April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Globally, South Africa ranks #1 in the world with the highest number of rapes per capita, with the U.S. coming in 9th, according to recent figures.
On April 8, 2011, one of the trending topics on Twitter was #ItsNotRapeIf. We thought we’d provide a brief snapshot of the type of garbage that perpetuates the idea that rape and other forms of sexual assault are acceptable.
Some other people who find rape a topic of humor include:
Outrage over the #ItsNotRapeIf hashtag was swift: Several posts (here, here, and here) were written in response and numerous people counter-tweeted with #itsrapeif.”
Unfortunately the “it’s not rape” concept is nothing new, as can be seen in this thread on eBaum’s World Forum that includes comments such as:
- It’s not rape if she can’t say no if her mouth is gagged
- It’s not rape if she is under 10
- It’s not rape if you say you’re sorry…
- It’s not rape if you have a friend on the jury
- It’s not rape if she is dead
At CiviliNation we think it’s incredulous that some people actually find sexual assault and rape humorous topics, and we can only hope that they are never the victims of such brutal crimes.
Finally, for those people who have ever wondered whether a woman’s physiological response* to sexual assault means she has given her consent, here are some facts dispelling that notion:
“A lubricated vagina does not mean that a woman consents to sex. Having a lubricated vagina is not an invitation to penetrate it. An orgasm does not mean consent. An orgasm is a physical response to stimulation of genital organs. An orgasm is not a crime. Rape is.”
[Note: Women are the primary victims of sexual assaults and rape, but children and men are also targeted.]