For Feisty Feminists

When you ride the bus everyday, you get to see some great entertainment. Today, I saw someone get on the bus, start working on a knitting project, and then proceed to remove her rainboot and sock, blow her nose in the sock, and then put the sock and boot back on. Strange. If I drove, I would never get to see that.

The sweet, sweet sound of people saying things that are actually true in a class about sexual violence. Here’s how to make me think, “Damn! That’s true! I have nothing to critique about that statement - you want to smash the patriarchy too!”

• DO acknowledge that there are no situations where past consensual sexual behavior has anything to do with a current accusation of rape.
• DO acknowledge that the law is not handed down from on high, perfect and just - but that it is a product of the culture we live in, and reflects the biases of that culture.
• DO recognize that even laws that are helpful in combatting a rape culture are used by judges and lawyers who have been indoctrinated into said rape culture.
• DO recognize that helping victims of sexual assault obtain justice requires that we, as a culture, thoughtfully examine the way that we think and talk about sex. For example, if we think the idea of getting consent at every level of sexual activity, as well as each time we engage in said activity, is ludicrous and unsexy, what does that say about us - and about our views on the ‘right’ to sexual access versus the right to sexual autonomy?

I’m a little sad that the mere recognition of the fucking truth makes me want to do cartwheels. If we didn’t live in a supremely sexist society, these types of statements wouldn’t make me elated - they would be akin to telling me that sky is above us and the ground below.