Washington Post Under Heavy Fire Over Sexual Assault Columns

Washington Post Facing Enormous Backlash Over Rape Columns
WASHINGTON - JANUARY 08: Conservative newspaper columnist George Will poses on the red carpet upon arrival at a salute to FOX News Channel's Brit Hume on January 8, 2009 in Washington, DC. Hume was honored for his 35 years in journalism. (Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON - JANUARY 08: Conservative newspaper columnist George Will poses on the red carpet upon arrival at a salute to FOX News Channel's Brit Hume on January 8, 2009 in Washington, DC. Hume was honored for his 35 years in journalism. (Photo by Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images)

The Washington Post is now facing backlash on multiple fronts over a pair of opinion columns about sexual assault.

First, there's longtime columnist George Will, whose incendiary comments about rape have spurred activists to demand his firing from the Washington Post.

Will incited outrage when he called rape a "supposed campus epidemic" in his latest piece for the newspaper. Will said that being a rape victim is "a coveted status" on college campuses, much to the fury of just about everyone.

Now, women's rights group UltraViolet has started a campaign urging the Washington Post to fire Will over the column, saying that it "has gone too far."

The petition read: "Rape is a serious crime -- accusing women of making it up and arguing schools shouldn't be addressing sexual assault puts both women and men at risk. By publishing George Will's piece, The Washington Post is amplifying some of the most insidious lies that perpetuate rape culture. It's not just wrong--it's dangerous."

No sooner had the Will controversy flared up, though, when the Post again found itself under fire over a post with this highly controversial headline (it was changed after an enormous backlash):

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