Where are the men horrified by Gisele Pelicot’s rape trial?

The story of Gisèle Pelicot traumatic, extreme, and yet another example of the unjust, ingrained social power of men and their over women; His experience must have been another moment when society said “enough is enough.”

And yet there’s a group of people hopelessly far away from urgent activism: the men themselves.

pelicot strong courtroom testimony Each of the male attackers must be convincing enough to reveal to men the great injustice and deep-seated injustice at the heart of our patriarchal society.

Now the conversation falls to men, that is, to all men. Heartbreaking revelations from a woman Being drugged and raped cannot be ignored or accepted as an indefensible extreme that does not warrant a vocal response. Quiet disapproval or disgust is not enough.

For men, it doesn’t matter that the threat of sexual violence is not as regular an occurrence as it is inherently felt or widely experienced; They still need to realize that they need to shout about this case as loudly as the women (and there are many). others occur daily).

I say this as victim related to rape myself. Yet I never try to compare my own experience with the historical, deeply ingrained inequality that forces women to remain silent and ashamed.

Pelicot inspired me. It shows that it is possible to benefit from a shared sense of solidarity among victims who have found relief from years of silence. Witnessing her defiance is both empowering and enraging, and grounds the MeToo movement.

But it’s hard. Fighting for change requires superhuman strength and perseverance. And society does not support these women; it only reinforces existing systems of inequality.

Pelicot himself challenged this: “It’s not our job to be ashamed, it’s their job.” He is a hero.

Thousands of women have amplified their message on social media, but solidarity for women’s rights is not widely expressed by men. Centuries of institutional misogyny are responsible for this. It took men just as long to understand the meaning of consent.

And if you’re wondering why we need to keep pushing; Why we need men to be part of the vanguard against gender-based sexual violence, consider: because without Men who add their voices to calls for change will never be opposed to language and views that lead (sometimes directly, sometimes indirectly) to sexual violence.

Look at those accused of raping Pelicot: they are husbands, sons, brothers; grandfathers, plumbers, train drivers and retirees. “Everyday” men are the kind we all know.

Men speaking out against men who commit acts of sexual violence is therefore an act of liberation – and could spark a social justice movement that has the potential to weave a groundbreaking new moral fabric for change.

It took me years to put my experience of sexual violence into words. It was unthinkably difficult to translate what I experienced into a factual explanation of how this all happened; how I felt at that moment and afterwards.

everyone experience It is unique and based on different emotions. It is a myth that all survivors will exhibit the same emotions when they choose (or are forced) to confront their victimization. No one is “typical”.

Personally, I had cried so much and masked the physical symptoms of my experience that I needed a forensic, top-down approach to help me understand what I was going through. I felt the same sense of shame that Gisèle Pelicot did. rightfully challenging.

After years of pushing the memories aside, I realized I couldn’t get this experience out of my mind. It was important for my sense of identity to acknowledge: Yes I a sacrifice.

So if we want to encourage men to become emotionally aware, thoughtful human beings rather than the emotionless pillars that society has oppressed them into, we need to start openly challenging sexist behavior.

We need to teach men to dispel rape myths and understand that the majority of sexual crimes are rape. loyalty not by the “lone attacker” but by close friends and family. We must put an end to harmful, divisive rhetoric. People like Andrew Tate.

I believe we can inspire through social change real to change. And we should call this an “act of freedom”; We must free men from the shackles of misogyny and help them rebel against toxic masculinity, fear, and inequality.

It’s so inspiring Pelicot’s invincible spiritalone is not enough. This cannot happen. And so I made this call to arms so that men could now speak and be free. Who is with me?