'Most rapes are just bad sex,' says feminist Germaine Greer regarding punishment for rape to be reduced
Australian feminist Germaine Greer, sparked controversy by calling for the punishment for rape to be reduced and saying that most rapes are just bad sex.
She spoke at the Hay literary festival in the UK, where she said that society should not see rape as a "spectacularly violent crime," suggesting that offenders should be sentenced to 200 hours' community service and perhaps an "r" tattoo on the rapist's hand, arm or cheek.
"Most rapes don't involve any injury whatsoever. We are told it's one of the most violent crimes in the world -- bull. Most rape is just lazy, just careless, just insensitive," she said, according to British press reports.
"It’s an awful thing to be raped but to attempt to bring the person who raped you to justice and getting nowhere, getting discredited, getting humiliated, that's a tragedy." - @TheFemaleGreer #HayFestival2018
— Hay Festival (@hayfestival) May 30, 2018
She publicized her new book "The Female Eunuch," at the festival and her comments sparked rage on social media. Previously also she made provocative remarks that have garnered her publicity.
According to her, transgender women are "not women," female genital mutilation is like getting a tattoo and has slammed the #Metoo movement.
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All this with Germaine Greer makes me very sad. Her comments are peculiar and damaging and the comments about her are foul and unhelpful. Hopefully it will raise the issue of sentencing of rapists, which needs addressing. Also trauma is a spectrum not an absolute to be denied.
— Nicky Clark (@MrsNickyClark) May 31, 2018
She continued, "I want to turn the discourse about rape upside down. We are not getting anywhere approaching it down the tunnel of history."
The compassionate response to Germaine Greer is that demoting her own rape experience to 'bad sex' is her way of diminishing its effect on her. But in generalising this, and saying we should all think of rape this way, she fails to have any compassion for other rape victims.
— Ros Barber (@rosbarber) May 31, 2018
I call for Germaine Greer to stop calling herself a feminist. Because she very clearly isn't. And the hailing of her as one needs to stop. It should have stopped a long time ago, really, but now is certainly a good time to really do it. https://t.co/VZPOh2IiYP
— Prof Tanja Bueltmann (@cliodiaspora) May 30, 2018
Former UK cabinet minister Priti Patel called Greer's views "sickening."
"These comments are an affront to the victims of appalling crimes such as rape. We should have zero tolerance of sexual violence," she was quoted as saying by the Mail.
Commentators expressed their disappointment at her comments on Twitter.
Greer also spoke about her rape that was committed at a party days before her 19th birthday. She had not been "angry enough" with her attacker, she said.
"Bad sex" would be having sex with Rees-Mogg or Germaine Greer. Non-consensual 'sex' will always be rape - and the day that isn't punished is the day society is broken https://t.co/3UmgTSKIgk
— Will Black (@WillBlackWriter) May 30, 2018
Germaine Greer has long spouted controversial abhorrent ideas in a vain effort to remain relevant including transphobic hate and now she’s come out as a rape apologist.
— Sophie Cook (@sophiecooktalks) May 31, 2018
Maybe it’s time for her to disappear back into the jungle for good and take Katie Hopkins with her. https://t.co/RQ7PgLkDny
"I can hear feminists screaming 'you're trivialising rape' but we shouldn't live in terror of the penis. Why are we genuflecting in front of this poor little thing that needs all the help it can get," she added.