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British Politician: Sex With Sleeping Women Not Rape But ‘Might Be Really Bad Manners’

British MP George Galloway Says Sex With Sleeping Women Not Rape But 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:

Comments (65)

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  • The Gooch
    Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:48pm

    I say this as one human being to another out of concern: Please, shut up.

    Report Post »  
    • lukerw
      Posted on August 20, 2012 at 7:52pm

      ‘Sorry… I just fell into your Lady Parts”?

      Report Post » lukerw  
    • The Gooch
      Posted on August 20, 2012 at 8:16pm

      Apparently date rape drugs are now acceptable foreplay enhancers.

      Report Post »  
    • dwilco77
      Posted on August 20, 2012 at 8:45pm

      I would take another view. Don’t shut up. It is nice to know when someone is a bloody moron.

      Report Post »  
    • JACKTHETOAD
      Posted on August 20, 2012 at 9:55pm

      And 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.

      Report Post » JACKTHETOAD  
    • 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.

      Report Post »  
    • The Gooch
      Posted on August 21, 2012 at 10:29am

      Amarath01
      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.

      Report Post »  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on August 21, 2012 at 10:03pm

      George 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

      Report Post »  
  • nobull14
    Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:33pm

    This guy is a couple puppies short in the pet shop ? what a euro crap.

    Report Post »  
    • Macman1138
      Posted on August 20, 2012 at 7:13pm

      Indeed. How can anyone sleep through sex?

      Really now!

      Report Post » Macman1138  
  • kickagrandma
    Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:26pm

    If you’ve ever been “the sleeping woman”, you KNOW it’s rape no matter what “they” call it.

    Report Post »  
  • Melika
    Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:22pm

    The 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.

    Report Post »  
    • Kermitt
      Posted on August 20, 2012 at 7:30pm

      You make a valid point.

      Report Post »  
    • BOsux
      Posted on August 20, 2012 at 9:32pm

      As 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!

      Report Post »  
    • phrogdriver
      Posted on August 21, 2012 at 8:15am

      My understanding is that when they had sex, she insisted he wear a condom. When she woke up, he was going commando.

      Report Post » phrogdriver  
  • face.chewer
    Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:18pm

    Men 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.

    Report Post »  
    • SimpleTruths
      Posted on August 20, 2012 at 11:18pm

      I’m guessing that is never is going to happen to you. Have a nice fantasy.

      Report Post » SimpleTruths  
    • Git-R-Done
      Posted on August 21, 2012 at 4:54pm

      Simplelies – Then don’t get mad if some woman decides to accuse you of rape.

      Report Post »  
  • garbagecanlogic
    Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:03pm

    So 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.

    Report Post »  
  • Mr.Fitnah
    Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:01pm

    The guy is a muslim.

    Report Post » Mr.Fitnah  
  • jake-spoon
    Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:48pm

    This 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?

    Report Post »  
  • TROLLMONGER
    Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:35pm

    This guy and senator Akin should start a club about how to rape women. Akin is your typical right wing republican male shovenist pig!

    Report Post » TROLLMONGER  
    • Bluenose177
      Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:49pm

      not 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

      Report Post » Bluenose177  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:03pm

      Galloway was implicated in the Oil for Food Scandal. He was never properly convicted & hung!

      Report Post »  
    • TROLLMONGER
      Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:06pm

      You 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!

      Report Post » TROLLMONGER  
    • 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.

      Report Post » john koenig  
    • progressiveslayer
      Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:44pm

      @turdmonger Your posts have a fecal odor and your idiocy is unwanted.

      Report Post » progressiveslayer  
    • The Gooch
      Posted on August 20, 2012 at 7:02pm

      All 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.

      Report Post »  
  • 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.

    Report Post »  
  • TnFirefighter
    Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:20pm

    Is 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.

    Report Post »  
  • blackyb
    Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:19pm

    I 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.

    Report Post » blackyb  
  • Walkabout
    Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:15pm

    George 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.

    Report Post »  
  • 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

    Report Post » GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas  
  • progressiveslayer
    Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:12pm

    Apparently George doesn’t need to be asked every time his rump is ridden.

    Report Post » progressiveslayer  
  • GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas
    Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:11pm

    Is this from The Onion??

    Report Post » GBTVFan_Non_American_Overseas  
  • JustinTexas
    Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:06pm

    Wow, I just found out that my wife rapes me all the time! I feel so dirty!

    Report Post » JustinTexas  
    • Geowchap
      Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:14pm

      Funny!
      Same here, it’s great.

      Report Post »  
    • Trance
      Posted on August 20, 2012 at 7:34pm

      Yeah, 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.

      Report Post » Trance  
    • youralaska
      Posted on August 20, 2012 at 7:42pm

      LOL 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.

      Report Post »  
    • Wolfgang the Gray
      Posted on August 20, 2012 at 8:15pm

      Rotfl!

      Report Post » Wolfgang the Gray  
  • LeadNotFollow
    Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:06pm

    …
    George Galloway, you sleazy pervert, it is rape.

    Report Post »  
  • SquidVetOhio
    Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:05pm

    That is the funniest thing I’ve read today. What a great punchline.

    Report Post » SquidVetOhio  
  • justangry
    Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:01pm

    Is that even possible?

    Report Post » justangry  
  • eyestoseeearstohear
    Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:00pm

    Hmmmm, does he have an American brother – who was separated at birth?
    Timing is uncanny, isn’t it?

    Report Post »  
  • scootervanneuter
    Posted on August 20, 2012 at 4:59pm

    I have sex with myself while sleeping all the time – I probably should be arrested

    Report Post » scootervanneuter  
  • Tri-ox
    Posted on August 20, 2012 at 4:57pm

    Huh?

    Report Post » Tri-ox  
  • phrogdriver
    Posted on August 20, 2012 at 4:54pm

    Maybe he should run for the Senate in Missouri?

    Report Post » phrogdriver  
    • Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra
      Posted on August 20, 2012 at 5:08pm

      Missouri 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.

      Report Post » Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra  
  • 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.

    Report Post »  
    • Walkabout
      Posted on August 20, 2012 at 6:09pm

      Galloway 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!

      Report Post »  
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