Gendered Violence

The House of Representatives passed the new GOP version of the Violence Against Women Act renewal last month, which was met with democratic opposition. The democratic House members denounced the bill as lacking in inclusive language for protection and provision of services for victims of domestic violence, to include queer and trans* identified individuals. The democratic demand is that all victims, regardless of gender or sexual identity deserve assistance in cases of domestic violence, and that the language in the House bill is not inclusive, and needs a broader definition to include marginalized communities.

            In order to create a safe space for LGBT, women of color, and other minority and marginalized groups, bills need to be carefully worded to be inclusive. As we saw in the CDC report on the risks faced by minority sexual identity groups, there is a higher risk, and many minority groups hold a fear of reporting, even higher than that of the dominant groups (where it is already difficult to get people to report. If there is an inclusion in policy, it would send a message that the needs of marginalized groups also matter, and might encourage reporting.

            Societal norms need to change as well. Our culture needs to stop portraying women in damsel in distress, and other sexualized violence. As we saw in Tough Guise, the ideal of only showing men in a dominant culture perpetuates their need to raise the bar. We see in films rewards for engaging in violent activities usually involve a sex scene or the degradation of a woman. Films in any genre, from horror to action to “chick flicks”, violence in men is seen as masculine and attractive, and is rewarded by female submission and attention. We need to stop perpetuating and reflecting this stereotype, and stop teaching our children from the time that they are young that these are their gender roles: to attack and protect, and to be the object of desire and protected.