On Double Standards (or Oh No She Didn’t!)

Emily Nelson on Oh, a Woman Did Something Bad? Must Not Count:

Women get a double standard generally. There is this absurd notion that women are somehow less violent than men and if women were to rule the world, we would experience international peace. Yeah right. Which is totally why no women ever commit murder or other violent crimes. Or rape (yes, women do commit rape). Or murder their children. Or are abusive to their spouses. I mean, clearly, it just doesn’t happen, yeah?

As a male survivor of a female rapist, I have been served giant scoops of this garbage over the years.

While the victim-blaming and shaming are bad for any rape survivor regardless of gender, when a woman is the perp people will perform unparalleled styles of mental gymnastics to excuse, downplay or outright deny responsibility on the woman’s part. I was told (more than once) to “try to think about what she must have endured in order to have committed such a crime” against me.

She drugged, raped and blackmailed me into silence but she is the victim and I am expected to be understanding and sympathetic.

Some days, I really hate people.

Relevant Links:

http://theundiscoveredcountry.wordpress.com/2011/07/03/oh-a-woman-did-something-bad-must-not-count/