Adventures of a Global Explorer

First of all, trigger warnings for rape and domestic violence/abuse.

I saw a question that a tumblr user got asked about whether or not feminists talk about male rape victims. The user replied that we do, but didn’t offer elaboration. These are my opinions on the subject.

I think that male rape victims need feminism, because the notion that men cannot be raped is because of a patriarchal societal mindset where men are the big, strong, invincible ones. For men to be raped then, becomes so shameful that they a) cannot talk about it and b) have very few or no resources for help.

This is similar in the domestic violence/domestic abuse sphere too, from what I’ve experienced. If someone mentions DV/DA, a person typically thinks of a man beating up a woman. This is not always the case. DV/DA occurs in LGBTQA relationships as well, and also in relationships where the female is the aggressor and the male is the victim. However, again, resources for such victims are limited and sometimes hard to find.

In both these scenarios, women are seen as the automatic victim. I think for men or members of the LGBTQA community to come out as victims of rape or DV/DA, there tends to be an extra sense of shame, because the issues haven’t been as visible. We as a whole need feminism because it challenges notions of women’s identity as victims and men’s identity aggressors, and allows for more resources for victims overall. I’m not saying that we should not look at female victims of rape or DV/DA, or that women are not usually victims. I’m simply saying that as feminism challenges patriarchal mindsets and rape culture overall, it also grants other victims, who are typically overlooked, to get the help they need as well. So yes, feminists should talk about male rape victims and others, because I think they are an important part of the movement.