Editor’s Note: This article contains discussions of sexual abuse. For a list of sexual assault reporting options and on-campus resources, visit the Notre-Dame, Saint Mary and holy cross Web pages.
The ongoing Raise Your Voice symposium at Saint Mary’s College held a panel Friday discussing research on sexual violence. The panel consisted of junior Clarissa Espinoza, senior Sarah Louth, and 2021 graduate Grace Maher.
Espinoza, a dual major in Gender and Women’s Studies and Communication Studies, was presented first. For her presentation, she read an essay she had written for a feminist theory class on the changing discourses of female sexuality.
The essay focused on two contrasting authors, Katherine MacKinnon and Carole Vance. Espinoza delved into each’s different arguments.
MacKinnon, Espinoza explained, views a woman’s sexuality as gendered, meaning that male dominance is sexualized as much as a woman’s subservience, which in turn results in a woman being controlled by the man.
This argument, Espinoza said, is restrictive of female sexuality. However, Vance is making gender and sexuality clearer, she said.
“It also causes the conversation to move from danger to pleasure,” Espinoza said.
Espinoza said the discourse is important despite strong opposing views.
“Even though the authors’ arguments are so varied, they still provide important information about sexuality,” Espinoza said. “Sexuality is a very complex concept, and the authors re-emphasize this complexity by creating a discourse that leaves room for conversation.”
Louth, who also has dual degrees in Gender and Women’s Studies and Communication Studies, next spoke about her advocacy project to provide support and resources for the transgender community. Her central claim was that “sexual violence is not discriminatory, and neither should our support resources,” referring to the lack of resources for the transgender community.
In her presentation, Louth spoke about her internship at Transgender Resource, Education and Enrichment Services (TREES) this spring.
“As an intern, I created a booklet dedicated to finding resources in the Midwest, specifically on transgender sexual assault,” she said.
But the limited nature of resources, despite shocking statistics of transgender struggles, Louth said, is “disheartening”. She said the transgender community needs multi-pronged support in the form of medical supplies, healing support, legal support and allies.
Maher, who received his BA in Gender and Women’s Studies and Humanities Studies from Saint Mary’s, concluded the panel portion of the event with a presentation on rape culture in America. Her presentation was a modified version of her senior composition project that she had written with the Department of Gender and Women’s Studies.
In her presentation, Maher argued that 21st-century America perpetuates, and in fact actively contributes to, rape culture through media representation and inadequate legal protections for victims.
“With the advent of the digital age, rape culture has taken on a new and increasingly accessible form,” she said.
Maher delved into attempts to portray rape culture in the media, analyzing the impact of films like Bombshell and Hustlers, and TV shows like Law and Order: Special Victims Unit and Unbelievable. These depictions are mostly harmless because they perpetuate harmful notions of blaming and questioning the victim, Maher argued.
In examining the legal system’s perpetuation of rape culture, Maher pointed to public allegations of sexual assault and cases such as those involving Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, former President Donald Trump and film producer Harvey Weinstein. Those cases, Maher argued, failed to hold public figures accountable and allowed them to live above the law.
“This inability in our legal system to hold violent criminals accountable for their actions condones crime and forces victims back into the shadows, despite having the courage to even speak up,” Maher said.
Addressing rape culture, Maher said, would require a broader, collective effort.
“The 21st century can work to eradicate the culture of rape, but this will require the work of everyone, not just the victims or survivors, not just those in gender and women’s studies or similar fields, not even just women, but everyone” , she said .