If you thought only Indian politicians and leaders make bizarre statements on rapes and sexual abuse, you might want to think again. Australian author and veteran feminist Germaine Greer has kicked up quite a storm in the last few days after making strange and insulting comments on rape and the quantum of punishment for the crime.
During an appearance at the Hay Festival in Wales on Wednesday, May 30, Greer said that "most rapes don't involve any injury" and a lot of times they are just "bad sex."
"We are told it's one of the most violent crimes in the world. Bu*****t," news.au.com quoted her as saying. "Instead of thinking of rape as a spectacularly violent crime, and some rapes are, think about it as non-consensual — that is, bad sex. Sex where there is no communication, no tenderness, no mention of love," she added.
The 79-year-old author even went on to say that rapes did not destroy women, but just annoyed them. "Most rape is just lazy, just careless, insensitive. Every time a man rolls over on his exhausted wife and insists on enjoying his conjugal rights he is raping her. It will never end up in a court of law."
If this did not make you flinch, there's more. Greer also said that rapes are not serious crimes and should not attract such stringent punishment. She believes 200 hours of community service and the letter "r" tattooed on the rapist's hand, arm or cheek would suffice.
These comments coming from her are strange considering she herself was raped as a teen.
Greer is set to publish her full argument on rape in a new book, which releases in Australia in September.
Meanwhile, Twitter users have lashed out at Greer for her comments and many have said that she should not call herself a feminist anymore. "You do not speak for women anymore #GermaineGreer. You're done. You're irrelevant. You're nasty," a user said, while another added: "Could someone please take this woman to a gynaecological ward where women are being treated for vaginal tears and rape wounds?"
Here are a few other reactions:
I’ve actually forgotten what #GermaineGreer stands for and so, it seems, has she
— kaye adams (@kayeadams) May 31, 2018
Either #germainegreer is mentally ill, or feminism is just something she attached herself to for personal merit. I’m astounded and profoundly disappointed by her.
— Laura Nadia Hunt (@LauraNadiaHunt) May 30, 2018
Rape is a violent act, full stop.
— Helen; (@helen_a15) May 31, 2018
Regardless of the circumstance.
Germain Greer of all people should know this and is letting rape victims/survivors down by her views and comments.#GermaineGreer #Rape #RapeCulture
She’s wrong. Rape is by its very nature violent even if it came about by co-ercion rather than force. #GermaineGreer https://t.co/e4qiB553PZ
— Men Against Violence (@MAV_Preston) May 31, 2018
I'd like to congratulate #GermaineGreer on further annihilating what was left of her own reputation. At what point does it become ok to politely ask a famous feminist to shut the fuck up? https://t.co/fii5V99uv0
— Malcolm Tucker (@Tucker5law) May 30, 2018
However, Greer is not really new to controversy and also made headlines in 2015, when she said that transgender women were not "real women."
