On my way to the airport from Bill Cosby sentencing, my Uber driver, Sarah, asked me why the Cosby survivors waited so long to come forward. After a night of celebrating the sweet justice delivered for Andrea Constand and 61 other Cosby survivors, Sarah abruptly brought me back to the reality that rape culture dies… Continue reading The Trial: Cosby in Handcuffs
Category: Rape/ Sexual Assault
On Women Developing a Capacity for Violence
Women everywhere developing a capacity for violence does not mean we can prevent all violence, or that we can always effectively defend against it. But it does mean that we are better prepared for it when it comes.
The Origins of the #MeToo Movement
Acknowledging the work of earlier activists also means acknowledging that we have been here many times before, and, despite these efforts, we have yet to effectively extinguish sexual harassment/violence in our culture.
#MeToo: What to Expect as a Public Survivor
Sexual violence is a global epidemic that is finally receiving the public attention it deserves, courtesy of celebrity predators, social media, and a growing number of people who are brave enough to be angry in public. The popular #MeToo campaign took off four weeks ago, and since that time, tens of thousands of sexual assault survivors have “gone… Continue reading #MeToo: What to Expect as a Public Survivor
5 Rape Myths from Cosby Jurors
“Bill Cosby invites her to his house, and she arrives, in a bare midriff…that’s a question.” (Anonymous Juror — elderly white man) No, it is not a fucking question.
Bill Cosby’s Legal Defense was a Case Study in Rape Culture
This article was originally published in Vox “Why would any rape survivor ever go to court?” A wide-eyed Lili Bernard whispered this question to me during the opening statements in Bill Cosby’s criminal trial last week. Bernard is one of the 60 women who have come forward to allege sexual violence at the hands of Cosby. She has experienced… Continue reading Bill Cosby’s Legal Defense was a Case Study in Rape Culture
How Survivor Activists Changed the 2016 Presidential Election
This new awakening did not happen overnight, it did not happen for everyone, and our country still has a long way to go to truly reform our rape culture. But it is fair to say that survivor activists have made electoral politics a hostile environment for sexual predators.
Unwanted Sex
Over the course of their lifetime, girls and women have a lot of unwanted sex. The term “unwanted sex” is used in many different ways. I’m using it to refer to sexual activities that are seemingly consensual but unwanted. It is so common that in a recent study of sexual pleasure, researchers changed their focus… Continue reading Unwanted Sex
Thirty Years of Failed Presidential Leadership on Campus Rape
College administrators have known about the campus rape problem for three decades, and they have been mandated to address it for two decades, why has so little been done? The answer is failed presidential leadership. Karen Barnett first documented the campus rape problem in her 1982 article “Date Rape” in Ms. magazine, and Ms. published… Continue reading Thirty Years of Failed Presidential Leadership on Campus Rape
Campus Rape: Why Not Law Enforcement?
Co-authored with Baillee Brown. Cross-posted at Ms. Blog. There’s one question about campus rape that comes up again and again: Why isn’t the crime handled exclusively by law enforcement? In a perfect world, the legal system would effectively arbitrate this crime, but given law enforcement’s dismal record on sex crimes, schools have no choice but… Continue reading Campus Rape: Why Not Law Enforcement?