After hearing the responses (and jokes) about Taylor Swift’s sexual assault case, I feel the need to speak up. I’m not a big Taylor Swift fan anymore (though I went through my phase), but I’m appalled by some of the responses to her recent sexual assault battle.
According to an article on pagesix.com, Swift has had to contact radio stations to ask them not to joke about her sexual assault. (EXCUSE ME?) Furthermore, I have seen my fair share of jokes and dismissive comments that ultimately place the blame on her.
I am not here to bash genders. Furthermore, this is not an article saying that everything must be exactly equal between women and men. Frankly, I feel that total equality of genders is nearly impossible due to biological differences.
HOWEVER, women deserve the same respect from society as men. No matter who the woman or what the situation is, sexual assault is not a light topic that we should joke about.
Women shouldn't have to experience sexual assault, to begin with (no one should), and they ESPECIALLY should not be denounced or ridiculed for speaking up. Our physical person is not up for grabs and you may not invalidate our minds, emotions, and spirits. Women don’t deserve to be treated as objects and then blamed as the ones at fault for being treated this way.
The infamous phrases “it’s a man’s world,” “boys are just stupid,” or “boys will be boys” dismiss poor and unfair actions by saying that men are not responsible for their own actions. It puts the blame on women. The more I think about these sayings, the angrier I get.
- Ignorance is never an acceptable excuse.
- Society has MADE it a man’s world because of our views towards women.
You may say, “Why get so fired up about this now?” My answer is simply this: I’m tired of living in a world where men are taken more seriously than women.
A world where a woman can report and go to trial for being sexually assaulted, but instead of recieving support, they are made into a gag over public radio and social media.
Do we have no empathy anymore? It makes me sick to my stomach to think that people can make jokes about sexual assault.
No matter who it is, Taylor Swift or the girl from school, sexual assault is not a joke. That is someone who has been violated. That is abuse and humiliation, yet it happens every day to millions of women and girls. It’s unacceptable to let men who disrespect women like this off the hook with a saying as simple as “It’s a man’s world.”
NO! As a woman, I take responsibilities for my own actions. I live on the same earth and I can be just as “useful” as a man. I shouldn’t have to take on more responsibility, especially when there is never an equal payout for doing so. I don’t treat men like they are pieces of meat. I don’t objectify them. I respect boundaries and I don’t assume every little action to be consent.
Just to clarify, this is not an “I hate men” article. I realize that not everyone shares the same unfortunate fate and not all people who are sexually abused are women.
However, I want the prevalence of oppression against women to stop. I do respect men who take responsibility for their actions and don’t take advantage of women. I don’t appreciate men who treat women as objects and act like they are entitled to a woman — her mind, her soul and her body to their entirety. Women are valuable too and should not be regarded as a joke. It’s not just your world, men. Women are here too and we are mighty.
