Mexico church assailed for maligning miniskirt
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Last week’s condemnation of the miniskirt by the Mexican Catholic Church has enraged some Mexican women, who say the church’s statement that women should wear less provocative clothing makes it easier to justify rape and other forms of violence against them.
Last week’s statement, which advised women not to get into ‘spicy’ conversations with men if they wanted to avoid rape and violence, said:
If you want to avoid sexual aggression ... do not use provocative clothing ... watch your glances ... don’t be alone with a man, even if you know him ... don’t permit spicy chats or jokes ... look for help when you suspect bad intentions.
Women protested in front of the cathedral in Mexico City’s Zocalo over the weekend — wearing miniskirts of course — and the statement has been lambasted by newspaper columnists and women’s rights activists.
Guadalupe Loaeza, a renowned Mexican social commentator, said she worries the priest’s statements will be taken seriously and make it acceptable to blame the victim. ‘It gives rapists permission to say, ‘Well, she had on a miniskirt,’ ‘ Loaeza said. ‘What the church says has credibility — that’s why this type of statement is so dangerous.’
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-- Deborah Bonello in Mexico City