Predators in Charge: Politics, Power, and Prestige and Its Influence on Rape Culture
Pablo Picasso, Rape of the Sabine Women, Photo by Peter E from Flickr.
First, let's take a deep breath.
This piece will name many predators in power (whether politically or through money and fame). While I do not go into details of the crimes, I know just naming the person and what they were accused of can be triggering enough. Just gathering the pieces for this article was rough for me as a survivor of rape and sexual assaults so I wanted to name this for all of us. If you can, rage through this one with me and try not to skim—let us bear witness and think critically about the impacts of these very public atrocities on our legislation and our societies.
Survivors are often left behind in any think piece or conversation, so I want to start by honoring those who have bravely come forward and those who are unable or choose not to share their names. Thank you to Anita Hill, Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, Jill Harth, Katie Johnson, E. Jean Carroll, Alva Johnson. The hundreds of children who were violently abused and trafficked. All the Does who choose to remain anonymous and those who have been silenced. All those we have lost but who are not forgotten. We will continue to fight for our safety and bodily autonomy in your names.
Now, let’s get on the same page.
Rape and sexual assault: to force upon (or under threat of injury) a person without consent or is inflicted upon a person who is incapable of giving consent, who places the assailant in a position of trust or authority. These crimes are not about sex, they are about power and control. They have also been used as tools to further a marginalized community's oppression. (Please never use the term “non-consensual sex”; this is like saying “non-swimming” when you’re talking about drowning.)
Rape culture: living in a society where we are surrounded with images, language, laws, and other daily occurrences that validate and perpetuate, rape. It normalizes sexual violence and coercion and the thinking that the persistence of rape is “just the way things are.” (See also “boys will be boys”.)
Rape apologists: a broad term that includes: blaming survivors of rape and sexual assault; being reluctant to believe them and demanding “proof” (such as what they were wearing or drinking); making excuses for the offender (whether a friend or a celebrity) by shrugging it off, downplaying it, or insisting the perpetrator is a “good person”; rejecting the definition of consent and denying that certain behaviors are abusive; believing, incorrectly, that false allegations are common—and using this as a reason not to support or believe survivors; getting upset about allegations they assume are false and blaming the victim by suggesting ulterior motives like “fame chasing”; and holding a narrow or distorted view of what sexual violence is—for example, not believing it can happen in a relationship. It’s important to understand that rape apologists aren’t just people who are outwardly aggressive towards survivors, they’re also people who are apathetic or tolerant towards others perpetuating sexual violence.
Okay, let’s begin.
This country is founded on rape and sexual violence being used as a tool for oppression. From the founding fathers to the present day, it is disturbing to see how often power and predatory behavior go hand-in-hand and just how many of us excuse these behaviors of our politicians, influencers, and celebrities.
There is an insidious cycle with people in/with power, rapists, rape apologists, and rape culture. Through problematic books, movies, and other media we are often taught a singular view of what rape is and what it looks like (e.g. a single, white, affluent woman raped by a lone, crazed stranger who broke into her home, and police who bravely seek justice). In addition, sexual and reproductive health education, including conversations on what consent is or what an abusive relationship is, is severely lacking. Throughout history we have continuously seen people in power use that power to excuse rapists like: this New Jersey judge who said the rapist came from “a good family” and his test scores were too high for him to be tried in court as an adult; or a judge’s claim about a victim who “didn’t behave like a victim”.
While we are constantly demanding proof that a victim was “really” raped or claiming that their sexual assault was “minor” and “happens to everyone” especially when it comes to our “favorite” celebrity or a close friend. We also have people who claim that if you are “legitimately raped,” your body will shut down any pregnancy—using this as a reason to deny abortions even in cases of rape—or who promote other rape myths.
Graffiti artists and Metro Manila student councils, via Orange Magazine.
All of this creates a culture where people are apathetic or tolerant of rapists and other sexual predators or worse we have normalized rape and uplifted rapists while discrediting and invalidating survivors. This is why it can feel like a massive disconnect…