Rape Culture Exists: Do you believe it now?
I always been proud about attending UW-La Crosse, the #1 safest college campus in Wisconsin. I am a huge advocate for speaking out against sexual assault and rape culture. I have had the privilege to open up about sexual assault and help to “normalize” the conversation through different organizations and clubs.
So, when I heard about the sign that a group of young men hung that targeted freshman girls, I can’t say that I was surprised… I was disappointed, ashamed and angry, but not surprised. What you need to know is this: A few weekends ago, a group of men crafted a sign that read “Free Creampies with valid Freshman ID”. They then hung the banner outside their house and proceeded to post photos via Instagram with captions that read “Absolutely” and “Your typical Lax douchebags.” The term “creampies” is a derogatory term that you can find the meaning of on Urban Dictionary.
So what’s the big deal? This happens on a lot of campuses and it was just a joke, right? Not exactly. Although the students claim the sign was “harmless”, the meaning behind it plays into something much deeper and hard-hitting. The sign was a vivid display of what comprises rape culture. Rape culture includes jokes, TV, music, advertising, legal jargon, laws, WORDS AND IMAGERY, that make violence and sexual coercion against women normal. Rather than viewing the culture of rape as a problem to change, people in a rape culture think about the persistence of rape and sexual assault as “just the way things are.” By normalizing this behavior, we are setting an example for not only our peers, but as well as the younger generation that it is okay to victimize women. The truth is, 1 in 4 women have been a victim of sexual assault, but 3% of the perpetrators have spent time in jail for their crimes. Every 2.6 minutes, someone is raped. The few rapists who do spend time in jail often get lesser sentences. Example? Brock Turner.
Men and women are both victims of sexual assault, but statistics show that the percentage of women sexually assaulted is significantly higher. Why is that? Because rape is normalized in our society (thanks to the specific students of UWL for showing us that!) By these statements, I am in no way calling any of the people involved rapists. But, they are making it okay to degrade women, slut-shame them, along with refusing to acknowledge harm caused by sexual violence.
So what now? Well, the young men involved made it clear that they are “not scared” of any punishment they will get (read the comments on the screenshots). BUT they have deleted the original post, which is contradictory. The student who hung the sign also stated that he “doesn’t regret hanging the sign” and that he’s “sorry that you took it the way you did.” I don’t think there is another way to interpret performing a sexual act on someone. He also the sign was “innocent.” The blatant attempt with the “Freshman ID” part was potentially a ploy to manipulate the vulnerability of new students. This sends a message to young women that they are not human beings, but just sexualized objects.
I’m not sure whether the intent of that sign was to get a few laughs, or to shock a few parents, but I do know that it created a sexually-threatening environment to the young women on our campus. Unfortunately, it puts the university in a bad light and reflects on the students as a whole. There are many universities where these signs are made and put out for the world to see—don’t believe me? Google “rape culture” and a million will pop up. I was always so proud that I had never seen one around UWL’s neighborhoods. I can no longer say that.
I commend and praise anyone who has stood up for UWL’s young women through this disgusting, yet unfortunately common event. Although a vulgar situation, I can only hope that we are spreading awareness through this act to ensure that it will cease to exist. Education on rape culture can start at an early age with appropriate topics. Small contributions can only help as you step into a world that is so full of hate and gender inequality.
Thank you for taking the time to read this article and educate yourself on the effects of rape culture and how it has affected the young women who attend UW-La Crosse. Thank you to the men who have started this wildfire—not only have you worried parents to send their children to this university, but you have probably disappointed your own.
For more information, please refer to these various news articles, as well as Demi Dahl’s Facebook page:
http://www.wxow.com/story/33032691/2016/09/06/crude-sign-causes-backlash-at-uw-la-crosse
https://www.facebook.com/demi.weisbrod?fref=ts