Thoughts on Revenge Porn

On October 27, 2019, California Representative Katie Hill stepped down after both the circulation of her nude photos and allegations that she had a sexual relationship with a subordinate in her office and on her campaign.

The circulation of nude photos, which was part of a phenomenon known as “revenge porn,” has affected the lives and careers of thousands of people, including Hill. Men have the power to control the career of a woman, which can affect the course of society.   

After allegations surfaced of two relationships during her time in Congress, Hill admitted to only having a relationship with a female on her campaign staff. The relationship she had with the staffer was unethical, unprofessional and a large part of why she stepped down. However, she was also the victim of revenge porn. Part of her humiliation in the scandal was due to a man’s decision to spread her private photos.

“I’m leaving because of a misogynistic culture that gleefully consumed my naked pictures, capitalized on my sexuality and enabled my abusive ex to continue that abuse, this time with the entire country watching,” said Hill during her farewell speech. 

However, revenge porn doesn’t just target government officials to ruin their careers. It can ruin the lives of anyone—from actors, to school teachers.

But, it does seem to target one demographic more than others: women.

The Cyber Civil Rights Initiative conducted a study in 2017 which found that women were about 1.7 times more likely to be the target of nonconsensual pornography than men. 

The spread of one’s nude photos can be the result of an angry ex or an opponent. But, no matter the reason, some believe the responsibility should be put on the person who took the photos, to begin with.

In a New York Times opinion piece, Now Comes the Naked Truth, Maureen Dowd said, “Don’t leave yourself vulnerable by giving people the ammunition—or the nudes—to strip you of your dreams. OK, millennials?”

I have tried to understand the sentiment behind this statement, but I think the way many people are judging these scenarios needs to be reframed.

Instead of victim shaming, why don’t we look at the way society has continually oppressed and shamed women for their sexuality? This oppression can be seen through the stereotypes of women in the media such as being “sex objects,” often devoted to taking care of their home and appearance. 

My entire life I have been told it is not okay to show my body and it is not okay to express my sexuality. Meanwhile, men are praised for their conquests, and idolized for being shirtless. 

The conversation should no longer be about the fact that a woman took a nude photo, but rather that a man felt so personally threatened and/or offended that he chose to spitefully spread nude photos to gain some sort of manhood that he was clearly lacking.

The consequences that a woman faces because of a man’s actions are astounding, and a man does not deserve to have that power over any woman. But, because society has continually overlooked men’s wrongdoings, we have given men the power to dictate the course of a woman’s career and the course of this country.

However, when you look at cases of men’s sexual decisions being exposed, they are often overlooked. 

For example, Brock Turner sexually assaulted a woman and left her behind a dumpster. He was sentenced to a shocking six months in jail, with three months of probation afterward. 

When his victim gave her statement in court, she spoke about how she found out the details of her own assault through an article. This article gave Turner’s swim times.

“Throw in my mile time if that’s what we’re doing,” she said. “I’m good at cooking—put that in there. I think the end is where you list your extracurriculars to cancel out all the sickening things that’ve happened.”

Also, let’s not forget that our own president has been accused of making unwanted sexual advances on women and has made quite vulgar comments about women.

These are just two cases of men not being properly punished for their actions. According to the Cyber Civil Rights Initiative, the protection that revenge porn victims receive depends on where they live, and in some states, the laws are only applied if “sexual parts” are showing.   

To the people who want to oppress women, and ignore our cause, good luck with that. Because, as Hill said in her departing speech, “We will not stand down. We will not be broken. We will not be silenced.”

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