Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - And then there's the lesbian version of teacher having sex with 14 year old student

smooth · 12-08-2004, 01:14 AM

I'm in with filtherton.

1) Mephisto, that this is rape at all depends on the laws of the particular state. In some US states, and many places around the world, this is not rape. Now, if you want to consider this abuse of a trust position, that's a different story in my opinion than classifying all underaged relationships as inherently exploitative behavior. However, before arguing that position, keep in mind that the relationship occurred after the teacher/student relationship ended.

2) I am still left wondering when people in my society are going to finally begin to understand that teenagers have autonomous thoughts, too--maybe when these stories hit the press every day. That adolescents are children to be protected by the state is a very recent phenomenon. Throughout the rest of written history they have been treated as mini-adults. The course we are charting in the adult criminal courts is reminiscent of the tradtional way of treating adolescents--we can't have our cake and eat it too.

I'm assuming people can discern what I'm saying in regards to a 14 year old versus someone in diapers!

But when one's parents overrule the choices of their daughter to have intimate relations with someone she evidently cared about enough to wed and label her as "brainwashed" and confused, I consider that tragic. I strongly suspect they feel they are supporting and protecting her by those statements, but labeling one's child as a deviant (even if it is to try and shed a more negative subaltern identity--lesbianism and paganism) is not doing her any favors.

At least a few other countries have established special court proceedings where either the minor, the adult, or a person close to either party can bring their perspective to bear on whether the relationship is consensual or exploitative. I support that method of dealing with minors who wish to engage in sexual intimacy with older partners--not stigmatization and/or criminalizing their or their partner's behavior.

12-08-2004, 01:14 AM	#19 (permalink)
smooth Junkie Location: Right here	I'm in with filtherton. 1) Mephisto, that this is rape at all depends on the laws of the particular state. In some US states, and many places around the world, this is not rape. Now, if you want to consider this abuse of a trust position, that's a different story in my opinion than classifying all underaged relationships as inherently exploitative behavior. However, before arguing that position, keep in mind that the relationship occurred after the teacher/student relationship ended. 2) I am still left wondering when people in my society are going to finally begin to understand that teenagers have autonomous thoughts, too--maybe when these stories hit the press every day. That adolescents are children to be protected by the state is a very recent phenomenon. Throughout the rest of written history they have been treated as mini-adults. The course we are charting in the adult criminal courts is reminiscent of the tradtional way of treating adolescents--we can't have our cake and eat it too. I'm assuming people can discern what I'm saying in regards to a 14 year old versus someone in diapers! But when one's parents overrule the choices of their daughter to have intimate relations with someone she evidently cared about enough to wed and label her as "brainwashed" and confused, I consider that tragic. I strongly suspect they feel they are supporting and protecting her by those statements, but labeling one's child as a deviant (even if it is to try and shed a more negative subaltern identity--lesbianism and paganism) is not doing her any favors. At least a few other countries have established special court proceedings where either the minor, the adult, or a person close to either party can bring their perspective to bear on whether the relationship is consensual or exploitative. I support that method of dealing with minors who wish to engage in sexual intimacy with older partners--not stigmatization and/or criminalizing their or their partner's behavior. __________________ "The theory of a free press is that truth will emerge from free discussion, not that it will be presented perfectly and instantly in any one account." -- Walter Lippmann "You measure democracy by the freedom it gives its dissidents, not the freedom it gives its assimilated conformists." -- Abbie Hoffman