A WOMAN'S
FESTIVAL IS SET TO TAKE PLACE IN
LONDON NEXT WEEK AND THERE HAS BEEN A PETITION AGAINST TWO
SPEAKERS THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO GIVE A TALK.
THEY MIGHT BE
CANCELED AS A RESULT OF THE PETITION.
WHY ARE PEOPLE UPSET?
IT FEATURES A WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN
A VICTIM OF RAPE AND HER RAPIST.
THEY GAVE A TED TALK ABOUT HER
EXPERIENCE AND HOW THEY WERE
ABLE TO TALK THINGS THROUGH TO THE POINT WHERE THE RAPIST TOOK
RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIS ACTIONS.
PEOPLE ARE UPSET AND THEY DON'T THINK THERE SHOULD BE A TYPE
OF
PLATFORM FOR THIS RAPIST.
BEFORE WE GO FURTHER LET ME TELL YOU
HOW EVERYTHING WENT DOWN.
IT'S A PLACE IN 1996, TOM WAS 18 YEARS
OLD AND TRAVELING TO ICELAND.
THAT IS WHEN HE MET THE WOMAN,
SHE WAS 16.
THEY GOT TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND FELL IN LOVE.
THEY WERE DATING FOR ABOUT A
MONTH.
THEY WENT TO SOME SORT OF CHRISTMAS EVENT WHERE SHE HAD
RUM, A LITTLE TOO MUCH.
AT THAT POINT HE TOOK HER HOME AND HAD
SEX WITH HER WITHOUT HER
CONSENT.
SHE FELT SHAME ABOUT IT, SHE SAYS.
SHE ALMOST FELT
GUILTY ABOUT IT.
SHE DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL LATER ON THAT THE
PERSON WHO SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY IS THE PERSON WHO
HAD SEX WITH ME WHEN I DID NOT CONSENT TO IT.
EIGHT YEARS LATER
SHE REACHED OUT TO HIM AND
CONFRONTED HIM ABOUT IT.
HE HAS TAKEN COMPLETE RESPONSIBILITY
FOR IT AND IS NOT PRESS CHARGES.
IT IS AN INTERESTING
CONVERSATION BECAUSE USUALLY IN
SITUATIONS LIKE THAT WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN DATING AND ARE CLOSE
IN AGE AND THERE HAS BEEN
ALCOHOL INVOLVED THERE IS USUALLY A LOT OF EXCUSES THAT
PEOPLE MAKE FOR THE RAPIST.
HERE'S A MAN TAKING FULL
RESPONSIBILITY.
BY THE WAY ALL
OF THE PROCEEDS FROM THEIR BOOK GO STRAIGHT TO CHARITY.
HE IS
JUST REALLY HIGHLIGHTING AN INTERESTING ISSUE AND GIVING AND
INTROSPECTIVE.
>> I WANT TO HEAR IT OUT AND FIND IT INTERESTING.
I'M NOT
GOING TO THIS PARTICULAR
FESTIVAL, IT IS OBVIOUSLY THEIR CALL WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT TO
HEAR IT OUT ARE NOT.
I WOULD'VE VOTED YES I THINK EVERYONE COULD'VE LEARNED
SOMETHING FROM IT.
WHAT IS YOUR TAKE?
>>ABSOLUTELY.
WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT FREE SPEECH
ALL THE TIME.
EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT MY STANCES.
EVEN IF I FIND
THE PERSON DEPLORABLE I THINK
THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK.
IN THIS CASE IT IS AN IMPORTANT
TALK TO HAVE ESPECIALLY BECAUSE YOU GET TO HEAR THE PERSPECTIVE
OF SOMEONE WHO HAS TAKEN
RESPONSIBILITY AND IS REMORSEFUL AND HAS APOLOGIZED.
I THINK THIS IS A GOOD EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY.
>> IF YOU ARE GOING TO A FESTIVAL OF ANY SORT YOU DON'T
HAVE TO PAY OR EVEN BOTHER TO ATTEND IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE
THE THINGS THEY ARE.
IF YOU ARE GOING TO A WOMAN'S FESTIVAL AND
DON'T WANT TO SEE A RAPIST, I
HEAR YOU.
YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO VOICE YOUR OPINION.
THE
FRAMING ON THAT IS UNFORTUNATE.
IT IS EASY TO DEMAGOGUE.
IT IS A
SURVIVOR AND A VICTIM, AND I FIND IT INTERESTING.
I WOULD
HAVE VOTED YES.
BUT I AM NOT A VICTIM OF RAPE.
SO MAYBE IT IS
EASIER FOR ME TO SAY.
AT THE END OF THE DAY THEY SHOULD DECIDE TOGETHER WHICH
DIRECTION THEY WANT TO GO.
>> OVER 2000 PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY SIGNED THE PETITION.
APPARENTLY
THAT IS ENOUGH TO MAKE THE ORGANIZERS WAVER A LITTLE BIT ON
THEIR DECISION.
ANOTHER CRITICISM I WANTED TO BRING UP
IS THE NOTION THAT HAVING A RAPIST SPEAK AT THIS EVENT
NORMALIZES SEXUAL VIOLENCE.
DEPENDS ON WHAT THE RAPIST HAS
TO SAY.
IF HE IS UP THERE MAKING EXCUSES AND YOU ARE PROVIDING A
PLATFORM FOR THAT, THEN YES I
GET IT.
IN THIS CASE IT IS NOT NORMALIZING IT.
HERE IS A GUY
TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIS ACTIONS.
I THINK THAT IS
IMPORTANT.
>>I DON'T BEGIN NORMALIZES THAT AT ALL.
IN FACT THERE IS A GOOD
ARGUMENT TO BE MADE THAT YOU
WANT TO MAKE THE CASE THAT IT HAPPENS FAR
TOO OFTEN.
WE
WOULD'VE VOTED YES, 2000 PEOPLE HAVE VOTED NO.
IT IS UP TO THE
ORGANIZERS AT THE END OF THE DAY
TO DECIDE.
OF COURSE THEY WILL TAKE THOSE PEOPLE'S FEELINGS
INTO ACCOUNT.
THEY WILL MAKE THAT CALL, IT IS ON THEM.
JUST
HEAR PEOPLE OUT.
IT IS POSSIBLE YOU WILL DISAGREE OR IT IS
POSSIBLE THAT YOU WILL LEARN
SOMETHING.
IN THIS CASE IT IS THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN THOSE
TWO PEOPLE THAT IS INTERESTING.
SHE IS CERTAINLY NOT EXCUSING IT.
>>EXACTLY.
I THINK I WOULD WANT TO SEE IT.