an Introduction from the editorsThis series is written in response to a complacency towards sexual assault and harassment perpetrated within and justified by WashU’s activist community.
Over the past year, we have seen an increased mobilization of rhetoric pacifying sexual assault. Shaming tactics have been used to devalue survivors and legitimize their harassers as activists. Problematic figures in our community have been hoisted up on a platform of intersectionality that erases rather than contributes to conversations about sexual violence. Sexual violence has in large part been defamiliarized from its anti-femme roots in social justice discussions. Gaslighting by perpetrators has made the concept of grey-area a comfortable alternative to confronting assaulters who are in our meetings; at our protests; writing our collective opinions. Sexual violence is not denied while it’s delegitimized. We have seen survivors harassed over the complexities of their assault while being asked to share space with perpetrators. There is no nuance in survivor hood. There is safe and there is unsafe. This series is intended to act as a guide for identifying anti-feminine discourse in disguise. It is also an opening for a larger discussion on an issue that requires immediate and direct action. This page will be updated over the next few weeks as articles are released. |