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poltr1[Additional text added 8/4/04 16:16 EDT.]
A couple of days ago,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
misia posted an entry that received an astonishing number of comments -- nearly 1000 in a 24-hour span. (The topic has since been closed to additional posts.)Many were messages of solidarity and support. Several of my LJ-friends have also stepped forward, saying they were survivors of sexual violence.
While I'm fortunate in that I haven't endured such a heinous crime, I know that I'm not immune or untouched by this. There are a few very close women -- and men -- in my life that it has happened to, other than my LJ-friends. One was a date rape. One was incest. One was from an older cousin. One was at an SF con. And one was in a bookstore.
What really opened up my eyes about rape, incest, and othe sexual crimes was the year I spent as a volunteer for the Anti-Rape Task Force, which was primarily the campus escort and education service at my university. We worked in teams of two, had background checks done, and wore photo IDs while we were on duty. Some teams walked people from classes to their cars or other off-campus locations, a few teams (including the one I was on) drove the group's passenger van to further off-campus locations.
I had some great mentors in the organization, who happened to be friends of mine: Jody and Jason. Here's what I remember learning from them: 1) Rape is crime of violence; not of sex (exen though sex is the method), 2) Only 1 in 5 rapes are ever reported to the police. 3) Men can get raped too, although it's not as common. 4) It's "rape survivor", not "rape victim".
Jason also wrote a play, called "Not A Social Call" which was about a date rape. Several of the cast and crew were ARTF members. The soundtrack included "Intruder" by Peter Gabriel, "Small Blue Thing" by Suzanne Vega, and "Thanksgiving" by George Winston. At the Q&sA after one of the performances, one woman noted that the leading man was a member of a college fraternity, and asked a rather pointed question about fraternities and the number of rapes occuring at fraternity houses. I forgot how he answered, but Jason (who is also a member of a college fraternity -- the same one I was in) stepped in and added additional points to answer the question. Many national organizations have since stepped up their efforts to educate their members and provide severe punishments for chapters who tolerate or condone such activity.
Stepping forward to admit that this happened is a very difficult thing to do. One rape survivor said her experience was like living through her own murder.
I honor and support the women -- and men -- who have stepped forward and claimed ownership of this part of their lives. They are not alone. This would be a great opportunity to create a closed-to-non-members LJ community if one hasn't already been cerated.
A couple of days ago,
misia posted an entry that received an astonishing number of comments -- nearly 1000 in a 24-hour span. (The topic has since been closed to additional posts.)Many were messages of solidarity and support. Several of my LJ-friends have also stepped forward, saying they were survivors of sexual violence.While I'm fortunate in that I haven't endured such a heinous crime, I know that I'm not immune or untouched by this. There are a few very close women -- and men -- in my life that it has happened to, other than my LJ-friends. One was a date rape. One was incest. One was from an older cousin. One was at an SF con. And one was in a bookstore.
What really opened up my eyes about rape, incest, and othe sexual crimes was the year I spent as a volunteer for the Anti-Rape Task Force, which was primarily the campus escort and education service at my university. We worked in teams of two, had background checks done, and wore photo IDs while we were on duty. Some teams walked people from classes to their cars or other off-campus locations, a few teams (including the one I was on) drove the group's passenger van to further off-campus locations.
I had some great mentors in the organization, who happened to be friends of mine: Jody and Jason. Here's what I remember learning from them: 1) Rape is crime of violence; not of sex (exen though sex is the method), 2) Only 1 in 5 rapes are ever reported to the police. 3) Men can get raped too, although it's not as common. 4) It's "rape survivor", not "rape victim".
Jason also wrote a play, called "Not A Social Call" which was about a date rape. Several of the cast and crew were ARTF members. The soundtrack included "Intruder" by Peter Gabriel, "Small Blue Thing" by Suzanne Vega, and "Thanksgiving" by George Winston. At the Q&sA after one of the performances, one woman noted that the leading man was a member of a college fraternity, and asked a rather pointed question about fraternities and the number of rapes occuring at fraternity houses. I forgot how he answered, but Jason (who is also a member of a college fraternity -- the same one I was in) stepped in and added additional points to answer the question. Many national organizations have since stepped up their efforts to educate their members and provide severe punishments for chapters who tolerate or condone such activity.
Stepping forward to admit that this happened is a very difficult thing to do. One rape survivor said her experience was like living through her own murder.
I honor and support the women -- and men -- who have stepped forward and claimed ownership of this part of their lives. They are not alone. This would be a great opportunity to create a closed-to-non-members LJ community if one hasn't already been cerated.
