All who oppose gender-based violence should be concerned about the smear of Heard

Link to the original text of China Labor Forum: https://chinaworker.info/zh-hans/2022/07/12/32876/

Telegram link of China Labor Forum: https://t.me/chinaworkerISA

Twitter link of China Labour Forum: https://twitter.com/OctRevolution1 7

If you are interested in subscribing to "Socialist" magazine, please send an email to: chinaworker.isa@gmail.com

Steph Lacey Socialist Feminist Movement ROSA, Socialist Party (ISA Ireland)

(This article was first published on May 20, 2022)

From #MeToo to #Ni Una Menos, from two British women killed in the evening, Sarah Everard and Sabine Nessa, to being jogging outside The murder of Irish woman Ashling Murphy, the mass outpouring of grief and anger over femicide, and calls for an end to gender-based violence have all been very important features of recent years.

We have seen the beginnings of collective action in solidarity against gender-based violence, including strike action by workers regardless of gender to demand change, and discussions about the systemic and root causes of gender-based violence in the capitalist system.

Building a movement against gender-based violence requires critically examining the various manifestations of the injustice of the capitalist system to survivors.

We must also examine how the media, politicians and courts routinely perpetuate the use of misogynistic or racist rhetoric that not only harms every survivor, but also perpetuates a culture that breeds gender-based violence.

It is in this context that the Johnny Depp vs Amber Heard trial and media coverage should be reviewed.

Watch Depp vs Heard's trial in court and its online reaction, a case that will have a disturbing impact on victims of intimate partner violence regardless of gender.

It was a domestic violence trial that was used for entertainment, making jokes, memes and videos.

Whether you believe in Heard or Depp, you believe one of them is a victim of domestic violence, and that's not a funny thing.

This case also highlights that many people who claim to care about male victims of abuse do not really care about the situation of victims of domestic violence.

They are using the case to try to "prove" feminism is "toxic" and to discredit female victims of abuse rather than show support for male victims, share tips on how to spot signs of abuse, and encourage people to donate to shelters Or share the Domestic Violence Helpline.

Depp spends millions on smear campaign

The multi-millionaire Depp and his team have used the Internet as a weapon against Heard in a way that poses a huge threat to victims/survivors of domestic violence everywhere.

This reflects how deeply ingrained misogyny is in capitalist society and culture - people are more concerned with unusual individual instances, the rare cases of women lying, than systemic gender-based violence - which affects 1 in 3 women and kills women every day.

Heard was treated in stark contrast to most of the accused or convicted male celebrities who still work and win awards in Hollywood today.

The Depp team has millions of dollars and is using social media as a weapon by spreading lies and spreading anti-Amber hashtags.

Thousands of accounts were found online against Heard, not just disgruntled fans, but a systematic online smear campaign against Heard.

In 2020, the court determined that 12 of the 14 charges filed by Heard "proved to meet the standards of a civil suit" and ruled that Heard was a victim of domestic violence.

Heard then said in an article that she was a victim of domestic violence, but did not name her perpetrator, which she certainly had the right to do, especially after a court ruled that she was a victim of domestic violence. Now, Depp is using that article to sue her for $50 million.

The double standard of sexism

Abusers often tend to show a charming nature. Victims/survivors of domestic violence have to work very hard to gain trust, especially when their image is "unflattering".

A lot of people said Heard's behavior didn't look like a "true victim," but no one looked at Depp's behavior with the same yardstick.

No matter who you choose to believe, you cannot deny that this is a double standard.

Depp has been joking, giggling, drawing and eating candy in court, and high fives with his team.

That was when he tried to prove in court that he did not abuse Heard. And Hilde is demonized for not crying and demonized for crying at the same time.

Rumors have circulated online about Heard, many of which have been proven false.

Those rumors were about her makeup bag, lines taken out of context from the movie, a dark history of domestic violence against her ex-wife, and rumors that she's doing drugs in the stands now in front of everyone.

Rumors of Heard abusing his ex-wife went viral, while all of Depp's exes said he was cute.

The truth is that Heard's ex-wife denies domestic violence and has stood by Heard throughout the trial, saying: "It is frustrating that Amber's integrity and past has been called into question once again. Amber was a smart, honest and beautiful woman, and I have so much respect for her. We spent five wonderful years together and are still close today."

In fact, several of Depp's exes have accused him of abuse. His ex-girlfriend Ellen Barkin said he was controlling, jealous, angry and demanding when she dated Depp.

Asked if she was shocked when Depp threw a bottle at her, she replied: "I'm not shocked. There was always an air of violence around him."

Another of Depp's exes, Jennifer Grey, said Depp was suspicious of Jennifer's actions in his absence and that he would often get into fights.

When Depp was dating Kate Moss, he smashed a hotel room in front of Kate. Destroying property is violence, while smashing a partner's room is abusive.

He did the same after marrying Heard, smashing the bathroom because another woman touched Heard and writing "casual Amber (Helde)" on their mirrors and he was jealous her co-star. He even tried to burn one of her previous paintings in jealous rage.

Depp called his anger a "monster" inside him. Most abuse reflects a thirst for power and control. Abuse isn't just physical.

Domestic violence is a pattern of deliberately controlled behavior. One of them has a record of this behavior spanning decades, and that person is Depp.

But we hear more of the rumours surrounding Hield than the facts surrounding Depp.

history of sadism

Too often, men raised by abusers are romanticized and portrayed as having a broken family and in need of love and care, while women are 'Electra', 'emotionally traumatized' and 'crazy' of. In this way, the man's anger and drug abuse are "understandable" things and used to justify his actions. And a woman's post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or "mental disorder" is often used to attack and denigrate her. This has contributed to one of the most insidious and vile tactics ever used to discredit female domestic violence survivors: a psychiatric diagnosis.

Depp and the "monster in him" have not been diagnosed with any disease, but Heard was diagnosed with multiple ailments by a doctor whom Depp had paid to eat. Historically, psychiatric diagnoses have been used to tell courts and the world that domestic abused women are insane. Psychiatric diagnoses are used to label, smear, and humiliate abused women. These are not objective diagnoses, but are political, calculated and deliberate.

Depp was portrayed as a likable figure, although he said he wanted to burn Heard and "fuck her body". There are some text messages showing Depp calling women (not just Heard) "bitch", "fat bitch", "dirty whore", "cum-wasting guy", "ugly B", also using Has used homophobic and transphobic rhetoric to describe Heard's friends, and often uses words that are discriminatory against blacks. He also said he planned to "humiliate" Heard, "she's going to hit the wall hard. I can only hope she'll get the karma and take the gift of breathing away from her." Imagine if Heard said All this, how things will be.

Depp was also the best friend of Marilyn Manson, who was accused of sexual assault by several women. In a press conference, Depp had defended child sex offender Roman Polanski.

Depp also giggles as Heard talks about some of the worst things a person can experience. This situation should upset everyone, because even if she's lying, it's not funny—a lot of people have experienced what she's describing.

Impact on all victims

The fact that Depp is taking Heard to court again in no way proves his innocence, as courts are often used as a tool for abusers to continue their abuse. Over the past few years, anti-defamation laws have been increasingly used to retaliate against #MeToo voices. Abusers, especially those with money and power, can use this to retaliate against their victims and try to use justice to alter the narrative. Depp said he wanted to humiliate Hield and that's exactly what's happening. It should be pointed out that it was Depp, not Heard, who continued the trial.

Before Heard was born, Depp was already working in the entertainment industry. For decades, he had millions of fans who adored him. Survivors of domestic violence can't even say they support or believe in Heard, or face the wrath of these hardcore Depp fans. Part of the phenomenon is clearly misogynistic, but this clarity strikes also because Hield is challenging the myths about Depp.

Distrusting survivors because their favorite celebrity is an accused sends a powerful warning to all victims of domestic violence: If their abuser is popular (as is often the case), then as a victim you will will not be accepted. No matter which side you are on, you can't deny it all. This is a threat to all victims of domestic violence regardless of gender. Even if Heard was proven to tell the truth in court, if she was still called a liar by the court of public opinion, what message would that send to victims of domestic violence? The vast majority of victims of domestic violence have no money, popularity, pictures of injuries, recordings, text messages, and a court that will identify her as the victim and he is the victim of the perpetrator. What hope do these mass violence victims have?

Anyone who believes Depp's allegations and uses the case to create memes and jokes about Heard rather than openly talk about male victims of domestic violence is deeply worrying and dangerous. Millions of women have experienced what Heard describes. When you laugh at her, you may hurt everyone else who has experienced this kind of abuse.

Socialist feminism must be part of the struggle of the entire working class

The issue of gender-based violence and the struggle for bodily autonomy for all — including trans health care, abortion rights — have been key drivers of the feminist wave that began in the 2010s. From the patriarchal family structure promoted and reproduced by capitalism, to the racism and imperialist violence of capitalist countries – violence, misogyny, control over the female body, and the promotion of rigid binary gender and machismo cultures , are deeply embedded in the structure of the capitalist state. The working-class movement cannot be neutral or silent on issues of oppression—we must recognize and resist the backlash created by mass and social media slurs against Heard.

Working-class women, as frontline workers, are at key struggle sites; young women, non-binary and LGBTQ+ youth are often at the forefront of anti-capitalist radicalization and union struggles in notorious workplaces like Starbucks and Amazon . From the foregoing, it is clear that gender-based violence also undermines these struggles, as well as the individuals injured and killed by gender-based violence.

For socialist feminists, building a movement to end gender-based violence must be connected to the need to build a movement that unites the entire working class and the oppressed for socialist change - to fight for public ownership of wealth and resources and democratic planning to defend the interests of all humanity and the planet, not profit. By removing the class divisions at the core of the profit system, a socialist alternative would provide the basis for replacing capitalism and building a society free of any oppression. This struggle for change is impossible without ensuring a relentless struggle against all forms of oppression at every turning point.