Wikileaks & Sexual Assault & DemocracyNow!

One of the things I truly enjoy about DemocracyNow! is the way that it shows the nuances there can be between people who are theoretically on the same side of an issue. The discussion between Jaclyn Friedman, executive director of Women, Action & the Media a charter member of CounterQuo and the editor of the hit anthology Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape and Naomi Wolf, feminist, social critic and author of seven books, including The Beauty Myth and The End of America.
They both identify as feminists and neither one of them is one of those fake feminists (i.e., where they argue that it is a feminist position that women should be heterosexual, married, and shouldn't work). They engaged in a heated and very interesting debate about rape and it raises some interesting questions about the issue of consent.
Wolf basically argues that Assange did not commit rape. She conceded it would be rape if he had sex with someone who was asleep, but she says that the woman was not asleep, she was half asleep, she woke up and they talked about sex and he promised her he didn't have HIV/AIDS (apparently she didn't ask about any other STDs) and after his reassurances she consented to sex.
Friedman basically argues, no he actively engaged in sex with her while she was sleeping. When she woke up, he pressured her to have sex with him. She also called b.s. on Wolf's argument that victims of rape basically run and hide from any connection to the perpetrator. This argument that Wolf attempted to make was profoundly disappointing and makes it appear that she has never done much research or been involved in services supporting survivors of rape. As Friedman pointed out, it is actually quite common for survivors of sexual assault, especially by known assailants to continue to interact. It is also not that uncommon for some women to later engage in consensual sex with the perpetrator, many theorists believe this is done in an attempt to reclaim control over the situation, that by having consensual sex it somehow mitigates the feeling of violation from the previous encounter.
It was also a little disturbing how Wolf blew of the torn clothing. She laughed it off in a way that seemed to be saying that sex often gets rough and exciting, and ripping cloths is part of the fun, so it's ridiculous to use torn cloths as support of rape.

Wolf also alluded to the idea that these women's were groupies so of course they would consent to sex with Assange. I couldn't help but get a flashback to the days of Clinton. There is something about men in power, whether it be because they are presidents, rebellious media moguls, or football players, society seems to believe that it is impossible that women would not consent to sex with them. Apparently all women, all the time, even when they're asleep.

Anyway, there discussion is more interesting than my rant, so check it out.

Part 1: http://www.democracynow.org/2010/12/20/naomi_wolf_vs_jaclyn_friedman_a
Part 2: http://www.democracynow.org/2010/12/21/part_iifeminists_debate_sexual_allegations_against