Amongst the many articles about rape culture and fathers perpetuating it, I want to take a moment to give a shout out to my dad. To my father, who taught self defense (which I absorbed via osmosis) to the youth in our community, females and males equally. While doing so enforcing the idea that no one should touch you without your permission, and vice versa. To my father who didn't hang mildly pornographic magazines objectifying women in his gym. To my father who focused on building self confidence via personal challenges and self discipline. To my dad who never uttered a word about women "asking" for it. To my dad who never used the term "slut" or "whore" when describing a female. The sexual jokes you made (which were rare in my presence) were never degrading towards women.
I didn't realize until I got older, that my father was the exception. That he was surrounded by a rape culture, yet never perpetuated it in my presence. So, thank you dad, for being a decent guy and setting the standards for the behaviour I will and will not accept from men in my life.
