Excerpts from ThropTalk

Kat R. Naessens ’01: “Rape should be punished, girls should be made to feel more comfortable seeking help or counseling, guys should be more aware of girls’ needs, girls should be more comfortable with themselves and their sexuality, no one should take advantage of girls especially when drunk, and having sex with someone who is obviously drunk is a bad idea whether girl or boy.”

Gregory Chiarella ’02: “As I understood Harvard policy to be, according to a group’s presentation, if both the man and woman were drunk, they had sex, and the next day the woman had second thoughts about what she did, that would technically be rape. I personally feel this is wrong. If both parties are drunk and thus unable to legally consent, then both are rapists and both are victims, and I see no reason why men should be held more accountable than women in this sort of a situation.”

Evan S. Day ’03: “I think that the Harvard definition of any sex under the influence as rape is screwy also because it excuses a lot of responsibility for decisions one makes which are explicitly not made under any coercive conditions. What about a consensual hook-up between two drunken people? … The entire reason we consider rape such a serious crime is that we recognize each individual’s right to make conscious decisions what to do with their bodies. It’s too bad Harvard can’t do the same.”

Patrick T. Smith ’04: “Men commit, what, 99% of rapes? Men are, in general, stronger physically and more able to impose their will on an unwilling participant. Laws must take practical, as well as moral considerations, into account. You chose to get drunk. And let’s face it – everyone knows if they get amorous when they get intoxicated. If you can’t control yourself when you are drunk, I mean you really can’t, then don’t get drunk!”

Day: “While it’s true that a lot of consensual drunken hookups which might be rape under Harvard’s definition don’t lead to accusations of rape, the question of whether or not charges were pressed does not change the facts whether or not a rape occurred. A crime is a crime regardless of whether it’s reported.”

Sue M. Chung ’02: “I think that what ‘rape’ means is very different for men and women. The principle behind it is, yes, the same, that someone takes advantage of your body without your consent. But, I really think the notion of what our bodies mean is quite different for men and women. Women, in our society, have been taught for hundreds of years that our bodies are property, objects for purchase… I don’t mean to be dramatic, but when a woman’s body is violated, the violation goes far beyond just the physical aspect and involves a deeper emotional violation.”

Laura K. Cobb ’01: “Because the consequences of sex (either social, personal, or biological) are different across genders, it makes sense that we have a rape policy that deals with men and women differently. Women simply have more to lose by a night of casual, drunken sex then men.”

Day: “Wait a minute, wasn’t the point of all that ‘suffrage’ and ‘women’s rights’ stuff the idea that women are equally capable of making rational decisions, and that men and women should be respected equally? Wouldn’t the logical extension of that spirit be to write laws based on the assumption that women are capable of intelligently making independent decisions? Should laws be based on the idea that the decisions women make are less legally binding than those of men because they’re made in the context of generations-old unequal societal expectations, or should the law give equal weight to the decisions of men and women?”

Erik K. Frost ’02: “I’d agree that society does have a dual standard in its view of men vs. women in terms of their sexual promiscuity. BUT I don’t know that any of us can really state as fact how either gender, on a purely personal level, regrets unwanted sex more.”

Audrey R. Walton ’02: “I really don’t think the law is capable of protecting everyone, all the time, much as it often tries to. The job of protecting a hapless drunk does not fall to HUPD. It falls to said drunk’s friends, in my opinion. And I think in the same way, the role of protecting people from the consequences of bad decisions – as distinct from crimes – should fall to their community, rather than the justice system.”

Chung: “It’s important to bring a friend who is not planning on getting drunk and will take you home if necessary. My beef is with the fact that women have to do this. Why don’t guys who get pushy at parties after a couple of drinks have to tote along tee-totaling friends who will take them home before they end up taking advantage of some drunken girl? Why are women the ones who have to stay vigilant while men can do whatever the hell they want, at parties and bars, and other social arenas?”

Anonymous Female ’03: “Important to note: Both genders are fully capable of enjoying unplanned sex as well. During and afterwards. Let’s keep it clear that unplanned sex does not always result in accusations and/or regrets.”

Anonymous Male ’03: “There are no easy solutions to these issues—except the good old stand-byes, sobriety and chastity.”

Chung: “As long as women feel that society will blame them, they will not come forward. And as long as society blames victims, rape will not stop. So until rape stops and society stops blaming victims for some criminal’s lack of control, I think we have to do everything in our power to ensure that women feel comfortable coming forward with rape charges.”