It happens, it happens a lot, more than a lot of
people think. Having good politics doesn’t mean someone isn’t capable of being
abusive in their own life but refusing to take accusations of abuse seriously
because the accused is such a “good anarchist” is a sign of pretty shitty
politics.
This is a discussion that needs to happen and as frustrating as it is it
probably needs to happen many times and the discussion needs to be led by those who have experienced abuse, even if it means people who are used to being heard have to sit back, be quiet and listen.
Too many people (predominately women) have had to withdraw from activism and anarchist organising because of abuse, while abusers face little if any social
consequences for their actions. This is a topic I really want to write more
about but at the moment it is too raw a subject to go into, so instead I am
going to post links to a few sites that I have found helpful and informative and I would love if anyone has any other sites in mind to link to them in the comments.
Some are about specific events and some are more general. Some are anarchist and some are from the broader left. All come with a trigger warning.
Betrayal – a critical analysis of rape culture in anarchist subcultures
From the website “A Campaign to Openly and Directly Address Rape Within Our Communities
This is a campaign to break the silence around rape and sexually dangerous/predatory behaviours, and to use community-pressure, people-power and survivor-direction to openly and directly address rape. It is also a public service campaign to educate around the realities of rape, sexual assault, and sexually transmitted infections for the safety and health of women who are exposed to them.
Why?
Because as women we’re tired of putting up with rape. And because as survivors we cannot rely on the state system to support us.”
Misogyny and the left – we need to start practicing what we preach.
To Socialist Alternative, a letter, a call out.
Wow, my heart just broke. I left the anarchist/activist scene about 10 years ago when I was raped by a prominent member of our little community. I escaped and told the women in our group, the women I lived with who had known me for at least two years what had happened. The response was a resounding… nothing. The closest I got to support was when a friend said “I can understand how that might have felt like rape to you.” No one could believe that this charismatic hero had violated me, had not stopped when I said “no”.
I am going to build up to reading the links you have posted (might need a glass of wine) and look forward to reading anything further you write. This is the first time I have seen this in print. Bravo for being brave enough to bring it in the public domain. When it happened to me I just ran and hated myself.
To be fair I have encountered amazing communities where abusers were immediately ostracized (London Anarchist punks, in my little neck of the wood going back a decade or so) and victims were strengthened and supported. Unfortunately in my native home of Australia I have to seen that kind of moral courage in my personal circles of friendship or political community.
dfl: Really sorry, that is a terrible way to be treated.
I’m so sorry that happened to you, not just that you were raped but that the people who should have been your support network failed you so deeply.
Thankyou for saying I’m brave but I don’t think I am any braver than any other survivor. I’ve pretty much run away, have no involved myself in anything political since and spend a lot of time hating myself.
I wish society would start to accept that abusers most often are capable of being charismatic, and that they use this to their own benefit. I am sure that the people who didn’t believe me were swayed by his charisma and his ability to tell them what they wanted to hear (and no one wants to hear that there friend or comrade is a rapist or abusive).
In all of it though I have also been lucky enough to have the support of some amazing comrades who have believed and stood up for me even when doing so is to their own social detriment. I agree though, Australia is sadly lacking in instances of communities taking gender violence (or any discrimination) seriously and protecting survivors.
Reblogged this on tambrosia.
I was linked to this from a Facebook group, but I can’t see the body of the article!!! What’s going on?
It should be working now, there was some sort of glitch.
I have a friend who was abused by a man involved in an anarchist/lefty community while they were in a relationship. What is the best way for her to warn others about him? Some of the people who normally speak out about violence and sexism in that community are friends with the abuser and he has also been on involved in discussion to decide what to do about other men’s violence. We don’t know what to do. Thanks for the post and this blog, we really appreciate it.
I wish I knew what the best way for her to warn others about him was but all I have learnt is that every way can end in more victim blaming. That said, I would support a survivor in any way that they chose to warn people, just like there is no way to do it without risking victim blaming there is no wrong way to do it. I will ask a few friends who have been in similar situations to comment on this too in the hope that they have some suggestions.
No matter what route you take though I think one of the most vital things is that she has lots of support and help because no matter how people react when told it can still be such a triggering thing to do (a good way would be to have friends do the work of warning people).
Reblogged this on Loony Lefty and commented:
Definitely. And bullying. And prejudice against disabled people.
I experienced absolutely appalling bullying and disability discrimination during my association with the South Wales Anarchists which destroyed my confidence and has pretty much driven me out of community activism.
Thank you so much for writing this.
I’m so sorry that that happened to you (and no doubt to many others). Gender violence is by no means the only form of violence against marginalised people that happens regularily on the left and in anarchist groups, and we need to address all forms of violence and opression instead of pretending that being an anarchist means people aren’t like that.