Destructive Desires - St Alban's - Cleveland Hts

The profound worldwide impact of the #MeToo campaign was a striking beginning to what will hopefully be a continued dialogue about the abuse of power and consent in all types of relationships. In reading the countless stories of sexually assaulted men and women, several general trends emerge. While abuse happens in numerous forms between all combinations of genders, we cannot ignore the fact that in far too many instances women are victimized by men. Frequently, these men behave in ways that make it seem as though they feel that they are entitled to anyone they fancy or that they are simply incapable of controlling their desires. Our program looks beyond contemporary narratives of consent and the abuse of power, and focuses on stories old enough to be in our collective unconsciousness including the Bible, Greek mythology, and the implied power of Cupid. The ideas perpetuated by these myths have continued to be acceptable for millennia and have not only destroyed countless women’s lives but have also demeaned men. We see change as starting with the acknowledgment of the ludicrous nature of these timeless stories, which is what our program aims to do.