Equality Now: “Unprecedented” Criticism Over Eroge Ban
- Categories: Games, News
- Date: Jul 23, 2009 10:37 JST
- Tags: Censorship, Eroge, Feminism, Lolicon, Mass Media, mazon, Raep, USA
Pro-censorship feminist group Equality Now’s latest crusade against freedom of expression took the form of an attack on Japan’s eroge industry, causing the industry to censor itself in a futile effort to dissuade politicians from harassing it any further; however, the group itself admits to receiving “unprecedented” criticism for its meddling, which it characterises as “hate mail”.
It appears the reaction to the group’s campaign has been most unfavourable, so much so that it has desperately attempted to refute the criticism by its usual expedient of failing to present any statistics or factual evidence in support of its claims, save the specious propaganda other feminist groups frequently publish.
The group’s whimpering response can be read below:
Since launching Women’s Action 33.1 calling for the withdrawal of RapeLay, a rape simulator game produced and sold in Japan, and for the Japanese government to effectively address violence and discrimination against women, Equality Now has been inundated with responses.
Many have been positive and have come from women and men in Japan and around the world in support of the Action. Some have spoken about their own experiences and the negative impact they feel this form of hentai is having on women and girls, who have become increasingly targeted with sexual harassment.
Sadly, however, Equality Now has also received an unprecedented amount of hate mail, including death and bomb threats. Many of these messages have referred to statistics of rape in Japan that are reportedly far lower than in the U.S. for example [such as these].
Equality Now does not believe it serves any purpose to excuse crimes in one country by pointing out that there are more in another.
In addition, women’s rights activists in Japan inform us that the numbers of reported rapes are not likely to reflect the actual incidents of rape in Japan. It is also difficult for women in Japan to report rape because victims have little faith in the criminal justice system and are worried about the stigma attached to rape.
This was also reflected by the United Nations Committee that monitors implementation of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).
When examining the report of the Japanese government in 2003, the Committee expressed concern about “the prevalence of violence against women and girls and about women’s apparent reluctance to seek assistance from existing public institutions.” The Committee also noted that “the penalty for rape is relatively lenient.”
The fact that there are women-only carriages on Japanese commuter trains due to the high prevalence of groping and sexual harassment faced by women in Japan also highlights the need for the government to actively address violence against women.
Banning extreme computer simulator games that promote sexual violence and harassment such as RapeLay would be a step in this direction.
A large portion of the hate mail and threats we received not only underlines the profound misogyny that is prevalent among consumers of such games, many also conflated Equality Now’s campaign to the opposition to sex. Rape and sexual harassment are forms of violence against women and girls and can never be equated with consensual sex.
We ask that you continue to write to Illusion Software asking it to fully withdraw RapeLay [sic: RapeLay has already been withdrawn] and all other similar titles and to Amazon which also sells similar games promoting the rape, sexual assault, stalking and molestation of women and girls. Please also write to the Japanese government urging it to comply with its international obligations under CEDAW.
You may also find it useful to contact Equality Now directly about their continued attacks on freedom of speech in Japan and elsewhere.
You are of course invited to explore the scant validity of their specious claims in the comments below.
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"Unprecedented" my ass. They had to know what they were getting into. How could they NOT know? You try to censor anything, people are going to bite you in the rear for it. And rightfully so.
I'm a woman. I could be considered a classic feminist, wanting equal, and only equal, rights. Both the good and the bad that come with it, spare nothing. I fuck up? Give me an equal jail sentence. I do something cool? Give me an equal reward. Nobody is superior to the other.
Want to fight sexual violence against us girls? Then fight the actual IRL crime. I play eroge. Do I want to actually rape anyone for real? Not in the least. I play violent games. Do I want to murder anyone? Not at all. Give me facts, please, ladies, and stop making us sane females look bad.
I can defend myself on my own just fine, thanks. Maybe you should learn how to as well and quit expecting others to hand everything to you on a silver platter.
I sent them this. I don't claim to be well-written but it was, at least, true to how I felt.
-
As a woman, I am deeply offended by Equality Now's stance. You seem to believe that fantasy means reality, and that there exists some kind of thin line between them. That is not true. Books and movies covering sometimes offensive content doesn't mean that they should not exist. If that was true, then someone or reading watching a book about a movie with a murder in it would make them a murderer.
I've always believed in equality for the sexes, and I see more and more racism aimed at males lately from so-called openminded women and I think it's disgusting. I've had no problem reading books, playing games, or watching movies of an adult nature because I can appreciate that it's not real. In many cases, it actually reduces violent or sexual crimes because it gives a catharsis of feeling. Equality Now seems to think a simple simulation will send the entire population into porn-addicted decline, and that simply isn't true. It's just that interactive videogames are the latest target of the media watchdogs.
Oddly enough, it's nothing new. Groups like yourself have been crying and wailing that everything from novels (the protests of the closeminded, nearly 100 years ago), to movies, to radio would "pollute the minds of the youth." I have to tell you that you're all hypocrites and you should stick actually trying to acheive REAL equality, not censor and protect non-existant women. Or can you not understand that a drawing or a 3d computer graphic isn't real? Instead of trying to suppress that, why don't you encourage harsher punishment for the REAL rapists? You even said: When examining the report of the Japanese government in 2003, the Committee expressed concern about “the prevalence of violence against women and girls and about women’s apparent reluctance to seek assistance from existing public institutions.” The Committee also noted that “the penalty for rape is relatively lenient.”
Why don't you work on that instead of just whining and pressuring an industry that offers an alternative to the true cruel crimes of perverted men and women?
Sincerely,
A female representing the drive for real equality
I surely agree with you in that, I consider these games as dreamscapes that prevent more people from committing crimes. People that have rape fantasies have another alternative, eroge instead of real rape.
It's really gratifying to hear several women are against Equality Now's view.
You do realize that you don't have to bring up your gender (or that you could lie about it), right?
Anyways, I doubt that they'll listen to you either way if you are expressing criticism.
you are totally right Anon, they won't value the opinion for males, and they want equality how ironic
So true.
I'd doubt if they'd even read all of their "hate-mail". tl;dr
In their next statement, they'd probably never recognize it's existence. So much about equality..
sadly, the only opinions that will affect them are other womans s opinions, since any mail from any male will be qualified by them as "mail from a sex addicted/rapist/pervert/u-get-the-point" unless its to support them, what doesnt happens anyway. More girls like SCB or Atma should send them their opinions, cus if they have any actual intentions of actually thinking in helping womans, only mails from actually thinking womans will make them recapacitate about what they are doing wrong (im sure i made a typo there, but idc, im sleepy)
ironically though, I have a sneaking feeling they'll delude themselves into believing that all these rational letters have been written by guys who seek to stifle their efforts
It's called sexism, not racism. Racism is against race, sexism is against a sex, no matter whether female or male.
That said, I applaud you. I too am a female who could be called feminist, where feminism is defined as making females EQUAL to males, which obviously also includes giving men social rights that previously were considered women's social rights. Like male parents who actually care a lot about their kids getting respect rather than ridicule or belittlement, and so on.
While I do think that yes, what you consume mentally does effect you, but not in the "what you eat is what you are" kind of way which "inEquality Now" seems to think, and am strongly against censorships. The only people who are going to play rape game after rape game and then go rape people are the same as the kids who play nothing but western guro games and then go and kill IRL: Already fucked up for completely different reasons and need help, not censorship. A well adjusted individual who plays a violent game or rape game isn't going to go out and do the same, it only happens when they're already fucked up and buy/download games they can use as point of reference.
"Why don’t you work on that instead of just whining and pressuring an industry that offers an alternative to the true cruel crimes of perverted men and women?"
Thank you! I was just about to write a letter asking that exact same question.
^ QFT
Think like lawyers people. This is really important to our survival and our fight against radical extremist groups like Equality Now that try to operate within the legal framework. A legal framework that should have been created to protect everyone's civil liberties, not imprison them in some neo-Victorian conservatist delusion.
Actually this is a very bad defense because you are basically saying that "We are rapist and if it wasn't for the game we would rape real women"
So they can say that they were right for saying that the people who play such games are rapist,pervert,sex addicted dangerous people.
No AM NOT gone a rape no matter if i played games like that or not. That, is the right defense.
Don't give them excuses to step on. Think like lawyers people.
Way to go, Atma! except for combo chains, i am thinking this is the longest string of comments made from one single user so far on this site.
and Kudos to your verbosity and ideals too!
You're completely right! I'm a girl too...and i want equal right too..but what these women are doing is completely stupid =.= They should fight the reality and not try to fight the virtual..
You go Atma!
I could hug you right now, unless you said no.
Idiots are more than happy to take our freedoms away if nobody stops them.
I have earned my utmost respect. Nothing like words from a fellow woman to correct community of woman who thinks they are so righteous about protecting their own "race" and have to resort to turn their aiming board at the world of the 2D. And people were always saying about how screwed up people are who mix reality and fantasy together. I suppose this is referring to them.
ATMA! ATMA! ATMA! I hope to god that Equality now stumbles across this site.
No, you don't. They don't listen to reason and will try to call SanCom a "site which encourages rape, hate crimes, and the molestation of children."
Insert shit storm here.
nice! ^^
I respect a woman's right's however, what Equality Now is doing is nothing short of hippocracy. They chant equality, while still wanting to reap the benefits of being female.
YukitoOnline: My friend they are just racists that talks about equality they don't care about the post you did...Try making a video to make sure that they know you're a woman..I will surely know that they'll listen to you more of you send em a video about what you have to say..Oh and make sure that you're not the only woman who does it
QFT
I really wish more women would say things like that.
You cant really call it "Equality" if women gets the same privileges as any other men and still get less punishment should they be guilty.
Why can't all feminist be like you. You, my friend just earned my respect.
Anon applauds you
Anon applauds you OVER NINE THOUSAND times.
Fixed.
Girl here too.
I'm so agree with you Atma, i feel the same, i just hate very much that this lame bitches are doing shit to the freedom of speech for the oposite sex because they actually can't do nothing but whinning (i mean equalitynow) and yes, i agree with you too about equal laws and equal care, they should focuss in actual case of rapes of girls and boys, because it's well know that most targests of underage sex are boys, poor things. :\
How they want to have "equality" if they just whinny about man.
So exactly like they do, create a quality cut and paste email then start spamming their inboxes with it. Show them what a real letter writing campaign is about.
sry, I meant "Do exactly like they do..."
madame you deserve 1000000 internets
+1 more because you fucking deserve it.
Atma, you're a credit to your gender. Moreover, you're a slap in the face to everyone insisting that women have to be coddled and sheltered.
Credit where it's due, that's all.
Atma: to the point and no fancy words, can't help but love her comments.
You could send that to them you know.
+1 Kallen is so right...
thank you Atma.
Atma is good. I like Atma.
Atma is god. I like god.
Atma is the holy-trinity of common-sense.
Praised be Atma!
Atma is Brahma. I like enlightenment.
I am a woman and I don't feel offended by rape games and such. They really should be more focused on preventing real life sexual crimes against girls, not 'saving' fictional, 2D ones.
WRITE THAT TO THEM. This is important. Same goes for Atma.
Guys that keep protesting just keep getting things spun around to them being promoting mysogyny.
Another ++++! to you MIKUMIN!!!!
NICE 1!!!!Atma!!!!++++1!!!!
Atma, if you truly do have the passion reflected in your loquacious postings, why not help us channel it into decent, properly sourced, letter format [http://forums.yestofreedom.org/viewtopic.php?pid=172#p172]? You might be surprised just how many of us do nothing but complain impotently about these matters when the opposition are well-known letter-writing zealots who will never stop applying pressure and getting heard by the movers and shakers in Japan.
Visit #yestofreedom @ irc.rizon.net and someone will always be there to help you write and data mine if you are finally willing to aid the cause. I'd sent you several PM's via your rpgamer account weeks ago that we were understaffed in the Eroge banning department...
“If you can't go around it, over it, or through it, you had better negotiate with it”
when in doubt, C4.
when that fails, carpet bomb it.
"Any idiot can blow up a building with enough explosives. Don't you wish you were that idiot?"
"There are few, if any, obstacles known to Man which cannot be overcome by the proper application of high explosives."
when the nuke fails, point a laser at it(mining or stronger) for a few years.
Has any1 noticed how all weapons and armaments bear phallic resemblance?
Don't believe me? Just listen to this guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1_bvXMlxHs
...and when all else fails, nuke it
If, you can't go through it initially, then it's fairly clear that you didn't use enough explosives the first time round. Try tripling the amount. :P
It's good to know the female half of the equation has such shining examples of pulchritudinous oratory! Bravo, hun! ^^
Someone here's been spending a little too much time in mspaint [http://www.mspaintadventures.com/?s=4&p=001708]?
^_^
Actually, I didn't know that even existed. I just have that kind of vocabulary.
YOU GO GIRL!!!!
Wow I'm late... Umm... Go Atma! I like your fiery passion against the illogical. ^_^
Eh, +0.5 instead. You can't exactly say "Nobody is superior to the other."
Someone will always have more strength, more intelligence, more resourcefulness, more luck (and so on) than someone else. Though the sum of the parts of each person might be close on average, there will also always be someone at the top and one at the bottom of the spectrum. The mentally retarded and the truly withdrawn, be they vegetable or mentally scarred, can never rise above the top, those who dedicate themselves to understanding in all ways and those who seek ways to overcome what blocks us today.
That's how it is.
your fucking awesome!
ROW ROW FIGHT DA POWA
I salute you, Atma. I couldn't have said it better myself. Equality Now and other organizations of its ilk annoy me because they've stopped crusading for equality and have gone on the rampage for superiority and are sending mixed messages.
Normally, it's those who think in the past that treat women like delicate, fragile teacups that if you so much as breathe in their direction they'll shatter. Now, it's the so-called feminists who are claiming that as women, we need to be treated like gentle creatures (while being treated like powerful deities)and handed everything we desire without having to earn it. They won't fight for a woman that wants to pay for the date, but they'll act as though it's a holy war in order to protect us from the 'evils of fiction!'
On the subject of equal punishment, the article about the woman who stabbed her masturbating boyfriend and didn't even get charged with Assault With a Deadly Weapon really cheesed me off. If the man had hit her back, people would be more or less rioting for him to be jailed. No one is going to fight for an equal punishment to be placed on her as would be placed on a man who did the same thing. It disgusts me.
100 points for gryffindor - I mean, for Atma!
Dang, now I know why I lurved Kallen so much, here's why LOL
This. This 9000x.
Support Atma all the way people~! this calls for a revolution! Atma FTW! leads us to glory and burn the imbeciles~!
Nice one Collin :P.
In life I consider myself quite fortunate, but that fortune does not carry over to my dealings with women. Most of the women I meet will openly mock me for using reason, saying that it doesn't apply to real life to use sources or demand a point is relevant for it to affect my decisions.
I am happy to say my hope and expectations of women have just improved.
+1
can the strive for gender equality really be called feminism? i consider it a natural thing - more so with every year that passes. at the same time, i consider feminism more and more negative. while (some) people work hard to abolish discrimination, others try to reverse the balance, which is as bad as before.
seriously, they call themselves "Equility Now"? what a joke!
i'd love to see the day when feminist, equality and anti-discrimination organisations have outlived their purpose. but i doubt it's gonna happen in the next few decades. people still tend to keep their minds closed in fear of change.
Otakus love a strong, HONORABLE character regardless of gender. Hence why Saber is so popular, a breath of fresh air among submissive eroge stereotypes.
What people despise are manipulative bitches -- once again of either gender. It just so happens that Equality now has tons of manipulative female bitches.
Feminists aren't SUPPOSED to be "Female superiority" groups. They started out as the people that fought for our right to vote and for our right to work outside of the home and a few select vocations. Now, they're supposed to be fighting for equal pay for equal work and (in my opinion) equal punishment for equal crimes. Instead, the term 'Feminist' has mutated to mean these female supremacist groups that think anything longer than it is wide is the work of man, and thus, evil. There's still plenty of TRUE feminists, but they are afraid to mention it to anyone most of the time because of all the bat-shit-insane-penis-hating-biddies that dare call themselves by the same term. There's a new (in comparison to 'feminists' at least) term that's been adopted for those who strive for equality, but I can't remember what it is.
They dont really say why there needs to be a ban. Apart from it being somewhat immoral, it doesn't really harm anybody. Its better if people gratify themselves to something in their fantasies, and not real people.
They mention statistics, and somehow it comes down to the games needing to be banned, without any link between them. There is NO proof that these games will encourage anything, (apart from excessive usage of tissues).
This case sounds so similar to the Australian censorship crap thats hapenning over there, using a disconnected and irrelevant excuse, that only scares people in order to limit freedom.
On a lighter note, dont these feminists realise that with so much material around that guys are actually idolising their gender?
Although this may seem rather unethical, I'd believe that we're beginning to see an overcompensation here, where some unscrupulous females use the excuse that they're on lower ground physically, and try to pass bills using this excuse, and the natural sympathy just to come out on top.
I really doubt that this feminist movement would include any shota/yaoi bans.
http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/cedaw/docs/ngos/Equality_Now_June2009_Japan_CEDAW44.pdf
now they Hentai to ban as well..........
It like they want a war.
This is serious. We should come in contact with 2ch and unite against this. This shouldn't be Japan vs Rest of the world, like they are trying to present it, but freedom of speech against censorship. Both Agnes and EN must be stopped before it's too late.
They are taking advantage that their main targets are social recluses and the objects in question are haunted by social taboos to actually use logic over sentiments.
"Rape and sexual harassment are forms of violence against women and girls"
I know that Equality Now is a feminist group but I hate how they always make it sound as though rape and sexual harassment can only be when a man does it to a woman. Men can be rape victims as well and women can be raped by other women.
Yeah... They don't care about men. In fact, to them, if a man has sex with a woman, it's automatically rape. And, if a guy kisses a girl, then breaks up a few years later it's rape by proxy.
Hurray for Bigotry Now!
Such an ignorant group.
How come they are so one sided in all this,they only follow their beliefs,they don't care to research it more at all or are totaly blind.
I mean when a guy says hello in japan to a girl and he gets chased,accused like he did something horrible.
And ignoring the report about women false acussions on trains(read the article),even ignoring accidents and making them into crime and destroying a males life.
How can a male by such a group not be hatted if they are viewed totaly wrong with bad laws for males which only increase the power hate of such groups.
They think all men are soo bad,but the problem is in the law how the men can be played with destroyed.
And also there is still this whole world problem.Where women can just say they were raped,there will be no evidence and a man can be accused for it.
What we need is proof that this happened,we don't need wrong accusing.
Also probably the whole court and justice will believe women since it's mostly made by men who protect women in all possible ways,women are also one of the most biggest liars of the world,so i can't believe how a court believes every women soo much.
Of course not all women are liars.But most of them are.
Most HUMANS are liars. Gender has nothing to do with it.
True,also don't forget about adam and eve.
And even a teacher told me a women can simply say that you raped her and you will get in trouble and prison for it without proof.
So lying and getting you to prison is pretty bad enough without checking for any evidence.
There needs to be proof of such things.
sadly haven't heard much about this.
if someone is accused of rape it can ruin them regardless of whether the claim was true or not, people would still be cautious around the person because there would always be that what if factor now
My point was that women don't absolutely lie more than men. I've known men that lie enough to make my other female friends (one of them being a habitual liar, by the way) look like the most honest folk you'll ever meet.
As for rape, you usually need proof to convict. If a woman lied about a rape there are tests that will prove she's a liar, even if there was consenting sex that was later painted to be rape. At least, that's how I understand it.
Jail, it's totally possible, but not permanent if rape can't be proven. I may be incorrect about this, but a woman accused of raping a man is also placed in jail if there's evidence.
I think it's the same idea as taking a suspected murderer into custody.
Equality Now? How? I bought a copy of Rapelay just to screw them back.
The thing is, they're not fighting for the rights of women. Like here in the Philippines, those who claim to fight for the rights of women (and I wholeheartedly support equality in all things between the sexes and genders) actually fight for their own political agendas. Once a group has started to crow about their struggles in the political arena, or have carried these out in a manner most public and attention grabbing serve only themselves. There's no cause too controversial, no target is innocent, and their fight is always the good fight. Gotta love politics.
I applaud the ones who carry out the real struggle. They make the world a better place for everyone. EVERYONE.
Equality Now only exists because they want to make it seem like women are victims so they get donations from the fools that believe them. It's only about money.
some truth in this yes
lol, these games promote rape hahahaha nice joke ladies.
I'm definitely writing them. (I'm a woman, by the way, and I like eroge.)
I was also all for boycotting their sponsors, but...then I found out the Joss Whedon is one, and I don't think I can give up my Buffy addiction. ><
I can and will boycott the rest, though.
Putting a ban on eroge is nothing more than a bandaid on the root of social inequality.
Can we somehow get in touch with the fellow otaku in Japan? 2ch etc. We need to make a unite efford against this.
Pro-censorship feminist group : lol
fuck this shit
Bravo for the girls who oppose EN! If i can write so well in english i would complain too!
Hearing Equality Now's stance on well...equality never fails to elicit a good couple of laughs over here. Irony is oh so sweet...
"The fact that there are women-only carriages on Japanese commuter trains due to the high prevalence of groping and sexual harassment faced by women in Japan also highlights the need for the government to actively address violence against women."
So does this mean that the same also applies for the Recycling Center of Southeast Asia? Last time I checked, rapists were heavily penalized in this practicality-deprived part of the world
Somehow i can't keep this in my mind:
Euqality now are screaming HELP US we are being attacked discriminated by nothing,will someone please save us from this nonexistant thing(im reffering to hentai)
I'm wondering about something..:
What if Illusion were to make a male version of Rapelay?
Apart from the fact that Rapelay itself is banned, if they were to publish it under another name and with slightly changed controls, I'm sure they could pull it off.
If Illusion made a game where you, as a female protagonist, were to have to rape men the same way as you were to in Rapelay, then send it out into the world, and say to EQ: Hey EQ, Fuck you! You want equality, here you have equality.. I hope you choke on it.
I wish reactions like this would be the same for the hentai ban in the philippines. Our politicians are just feeding off among the ignorant of the Philippine community just before election year.
Why don't the makers of RapeLay do a version where girls rape guys? I'd love to see what Equality Now would say about that!
"Now everyone rapes everyone! We're all a happy family" <.<
lol, looks like we had the same train of thought..