Why We Need Consent Culture

By now I'm sure you've heard about the ridiculous comments Missouri Republican candidate Todd Akin said regarding abortion, and when, if ever, it should be allowed in cases of rape. His sentiment is/was, and I quote:

"First of all, from what I understand from doctors, that's really rare [for a woman to get pregnant as a result of rape]...If it's a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down."

He goes on to say how, even in the cases of "legitimate rape," the rapist should be punished, and not the "child."

Now here's where things go from bad to worse. Akin has apologized for his comments...kinda. He said he "misspoke." He said he shouldn't have used the term "legitimate rape," because what he meant was "forcible rape."

This is why we need consent culture, people. Because no matter how nit-picky people can be get about it sometimes, no matter how annoying and frustrating and headache-inducing the whole issue can be, sometimes, we need to brush all our differences aside, stand up as one, and yell:

NOTHING CAN BE DEEMED CONSENSUAL WITHOUT CONSENT. IT'S THAT SIMPLE. 

According to many people out there, including the people representing us in government, (including many people in the kink community, I think) there is still such a thing as "grey-area rape." Meaning-- well, she said no, but...she really wanted it. She knew what she was getting herself into. By what she was wearing, by what she was doing, she was asking for it. She needs to take responsibility for what happened, too. 

In other words? It wasn't really rape. 

Now, big surprise, we learn that Akin, along with his Republic cohorts, including Vice-President hopeful Paul Ryan, wanted to pass a bill that would have redefined the definition of rape. Their definition of rape would have excluded teenagers impregnated by older men; incest victims; basically, anyone under legal age; any woman who is drugged, drunk, or is mentally disabled.

Akin is perfectly able to say, with a straight face, that he thinks rape is abhorrent. He thinks rapists are the lowest of the low. 

But who is a rapist, according to him?

Not the guy who takes advantage of a sixteen-year-old. Not the guy who slips a pill in a woman's drink at a bar to 'loosen her up a little.' No; unless there are obvious signs of force, it wasn't rape at all.

It is this mentality we are still fighting in this day and age. It is this mentality which consent culture tries so hard to expose, to battle, and hopefully, to eradicate. And as long as there are people like Akin out there, I will be out there too, calling myself a proud feminist, a member of consent culture, fighting back as much as I can.

Care to join me?