Men can be, and are sexually assaulted and gay men are targets for anti-gay violence. This change in wordage will help these men find justice. Clearly this is another step in the direction of equal rights along with the momentum of support for gays to legally marry and the repeal of DADT. Every step moves us closer to equality and for that there must be justice for all.
Lorie Frye–
DOJ Changes Rape Definition to Include Men 
Posted 1/6/2012 11:37:00 AM
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By Karen Ocamb
News Editor |
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The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced revisions to the Uniform Crime Report’s (UCR) definition of rape on Friday. The new definition enables the FBI to collect more comprehensive statistical reports from local law enforcement agencies, thus providing a better picture of the scope of rape nationwide. The new definition of rape is:
“The penetration, no matter how slight, of the vagina or anus with any body part or object, or oral penetration by a sex organ of another person, without the consent of the victim.”
According to a DOJ press release:
The revised definition includes any gender of victim or perpetrator, and includes instances in which the victim is incapable of giving consent because of temporary or permanent mental or physical incapacity, including due to the influence of drugs or alcohol or because of age. The ability of the victim to give consent must be determined in accordance with state statute. Physical resistance from the victim is not required to demonstrate lack of consent. The new definition does not change federal or state criminal codes or impact charging and prosecution on the local level.
“Rape is a devastating crime and we can’t solve it unless we know the full extent of it,” Vice President Joe Biden, author of the landmark Violence Against Women Act, said in a press release. “This long-awaited change to the definition of rape is a victory for women and men across the country whose suffering has gone unaccounted for over 80 years.”
