Substack: The Mother of All Onions

Why we struggle to talk about the harassment of massage therapists

Content warning: The following essay contains a generalized discussion of sexual harassment and assault. Please take any precautions you may need before engaging.

Click here to answer the survey: A National Study on U.S. Massage Therapists’ Experiences of Sexual Harassment and Assault by Clients

You can read the full survey results about Ontario here.

Previous survey results from a Canada-wide survey can be read here. 

*Correction: Morgan Richards, PhD student, administered the Canada-wide survey and the current US survey. She reviewed and verified the survey and resources for the RMTAO, Ontario-specific survey. 

Resources:

• RAINN National Sexual Assault Website:
  • Free, confidential, 24/7 support in English and Spanish
  • 800-656-HOPE (4673)
  • chat at rainn.org/hotline
  • text “HOPE” to 64673
  • Connect on Signal or WhatsApp
• 1in6.org support for men who have experienced sexual abuse or assault
• National Domestic Violence Hotline: 800-799-7233
• DoD Safe Helpline for military members

Show notes:

Pamela Fitch

Sandy Fritz

Why there are so many men at the top of the profession when it is demographically dominated by women.

The federal government is full of officials who casually confirm gender inequality. Despite a court order, a particular set of files is still unreleased except for the personal information of the survivors. Intimate partner violence is a paltry second to a political campaign. Women’s health is ignored or deliberately hamstrung. Social media stars push ideas of reversing suffrage and assert that a woman’s place in the kitchen. Young girls who dismiss boys have their lives placed in jeopardy.

 The profession is considered feminine