The world watched in pain as Kesha sobbed in the courtroom this Friday as the judge refused to allow the breaching of a contract. Kesha will have to stay in business with Sony, and Dr. Luke - the man who allegedly raped her.
Kesha has been attempting to null her contract with Dr. Luke after claiming that he drugged and rapped her during their partnership. New York Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich "spoke of the lack of medical evidence such as hospital records to corroborate the assault allegations," and claims that the judge had to do the commercially reasonable thing. As her contract stands, Kesha will have to make more albums with Dr. Luke, or none at all.
Had Kesha been writing more serious music, would the outcome been different? Had Kesha not been a reality star, or a sex object, would the outcome be different?
It shouldn't matter. Kesha is a victim and she is being ignored. Kesha says that she was raped at 18. She has been in and out of rehab from that point and demonstrates clear signs of mental distress. That should be enough to let her out of her contract - but it isn't.
It doesn't make any sense to uphold this contract. To expect medical records on a rape is to ignore the facts of most cases. The majority of rape victims do not speak out until significantly after the fact. Why? For the exact reasons outlined in this case. Victims are doubted, blamed, and blatantly ignored often.
Bottom line - We live in a world where abusers can thrive and those who are abused can be taken advantage of. These are obviously broad generalizations, but think about it. When Billy Cosby is accused of rape, we question the validity of the victims. No one presses charges on Johnny Manziel when his girlfriend tells police she was beat and lost hearing because of him. I could go on with the seemingly endless cases where the victims are shunned for coming out, or marked as ridiculous for something as minute as their wardrobe or attitude.
And these are just the names we hear- imagine the kind of culture this produces on a small scale. This is the example that we are giving to high schoolers - that the victims are the ones we should be distrusting. This perpetuates rape culture and sets an example to degrade the victim.
Luckily there are plenty of people standing with Kesha. 100,000 fans are calling the boycott of Sony, and plenty more are picketing outside of the courthouse her hearings are taking place. Demi Lovato is one of many stars to speak out in support. Hopefully this will be enough.
I stand with Kesha. I stand with the victims of abuse. Share this article and others if you agree.
