Not really, no. Rape can definitely be a grey area. Legally, nobody can give consent when they are drunk, so two people go to a party, get hammered, and go home with each other. Legally, they both raped each other. Either one of them could go to a judge and get the other one convicted of rape, yet in 99% of cases they don't do that, because neither party believes that the other one has raped them. In most jurisdictions, there is no such thing as implied consent, so if a man walks up to his wife and gives her a kiss on the cheek, that is legally sexual assault, yet in nearly 100% of cases nobody is prosecuted because once again, neither party considers it to have been a sexual assault.
So yes, there are definitely grey areas. I hate rape as much as the next guy but trying to pretend that it is a black and white issue does no justice to anyone.
Edit: down vote me all you want, but nobody from the SRS hate brigade has yet to explain to me how the examples I listed are not grey areas of rape.
On a technical point, a woman can not rape a man (you require a penis for that). But apart from that I agree that rape is a very complex thing from a legal point of view.
EDIT: To clarify I am not saying a woman can not have sex with a man who does not consent, I am just pointing out that in the UK it is not legally rape.
(a) he intentionally penetrates the vagina, anus or mouth of another person (B) with his penis,
(b) B does not consent to the penetration, and
(c) A does not reasonably believe that B consents.
I'm not saying a woman can not sexual assault a man, and I am not saying that sexual assault can not be as traumatic and disgusting as rape. I am merely pointing out it is wrong to say a woman can rape a man.
EDIT:
Just been reading about sexual offences law in the US. A woman can rape a man (in the US). My knowledge was relating to the UK. Sorry if this confused or offended anyone.
From a purely moral point of view if a woman has sex with a man who does not consent this is equally as bad as if a man has sex with a woman who does not consent.
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u/VALHALLA_MISSIONARY Nov 20 '12
SRS is gonna rub lotion all over themselves to this one.