The developing story behind Kesha’s sexual assault allegations highlights deeply rooted problems in society.
Sony offered Kesha her “freedom.” In exchange, she had to publicly apologize and deny that Dr. Luke raped her, according to Think Progress.
She turned Sony’s offer down.
“I would rather let the truth ruin my career than lie for a monster ever again,” Kesha wrote on Instagram.
Some may call her bold stance ignorant or blinded by heated passion, but Kesha is taking a principled stance against the rape culture we foster in our society.
Society gives men the benefit of the doubt while telling women to be more cautious. People will point to her clothes, actions or intentions before they point to the man’s actions.
“What was she wearing?”
“Was it really rape?”
“Is she sure she didn’t really want it?”
What difference do any of these questions make? If someone says no, they mean no. Wearing short clothes or drinking doesn’t make rape or sexual assault suddenly okay. Being a rape apologist won’t solve the problem, and it certainly won’t help victims of sexual assault.
Some critics will cry, “innocent until proven guilty.”
Yes. Under the law, everyone is innocent until proven guilty. That protection is there for a reason, and I’m glad we have it. But, when Uniform Crime Reports notes that only seven out of 100 instances of rape led to arrests and only three out of 100 were referred to prosecutors, we have a problem.
For Kesha specifically, she’s losing money by not working with Dr. Luke. She’s jeopardizing her entire music career by speaking out against her employer and company, yet she’s still there speaking out against the injustice done to her.
Under oath, she said that Dr. Luke did not sexually assault her, but few people know how difficult coming forward against your abuser is. Most women can’t afford to speak out against their employer in the same fashion as Kesha, and most women don’t have the name recognition for people to care.
I do believe there’s a way to protect people’s right to be innocent until proven guilty while also prosecuting sexual offenders and rapists. We can create a safe environment for sexual assault victims while also treating suspects the same way we treat murder suspects. We don’t have to choose.
By standing her ground, Kesha is taking a stance against our rape culture. She’s creating a ripple effect, which will make other sexual assault victims more comfortable coming forward with their allegations.
She’s opening a dialogue, which is an important step to combat this terrible issue. Hopefully, others will follow her lead and come forward as well.
I’m not telling victims of sexual assault to come forward if they’re not comfortable. But, I am telling other people to come forward and say they’ll stand by the victims and hold perpetrators accountable. That’s what Kesha is trying to do with her strong stance.
I hope people hear Kesha’s message and end our problematic rape culture.
Cody Sibley is a 20-year-old mass communication sophomore from Opelousas, Louisiana.