Fifield, 41, is the second woman to allege this week that Platner engaged in nonconsensual sexual conduct. Jenny Racicot, 41, who said she previously dated Platner, told The Post and other outlets on Monday that he sexually assaulted her in late 2021, leading a growing number of allies to drop their endorsements and call on him to withdraw from the race for a Maine seat in the U.S. Senate. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), his most influential and prominent supporter, said he spoke with Platner on Tuesday and urged him to withdraw from his campaign to unseat Susan Collins, the incumbent Republican.

Platner, 41, a Marine Corps veteran and oyster farmer, also denied Racicot’s allegation but said on Monday that he was “mindful of the political reality” that the reporting will “inflict” on his campaign and was “taking the time to reflect on the best path forward.”

Fifield initially told The Post about the alleged condom removal during a June 20 interview that was off the record. She said she decided to speak publicly about it Tuesday in part because, she said, she wanted to show that Racicot was not alone in experiencing issues with Platner involving sexual consent.

    • partofthevoice@lemmy.zip
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      2 days ago

      “I consent to protected sex” is not equivalent to “I consent to unprotected sex.”

      Rape means here is no valid consent to the sexual act itself (or consent is obtained through force, coercion, incapacity, etc.).

      The sexual act in question is unprotected sex. The man had no valid consent to the sexual act itself. Consent was not obtained. The woman’s bodily autonomy was violated.

      He knew this when he tried to take it off. Otherwise he could have consentfully never used it.

            • partofthevoice@lemmy.zip
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              I think I get where you’re coming from, but it’s still rape. You could categorize it, sure, but it should still have rape in the name just like aggravated rape does. Point being that some losers like to call it stealthing. But we already had to word for that stuff, “rape.”

              • Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world
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                19 hours ago

                Oh sure, rape can certainly still be part of the term. No issue with that. Didn’t really think there was any reason it shouldn’t be. But “just” calling it rape seems an injustice.

                • partofthevoice@lemmy.zip
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                  19 hours ago

                  Well, I’d argue that it’s similar to raping someone who is unconscious. Because the act of removing a condom is, in effect, a manner of violating personal autonomy without their knowledge. With aggregated rape, presuming that means forceful, the victim knows what’s happening.

                  I’d even stick by this assessment because, should the victim become aware during the act and express discontent — it can then become aggravated rape, as well. Hell, even if the victim doesn’t express anything… because a victim could notice the initial form, then become too scared to directly address the matter. That ought count as both forms still, right?

                  I would be in favor of distinguishing between the two forms, legally, if it meant that perpetrators can get hit with both charges at the same time.

                  • Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world
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                    52 minutes ago

                    I am in favor of it being two charges. I really think there should be a bunch of them really. It’s just not one type of crime. It is many. Like raping a prepubescent child is a charge on top of rape, and likely another charge for abuse of trust position based rape as well. The punishment and required treatment are different than for raping a 17 year old who the person held no position of trust or power over (like a 22 year old boyfriend type situation). Currrently they are both just “rape” in some states.

        • Guy Ingonito@reddthat.com
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          This is like when a Muslim family is attacked and the comments are all debating if racism is the correct term since Muslim isn’t a race.

          It’s just muddying the waters, destructing from the crime and the victims, and providing cover for the wrongdoers.

    • Smoogs@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      we’re not here to censore violence and minimize what happened to an actual victim of violence because your sensitive ears cant hear it. you and your delicate ears are not the victim here. the rape victim is. stop making their trajedy about your ears.

      be a better person than this.

        • velma@sh.itjust.worksOP
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          Then don’t be. Rape is too overloaded. Find a more descriptive term.

          We don’t need to load any BS into your words, there’s plenty on display.

          • Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world
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            2 days ago

            So, since you only see what you want to, let me spell it out. They already have various categories of rape. Like aggravated rape and such. These are like rape+. I am saying a more descriptive term like that should be used to highlight the heinousness of the crime. But you refuse to see that. You just want to be righteous so bad you will make up something to be righteous about.

              • Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world
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                1 day ago

                Perfect, anyone who is incapable of understanding this concept, please do block me. That will save me the trouble of having to explain to people who’s minds are made up and don’t want to rethink their opinion in light of new information.

              • Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world
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                1 day ago

                Excellent attempt at a mic drop. You wouldn’t want to go and admit that you completely misread what I have been saying all along. That would just be horrible.

    • lightnsfw@reddthat.com
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      2 days ago

      Putting your dick in someone without their consent is rape. She did not consent to him taking the condom off. This isn’t a grey area.

    • jpreston2005@lemmy.world
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      Removing a condom during sex without consent, known as “stealthing,” is classified as a form of sexual assault in several countries, including Britain, Canada and parts of Australia. In the United States, Maine, California and Washington state have laws that address the nonconsensual removal of condoms during sex.

      There is another term for it, however, it still fits the bill as rape.

    • webadict@lemmy.world
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      I don’t wanna be that guy, but it is rape. If you think that it isn’t, it’s on you to find the descriptive term, not me.

      • Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world
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        2 days ago

        So the guy is also accused of not stopping when she said stop. That is also rape. Do you not see a problem with calling them both rape? Which sounds worse, 2 counts of rape. Or 1 count of rape and one count of <something more descriptive>. To me the second one conveys that he has a pattern of disregard for women beyond just one situation. I also think the condom thing shows intentional deception, where as he could claim he was too far into it to stop when she told him to. Combined as seperate things, they are more incriminating.

        • webadict@lemmy.world
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          So the guy is also accused of not stopping when she said stop. That is also rape. Do you not see a problem with calling them both rape?

          …No???

          They ARE both rape.

          Just because one rape is different from another rape doesn’t mean they’re not both rape, what the actual fuck are you talking about.

        • velma@sh.itjust.worksOP
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          where as he could claim he was too far into it to stop when she told him to.

          This made my skin crawl.

          • Modern_medicine_isnt@lemmy.world
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            Yeah, but we know some judges and jury’s would accept this excuse. So using a more descriptive term would better represent the crime to those who might otherwise consider it less serious than it should be.

    • dreamkeeper@literature.cafe
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      2 days ago

      I thought about what you said for a little while. After thinking hard, I believe I found the correct term for this kind of behavior. The term I came up with is “rape”. What do you think?