As a 2013 graduate of OU and fellow activist, I am excited that there is an active group of activists attempting to challenge rape culture. You only have to look at recent events in Athens (e.g. blurred-lines debate) to see the need for a group of students energized to eradicate rape culture especially at OU.
However, I am always critical of the message and mission of activism groups. After long conversations with a group of activists from around the world as well as my own experience, I felt compelled to offer a few things to consider that I have yet to see enter the literature on the group and in the media surrounding the movement:
1. Rape Culture and its effect on men: This seems to be hugely overlooked. I presume it is because women are approximately five times more likely to be sexually assaulted than men (based on reports of sexual assaults from the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network). This, however, does not excuse excluding rape culture’s effect on men especially when these reports are based only on those who report sexual assault. I would argue that rape culture asserts men as the aggressor and women as the victim. While this is statistically likely, it leads to gender-profiling men for sexual assaults. This is akin to racial-profiling black men because they are statistically more likely to be in prison for a crime. Most activists agree this is a bad idea.
2. Issue of Responsibility: A huge (successful) effort has been made to change OU’s policy on granting amnesty to those who are intoxicated. However, who takes responsibility when both parties are equally intoxicated? In the status quo, the male, who was equally taken advantage of, would be held responsible while the female is the “victim.” I have been a witness to this countless times and it is a product of a culture where the male is only seen as the aggressor.
3. Target groups: I read, on the blog of one the creators of Fu—Rape Culture introducing the group, that they would target specific groups for consent education including: (1) Athletes because of their “overwhelming financial support” (2) Greek-life because of their “close association with the university”, and (3) First-years. Curiously, the reasoning for (1) and (2) seem quite vague. If athletes, why not Templeton or Cutler Scholars or others who receive financial support? If Greek life why not any student organization that has a close association with the university. Vague reasons for targeting specific groups can be quite dangerous in activism.
There are important factors (I have only highlighted three) that seem to be neglected by the current movement and should be addressed not only for clarity but to make a stronger and more inclusive movement. I hope this letter can help start a critical and academic conversation surrounding rape culture and (radical but clear) methods to fighting it.
Keith Hawkins is an OU Honors Tutorial College alumnus who studied astrophysics and winner of the Marshall Award to study astronomy at Cambridge University.
