British Politician: Sex With Sleeping Women Not Rape But ‘Might Be Really Bad Manners’
George Galloway (Source: Business Insider/Wikimedia)
British MP George Galloway is in hot water for saying that having sex with a sleeping woman isn’t technically “rape” during a British radio broadcast, Business Insider reports. Among other things, he argues that “not everybody needs to be asked prior to each insertion.”
Galloway was defending Wikileaks creator Julian Assange when he made the remarks during an episode of his “Good Night” podcast posted on August 18.
The New Statesman has provided a transcript of the outrageous comments:
Let’s take woman A. Woman A met Julian Assange, invited him back to her flat [apartment], gave him dinner, went to bed with him, had consensual sex with him. Claims that she woke up to him having sex with her again. This is something which can happen, you know.
I mean not everybody needs to be asked prior to each insertion. Some people believe that when you go to bed with somebody, take off your clothes, and have sex with them and then fall asleep, you’re already in the sex game with them.
It might be really bad manners not to have tapped her on the shoulder and said, “do you mind if I do it again?”. It might be really sordid and bad sexual etiquette, but whatever else it is, it is not rape or you bankrupt the term rape of all meaning. . .
It is one thing to defend Assange as not guilty, but to argue that sex with a sleeping woman is anything other than rape is offensive and out of line.
Many in the UK agree as Galloway’s comments have reportedly sparked widespread outrage. The Telegraph’s Tom Chiver’s writes that “the situation Galloway has just described is absolutely, 100 per cent, no-ifs-or-buts definitely rape.” Rape charity Crisis, a British non-profit organization, has called Galloway’s comments “offensive” and says his argument is completely “factually incorrect.”
Business Insider has more on Galloway’s background:
An MP for the fledgling Respect party in Bradford West, Galloway has been a high profile figure in British politics for decades now, and has been at at the center of many controversial moments. He is known for a strident pro-Palestine and anti-US position. He became notorious in the UK for his 2006 appearance in the reality TV show Celebrity Big Brother.
Assange is wanted for questioning in Sweden due to sexual crimes allegedly committed in the country. He was due to be extradited from the UK to face questioning but fled to the Ecuadorean Embassy in June and has since been granted asylum.
If you don’t believe that a politician could actually say something so indefensible, take a listen for yourself. Galloway begins talking about Assange and his views on rape at about 21:40:
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Comments (65)
The Gooch
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:48pmI say this as one human being to another out of concern: Please, shut up.
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lukerw
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 7:52pm‘Sorry… I just fell into your Lady Parts”?
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The Gooch
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 8:16pmApparently date rape drugs are now acceptable foreplay enhancers.
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dwilco77
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 8:45pmI would take another view. Don’t shut up. It is nice to know when someone is a bloody moron.
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JACKTHETOAD
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 9:55pmAnd to think the Brits banned Alice Cooper from playing there during the ‘Billion Dollar Babies’ tour because of the song ‘I love The Dead’. They said anthems to necrophilia just don’t make it here, or some such rot.
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Amarath01
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 9:33am“It is one thing to defend Assange as not guilty, but to argue that sex with a sleeping woman is anything other than rape is offensive and out of line.”
No some people may agree that this is acceptable and even kinda fun/titillating. I mean obviously YOU ARE WRONG Mr. Howerton. If i know one person who agrees with me and they do, then your wrong. So your out of line for the act of knowingly practicing deceit.
“Apparently date rape drugs are now acceptable foreplay enhancers.”
They are and have been for thousands of years, alcohol, locally grown / harvested plants that are smoked, eaten , etc.
So yeah i think your statement has always been true.
Oh wait you were joking .. well that is sad your joke is reality. Well maybe not date “rape” drugs as in Flunitrazepam but enough AcH and well you get the picture. And before you say well its about how much you use.
The issue at hand is if its ok to have sex with someone whose consent you do not have. I would say no , but having sex with a sleeping women DOESN’T mean you did not have consent, but it may.
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The Gooch
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 10:29amAmarath01
I believe the point is Galloway is defending the indefensible because he is enamored with Assange. Hell, at this point, one wanders what Galloway wouldn’t dismiss as trivial with Assange as the leftist poster boy of the day. “Assange eats babies? Well, you know Swift had a good point with his ‘A Modest Proposal’”. I’m sure people have eaten babies in the past. Tell me how that is a matter of perspective thru your historical filter.
“Hey, this guy carries the same brand of water as me so I’d best be ready shield him from the slings and arrows of what I can now paint as puerile social norms.” You know, like how Alec Baldwin is defended as a good father when he calls his girl child a pig. I’m not saying Alec Baldwin is the devil, but the usual suspects came out and defended a rant that would had, say Mel Gibson, talking with child protective services. People can’t just say, “This is where you stand on your own, clown.” Only a fool would think wallowing in the same foul mud as a like-minded ideologue would lessen the stench; you’re just gonna smell like the same brand of crap.
Defend and rationalize as you will. Most of us (I suspect) don’t feel like like we have to crawl in bed with every idiot who can’t control his libido or mouth. There’s a point where you look just as stupid, impulsive and greedy as the choad in question.
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Walkabout
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 10:03pmGeorge Galloway supports rapist Assange
http://vladtepesblog.com/?p=51973
Ezra Levant of Sun News logically & inexorably lays bare Assange’s lies & gives a detailed account of the rape allegations. This has reasons for Bradley Manning’s reasons for leaking secrets.
The following link shows what a womanizing cad Galloway is. It is germane to understanding his rape comments. It shows all 4 of his wives & his current state of polygamy.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/politics/4237568/As-George-Galloway-unveils-wife-No4-ex-says-We-never-got-divorced.html
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nobull14
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:33pmThis guy is a couple puppies short in the pet shop ? what a euro crap.
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Macman1138
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 7:13pmIndeed. How can anyone sleep through sex?
Really now!
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kickagrandma
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:26pmIf you’ve ever been “the sleeping woman”, you KNOW it’s rape no matter what “they” call it.
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Melika
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:22pmThe guy has a point. She had sex with him once and apparently felt so comfortable with him that she went to sleep. If she had told him to stop and he didn’t, then it’s rape. Plenty of people start intercourse while the other is sleeping as a sex game – they aren’t intending the person to sleep through it and they believe that the other person would be willing. It isn’t an intentional violation. Rape tends to be violent, extremely emotionally damaging, and is completely against the wishes of the other party – not simply bad timing. You start screaming rape at something as benign as this (it’s benign compared to an actual rape), then you truly do diminish what the word “rape” means.
It’s reminiscent of one of the definitions of “date rape”, where a woman regrets having sex with a man, then claims he forced her by coercion. I would say she was lucky to find a man who was such a great lover he could seduce her, but weak women trying to be feminists don’t like taking responsibility for their actions if it means they have to admit they can be seduced. In my mind, date rape is when someone goes on a date to drug a woman, then rape her while she is incapacitated. There is no consent, no implied consent, and she has no ability to say no.
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Kermitt
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 7:30pmYou make a valid point.
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BOsux
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 9:32pmAs a woman, I agree. I don’t believe it’s rape either. If it started off in any way NOT consensual, then continuing it would be rape, but if she cuddled up against him and fell asleep and woke to find him going at it again, I believe it’s perfectly acceptable. Wives on here??? You can’t tell me that you’ve never woken up to your hubs hands or other body parts in your own, um, body parts. If woken my husband up that way myself a few time. Def. not rape!
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phrogdriver
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 8:15amMy understanding is that when they had sex, she insisted he wear a condom. When she woke up, he was going commando.
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face.chewer
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:18pmMen should take the initiative here; if a woman is on top and about to have an orgasm, tell her stop, stop right now. If she continues on to orgasm charge her with rape and have her locked up for 7 years or so.
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SimpleTruths
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 11:18pmI’m guessing that is never is going to happen to you. Have a nice fantasy.
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Git-R-Done
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 4:54pmSimplelies – Then don’t get mad if some woman decides to accuse you of rape.
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garbagecanlogic
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:03pmSo poking a broomstick up his arse while he was sleeping would just be good clean fun huh??
Praise Be To Obama. Psalm 109:8
The U.S. Out Of The U.N.
The U.N. Out Of The U.S.
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Mr.Fitnah
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:01pmThe guy is a muslim.
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jake-spoon
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:48pmThis a-hole would probably define rape as “assualt with a friendly weapon”. Betcha’ his boyfriend does that to him. If the lady was a prostitute and you did it while she was asleep, would that be considered shoplifting?
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TROLLMONGER
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:35pmThis guy and senator Akin should start a club about how to rape women. Akin is your typical right wing republican male shovenist pig!
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Bluenose177
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:49pmnot only are you a troll you’re an ignorant fool to boot and ill educated (it’s chauvinist you commie moron)
funny how you picked the “conservative” and completely ignored the words of Galloway the champagne socialist who supports muslim extremist terrorists, Saddam Hussein and the other despot leaders of the world…
educate yourself and then comeback and try and be intelligent
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Walkabout
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:03pmGalloway was implicated in the Oil for Food Scandal. He was never properly convicted & hung!
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TROLLMONGER
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:06pmYou gotta love the right wing nut jobs like this blue guy trying to defend the rape excuser Akin. When the Beckbots starting defending you, you know you must be a ultra right wing religious fascist….LOL!
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john koenig
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:25pm@trollmonger…At least we “typical right wing republican males” know how to spell “chauvinism” and are aware of the word’s origin.
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progressiveslayer
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:44pm@turdmonger Your posts have a fecal odor and your idiocy is unwanted.
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The Gooch
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 7:02pmAll partisans and ideologues need to own their bastards. Trollmonger is just playing the ol’ “nothing to see here, move along” game while deflecting back upon a whipping boy that satisifies him personally. I’m beginning to wonder why anyone bothers addressing this one act show. He’s not witty… just the same ol’ blunt instrument at play.
This is just boring. Galloway said a woman’s opinion doesn’t matter when sex is considered… and ol’ Trollmonger is stuck on an idiot U.S. politician that is deemed toast by both sides. Galloway defends an accused rapist and Trollmonger wants to throw crap. This is like hanging out with chimps.
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The_Jerk
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:32pm“Woman A met Julian Assange, invited him back to her flat [apartment], gave him dinner, went to bed with him, had consensual sex with him. Claims that she woke up to him having sex with her again.”
This is true. She gave her consent. If she said stop, and he did not, that would be rape… but difficult to prove. At some point women must take responsibility for their decisions.
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TnFirefighter
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:20pmIs this a news piece or a place for Jason’s opinion. I guess women are no longer responsible for the actions they take. I think it is in bad taste to perform this act, but its criminality is definitely a grey area. Time to stop screaming rape everytime you make a bad decision girls.
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blackyb
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:19pmI really do not think it is proper to tell about pervs like this who are a shave away from necrophelia. There are more important things to discuss. He knows he is a sicko. We know he is a sick. I do not care to hear this trash.
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Walkabout
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:15pmGeorge Galloway is pro-Palestinian. He is probably pro Muslim. I would not be surprised if he originates a bill to lower the age of consent.
On the other hand he is not a conservatives so Liberals gotta love him.
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GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:13pm“not everybody needs to be asked prior to each insertion.”…thi guy needs to be in prison for a while with sleeping pills
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progressiveslayer
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:12pmApparently George doesn’t need to be asked every time his rump is ridden.
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Walkabout
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:07pmAs I stated, he is or was married to a Palestian woman. But then I found this. I think your gut instinct was correct.
Reported Break In
In an article published by the Daily Mail at the beginning of May 2012, it was asserted that staff at his £1.4 million London home had discovered items had been moved and curious objects were found in the house such as an empty bottle of gin and a gay pornographic video stashed in a closet. The culprit is thought to have been an unidentified homeless man.[30] Galloway has increased security at his home to prevent any more homeless intruders.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Galloway#Reported_Break_In
My thoughts:
Do homeless people typically carry around videos? Is the video for the TV they don’t have?
Maybe the break in by a never to be found homeless person is a cover story for his staff finding evidence left over from a gay one night stand.
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progressiveslayer
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:40pmIf George gets super aids we’ll all hear about it and he’ll be out of the closet.
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Walkabout
Posted on August 21, 2012 at 9:30pmprogressiveslayer
My brain would not engage for a minute. I was dumbfounded.
Galloway is worse than I thought. Galloway is a near optimal individual who if he propagates his genes & memes widely into future generations will cause a suboptimal result for humanity. So much so that we might become extinct.
Somehow Wikipedia just does not cover this.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2124712/George-Galloways-wife-Rima-Husseini-mother-new-baby-says-theyre-wed.html
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/politics/4237568/As-George-Galloway-unveils-wife-No4-ex-says-We-never-got-divorced.html
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2124227/George-Galloways-new-Dutch-bride-Putri-Gayatri-Pertiwi.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2012/may/04/muslim-marriages-must-be-registered
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GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:11pmIs this from The Onion??
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JustinTexas
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:06pmWow, I just found out that my wife rapes me all the time! I feel so dirty!
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Geowchap
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:14pmFunny!
Same here, it’s great.
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Trance
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 7:34pmYeah, and I’ve raped my wife as well. Even though she enjoys it once she wakes up. But she rapes me more than I rape her, so I guess I should be the one calling the police.
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youralaska
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 7:42pmLOL You guys are thinking the same thing I was! And when I do wake my wife up that way I usually get breakfast in bed with a smile the next morning.
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Wolfgang the Gray
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 8:15pmRotfl!
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LeadNotFollow
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:06pm…
George Galloway, you sleazy pervert, it is rape.
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SquidVetOhio
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:05pmThat is the funniest thing I’ve read today. What a great punchline.
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justangry
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:01pmIs that even possible?
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eyestoseeearstohear
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:00pmHmmmm, does he have an American brother – who was separated at birth?
Timing is uncanny, isn’t it?
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scootervanneuter
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 4:59pmI have sex with myself while sleeping all the time – I probably should be arrested
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Tri-ox
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 4:57pmHuh?
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phrogdriver
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 4:54pmMaybe he should run for the Senate in Missouri?
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Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:08pmMissouri is the “Show Me” state, I guess if it’s bad manners to have sex with a sleeping woman, it’s down right rude to shoot someone because of their beliefs. What constitutes a crime in England, wait, I know, it’s denegrating Islam.
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Locked
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 4:54pm“It is one thing to defend Assange as not guilty, but to argue that sex with a sleeping woman is anything other than rape is offensive and out of line.”
Apparently Jason has not met some of the posters here, like Mil-dot.
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Walkabout
Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:09pmGalloway stated “I am on the anti-imperialist left… If you are asking did I support the Soviet Union, yes I did. Yes, I did support the Soviet Union, and I think the disappearance of the Soviet Union is the biggest catastrophe of my life.”
Galloway recognizes one of his own Assange!
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