Sensitive Content: This story includes topics such as rape, rape culture and sexual assault

By definition, rape culture is a sociological theory of a setting in which rape is pervasive and normalized due to societal attitudes about gender and sexuality. 

I was scrolling through Instagram this fine November morning and came upon a post that said:

“People get uncomfortable talking about sex and have a hard time saying the words penis and vagina, but then expect rape victims to just walk into a police station and talk to a detective like it’s nothing,” Brenda Tracy said. 

This hit too close to home, personally. After I was sexually assaulted two years ago, I was expected to talk about my trauma and report what had happened. 

Oh, and I was left with a massive emergency room bill to pay, leaving me even more traumatized. 

There are many reasons why individuals don’t report, one of them being fear of victim-blaming. 

Things like “were you drunk?”, “boys will be boys,” “you have no proof” and “you never said no” are why I didn’t report to the police. Instead, I reported to the Center for Awareness of Sexual Assault on campus, yet my assaulter still only walked away with nothing more than a slap on his wrist. 

Some examples of rape culture are as followed; rape jokes, slut-shaming, catcalling, gender slurs, victim-blaming and supporting abusers — this one is self-explanatory. All genders are capable of enabling rape culture. 

By doing any of the things above, you instantly lose my respect. 

Now I know what you are thinking, who would joke about rape? You wouldn’t believe the number of times I hear people using it as the butt of some insensitive double-entendre. 

The other day while sitting in Davies, I overheard a student say to another student, “That exam just raped me.” 

It doesn’t matter what context it was put in, it was wrong no matter what. 

Rape was already a thing back in the 1950s when women wore pleated, below-the-knee skirts. Rape was already a thing in the 1980s when women wore frocks and several layers of clothing underneath. 

It isn’t anything new, it’s been going on for millenniums. 

Rape has nothing to do with fashion, instead, it has everything to do with the rapist. 

What gets me every time is that driving while drunk is a crime, but raping while drunk is an excuse. 

It just leaves me absolutely speechless. 

I shouldn’t have to worry about covering my drink at a bar in fear of having a drug slipped into it; I shouldn’t have to fear walking alone in fear of being snatched; I shouldn’t have to carry my keys in my hands for self-defense; I shouldn’t have to worry about drinking too much in fear of being taken advantage of. 

This world we live in is so unbelievably messed up and I’ve had enough. I want to see a change but I can’t do it alone. So, who’s with me? Let’s change our world. Let’s end rape culture. Let’s stand as one. 

If you are in need of help, here are some resources you can utilize. CASA, Student Advocates for Sexual Assault, counseling services and you can even contact me, too. 

Geiger can be reached at [email protected]