"You Make Men Want To Be Sinful:" Blaming The Victim, Religious Pamphlet Edition

Today in victim-blaming, a pamphlet making the rounds in Bristol, VA alleges, “some rape victims would not have been raped if they had dressed properly.” The upside: Bristol residents, including a local pastor, are outraged.

In an incident that should have earned her some hazard pay, 19-year-old Keshia Canter was handed the pamphlet as she worked the drive-through at Bristol’s Hi-Lo Burger. Claire Galofaro of the Bristol Herald Courier reports that the woman who proffered the pamphlet told Carter, “Even though nothing is showing, you’re being ungodly. You make men want to be sinful.” Elements of Canter’s “ungodly” look: jeans, boots, a zebra-print t-shirt, a black jacket (zipped up), and a lip ring. The pamphlet suggested, “You may have been given this leaflet because of the way you are dressed,” and later made the following claim:

Scripture tells us that when a man looks on a woman to lust for her he has already committed adultery in his heart. If you are dressed in a way that tempts a men to do this secret (or not so secret) sin, you are a participant in the sin. By the way, some rape victims would not have been raped if they had dressed properly. So can we really say they were innocent victims?

Aside from being pretty much the most upsetting possible example of concern-trolling (oh btw, your clothes could make someone rape you!), the leaflet’s claim is offensive to men and women alike. Unfortunately, this kind of victim-blaming has been all too common lately, and a recent British study showing that a majority of women think victims are sometimes at fault for rape made it seem like rape culture was thriving on both sides of the pond. But in an encouraging turn of events, Bristol residents are taking a stand against it.