Rushing to discredit his two women accusers is wrong way to protect Wikileaks founder. [View all]

[struggle4progress]

By Meghan Murphy, 30 Aug 2012, TheTyee.ca

... Feminist author and activist Jaclyn Friedman finds the reaction from many progressives infuriating. "They are so eager <to support Assange> that they will throw aside women's rights to our bodily autonomy if it means defending someone who is supposed to be a lefty hero," she said ...

There should be a line between assuming Assange's guilt and actively seeking to publicly discredit the women. It is irresponsible and dangerous to create a narrative that says that a rape isn't possible because a woman threw a party for, was "friendly with," or at one point admired her rapist.

So while Assange's supporters cheer at Ecuador’s offer of asylum many are simultaneously looking for "holes" in the women's stories. They talk about justice as though it's a one-way street -- being sure to remind us over and over again that Assange has only been accused and that we therefore cannot assume his guilt. And this is true. No one but Assange and the women know, at this point, the truth. But must we work so hard to assume the worst of the women who've made the claims? ...

"This is a perfect example of how we allow rape culture to flourish," says Friedman. "This isn't just about the Assange case. When rape myths are perpetuated in the popular media it makes women less likely to report." So when we publicly accuse women of lying or when we question whether or not what happened was actually rape, we ensure that women who do experience sexual assault will continue to be fearful about coming forward ...

http://thetyee.ca/Opinion/2012/08/30/Assange-Rape-Charges/