So the NY AG Eric Schneiderman has resigned over hitting and abusing women.
Writer Junot Diaz has been shown to be a hypocrite by writing a praise-worthy essay about his own abuse (in the same publication, The New Yorker, which outed Schneiderman) but really doing so in order to get out in front of accusations against him.
I am just…overwhelmed. I believe these men did these things, and this is not simply a “witch hunt” in either of these cases.
But as a white, suburban dad-type guy, I am just…stunned maybe?..about all this. Yes, I very much understand that women are reading this post and likely going “welcome to our world, you clueless twit.” But, I just don’t get it - I would simply never consider hitting someone, let alone a woman, let alone someone I want to consider a partner.
It is important and good that women are coming forward. I really hadn’t appreciated how pervasive this is, and feel like an ignorant rube for not getting it.
Just trying to process all of this as the world is pivoting and we are coming to a new understanding.
The Junot Diaz issue is a pretty straight forward case of sexual harassment. He acted inappropriately with unwilling and unsuspecting women.
The NY AG? I’m a little confused. I haven’t read all the accounts so maybe someone could shed some light for me. It seems like he was in BDSM relationships with women. Is that just his story?
Yes. He claims he was role playing in the course of consensual sex. They say “that fucker hit me out of the blue and blew out my eardrum. I went back to him after that for a period because I let myself down, but had to finally leave.” And yes, they have contemporary accounts from friends (including the author Salman Rushdie, whom one of the women dated prior) and photos and physician reports. Just fucked up.