Repeatedly on social media, under every video on these #MeToo campaign of sexual assault allegations on Bollywood men, I see some or the other person making fun of the campaign and saying this:
So in case you didn’t know, Sunny Leone is a former porn actress. Also, Indian men are obsessed with her and she was the most searched celebrity name in google in the last couple of years, most from Indian IP addresses.
The assumption thus in the minds of these depraved people is that a porn actress cannot be raped or assaulted. Meaning that a porn actress has no rights over her body just because she has shown it all and thus any and every man can abuse her and do whatever they want with her.
I personally have studied the harmful effects of porn and sex work in general and do not see it as a great thing for women. But I do not agree that sex workers can be treated like objects and properties just because of what they do.
Yes, sex workers have rights. Yes, they may sell their bodies but if they do not want sell to you in particular, you can’t just rape or molest them.
The sad thing is to see these men on social media make fun of assault survivors and their predetermined thought on the abuse of Sunny Leone and their conviction that a porn actress has no right to complain about sexual assault.
The idea of CONSENT is devastatingly crucial and it should be imbibed in the minds of young Indian boys. No matter how many times Amitabh would explain NO MEANS NO, this simple thing still feels like rocket science to our society. So here is a slightly extended version of it –
If she is drunk, she can’t say yes, which means it’s a NO.
If she is out in the night, NO MEANS NO.
If she is in bed with you, NO STILL MEANS NO.
If she is dressed in a skimpy dress, NO MEANS NO.
If she is your wife, NO STILL MEANS NO!
If she is a sex worker or a porn actress, certainly, absolutely, vehemently her NO STILL MATTERS, AND IS A NO!