No one can deny that the nail polish, Undercover Colors, created by Ankesh Madan, Stephen Gray, Tasso Von Windheim and Tyler Confrey-Maloney isn’t innovative and genius.  The four students from North Carolina State University created a polish that has the ability to detect common date rape drugs simply by changing color when it comes in contact with a drugged drink. This could be revolutionary in the world of women’s fashion as well as in sexual violence prevention. However, what they’ve failed to create is a gender-neutral invention that prevents men from being drugged too because it’s not just us collegiettes that are being “date-rape drugged.”
According to RAINN, about 10% of all sexual assault victims in the United States are male. One in every 33 of these men have experienced an attempted or completed rape, some of which have been the result of drug-related incidents. What is being done for these guys in the world of sexual assault prevention?
Not only that, but personally I am a girl that does not always have her nails painted. Moreover, I know more than a few of my girlfriends who don’t like painting their nails either. As an athlete, it is nearly impossible to keep a clean manicure because my sport demands a lot of hands-on activity. Does this mean they will create a product for the “tom boys,” athletes, and other potential sexual assault victims, both male and female, to use?Â
By no means am I trashing the idea of this nail polish, and as a matter of fact, I do believe it is a step in the right direction. However, I don’t think that taking a stereotypical women’s beauty product and making it tech-savvy will lower the date-rape statistic. In a twisted way, this nail polish makes me feel as if it wouldn’t be the abusers fault for drugging me in the first place, rather it might be mine because I didn’t paint my nails and test my drink at the bar.Â
Date-rape has been a serious issue on a national and global level. Victims of date-rape are men and women of all ages, and neither gender should take precedence over the other. This nail polish created by these four boys was innovative, however it is not gender-neutral. Victims of sexual assault crimes, whether it is a man or a woman, deserve equal opportunity to protect themselves against their attackers. Sexual assault can happen to anyone of any gender preference—it’s not just us.
If you or a friend has been a victim of a sexual assault crime, click here to visit The National Center for Victims of Crime to get help and other useful information. Contact your local police department to report a crime and receive support.