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FBI Expands Definition of Rape Following Public Campaign

HeadlineOct 21, 2011

The FBI has agreed to expand the definition of “rape” following a campaign from women’s rights groups. For over eight decades, rape has been officially defined in the FBI’s “Uniform Crime Reports” as “forcible rape,” instead of simply “rape.” The definition has also excluded circumstances where the victims are unconscious or where men are raped. Earlier this year, Ms. Magazine, along with the Feminist Majority and the website Change.org, launched a campaign seeking the change called “Rape is Rape,” which drew tens of thousands of supporters.

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