesn't get ignored, as evidenced by the Ken Clarke shindig, which attracted, in general a very feminist line of critique even from the Right Wing press. I was saying that I thought it was a shame that the modern feminist movement had become dominated by this one issue as well, which I think sends out a message of weakness rather than strength, and reinforces old gender roles. This is not to say either
a) I don't think that rape is important or
b) that I am not supportive of the modern feminist movement.

(re Winner/Tyson - can't find anything online so perhaps am muddled)

I agree with Alice, it is lip service.
If they really meant it they would do something about it.

Hi Sybil: what could the media do about rape do you think, apart from write about it?

tv, when you get a minute can you explain to me please? Still not sure what you were getting at if not what I said that you say was misinterpretation?

"the state of California requires mandatory sexual harrassement every 2 years for employees"

Are you sure about that, SGM?

And where the fuck has all this "modern feminism" schtick come from? It's been all over MN the past few days.

What do you understand feminism to be, tvmum?

Hi LRD, sorry I misunderstood because i think in your post you left out the word 'male' when talking about male rape. So you said that it was insulting that i would say that women are likely to forget about rape, but i think (correct me if i'm wrong) that it was insulting that i would say that women would forget about male rape...is that right? sorry now feel like I'm talking in circles.
if this is right, then you are right, I did suggest that in my post, and I'm sorry if you or anyone else found it insulting.