Showing posts with label rape. Show all posts
Showing posts with label rape. Show all posts

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Live Blogging of SVU

* Beautiful Asian woman in her underwear wandering around with bloody thighs, collapses splaying her legs beautifully

* She can't remember her rape. So the lady cop says, with no preparation: "you were raped"

"I would never let myself be raped". Lady cop fails to advise that the definition of rape is that it is forced.

* She's looking at her bruises: "You got those bruises when he forced your legs apart". WTF. So far: she has not been offered any sort of on-screen support or counselling. The details of her rape have been thrusted onto her brutally.

* Of course the rape victim seems to be coping okay. Of course! She just seems vaguely puzzled she can't remember anything.

* Ooohh we've got victim-blaming getting nicely set up. She was trading diamonds and went home with a man they're pegging as the rapist. "It looks like a love connection" man cop says.

* Of course we've got the requisite female character providing conflict by suggesting the victim might be lying. It's always a woman.

* Ooh speculation and confusion! Rapists claims she consented, she can't remember - BUT SHE WAS ON HER PERIOD!

* Was under the influence of a drug that makes her compliant but incapable of remembering anything.

* Accused rapist downloads lots of rape porn. Also has a video of his rape of the woman and many many many many other woman, we get to see wonderfully fetishised footage of clothes being torn off.

* RAPEE WANTS TO WATCH HER OWN RAPE VIDEO. SHE HAS TO KNOW WHAT HE DID TO HER.

* Of course rapist has a female lawyer. Of course. TEH EVOL WOMENS BRING THIS ON THEMSELVES!!!!

* MORE footage of fetishised rape scenes.

* HOORAYE THEY'RE GOING TO PLASTER ALL THE VICTIM'S FACES OVER THE MEDIA TO TRY AND TRACK THEM DOWN!

* Oh yay! Slut-shaming! The rapist was using an escort service. Lady cop says "oh yay build a bimbo!" Website even has little input fields. They choose a girl from one video and put in her details. "Cup size?" "C" says one man cop. "D" says another and lady cop looks amused. Seriously, what the fuck?

* Large blown up photos of women's frightened, tear-streaked faces taped up on a board.

* Another vic who can't remember is told: "this man assaulted you". "No way." "Oh we have a video." "No." "You should watch the video."

* Lady cop says showing her vid would make her a victim when she isn't one right now - lack of memory makes it like it never happened. Male cop thinks it is an imperative!!! Otherwise it is THEIR FAULT!

* MALE COP RETURNS TO VIC'S HOME AND SHOWS HER HUSBAND THE RAPE VIDEO.

* HUSBAND WANTS TO KNOW WHY SHE LIED ABOUT WHY THE COPS WERE THERE.

* VIC WALKS IN SEES HERSELF BEING RAPED ON VIDEO!

* Once again lady cop is forced to talk about her own sexual assault. She did this the other week too, when she mistakenly thought one guy was a rapist and then thought she "owed" him an explanation. Whatever the hell.

* Now vic is getting to describe in graphic detail how her memory of the rape is slowly coming back.

* TESTIFY LADY COP SAYS. IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO STOP HIM! ONLY WAY! YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE!!!!!

* LET'S SEE IF JUSTICE IS SERVED!

* PORN! IT'S ALL PORN'S FAULT! HIS ABILITY TO ESTABLISH RIGHT FROM WRONG WAS DAMAGED AFTER WATCHING THOUSANDS OF VIDEOS OF WOMEN APPEARING TO ENJOY BEING FORCED!

* Lady cop says there's a connection between porn and rape. Denied by another male cop who enjoys some. YOU SEE WHAT WE DO ALL WEEK THEN GO HOME AND WATCH WOMEN BEING DEGRADED LADY COP SAYS!

* MALE COP SAYS WOMEN IN PORN IS LIKE A WHORE WORKING THE PIMP, STILL DON'T MAKE IT RIGHT!!!

* PORN MAKES NORMAL WOMEN WANT TO EMULATE HOOKERS LADY COPY SAYS

* Ah, we have another female testifying to the increased dopamine caused by watching porn is an ADDICTION that DROVE HIM TO IT!

* WOW! BUT IF PORN IS EASILY AVAILABLE THERE ARE LESS RAPES RECORDED! EVERYONE WHO WATCHES PORN IS A RAPIST, SECRETLY!

* Female doctor says rapist needs rehab not prison!

* WOW. THE WHOLE COURTOOM GETS TO SEE A WOMAN BEING RAPED.

* Hang on. Lady cop is getting blamed for vic remembering when... it was the male cope who took the video over and showed it to her and her husband... ?!?! But then again, why am I surprised?

* YAY! Another vic is forced to make a graphic confession in front of a bunch of strangers. But it's ok cos she's going to testify and he'll go to jail. Or so we assume as the detail of actual justice and punishment is rarely dealt with on this show.

* We are left with rapist screaming: I'M THE ONE YOU'LL NEVER FORGET.

I swear, what is this show? Softcore porn for hardcore misogynists?

I can't watch this show again. That would just be dumb.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Kyle Payne is a Rapist

I felt too sickened to post this earlier, but I think it's important.

Kyle Payne is a rapist.

Not only is he a rapist, he is a rapist who has spoken out against rape and rape culture. This makes him not just a hypocrite, but a grotesque hypocrite. His hypocrisy is almost unspeakable as he has capitalised on his male privilege both to position himself as an authority on women's issues and an ally to them, and then to assault and violate and betray the trust of a woman.

I can't even imagine the perversity required to do such a fucked-up thing, but it sickens me to my stomach. And frankly, it makes me wonder about what we don't know about him. The clear fact that a sick fucking pervert rapist has been so outspoken on women's issues, makes me wonder what his motivation in aligning himself with the feminist movement really is.
Furthermore, as someone who has spoken out against pornography, he used the medium of photography with which to commit his crime. To me, there are very clear connections here that speak of some very twisted psychology.

He cannot be trusted. His apology is inadequate and will never compensate for what he did. His return to speaking about feminism and women's issues is arrogance and insensitivity of the highest order.

This evil fucker cannot be trusted.

While I idealogically disagree with many of the core tenants of radical feminism, I have empathy for their anger and where it comes from. Many radfems have had experiences that have shaped and directed their anger. I may not like them as a movement, I may find them hateful as people, but they are women who have been infuriated by a patriarchal world in which rape culture runs rampant over the lives of women.

This fucker has no place amongst them and his aligning himself with them is further violation.

That he is too arrogant and too self-obsessed to acknowledge this abusive behaviour is clear indication he has learned nothing and women are not safe around him.

Although not about Kyle Payne, I thought this article was an excellent and strong statement on the kind of rape culture this rapist has spoken out about whilst participating in, including the misleading characterisation of "rapists" and "non-rapists". After all, who would've thought such an outspoke "femanist" would commit an act of sexual assault, and yet...
No Person is "Born to Rape".

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

there goes the neighbourhood

There's so much involved in this issue and I'm not 100% confident I have the brain to express it all. But I'm going to try.

Street-based sex workers have been getting targeted by the general public, the media and predators (I know, I know, it's hard to tell the three apart sometimes...) in Islington, near the Hunter Valley here in NSW lately.

A forty-plus year history of street-based sex work is being called on to be shut down, and no cry of "clean up the streets" is complete without rampant stereotyping, Church involvement, moral outrage and... an increased incidence of assault against the sex workers at the heart of it all.

Yes, that's how the morally upstanding and ethical citizen handles an increased awareness of the hookers in his local neighbourhood: he rapes and assaults them!

What the hell is up with that?

I'll tell you what the hell is up with that: media coverage hysterically denouncng sex workers, dehumansing and condemning them, revealing widespread opinion that they're regarded with disdain and contempt by "normal people" convinces your average revolting predator that these are not people the world cares about and so are fair game. No one will respond if their rights are violated; they won't be heard and so the predator will get away with it. In fact, the predator probably considers he's done society a bit of a favour.

Not that the local conservative press reports anything about the dirty whores being abused though; they had it coming! That's been reported by the outreach worker from the local area - in the past 3 weeks, since the furore has been building, she's heard of four incidents of violent asault/rape and states that she has not encountered such a high level of violence in her role before.

But who cares about them? Worthwhile people are being inconvenienced here!

So inconvenienced how, exactly?

The righteously indignant will assure all and sundry that hookers are frotting in innocent people's front gardens, flinging loaded syringes about willy nilly and assaulting anyone who gets between her and her "trick".

In truth? Most street workers prefer to conduct their work discreetly and generally have places they prefer to take clients that they know is secure and private. As for the accusations of intimidation and harrassment - seriously? We're really expected to believe that?

I find it hard to believe for the same reason I find it hard to believe sexual activity is happening openly:

Sex workers are often the subject of stigma and discrimination.

Stigma and discrimination? Generally makes life a lot harder for people it's targeted towards to go about in a peacable way. Just ask anyone who's had to live with it. People... interfere. They harrass you. They insult you. They disregard you. Sometimes they hurt you.

Yeah, see, I'm not getting a whole LOT of motivation for the street workers of Islington to be all out and in the neighbourhood's faces about their work right there.

There's a disparity of power here, that's probably also integral to the indignant residents of Islington characterising this situation, and that disparity of power is NOT in favour of the sex workers. Do I need to draw comparisons between this and the old "all gays take drugs and have AIDS" or "all black people are violent criminals" stereotypes and similar hysterias around that rubbish that has occured in the past? I mean, are you with me on this? I don't want this to be freaking Marginalisation 101 here.

Newcastle MP Jodi McKay said the meeting was an opportunity for people to put their views on several potential measures.
She said these included setting up a designated sex-work area, increased policing, traffic changes, and improving street safety and cleanliness.


Yeah, GREAT idea there - just stable all the whores together so everyone can further Other and marginalise them and all the predators can capitalise on that and it can become a little tourist zone where all the nice, respectable people can drive through and gawk for Saturday night giggles.

Also, um, did the supposed sex worker in that photo give her consent for that image to be used? I'm going to guess, oh, leesseee.... NOT.

Yeah, memo? That's NOT okay, actually. I realise you see sex workers as subhuman, but it's still nice to get permission.

Behind the house of an Islington family my wife knows is a lane that is used by the prostitutes who work Islington's streets as a toilet. They defecate in the lane - hey, this is a blog - they crap in the lane, and jammed in a gap in a fence is a rag they use to wipe their bum.

Really? You've all gone down there and watched, have you? I hope you paid them something at least, you perverts.

Seriously, this kind of violently dehumanising characterisation makes me sick. Where's his proof?
To me this smacks of the old, tired association of whores with filth. I can already see it - some busybody has heard a few girls sharing a joke in the lane, has gone stickybeaking and has seen a rag jammed into the fence. Hey, there may even have been poop, who knows. It doesn't mater, even a middle-class busy body can add two and two and get five!

There's also a classism here that is really severely detached from the reality of life on the streets. Whilst I really doubt there's a communal rag that just hangs around for anyone to use, people I've known who've lived on the streets either routinely or for certain periods of their life, have openly discussed the fact that whatever materials are to hand will do instead of toilet paper. That's what happens when there's no easily accessible toilet facilities and you don't have a home to go to. Oh yeah, and those materials? Don't get reused.

I'm not saying this is the situation for the sex workers this ass supposes he's writing about, but of course he hasn't considered anything else might be involved here.

Also, I love the way he is associating hookers with deliberately "depraved" behaviour. Yeah, actually, given the choice? Most people, regardless of who they are, will take functional toilet facilities, actually. They're not doing it - supposing they even truly are, and I kinda doubt that - just to insult your wife's friends, mate.

Nearby are the pimps, ferals on BMX bikes often,

Look, Jeff, mate, I hate to out you as a client but it's the only way I can figure you know those guys are pimps and not just part of the local colour.

Seriously, this stereotype is so fucking American. Pimping is barely, barely a presence in the Australian sex industry.

You know, on that, I've yet to meet or encounter an American sex worker with a pimp.

Commenters on the articles (the various ones linked) are indicating the neighbourhood is quite a diverse and alternative one, suggesting to me this moral outrage is actually a symptom of gradual gentrification, rather than their upstanding neighbourhood being overtaken by debauchery. I'd be interested in hearing more about this. Certainly this commenter seems convinced (scroll to comments):

nice one guys....buy a cheap house becuase of the issues, then get rid of the problems and sell a expensive house. How dare you threaten to take money out of my pocket cause that's what you would be doing if you sue the council. You guys knew what you were in for when you bought a cheaper than average inner city home...live with it

But back to my pal Jeff....

As I ride my bike through Islington on some Saturday mornings between 6am and 7.30am they're there, prostitutes and pimps; they're there during the day; and they're always there when I've been driving at night.

OH MY GOD THEY'RE FUCKING IN THE MORNING! BUT THAT'S WHEN CHILDREN ARE AWAKE!!! NO! WON'T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE CHILDREN!

On another note... Jeff, you're... driving around the hookers an awful lot. Just "when [you've] been driving at night", eh?

You just dig fresh air and late night aimless drives do you?

Wait, am I making assumptions based on vague and cliched data? I am? Well, we can't say you didn't teach me anything in that case.

Thanks, Jeff. It's been real.


Moving on.

She said she had been working with the council, government agencies and sex workers' advocacy group ACON to identify plans to tackle the matter of sex work in Islington.

Well, Islington sex workers may as well roll over now if ACON's on board. They're fucked. Fuck you, ACON AND YOU'RE NOT A FUCKING SEX WORKER ADVOCACY GROUP.

That said, if the outreach worker up there is from SWOP NSW - she seems kinda awesome so with her on their side they may get a decent outcome. I wish her all the best with her endeavours cos I know she's extremely distressed by this situation.

And from the comments on that last article:

This is all a very strange business. Islington is booming, property prices are high, the suburb is so much better than when I purchased my house in about 1980. Prostitution is lower and there are far less issues. The best way to reduce prostitution is to help the street workers with their issues like housing, gambling, education, child management and drugs. The considerable number of residents who are clients should not be overlooked.
Posted by Bigfeller on 5/03/2009 9:34:39 AM


Interesting... still reductionist and marginalising, but at least the crazy pants are off. Thanks Bigfeller.


WE'RE HEADED FOR CHAOS!!!

THE prostitutes in Islington can't work from legal brothels, as they will not be allowed to do so ("Uneasy streets" Herald H2 7/3).
They are either drug- or alcohol-addicted or under-age, and the brothels exclude them, rightly.


Um, you know I hate to keep on asking this but... where's your fucking proof? Seriously. I mean, is Islington a town of detectives conducting impeccable and highly intimate investigation into the detailed lives of these sex workers? Or have they just watched too many episodes of Special Victims Unit?

Also, what the fuck? The brothels will "rightly" exclude them? So what's your solution, genius? You don't want them on the streets and you don't think they deserve to be in brothels. So how are they supposed to work?

I shouldn't have asked...

Alcoholic and drug-addicted mothers have babies to strangers and are allowed to give birth to damaged children. Enforced sterilisation is the only answer.

Hookers and junkies: just like animals, in a way!

I don't even know how to go on, after that.

There is some balm for this gaping wound. An anecdote shared by another worker in response to this issue. Formerly a brothel worker, she noticed walking her way to the parlour, befriending the women and even renting a room from one of them, that the Islington sex workers were making stacks more money than her, chose when and how they worked, had no overheads and never had to deal with stupid brothel owners.

She ended up quitting brothel work and starting anew on the streets.


I fucking love those stories.

Thursday, March 12, 2009

52%

this makes me angry

52% of English and Welsh people don't think sex workers should be held responsible for being raped because they are sex workers.

You know what's really gross about that? I'm relieved it's at least at the half-way mark.

30% believe we should be held partly responsible. 17% think we should be held completely responsible.


What the hell is wrong with the world?

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Rape in Entertainment

Shakesville has this great article on rape in entertainment, timely for me since the issue has been on my mind more prominently. It's very much worth a read and has links to articles written on similar issues.

Just while thinking about this - there's a lot of internet hyperbole I feel uncomfortable using. I don't like to use words of violence against others - not even that popular one, DIAF - although I have used it (I wrote it in a couple of entries below this one, in regards the whole rapist footballer thing - and TBH, I struggled over leaving it in) - the few times I've gone to write it I've felt discomfited and have usually deleted and changed to something less violent. I feel the same way about saying "I hate" in regards to an actual person, although again I have said it, rarely meaning the ACTUAL person, but their behaviour that angered me. I am trying to consciously change this tic most people have to be less personal.

One thing I can't use, have never used, is internet hyperbole that refers to sexual violence - "x is like being butt-fucked". Of course, butt-fucked is not the same as saying butt-raped, but it's always used to indicate an... awful experience, which to me also implies violence and non-consent. I have always been discomfited by the very casual and widespread use of such expressions on the net. I understand nothing is really meant by them, but that in itself bothers me - that expressions of sexual violence are being used without considered thought.

Hurm.