Everyone is talking about “sex scandals” and leaked nude photos nowadays, and everyone has an opinion. Some people are willing to consider it the fault of the victim. “She shouldn't have taken the pictures if she didn't want people to see them,” however, is on par with “He shouldn't have been walking home at night if he didn't want to be murdered.”
Everyone is talking about “sex scandals” and leaked nude photos nowadays, and everyone has an opinion. Some people are willing to consider it the fault of the victim. “She shouldn't have taken the pictures if she didn't want people to see them,” however, is on par with “He shouldn't have been walking home at night if he didn't want to be murdered.”
The fact of the matter is that stealing someone’s private photos, and viewing their body without their permission is a sex crime. It is not a “scandal,” it’s a crime. It is the same as watching someone through a window without their permission, and it is just as vile. But the problem here isn't whether or not it is a sex crime, the problem is that men often feel entitled to women's bodies.
This is why the myth of the “friendzone” exists, and this is why strangers on the Internet feel as though they can steal naked photos of celebrities. This is the reason people looked at the photos without a second thought as to how that celebrity would feel. It is the reason songs like “Blurred Lines” are made. Somehow, women are not in control of their own bodies in the eyes of men, and the only permission that matters is that of the man who can't bear the thought of not getting what he wants. It is this idea, this remnant from days when women were legally property of men, that is responsible, in part, for the high rates of sexual assault and rape in the United States.
Women do not exist for the enjoyment of men. The sexuality of these individuals is not in existence solely for men. We do not dress for men, despite many articles suggesting that women should cater their outfits based on the preference of men. Women are individual beings with their own lives and feelings, and if they want their photos to be private, then they should stay private. You do not have the inherent right to look at our bodies without our permission. You, white men of legislature, do not have the right to tell us whether we can control our reproductive systems or not.
Women's bodies are not public property. They are not yours to touch, to view, to control. Give us back our autonomy.
Bailey Breece is junior studying English and German. Email her at bb463711@ohio.edu
