A spectacularly stupid article by Britain's leading gay hysteric, Patrick Strudwick ('himself a victim of such behaviour'), in The Independent.
Reports of the [Nigel Evans] trial picked up that the accusers "did not consider themselves victims". And the verdict was clear – Evans was found not guilty. It called to mind, however, innumerable young men I have met on the gay scene over the last 20 years, men who have been abused but who do not consider themselves victims, do not attach words such as "rape" or "sexual assault" to their experiences, do not feel able to wield consent, and do not think they can complain, or report it...
Eh? Maybe, y'know, they said they didn't consider themselves victims because they didn't actually consider themselves victims, you professional victim.
Earlier this week, I asked on Facebook [!] for gay men's attitudes and experiences of non-consensual sexual acts. I was inundated with responses. Some spoke of the mild end of the spectrum. "There have been a few times when a snog has been forced upon me," says Liam, 31, who said that, in those instances, he laughed and pushed them off, adding: "I know very few people who would actually make a fuss. I don't want to offend anyone."
Earlier this week, I asked on Facebook [!] for gay men's attitudes and experiences of non-consensual sexual acts. I was inundated with responses. Some spoke of the mild end of the spectrum. "There have been a few times when a snog has been forced upon me," says Liam, 31, who said that, in those instances, he laughed and pushed them off, adding: "I know very few people who would actually make a fuss. I don't want to offend anyone."
The story of another man, in his twenties, conveys the confusion over how to categorise such experiences. "Some dude kept grabbing my neck. I told him politely to go away and he kept doing it, then touching my bum, following me to the toilet, to the point where I told him to fuck off. It's like, because it's a gay club, you have to shag everything. Wasn't an assault but was non-consensual."
The first person to comment under my Facebook status said: "Someone touching you up or grabbing your arse etc without consent isn't assault, how ridiculous."
The first person to comment under my Facebook status said: "Someone touching you up or grabbing your arse etc without consent isn't assault, how ridiculous."
Isn't it? But wait, Smugtwit has the law on his side!
The Sexual Offences Act 2003 states that a sexual assault occurs if "he (A) intentionally touches another person (B), the touching is sexual, B does not consent to the touching, and A does not reasonably believe that B consents".
Another respondent agreed: "We've all been touched up occasionally – if you're not interested, you just slap their hand away."
For many gay men, derided and dehumanised by a hostile culture, and then steeped in the values that have surrounded them in a counter-culture built on trauma, someone touching a private part of their body, uninvited, becomes normality, not an assault, with the onus on them to deal with it. The results can be devastating.
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| PS Independent April 21st. |
Another respondent agreed: "We've all been touched up occasionally – if you're not interested, you just slap their hand away."
For many gay men, derided and dehumanised by a hostile culture, and then steeped in the values that have surrounded them in a counter-culture built on trauma, someone touching a private part of their body, uninvited, becomes normality, not an assault, with the onus on them to deal with it. The results can be devastating.
The full horror of our rapey gay culture exposed, there.
I guess Mr Strudwick wants cops to start patrolling our clubs, arresting anyone being too fruity?
This is one of those all-too familiar articles about the gay scene, that will be unrecognisable to anyone familiar with the gay scene, but will horrify those - like the author - who know fuck all about it.
And, once more, we see that the best way to sell a feature about gay men to a national newspaper is to massively exaggerate a problem, and pathologise gay men.
Give us your white straight middle-classes, yearning to be oppressed.
I guess Mr Strudwick wants cops to start patrolling our clubs, arresting anyone being too fruity?
This is one of those all-too familiar articles about the gay scene, that will be unrecognisable to anyone familiar with the gay scene, but will horrify those - like the author - who know fuck all about it.
And, once more, we see that the best way to sell a feature about gay men to a national newspaper is to massively exaggerate a problem, and pathologise gay men.
Give us your white straight middle-classes, yearning to be oppressed.
What a fucking idiotic hysterical dickwad.
PS I asked a gay man who works in the House of Commons if the descriptions of drunken gay debauchery at Westminster bars sounded recognisable.
No, the worst behaviour I have seen in bars in parliament is from straight people. The vast majority of gay MPs are 'married' and very boring. And those are the ones getting emails from constituents asking about "gay orgies".
Still waiting for Channel 4 News to answer my query about their Sexminster 'survey' of 70 people.
Update: This email just in!
Our Managing Editor has requested I respond to you per below.
“The survey work on the “Palace of Sexminster” investigation was undertaken by the Channel 4 News investigative unit and was conducted over a period of time building up trust with the individuals. They were all people who are currently working within parliament and were considered to be a representative sample including both men and women.”
I hope that this answers your query.
Kind regards,
Yours sincerely
Catherine Chapman
Channel4 News
Not really, no. My main gripe remains; the sample is so small - and self-selected - it's totally unscientific.
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| Some headless gay men getting ready to sexually assault each other. |
PS I asked a gay man who works in the House of Commons if the descriptions of drunken gay debauchery at Westminster bars sounded recognisable.
No, the worst behaviour I have seen in bars in parliament is from straight people. The vast majority of gay MPs are 'married' and very boring. And those are the ones getting emails from constituents asking about "gay orgies".
Still waiting for Channel 4 News to answer my query about their Sexminster 'survey' of 70 people.
Update: This email just in!
Our Managing Editor has requested I respond to you per below.
“The survey work on the “Palace of Sexminster” investigation was undertaken by the Channel 4 News investigative unit and was conducted over a period of time building up trust with the individuals. They were all people who are currently working within parliament and were considered to be a representative sample including both men and women.”
I hope that this answers your query.
Kind regards,
Yours sincerely
Catherine Chapman
Channel4 News
Not really, no. My main gripe remains; the sample is so small - and self-selected - it's totally unscientific.
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