With the help of #MeToo movement, a problem we all knew about but rarely discussed has gained a lot more traction. Yet, whenever the conversation turns about sexual violence, many people still try to shift the blame from assailant to the victim. Therefore, many victims are left with, probably, much bigger guilt then the attacker, after having their behavior, choices, lifestyle and especially clothing questioned in an attempt to find out how they have might have provoked the attack.
A writer and an activist Josh Weed took to Twitter to address the issue of ‘modesty culture’ that drives victim blaming even further
Image credits: The_Weed
Modesty culture suggests that women must dress in a certain way so they won’t provoke a sexual response in men. In an attempt to disprove this believe Josh raises an important question: who is responsible for their own desires – a person who’s experiencing them or people who surround him?
Well, the answer may not be so obvious to people who try to reinforce ‘modesty culture’ as a preventable measure against sexual violence.
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Josh goes to explain how ridiculous this responsibility shift is by offering his own experience. As a gay man, he has never felt that he has a right to control the clothing choices of other men because he might be arounsed by them.
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Then he goes on to explain how damaging this sort of victim-blaming is. Telling people how to dress does not prevent them from being assaulted and it is proven to be harmful. Victims who have experienced sexual violence suffer from secondary trauma when they endure victim blaming.
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Image credits: The_Weed
Josh’s well-put explanation of why women’s clothing has nothing to do with sexual violence was well received and praised by other users. Some thank him for stating so clearly what they had been thinking the whole time, others reveal how eye-opening it was for them to read it.
Here’s how people reacted
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Image credits: The_Weed
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