Tag Archive for "military sexual assault"

Posts Tagged military sexual assault

Australian Army chief to men: Stop being bystanders to violence against women

Last year, as you might remember, Australian Army Lieutenant General David Morrison — the top ranked man in the Australian armed forces — made a video addressing sexual violence in the ranks. He famously urged men in the armed forces to stop being bystanders to sexual abuse among their colleagues, and told them that “the standard you walk past is the standard you accept.”

By Katie Halper • 11 years ago

Conservative media’s greatest misogynist hits of 2013: Feminism is a sexual perversion that causes statutory rape and more

This year’s greatest misogynist hits from conservative media included gems like, “You shut up. Know your role and shut your mouth,” the timeless assertion that feminism is “turning women into sexualized freaks,” and the classic claim that the victim was “manhandled” during “the so-called Steubenville Rape.” But there are so many more! Check them out after the jump.

By Katie Halper • 11 years ago

Watch Now: Senate debates military sexual assault bill

We’ve been blogging quite a bit about the Military Justice Improvement Act, which will help decrease sexual assault in the military. Well, watch senators debate the bill now! I (@kthalps) will be live tweeting it later.

By Katie Halper • 11 years ago

Is Bob Filner actually preying on sexual assault survivors?

The number of women who have accused San Diego Mayor (D) Bob Filner of sexual harassment is now 13. That’s 13 women who were violated by a man who told one woman who worked for him to come into work without panties; put his hand in a woman’s bra, forcibly kissed multiple women, abused his position of power and political connections, hit on women in what should have been political meetings. I’ve written about why what Filner did was very different from what Weiner did and how the media conflates the two as part of the same culture of sex scandals. But what Filner did was categorically worse than what Weiner did. He violated women who did ...

The number of women who have accused San Diego Mayor (D) Bob Filner of sexual harassment is now 13. That’s 13 women who were violated by a man who told one woman who worked for ...

By Maya Dusenbery • 11 years ago

Female soldier calls out victim-blaming Air Force flier with tips for how to “avoid becoming a victim” of sexual assault

Here’s a poster of helpful advice on “how to avoid being a victim” created by the sexual assault coordinator at Ohio’s Wright-Patterson Air Force base. Via Business Insider:

I particularly love that this list of tips–all eight of which are directed at the potential victim–is under the title “Preventing Sexual Assault is Everyone’s Duty!” Maybe the guidelines for would-be perpetrators were just accidentally printed on the opposite of the flier?

Here’s a poster of helpful advice on “how to avoid being a victim” created by the sexual assault coordinator at Ohio’s Wright-Patterson Air Force base. Via Business Insider:

I particularly love that this list of tips–all ...

By Katie Halper • 11 years ago

Conservative says women in military make up rape stories for money

Those of us concerned about the sexual assault epidemic ravaging the military can all the chill out, thanks to some really awesome news: women who join the military are pathological freaks who make up stories about being raped out of spite, for money or for attention. This, at least, is the opinion of esteemed (by fellow homophobic-racist- misogynists) “journalist” John Derbyshire. If that name sounds familiar, you’re either a FHRM (fellow homophobic-racist-misogynist) or you remember when Derbyshire urged white parents to follow his lead and have that really important, life-saving talk with their children about the birds and the bees the blacks. He advised his own children to, among other racist tricks, “(10a) Avoid concentrations of blacks not ...

By Katie Halper • 11 years ago

Senator Gillibrand’s attempt to improve military sexual assault protocol blocked

Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) has been one of the most vocal and valiant critics of the way the military has responded to the epidemic of sexual assault. Gillibrand had put forth a proposal, which had 27 co-sponsors, including 4 Republicans, to remove sexual assault cases from the chain of command and place them in hands of an independent prosecutor. Gillibrand succinctly explained the problem inherent in leaving the decision making power within the chain of command: “When any single victim of sexual assault is forced to salute her attacker, clearly our system is broken.”

Lest you think Gillibrand is some civilian utopionist, out of touch with the gritty realities of military life, you should know that SWAN (Service Women’s Action ...

By Maya Dusenbery • 11 years ago

Quote of the Day: “The military says they have zero tolerance, but in fact that’s not true.”

The recent spate of sexual assault prevention officers arrested has driven home how entrenched the military’s sexual assault problem really is. A few days after the latest scandal–three Navy football players are being investigated for raping a female midshipman at a party last year–some former servicewomen weighed in on the problem over at TPM. Dr. Katherine Scheirman, a retired Air Force colonel, says:

“The military says they have zero tolerance, but in fact that’s not true. Having a sexual assault case in your unit is considered something bad, so commanders have had an incredible incentive not to destroy their own careers by prosecuting someone.

The article, which is worth a full read, touches on some of the factors standing in the way of real ...