" NO is the new YES! "

'*disclaimer for profane, inappropriate language in images, or quotes.


When you hear the word "rape" what comes to mind? 'Rape' is a self-explanatory word which definition reads; "the crime.... of forcing another person to have sexual intercourse with the offender against their will," (Oxford University Press, 2014). Many people argue whether rape is a crime of violence, lust or power, but personally I lean towards the power argument. Now with connecting the topic of rape to in-class studies and discussions, I am going to focus on a universal feminist term coined "rape culture." This term came to be less than half a century ago. According to Emilie Buchwald , author of Transforming a Rape Culture, she defines the term as, "a complex set of beliefs that encourage male sexual aggression and supports violence against women. It is a society where violence is seen as sexy and sexuality as violent. In a rape culture both men and women assume that sexual violence is a fact of life, inevitable." Rape culture is real and evident in the 21st century especially in western society.

THIS IS A PRIME EXAMPLE FOR RAPE CULTURE IN THE MEDIA.

This advertisement for BELVEDER Vodka displays a large image of a smiling male grabbing hold of a female and pulling her backwards, where she is obviously resisting. The slogan is printed directing on top of the image and says, "Belvedere Always Goes Down Smoothly." This alcohol beverage goes down smoothly unlike the women who is resisting, it is suggesting that someone under the influence would also 'go down smoothly.'


Returning back to Buchward's definition, "it[rape culture] is a society where violence is seen as sexy and sexually as violent" Aside from the BDSM* sexual fetish, it is taught through media, and communities that having a male force himself upon one selves is 'sexy'. But when the indecent act comes into real play it is 99% of the time frowned upon dearly. So why is society so hypocritical? Why does society feel sympathetic for the victim yet at the same time blames the victim? It is because society, with the exception of many, have concluded that women "ask" to be raped, with or without the knowledge of what's to come. It is believed that when men are put into situations where the female is wearing a mini skirt, and/or displaying cleavage that she is begging to be sexually assaulted and he has absolutely no control over his actions. I agree that seeing a large amount of skin, or a certain part of a human's body could provoke sexual desires in one's mind, yet performing an act that involves more than one individual without mutual consent is not right. We, both male and female (because it is a crime performed by both genders) as human have the genetic intellect to control ones own actions. In a TEDx, titled "We Should All Be Feminists,"**  Nigerian Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie mentioned an incident that happened not to long ago of a female university student that was gangbanged by male students of the same university. It sparked conversation not all so humble. She quotes a male she'll left unnamed, "Yes, rape is bad but why was she in a room with four guys?" He was basically implying the men are savages and cant control their own sexual desires.
Yes, there are external factors such as peer pressure, under influence, media, and rape culture as a whole but ultimately it comes down to the individual. In society how come the offender is able to push the blame onto the victim when in a legal court it's not tolerable at all. 

This poster reads, "MY RAPIST DOESN'T KNOW HE'S A RAPIST. YOU TAUGHT HIM IT WASN'T HIS FAULT. I DRANK TOO MUCH, FLIRTED AND MY SHORTS, TOO SHORT. I WAS ASKING FOR IT. HE LEFT ME IN THE PARKING GARAGE STAIRCASE. MY (ex)BOYFRIEND SPIT IN MY FACE. HE CALLED ME A SLUT, HE CALLED ME A WHORE. I DESERVED IT. MY FRIENDS GAVE ME DIRTY LOOKS. THEY CALLED ME TRASH, NOT REALIZING IT COULD HAVE BEEN THEM. THIS CULTURE, YOUR CULTURE, MY CULTURE, TOLD THEM, TOLD ME, THIS WAS MY FAULT AND I SUFFERED. BUT, MY RAPIST DOESN'T KNOW HE'S A RAPIST. I AM NOT ASHAMED I WILL TAKE A STAND. SLUTWALK** DC 2011." This victim of rape takes responsibility for the act that happened, not because of her clothing, or flirtatious attitude but because she as an individual once agreed with rape culture, and didn't necessarily stand up to the new culture spreading rapidly around her.

Alongside the arguments where the victim is to blame an interesting spoken word poem came into play.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgQRkHcEyq8

The speaker of the three minute performance overheard a man on the bus make a rude comment to his friend that 'you are too ugly to be raped' jokingly or non-jokingly.This then inspired the speaker to write this heart filled poem. It touches base on how rape is now inevitable to women who are 'beautiful' since non-ugly females are eventually going to get sexual assaulted one day.

Rape isn't an offense that has just recently came into play, it is a crime that continued through past centuries and sadly will continue for centuries more but the tolerance from informal sanctions such as individuals and society as an whole could obviously change for the better. I would like to complete my post with a poem that I am not going to go into depth about, it is to leave you pondering rape culture entirely.

Rape Culture (Cover Your Eyes) by: slk

"Rape culture is when I was six, and
my brother punched my two front teeth out.
Instead of reprimanding him, my mother
said “Stefanie, what did you do to provoke him?”
When my only defense was my
mother whispering in my ear, “Honey, ignore him.
Don’t rile him up. He just wants a reaction.”
As if it was my sole purpose, the reason
six-year-old me existed,
was to not rile up my brother.
It’s starts when we’re six, and ends
when we grow up assuming the natural state of a man
is a predator, and I must walk on eggshells, as to
not “rile him up.” Right, mom?
Rape culture is when through casual dinner conversation,
my father says that women who get raped are asking for it.
He says, “I see them on the streets of New York City,
with their short skirts and heavy makeup. Asking for it.”
When I used to be my father’s hero but
will he think I was asking for it? (will he think)
Will he think I deserved it?
Will he hold me accountable or will he hold me,
even though the touch of a man - especially my father’s -
burns as if I were holding the sun in the palm of my hand.
Rape culture is you were so ashamed, you thought it would
be easier for your parents to find you dead,
than to say, “Hey mom and dad,”
It wasn’t my fault. I didn’t ask for it.
I never asked for this attention, I never asked
to be a target, to be weak because I was born with
two X chromosomes, to walk in fear, to always look behind me,
in front of me, next to me, I never asked to be the prey.
I never wanted to spend my life being something
someone feasts upon, a meal for the eternally starved.
I do not want to hear about the way I taste anymore.
I will not let you eat me alive.
Rape culture is I shouldn’t defend my friend when
an overaggressive frat boy has his hand on her ass,
because standing up for her body “makes me a target.”
Women are afraid to speak up, because
they fear their own lives - but I’d rather take the hit
than live in a culture of silence.
I am told that I will always be the victim, pre-determined
by the DNA in my weaker, softer body.
I have birthing hips, not a fighter’s stance.
I am genetically pre-dispositioned to lose every time.
Rape culture is he was probably abused as a child.
When he even has some form of a justification
and all I have are the things that provoked him,
and the scars from his touch are woven of the darkest
and toughest strings, underneath the layer of my skin.
Rape culture leaves me finding pieces of him left inside of me.
A bone of his elbow. The cap of his knee.
There is something so daunting in the way that I know it will take
me years to methodically extract him from my body.
And that twinge I will get sometimes in my arm fifteen years later?
Proof of the past.
Like a tattoo I didn’t ask for.
Somehow I am permanently inked.
Rape culture is you can’t wear that outfit anymore
without feeling dirty, without feeling like
you somehow earned it.
You will feel like you are walking on knives,
every time you wear the shoes
you smashed his nose in with.
Imaginary blood on the bottom of your heels,
thinking, maybe this will heal me.
Those shoes are your freedom,
But the remains of a life long fight.
You will always carry your heart,
your passion, your absolute will to live,
but also the shame and the guilt and the pain.
I saved myself but I still feel like I’m walking on knives.
Rape culture is “Stefanie, you weren’t really raped, you were
one of the lucky ones.”
Because my body wasn’t penetrated by a penis,
but fingers instead, that I should feel lucky.
I should get on my hands and knees and say, thank you.
Thank you for being so kind.
Rape culture is “things could have been worse.”
“It’s been a month, Stefanie. Get out of bed.”
“You’ll have to get over this eventually.”
“Don’t let it ruin your life.”
Rape culture is he told you that after he touched you,
no one would ever want you again.
And you believed him.
Rape culture is telling your daughters not to get raped,
instead of teaching your sons how to treat all women.
That sex is not a right. You are not entitled to this.
The worst possible thing you can call a woman is a
slut, a whore, a bitch.
The worst possible thing you can call a man is a
bitch, a pussy, a girl.
The worst thing you can call a girl is a girl.
The worst thing you can call a guy is a girl.
Being a woman is the ultimate rejection,
the ultimate dismissal of strength and power, the
absolute insult.
When I have a daughter,
I will tell her that she is not
an insult.
When I have a daughter, she will know how to fight.
I will look at her like the sun when she comes home
with anger in her fists.
Because we are human beings and we do not
always have to take what we are given.
They all tell her not to fight fire with fire,
but that is only because they are afraid of her flames.
I will teach her the value of the word “no” so that
when she hears it, she will not question it.
My daughter,
Don’t you dare apologize for the fierce love
you have for yourself
and the lengths you go to preserve it.
My daughter,
I am alive because of the fierce love I have
for myself, and because my father taught me
to protect that.
He taught me that sometimes, I have to do
my own bit of saving, pick myself off the
ground and wipe the dirt off my face,
because at the end of the day,
there is only me.
I am alive because my mother taught me
to love myself.
She taught me that I am an enigma - a
mystery, a paradox, an unfinished masterpiece and
I must love myself enough to see how I turn out.
I am alive because even beaten, voiceless, and back
against the wall, I knew there was an ounce of me
worth fighting for.
And for that, I thank my parents.
Instead of teaching my daughter to cover herself up,
I will show her how to be exposed.
Because no is not “convince me”.
No is not “I want it”.
You call me,
“Little lady, pretty girl, beautiful woman.”
But I am not any of these things for you.
I am exploding light,
my daughter will be exploding light,
and you,
better cover your eyes."

-slk
Rape Culture (Cover Your Eyes)

1) If you agree that rape culture is evident in Canada, then list several examples where you have seen, or hear such "set of beliefs." If you disagree, then list vice versa examples, (Canadian society is completely against non-consensual sexual acts). 
2) Which point/example/image/video spoke to you the most and why?
3) I stated at the beginning I argue that rape is a crime of power, do you agree with me or do you believe it is a crime of lust, violence, or other?


*Bondage, Discipline, Dominance, Submissive, Sadism, Masochism
**30 min TEDx video; "We Should All Be Feminist by: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg3umXU_qWc#t=1171
***SlutWalk began in Toronto in February of 2011. It began because a few people had had ENOUGH of victim-blaming, of slut-shaming and sexual profiling and policing. The rallies began when Constable Michael Sanguinetti, a Toronto Police officer, suggested that to remain safe, "women should avoid dressing like sluts."

Bell, Sarah (June 11, 2011). "Slutwalk London: 'Yes means yes and no means no'. BBC News.BDSM. (n.d.). Abbreviations.com. Retrieved February 28, 2014, from

http://www.abbreviations.com/BDSM.Button Poetry. (Oct 10, 2013). "Pages Matam - "Piñata" (NPS 2013)", from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgQRkHcEyq8
Oxford Dictionary Press. (2014). "Rape", from
http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/rape
slk.(Jan 2014). Rape Culture (Cover Your Eyes), from
http://alexelle.com/post/72256419133/rape-culture-is-when-i-was-six-and-my-brother
WAVAW. (2014). "What is Rape Culture?", from
http://www.wavaw.ca/what-is-rape-culture/
TEDx Talks. (April 12, 2031). "We should all be Feminists: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at TEDxEuston", from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hg3umXU_qWc#t=1171

BREAKING THE ICE AROUND RAPE


The following link is a statistical video on rape I think we should all take the time to watch the video and benefit off it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRw29QDvsjE

For those who have an open mind this will be educational. My blog challenges the perception of how weak men are individually. Men have to see that it doesn't matter how physically strong you are or look, it’s just that men are hardened to believe the fact that they won’t ever be victimized in such act of rape.

Over the past years we always hear cases on women getting. You know the whole a woman walking outside alone at night and gets pulled into and alley and gets raped. Rape has always been a discussion open for woman and we never hear about men getting raped. Did you know there actually so many men who have been affected by sexual abuse?  It’s always about girls & women’s so men feel ignored to come out and say they've been raped. Most of these men ashamed & embarrassed to tell their families. Men feel like they can’t talk about it, then it’s only going to harm their feelings.

Most girls who party hard and then just happened to be penetrated by the guys in the party and she enjoyed every bit until later she realizes it was wrong and decides to file for rape. No if you ask me that is not rape. The thing is when people hear stories like this they build up so much sympathy for the poor little girl who just partied too hard. Don’t get me wrong it was still wrongful for the men to perform such act but don’t you think maybe the girl and the guys who were involved in that incident should get educated on drugs and alcohol. Giving the men prison time really, isn't  prison were most of the men rape occur,so is it really fair to punish these men who partied too hard to prison time so they can now have a high percentage of getting raped.

All I’m trying to say is that we should be careful when we use the word rape. Rape is such a strong word and I feel that sometimes society gets carried away when using the word rape. Like let’s take the following for an example. When a girl gets brutally beaten up by a guy whether in a dark alley way or in broad daylight at a bus stop. In your opinion would you consider that as rape? Be honest. I bet you if the media told you the same story they can influence you into believing that the girl was raped. I really think we should be cautious of the word rape and know when to use it.

I think society should be teaching don’t get raped rather saying strange men are dangerous. This is heartbreaking because if you look at it statistically wise 73% of rapes have been done by someone the victim knows. So by saying strange men are dangerous is just downgrading men. This is one reason why men don’t come out and say they've been raped. I mean who would take them serious right? We are all so brainwashed that only women get raped. In conclusion we need to change our views when we hear the word rape and be open minded to the fact that men to get raped.  



Discussion Question:

What are some ways we can prevent rape?
When you hear the word rape what are the first thoughts that run in your mind?

"I want to be c̶r̶e̶a̶t̶i̶v̶e̶,̶ ̶t̶a̶l̶e̶n̶t̶e̶d̶,̶ ̶s̶m̶a̶r̶t̶.̶.̶.BEAUTIFUL"

Hellow, my English class!

Let's start this off with a foreign touch. I mean – who doesn't like foreign stuff, right? (Don't answer...)

I remember the first time I watched a South Korean drama. There was something distinct about the whole thing and I was instantly hooked. Maybe it was the humor that did it, or maybe it was the unique story line or the cool sounding language, or maybe it was...the beauty? Now some might see this weird while others might know where I'm getting at, and to those I say, "I'm talking Kim Hyun Joong." To my embarrassing thirteen-year-old self, this man (yes, man) was beautiful, and he was the reason I continued to watch that drama and many others to come. I was sucked into a vortex (formally known as the South Korean entertainment industry) where everything and everyone was beautiful, and I loved it. Somehow, nothing about that perfectly crafted world appeared to be wrong...


If you know anything about the South Korean entertainment industry, you'll know how heavily "look" oriented it is. Looks precede talents (but you definitely need both). Why? Because looks sell. People will watch/listen/buy/etc. if it involves pretty people. But let's say that a "non-looker" seems talented enough to fetch some gold, what then? Well no panic required! After all, “surgeons” make everything better, don't they?
  
In my obsession days, I will admit to have disliked some celebrities for the way they looked, and I did have battles with fellow fanatics on who looked better than whom. However, we all make mistakes and do things we aren't proud of and the most important thing is to learn from those mistakes (this might, or might not be a smooth getaway to save face). But the main point is, despite our moral teachings, we saw nothing wrong with the whole ordeal. It's normal in Korea so it should be normal for us too, right?  That guy/girl is hotter than the other one so, obviously, they deserve to be more popular, right? The moral answer is so obvious yet it
contradicts the truth.

A sad reality of our world lies in how loose a grip we have on our core human values. Discrimination is morally wrong, but so are stealing and swearing until they become normal, everyday things. In an extremely advanced country like South Korea, discrimination based on looks is very clear-cut and obvious, not only to the nation, but to the entire world to see. Yet how many of us dare to see it?  How many of us dare claim that our society is far from reforming and selling faces for money (if we don't do so already)?
  

The Cap'n huffed and he puffed and he blew hearts away. Beat that.

To me, discrimination based on looks is heavily downplayed in our society – like it isn't worth pondering and campaigning over. Slowly, this underestimated issue is spreading and is over-taking who we are as individuals and as a society. It's scary to note that 56 years after Ambrose Bierce said, “To men a man is but a mind. Who cares what face he carries or what he wears? But woman’s body is the woman” (Saltzberg and Chrisler 142), beauty standards dominated the male species as well. Who else noticed that the entire league of Avengers (plus Loki, of course) is extremely good looking? (I mean, just look at Cap'n 'Merica! Where is our Captain Canadia?) What about the twilight saga? Despite the vomit-inducing performance and story-line (if you're a twilight fan, blame the critics), it stays high grossing. Why? It may have to do with the group of "Team Edward" and "Team Jacob" devotees. Forget women, even men are demanded to be more and more sexually appealing on the big screen. If, from observing women, this pattern seems familiar, then you'll have no problem guessing the psychological and economical damages men are up for. On the positive note, we can finally achieve gender equality, right?

But so what if famous people look amazing? Don't they always? Of course, and there's something really wrong with that. Besides them highlighting the "Looks Pay" phenomenon, they set the ever-increasing beauty standards for society. They are the extraordinary puppets of inter-linked industries that define what we should aspire to, then provide us with the tools  (how convenient!) for a price beyond the bills in our wallets. And sadly, we comply, buy, and buy. 

However, beauty standards are a truly complicated thing. I read in a paper once, "An ideal, by definition, can be met by only a minority of those who strive for it. If too many women [and men] are able to meet the beauty standards of a particular time and place, then those standards must change in order to maintain their extraordinary nature" (Saltzberg and Chrisler 143). Does this make pursuing beauty an eternity spell? Will there ever be a time when everybody will just come to love themselves? Well...probably not. See, completely overcoming beauty standards significantly depends on the self-esteem and positive psychology of the entire nation, and those are very tricky things. A person's self-esteem is like a domino structure. It's scary what a small push can do. Now imagine trying to simultaneously protect a million people's domino structures while repelling the powers of the ever-growing, ever-influential, ever-manipulative media and beauty industries. But does this mean we give up on trying to change? Absolutely not. Maybe we can't make everybody love themselves but when did we ever need everybody to make a change?

We need to start destroying the embarrassing paradoxes in our society. How do we have the face to demand freedom for women when we shackle them with definitions and criteria of what to be? How do we celebrate diversity and encourage individualism when we conform and mold people into one standard of beauty? We repeated "inner beauty is everything" until it lost all meaning and left no trail of its existence.  

Nonetheless, inner beauty is everything. It's who we are. It's the only thing about ourselves we choose, we create. And it is what we should always judge others by.

"While beauty ought to be celebrated as a source of joy, inspiration, and indeed a paradigm of Divine Artistry, one must not allow physical beauty to interfere with one’s sense of justice, fairness, and morality" (Physical Beauty and Its Effect). Beauty should, most definitely, not define one's opportunities or the way they should be treated, nor should it give anyone the right to discriminate against another.

And finally, to make sure you leave having gotten something out of this, here's one of my favorite spoken word performances, titled Pretty by Katie Makkai.

Now you tell me about any of your personal experiences regarding something like this. Do you think I was right by placing the blame on media considering that people from society create it? Or do you believe media is under the power and influence of individual, money-vampire corporates? What about plastic surgeries? Is it acceptable to fix up an otherwise normal face to meet the standards of airbrushed billboard models? If not, why is there such a lack of opposition movements in our society? Why are people not bothered?

Thanks for reading! Stay awesome.

 Works Cited

Saltzberg, Elayne A., and Joan C. Chrisler. "Beauty Is the Beast: Psychological Effects of the Pursuit of the Perfect Female Body." Moral Issues in Global Perspective. Peterborough, Ont.: Broadview, 2006. 142-50. Print. 

"Physical Beauty and Its Effect Upon Human Psychology: A New Yorker’s Perspective." Blood Is No Argument. Wordpress.com, 20 Feb. 2011. Web. 23 Feb. 2014.

No Strings Attached Indeed

         No doubt most women expecting the arrival of her precious newborn baby anticipates that moment during her ultrasound when her doctor happily announces “It’s a girl!” or “It’s a boy!” The scary part is, in that same exact moment whether that newborn will be brought into an environment filled with pink or blue is automatically decided, respectively. Whether that child will be expected to play with Barbie dolls or toy trucks, whether they will be expected to grow to become a nurse or police officer all rides on those 3 words. As that child grows they will be faced with expectations of how to act, how to think, and how to dress all based on their sex. Their social and behavioral norms will be depicted by society, by media, by text. Those expectations will follow them from the second they exit their mothers womb to the moment they inhale their very last breath of air.

Personally speaking, I sure am no new born, but I have definitely made the bumpy transition from childhood to adolescence successfully. As a female teenager, I myself have been faced with many social and behavioral norms from simply being told to ‘sit like a lady’ to being told I can only engage in certain professions as a female. The pressure to live up to the norms set by society, media and text grow dramatically each day as it probably does for men. Now in my last year of high school, these sex based social and behavioral norms known as gender roles have never caught my attention more than now more specifically, the hookup culture.

The hookup culture as defined by Wikipedia is “one that accepts and encourages casual sexual encounters focused on physical pleasure without necessarily including emotional bonding.” The term ‘hookup’ can however be used to indicate any ‘activity’ from kissing to sexual intercourse.

At a recent get together dominated by the presence of mostly boys, carrying a conversation had never been more of a challenge trying to talk over all the boys fantasizing over the latest girls they had just had sex with or used for pleasure. These boys praised each other for what was to them accomplishments. At first my female friends and I sat there in awe over the subordination of these females they were talking about, but it was only a matter of minutes before we jumped in to ask why hooking up was no longer with that person you longed to be with, but rather a competition amongst who could do it the most. The conversation then shifted as we asked the guys to place a woman in their shoes and with no hesitation words like ‘tramp,’ ‘whore,’ ‘slut,’ and ‘prostitute’ were blurted out. Was this nothing but an immature, ignorant typical teenage conversation or an example of how society and media have essentially portrayed that it’s ok for men to think and act this way?

Now more than ever, the portrayal of men hooking up is seen in shows such as Spring Rush where a typical college student is shown partying, getting drunk, having sex and what not. When you have young boys and even girls that are watching these types of things, to them it becomes ok, it becomes normal because they see it and are objective to the fact that shows like that are purely for entertainment. What that entertainment does is create a divide between where it’s ok to cross the line. As a result we end up with young boys who practically set out to as we’ve all probably heard think with their penis as opposed to females who think with their heart. It becomes normal because in all that we see, all that we read and we know is that girls must be emotional, they must treasure their virginity, they must not lack self worth and they must always have their guard up and wait for that right person. As females, hearing things like that raises the bar so much higher to not fall into the rising pressure to be looked down upon because of not wanting commitment or a long lasting relationship.

 It’s sad that in society today, especially in the teenage culture girls and even women are objectified by men, it’s no longer about having that person that you love to share that kind of intimate life or pleasure with but instead just meeting someone and thinking “Oh, I would totally have sex with her.” Don’t get me wrong, it’s no question there are females out there that think and feel that  way too, but my question to you is- why is it that woman are scrutinized and essentially disrespected for hooking up with men when men do just the same if not twice as worse yet get appraisal and status? 

Also, the hookup culture is prevalent in North American colleges and universities. Where do you think the mental transition between the ignorance of adolescence and engaging in hookups occur? What factors may affect this?

 This picture identifies men as ‘sluts’ just as women are referred to in hook up scenarios…how appropriate is this term if at all? Explain.

So Much For The Spirit Of The Game, Russia: LGBT Athletes Competing in the Winter Olympics are Being Targeted by Anti-LGBT Propaganda

Hello Everyone, let's talk about the Olympics.
A sudden realization came to me the other day after watching a Canadian Winter Olympics ad, completely unaware of the message it left behind. The advertisement featured two lugers thrusting as they were about to go down the course, ending with the statement:

"The winter Olympic games have always been a little bit gay, let's keep it that way".

(To Watch the Ad, Click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tf9lwqBTgX4)








Oh. The Winter Olympic games? Isn't that taking place in Sochi? It's great that they're acknowledging gay rights, but why now? So I read the Huffington Post to read more about the ad's meaning, and it blew me out of the water when I read that Russia has been targeting homosexuals with Anti-LGBT propaganda. I was completely unaware of what being a homosexual meant, especially in Russia. And there are people coming from every part of the world to compete, in Sochi, including LGBT people. Homosexual athletes who are competing in Sochi have to come face to face with the fact that they are being discriminated against in the Olympics for their sexual orientation. So much for the spirit of the game, Russia. An athlete competing in the  Winter Olympic games should be judged on their skill; their sexual orientation should have nothing to do with it.

The minds behind who came up with this ad were The Canadian Institute of Diversity and Inclusion. Their ad became viral on the eve of the Winter Olympics. As a result, attention has been drawn to Sochi, as they have come under fire for their recent anti-gay laws which have been established just last year. To be specific, Moscow passed a new law outlawing the "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relationships to minors" ("The Facts on LGBT Rights in Russia"). Russia only recently lifted the ban on homosexual relationships, but they are still a while away from welcoming gay pride into their country. Both the Russian community and government officials STILL look down upon homosexuality. Numerous Anti-LGBT hate crimes that take place in Russia fail to reach the world's attention, and news of their injustice is never highlighted ("The Facts on LGBT Rights in Russia"). Gay pride activists are often denied to organize pride parades as they are intimidated, or even arrested by government officials ("The Facts on LGBT Rights in Russia"). Additionally, Russia is one of the most dangerous countries in the world to house homosexuals . Russia is ranked 49th out of the 49 European countries in an annual survey conveyed by the Lesbian, Trans and Intersex Association ("The Facts on LGBT Rights in Russia").

Homosexual Olympians are being quietly discriminated against in the Winter Olympics, and unfortunately, they have not spoken out for it. Since they are visitors in Russia, they are showing their Olympic spirit and keeping politics out of the games. However, this policy of respect is not going both ways. Russia's citizens have been as patriotic as ever with Anti-LGBT Propaganda, and the Russian government does little to punish the culprits (Dahlberg ). Although Russia's culture's and traditions are meant to be respected like everywhere else, the Principle Six of the Olympic Charter states that "Discrimination in any form is not compatible with the Olympic movement " ("Olympic Charter"). This includes being subjected to any homophobic propaganda. Countries like America and the United Kingdom have acknowledged Russia's injustice in Vladmir Putin's legislation, but the Russian leader shows no signs of withdrawing from his anti-West agenda (Kaufman ). Canada's response to Russia's anti-gay propaganda laws resulted in the creation of their Winter Olympics ad. The message is aimed towards Sochi to support EVERY single athlete competing in the Winter Games; a message of equality. People from all around the world are encouraged to acknowledge this discrimination in hopes that Russia will some day withdraw from these laws.

First of all, I would like to give Russia some credit. They HAVE been improving their laws in the past decade to suit the needs of homosexuals. For example, homosexual relationships have only just been recently decriminalized in 1993 ("The Facts on LGBT Rights in Russia"). However, I feel like they just took a step back. It's not my place to be telling Russia how to run their country, but I find it embarrassing that there are still countries out there that are intolerant to homosexuality. Especially a well-developed country like Russia. I don't agree with Russia's gay policies, and I think they should take them down. Secondly, with these recent Anti-LGBT laws coming into play, I feel like Vladmir is trying to re-establish the traditional, homophobic, Russian lifestyle. With the West's democracy intruding and influencing most countries to better suit their culture, it looks like Russia is trying to keep their distance from changing too. And I feel like the more the world protests their growing old-fashioned traditions, the more patriotic the country's people are going to get. And of course, the most effective way to display their culture is through the national spotlight of the Winter Olympics. Russia is moving backwards into the past, and if they want to move forward like the rest of the world, they have to remove these incredulous acts. Or at least, remove their Anti-LGBT presence from the Olympics. Because it is no longer about the spirit of the game when a gay athlete is welcomed with anti-gay posters and looks of bare disgust.

So what do you guys think? 
Is Russia trying to protect their culture from western influence? Is it right to not only disagree with someone else's culture, but to try and change it? 
Should the athletes speak out for this injustice? 
How do you think homosexual athletes are feeling during these games? 
Please let me know in the comments


Works Cited

"The Facts on LGBT Rights in Russia." Global Equiality. Council for Global Equality. Web. 19 Feb 2014.

"Olympic Charter." Olympic. International Olympic Committee, 9 Sep 2013. Web. 19 Feb 2014.

Kaufman, Sarah. "Why Putin is Loving the West's Protests Against Russia's Anti-Gay Laws." PolicyMic. (2014): n. page. Print.

Dahlberg, Tim. "Olympians Stay Silent On Russia's Gay Propaganda Law." Huffington Post 17 2 2014, n. pag. Print.

Supporting Gay Rights Means You're Gay?

Hi everyone,

I wanted to spark the blog strings off with a thought that kept going through my mind as we watched the "That's Gay: No Homo" video in class. Bryan Safi talked about rappers and how they use derogatory terms that could potentially offend gay people. Well, that got me thinking about Macklemore, the world renowned rapper. He released a song called "Same Love", in which he supports gay rights. Immediately after the release, news articles and celebrity media websites alike began to blow him out of the water for the wrong reasons. Everyone wanted to believe he was gay, or wanted to think negatively about him because he's a rapper that's supporting gay rights. This was all because "Same Love" is a unique song that he had never released the likes of before. Here's an article I think everyone will find rather interesting: Battle rapper condemns Macklemore as gay.

The rap industry is considered a male dominant and extremely masculine area of the music industry. So, to the rappers it would only make sense to view gay rappers as outliers. In my opinion, rap industry or not, people are entitled to what they believe, but they shouldn't go as far as publicly ridiculing someone. Macklemore is just another person that decided to go with the flow - homosexuality is present in every
corner of the world. Whether you like it or not, it is on the rise and will be the most controversial topic up for debate in later years.

So, aside from the rap industry, my questions to you are:

1. Why is it that society must label someone that stands up for those who have trouble standing up for themselves?

2. Have you ever supported or opposed gay rights? If so, have you ever been labeled as homosexual or homophobic solely because of your opinion?

3. How might we, as human beings, better ourselves to dismantle the social barriers we've created for homosexuals?