Yesterday I searched old and new media for some acknowledgement that the long-awaited historic Hate Crimes Prevention Act does include gender, or women. Other than the National Organization for Women and Violet Socks, I found no such acknowledgement. The surrealness is much like the futility of tuning into the cable news pundits for a discussion of gender during last year's historic election for women.As Violet so aptly describes it:
The problem, as I’m sure you already know if you’re reading this blog, is that there is an overwhelming bias against acknowledging that hate crimes against women even exist. Male violence against women — battery, assault, rape, murder — is so pervasive, so interwoven into the very fabric of patriarchal society, that people resist seeing it for what it is. Hey, that’s not some freaky exotic hate crime! protests the confused patriarchal tool. That’s just life!
