Your whole fucking culture alienates me

A few of my favorite Take Back The Night chants

• Sexist, racist, anti-queer/ You won’t make us live in fear
• Sexist, racist, anti-gay/ Don’t you take our night away
• I have no fear, no shame, no time/ My beauty is whole, my body is mine
• Survivors unite/Take back the night
• Yes means yes/No means no/ Whatever we wear/Wherever we go
• Stop the violence/End the silence

and my personal favorite:

• Bitch, slut, dyke, whore/We won’t take it anymore

More tips on intersectionality from SAFER

DON’T:

• Assume that certain groups are uninterested in this issue. Sexual assault isn’t something that only happens to straight white women. If you’re only recruiting straight white women because that is who you think will be interested in your group, straight white women will be the only people who are interested in your group.
• Assume that people of color would prioritize ethnic student groups over an anti-sexual violence group, queer students would prioritize LGBTQ groups over an anti-sexual violence group, etc. Members of various oppressed groups may prioritize groups specifically related to that identity over this work, and that is a valid choice. However, assuming that they will prioritize those groups over yours treats them as if they are so inherently different from your group that they are not even worth approaching.
• Set the agenda for your group before you take the time to make it a diverse group. If you want a diverse group to buy into your goals, you will need to represent the needs of a wide range of people.
  
• Let members of a privileged group dominate conversation. It is common for people with privilege over others to unconsciously believe that they have more valuable things to say that others. If you find that you are speaking more often than others, think for a second about whether everything you are saying is so important that it needs to be heard. If not, take a step back and speak only when you feel you have an important thought.
• Do the “head swivel.” The head swivel is a common maneuver in which an individual mentions an oppressed group that is in the minority within the organization, and then turns directly to a member of that group to say, “what do you think?” This is offensive.
• Assume that people aren’t American because they aren’t white.
• Assume that people are straight.

safercampus.org

SAFER’s tips on making sure you keep intersectionality in mind when doing anti-violence work

Do

• Take the time to show the community that this issue affects all people. If people aren’t attending your meetings, it could be because you are framing your issue as affecting only a limited group that doesn’t include them
• Confront oppression head on. Don’t pretend that race, sexual orientation, class, etc. don’t matter.
• Show your commitment with concrete measures. Don’t just say you care about confronting oppression, show you do.
• Recognize that oppression is institutional.
• Make sure everyone talks at meetings. Internalized oppression often prevents people from believing that their thoughts are valid and useful. It is important to challenge everyone to speak and be heard.
• Make sure everyone does unpleasant tasks for the group and everyone gets a say. Don’t let members of oppressed groups within your organization end up doing all the grunt work.
• Educate yourself. Ignorance does not excuse offensive behavior or statements. It is everyone’s responsibility to understand their privilege.
• Be humble. If you go to speak to another group, don’t play the role of a missionary who is going to save the less educated. Never assume that you are so progressive that you have moved beyond racism, sexism, homophobia, etc. Relinquishing your privilege is a lifelong task.

Check out more at safercampus.org

On Race and Rape

“As invisible to most as our rape culture is—so is racism. I believe that the parallels of rape and racism are quite profound. I do not believe one could exist without the other because they both exist and thrive in our societal landscape of oppression. By ignoring or denying their parallels, we continue to cultivate the oppressive landscape in which we live and work.

When prejudice and negative stereotypes about women and people of color live in the minds of individual people, particularly those men and women who hold positions of power, those biased, prejudiced and false beliefs permeate the systems in which we live and work. The tangible impact of those false and prejudiced beliefs is largely manifested as social norms that serve to legitimize forms of oppression within our systems of government, education, social service delivery and our laws as well as the private sector.

This institutionalization occurs within agencies that are working for social justice—and in our case, those working to end sexual violence. None of us is immune from the environment and social paradigms that frame our very existence—no matter how versed we are at identifying, critiquing and rejecting those forms of oppression.”

- Catherine A. Carroll

Biden talks about sexual violence guidelines at UNH

VP Biden talks to UNH about new university guidelines for sexual assault, aka, clarification on existing governmental policies regarding sexual assault.

‘Under the Education Department guidelines, schools informed about sexual harassment or violence must take immediate action to stop the abuse and prevent it from happening again. Regardless of whether a victim files a complaint, the school must investigate the incident, even if a criminal investigation is underway.

Schools must also have sex discrimination policies in place and an employee responsible for managing the institution’s compliance with Title IX, the law that prohibits discrimination based on sex in education programs. Sexual violence is included in the definition of that discrimination. Finally, schools must make procedures for filing complaints based on Title IX violations clearly available.’

While nothing in these new guidelines are groundbreaking, it’s good to reiterate that sexual violence is a violation of Title IX. Unfortunately, Jezebel reports that this speech, of course, has resulted in super offensive shit being said about rape on campuses by trolls, etc. You know, because the internet is a space in which misogyny becomes acceptable due to anomymity. Ugh

http://jezebel.com/#!5788994/biden-talks-sexual-assault-issues-new-university-guidelines

Illinois State University Student Health Services tips for men to stop rape

• Approach gender violence as a MEN’S issue.
• Make sure that the sex you are having is consensual. Do not accept the myth that “no” means “yes”. Understand that submission is not consent. Do not make assumptions about consent, ASK for consent.
• Remember that having sex with someone who is drunk is sexual assault. If an individual is drunk, they cannot legally consent to sex (they cannot make an informed, rational decision).
• Communicate clearly how you feel and what you want. Listen to your partner. Do not rely on body language.
• Do not make assumptions about consent based on style of dress, body language or previous sexual activity. ASK for consent.
• Understand, and help friends understand, that sexual assault is assault, and has little to do with sex.
• Do not remain silent, do not look the other way. Become an “active bystander” – confront friends who are becoming disrespectful or abusive towards women. Intervene when a friend is making a decision that could have devastating consequences.
• Examine your attitudes about women and men that may perpetuate sexism and violence against women.
• Interrupt actions, comments or jokes that support rape and other acts of violence.

http://shs.illinoisstate.edu/sexual_assault/men/prevention.shtml