Comments on: For the Record

By: Rana

Rana — Thu, 26 May 2005 16:59:00 +0000

Gah. Abuse is abuse, however and to whomever it happens. That one gender experiences such abuse more often, and is therefore more likely to be believed when it makes such accusations, doesn’t make abuse “better” for the other gender.
It’s perfectly possible to criticize the way our social context encourages and shapes abuse directed at female victims while also condemning abuse in general. That assumption that anyone concerned about female abuse victims would be unable to sympathize with male victims is insulting — it rests on the notion that it’s the gender sympathy that’s primary, not the anger at the abuse.
I don’t think people should be abused, period, regardless of their gender. That, to me, is the essence of my feminism: gender is not an excuse for exploitative behavior. A victim’s gender is not an excuse, whether we’re talking about abused males in a society that has trouble believing that male victims exist, or about abused females in a society that encourages such abuse.

By: des von bladet

des von bladet — Thu, 26 May 2005 14:39:00 +0000

The demographic is very mixed. (This is the biggest course the OU runs, and has about 10k students.) Some people are using it as a cheap (for these days) alternative to brick and mortar university, others are retired. I’m reliably informed there’s ethnic diversity, too, although it mostly doesn’t show on the bulletin boards.

By: yami

yami — Thu, 26 May 2005 14:23:00 +0000

Also: AFAIK, the “tumescence implies consent” breaks down with competent persons as well, as erection/ejaculation can in some instances be an involuntary response. But I’m not about to go googling that at work even if I am quitting anyway.

By: yami

yami — Thu, 26 May 2005 14:19:00 +0000

What’s the demographic of your course, anyway?

By: des von bladet

des von bladet — Thu, 26 May 2005 12:55:00 +0000

I think the assumption is more that penetrators can’t be reluctant, only penetratees. Everyone is suitably upset about related Church-related scandals, after all (modulo a handful of Popes, of course).
This “tumescence implies consent” model breaks down with persons who, under some particular approach to social relations such as for example a legal system or moral theory, are not considered competent.
My recommendation, which is by no means legal advice, is to refrain from acting on moral intuitions that directly conflict with applicable laws, unless you can afford really good lawyers.
And my top Most Irksome Thing About Arguing About Feminisme on the Internet is “Arguing Feminisme on the Internet”.
We’re up to fammlies now in my OU course, which means patriarchy is homework, and our (private) bulletin board is not empty of arguments I’m not allowed to flame (or quote publically), some of which are about feminisme and such somethings.