Male Rape in the Hood

Male Rape in the Hood

Male rape appears to be a growing concern in the hood coast to coast. Several months ago a friend in Philadelphia called saying men were being gang raped on the street in the City of Brotherly Love. Apparently the love between brothers has turned to wrath. My friend said gangs of men were assaulting men and raping them at will.

Of course this is a not too infrequent occurrence among the jail and prison population. Men are often raped by prison gangs and those men with the physical power to subdue the weaker brothers, or those not affiliated with a gang, or those in a rival gang. Apparently this ritual of violence has spilled over to the wider society.

Yesterday, a young brother in downtown Oakland told of male rape cases he was familiar with. He swore if he was raped the rapist would be a homicide victim. He said the rapists were difficult to recognize since they did not look gay but often had the demeanor of brothers on the down low or men who look straight but prefer the booty call of other men. The young man said his father called such men booty bandits!

But we are aware there is a significant degree of male rape in the workforce and in the US military, along with female rate estimated at 30% for women in the military. This matter reminds us of the Biblical story of Sodom and Gomorrah, wherein the men came to Lot's house and demanded the angels inside. Lot offered his daughters but they insisted the prophet give up "the angels." They had no desire for his daughters. Shortly thereafter the town was destroyed by earthquake apparently for its iniquities.

We know rape in pandemic these days, most especially in war torn African nations such as the Congo, but also in the newly liberated South Africa where women are raped almost at will.
In the Congo women, girls, men and boys are victims of this act of violence.

Rape has always been a facet of war, usually the victors rape the vanquished. Most often in war, the men are killed and the women seized as the spoils or booty. Of course rape is about power and domination rather than any sexual craving. The rape of men or women is thus a power play to totally humiliate and destroy the dignity and humanity of the victim.

In the hood, male rape may also be tied to gang initiation, along with homicide. Not only can strangers fall victim to the initiate but he may be ordered to rape and/or kill his best friend to prove loyalty to the gang.

Is it not possible the hip hop fad of sagging pants may be a contributing factor to male rape in the hood since men walking about with their behinds showing is inviting to those predators seeking the male booty?

Rape seems a sign of the times, these days the world is not a pretty place but rather a war zone. Ray Charles called it the Danger Zone and said it was everywhere. I've said before, we must practice eternal vigilance, stay ever on the alert and aware of ones surroundings.
--Marvin X
4/10/11