On Friday, Feb. 19, 2016 pop singer Kesha, known for “Tick Tok” and “Timber,” went head to head with producer and songwriter Dr. Luke in a court battle to determine whether or not Kesha could break her record contract with Luke following sexual assault allegations. Allegedly, Dr. Luke drugged and raped Kesha, amongst verbally and emotionally abusing her several times throughout the past ten years. Kesha took the case to court and was denied the ability to record music away from Luke’s company. The ruling cited that “not enough substantial evidence” was provided, forcing her to continue her career in close proximity to the man who allegedly raped her.
Photos taken of Kesha inside the courtroom show a crying, broken down person. Does that reaction look like the reaction of a liar to you? Although evidence is certainly an important factor in any court case, it seems like there should be a cause for pardon, or at least a means for negotiation, so that no one, no matter the circumstances, should be required to face their abuser on a daily basis.
The court ruling is a feminist issue, but not the generic “men and women are equal” definition of feminism. I’m referring to the true definition, where feminism is an all-encompassing term that applies to all oppressed identity groups. Bell Hooks, a feminist, author and advocate defines feminism as “a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression.” Oppression, therefore, is key. Anyone can be oppressed and anyone can be raped, no matter if they are female, male, black, white, old, young, disabled, etc. Therefore, anyone could face a court ruling that seemingly ignores the fact that they were abused. Â
Another argument that many people have is that Kesha was foolish to go court because there were upwards of $60 million dollars at stake, that both the singer and Luke would have lost portions of. To those who are ignorant enough to have such an insensitive opinion, I hope you realize that money is not a living, breathing, feeling human. Yes, it is an incredibly large sum. However, Kesha is someone’s daughter, niece, sister, friend, etc. How would you like the wellbeing of someone you love to be tossed aside for money? The potential monetary loss was presented in court, and although it is impossible to know whether or not it swayed the jury, it’s safe to say that it was at least weighed in the pros and cons list of both outcomes of the case.
Lack of evidence aside, if money was a deciding factor, I am incredibly scared for the future of our judicial system. While I do not doubt the integrity of our nation, I am very heavily criticizing the integrity of those who think economic value and business deals are more important than the physical, mental and emotional health of a human being. This is the mentality that feminists have been trying so diligently to eradicate. Everyone should matter for what they are- people. Human beings are not items; they have innate value, not economic.
 Although society does continue to make progress in ensuring equality for all, this case only reaffirms that we, as a community, have a long way to go. Rape and abuse allegations should not be ignored, no matter the cost. It doesn’t harm anything to ensure protection of human beings, and we need to continue to advocate for those people who, because of court rulings such as this one, are afraid to speak out about the fact that they were raped or abused.