For the record: I am opposed to the Open Source Boob Project because the entitlement principles that underpin it, and the attitudes that seek to validate a view women are property or code are reprehensible, wrongheaded, and thoroughly counter to my belief as a feminist.
I have a moderate suggestion.
Let’s put our male entitled view of women’s bodies as our property to use, modify, open source and otherwise interact with into a neatly closed source wrapper, bundle it in DRM, load it on an iPod and repeatedly strike our narrow minded selves in the face until the bleeding starts, and continue until the ability to stand upright stops. Then let’s have a good hard consideration of the idea that what we’re suggesting is utterly unacceptable conduct, and then let’s retrace our steps, say “Fuck, that was stupid”, apologize for the mindset that lent itself to believing that we have any rights to touch another person, or to request it of strangers, and then learn, evolve as a species and move forward.
That goes double for the first one of you to tell me that I’m taking this too seriously. You know why I take this seriously? Because it’s serious. If you don’t think it’s serious, you’ve not been on the receiving end, or you’ve not thought through the consequences of being on the receiving end.
Accosting a random stranger to ask for a grope is an utterly fucking reprehensibly aggresive and hostile action. It is a validation of the belief that women are property, then men are graced with some right to ask a women, and that there’s some form of magical mystical power dynamic off-switch that means if you asked, then hey, none of the rest of society’s pressure on women to conform apply. Let’s not forget the various dynamics of social pressure, group dynamics, and the need for conformity and belonging, and how there’s a long long history of that being used to put pressure on women. Particularly if the women would be made to feel outsiders in the first place.
As for the fundamental idea that it’s okay if you ask, and that asking isn’t a threat? That has been dealt with by society, listed as workplace harassment if they’re employed at the same place as you.
So, repeat after me
Women are not code.
Breasts are not open source.
Verbal harassment is not harmless
This is not acceptable.
If you can’t follow the logic, I’d recommend reading around the experiences of people who have been sexual harassed, bullied, forced to leave their jobs, threatened for the crime of having breasts, and generally treated as disposable playtoys for overentitled men. Then ask yourself if you’re willing to support the consequences of those actions by supporting this particular movement. If you don’t like those consequences happening, then here’s where a stand can be taken, opposition mustered, voiced and raised.
It’s not acceptable, I do not support it, and I will not support it.
ETA: There has been a retraction and apology posted on the original post. Someone want to tell me that shouting doesn’t have a place? Guess what convinced the change of heart – loud, obvious vocal dissent.
