SlutWalk neglects role of women in rape culture

Editor’s note: This is in response to the article “‘SlutWalk’: Sexual assault is not the victims’ fault,” published in Monday’s Daily Lobo. The article was about “SlutWalk Albuquerque,” in which about 200 people arrived Saturday to speak and hear about rape culture and the objectification of females.

Editor,

Let me see if I understand: the straightforward message of SlutWalk is that perpetrators, not victims, are to blame for rape.

Maybe inarguable propositions didn’t always need proactive PR, I don’t know, but from what I can tell SlutWalk is all about blame, and not about prevention.

“You misogynist dolt, if you got your propaganda from an outlet that flatters your intelligence, instead of The O’Reilly Factor, you would know that denouncing rape culture is square one in preventing sexual assault.” Agreed. So who is likely to cast aspersions on a scantily clad young lady? Well, largely, other women. “But attitudes can only precipitate rape when they originate from a potential rapist, i.e. a man.” In that case, culture has somewhat less to do with rape than is being claimed.

“Well, people can’t expect to never be judged on their appearance. What you wear partially reflects who you are.” Oh great, that’s a relief. For a second there I thought I was contributing to rape culture.

Look, if victims are hesitant to report an attack, it has as much to do with practical, immediate exigencies as it does with shame and misplaced disapprobation. If I report a theft or a nonsexual assault, I’m piling the inconvenience and the (not necessarily, or even usually, malicious) scrutiny of a cold, impersonal bureaucracy on top of my misfortune when all I want is a cup of hot cocoa (or a bottle of vodka) and a bath. Quite often people with serious medical problems (recent victims of rape included) refuse to see the doctor for similar reasons. And a rape victim reporting a rape is as likely to not be taken seriously by other women as by men, especially if she looks better in what she puts on every morning than they and their progeny and the other denizens of the snark pow-wows where they console themselves.

As for the facile, self-congratulating XY solidarity at SlutWalk, it’s as likely to be genuine (“Yay me, I ain’ts uh raper”) as it is to come from a sub-rosa DP throat-assault porn addict who’s creepin’ while you’re sleepin’ (“I’m not a rapist, I swear. Stop looking at me”). In any case, because I’m awesome just the way I am — cock, balls, heteronormativity and all — I refuse to be shamed for nothing by ineffective, moralizing, bandwagoning PC busybodies any more than I would condone anyone’s being shamed for a legitimate lifestyle choice, including sexual assault victims.

Aaron Cress
UNM student