LENA DUNHAM HAS used the words of the husband of the late Jill Meagher to illustrate her thoughts on violence against women.
Jill Meagher, from Drogheda in Co Louth, was murdered in Melbourne in September 2012.
Posting an excerpt on Instagram from a blogpost written by Tom Meagher earlier this year about his realisation that his wife’s killer was not a monster, but human, GIRLS creator Dunham described his words as “beautiful”.
She wrote:
Beautiful words from Tom Meagher, whose wife Jill was raped and murdered.
To anyone who has accused me/us of vilifying men as a group: analysis of the rampant forces that keep women from speaking about assault should not scare you. It should excite you, because you will have happier, more engaged and empowered partners who trust you and open up to you.
I f*cking love men, I want to be in dialogue with men. And Tom Meagher used his wife’s unspeakable death to create dialogue, so bless the f*ck out of him.
Tom Meagher’s blogpost acknowledged the “danger of the Monster Myth” and the need to focus on “the problems that surround our attitudes, our legal system, our silence”.
Dunham reveals in her new book Not That Kind of Girl her realisation that she was the victim of rape as a college student.
Her disclosure has been followed by a number of opinion pieces in the likes of The LA Times and Time on the issued of unreported rapes while a piece in the conservative publication The National Review accused her of failing to take responsibility for her accusation and the possible repercussions.
Dunham has sent several tweets in the wake of her revelation and the ensuing media coverage and discussion.
