There’s a Special Place for Weinstein’s Lawyer

You may have heard the Feb. 7th New York Times interview with Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer, Donna Rotunno. (Warning, blood pressures may become seriously elevated.) Most of the focus is on her assertion that she’s never been sexually assaulted because she never put herself “in the position” to have that happen. (I know.)

Like me, you may have found your jaw dropping a tiny bit at some of her other comments on sexual assault, dating and consent. If you didn’t, you may not want to read on because I’m about to explode her flawed logic like she did my head.

Talking about the women who were assaulted or raped in Weinstein’s hotel room — “If you go to the hotel room, doesn’t mean you deserve to have something bad happen to you, -(here it comes),- but…. You continue to perpetrate a culture that allows that to be acceptable.”

Victim-blaming much? First off, on which planet is assault or rape “acceptable”? News flash Donna, a woman’s silence (for whatever reason) doesn’t mean it’s acceptable. Second, the only people who perpetrate rape culture are men who rape and people who turn the other way. Not a lot of assault victims in that category.

Moving on — “If women say “No” collectively, that culture will change.” Um, aren’t Weinstein’s victims doing exactly that? Aren’t you attempting to drag them over the coals, paint them as the villains and generally do everything in your power to make them regret ever opening their mouths? And seriously, your understanding of how…