The Compendium is a catalogue that will attempt to identify and define the issues faced by today’s men. It is intended as a one-stop reference for those who wish to learn or write about these issues. It is a work in progress and will remain so for the foreseeable future. Although there may be some overlap, The Compendium will be completed in three phases. Phase 1 is currently in progress. This phase will identify, classify, and briefly define the issues. Phase 2 will provide a more in-depth discussion of each issue. Finally, phase 3 will include editorial opinion and commentary.
I’ve asked Dr. F if he would be interested in creating logos and banners for the site, as well as provide some original illustrations. I am also interested publishing original material from a variety of authors. Anyone interested in contributing to the site is welcome to submit the material. I’ll be working on some guidelines, but for now material can be submitted through the contact form on this site. Keep it professional and tasteful. Cite any sources. Provide links if possible, but non-electronic references are ok. The Compendium should read like a professional journal. All contributors will be credited as such.
Rape, Feminist Definitions
Most of the expanded definitions of rape are derived from the second wave feminist ideology of rape culture. This ideology taught that all men use rape and the threat of rape to control all women. All men are considered rapists. No woman is capable of giving consent to sex because she has been oppressed and her oppressor has power over her. Therefore all sex is rape, or all sex not initiated by the woman is rape. Thus, the definition of rape is expanded through the constriction of the definition of consent.
For instance, a woman can be coerced into having sex by a partner even if said coercion does not include force, violence, duress, menace, reasonable fear of bodily harm, fear of retaliation, fraud, or when the other person cannot consent due to intoxication, known mental disorder or physical disability, or unconscious of the nature of the act as stated in the law. An example would be a man who persists in attempts to gain consent after the woman has said “no.” He persists until she eventually says “yes.” The use of convincing or cajoling as a means of gaining consent may also be considered rape. This consists of any attempt to get the woman to relax for the purpose of gaining consent to sex. Putting an arm around her, kissing her, caressing her, or giving her a massage can fall into this category. The use of charm and humor to break down a woman’s defenses for the purpose of obtaining consent is another way to rape a woman. If you take a woman to dinner and a movie, make her laugh, smile at her, and then take her home for sex, you are a rapist.
This feminist view of rape is a threat to all men as it allows a man to proceed in a sexual encounter believing his partner has given consent while allowing her to withdraw that consent after the fact. She does not have to communicate her lack of consent and can appear to be cooperative and enthusiastic. If such ever became the case, any man who has ever had sex with a woman could be arrested and charged and convicted of rape at any time and sent to prison.
But the threat to men is not the only issue with this view of rape. The underlying assumption is that a woman is not competent to give consent. She may not change her mind, or even make up her mind. She does not have the free will or mental faculties to do so. The man is mentally superior and can impose his will on the woman merely by persisting. It also assumes that a woman cannot and should not be held responsible for her decisions and actions. Such a view of rape infantilizes women and treats them as children. It is insulting and demeaning.
The Online Compendium of Men’s Issues