This year, numerous agencies launched a campaign urging men to act responsibly and recognize the disproportionate number of sexual assaults that are committed against women by men.
The campaign, named Don’t Be That Guy, focuses on debunking myths about consent that lead to rape apologist justifications of sexual assault and victim blaming.
Rape apology uses the behaviour, dress, and prior characterizations of rape victims as provocation that invites rape and is beyond the control of the rapist. This is classic victim blaming and leads women to believe that their actions have caused their rape; this becomes internalized in many women and perpetuates the assault far beyond the initial physical attack.
The Don’t Be That Guy campaign has been attacked in recent weeks by unauthorized parody campaigns using the imagery and tag lines making offensive statements that condone rape and blame women for their own assaults with statements such as “Just because you regret your life choices, doesn’t mean it’s rapeŃDon’t Be That Girl.”
The parody campaign making rape the victims’ responsibility is simply a cowardly act of those who refuse to acknowledge rape as a conscious and deliberate act.
If you see any of these posters on campus, please report them to the Camosun College Student Society offices.