Canadian Federal Judge Robin Camp is undergoing a hearing to determine whether or not he will stay on the bench after an investigation into a 2014 rape case over which he presided.
During the 2014 trial, Judge Camp was quoted as saying (to the victim), “Why didn’t you just keep your knees together?”
“Why didn’t she just skew her pelvis to avoid penetration?”
“Women want to have sex, particularly if they’re drunk.”
The rapist in the case was acquitted.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is the definition of rape culture, and we need to be angry as hell about it. We need to raise our voices to make a change.
Sexual assault isn’t what SVU makes it out to be. It is rarely a back-alley gunman attacking a stranger late at night. It happens when you kiss a guy and he puts his hands up your skirt, ignoring your request to take things slowly. It happens when your boyfriend gives you a guilt trip for leaving him “high and dry.” It happens when a date assumes any physical contact is tacit permission for sex.
My best friend lost her virginity to her college boyfriend while she was drunk one night. She wasn’t normally a boozer but got carried away on her 21st birthday and passed out in bed with him. She awoke to him on top of her. After that, she just figured she was damaged goods. She blamed herself for drinking and for sleeping next to him. The line had been crossed, so she decided there was no point in staying celibate after that. Since she loved the guy, she justified his actions.
She protected her rapist.
In fact, she didn’t even realize what he did was rape until years later.
Many women have a similar story. We got physical with men because they kept crossing the line–little by little–until we gave in. No one told us about consent.
I want better for my children.
I want my son to know right from wrong. I want his capacity to listen to a woman’s comfort level to be greater than his selfish agenda.
I want my daughter to know that every physical turn a relationship takes needs to be a mutual decision.
That’s why I won’t stand for Judge Robin Camp’s flippant language, and neither should you. It’s time for us to call his verbiage exactly what it is: rape culture.
The sooner we admit that, the sooner we can change our culture for the better.