Nate Parker is getting a crash course in male privilege after, in his own words, not thinking about the woman who accused him of rape over the past 17 years.。

Now, as Parker explained in an in-depth interview with。 Now, as Parker explained in an in-depth interview with。Ebony 。

, he's trying to learn about gender politics.。 "I didn’t even think for a。second。 about her, not even for a。 second,"  。

he told the magazine. 。

SEE ALSO:When men set a powerful example by talking about rape。

The filmmaker was accused of rape at Penn State when he was 19, charges that recently resurfaced in the media, as well as the revelation that the victim took her own life in 2012. After Parker's initial comments following the news of her death, he was accused of being self-centered, focused on making her death about him and the consequences for his rising career.
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By signing up you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 。 Thanks for signing up! 。Parker's critically acclaimed film,

The Birth of a Nation。

, is set to be released on October 7 after sparking a bidding war at Sundance. Parker wrote, directed and stars in the film, which tells the story of Nat Turner's Rebellion.。

Parker now says he's working to eliminate his major blind spots. Comparing sexism to racism has helped Parker take the first steps toward understanding what the world is like for women. 。

All I can do is seek the information that’ll make me stronger, that'll help me overcome my toxic masculinity, my male privilege, because that’s something you never think about. You don't think about other people. It’s the same thing with White Supremacy. Trying to convince someone that they are a racist or they have White Privilege–if it’s in the air they breathe and the culture supports them, sometimes they never have to think about it at all.。 In the interview, Parker tried to distance himself from the person he was when the alleged rape occurred as well as the statements he made as recently as two weeks ago. 。Parker and his friend Jean Celestin were both accused of assaulting the victim. Parker was acquitted, but Celestin, who has a writing credit for。

Birth of a Nation, was not. However, Celestin's conviction was later overturned.。"I'll say this, I think that they are more things than the law," Parker told。

"I'll say this, I think that they are more things than the law," Parker told。Ebony 。. "I think there is having a behavior that is disrespectful to women that goes unchecked, where your manhood is defined by sexual conquests, where you trade stories with your friends and no one checks anyone. At 19, that was normal."
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