They line up in front of a courthouse in southeastern France, from morning to evening, and have gathered in the thousands in cities across the country. They hold signs reading, “one rape every six minutes,” “not all men but always a man,” and “giving in is not consenting.”

They chant: “Rapist we see you, victim we believe you.”

Women across France are rallying in support of Gisèle Pelicot, a 72-year-old reluctant icon whose husband is on trial in the city of Avignon for systematically drugging her and inviting dozens of men, 50 of whom are now his co-defendants, into their home to rape her over nearly a decade.

The shocking case has sparked what many women in France call a long-overdue reckoning over “rape culture” and systemic sexism in the way the judicial system handles sexual violence.

  • @[email protected]
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    272 months ago

    The problem is the sign in the thumbnail. It sure as good god fuck is not always men and you’re a disgusting liar to claim that.

    • @[email protected]
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      2 months ago

      jesus man, not everything is about you. sure, not all men are sexual predators. easy enough to agree on. but the point is that all men have had opportunities to call their peers out on creepy behavior, whether it’s catcalling, looking down on women, sexualizing them, etc. and failed. each of these 50 plus men in this story could’ve reported this as odd, or talked to the women and made sure she was ok, or hung around until the drugs wore off to double check, and didn’t. each of them were given an opportunity and they took full advantage of it and of her. so yeah. all men have failed women at some point, and each of your MANY comments in this thread are honestly just another example of that, taking away from this poor women’s story to wage your personal crusade.

    • beefbot
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      92 months ago

      All men can walk around at night or alone never thinking about it though

      • @[email protected]
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        2 months ago

        Lol maybe if you’re a white guy in a middle class neighborhood below the age of 60 that doesn’t have any open indication of being queer or a ethnic/religious minority.

        Men are much more likely to be a victim of every other violent crime besides rape.

        • beefbot
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          42 months ago

          You’re right! Especially they get victimised by people who call themselves conservative

          • @[email protected]
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            52 months ago

            If you think this is a conservative thing I really don’t know what to tell you. Anyone who has been paying attention for the last five years could tell you that this is a problem that goes beyond political affiliation.

      • @[email protected]
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        112 months ago

        Said as another absolute that you shouldn’t, as if PTSD doesn’t exist for men that do get raped but just not as frequently.

        Yes it’s skewed but seriously try to avoid absolute statements like that cause it absolutely will push the same victim ignorance that we try to avoid with women comig forward and it will upset people.

        Just say “most” or even the “average man”

        • beefbot
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          22 months ago

          Well, the preceding comment wasn’t really in good faith, pooping on a thread with tone like “you’re a disgusting liar”, so I didn’t think they* deserved much benefit of doubt

          *THEY. Not “he”. See whut I done there?

          • @[email protected]
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            82 months ago

            Your comment doesn’t attack the person upset it just leaves out other victims as if they don’t exist.

            You can edit a comment at any time and you don’t have to be miserable or rude just cause someone else is.