Content Warning: This piece contains descriptions of sexism, violence, and graphic language.
“What an incredible slut whore.” “This bitch and all the other ‘feminist’ whores like her are destined for a slow painful and lonely death. Because no self-respecting man worth his name will have anything to do with her except sex.” These comments, and many others like it made on the webpage /r/MensRights are the words of men attacking feminist writer Clementine Ford. Unfortunately, this is not the first and definitely not the last time these kinds of insults have been made towards women. Not only are these hateful statements deeply unsettling to read, more importantly, they paint a frighteningly sobering depiction of the lack of safety and respect for women today.
The fear of walking alone at night is a feeling understood by almost all women across the world, and with the amount of assault, rape, and murder cases seen in the news and media, it is not an unjustified one. Gender-based violent crime is inescapable and everywhere. Patriarchal structures have long enabled the dangerous and inevitable interconnectivity of masculinity and violence, which has resulted in a potent culture of sexual and violent entitlement. This culture has caused immeasurable cases of misogyny, objectification, and gender-based violence faced by women throughout history. Now, in recent years, the increase of internet usage has created a platform for antifeminist users to form communities, spread hate, and in the worst cases, plan real-life acts of gender-based violence. All these factors combined have ultimately resulted in a dehumanization of women to the point where men committing an act of violence against femininity is seen as either insignificant or, in some cases, even empowering. In this essay, I will analyze the connections between masculinity and violence and how ideals of male ownership, sexual entitlement, and hatred against femininity are what function to fuel the problem of femicide.
There are a lot of layers to unpack when it comes to understanding the intersections between gender and violence, as misogyny did not just appear out of nowhere. To examine this, I first define femicide and delve into the structures and ideals that enable men to act aggressively and believe that they are above women. Then, I examine a case study of sexual entitlement that led to violent crime. Additionally, I consider a second case study, one of domestic violence leading to a mass shooting based in hatred of femininity. With all these elements, I am then able to conclusively determine the factors that drive misogyny and masculine violence.
Defining Femicide
Femicide is a term that refers to the killing of women on the basis of their gender. This definition is important because it labels these acts of patriarchal violence as hate crimes against women, separating them into their own distinct category. To fully understand the deeply rooted sexism that fuels femicide, it is first necessary to inspect the principles of masculinity that have been put in place by a male-dominated society. Scholar Syed Haider explains this, observing that “under the rubric of patriarchy, male violence functions in a dialectic where it is both a function of male guardianship (of women, family, nation) and of policing and enforcing the patriarchal order”. What this quote highlights is how, traditionally, men are not only allowed but encouraged to behave violently. Looking throughout history, from hunter-gatherer societies to worldwide warfare, male violence is not viewed as negative, but instead as honorable, as it is executed in order to protect the family or the nation to which they belong. In more modern times, this principle can then be applied to the male-dominated career of police officers, who are often praised for protecting their community, even if it means resorting to excessive violence. This notion of ‘protection’ then also carries over to Haider’s second point about enforcing patriarchal order. When men are praised for protecting their family or nation, it reinforces the traditional domestic norms that the man is ‘head of the house’ and therefore has a right to ownership of the home, and consequently, his wife. The ramifications of this is that the woman is then no longer equal to her husband, and instead becomes merely property. Male ownership and viewing women as property instead of as equals is one of the core principles that fuels misogynistic objectification. These patriarchal principles build the foundation of male violence that continues to harm so many women today.
The Santa Barbara Massacre (2014)
However, societal standards alone are not enough to explain why women are so often the targets of violent crime. Beyond just society, individual men themselves also have to carry the belief that they are above women and therefore justified in committing acts of rape, assault, or murder. Unfortunately, this belief is not uncommon, as there exists a prevalent view amongst antifeminist men that they are entitled to and deserving of sex from women. This view relates back to Haider’s theory of male ownership and also to the common stereotype that women should be submissive and pure. When women do not comply with this fantasized ideal of femininity, the result is men simultaneously slut-shaming women for having sex while also hating them for not willing to engage in intercourse with them. When this anger builds, it can have disastrous consequences. This can be observed in the case of self-proclaimed ‘Supreme Gentleman’ Elliot Rodger. In a video published online in May 2014, he proclaims, “Girls have never been attracted to me. I don’t know why you girls aren’t attracted to me, but I will punish you all for it. It’s an injustice, a crime, because I don’t know what you don’t see in me. I’m the perfect guy”. Immediately after posting this, Rodger went on a killing spree, murdering six college students and injuring 13 others in what become known as the Santa Barbara Massacre. His chilling statements clearly show the perverse sexual entitlement that exists within the misogynistic mindset. Rodger wholeheartedly believed that he was owed sex from women, purely because of his male identity. When these fantasized beliefs did not match up with reality, Rodger took it upon himself to furiously punish women for not behaving how he wanted them to, and believed that he was entirely justified in doing so. This tragic and horrifying scene shows just how dangerous the antifeminist mindset can be when taken too seriously. While the Santa Barbara Massacre is just one example of a man who followed through with his homicidal plan, the sexually entitled ideologies that Rodger carried are not unique or uncommon. This suggestion of entitlement may not always end in mass murder, but it can often manifest itself in abusive intimate relationships.
The Pulse Nightclub Shooting (2016)
When Elliott Rodger was denied a female partner, he took his anger out on the students at his college. But even when misogynistic men do have a female partner, the violence still does not cease. We regularly observe violent crime occurring every day, on the news or through social media. However, a form of gender-based violence that is much less often seen on the news or openly talked about is domestic violence. This form of violence happens behind closed doors, and therefore goes largely underreported while still being immensely harmful. In a study on terrorism and toxic masculinity, Haider observes a case of mass shooting that initially began as a domestic violence case. In the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting, 49 people were gunned down at a gay nightclub in Orlando and 53 more were wounded. The perpetrator, Omar Mateen, had a history of domestic violence against his ex-wife, a fact observed by journalist Soraya Chemaly, who argues that there is a critical connection between private and public violence. She makes a case that domestic violence is not taken seriously enough, to the point that it often goes unmentioned by most major news outlets when analyzing perpetrators of public violence such as Omar Mateen. Chemaly asserts, “I don’t mean to suggest that all domestic violence crimes are hate crimes. However, there is an element of hatred and misogyny that is pervasive in the culture that we simply don’t see. It’s so normalized”. What Chemaly is referencing in this quote is a particularly interesting view on misogyny that implies that these acts of violence come from not only a dehumanization of women, but a hatred of femininity. When applied to the case of both Omar Mateen and Elliott Rodger, it is clear that both men carry a deep and tangible hatred for all things feminine. LGBTQ+ communities are typically associated with feminine aspects, which explain Mateen’s homophobic targeted attack. In Rodger’s case, his hatred came from viewing women as the enemy and the reason for all his problems. This animosity is perhaps even more dangerous than the entitlement discussed earlier. The reason for this is that when a man does not respect a woman, hurting her does not have a negative effect on him. However, when a man hates a woman, hurting her becomes enjoyable and empowering. This is an extremely frightening problem. It is this profound hatred, combined with male superiority and entitlement, that drives the fuel for gender-based violence.
After reviewing case studies and dissecting the factors behind them, it can leave a particularly sour taste in one’s mouth. It is not always easy to discuss hate crimes and sexism, and can ultimately be very demoralizing, especially for the countless women who experience forms of misogyny on an everyday basis. The implied takeaway that users on /r/MensRights would want women to believe is that they are property, they are objects for sexual intercourse, and they are hated. Yet, subscribing to this mindset helps nothing. Rather, it is important to understand the reasons that men are inclined to commit gender-based hate crimes in order to not only protect women but to prevent any more radicalized antifeminist ideologies from becoming more widespread. It is all too clear that this problem needs to be stopped, because women cannot continue to fear for their lives and safety in the way that they do now. Knowing the causes of femicide is the first step to putting an end to the senseless and misogynistic violent crime witnessed in Santa Barbara, Orlando, and all across the globe. Stopping femicide is no easy task, and will require a complete remodeling of current ideals of masculinity and societal standards, but it is a necessary one. If women are protected, all of society benefits, and together we can move towards a future where women can feel safe when walking alone at night.
References
Chemaly, Soraya. “When It Comes to Orlando Massacre, Domestic Violence Is the Red Flag We Aren't Talking About.” Democracy Now!, June 14, 2016. https://www.democracynow.org/2016/6/14/when_it_comes_to_orlando_massacre.
Ging, Debbie. “Alphas, Betas, and Incels: Theorizing the Masculinities of the Manosphere.” Men and Masculinities 22, no. 4 (2017): 638–57. https://doi.org/10.1177/1097184x17706401.
Haider, Syed. “The Shooting in Orlando, Terrorism or Toxic Masculinity (or Both?).” Men and Masculinities 19, no. 5 (2016): 555–65. https://doi.org/10.1177/1097184x16664952.
Solnit, Rebecca. “#Yesallwomen: Rebecca Solnit on the Santa Barbara Massacre & Viral Response to Misogynist Violence.” Democracy Now!, May 27, 2014. https://www.democracynow.org/2014/5/27/yesallwomen_rebecca_solnit_on_the_santa.