When the notorious Willie Sutton was asked why he robbed banks, he replied, “That’s where the money is.” For sexual or labor trafficking predators seeking access to children, a current answer may be an alphabet soup mix of the Departments of Homeland Security (DHS), Health & Human Services (HHS), and that agency’s Administration for Children & …
Jaclyn Friedman in Teen Vogue: Surviving Rape and Re-engaging in Sex
As a 50 year-old male, no, I’m not a regular Teen Vogue reader. Regardless, there are many things I love about celebrated feminist and writer Jaclyn Friedman’s Teen Vogue piece. The two principal ones are here: 1. The idea that survivors of sexual violence can use sex as a healing mechanism (or just that they can engage …
Nihilism and Disgrace: Mo Brooks and Roy Moore
Representative Brooks, you’ve disgraced yourself. Not only as a member of Congress and a powerful political figure in Alabama, but as a former prosecutor and an attorney beyond that. I have no idea what kinds of cases you were responsible for, either as an assistant in the Tuscaloosa office or the state attorney general’s office, …
Paranoia Strikes Deep: Ross Douthat, College Rape & Blaming Anyone But Rapists
Paranoia strikes deep. So does male patriarchy. Almost dreamily, Ross Douthat in yesterday’s New York Times bemoans a typical scene in American college life. Alcohol-fueled parties, he says, are a “twilit (or strobe-lit) scene in which many alleged sexual assaults take place.” Fair enough, but he then goes on to say the party environment is …
Buzzfeed on Dr. Kim Fromme: Blackout, Rape, & Common Sense
Katie Baker’s Buzzfeed article from August 7th showcased Dr. Kim Fromme, a clinical psychologist at UT Austin. Fromme has become a sought-after defense expert on alcohol consumption and its relationship to consent in sexual assault cases. This also makes her a flashpoint in an ongoing culture war. Sometimes, this is inevitable, and even desirable. Things …