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Dean Saxton of the University of Arizona thinks girls deserve rape if they “dress like whores.” | Source: Twitter
A University of Arizona rally against rape took a hideous turn when the douchebag pictured here, Dean Saxton, decided to protest with a sign that read, “You deserve rape.”
The rally itself was in support of Take Back the Night, which focuses on healing victims of and preventing future sexual abuse and sexual violence. The event was deliberately held in April, which is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. But Dean Saxton, apparently unaware of the causes of sexual assault, thinks if you’re a victim of rape or sexual violence, you probably asked for it.
Dean Saxton is an idiot.
He preached an all-out slut shaming sermon near the event, ranting, “If you dress like a whore, act like a whore, you’re probably going to get raped. I think that girls that dress and act like it — they should realize that they do have partial responsibility, because I believe that they’re pretty much asking for it.”
I’m not going to get into Saxton’s Christian religious leanings, because that’s his business and there are plenty of Christians out there who aren’t sexist, intolerant pigs, and it’s unfair for one bad apple to represent an entire religion. But I will say that he’s sort of clueless and hypocritical about his own faith considering Jesus himself was said to be pretty good pals with a few prostitutes (what’s good, Mary Magdalene?) and was fiercely opposed to anyone judging others.
But I am going to reiterate the following because people like this jerk still exist: No matter what you do, wear, say or how you act, you are not asking to be raped.
Think of it this way: If I left my front door unlocked with a stack of hundred dollar bills in full view of anyone who passed by, that wouldn’t be a good idea, right? But it’d still be illegal and wrong for someone to come into my house uninvited and take that stack of cash, right? Same idea. That would still be stealing. If you go to a party in a short skirt and flirt with a guy who then forces himself upon and inside of you, that is still rape. And that is still wrong and illegal, and victim blaming is still immoral and ignorant.
Thankfully, much like Saxton doesn’t represent most Christians, he also doesn’t represent most of the University of Arizona in terms of his views on rape. They’re just sort of forced to let him spew his hateful, hate-fueled garbage because that’s what free speech allows: Whether or not something is accurate or kind, people have a right to say it. He hasn’t outright threatened or harmed anyone, other than marring our brains with his idiotic, misogynist raving, so he can do what he wants.
And, in going along with Saxton’s line of thinking of us asking for rape, based on how he’s acting, he’s asking for it: And by “it,” I mean criticism, ridicule and to die a virgin.
Do you think the University of Arizona should block this idiot from talking about rape? Do you think anyone ever deserves rape? Tell us in the comments!
Is it rape if you don’t call it “rape?”
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I get so angry when people blame the female for being “provocative”. They did not ask for it. No one has the right to rape anyone or sexual abuse or assault. It can cause so much hurt and pain for years. It can muck up peoples lives. It is so sick that one dirty rape for his pleasure which lasted only a few minutes can end up with a woman/child who feels so awful and has to go through counselling and pain to feel good again. Some people don’t understand how deeply hurtful rape can be. It can affect people’s view on safety and life. NO person, even if she is running nude ASKS for rape, if you do not have her consent, it is rape. I don’t care if you thought she was asking for it. Unless she agrees it is wrong.
I hate it when people say that sometimes women “deserve to be raped” or that “they were asking for it” it’s sickening to think that somebody would actually say that about a women who didn’t want or intended to have forced sexual intercourse, I mean that’s why it IS called rape. I really think that certain men should shut up and really think about the actual reason why women sadly do get raped.
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My sister’s boyfriend talked her into sneaking out to a party, and she drank too much, thinking that she was safe with him. Then he decided he wanted sex, and when she refused, he left her there, drunk. Other guys took advantage of her, passing her around like a bottle. Now people at school say she asked for it because she let herself get drunk.
No one deserves rape and Saxtonreally needs to walk outside and see this isn’t the 1950s. Anyone with that thought pattern is WRONG and certain to die alone, no friends or spouse!
I understand his point of view completely I once had the same state of mind, however he shouldve have found another way to approach the issue. Hes not saying girls deserve to get rape, but hes saying thosegirls who carry themelves in the “loose” matter set themselves up they way they adjust themselves. Fantaisa was raped when she was a teen. Her father beong a pastor did not press charges because he felt her clothing ave them to easy acess. I dont agree with the way he voiced his opinon, however we are not to bsh him for it, but to respect his point of view.
Your analogy about the hundred dollar bills was stupid. The analogy only proved that rape was illegal – it didn’t prove that rape isn’t the victim’s fault.
Also, you wrote ‘die a virgin’ as if it were a bad thing. You clearly support the right to freely express ourselves, as shown by how you say that rape victims should be able to dress freely without getting blamed. Choosing to never have sex may be uncommon, but it’s a form of expression (or non-expression?) in itself.
Get your logic right.
exactly. and with the money example, um, you would be totally asking for it, so it would be like 50% your fault if you did that, so you cant just blame it on the person whos stealing bc theres a temptation for things in human nature and this site needs to realize its not a perfect world and guys will take advantage of you so its the girls responsibility to protect herself too instead of assuming guys will think its wrong themselves.
Okay. No. To anyone commenting saying this is true, NO. women, in no case, deserve rape. Rapists are not monsters who come out of alleys to rape girls. A lot of them are normal guys, and they KNOW BETTER. Take the Steubenville rapists. Because that girl was drunk and at a party, people say she deserved it. No, she didn’t. Those boys knew much better than to rape her. They should be blamed completely. If a girl wears something revealing, she is allowed to do that. It saddens me that girls my age (I’m 16) think that someone deserves rape. Rape is a crime of power, not a sexual crime. The idea of “boys will be boys” is POISON to our society. Teach young men NOT TO RAPE. Don’t teach girls to dress well and not get raped.
I completely agree with you. I think it’s SICK that the message people are trying to send is “it’s a bad idea to dress this way because someone will rape you” instead of “don’t rape people because *insert all the reasons why here*”. You have a right to wear whatever you want. Anyone who says otherwise is incredibly shallow and close-minded.
To be honest, I wouldn’t feel comfortable wearing a really short skirt or showing a lot of cleavage. However, some girls do enjoy wearing that kind of clothes and it’s completely respectable. Girls, I believe we all should be aware of all of the jerks and criminals out there. We should be careful. But you’re never asking for it. Whether you’re wearing a revealing dress or an amazing pair of trousers, you deserve to be respected, no matter what. Trying to blame the victim is just so unfair and stupid.
It might still be illegal, but if a girl is dressing and acting like a slut, she is asking for it. Just like you would be asking to get stolen from of you left your door unlocked with 100 dollar bills in the window. Doesn’t mean that rape or stealing is right. It just means you shouldn’t dress like a whore and expect not to get unwanted sexual attention.
There’s a difference between a little attention and RAPE! Just because a girl is in revealing clothing doesn’t mean men can’t control themselves. Women should be allowed to wear whatever they want and still be safe. Tell men not to rape! That’s the issue here! That men are choosing to rape women. You’re saying that just because a girl is showing skin she’s asking to be raped? Hell no. Society is stupid for letting people believe that. You’re contributing to a pro-rape culture. Dressing however you want is legal. Raping someone is not.
I agree totally with you.(Kerin) Society always preaches “Don’t get raped” and not “Don’t rape”. Dressing provocatively doesn’t mean a guy has a right to FORCE you in to a UNWANTED sexual act. Yes it may turn heads but it doesn’t mean that a guy simply cannot control himself and JUST HAS TO HAVE FORCIBLE SEX with you. “Dressing like a whore” is 100% subjective, and varies according to culture. So in fact “dressing like a whore” could be what you wore to school to some cultures. It is SUBJECTIVE and NOT A VALID EXCUSE FOR RAPE. Fact is NO IS NO, SILENCE IS NO, INTOXICATION IS NO, PASSED OUT IS NO,. AND NO MATTER HOW YOU DRESS CHANGES THESE THINGS.
Thank you!!
SERIOUSLY! HOW CAN YOU EVEN SAY THAT?
1) slut is a derogatory term used to shame women about their sexuality. You should never use it
2) NO ONE asks for rape! NO ONE asks to be violated like that!
3) Women should be able to wear whatever they want and not be seen as asking to be assaulted in such a devastating way!
4) You have no right to judge someone, period. (Especially not for something as personal and private as sexuality)
5) Please don’t take this as an attack on you. I just disagree with your comment and the thought process behind it. It’s called just-world hypothesis where we assume the world is a fair place so if a bad thing happens to an innocent person we explain the misfortune by saying the victim did something to bring it on. (not trying to be a know-it-all, i’m an ap psych student and I will never use this knowledge again so…)
Nobody’s asking for it unless they literally say something to the effect of, “I want to have sex with you.” Rape is about consent, not clothes.
Um, what is “dressing and acting like a slut” for you Lauren? Wearing shorts? Wearing a short skirt/dress? Oh, got worse, wearing a bikini (because there is sooo much skin showed off, a girl in bikini surely asks for rape!). Acting like a slut? Are you even a mature women? Is “sexy dancing” acting like a slut for you? Is flirting acting like a slut to you? Please tell me more, because I cannot compute that a girl in 2013 still says “you shouldn’t dress like a whore and expect not to get unwanted sexual attention.” which is SUCH a misogynist way of thinking, especially for a women (go look up that word if you don’t know what it means. It’d help you).
I don’t know if you realize, but you’re no better than Saxton in this; you put the blame on the victim through society’s slut-shaming propaganda. This is not okay, and please, guys can control themselves (they’re not animals and they make the decision to rape knowing it’s so, so wrong and that it’s going to destroy that girl’s life), just as (I wish) you’d be able to control yourself in front of the 100$ in the window example… would you?
Think twice before saying stupid things like this. Thank you.
Not Lauren here; different person, and also female. I also happen to be committed to permanent celibate singlehood and feel justified in my disapproval of those who are not. I use the word slut to refer to males too; in fact, anyone with sexual interest is a slut to me. In the “good old days,” you’d NEVER be allowed to even leave the house without covering up fully, otherwise your parents were absolutely right in saying you were “asking for trouble”! Also, in the 1950s young men were taught to respect women and not just “go for it,” to be gentlemen rather than pigs.
I blame feminism for lowering the standards, however; if women weren’t going to act proper and display good manners, then men figured why bother showing them respect if they don’t show any to us. I have never dated, never kissed and never had a “boyfriend” and have absolutely zero intent of doing so either. And yes, “showing skin” in any capacity, I believe qualifies you as a slut. Personal responsibility is disastrously scarce in this “liberated” day and age. It takes two to tango, so guess what: both people share the blame. Bikinis, shorts, tank tops — anything but what the Muslims wear, yeah, I’d say you’re asking for it!
Muslim women who wear conservative attire are raped too so I’m not sure as to what you’re trying to prove here. Rape is about power, not what you wear.
A girl is *never* asking for rape. Everyone has the right to dress and act however they’d like, within the law. It is a woman’s right to get dressed up and go out if she so pleases, and to flirt.
The idea of acting like a “slut” is extremely sexist in the first place. If a guy was to go out with a ton of girls, or sleep around, he’s called a “player”, and it’s not that big of a deal. If a girl does those things, she’s called “whore” and has ignorant people like you suggesting that she DESERVES rape.
No one, ever, deserves to be raped. It is a gross violation of basic human rights and robs a person of their power and dignity. No one should have the power to do that to another human being, and it should NEVER be done to them.
The fact that you can state “if a girl is dressing and acting like a slut, she is asking for it” proves how backwards and misogynistic our society is, and the kind of terrible people that exist.
I’ll pray for you, and hope you seriously reconsider what you’ve said.
And just a thought to end with… When your mother, sister, friend, or daughter gets raped because “they were dressed like a slut”, will it be their fault?
Rape isn’t something we ask for. Just because a girl wants to liberate herself in the way she dresses, and try to feel a little sexy, does not mean she wants to be raped. No one is asking to get raped, or robbed, they just think that things like that won’t happen, they didn’t plan it all out, wanting those things to happen to them. Women should be able to dress or act however they want with the people they want. Plus, people will pretty much get raped regardless of what they are wearing. If you went to take out the trash, still in your pajama shorts or something, were you asking to get raped? I don’t think so.
And why would she want to feel sexy, if not to attract sexual attention? Ahem, the key word here is “sex.” If you can’t take the heat, bundle up like it’s cold outside!
The whole idea of rape is that it is UNWANTED. No one asks for rape! Why would they? If they did it would be called consented sex.
I agree with you, but i have to point out that he was friends with ex-prostitutes who had repented for their ways.
Honestly, that really has nothing to do with it…. it doesn’t matter who he’s friends with, what those friends used to do… no. Kerin is absolutely correct. We need to be blaming the men who rape, not the girls and women for what they were wearing. Getting hit on is one thing, yes. If you’re going to dress in more revealing clothing, expect the attention. But if the female in question says “No, not interested” then the men need to LEAVE IT BE and WALK AWAY. They have NO right to force themselves on a woman just because they could see a bit more leg or breast than usual.