After the sexual assault allegation against Al Gore surfaced last month, a friend told me: "I hope it's not true." I don't. Here's why:

* Nancy Schwartzman talks about having her rape debated on camera for a potential new "feminist" series:

After Miss D.C. 2009 Jen Corey's claim that the Washington Examiner mischaracterized her sexual assault as a simple "bar fight," reporter Tara Palmeri first defended herself by claiming she doesn't always write her own stories. Now, the paper has revealed its second line of defense: Accusing Corey of being a bad sexual assault victim.

Explanations I've heard, in 2010, for why rape happens to the people it happens to: Women don't lock their doors, women wear revealing clothing, women wear sexually suggestive footwear, women take the stairs, women walk outside alone, women drink too much. What I don't generally hear stated aloud is the assumption behind most of these [...]

Georgetown Girl points out this WJLA story from earlier this month on a recent sexual assault near the Georgetown University campus. The story is targeted at warning college-aged women to stay inside at night: "Keep in mind, the victim was walking around late at night by herself, and authorities are urging young people to be [...]

Last night, I re-read Gene Weingarten's Pulitzer Prize-winning feature on parents who accidentally forget their infants in the backseats of their cars, leaving them to swelter to death in the heat. And since I can make connections to rape culture out of practically anything, I was struck by this section in Weingarten's story, about the [...]

Today is Denim Day, an annual event dedicated to raising awareness about all forms of sexual violence. I love Denim Day's "No Excuses" campaign [PDF], which illustrates a dozen ways that people manage to excuse sexual assault, blame victims, and ignore that the crimes even happen. The effectiveness of the campaign lies in its relentlessness—it [...]

Last week, I asked you all for your thoughts on the use of trigger warnings on this blog. Sixty-seven comments later, I've come to a decision about how this blog will deal with potentially triggering material on topics like sexual assault, abuse, and eating disorders.
But first, your thoughts:

Last month, convicted rapist Daniel Katsnelson administered some advice to the two York University students he raped in 2007. After pleading guilty to entering a campus residence, prowling for open doors, and then raping two students, Katsnelson told his parole officer that he hopes the girls learned something from all this:
Katsnelson indicated he hoped his victims [...]

Though the most dedicated rape apologists may disagree, clothing choices like miniskirts, low-cut shirts and high heels are not reliable indicators of a woman's sexual availability. Inanimate objects don't consent to sex; people do. But is there any sartorial choice out there that does announce to the world that the wearer is down to fuck?
Enter [...]