What Kesha is teaching us about rape culture in America

Fair or not, celebrity often affords special treatment to people in the public eye. In the case of Bill Cosby, his family-man image proved to be a huge obstacle for his alleged victims to overcome. On the other hand, how a female celebrity chooses to express herself artistically often serves to undermine her, should she fall victim to abuse. Keep in mind, though, that many hyper-sexual public personas among female celebrities aren't necessarily the artist's choice, but rather that of the businesspeople whose livelihoods depend on them.

As a culture, we've entered a period of relatively radical female expression—sexual or otherwise—in art and culture. Famous women, who are the face of social movements, deal with considerable risk. For example, Kesha's image as a sexually liberated and empowered woman may have served to undermine the legitimacy of her claims; this double standard not only speaks to the blatant misogyny of the entertainment industry, but also demonstrates how our judicial system often fails to protect women who need it most.

Many women internalize this cultural prejudice, and it's not uncommon for victims of sexual assault to blame themselves. I did. In college, I was sexually assaulted twice, but told no one. Instead, I chalked it up to my own irresponsibility. It wasn’t until years later that I was able to understand I had done nothing to incite my assault. No victim does.

Oftentimes, the process of seeking help after experiencing sexual assault is almost as traumatic as the incident itself, especially in a case as public as Kesha’s. The whole world now knows the gritty details of her alleged abuse. As a society, we do little to protect the already violated safety and privacy of sexual assault victims.

This type of neglect plays itself out in the law, too. In her response to Kesha's ruling, Lena Dunham noted that in 19 American states, a rapist can exert their parental rights over a child conceived from that rape.

After the ruling, many female entertainers (including those who've worked with Dr. Luke), stood up for Kesha. Demi Lovato, Fiona Apple, Miley Cyrus, and Lady Gaga were some of the big names who went public with their support. Taylor Swift even donated $250,000 to help Kesha with her legal fees.

While the outpouring of support from major industry players is certainly a good thing, it suggests that women must band together for justice to even have a chance of being served.

To put this into perspective, more than 50 women have come forward against Bill Cosby—many of whom did so to help legitimize the claims of other women in their position. It shouldn't take 50 alleged victims to make a case. Kesha’s circumstance reminds us of how necessary it is for women to support each other in the absence of support from the law.

Although Sony Music Entertainment says that if Kesha honors her contact, she won't have to work directly with Dr. Luke, the producer would still have a stake in her career. What's more, Kesha reportedly said she fears that Sony will work less hard to promote her music, should she choose to work with one of the company’s other producers.

However, there are music producers who've stepped forward and offered to make and promote Kesha’s music. They include producer Zedd and Bleachers frontman Jack Antonoff, the latter of whom has written songs for Taylor Swift and Sia. Antonoff is signed to Sony label RCA, but any collaboration could fall outside the bounds of Kesha’s current contract.

These men represent an invaluable piece of the puzzle, when it comes to addressing the sexism inherent to the way female victims of sexual assault are treated. It’s not just women supporting women that will solve this issue. This is a societal problem that requires a societal solution.