FESTIVAL IS SET TO TAKE PLACE IN

LONDON NEXT WEEK AND THERE HAS BEEN A PETITION AGAINST TWO

SPEAKERS THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO GIVE A TALK.

THEY MIGHT BE

CANCELED AS A RESULT OF THE PETITION.

WHY ARE PEOPLE UPSET?

IT FEATURES A WOMAN WHO HAS BEEN

A VICTIM OF RAPE AND HER RAPIST.

THEY GAVE A TED TALK ABOUT HER

EXPERIENCE AND HOW THEY WERE

ABLE TO TALK THINGS THROUGH TO THE POINT WHERE THE RAPIST TOOK

RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIS ACTIONS.

PEOPLE ARE UPSET AND THEY DON'T THINK THERE SHOULD BE A TYPE

OF

PLATFORM FOR THIS RAPIST.

BEFORE WE GO FURTHER LET ME TELL YOU

HOW EVERYTHING WENT DOWN.

IT'S A PLACE IN 1996, TOM WAS 18 YEARS

OLD AND TRAVELING TO ICELAND.

THAT IS WHEN HE MET THE WOMAN,

SHE WAS 16.

THEY GOT TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND FELL IN LOVE.

THEY WERE DATING FOR ABOUT A

MONTH.

THEY WENT TO SOME SORT OF CHRISTMAS EVENT WHERE SHE HAD

RUM, A LITTLE TOO MUCH.

AT THAT POINT HE TOOK HER HOME AND HAD

SEX WITH HER WITHOUT HER

CONSENT.

SHE FELT SHAME ABOUT IT, SHE SAYS.

SHE ALMOST FELT

GUILTY ABOUT IT.

SHE DIDN'T REALIZE UNTIL LATER ON THAT THE

PERSON WHO SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY IS THE PERSON WHO

HAD SEX WITH ME WHEN I DID NOT CONSENT TO IT.

EIGHT YEARS LATER

SHE REACHED OUT TO HIM AND

CONFRONTED HIM ABOUT IT.

HE HAS TAKEN COMPLETE RESPONSIBILITY

FOR IT AND IS NOT PRESS CHARGES.

IT IS AN INTERESTING

CONVERSATION BECAUSE USUALLY IN

SITUATIONS LIKE THAT WHERE THERE HAVE BEEN DATING AND ARE CLOSE

IN AGE AND THERE HAS BEEN

ALCOHOL INVOLVED THERE IS USUALLY A LOT OF EXCUSES THAT

PEOPLE MAKE FOR THE RAPIST.

HERE'S A MAN TAKING FULL

RESPONSIBILITY.

BY THE WAY ALL

OF THE PROCEEDS FROM THEIR BOOK GO STRAIGHT TO CHARITY.

HE IS

JUST REALLY HIGHLIGHTING AN INTERESTING ISSUE AND GIVING AND

INTROSPECTIVE.

>> I WANT TO HEAR IT OUT AND FIND IT INTERESTING.

I'M NOT

GOING TO THIS PARTICULAR

FESTIVAL, IT IS OBVIOUSLY THEIR CALL WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANT TO

HEAR IT OUT ARE NOT.

I WOULD'VE VOTED YES I THINK EVERYONE COULD'VE LEARNED

SOMETHING FROM IT.

WHAT IS YOUR TAKE?

>>ABSOLUTELY.

WE HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT FREE SPEECH

ALL THE TIME.

EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT MY STANCES.

EVEN IF I FIND

THE PERSON DEPLORABLE I THINK

THEY SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO SPEAK.

IN THIS CASE IT IS AN IMPORTANT

TALK TO HAVE ESPECIALLY BECAUSE YOU GET TO HEAR THE PERSPECTIVE

OF SOMEONE WHO HAS TAKEN

RESPONSIBILITY AND IS REMORSEFUL AND HAS APOLOGIZED.

I THINK THIS IS A GOOD EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY.

>> IF YOU ARE GOING TO A FESTIVAL OF ANY SORT YOU DON'T

HAVE TO PAY OR EVEN BOTHER TO ATTEND IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE

THE THINGS THEY ARE.

IF YOU ARE GOING TO A WOMAN'S FESTIVAL AND

DON'T WANT TO SEE A RAPIST, I

HEAR YOU.

YOU HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO VOICE YOUR OPINION.

THE

FRAMING ON THAT IS UNFORTUNATE.

IT IS EASY TO DEMAGOGUE.

IT IS A

SURVIVOR AND A VICTIM, AND I FIND IT INTERESTING.

I WOULD

HAVE VOTED YES.

BUT I AM NOT A VICTIM OF RAPE.

SO MAYBE IT IS

EASIER FOR ME TO SAY.

AT THE END OF THE DAY THEY SHOULD DECIDE TOGETHER WHICH

DIRECTION THEY WANT TO GO.

>> OVER 2000 PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY SIGNED THE PETITION.

APPARENTLY

THAT IS ENOUGH TO MAKE THE ORGANIZERS WAVER A LITTLE BIT ON

THEIR DECISION.

ANOTHER CRITICISM I WANTED TO BRING UP

IS THE NOTION THAT HAVING A RAPIST SPEAK AT THIS EVENT

NORMALIZES SEXUAL VIOLENCE.

DEPENDS ON WHAT THE RAPIST HAS

TO SAY.

IF HE IS UP THERE MAKING EXCUSES AND YOU ARE PROVIDING A

PLATFORM FOR THAT, THEN YES I

GET IT.

IN THIS CASE IT IS NOT NORMALIZING IT.

HERE IS A GUY

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIS ACTIONS.

I THINK THAT IS

IMPORTANT.

>>I DON'T BEGIN NORMALIZES THAT AT ALL.

IN FACT THERE IS A GOOD

ARGUMENT TO BE MADE THAT YOU

WANT TO MAKE THE CASE THAT IT HAPPENS FAR

TOO OFTEN.

WE

WOULD'VE VOTED YES, 2000 PEOPLE HAVE VOTED NO.

IT IS UP TO THE

ORGANIZERS AT THE END OF THE DAY

TO DECIDE.

OF COURSE THEY WILL TAKE THOSE PEOPLE'S FEELINGS

INTO ACCOUNT.

THEY WILL MAKE THAT CALL, IT IS ON THEM.

JUST

HEAR PEOPLE OUT.

IT IS POSSIBLE YOU WILL DISAGREE OR IT IS

POSSIBLE THAT YOU WILL LEARN

SOMETHING.

IN THIS CASE IT IS THE CONVERSATION BETWEEN THOSE

TWO PEOPLE THAT IS INTERESTING.

SHE IS CERTAINLY NOT EXCUSING IT.

>>EXACTLY.

I THINK I WOULD WANT TO SEE IT.