Category: General (Page 12 of 27)

Trigger warning: this article contains detailed discussion of the author’s personal experience of rape.

Until two days ago, I never saw myself as a rape victim. I could – to trusted friends – acknowledge and occasionally talk about the sexual assault that happened when I was an adolescent, and I was happy to make jokes about “that music teacher who locked himself in a cupboard with me…” without looking properly at the consequences of either of those events. I felt as though those two occasions were the limits of my negative sexual experience.

And then on Friday I found myself talking to a close friend about various relationships, and I described my relationship with the man to whom I lost my virginity. (As an aside, I really don’t like the terminology of ‘losing one’s virginity’ – it puts a really uncomfortable value on the whole thing, for me.) Having tried to explain what it was like, I ground to a halt. My friend looked at me, and said: “That was rape.” Continue reading

The creative writing on here is particularly moving and, in a way, designed to trigger, but can I put in a request that there is a consistent warning system? Personally, I feel less distressed at distress if I’ve been told in advance that I may be distressed – validates it.

Request for trigger warnings before referencing acts of violence, and special request for special warnings before referencing rape and suicide.

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Trigger Warning:

This piece references rape. Although it is in the context of someone else talking about rape, it could still be distressing to people. Any advice re. ways to rephrase this (trigger warning), please please let me know. My apologies for potentially causing distress to people in the time this article was uploaded without this passage preceding it. ft xo

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liberal flirted with the dykes and ditched them for a white wedding.
liberal bled the radiators and we basked in the warmth of self-importance, entitlement,
that ‘of course I can comment’ compulsion that
only we demi-gods know.

academy was a gauze – liberal

academy annihilated theory

through a painfully unintelligent reappraisal of theory.
some – how – this – doesn’t – quite – bolster – my – privilege
————————> i guess i’ll demolish it
how can i CARVE a CAREER out of this shit?
liberal academy announces that nothing is real, it’s all in your head, the end is nigh;
he believes in nothing,
but a reconstruction of the status quo –

do not object because you do not exist –
how dare you feel oppressed by my privilege, how fucking dare you.
———————————————————————
I
YOU ARE KNOWN TO BE SHOUTER.
I KNOW YOU ARE SHOUTER.
YOU CAN’T SHOUT DOWN RAPE.
NOT ALL RAPISTS ARE BAD.
SHUT UP YOU FUCKING BITCH.
YOU STUPID FUCKING BITCH.
WHEN YOU SHOUTED LIKE THAT YOU DIDN’T GET ANYWHERE
YOU (WILL) LET EVERYBODY DOWN, ESPECIALLY YOURSELF –
BITCH.
———————————————
II
IF THE LAW DOESN’T NEUTRALISE GENDER IT IS TRANSPHOBIC.
YOU ARE TRANSPHOBIC BECAUSE YOU SAY YOU HAVE BEEN RAPED.
YOU ARE TRANSPHOBIC BECAUSE YOU SAY YOU HAVE BEEN RAPED AND WERE TRIED AS A WOMAN WHO HAD BEEN RAPED BY A MAN.
HAVEN’T YOU HEARD OF DECONSTRUCTION.
HAVEN’T YOU HEARD OF DERRIDA.
YOU ARE HOLDING US BACK.
CIS: DOCTOR: LIBERATOR: LEADER: VANGUARD: REFORM
—————————————————————————
the liberal commitment to academic freedom:

it’s all up for grabs.
there is no such thing as power in a post-gender utopia – heaven forfend.
your privilege is the surround-sound shroud within which you are invincible.
rape is up for grabs. grab rape.
queers can be your gateway.
(if you ask nicely)
don’t say patriarchy.
reject everything.
accept all.
YOU BACKED YOURSELF INTO A CORNER.
MACKINNON HAS REALLY BACKED HERSELF INTO A CORNER
BUTLER’S REALLY BACKED HERSELF INTO A CORNER.
THEY CAN’T BEAR TO BE IN THE SAME ROOM TOGETHER —> THEIR THEORIES ARE VOID.
DWORKIN – IN A CORNER
MARXISTS? IN A CORNER
MY MAN SAYS HE’S NOT A PATRIARCH – THAT REALLY BACKED MACKINNON INTO A CORNER.
HARAWAY? IN HER CORNER.
SPIVAK? SUBALTERNISM FROM A WOMAN WHO LIVES ON THE UWS? CORNER!
——————————————————
liberal contained a clause:
#dontspeakout
#cleanupyouract
#riotcleanup
#broomsforclassliberation
#shutupdyke
#mendontrape
women’s agency subsumed into a language of postfeminism
that presumes that our ability to choose
eradicates culture,
that culture can be reduced to dust
dust to culture, culture to dust
where privilege is a word remembered only because of

furet

without fury