Category: Sexual harrassment

The Kiss that Overshadowed Spanish Women’s Soccer History

Women’s soccer is a passion of mine and while USA is my team, even I had to admit that at this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup Spain was a dominant force. Their team was among the best, if not the best, that I had watched in my time as a fan. I spent the cup in awe of their ability. This came at a time in which women’s sports are beginning to gain traction, more people than ever watched the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, the University of Nebraska’s women’s volleyball team broke the record for highest attendance at a women’s sporting event, and the World Cup itself was gaining viewership. This team was poised to make history and make history they did. In front of the eyes of the world they brought home Spain’s first ever Women’s World Cup Final victory. Unfortunately, the attention on their victory did not last.

During their celebrations, Vice President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales kissed player Jenni Hermoso without her consent. Within the week Spanish soccer shut down. No longer were discussions of the women’s team about their victory, but instead about this kiss and the perpetrator who refuses to step down.

The public outcry has been somewhat unique compared to many incidents in women’s sports. In past instances the supporters of the women that were impacted by these events are majority women as well, especially within the realm of support from other athletes, but this time was different. Players from men’s and women’s teams across Spain made statements in open opposition to Rubiales continuing to hold his office. Athletes from both sections of Spanish soccer have pledged to refuse to play for Spain so long as Rubiales remains in office.

Are there instances that have played out in a similar manner in other settings? I’m curious if there has been similar support for a woman in this sort of situation outside of sports.

Op-Ed Piece: Microagressions—>Macro Consequences

This Op-Ed will focus on sexuality based violence and discrimination against asexual individuals by both those within the LGBTQ+ Community and those outside of it, stemming from the problem of microagressions as the building blocks of further hate crimes, prejudice, and discrimination as demonstrated by GALOP’s Acephobia and Anti-Asexual Hate Crimes section.

As an openly asexual woman (she/they), I have experienced negative interactions based on my sexuality before. These experience stem from acephobia or aphobia (discrimination or prejudice against asexual individuals). Mostnotably, a specific altercation based on the assumption that asexuality is not a real sexuality in an attempt to ‘disprove’ my sexuality, and not a part of the LGBTQ+ Community and is thus just an identity to garner “minority points”—as if we are all in some sort of competition of who experiences the most marginalization. This is simply not the case; every person within the LGBTQ+ community faces unique forms of discrimination, stereotyping, prejudice, etc., based on their intersectional identity. For example, a black lesbian woman, such as black feminist activists Audre Lorde (a notable poet) and Barbara Smith (a primary author of The Combahee River Collective involved in the National Black Feminist Organization) would face the triple jeopardy (stemming from a black feminist theory of multiple oppressions, jeopardy, and consciousness that comes with being a woman and person of color) of being black, of being a woman, and of being a lesbian in a society dominated by the white heteronormative (pertaining to the dominance of heterosexuality and heteromanticism as the default orientations our society revolves around and caters to) patriarchy (the dominance of maleness at the top of the social power pyramid in gender dynamics).

These hegemonies (dominant cultural ideals) of which demographics of race, gender, sexuality, social class, etc., have the most privilege and power in society compound on and interact with one another to form one’s full and unique intersectional (interaction of all traits of an individual impacting their status in society and subsequent advantages and disadvantages, such as race, gender, and class) identity.

Those on the asexual spectrum (aspec) may identify as asexual, grey-ace, demisexual, or anywhere else or in between on said spectrum.  Per the split attraction model, the model that divides sexual and romantic attraction into two distinct categories (so, for example, one could be asexual and biromantic, asexual and aromantic, asexual and homoromantic, etc.), a further intersectionality exists when we take into account gender identity, sexual orientation, and romantic orientation, in addition to all previously discussed demographic factors, demonstrating just how diverse the LGBTQ+ Community is and how accepting and open those within it need to be to all people within the community for the mental health and well-being of asexual and all LGBTQ+ youth and individuals. The mental health of asexual individuals can be strongly impacted by their level of acceptance by their peers both within the LGBTQ+ community and outside of it.

Many aspec individuals have experienced some form of microaggression (an indirect action or statement that is subtly discriminatory or prejudiced to an individual or group) in which their sexuality has been reduced to simply “not finding the right one” or a personality trait in which one is viewed as cold or robotic due to their apparent lack of attraction. Much like how in other communities microagressions are a gateway to something much more sinister, some aspec individuals have experienced threats of death, corrective rape or harassment, and conversion therapy, very similar to other groups within the LGBTQ+ Community. Comparable to how even within the transgender community we see a divide between those that believe one requires certain medical surgeries to truly be considered transgender (commonly referred to as transmedicalist), often on social media sites, many within the asexual community on AVEN’s (The Asexual Visibility and Education Network) message forums have experienced policing within the community as well on the ‘correct’ way to be asexual, which often excludes demisexual and grey-ace individuals. These microagressions and words of hate within the community may seem surprising to some, but this appears to be a common issue within many minority communities in an attempt to portray the overall group in a certain light and avoid certain stereotypes or attempts at delegitimization. In 2020 I wrote a poem for AVEN’s Newsletter, AVENues, on the issue of gatekeeping within the LGBTQ+ Community entitled G-Not For Gatekeeping.

Microagressions, cyberbullying, etc., are all experiences that many asexual, LGBTQ+ and other members of marginalized minority groups have experienced. These microagressions towards asexuals are tied into compulsory sexuality (the prevalence of the force of sexuality upon individuals due to us living in a culture dominated by sexuality, which may be difficult for many asexuals). Unique to LGBTQ+ and asexual individuals comes the issue of conversion therapy (programs designed to change the gender or sexual orientation of an individual in an effort to ‘cure’ them). Conversion therapy and medicalizing and pathologizing asexuality leads to direct harm to asexuals extending into hate crimes. These crimes can be violent and mentally detrimental to the lives of asexuals; an extreme example being corrective rape or harassment as a way to fix an asexual individual or prove to them that they are not truly asexual. We must be vigilant against microagressions and reflect upon how they can lead to more extreme forms of discrimination and violence against sexual minorities.

Sexual violence and Men: Why is it so unheard of?

In the reading “Sexual Violence Against Men and Women In War: A Masculinities Approach” by Valorie K. Vojdik, I was very fascinated with page 932 which discuses the fact that homosexuality is a crime in 70 states (at the time written, 69 as of 2021), which in turn makes men less likely to report accounts of sexual assault from another man–or even at all!

The reason that these men are shamed, feel guilt, etc. is due to the social construct of masculinity–on page 926 of the same reading referenced beforehand, Vojdik says “Masculinty is not a fixed identity, but rather a social practice of gender that constructs men as masculine and heterosexual, defined in opposition to those men who are perceived as effeminate  or homosexual, and women.”

Men are forced to repress these emotions, thoughts, and experiences in order to represent their “masculinity”.  Sexual violence against men has occurred throughout history, and while women are finally getting to the point where their voices are heard, society still represses men to act as if this sexual assault against them is normal, not a “true crime”, while against women in it is defined as sexual violence, and is represented more in society.

 

Below is an article I read that opened up my eyes as far as statistics and life impacts on boys/men.

Men and Sexual Assault

 

#MeToo and “Sexual Harassment and Hollywood’s Earliest Cartoons”

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Sexual Harassment and Hollywood’s Earliest Cartoons

 

In a 2017 post titled “Sexual Harassment and Hollywood’s Earliest Cartoons” the author, Gabrielle Bellot, explained that recent claims of sexual harassment from Harvey Weinstein that started the #MeToo movement are what inspired her to investigate sexual harassment in Hollywood. Upon hearing about these claims she was reminded of sexual harassment depicted in old cartoons. Depictions of harassment towards women can be found in Hollywood through cartoons as well. A few examples are: Mickey Mouse, Little Red Riding Hood, and most importantly, Max Fleischer’s Betty Boop cartoons.

 

Whether the Betty Boop cartoon was meant as a children’s cartoon or an adult cartoon is up for debate. There are many specific episodes where Betty Boop is so obviously being harassed and even almost raped. The cartoon mirrored instances of the real world, bad ones. Episodes of Betty Boop depict stalking, sexual harassment in the workplace, and even an instance where rape is implied in the show. While most of these actions might go over the heads of children, adults can clearly see the problem. 

 

These types of cartoons were released around the time that the entertainment industry in Hollywood was being exposed. In the 1920’s, many scandals involving sexual assault, drugs, and even murder were being exposed to the public and being brushed under the rug in the courtroom. Hollywood releasing such controversial cartoons could either be seen as a cry for help or as a way to simply say “this is how stuff is around here”. Normalizing sexual harassment towards women could easily be done through cartoons like this. Which could explain why this type of harassment is still around today. Actions like the ones depicted in the cartoon such as workplace sexual harassment had the power to influence little boys. According to learning theory, used in psychology, actions like these could be learned. For example, a boy that witnesses a man getting what he wants with a woman in a cartoon at a young age may be more subconsciously willing to do the same when he gets in the same position of power when he is older. A little boy who watched a cartoon of many people in a work force working together and including both men and women might subconsciously be more open to working with both genders.  

 

Another theory based on why the cartoons were created could be found if you look a little deeper. In the episode “Betty Boop’s Big Boss”, Betty responds to a help wanted sign, clearly describing a position for a girl. Betty is asked what she can do and she responds by singing the boss a song. The boss is then shown daydreaming about what it would be like to be with Betty. While she is still singing, he sends all of the other girls away. Betty Bopp is then shown “provoking” the boss. While it may look like Betty Boop is the one provoking the boss, some people may see it differently. From his perspective, he may presume Betty’s actions or words are sexual advances. In reality, Betty’s naturally high pitched voice and friendly mannerisms may have been wrongly interpreted as flirtatious. After the boss hires Betty, she begins to work but then suddenly, Betty hits the boss with a piece of the typewriter and he snaps out of it. He asks Betty for a kiss and she rejects him. After being rejected the boss starts to walk towards her, when Betty tries to run away, the door is locked. Betty calls the police, but even they can not get to him because he is up high in his building. This part may suggest that a woman being harassed may not get justice if the abuser has a lot of power or is a member of the upper class. After the police fail to get the boss, Betty tries shooting him with a pencil sharpener. The boss only yells out once but still has a smile on his face. This could also be interpreted as Betty not having enough power to stop him. Finally, the only way to take down the boss is by shooting at the base of the building. The building falls with the boss still in it but Betty Boop goes down as well. This shows that Betty was not able to ask for help without going down along with her abuser. This has been the case for many women that have spoken up about their harassment in the workplace, even in Hollywood.

 

Bellot explains that “Harassment was braided to the industry from its beginnings; there were many Weinsteins before Weinstein”. Although this was a recurring problem, there were many women who were afraid to speak up about their abuse. The issue being spread through cartoons may have been a tool to help people cope. The cartoons may have helped them watch and laugh through the situation. On the other hand, they may have mirrored these Hollywood scandals to raise awareness in a discrete way. Women were not safe if they spoke up. In “The Limits of #MeToo in Hollywood”, Margaret Talley explains that even though laws were made to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, these laws were not abided. Thanks to activists like Tarana Burke and Alyssa Milano, and movements like the #MeToo movement, women in the United States are finally getting the justice they deserve.

 

Time’s Up for Time’s Up?

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Time’s Up is an awareness, action, and advocacy group originally founded by over 300 women in 2017 (founding members linked here:  https://timesupnow.org/times-up-the-300-original-signatories/) dedicated to fighting sexual harassment and related abuses of power in the entertainment industry. In 2018, they launched the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, under the National Women’s Law Center (linked here: https://nwlc.org/times-up-legal-defense-fund/).


In the wake of Andrew Cuomo’s resignation over numerous sexual harassment allegations, several high profile individuals also found themself caught in the crossfire, including none other than Time’s Up chief executive, Tina Tchen. Vice chair Roberta Kaplan also found herself caught in the matter. The two women were revealed to have guided and advised top Cuomo aides and confidantes on how to best handle the matter. They were found to have provided feedback on an unpublished article smearing Former Governor Cuomo’s first accuser, Lindsey Boylan. Ms. Kaplan, a lawyer, was also revealed to have consulted with a top Cuomo aide on how strongly her organization should respond to the Cuomo allegations, resulting in leader Ms. Tchen instructing colleagues to stand down from releasing any formal statements on the matter.


In the wake of these events that appear to stray incredibly far from the organization’s original mission, purpose, and intent, both Chief Executive Tchen and Vice Chair Kaplan stepped down from their leadership positions in the organization, with Monifa Bandele now at the helm. You can read the statement by Time’s Up’s governing board of directors on the matter here: https://timesupfoundation.org/newsroom/statement-from-the-times-up-governing-board-of-directors/.


But how does this happen? How does an organization with a core of helping and amplifying the voices of victims of harassment find it’s leaders entangled in the corruption of attempting to silence such survivors? Is it possible for an organization that has gone so against it’s core fundamental values at the highest level to come back from this with a simple leadership change? Or is it time’s up for Time’s Up?

 

More Info Found Here: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/26/business/times-up-tina-tchen.amp.html

Blog Post #1 (9/13/21)

For my first blog post assignment, I wanted to incorporate the #MeToo movement that has been ever so prevalent in our class over the past couple of weeks. The article that I chose was published by The Washington Post and is called “#Metoo raised awareness about sexual misconduct. Has it curbed bad behavior?” The author of this article, Ellen McCarthy, brings up the reported cases of sexual assault against former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and how his behavior was maintained because of his position of power.

To break down the article, McCarthy begins with the betrayal that is felt because of atrocities that Cuomo performed without consent. Cuomo was known for being a “public advocate for legislation that has made it easier for women in his state to seek redress for sexual harassment and rape,” so it raises the question as to how his words and actions could be so contradictory? Instead of the thought that men had learned how to control their sexual insinuations/conduct towards women from the #MeToo movement, only awareness, and victim understanding were raised which does not curb the behavior.

It is made clear in the article that this type of behavior has not decreased because of the “power dynamic” that primarily men hold over women. This call for change will only occur if mindsets change, but the system is not one that will protect the innocent, instead, it is “set up to protect powerful people,” says, former policy attorney at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Elaine Herskowitz. But just because these powerful individuals have deluded themselves to believe their actions are appropriate, does not mean that reports have not continued to be filed against them. In 2018, a 13 percent increase in harassment claims were made, which is “attributed to the #MeToo movement.” Filed claims have still continued to rise because of the #MeToo movement, but it is counterintuitive to report with pride that claims have increased because it draws attention to the fact that sexual harassment is still just as frequent as before. With that being said, a professor at the University of Colorado who has done studies on the #MeToo movement’s impact on women found that sexual coercion such as “have sex with me or you’re fired” is less common, and harassment claims are less severe. Blatant harassment is still plentiful and Susan Strauss attributes that to “…some men that have a pathology that drives them to view women in this way. I think some will say, ‘Well, it’s not that big a deal. She needs to pull up her bootstraps and deal with it.’ And some will say, ‘Well, if it’s not so bad that it’s illegal then I’m just going to continue to do it.’ ” With this harmful mindset, the hope for change from the #MeToo movement will be stunted until legislation is passed that allows victims to speak out against their offenders.

As more women are appointed to higher positions in companies, with an accompanied higher wage, less hierarchal sexual harassment will occur. The first step in this battle for a change of behavior today begins with Andrew Cuomo’s resignation which “constitutes a win for the (#MeToo) movement.”

I enjoyed this article because it breaks down the effects of the #MeToo movement, which is what I have only read about in the book we are covering in class. I liked being able to apply what I have already read to modern-day cases of sexual assault/harassment. The #MeToo movement is doing wonderful things by empowering women, now workplace behavior needs to be the focal point that needs to shift for the better for consistent change.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/andrew-cuomo-me-too/2021/08/13/1ae95048-fbed-11eb-8a67-f14cd1d28e47_story.html

Greek Life & Sexual Assault

https://marquettewire.org/4057502/opinion/cady-greek-life-needs-more-restrictions/

 

For my article of choice, I wanted to tackle the ever growing opinion of sexual assaults’ on campus by Greek life. Cady outlines their article by stating “there are over 1,500 sororities and fraternities in the nation” and follows this by juxtaposing the “sunny disposition” they are often granted with. When Cady provides examples of sexual assault and harassment cases (even deaths), I feel all too often many of these fraternities are given too many chances before any appropriate action is taken.

Cady reports that fraternities can be given “warnings” or flagged, but it seems that the behavior from these organizations continues to persist. At their own university, a fraternity called “Triangle Fraternity” was charged. Not only on “violating alcohol-related policies”, but also on the grounds on sexual misconduct. Unfortunately, the fraternity was only met with sexual misconduct prevention training. It troubles me deeply that this fraternity must be “trained” on how to prevent this from happening.

It reminds me of a time a close friend of mine attended a sorority-fraternity party/dance our freshman year. A frat member had to ask a sorority member to be a date. At the end of the party/dance, my friend was severely intoxicated. I did not know she was back in our dorm until she messaged me. Apparently, the date she went with would not leave the room. When I arrived, she mouthed “help me” as the date was laying behind her rubbing her arm. Though she did not tell him to leave, she did mention that she was tired to him (which most would indicate that as a sign to go).

I’m also reminded of another instance where I went to a fraternity party myself. Not only was the house in disarray and obnoxiously pungent, I remember a specific frat boy who hung around the intoxicated women all night. Asking them to come upstairs, feeding them more alcohol, or to go back to their place; when obviously, they were too drunk to make that decision themselves.

So, is it too far to ask that fraternities face more serious consequences? Or is it best that they be faced with misconducts and training?

Seuxal Harrasment in the Workplace

I think sexual harrasment is a huge topic today. Im honestly glad that social media is an outlet where people can talk about things and bring problems to the surface. Most of the offenses occur when the male has the dominance or the power over the other individual. Its less likely that a women will take charge and assult another individual, altough not impossible.

Even a decade ago there were problems with sexual assault but it was swept under the rug because there wasnt enough frcition or wave to catch these criminals. Job and occupations were at stake. So many incidents were kept quiet. Its time to talk about this repeating issue.

The struggles of a “Ko-reer” Woman: Understanding Sexual Harassment Cross-Culturally

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By Tiger Hobday

 

The sun scorches on a hot Saturday in downtown Seoul, South Korea. The streets of the Western town located in the city are filled with the hustle-and-bustle of Korean citizens, international tourists, expats and the usual young American soldiers. On the second floor of one of the buildings on the main street is a red-painted restaurant. Inside that restaurant, I am scrambling to take demanding orders from starving customers when a life-changing episode completely alters my perceptions of the world of work and the dynamics inside the restaurant. I was close to my manager at the time, whose smile would later turn into a menacing grin. When I first started the job, he was someone that I could approach. He would praise me for my hard work and would sneak me the best food from the kitchen during lunch breaks. He even once bought me a candle that read, “Marina, the Best Worker in the World.” Little did I know at age of 18 that this man, someone who I trusted in a higher position, would end up sexually harassing me.

A group of American soldiers had entered the restaurant, boisterous and hungry. American soldiers were usually my favorite customers because they tip generously unlike Koreans who do not. Firstly, Koreans do not tip. However, Americans generously tip, especially towards me as I was fluent in English or perhaps because I was a young girl. I was also accustomed to male customers making flirtatious comments, but they never commented on my sexuality or my body. As a result, I never felt unsafe and did not take the comments too seriously. On that day, I took the order from these young men and entered the kitchen. As I was heading back out, my manager took me aside and asked me “Why did you spend so much time talking to those customers? It is not your job to flirt.” The comment took me by surprise, and I was at a loss for words. What was he accusing me of? However, the restaurant was too busy to start an argument with him. I quickly apologized and got back to work.

Throughout the day I started to receive harassing texts from him. “Why do you only go to male customers? Do not act cheap. Go put on more clothes. This is why I don’t like to hire women. I was mesmerized by your pretty face; sad you do not have a pretty personality. Those tips are only earned by your slutty behavior. I am sure that you must be sleeping with these customers on a regular basis, no wonder they keep coming back.” At my shift’s end, I burst into tears in the changing room. I decided I had enough. I walked into the office and confronted my boss about the texts. He looked at me with a cold face and said, “Why are you showing me this?”. I told him it was because it was sexual harassment, and he replied that if it did not affect my work performance it was not a matter of importance.

This event happened in 2015. Only in 2018 did South Korea follow the US in the #MeTooMovement with the primary motive of encouraging victims of sexual harassment to come forward and share their stories. The South Korean Labor and Gender Equality Ministries launched a public campaign program to raise awareness regarding sexual harassment. But would this effort be enough to change things? And why did it take so long to happen?

Experts suggest that public awareness regarding sexual harassment in Asian countries is considerably lower than in Western nations. Patriarchy remains deeply entrenched in the roots of most South Korean communities: it is a society where men hold most of the power and women are mostly excluded from it. This is a traditional family system still practiced through patrilineal lineage where the wife’s role is to hold down the household, subordinate to the father’s position as head of the family. Starting in the late 19th century, women began to become educated in greater numbers due to the introduction of an education system introduced by Western Christian ministries. There were schools that had a specific goal of educating women, the most notorious being Ehwa University which was founded in 1886. By 2000, women in higher education were one third of the student population but in 2016 that rose to 42%. As a result, they are entering the workforce in greater numbers in Korea. However, research reveals that approximately 78% of the sexual harassment victims seldom report their incidents since they lack trust in the system.

The nation’s male-dominated culture places women at an increased risk of becoming potential victims. Women are perceived as inferior regardless of their education and careers; this reflected the experience I had with approaching my boss’ attitude towards the situation. He still did not see my complaint on sexual harassment as one that should be equally addressed in comparison to complaints my coworkers had presented. Such incidents of prejudice and discrimination have discouraged female victims from speaking out about their encounters.

Korea women in professional jobs experience similar issues in the workplace. Unfortunately, South Korean patriarchal culture and traditions help propagate sexual harassment in the workplace. Research shows that men occupying superior office positions promote demeaning and sexually harassing behavior towards women in the lower ranks, reflecting the experience of my male manager and me. Statistical evidence reveals that approximately eight out of ten working women in South Korea are victims of sexual harassment One example is of office parties, where entertainment provided involve escorts or prostitutes and is focused on entertaining male employees or clients. This is seen in big companies that do business with other companies, such as in the entertainment industry, where the aim is to please their clients in order to solidify a business deal that benefits the company financially. They use the sexuality of women through providing female entertainment to show “hospitality” to their clients. This creates a hostile environment for professional women who mostly chose not to participate and are then excluded by their coworkers. The hardships that professional women face seem to be never ending. Don’t you think it is time for it to stop?

On the other hand, when I arrived in the US, I had a completely different work experience. As part of my orientation, I had to complete a workshop on Title IX: a title based on the laws protecting workers against sexual discrimination in the workplace. I was shocked that my job emphasized this training and the protection of women as I never had such an opportunity or education in Korea. Furthermore, by living in the US I have seen the success of how the system apprehends sexual harassers and encourages people to report such incidents. I witnessed how strong the #MeTooMovement was in America, the solidarity between women on social media, the Women’s March in DC and even the Women and Gender Office at my university. These movements and safe places create environment for women to speak about the injustices that they face.

The progress made in the US on providing women legal protections for sexual harassment and the social support for those who speak out gives me hope similar changes can happen world-wide. By all genders uniting on the importance of creating equality through feminism, the unified effort has the potential to create this change. There must be an effort to not just create a culture that frees women and men from patriarchal constraints but also one that detaches men from the assumptions of a patriarchal educational system that encourages them to think less of their female peers. If we accomplish these aims, then the struggles of a Ko-reer woman will have been worth it.

 

Tiger Hobday is an international at East Carolina University and goes by the pronouns She/Hers/Her.  She is originally from London, UK and Seoul, South Korea. She studies sociology with her main focus on feminism and international human rights. In her spare time, she enjoys producing music.