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Third Place: Gender Expression in Relation to Sexual Assault

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  • Hallie Farmer

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Farmer, H., (2023) “Gender Expression in Relation to Sexual Assault,” Best Text Collection 4(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.7275/best_text.2221

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2023-06-21

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Third Place

Hallie Farmer

Professor Scholastika Massawe

ENGLWRIT 112

11 May 2023

Gender Expression in Relation to Sexual Assault

A graphic text. All text not in brackets appears on the page.

[da Vinci’s “Vitruvian Man” with blue and pink scribbles over it, especially over the Vitruvian Man’s forehead, chest, and genitals.]

Hallie Farmer. English 112.

GENDER EXPRESSION in relation to SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND ASSAULT.

Definitions in my own words. Gender identity: The gender with which a person identifies with. Gender expression (physical and personality): The gender with which a person expresses themselves (stereotypical masculine/feminine traits). Rape: The act of forcing another person to have sex without their full consent. Sexual Assault: Any unwanted sexual contact (includes rape). Sexual Harassment: Unwanted comments or actions (gestures) about sex without physical contact (or about appearances). Transgender: Label assigned to a person who identifies with any gender other than the one assigned at birth (biological sex). Cisgender: Label describing a person who identified with the gender assigned at birth (biological sex). TW: This book will have explicit (mentrans) descriptions of Sexual Assault and Sexual Harassment.

STATISTICS ON SEXUAL VIOLENCE: Based on the recent National Intimate Partner and Sexual Violence Survey (NISVS) as published by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2017/17 Report on Sexual Violence. Keep in mind this refers to cisgender individuals, trans people will be discussed on later page. Women. Rape: 1 in 4 reported completed/attempted. [Drawings of four figures. Three are colored in with pink. The fourth is scribbled out in black.] Forced to penetrate: N/A. Men. RapeL 1 in 26 reported completed/attempted. [Drawings of 26 figures. 25 are colored in with blue. The twenty-sixth is scribbled out in black.] Forced to penetrate: only for men. [Drawings of nine figures. Eight are colored in with blue. The ninth is scribbled out in black.] This is almost 3 times more than the number of reported rapes. Notice how there is not a category dealing with penetration for biological women…so why is the distinction made for biological men if BOTH ARE NON-CONSENSUAL???

This past semester and year, I’ve heard so many stories of sexual assault and harassment of other genders that I’ve never even heard of. After I mentioned my experience with my ex to my father, for instance, he mentioned a story about an older man showing him playboy/explicit magazines and coercing him into doing some things having to do with sex. I don’t remember a lot of what he told me but I do remember that he said he was only around 8 years old. He said his mother asked him how he let that happen. Yes, this may have been the 70s, but the lack of representation of other genders besides non-cisgender women, still prevails. This is why I chose to make this book. [Drawing of a person with their head scratched out.]

GENDER EXPRESSION AND SEXUAL ASSAULT LIKLIHOOD.

THE BEM SEX ROLE INVENTORY. Compilation of 200 gender-neutral personality traits and 200 stereotypically “feminine” or “masculine” personality traits: ½ negative, ½ positive. Personality. [Figure with a dress and labels “moody” and “happy.”] Women with more “feminine” personality more likely to report sexual assault. More likely to report sexual intercourse through force or threat. [Figure without a dress and labels “aggressive” and “analytical.”] Women with more “masculine” personalities experienced more sexual harassment. Reported fewer cases of sexual victimization.

TRANS VIOLENCE. “Transgender people are over 4 times more likely than cisgender people to experience violent victimization including RAPE, SEXUAL ASSAULT, and AGGRAVATED or SIMPLE ASSAULT” – Dowd, Williams Institute. Same study. Though, trans people faced more acts of violence than cisgender (identity with biological sex) people, THERE IS NO SHOWN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN TRANS MEN AND TRANS WOMEN.

MEDIA REPRESENTATION. [Drawing of a “VICTIM” surrounded by “MEN CAN’T BE VICTIMS. THERE WERE AROUSED SO THEY MUST HAVE LIKED IT. SHE WAS ACTING LIKE A WHORE. MEN SHOULD BE GRATEFUL.”] It seems that we are only taught about women being victims, about how men are always the perpetrators, but what about male victims? Masc women victims? Where are they represented?

SEXUAL ASSAULT EFFECTS ON GENDER EXPRESSION.

BODY DYSMORPHIA. Negative self-image based on how one’s body does not look like how one perceives it, believing it needs to be changed. Obsessive in a way. [Drawing of a body with parts scratched out.]

GENDER DYSPHORIA. Negative self-image based on not looking like one’s perceived gender. [Drawing of a person looking in a mirror with the reflection looking different.] Internal gender does not match external one.

AFFECT OF SA. Sexual Assault can result in Depression, Flashbacks, PTSD, Self-harm, STIs and STDs, Substance Abuse, Dissociation, Panic attacks, Eating disorders, Pregnancy, Sleep disorders, Suicide, Body Dysmorphia. The Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network (RAINN) Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673.

HYPERSEXUAL VS HYPOSEXUAL. Both can be trauma responses. Hypersexual: The desire to have very frequent sex, are often referred to as “sex addicts.” OFTEN ATTRIBUTED TO MEN BY SOCIETY. Large reason why male victims are ignored it seems because they must “want it.” Hyposexual: Not having “the desire for sex with a person they believe they love, such as a spouse or lover. OFTEN ATTRIBUTED TO WOMEN BY SOCIETY. If women don’t adhere to these standards they are deemed a “slut” by society it appears.

POSSIBLE CONFUSION. Since the effects of sexual assault and gender dysmorphia can manifest themselves in similar ways, it is likely that feelings can be misinterpreted.

Drawing of a person with question marks around them.

My Personal Story. When I was 17 I got into my first ever relationship with a guy I met in a group chat during the COVID pandemic. [Drawing of a person with longer hair labeled “Me” and a person with shorter hair and scribbled-out eyes labeled “Him.” Both are wearing face masks.] We met in person a couple times innocently in the beginning and these moments were great.

But one day we were both sitting at a party we were attending. [Drawing of the same people from the previous page.] Without warning I just felt him reach up and put his hand under my shirt… [Drawing of a hand reaching toward clothing.]

[Drawing of eyes.] Not right now. I remember everyone sitting across from me. [Drawing of a line of people.] Eeww! Stop, that’s so gross!! [Drawing of a mouth and nose.] I felt everyone’s eyes on me in that moment.

Despite all the good times it only got worse from there wherever we were in private. Seemed like the main focus was my Boobs…Ass…Thighs… [Drawing of a body wearing underwear.]

I would wear cargo pants to cover my thighs. [Drawing of a person wearing cargo pants.] And wore a chest binder to make my chest look more flat. We broke up but I still did all this after… [Drawing of a person wearing a chest binder.]

I cut my hair one day recently in my dorm and felt amazing! [Drawing of a person with short hair. Drawing of scissors.] But I thought that because I didn’t mind my armpit hair and hated my boobs… [Drawing of an armpit. Drawing of breasts.] And liked to do “guy” things I was a guy. [Person standing on top of a hill.] I started acting more AGGRESSIVE and RUDE, trying to be more perceived as a “guy.”

As of right now though, once I addressed that sexual trauma/assault I feel so much better and less bound to expectations. I still love my shorter hair…and wear cargo pants, but I love makeup and wearing dresses too! Now I’m just ME! [Drawing of a smiling person with short hair wearing a chest binder and cargo pants.]

WORKS CITED Davis, Shannon N. 'Bein Sex-Role Inventory.'' Encyclopaedia Britannica, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Inc., 20 Mar. 2023, https://www.britannica.cotn/science/Bem-Sex-Role-lnventory. DiMarco, D., Savitz, R. Reply to 'Distorted Reality: A Commentary on DiMarco et al. (2022) and the Question of Male Sexual Victimization'. Sexuality & Culture 27, 735-738 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007 Is 12119-022-10026-2 Dowd, Rachel. 'Transgender People over Four Times More Likely than Cisgender People to Be Victims of Violent Crime.'' Williams Institute, 21 Dec. 2022, https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/press/ncvs-trans-press-release/. Foley, Wade. 'Body Dysmorphia as a Trauma Response.' Crossroads Health, 7 Mar. 2021, https://crossroadshealth.org/body-dysmorphia-as-a-trauma-response/.

WORKS CITED (CONT.) Lehavot, Keren, et al. 'Childhood Trauma, Adult Sexual Assault, and Adult Gender Expression among Lesbian and Bisexual Women.'' Sex Roles, vol. 67, no. 5-6, Sept. 2012, pp. 272-84. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.l007/s11199-012-0171-1. Weaver, Terri L., et al. 'Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress, Depression, and Body Image Distress in Female Victims of Physical and Sexual Assault: Exploring Integrated Responses.' Health Care for Women International, vol. 35, no. 4, Apr. 2014, pp. 458-75. EBSCOhost, https://doi.org/10.1080/07399332.2013.858162. Schwartz, M. F., & Gaiperin, L. (n.d.). Hyposexuality and hypersexuality secondary to childhood trauma and … https://harmonyplacemonterey.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/ARTICLE_Hyposexuality-Hypersexuality_ChildhoodTrauma_Schwartz.Galperin.pdf