I’ve been meaning to get around to this story in the New York Times for a couple of weeks now. Reporter Erica Goode alerts readers to the FBI’s totally and completely ridiculous and obsolete definition of rape:

The definition of rape used by the F.B.I. — “the carnal knowledge of a female, forcibly and against her will” — was written more than 80 years ago. The yearly report on violent crime, which uses data provided voluntarily by the nation’s 18,000 law enforcement agencies, is widely cited as an indicator of national crime trends.

Yes, you read that right. According to the FBI, rape is legally limited to “the carnal knowledge of a female, forcibly and against her will.” There are so, so, SO many things wrong with this definition. Let’s start with the phrase “carnal knowledge,” as in, WTF IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN? Furthermore, this definition completely overlooks the fact that men can be survivors of sexual assault, too. Goode elaborates on these criticisms:

But that definition, critics say, does not take into account sexual-assault cases that involve anal or oral penetration or penetration with an object, cases where the victims were drugged or under the influence of alcohol or cases with male victims.

As a result, the FBI excludes thousands of cases of rape documented by police departments across the country from its federal crime report each year. The good news is that awesome organizations like the Women’s Law Project are actively working to push the FBI to update its definition of rape. And you can express your outrage, too, by signing Ms. Magazine’s Change.org petition!