NFL
By: Zachary Draves
It should have been the happiest moment in the lives of the Spanish women’s soccer team. They won their first ever FIFA Women’s World Cup in a narrow 1-0 victory over England and have moved up to #2 in the world rankings. But their celebration was ruined due to the perverted actions of Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish soccer federation.
During the post game festivities, Rubiales, after he was seen grabbing his crotch, was seen kissing star player Jennifer Hermoso on the lips in what is plainly a cringeworthy image. It circulated all over the globe and immediately took precedence over Spain’s historic victory.
(Courtesy: BBC)
Rubilaes has been disturbingly defiant amid immediate criticism and calls for him to step down as federation president. He even goes as far as calling his critics “false feminists” and saying that the backlash is somehow “a social assassination of me, they’re trying to kill me”.
More on that later.
He claims that the kiss was consensual whereas Hermoso has said otherwise. On Friday she took to social media to push back saying“I felt vulnerable and a victim of an impulse-driven, sexist, out of place act without any consent on my part.”
Rubiales has had the backing of the Spanish soccer federation and they have had the gall to threaten legal action against Hermoso, accusing her of lying about the kiss. Not only that but his own mother has decided locked herself in a church and take part in a hunger strike in support of her son as prosecutors officially opened an investigation.
On Saturday, FIFA announced that they suspended him for 90 days and he and the federation are prohibited from contacting Hermoso. This comes after the players declared that they would not play any games until Rubiales is terminated.
FIFAs response sounds good, but the truth of the matter is that Rubiales should have terminated from the get go. His actions and subsequent behavior were blatantly sexist, misogynistic, patriarchal, and emblematic of a world in which rape culture persists.
Rape culture is defined by Oxford Languages as “a society or environment whose prevailing social attitudes have the effect of normalizing or trivializing sexual assault and abuse.” In other words, society tries to find ways to rationalize the actions of perpetrators of sexual violence and abuse and blame the victim.
The abuser/perpetrator exploits these sensibilities in an attempt to benefit them.
Rubiales trying to justify his actions and the language he used to refer to Hermoso and those willing to call him what he is, is a prime example of a typical abuser who refuses to take accountability for their actions.
He engaged in what violence prevention experts call power and control, where the abuser/perpetrator uses certain tactics to try to intimidate, humiliate, and degrade the victim. In this case, he was abusive sexually with the kiss and also verbally, emotionally, and legally by using the power of the federation to threaten action against her.
That also doesn’t sound like the characteristics of someone who confidently says it was also mutually consensual.
Furthermore, when he is making it all about him and that he is somehow being “socially assassinated” is a common trait of an abuser. He is clearly a selfish man who has completely disregarded Hermoso, the players, and the game entirely.
This all couldn’t have come at a worse time when women’s soccer is starting to grow in leaps and bounds globally. This World Cup saw a huge uptick in viewership with 93.5 million viewers worldwide. It also saw the emergence of countries like Spain, England, Sweden, and others that have come into their own
What further action is taken against Rubilaes remains to be seen, but Hermoso is receiving overwhelming support from all sectors of the soccer world. USWNT player Alex Morgan is among the high profile supporters who posted the following message on Twitter:
I'm disgusted by the public actions of Luis Rubiales. I stand by @Jennihermoso and the Spanish players. Winning a World Cup should be one of the best moments in these players' lives but instead it's overshadowed by assault, misogyny, and failures by the Spanish federation.
— Alex Morgan (@alexmorgan13) August 25, 2023
All have issued a rallying cry with the hashtag #Contigo Jennifer Heromso, which means love and with you.
(Courtesy: Rueters)
The world of sports hasn’t necessarily had their #MeToo moment the way that other industries have had and the only way that can happen is if those in the sporting world are willing to lend their support to the cause of eradicating sexual violence and abuse.
That can come through education, introspection, and vision at all levels of leadership (micro, mezzo, and macro). It can happen and it needs to happen.
Jennifer Hermso deserves better. Her teammates deserve better. Her country deserves better. Women’s soccer deserves better. Women deserve better.
The whole world is watching.
