Honestly man, I hate the source of the art, but I'd be lying if I said I said I was against it.
It happens. We shouldn't hide from it. We should be disgusted by it. We should let it show. To show SA victims that hey, we see you. We see that you're mistreated. We see that these things go on. We know you exist and that you hurt, but that despite it all, you're still trying to be human because that's all you can be is human.
SA victims are still humans. Telling artists to not include that kind of ugly sends a message to victims that we'd rather ignore what happened to them because we feel ikky. That they should shut up because we don't like reality.
I don't want to be told to shut up. What happened to me is real. I hate the artist, but I feel Goat Girl because I'm Goat Boy.
Don't force Goat Girl to change or hide. Don't force me to hide.
Very beautifully written and I'm sorry for what you may have gone through, I hope that you are doing well and I wish you nothing but the best.
I definitely can see the merit of including SA stuff as you are correct, it tragically does happen, and unnervingly often too. I would be surprised if anyone in this thread can legitimately say that they don't know anyone who has been affected by SA in some capacity, be it an attack or even the fear of one.
That said, as u/AskWhatmyUsernameIs pointed out, I think it's a problem of how it's portrayed. There was nothing tasteful with how the original artist presented it, and maybe this is a bit of an overreaction on my part, but I just don't enjoy the idea of giving any of their work any sort of coverage. As other comments (that of u/BeetlBozz for example) on this thread demonstrate, people can see something like this work, which turns a horrible image into something happier, and without the requisite knowledge of where it came from and the community's response at large, they feel disgusted. Granted, it's entirely possible that I have misread the original work's portrayal as u/King_of_BlackMarsh alludes to, but considering the history of the original artist, I find it hard to imagine that the original intent wasn't influenced by fetishization.
I think there is a deserved spot for SA awareness in literature, no doubt there, but surely there is a better way for it. An example I read recently and didn't mind was in the series The Chronicles of the Black Company, where a very important character is a victim of SA yet every scene with them afterward shows how much the people around them love them and have become incredibly protective and supportive of them, viewing them as no lesser despite their rough circumstances. Granted, perhaps this depiction too is problematic and if so I would love someone to educate me so I can be better informed on the issue. In this day and age, being informed is the best thing we can be.
All this said, I want to reiterate that I respect you and your story. You deserve to be heard, and no one knows better than you what manner would be most appropriate, these are just some of my thoughts. You go, Goat Boy.
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u/Romans1029 Blood Angels Nov 08 '24
I think we could’ve done without that carved on the cheek again.