I haven't been able to watch #SurvivingRKelly yet, but from what I've heard it confirms something I've been saying for a while - the Nassar case isn't an indication of the fact that we're doing better as a society, but rather, stands as a indication of how far we have to go. 1/
I'm not qualified to speak to the role racial dynamics in particular are at play here - but it's certainly something worth tuning our ears to hear from both experts and especially the victims. Instead, I want to contrast the idea of marginalized women in broader terms. 2/
I've heard it a lot this last year as I've accompanied @R_Denhollander as she is (rightly) honoured for her bravery and tenacity in bringing Larry Nassar to justice and holding USAG and MSU accountable - "Women are finally being believed - you've given them a voice." 3/
But who is being believed? To begin with, there was a brilliant, beautiful, well-educated, eminently likeable, well-spoken, and squeaky-clean attorney who accused Nassar. Soon, she was joined by world famous Olympic medalists and other accomplished, educated young women. 4/
Despite being "model victims" numbering in the 100's, they were only *barely* able to get some sort of justice. It was touch-and-go and required extremely brilliant attorneys on both the criminal and civil side of things. 5/
They received justice because they had the benefit of education and support systems that allowed them to navigate the justice system and keep it on course. And despite all these advantages, they still almost didn't succeed. 6/
And so we come to the point - if "perfect victims" have this much of an upbill battle, what hope for the uneducated, naive, or underprivileged women without support systems and lives that are perhaps not as presentable to the public? 7/
Would Nassar victims had been believed and supported if they had been drug addicts? High school dropouts? If he had been operating in a clinic for homeless women instead of at MSU targeting the daughters of mainly white middle-class families? Would we care as much? 8/
Those are the hard questions we need to face. Of course - now that he's in jail and all the facts are known - it's easy to side with the Nassar victims. How could you not? They're eminently "presentable" - which is of course not a criticism of them but a fact. 9/
The real test moving forward is if the less "presentable" women are believed, and taken seriously.
When we are willing to believe the marginalized voices and allow them to substantially upset our sacred idols of sports, business, and entertainment, we'll be making progress. 10/10
When we are willing to believe the marginalized voices and allow them to substantially upset our sacred idols of sports, business, and entertainment, we'll be making progress. 10/10
