What is Rape Culture?

Sexual Assault Awareness month is nearly approaching.  I find myself asking what exactly is rape culture?  How did this enter into people’s vernacular?   What does it mean to be living in a rape culture? 

A crucial aspect of the definition of rape is the absence of consent.  Culture has many meanings.  I’ll define it as a full range of learned behaviors and patterns.  The degradation of women becomes the norm through acceptance of misogyny.  In a rape culture images, conversations, and laws validate and perpetrate rape.  Validating rape culture in the media excuses rape and reinforces myths about rape and/or sexualizing rape.  Shaming and silencing survivors of rape allows the perpetrator to ignore the actions and the survivor is left with guilt and shaming.    

Viewing mass media daily through images and advertising becomes naturalized going unquestioned.  This leads to people asking, “Violence against women is still an issue?”  In a rape culture majority of people think this is the way it is and no one can change it or people ignore that it occurs daily at an astonishing rate.  Re-examining advertisements, music, television, laws, macho-masculinity, speech and language are steps that need to be taken. Being surrounded with these images, ideologies, and laws can seem overwhelming and shaming.  Re-examining, creating self-awareness, and naming the problems need to happen to end rape culture.  Instead of teaching girls to not get raped, there has been a shift on telling men to not rape.  What made him think this was acceptable and okay to commit rape?  This is removing the blame on women.

By Gretchen D. Hawker

I came across this article “Ten Things to End Rape Culture.” I suggest you take a look at it: http://www.thenation.com/article/172643/ten-things-end-rape-culture#

Red

Red

Alone, I close the door behind me

And let the image scatter

Let go of the smile, and the frown

Let the mask relax

It has no purpose here

Beyond words and expressions

Only me

Peel back the layers one by one

And let them fall to the floor

Back before this body

Before humanity

Before good and evil

Through naked primal forces

To when there was only blood.

The hot water falls red with it

It is the reddest thing I’ve ever seen

The original, universal, stark against white

Screaming its vitality as it flows toward the drain

I don’t know if it is unclean or powerful

No difference

If it is birth or death

The blood pushed out with a healthy newborn

Blood pumping from a man’s chest as his eyes stilled

I’ve seen both, and it looked the same

Inseparable

In this time, for this moment of every day

Such distinctions do not exist

Unity running red down my legs

The pain I have suffered, the pain I have caused

The gifts I’ve been given

And the gifts I have to give

All are embodied here

My life

Not draining out of me

But effusing from me

Too filled with passion to be contained

I let the heat engulf me, drum out the tension

Flow over me until the water runs clear

And step out feeling

Renewed

-Lucille Tower

How do you define feminism?

by Priscilla P

Before I started getting involved with the WRC, I wasn't quite sure what being a feminist entailed. Words that came to mind were independent, empowered, and standing up against "the man."
Curious, I decided to go and ask a few people about their definition of feminist, and if they considered themselves a feminist. What are your answers to these questions?

How do you define feminism?

“I think it's the notion of women obtaining completely equal rights with men in all areas of society, as well as having the choice to act/dress as feminine as they please (I find radical feminist types who yell at other women for wanting to dress nicely to be completely counterproductive to the movement).”
Brian Kravitz

“I define feminism strictly as the belief that women deserve the same treatment as men.”
Alex McEntee

“For me, feminism is the process of becoming aware of gender roles in our culture and then finding a means to counteract or change them, because I believe these gender roles have a largely negative impact on our progress as intelligent human beings. As these gender roles are initially forced upon us or encouraged by our upbringing, collective consciousness, and a large majority of our popular culture, they maintain a dominant influence in they way we live our lives and upholding females as inferior to males. Feminism is recognizing the way gender roles have impacted and continue to affect our self esteem, social interactions, available opportunities, and rights as human beings. Though, as I learn more about feminism, perhaps my definition will become more complex or change.”
Molly Karinen

“Feminism is a movement of a group of people rallied around the social, political, and economic equality of woman attributed by the shift of woman from households to manufacturing jobs due to WW1. As time progressed woman found themselves in the workplace under a pretext of values on how woman should act. Feminism wishes to rise above the glass ceiling of these prescribed normalities.”
Paul Fleck

“I am going to attempt to reconstruct some ideas I got from speaking with different feminist Philosophy students:
Philosophically there are several phases of feminism, the first being a viewpoint that women and men varied in an unreconcilable way (from a subjective viewpoint), such that a Man could never understand womanly-things and visa versa. It was a separatist theory. Assumed in this theory is the statement that if men and women have different subjective experiences, each is equally valid to one's self.
Then there was a period of what we usually think of as feminism, the equality of women in a broader sense, but not in terms of a subjectivity (at least not formally). This is what you might think of when you think of suffrage, and general womens-rights activism.
After this there is a splintering of the concept, which was way too complicated for me to try to deeply understand.”
Kevin Folk

“Feminism seeks to break down and examine gender constructs in order to liberate all sexes from oppression.”
Fallon Roderick

Do you consider yourself a feminist?

"I am most definitely a feminist because I do not agree with the disadvantageous positions that primarily women experience as women are cast as the lesser sex."
Molly Karinen

"Although I strive for social equality on many levels including women's rights, I do not consider myself to be a feminist. I believe the right of being a feminist should be reserved for a selection of woman that understand the history and difficulties that has been placed around their place in humanity over the years, and should not be an excuse, offense, or rational for any other agenda except equality."
Paul Fleck

"I am the manifestation of feminism, so yes, I am most definitely a feminist. I consider myself to be an ecofeminist"
Fallon Roderick

"Yes I am probably some sort of feminist, but more realistically I would hold the view of a general equality, one not specific to women."
Kevin Folk

Eyes Wide Open: Will the dominant one please stand up?

by Talia Jae Potter

I have joined twitter... I caved in. I am finding it quite interesting because, instead of using it as yet another social network, I am following news media that is unbiased and groups or people who discuss topics that are close to me.

One such person I added admits to being a feminist man and thinks strong, driven women are great and likes to be the submissive one in the relationship. I don't know this guy but he does have some interesting points to make. So we struck up a conversation about dominance in relationships....

His opinion was that women deserve to be the dominant leader in the relationship and for a lot of men this is attractive. He states that gender roles are an issue and media peg holes us into stereotypes. I agree somewhat with him but asked this....

"Why does there need to be a dominant person in the relationship?"

His response was that women who are natural leaders and men who are submissive are a good match. I guess I can see how this is true. Two highly competitive leaders in a relationship could get ugly when it turns into a competition for success. It could also be a power-house couple.

But in reality wouldn't a relationship with two EQUAL partners be best? Idealistic at best but it seems to me that there is this strong push, on both sides of the topic, for one or the other gender to dominate, leaving the other to submit. Relationships are full of moments where one person may take over and the other backs down but I would like to think that equals, no matter the gender, sexuality, etc.., would be the most successful in their partnership.

This whole dominance vs submission argument reminds me of another hot topic: Why does there have to be good vs bad?

Why can't we just be......

Snapshot: Dying for a Diamond

(originally posted 04/09 at wordpress)


by mae stephenson



This is sort of cheating. I actually snapped this picture (but still with my cell phone!) months ago because I just couldn't believe the sexism before my eyes and wanted to show it to everyone I knew. You could call it my original Snapshot. Nonetheless, this was snapped downtown, near PSU, on 4th Ave. It's an ad that actually extends into the window of a Trimet bus-- something I'd never seen before-- depicting a woman desperately reaching for a giant diamond ring; it almost appears as though the woman is reaching from a seat inside of the bus.

The first university I ever went to was a private Christian school in Seattle, where a common phrase to hear around the dorm, in which everyone under 21 was mandated to live, was "Ring by Spring!" This was what I remembered when I saw this ad.

This ad not only perpetuates negative stereotypes about women desiring eternal attachment to men and a materialistic obsession with a diamond ring, but in turn, perpetuates the stereotype that men have no interest in commitment and that it's a woman's job to tame them into civilized, religiously sanctioned marriages. These things are not only sexist, but grossly heterocentric.

Eyes Wide Open: Women Who Give Me Strength

(originally posted 04/09 at wordpress)


by Talia Jae Potter

You all amaze me. Even if you're not on the tree you are part of my strength.

I wrote this for a class final. The photo is the tree I had to create, then write a short summary about what it meant to me. This is as short as I could get.

When I learned that we would be making a kinship tree about important women to us I was ecstatic. I love art, powerful women, and self expression. Once I started making mine though, I was having a hard time narrowing down who would actually be on my tree. There are so many women in history, in my past, and in the present that inspire, motivate and move me. After a bit of research and deep thought I narrowed it down.

Snapshot: 4GrrlzEyezOnlies (Or, Wow- That's Really Sexist Branding on that Candy Bar!)

(originally posted 03/09 at wordpress)


by mae stephenson

Excuse the sarcastic title this week, folks; the item in this week's image deserves a title no more mature than the item itself.



I saw this for the first time in my life last weekend. It's a UK-based chocolate bar from our pals at Nestle (just google 'Nestle Boycott' for more reasons women shouldn't adore them). Yes, that is an extra-feminine woman symbol with the circle-slash "no" in place of an 'O' and reads "it's not for girls!" on the side. And yes, it's really just chocolate (I checked the ingredients just in case it was one of those specially formulated vitamin bars posing as candy). This bar can be found at your local SE 33rd and Belmont Zupan's where I snapped this picture. Not with the girly chocolate at the front of the store; in a more discrete location-- across from the baking supplies.

*New Column* Snapshot: The Elephant in the Bathroom

(originally posted 02/09 at wordpress)

This is a new column from the editor of the SheSheet, mae stephenson. Snapshot addresses the here-and-now of white supremacist capitalist patriarchy in Portland, OR where the author lives, walks, and braves public transportation. She'll share her on-the-go experiences and observations via low quality cellphone snapshots and short synopsis. Yeah, she realizes there's nothing new about critiquing advertisements and culture from a feminist perspective, but aims to remind you that the work is certainly not finished-- No, not even in Portland, Oregon.


by mae stephenson

Why did this baby-changing table have anthropomorphically gendered hetero elephant parents? Because only hetero parents in sets of two have babies, of course!

A couple days ago I found this gem attached to a baby-changing table in a single-stall bathroom at a bakery/cafe in NW Portland. It's part of the brand sticker-- the item's logo. It's been there a while: I could tell by how the sticker was shredded and picked-at to the point where I could tell the brand name was to the left of the image, but I couldn't actually read it. What I could read, however, were those elephants' genders.

Well Rounded Womanhood

(originally posted 02/09 at wordpress)


By Olivia Jarratt

"You know, a lot of girls are as big as you but at least they hide it." My brother poked my belly as he told me this after picking me up from ballet when I was in the 8th grade. I felt ashamed when he said this, because I knew it was true. I was not hiding my flaws well enough.

Growing up, I was always taught to be my true self. I accepted my quirky behavior and had as much fun as I could, even though my actions were often 'weird'. My mother allowed us to dress ourselves, as soon as we were able, how ever we wanted. My outfits were loud and creative and I embraced it. It wasn't until I hit 6th grade that I began thinking about my belly or my double chin or my bulging arm fat. I was never very big, just chubby, but as my classmates began caring about their appearance and clothing, I found myself tagging behind. I cared about making sure I had a ring on each finger and prided myself on the 6 handmade necklaces I would make and wear everyday. Peace, harmony and love love love is all I cared about.

The Theories of Feminism and Lesbianism in Theatre

(originally posted 01/09 at wordpress)

by Lisa M. Scrivner

The Theories of Feminism and Lesbianism in Theatre:

Providing the Opportunities for Women to be Taken Seriously in their Art.

 

Feminist theatre is a direct result of the feminist movement. Just as there are various and multiple ways to be a woman, lesbian, or anything in general, there is no one set way to be a feminist. Feminist theatre not only provides women with opportunities to be taken seriously in theatre arts, it also helps to spread knowledge of past and present women's movements. It can be used as a tool to confront our society with issues that aren't only important to women, but are important in the evolution of society. In my opinion, the theatre should grasp the various ideas of feminism to create a true and complete feminist genre. By embracing all aspects of feminism, the feminist theatre of the future will generate a more diverse standpoint and cater to all women.

Hey... its 2009... Playboy... really???

(originally posted 01/09 at wordpress)

by Blythe Pavlik Why is Playboy okay?I don’t get it. I don’t get why Playboy is still considered the “gentlemen’s” magazine or why it is exempt, in some groups, from critical critique. I don’t get it. I grew up in a house with Playboy magazines.

The Glass Crack: Mom in Chief

(originally posted 12/08 at wordpress)


by Gwen Davis

I knew when Michelle Obama announced that her first priority would be her children, acknowledging she was not interested in the two-for-one mentality of the Clinton era, there would be mixed opinions. One US News reporter called this choice a “shame and setback” for women. Apparently Hillary didn’t get it right, and Michelle won’t please the masses either.

My mother worked a lot. I remember going to dental school with her as a little girl and sleeping on the floor of her office if I was too sick to go to school. We did not see much of each other. I had many friends whose mothers stayed home, and I remember thinking how nice it would be to come home to family.

Last year at this time, I was teaching preschool. Many of the children were at the school longer than I was, and I worked overtime everyday. Who is raising children these days? It sure isn’t parents. If Michelle Obama wants to be home with her kids through what will inevitably be a stressful, busy, and chaotic four—hopefully eight—years, then I say good for her. Women cannot expect her to represent each one of us.

ACTION ALERT! Fred Phelps' group to protest PSU's QRC and gender neutral bathrooms

(originally posted 11/08 at wordpress)

The Rev. Fred Phelps' people from the Westboro Bapstist Church (the "God Hate's Fags" people) are planning a protest on Monday morning, November 24, at the corner of 13th and SW Market. They will be protesting PSU's Queer Resource Center and, specifically, the concept of gender neutral bathrooms.

They refer to PSU on their web site:

http://www.godhatesfags.com/schedule.html

If you scroll down to 11/24, you'll see it on there.

The Queer Resource Center is mobilizing folks to get together for a counter-protest. There will be an organizational/poster making meeting at the QRC at 1pm on Friday. We will meet at the QRC on Monday morning at 7 am to pickup the posters and walk down to the site together. If you need any further information please call the Queer Resource Center at 503-725-9742.

The Glass Crack: Painfully Palin Part II

(originally posted 10/08 at wordpress)


by Gwen Davis

Though I had planned to change the topic of conversation away from last week’s post about Sarah Palin, the vice presidential debate brought my negative feelings toward the governor and my blood pressure to a new level. At the WRC volunteer orientation we talked about stereotypes associated with the world feminist. One stereotype I especially do nothing to counteract is angry.

damali ayo: Realities of What It Means to be an Activist Artist

(originally posted 10/08 at wordpress)


by Kaleigh Vance

On Tuesday September 30th, PSU’sWomen’s Resource Center along with B-Word/Bitch Magazine presented the first lecture in the series “Feminist Perspectives in Pop Culture” with damali ayo’s “Shut Up and Change: A Life as a Social Change Artist.”

Portland resident ayo has touched the lives of others with her art for as long as she can remember. Her first piece of artwork, an intricately made 3D replica of the White House, displayed early on her interest in our country and society. Since then she has contributed numerous works of art that have been displayed in galleries around the world.

Among her well known works of art is “the little black dress project,” of which damali says, “re-discovers the emotional, sensual, erotic, violent, intellectual, playful realities of women's lives." This project includes various dresses made to reflect the diversity of women’s experiences.

Another powerful piece is ayo’s “flesh tone.” With this particular project, ayo went to a paint store that claimed to be able to match any tone. She asked the salesperson if they could really match any color, to which he replied yes. “Can you match this?” she asked, as she pointed to her arm. The salesperson responded by saying, “Yes, but I’ve never matched a flesh tone before.” This was the first time damali recalls her skin as being referred to as “flesh tone.” In “flesh tone” damali painted a variety of canvases with eight different shades of her skin along with the audio of her conversations with the people at the paint shop entitled “the paintmixers.”

Ayo is also known for her work concerning anti-racism. One of her thought provoking pieces regarding race is “living flag” in which she panhandles for reparations on the streets of various cities. “Living flag” has led to the establishment of “The National Day of Panhandling for Reparations,” which started on October 10, 2007. An additional work by ayo addressing racism is “shift: we are not done” which is “an exploration of contemporary racism using everyday objects and cultural icons.” At the beginning of her gallery openings for this project, she asked people to wear what one would assume at first glance to be name tags, but in actuality said, “Hi! My race is…” on which the attendant would write either “black,” “white,” or “other.”

damali ayo is truly an innovative and inspirational artist and person, making the first lecture of the “Feminist Perspectives in Pop Culture” truly a success. Please join us at the next lecture of the series featuring Susie Bright on November 18th.

The Glass Crack: Painfully Palin

(originally posted 10/08 at wordpress)


by Gwen Davis

The Glass Crack is a new weekly column from PSU Grad Student Gwen Davis that revisits the previous week’s news stories and looks at them through a feminist eye. Granted, personal opinions, bias, rhetorical questions, and perhaps even a few logical fallacies will appear. At times it may seem like the author is confused, and that assumption is totally correct because many ways of the world—especially people—do not make sense. Comments, suggestions and guest columns are welcome and encouraged. Let this be an honest place to discuss the unfair, the beautiful, the perplexing, the wrong, and the right.

The title of the column is a reference to those 18 million cracks in the ceiling Hillary Clinton spoke of in her concession speech:

Although we weren’t able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it’s got about 18 million cracks in it. And the light is shining through like never before, filling us all with the hope and sure knowledge that the path will be a little easier next time. That has always been the history of progress in America.

- Hillary Clinton

With the presidential election mere weeks away, I have become increasingly interested in the Sarah Palin debacle. One news organization postulated that the initial excitement that surrounded the Republican Vice Presidential nominee was a result of voters considering her to be an answer to a non-existent Hillary Clinton Democratic ticket. Unfortunately for Republicans, hopeful women, and many swing voters Sarah Palin is not Hillary Clinton — to the relief of Democrats.

I recently received an email from a very good, liberal friend of mine from Colorado. The email contained an article written by Eve Ensler, playwright best known for The Vagina Monologues. The article expressed Ensler’s disgust over the McCain/Palin ticket. “I am a Feminist and have spent my life trying to build community, help empower women and stop violence against them,” she writes. “It is hard to write about Sarah Palin. This is why the Sarah Palin choice was all the more insidious and cynical.”

Women Our Age: Not Dying or “Dye-ing”

(originally posted 08/08 at wordpress)


by Emily Calkins

Mainstream culture has never been particularly kind to women, but once we hit that magic “middle age” number it gets even worse. We lose our value as an advertising commodity and that, in this society, is a real bummer (or do we still say that?).

I swore off the henna a little over a year ago. Being an organically oriented sort of person I never used chemical hair color, but I was looking for a new job at the time and figured my graying locks would reduce my odds. Falling for this is something I am not especially proud of, thinking about it in retrospect. Who was I kidding? I grew up in the 60s and 70s; “Hair” was often on my turntable; Gloria Steinem and Betty Freidan were in their heydays. I read “Our Bodies, Ourselves” in high school. There is no way I am going to hide that anymore.

Women do not have to conform to the prescribed role of middle-aged frump, any more than we should conform to any other kind of obedience. It’s almost like another type of rebellion, in a way. Our society revolves around fast everything, processed food, overwork, and materialism. All these things age us faster than just about anything else I can imagine. I take good care of myself because I want to be around when my grandchildren come along. Getting older is not about surrender; it is about staying vital, strong, healthy, and beautiful in whatever way fits us. It is about reading, writing, dancing, yoga, lifting weights, marching downtown for peace, and forgiving. Most of all, it is creating ourselves in this new “format,” whatever that happens to be.

Book Review: Dance Lest We All Fall Down by Dr. Margaret Willson

(originally posted 08/08 at wordpress)



review by kristyn stolze

Hey shesheet readers… I just finished a fascinating book a couple of weeks ago by an anthropologist living in Seattle, and I think you might enjoy knowing about it. You can order it through In Other Words and I highly recommend it.

The book, titled Dance Lest We All Fall Down, is by anthropologist Dr. Margaret Willson. It describes her experience living in Salvador, Brazil and developing the non-profit called Bahia Street alongside an incredible woman and friend of hers from Bahia named Rita Conceicao. These two women put their intelligent and creative minds together and came up with a way to make change available to young girls trapped in poverty in Salvador. After lots of conversation and research within the communities of Salvador, these women created a non-profit that provides young girls with an opportunity to get education otherwise unavailable to them. With often painful insight to the realities of these young girls’ lives, the book lets us see into some of the struggle involved in getting a non-profit started in a way that keeps the focus on the people it intends to serve.

Feminism Isn’t a Four-Letter Word, Part III

(originally posted 08/08 at wordpress)


by Blythe Pavlik

I am finding my voice thanks to feminism. I’m sure this is much of the reason why feminism and its participants get such a bad wrap. It is as if feminism is the can opener – and the can, of course is institutionalize, traditionalized, socialized… patriarchy.

Just some fun little things.

(originally posted 08/08 at wordpress)



I found the above image today, and the following quote last week. I liked them and thought I'd share. What fun or serious feminist quotes or images are your favorite? "There are very few jobs that actually require a penis or vagina. All other jobs should be open to everybody. " Florynce Kennedy