The Unitarian Universalist Women’s Federation condemns the alleged actions of the Cornell rapists and the lack of criminal sexual assault charges being brought against the alleged perpetrators of gang rape.
Our culture is soaked in misogyny.
It is so normalized that these seven young men dehumanized and objectified an incapacitated woman and repeatedly violated her with flagrancy and impunity.
It is so deep that the alleged crimes they committed did not result in criminal charges of any kind.
It is so commonplace that it is celebrated on SnapChat.
It is so ingrained that every young man who was present that night, whether they participated in the assaults or not, did nothing to stop it.
We cannot say much more that has not already been said, but we will say this:
- To the victim of these horrific crimes, we see you and we stand with you. You are not alone. We are holding you in love.
- To the millions of women+ who have also been violated, dehumanized, degraded and dismissed, we understand. Hearing these stories often causes us to relive our own horrors. Please be gentle with yourself–and if you can, avoid exposure to the news cycle to protect yourself.
- To the young men who are in environments where this kind of thing can occur, we invite you to take a good long look in the mirror.
If you see this entire incident as “blown out of proportion” or “unfair” to the alleged perpetrators, find resources for understanding the reality of rape culture and misogyny. Simply google “Understanding Rape Culture” to get started.
If you see yourself as someone who would have stepped in and stopped these flagrant crimes, we invite you to put a stop to the casual misogyny that creates the conditions for it. The jokes, the catcalls, the memes, the chats. Every day. Every time. - To the men who are no longer in college, we invite you to get busy. We need you to be publicly vocal. We need you to call in your peers when they say dismissive, degrading, disrespectful things to and about women+. We need you to be having conversations with the young men in your life. If you don’t have young men in your life, we need you to get some, and mentor them.
- To the congregations in our denomination–we hope you will use this moment as an opportunity to recommit to creating safe spaces for women+. This work is, apparently, never complete.
The Unitarian Universalist Women’s Federation will continue to work towards a feminist, womanist future where women+ are fully seen, protected, respected, and celebrated. Please join us.
Join the UUWF in Building an Irresistible Feminist, Womanist Future!