They line up in front of a courthouse in southeastern France, from morning to evening, and have gathered in the thousands in cities across the country. They hold signs reading, “one rape every six minutes,” “not all men but always a man,” and “giving in is not consenting.”

They chant: “Rapist we see you, victim we believe you.”

Women across France are rallying in support of Gisèle Pelicot, a 72-year-old reluctant icon whose husband is on trial in the city of Avignon for systematically drugging her and inviting dozens of men, 50 of whom are now his co-defendants, into their home to rape her over nearly a decade.

The shocking case has sparked what many women in France call a long-overdue reckoning over “rape culture” and systemic sexism in the way the judicial system handles sexual violence.

  • rekabis@lemmy.ca
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    14 hours ago

    Then maybe you should understand that women rape men as frequently as men rape women:

    And now the real surprise: when asked about experiences in the last 12 months, men reported being “made to penetrate”—either by physical force or due to intoxication—at virtually the same rates as women reported rape (both 1.1 percent in 2010, and 1.7 and 1.6 respectively in 2011).

    In other words, if being made to penetrate someone was counted as rape—and why shouldn’t it be?—then the headlines could have focused on a truly sensational CDC finding: that women rape men as often as men rape women.

    Now consider: how many women do you see convicted and jailed for rape?

    crickets

    That’s the sound of massive gender bigotry in play, right there - 50% of all cross-gender rapists getting away Scott-free, purely by virtue of their gender.

    • Stegget@lemmy.world
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      1 hour ago

      All you have to do is compare headlines for when teachers sexually assault their students. Male teachers are unilaterally declared to have raped their victims (and rightfully so) while female teachers “have sex” with the young boys they groom.

    • Akasazh@feddit.nl
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      11 hours ago

      His point is that is not what the article is about. It’s off-topic.

      I get that you’re passionate about getting your point across but it’s swamping the discussion a bit.

      • Mango@lemmy.world
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        9 hours ago

        It’s not off topic. If you link me to a YouTube video with a sponsor that really sucks, I’m gonna talk about how that sponsor sucks. You can’t just tack on some garbage and be all “just ignore that part, it’s not up for debate.”

        • Akasazh@feddit.nl
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          6 hours ago

          I understand that it merits discussion but every thread on this post is about that aspect, and that’s frankly a bit much.

          • Mango@lemmy.world
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            8 hours ago

            Show me a sign that’s demonizing me, and I’m gonna focus on that rather than whatever they’re pretending the sign is about. You teach your boys that their feelings don’t matter and that they’re bad out the gate and that’s how they’re gonna treat you when they’re older.

            • rekabis@lemmy.ca
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              4 hours ago

              You teach your boys that their feelings don’t matter and that they’re bad out the gate

              Cue mandatory anti-rape training at higher ed, but only for men, ramming home the myth that men are the source of all of society’s ills and the villain in all possible crimes.

            • Akasazh@feddit.nl
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              6 hours ago

              Whoa that escalated quickly, and is entirely not about what I was saying.

              • Mango@lemmy.world
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                6 hours ago

                Well if you wanna be on topic, address the problem instead of making it worse. We’re in here criticizing those people making it worse. Quit defending their bullshit.

                • Akasazh@feddit.nl
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                  5 hours ago

                  I didn’t defend anybody. You don’t get to put words in my mouth like that.