I... I don't even have words to describe how awful this situation is.

Recently, this happened:

I believe you've gotten the gist of what's happening here. Now, I'd like to bring up some of the toxic, toxic myths associated with rape and talk about why they aren't true.

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Myth 1 : Survivors of rape are impure, a disgrace to their families and the society.

Reality : Survivors of rape deserve help, care and attention like survivors of any other form of abuse. Why does our society shame rape them for something that clearly wasn't their fault?

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Myth 2 : Women falsely accuse men of rape because they regret having sex with someone, or because they are attention-seekers.

Reality : While there are people that falsely accuse others of rape, these cases are pretty rare. Most survivors stay silent because they don't want anyone to shame them or because of other reasons (for example, they were threatened).

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Myth 3 : If you get really drunk, it’s your own fault if you end up getting raped.

Reality : Whether under the influence of something or not, consent is consent and consent is IMPORTANT.

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Myth 4 : If the person didn’t scream or try to fight their attacker off, then it wasn’t rape.

Reality : There are instances where the person cannot fight back. Some of them are:
• Not being able to react (the freeze response) is a normal and common reaction, like the flight and fight response.
• If you rape someone who's asleep or unconscious, there is no consent.
• There are many rapists that threaten and/or manipulate people to keep the sexual abuse a secret.

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Myth 5 : Once a man is sexually aroused he cannot help himself.

Reality : Be it a man or a woman, everyone are perfectly capable of controlling their sexual urges. And even if that wasn't the case, nothing gives them the right to attack people that have nothing to do with it. No one owes you sex, and that's a fact.

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Myth 6 : Men of certain races and backgrounds are more likely to commit sexual violence.

Reality : Race, ethnicity and stuff like that have nothing to do with being a rapist. Selfish, abusive people can come from anywhere, and connecting this sort of behavior to a particular group is hurtful and harmful to them.

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Myth 7 : Women shouldn’t go out alone at night as they are likely to get raped.

Reality : Okay. ONE, women (or anyone for that matter) have the right to go out at night or any time of the day (alone or not) without being raped or attacked. And TWO, most rape cases are caused by someone the survivor knows (like a friend/family member/co-worker/teacher/neighbor etc.)

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Myth 8 : If you are in a relationship with someone, it’s always OK to have sex with them.

Reality : Consent is consent. Dating or marrying someone doesn't mean you owe them sex. This is something a lot of people have yet to understand. Marital rape is still not illegal where I'm from and it's extremely upsetting.

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Myth 9 : Men don't get raped, and women don't commit sexual offences.

Reality : This myth upsets and worries me so much. No matter what your gender and sexual orientation are, consent is essential and without it the sexual act committed ranges from harassment to rape depending on the severity. So yes, men can be raped and women can be rapists.
Also on the topic, I've heard some people say that gay/trans people are all rapists, and some others say that they're "asking to be raped". What the fuck?!

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Myth 10 : People who were sexually abused as children are likely to become abusers themselves.

Reality : Apparently, this is used to justify what rapists do. Survivors of rape wouldn't abuse others. And rape cannot be justified by such excuses.

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Myth 11 : Women provoke men to rape them by wearing revealing clothes or flirting.

Reality : People have the right to wear what they want, and they don't deserve to be abused for it. Though that doesn't mean you go around flashing your privates in public (some women think they can do this and that it's feminism. That is NOT feminism. It's pseudo feminism which I don't support. Feminism means equality, not "women above men".)

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Myth 12 : When it comes to sex, women and girls give out mixed signals. They sometimes 'play hard to get' and say 'no' when they really mean 'yes'.

Reality : Everyone has the legal right to say 'no' to sex and to change their mind at any point of sexual contact. If the other person doesn't stop, they are committing sexual assault or rape. When it comes to sex, we must check in with our partners, respect their wishes, and believe what they tell us about what they do and don't want.

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Rape culture in India and its effects on society:

Look, I love a lot of Bollywood songs and I listen to my guilty pleasure music. But I can't help but be mad at the songs and music that objectify women and play with the idea of consent. I know it doesn't just happen in Bollywood, but still.

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I just really needed to get it out of my head. Thanks for reading the whole thing and even though it might've just been stuff you already know, I hope I was able to inform and educate you. I hope you feel the same way I do.

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