I think the gendering issue is a bit of a red herring to be honest, since feminists and gender theorists have been trying to detach concepts of biological gender, gender identity and power-relationships from one another.
Well, I was aiming at doing exactly that - I wasn't suggesting, for example, that rape was "a man/woman" thing - at least two of my examples were gender ambiguous. I accept that gender works in ways that aren't just bird/bloke - for kick-off, it signifies differently when it intersects with class and race and so forth.
I think recognising that gender exists as a power system doesn't reify it, or its supposed connection to biological gender. In fact, it's the first step to taking it to bits.
I think we should be trying to dismantle that connection (or deconstruct it) rather than reify it.
So do I. I wanted to point out the way rape is used and the effects it has, and suggesting that many of these are socially constructed, and aren't essential grounded in biology. (Without trivialising it -'constructed' doesn't mean, to me 'they're not real' or 'they don't count').
So, still not throwing in my hat on the better/worse debate, but wanting to suggest that one act signifies in systems that the other doesn't (always). |
