A young woman used a photo of her dog as a metaphor for misconceptions about sexual assault against women.
Bree Wiseman caused a buzz on social media by making a stand against victim-blaming in cases of rape or sexual assault. Challenging the long-held assumption by a small faction that women who dress provocatively are inviting male attention of all (and any) kinds, Wiseman used a picture of her perfectly behaved dog as a poignant illustration.
On July 19, 2017, Wiseman, then 22 and from Tennessee, snapped her four-year-old dog sitting obediently less than a couple of feet away from his very favorite food: steak. However, the dog wasn’t touching the steak for one very powerful reason: Wiseman had told him “No.”
Wiseman posted her dog’s photo on
Facebook. “To the people that say women get raped due to the way they are dressed,” she wrote. “This is my dog. His favorite food is steak. He is eye level with my plate.”
“He won’t get any closer because I told him no,” Wiseman continued. “If a dog is better behaved than you are, you need to reevaluate your life. Feel free to share, my dog is adorable.”
Wiseman’s provocative post quickly went viral. Speaking to
HuffPost Women, Wiseman said that she had uploaded the photo to make a point, owing to her own experience as a victim of sexual assault.
“If a 4-year-old pit bull understands the word ‘no,’ even though he is looking at something he wants so bad he is literally drooling, then adults should understand ‘no,’“ she told the outlet, ”no matter how the other adult is dressed.”
Wiseman added that appearances should not impact the verdict on sexual assault cases. “How is it that a simple-minded animal has the ability to understand better than a large part of the adult population?” Wiseman said.
Thousands of people left comments for Wiseman on social media in support of her stand against victim-shaming. “A woman’s attire should never be a justification for rape,” wrote one commenter, as per the
Mirror, “but I think both men and women should dress comfortably and modestly.”
“Thank you, Bree,” wrote another. “Thank you for spreading the word and claiming something that we must own as a basic right: freedom.”
According to the
Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN), the nation’s largest anti-sexual violence organization, an American becomes the victim of sexual assault every 73 seconds. On average, there are 433,648 victims of rape and sexual assault every single year in the United States.
To date, Wiseman’s Facebook post has amassed over 327,000 shares. As of 2020, Wiseman’s post has gained renewed relevance in the wake of Hollywood titan Harvey Weinstein’s sentencing for numerous allegations of sexual misconduct.
The Weinstein case skyrocketed as a result of the
#MeToo movement, inaugurated in 2006 to help support survivors of sexual violence. The case was closed on March 11, 2020. According to
The Guardian, Weinstein received a sentence of 23 years in prison for a first-degree criminal sex act and third-degree rape.
Sometimes it takes a photo of an obedient dog to remind people of the rules of respectful conduct.
“The only person to blame in a rape offense is the rapist,” Wiseman told
HuffPost Women. “It was their decision to rape.”
“People shouldn’t have to worry about what they choose to wear for fear of rape,” Wiseman added. “I want people to see that this is a problem, and to stand together against victim-shaming.”
Friends Read Free