Some Shit I’m Sick of Hearing Regarding Rape and Assange ⇢

Kate Harding hits it out of the fucking park:

What “taking the allegations seriously” means:

• Accepting that Assange has been accused of real crimes, even if the authorities would almost certainly not have pursued him under other circumstances.
• If you are a WikiLeaks supporter, understanding that it is possible for the very same man to do things you really approve of AND things you really disapprove of.
• Being skeptical of claims that are used to discredit rape victims every day — e.g., “She wanted it”; “If she didn’t want it, then he didn’t know he didn’t have consent — it was all a big misunderstanding”; “Afterwards, she didn’t behave like I think a victim should”; “She’s just mad and trying to punish him”; “She hesitated to report it/wavered on pressing charges”; “She’s a crazy man-hater.”
• Recognizing that all of the above are, in fact, tactics used to discredit rape victims every day, and not Really Convincing Special Facts About This Particular Case.
• Encouraging a fair trial, if it comes to that, for both the accused and the accusers.

What “taking the allegations seriously” does not mean:

• Presuming that Assange is guilty/Ruling out any possibility that the allegations are false.
• Failing to understand that the pursuit of Assange was wildly out of proportion to the usual treatment of accused rapists.
• Being a sheep with no capacity or desire to think critically about the actions of powerful people who have been embarrassed by WikiLeaks.