Actor Shia LaBeouf made headlines last fall when he disclosed that a patron attending his #IAMSORRY performance art exhibit sexually assaulted him. What really happened? Will we ever know? His startling confession and subsequent controversy provoked a broader question: can a woman really rape a man?
The answer is a resounding yes. Today on BOLD, Christopher M. Anderson joins us to bring this issue out of the shadows. According to research, 86% of male survivors of female offenders are not believed.
Christopher is the Executive Director of Male Survivor, the leading not-for profit organization committed to preventing, healing and eliminating all forms of male sexual victimization.
“When we talk about sexual violence, the only person who has the right to determine and define their experience is the survivor. I want men to know they are not alone. It is not your fault. Healing is possible.”
From Jerry Sandusky to Bill Cosby, LeGrande and Christopher tackle the larger issue of sexual violence in the media. They also discuss the landmark Oprah Winfrey episode where an audience of 200 male victims released years of shame.
“Instead of attacking Shia, we should be acknowledging the fact that what he did will empower more survivors, both male and female, to come forward.”
You can follow Christopher on Twitter via @chander2nyc. His website is www.malesurvivor.org. Join the conversation at www.getboldtoday.com.
Check out this episode!
Mark, without question male on male DV is another huge and underacknowledged issue. Many of the men that we have supported over the years have told us that they experienced sexual abuse from an intimate partner. That’s one of the reasons that we really think it’s so important to open up the discussion around DV and SV to ensure that we are truly being inclusive of all survivors – regardless of race, gender, creed, or sexual orientation.
Thank you so much LeGrande! It was a wonderful chat, and I hope your listeners will reach out to us on FB and Twitter if they have any questions!
What about male on male domestic violence?