Making sense of male rape: constructions of gender, sexuality and experience of rape victims

This study reports a preliminary investigation into accounting practices for male rape in conversation. Two main issues are raised for discussion in response to a male rape incident: the experience of the rape act and societal responses to male victims. A ‘hierarchy of suffering’ is established where rape is judged to be worse for ‘heterosexual’ men than it is for ‘women’ or ‘gay’ men. Hegemonic, phallocentric representations of heterosexuality are mobilized to argue that acts of rape and consensual intercourse are the same for ‘gay’ men and ‘women’ and therefore less traumatic than for ‘heterosexual’ men. This obscures the violence of rape for gay men and women and exonerates perpetrators by minimizing injury sustained. Participants also argue that heterosexual victims are likely to experience ridicule for having departed from hegemonic masculinity. Arguments are constructed to avoid charges of being dismissive towards women and gay men and of victim blaming in relation to heterosexual men