The feminism, Assange and freedom of speech Venn diagram of doom

A question has been revolving inside my brain for the past few days. It has taken up so much brain space that I no longer have the capacity to think about what I'm getting you for Christmas - sorry. The question in question is this: "How am I supposed to believe in free speech and be a feminist too, in the light of this Assange thing?"

Ever since the US Government started hunting down whistleblower Assange on rape charges, life has been difficult for me. On the one hand, it seems like an entirely obvious plot to stop Assange in his tracks, or at least plant a seed of doubt in his supporters' minds. It's so obvious, it seems foolish to even entertain the idea that the rape allegations might be true - that's what "the man" wants us to believe, but we're not listening, ha!

But on the other hand, someone has been accused of rape. Alleged victims have gone through the pain of reporting him, and are prepared (presumably) to go through the pain of giving evidence in a court. Rape conviction rates are notoriously low and victims often find it near-impossible to make their voices heard - it seems wrong to disbelieve someone simply because their timing seems convenient.

As far as I can see, one of the many likely explanations is this: Something happened between these women and Assange that made them feel uncomfortable and upset (the story currently circulating is that the women consented to sex using a condom, but Assange did not use one or was aware that it had broken and carried on regardless). The women were not aware that this could be defined as rape or sexual assault, so they did not report it. US officials, looking for dirt on Assange, sought out his friends and ex-girlfriends, happened upon these women, informed them of their rights and encouraged them to report him, assuring them that they would be protected. The women have a right to report him if he's done something illegal - thank goodness for freedom of speech, eh?

In summary, if it weren't for Wikileaks, Assange might never have been reported, but that doesn't necessarily make the allegations untrue.

Of course, as in any case, the alleged victims could be lying. As in any case, they might not be.

I'm aware that this blog post contains exactly the sort of view Assange's detractors want to spread - by locking him up, they want to muddy the waters of Wikileaks and present it as a sinister organisation led by a dangerous man. But luckily, most right-thinking people are able to distingish between the man and the organisation he fronts. Regardless of whether he's a rapist or perfectly decent (or anything in between), the information Wikileaks has got hold of should be unaffected by this controversy - it doesn't make it less real or less damaging to the people in power. He and his organisation are still within their rights to make it public.

Anyway, I've decided that I can be a feminist and refuse to disbelieve the alleged victims unless proved otherwise, while still asserting that Wikileaks is being targeted by a nervous government intent on destroying it. The key is to remove Assange's alleged behaviour from the mix, step back and look at the big picture, see?

This doesn't mean I've decided what I'm getting you for Christmas though.