Thank God that Spain held Luis Rubiales responsible – Gudstory

Former Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales may not only face criminal charges, but prison time as well, thanks to his implantation of a device. A kiss is highly undesirable In the words of Ginni Hermoso after Spain won the World Cup in 2023. On Thursday, the judge who presided over the investigation into the incident recommended that Rubiales be tried on charges of sexual assault and coercion, which carry a penalty ranging from a fine to four years in prison. prison. the judge He described the kiss as “non-consensual and… a unilateral and sudden initiative”, and also recommended that three other men, Jorge Velda, Rubén Rivera and Albert Luque, be tried along with Rubiales for pressuring Hermoso to publicly declare that the kiss was consensual.

If a country was going to send a man to prison because he kissed a woman on the lips without her consent or against her, he would probably be Spain. 47% of members of Congress are female, and the country has gradually increased paternity leave to match maternity leave, and in 2023, the country passed legislation that not only guaranteed its citizens safe and accessible abortions provided by national health agencies, but also introduced Menstrual leavewhich is so utopian and imaginative for American women that it makes one want to up the stakes and head straight to Madrid.

On the other hand, rubialis. He doesn’t get it (Neither did his mother(In this regard), stressing that he is the real victim in all of this. Neither did the other men involved in the investigation, including Villeda, the former Spain national team coach who was sacked last September, and who According to HermosoHe asked his players to leave their doors open at night so he could talk to them individually before bed. The players also claimed that Velda was too controlling of their personal lives The athlete“When they return from an outing, they will be asked who they were and asked to show the contents of their shopping bags if they brought some.” Velda is no longer coaching in Spain, but he has become one imposed on him The reassuring women of Morocco.

As exciting as it was for women, especially women of a certain age, to see packed stadiums cheering on the women competing in soccer’s most important event, it was difficult not to see Rubiales’ actions as a metaphor for what women often face in society. No matter how high a woman rises, and no matter how much she achieves, she is still subject to the sexual whims of men in power. “Oh, but he didn’t mean it sexually, he was just happy!” Some claimed. It doesn’t matter. Happiness does not justify kissing a woman (on the mouth, after a global pandemic, no less!) without her consent. A good rule of thumb is: Don’t put your hands (or mouth) on anyone without their permission. There is no “winning the World Cup” exception to sexual assault. And In SpainThe absence of resistance does not mean approval.

This disheartening fact is that even with all the history achieved at WWC23, the first time a European team has won the entire trophy and the first time a Women’s World Cup has been hosted in the Southern Hemisphere, the only moment in which we’re still talking about the Rubiales attack “This is a loss for the Spanish team, who deserved their moment in the sun without a skeevy man sticking his lips on them. It’s also a loss for the female footballers who put on a great show. It’s a loss for little girls everywhere, who have now seen that, even on the biggest stage in the world “Men in power have control over the women who perform under them. No one could blame Hermoso for her stunned and baffled reaction. Any one of us probably would have done the same, but what a lesson it would have been for little girls everywhere if he took off… Hermoso and broke Rubiales across the face in front of the entire world. Sadly, all this incident did was reflect the state of casual sexism that women regularly experience in their private and professional lives. Rubiales served as an avatar for men who believe they have the right to touch women as they please – Women’s consent is optional.

So, if you’re dealing with women, here are my foolproof rules so you don’t end up like Luis Rubiales with your friends, coworkers, and family (yes, even your family): Don’t touch women without asking. Don’t touch anyone without asking, for that matter. Don’t force little girls to kiss and hug you because you think they’re cute. Your instant satisfaction not More important than the child’s physical independence. Don’t touch your co-workers without asking. Trust me, no one is randomly hoping to get a shoulder massage from you in the middle of Steve’s PowerPoint on new expense reports. Are you from a family that accepts everyone? Great, me too. This does not mean that others feel the same way or are comfortable with it. Claiming “it’s European” doesn’t help you, especially if you’re not in Europe. You can’t really go wrong with a handshake, a fist bump, or even a high-five. These should be your go-to moves with women, so you get an enthusiastic “yes” (not an absence of a “no”) to let you know it’s okay to be touched. The office (be it a cubicle or a World Cup podium) is not a place you should be looking to take women. No woman wants to have to fend off your advances while you try to bridge the gap between them 82 cents and a dollar.

“What?” I can already hear the crowd screaming. “It’s like I can’t do anything with women! What, should I be afraid to be around them now? If not interacting with women is what helps you not be a creep next to Rubiales, then yes. Go with that. Other than that, Don’t treat the women in your life any different from the men in your life until they let you know they want you to. If you don’t want to cuddle with your male colleague and hold on to him for too long, don’t do it to a woman either.

This usually happens when men start complaining that women want to be treated as equals, but don’t want to be drafted or open their own car doors. Believe me, I would be holding doors for myself for the rest of my life if I could go back and stop my former boss from kissing me hello every morning.

Rubiales deserves a trial. He deserves to be held accountable for his actions in front of the whole world, especially in front of all the women of the world.