The Blame is Not in the Bottle

Straight out of the Robin Thicke School of Philosophy (I know you want it...), this recent poster is currently the subject of an online petition gathering more and more signatures every minute - and rightly so. Although the poster has now been decommissioned and is no longer circulating, this horrible example of victim-blaming is still being seen in some NHS premises (hence the recent media coverage) and it's implied message needs to be eradicated once and for all.

The gulf between the concept of drinking as something that lowers your inhibitions, and drinking as something that holds you in some way personably responsible for being a victim of one of the most damaging crimes imaginable is vast and unreconcilable. Let us get this immediately clear - rape is never, ever, ever, ever the victims fault. Never. Dress, alcohol consumption, drug taking, choice of nightclub, flirting - absolutely none of these, under any condition, should place any blame at the door of the victim. No is no is no is NO. This sentiment is echoed by NHS guidelines:

It doesn't matter what you were wearing, where you were or whether you had been drinking. A sexual assault is always the fault of the perpetrator.

'Putting out' is one of the most detestable phrases in the English language. Sex is not something you are ever entitled to. No one is entitled to it because they have bought someone drinks all night, or paid for a taxi home. No one is entitled to it because they were taken home by their victim, or even invited into bed. There is no time limit on 'no', there is never a moment when that word becomes invalid. Society needs to remember that. There is no entitlement when it comes to sex - it is one of the most precious gifts we have, and it comes with immense psychological and physical responsibilities. Paying for five vodkas and a £12 taxi does not grant you undeniable access to someone's body. Oddly, some people seem to think that a person who has to go to sleep next to someone they have brought home, without being able to satisfy their sexual urges, has suffered one of the world's great injustices and deserves as much sympathy as a rape victim. Waiting until next weekend to go out and have consensual sex is hardly comparable to a victim suffering from a lifetime of pain and trauma.

I don't believe for a minute that the intention of the poster was to portray the message that, unfortunately, it has (see the NHS quote above). Sure, everyone needs to know their limits with regard to alcohol, for any number of reasons (stumbling into the road, liver damage etc.) but this message is seriously wrong, and needs to be removed. Getting drunk in a nightclub with friends does not mean that you can be blamed if your vulnerability is preyed upon by an evil predator.

Sign the petition!