This is what Andrew Tate means for Muslim women like me
IndependentNov 25, 2022
Andrew Tate Loses Appeal in Romanian Court
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Image copyright: AFP/Getty Images [via The Independent]
The Facts
On Tuesday, British-American brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate, as well as two Romanian women, were denied their request to be released from Romanian jail. All four were arrested and imprisoned in December 2022 for 30 days on charges of being part of an organized crime group, human trafficking, and rape.
The Tate brothers and the female suspects will remain in detention as the country's anti-organized crime agency (DIICOT) investigates claims that the brothers subjected six victims to "acts of physical violence and mental coercion."
The Spin
Left narrative
Besides his flight risk, Tate's misogynistic and outright violent statements about women fit perfectly with the allegations made by his victims. The man who makes outrageous claims about women — such as that they are a man's property, belong in the home, and are partially responsible for being raped — is a social criminal and deserves to stay behind bars.
Right narrative
Everyone has a right to free speech, no matter who they are or what they believe. While his comments may be misguided or controversial, Andrew Tate has the right to speak. Moreover, Tate’s rising popularity among younger men hasn't necessarily been unique. Promoting a hypersexualized, playboy lifestyle on social media is no crime and locking up one of the internet's biggest celebrities based on his views, rather than evidence, is unjustified.
Narrative C
Andrew Tate's popularity demonstrates that, if feminists and progressives can't find a way to speak thoughtfully and compassionately to young men, including teens, they risk enabling entrepreneurs like Tate to monetize misogyny. It is urgent that we pay attention to elements of both the cultural and political context for his rise and fall if we want to prevent the suffering of women and everyone else in society.
