This is not OK.
Chrissie Hynde, the singer of the famous rock band The Pretenders, is coming under fire Sunday for comments she made that were published this morning in the Sunday Times magazine.
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Those comments centered around rape, and how Hynde believes it’s possible for a rape to be the woman’s fault. What the what?!
Hynde began by telling a story of how she was raped by a motorcycle gang member as a 21-year-old more than four decades ago, saying:
“Technically speaking, however you want to look at it, this was all my doing and I take full responsibility. You can’t f*** about with people, especially people who wear ├óΓé¼╦£I Heart Rape’ and ├óΓé¼╦£On Your Knees’ badges … those motorcycle gangs, that’s what they do. You can’t paint yourself into a corner and then say whose brush is this? You have to take responsibility. I mean, I was naive. If you play with fire you get burnt. It’s not any secret, is it?”
While her own rape story is terrifying and sad, it was also her following comments that are drawing the ire of anti-rape activists and support groups from around the world.
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Hynde then took to women who dress provocatively, alleging they were also to blame for an attack:
“If I’m walking around and I’m very modestly dressed and I’m keeping to myself and someone attacks me, then I’d say that’s his fault. But if I’m being very lairy and putting it about and being provocative, then you are enticing someone who’s already unhinged ├óΓé¼ΓÇ£ don’t do that. Come on! That’s just common sense. You know, if you don’t want to entice a rapist, don’t wear high heels so you can’t run from him. If you’re wearing something that says ├óΓé¼╦£Come and f*** me’, you’d better be good on your feet … I don’t think I’m saying anything controversial am I?”
Hynde was roundly criticized by many, including the head of the group Victim Support, a woman named Lucy Hastings, who said:
“Victims of sexual violence should never feel or be made to feel that they were responsible for the appalling crime they suffered ├óΓé¼ΓÇ£ regardless of circumstances or factors which may have made them particularly vulnerable. They should not blame themselves or be blamed for failing to prevent an attack ├óΓé¼ΓÇ£ often they will have been targeted by predatory offenders who are responsible for their actions.”
What do U think — did Hynde go way too far with her comments??
[Image via Lexi Jones/WENN.]
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