Much is being made of…

...the porn using man in a position of trust who pleaded guilty to filming and photographing his sexual assault of a woman. And I’m not entirely sure why.

Before I go any further: the actions of Kyle Payne are despicable – as are the actions of all abusers. Some make the papers, most don’t – but that doesn’t make them any less vile. Nor does it make the trauma of the assault any less for the woman Kyle Payne used in the creation of his pornography. I sincerely hope she recieves all the support she needs to recover from this as best she can.

Mr Payne describes himself as

….a social justice educator, writer, and activist. Much of his work is concerned with putting a stop to violence against women. For years Kyle has served as an advocate for survivors of sexual violence and other forms of abuse, in addition to promoting what he calls ‘a more just and life-affirming culture of sexuality’ through activism and education. As a researcher, Kyle has studied the feminist anti-pornography movement and is particularly interested in men’s roles in confronting pornography and the rape culture. In addition to his pro-feminist work, he is involved with anti-racist, free speech, peace, and anti-globalization movements.

Is that what’s causing so much consternation? The misuse of power?

As an ‘advocate for survivors of sexual violence’ (I don’t get that – what is it? Was he actually a rape crisis counsellor or did he just collect the stories?) he obviously was in close contact with women who had disclosed sexual violence and was in a position of relative power. But then, so are doctors and some male doctors sexually assault their patients. So are husbands and fathers, boyfriends and lovers – men in general. I know of a male trainee midwife who regularly beats and rapes the mother of his children. If he qualifies he’s going to have a field day acting out his misogyny till he gets caught.

Or is it the feeling that he’s betrayed feminism?

Kyle Payne describes himself as ‘pro-feminist’ – well, I could describe myself as a brick-layer but that wouldn’t make it true. I could buy all the tools, learn all the terms, spout all the theory but, until I’d actually built a wall I’d be a phoney. He lied. Many men describe themselves as ‘pro-feminist’ when, in reality, they’re nothing of the sort. Many men seem to get off on being party to women’s discussions of the realities of having to share the world with people like them and our attempts to change things for the better for all of us. Cooing all the while and describing themselves as ‘pro-feminist’ but actually doing bugger all to change anything because they’re quite fine with things as they are thank you very much. Kyle Payne is no different.

Or is it the fact that he has ’studied the feminist anti-pornography movement and is particularly interested in men’s roles in confronting pornography and the rape culture’?

As a radical feminist, I’ve often been told by pornography advocates and apologists who don’t care for my arguments regarding harm that I hate pornography because, deep down, I love it and I’m just repressed. I have read criticisms of the language used by committed anti-pornography activists as being pornographically indulgent; insinuating that the writer is getting off on the sexual degredation of women when all they’re doing is simply quoting the language used by pornographers to illustrate their point. There has been some intimation that the actions of Kyle Payne confirm this view of anti-pornography activists – that those of us who publicly condem something have some kind of personal struggle with it. Some may do – and I’m thinking of a particularly brave and vocal male anti-pornography activist who is trying to recover his humanity from years of pornographic exposure – but, generally, I call bullshit on trite get-outs. ‘Research’ is very different from activism. Anyone can go to conferences – Kyle Payne’s idea of ‘confronting pornography and the rape culture’ is as about as effective as spinning round a pole and calling it feminist – i.e. it’s just more of the same and it changes nothing for anyone. Anyone who believes Kyle Payne is representative of anti-pornography feminism needs to speak (courteously) more with us.

I’ve read various attempts to psychoanalyse this man’s actions. Why bother? It seems perfectly clear to me. Why did Kyle Payne cause such a big whoop in the blogs I read? Man sexually assaults woman. It’s just situation normal as far as I can see. Predatory men will manipulate themselves into women’s spaces for their own spurious ends, including feminism.

That the actions of Kyle Payne might serve as a wake up call for some feminists in this regard could be the one good thing to come out of Jane Doe’s experience. Something has to.