February 2006 Archives
The Supreme Court ruled today that federal racketeering and extortion laws can’t be used to stop anti-choice extremists from obstructing access to clinics, damaging property or using violence. (Legal Momentum has a history of the case, Scheidler v. National Organization for Women)
This case has been going on since 1986, when the National Organization for Women (NOW) brought a class action suit against violent anti-choice groups in violation of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).
Unfortunately, violent protests are not a thing of the past. From NARAL:
Among other acts, in the past year there has been an attempted firebombing at a Louisiana clinic and one incident of arson in Florida. In the past decade approximately two murders, one attempted murder, two bombings, 18 incidents of arson, 298 acts of vandalism, 642 anthrax threats, 121 bomb threats, and 27 blockades have occurred at clinics. Since 1993, three doctors, two clinic employees, a clinic escort, and a security guard have been murdered. In addition to these seven murders, 17 attempted murders have also occurred since 1991.
This is a huge loss for women and choice, even if it is--as Broadsheet points out--largely symbolic: "[The] ruling will likely do little to change the situation on the ground. But it is the symbolic victory -- coupled with South Dakota's recent anti-abortion vote -- that may further embolden a pro-life movement eager to test the country's more conservative Supreme Court."
After years of news reports that male birth control is on the way, now there's some support for what feminists have always suspected. It's not science that's holding up the creation of a Pill for men-- it's society.
The original developer of male birth-control pill says they stopped work on it because men wouldn't use it.
"It would be possible to make a male pill today. We know how hormones work and we could use the same principles that are used to make the female pill," Carl Djerassi, 82, told weekly news magazine "Sabado"."The problem is that men are afraid to lose their virility. Even if taking a pill carries only a remote chance of impotence, they won't take the chance," he added.
In other contraception news, here's a compelling reason not to eat at Domino's Pizza.
Give it up for Effa Manley, the first female Baseball Hall-of-Famer. She co-owned a Negro League team with her husband, and ran the business end of the team for more than a decade.
Manley used baseball to advance civil rights causes with events such as an Anti-Lynching Day at the ballpark. She died in 1981 at age 84."She was a pioneer in so many ways, in terms of integrating the team with the community," said Leslie Heaphy, a Kent State professor on the committee. "She's also one of the owners who pushed very hard to get recognition for Major League Baseball when they started to sign some of their players."
Awesome.
Rachel Kramer Bussel at the Village Voice takes on the question of hetero dating and who pays--is it sad that I really didn’t know this was still a dating issue? I thought at least with younger folks this wouldn't really even be a question. (My boyfriend insists that I must live in an alternate universe.)
Apparently--and I really do feel kind of foolish admitting that I thought otherwise--it’s still considered pretty standard for the guy to pay for dates.
Most women claim the guy should pay, regardless of who asked whom out or who makes more money. Like it or not, the tradition's a stubborn holdover from past eras when women couldn't afford to go halfsies. Lauren Henderson, author of Jane Austen's Guide to Dating (Hyperion, 2005), believes paying is a sign of respect. "Symbols are important, and a man who can't buy a woman dinner on their first date is a man who will be emotionally deficient at making a woman feel cared about," she elaborates. "Men need caretaking, but their need doesn't express itself in having dinner bought for them. Men want their ego bolstered by feeling strong, capable, and necessary."
(Puke.) I just don’t get it. Do guys agree with this? How does spending cash make someone feel necessary?
The only situations where someone has paid for my dates on a semi-regular basis has been when I was seeing someone who made significantly more money than I did and wanted to go places that I just couldn’t afford. But otherwise, I can’t really imagine not paying. It seems so weird. I also find it kind of insulting--I’m not a child, I can manage to feed and entertain myself.
I suppose it’s easier--as Bussel points out--when you’re actively dating someone and can just go by the I’ll-get-this-one, you-get-the-next-one way of paying.
Seems to me that even having to think about something like this kind of ruins the fun of dating.
Any thoughts?
I can't believe I missed this gem of a graphic used on IWF's Campus Corner. Classic.
Best caption wins a very fashionable Feministing shirt.
A report by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) says that worldwide, women are making progress in national parliaments but that true equality is a long way off.
Women fared best in Rwanda, Norway and Sweden, but there are no women MPs in nine countries, including Saudi Arabia and Kyrgyzstan.On average, women made up about 20% of the deputies elected in the 39 countries which held parliamentary elections last year, the IPU report said.
The numbers fall short of UN targets set in 1995 of a minimum of 30% women lawmakers in all parliaments.
Don’t forget, this year’s CSW is focusing on women and decision-making. For more information on women’s political representation, check out the Women’s Environment and Development Organization’s 50/50 campaign.
At the opening of this year’s CSW, Louise Frechette, the deputy secretary-general, said that “the world is starting to grasp that there is no tool for development more effective than the empowerment of women and girls.”
“Study after study has taught us that no policy is as likely to raise economic productivity or to reduce infant and maternal mortality,” she continued.
A cool thing: Featured in one of the UN buildings (to help celebrate CSW) are pictures and bios of 1,000 women activists from around the world. This project is a part of 1000 Peacewomen Across the Globe, which was started to demonstrate how many women worldwide are worthy of the Nobel Peace Prize. The campaign also recently came out with a book featuring all the women--it’s amazing.
Dahlia Lithwick has a great op-ed about how pharmacists who refuse to fill emergency contraception prescriptions are different from doctors who won't participate in executions.
The similarities between the doctors and the pharmacists are striking: Both are refusing to participate in the performance of services acknowledged to be lawful -- capital punishment and abortion/contraception. Both cite as grounds for refusal their professional interest in promoting, as opposed to ending, human life.
Then she notes two reasons why the pharmacists can't refuse but the doctors can. One is that doctors have taken a Hippocratic Oath to "do no harm." The other?
One reason doctors have generally been kept away from lethal injections is the historical anxiety about the past participation of physicians in state executions, from the guillotine to Nazi experiments. When medical expertise was pressed into aiding government murder, physicians became accomplices of the worst sort. Pharmacists, on the other hand, have no such history.
Octavia E. Butler, considered the first black woman to gain national prominence as a science fiction writer, died after falling and striking her head on the cobbled walkway outside her home, a close friend said. She was 58.
A friend and colleague, Leslie Howle, noted that Bulter’s work explored issues like race, poverty, politics, and religion. "She stands alone for what she did," Howle said.
One of Butler’s many awards was from the MacArthur Foundation (the “genius” award); she was the first science fiction writer to be granted the honor.
The fiftieth session of the UN’s Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) starts today and will run through March 10.
The two themes of this year’s session are:
Enhanced participation of women in development: an enabling environment for achieving gender equality and the advancement of women, taking into account, inter alia, the fields of education, health and work.Equal participation of women and men in decision-making processes at all levels.
Check out the Women’s Environment and Development Organization for more info on this year’s CSW.
Unfortunately I won’t be attending this CSW (sniff sniff), but I’ll do my best to bring you updates as I get them.
Something kind of cool: You can watch some of the sessions through the UN’s webcast.
More than 60 bills concerning EC have already been filed in state legislature this year, some seeking to increase access and some seeking to limit it...."The FDA made this a major issue for state legislatures," said Sharon Camp, president of the Guttmacher Institute, a women's health research organization. "For the first seven years Plan B was on the market, this largely didn't happen."
Click here for a timeline of the FDA’s (non)action on emergency contraception.
After an extremely successful (and well publicized) girlcott of Abercrombie & Fitch, the clothing company has come out with some new and improved shirts.
“Brunettes have brains” and “Blonde with a brain” aren’t exactly super-inspiring slogans, but they sure beat “Who needs brains when you have these.”
It was quite a dreary week for abortion rights, with South Dakota passing a flat-out ban and the Supreme Court agreeing to hear the "partial-birth" abortion case. On that note:
SCOTUSblog has the details on a recent 6th circuit ruling regarding RU-486, in which the court applied Ayotte.
Bad news for all of those programs that encourage gay people to "leave the lifestyle." Scientists may have discovered a common gene in mothers of gay sons.
Slate examines the "Aryan sisterhood" of female news anchors.
France now grants same-sex couples joint parental rights.
And because we haven't linked to Slate enough today (and because Margaret Cho is awesome), I give you The Passion of the Cho.
After the FDA's continual neglect of reviewing emergency contraception, advocates are looking to state governments to make EC available to women in (as of right now) about 12 different states.
Under the proposed Maryland law, pharmacists who volunteer to receive special training may dispense the pills. The law does not require all pharmacists to furnish the pills, and the State Board of Pharmacy estimated 5 percent of Maryland's 5,331 licensed pharmacists would initially participate.Legislation in other states would allow pharmacists to provide Plan B directly to women under an agreement with a doctor giving the pharmacist blanket permission to sell the drug or require emergency rooms to provide it to rape victims, said Elizabeth Nash, a public policy associate at the Guttmacher Institute, an abortion-rights group that is tracking the efforts.
Abortion-rights groups have been lobbying state lawmakers to increase access to the morning-after pill since 2000, and 16 states, including California, have passed laws that do so in some form.
I am curious to see how state elections will influence passage of Plan B.
via Baltimore Sun.
Nothing pretty. This past week when South Dakota passed one of the most restrictive anti-choice, anti-abortion bills seen in the last ten years, some anti-choicers jumped for joy at the prospect of overturning Roe. The question is, could this tragically regressive move hurt the anti-choice movement?
New York Times discusses,
The South Dakota strategy itself has already splintered the anti-abortion movement. One faction is chafing at the timing of this campaign, wondering aloud whether the court — and, perhaps more important, the American public — will really embrace a complete reversal of Roe just yet.Some, like Daniel McConchie of Americans United for Life, which did not take part in the South Dakota effort, said they would have preferred to reduce abortions by continuing to press for restrictions like waiting periods, parental and spousal notification laws, and the prohibition of certain types of abortion — quieter measures that draw less attention and strike a less head-on blow to Roe.
"There is tension," Mr. McConchie said, between those who agree with him about abortion but not about strategy. "A lot of those people — what we tend to think of as the purists — in essence think that people who would push a more incremental approach are sellouts. I understand that type of zeal, but there is a severe penalty you can end up paying."
In the coming weeks as the Supreme Court reviews "partial-birth abortions" we will see exactly how far the damage has gone, but I will say I am not feeling optimistic. In terms of whether or not this drastic move in South Dakota will help or hurt the anti-choice movement (one can hope) is yet to be seen. What I can say is that I feel so so sorry for the women of South Dakota.
I put the rest of the article (and I can't believe that Leslee Unruh of National Abstinence Clearinghouse had the audacity to compare their tactics to Martin Luther King's, biznatch is trippin!) after the jump cuz you have to register to read it...
You heard it.
District administration has decided to issue free bus passes for pregnant women in rural areas, so that they could avail the medical facilities in time. The new scheme was implemented from Friday.According to district medical and health officer Ramakrishna Reddy, periodical medical tests and checkups for pregnant women were necessary for a smooth delivery and they were also important for the health of the newborn after the delivery.
This is huge considering many of the women in this part of India (Andhra Pradesh) can't afford even public transport to the medical center. This is really amazing that a law like this was even passed, although South India has consistently been passing progressive laws concerning the rights of women. Is there anything in the states that makes it easier for pregnant poor women to get to the doctor?
After a narrow win, Portia Simpson Miller currently holding a position in the Cabinet beat Rastafarian candidate Peter Phillips for the prime ministership.
In the Jamaican system, the majority party's president automatically becomes prime minister. About 3,800 delegates of the People's National Party voted.Portia Simpson Miller, local government minister, received 1,775 votes for the party presidency, while Peter Phillips, national security minister, came in second with 1,538 ballots, said Danville Walker, director of elections at the Electoral Office of Jamaica.
Three Cabinet ministers and a party vice president vied to replace the party's president, Jamaican Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, who said he would resign by April after 14 years on the job.
I think this is a big win for the women of Jamaica, but it is yet to be seen what kind of leader she will be.
Book of the Day recently re-read Judy Blume's pubescent classic, Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret. Like 99.9% of awkward, bookwormish pre-teen girls who've grown up in the past three decades, I loved this book. It's one of Time Magazine's 100 greatest novels, and also one of the American Library Association's most frequently challenged books.
Turns out they've updated the novel to reflect advances in menstrual technology. Margaret now uses "disposable adhesive pads" rather than the slightly frightening "sanitary belt." (This is really old news, but I hadn't heard.)
I'm glad they've updated it. I remember reading this book and thinking I knew nothing about getting my period because I'd never heard of the belt-- and was later relived to find out the sanitary belt was outmoded before I was even born.
So let's all take a minute to appreciate this book. It's like the Our Bodies, Ourselves for girls growing up without feminist moms.
via Bookslut.
Over at Nerve, Kara Jesella reminds us that it’s not just abortion access that’s become restricted in the U.S. Women--especially young and low-income women--are having a hard time getting contraception. Even at Planned Parenthood.
This is how you know it’s gotten bad.
Jesella mentions Hannah, 17, who couldn’t afford Planned Parenthood's $100 exam and $40-per-pack birth control. Jennifer, 24, also tried to get the Pill through Planned Parenthood, which had a hard time understanding her lack of health insurance. Erin, 25, left her local clinic without the morning-after pill when she was told it would cost $50.
Women I spoke with reported encounters with clueless receptionists and lines worthy of the DMV. (One woman says she waited three hours to see a doctor for the morning-after pill; eventually, she got the prescription, but never did get to see a doctor.) Voicemail systems are hard to navigate; many phones are staffed only during business hours, when most women aren't able to deal with their reproductive-health issues.
The point here isn't to knock Planned Parenthood, an important and effective organization that is doing everything it can in the face of an administration that's incredibly hostile to reproductive rights. Jesella's point-- and it's a good one-- is that restrictive state legislation and stagnant Title X funding have had a real impact on young, uninsured and low-income women's access to family planning services.
The ACLU has settled the lawsuit against Silver Ring Thing, the Jesus-fied abstinence-only program. HHS froze Silver Ring Thing's funding back in August, and this week's settlement ensures the program won't receive federal dollars to Bible-thump until they change the curriculum.
But, like all federally funded abstinence-only programs, Silver Ring Thing will still be able to tell young women they're sluts and spread misinformation about condoms. Anyway...
Check out the ACLU's press release on the settlement, then compare it to the one put out by the Alliance Defense Fund, the group that defended Silver Ring Thing:
"Apparently, the ACLU of Massachusetts would have us believe that discussion of abstinence is unconstitutional, and that it is purely a religious issue," said ADF Senior Legal Counsel Joel Oster. "ADF is pleased that abstinence-based sex education programs like Silver Ring Thing will continue to have the right to seek federal funding for its educational programs."
Nah, we pretty much think that discussion of abstinence is a health issue. Discussion of religion in sex-ed programs? That's a religious issue.
Also, Silver Ring Thing is indeed allow to reapply for federal funds. But they have to change their curricula first.
And I love the misleading link near the bottom, to a Zogby poll showing most parents prefer their kids learn "abstinence is best." Not so much a poll about the abstinence-only curricula, which parents are far less likely to support. Where have we seen this before?
The pro-comprehensive sex-ed group SIECUS has a report on the new requirements for federally funded abstinence-only programs. Who's gonna get sued next??
While I’ve always been interested in midwifery and the discussion of how the western world increasingly treats full-term pregnancy like a medical condition, this seems a bit much. The Royal College of Midwives in the UK are suggesting that women giving labor should pay for epidurals.
Louise Silverton, RCM Deputy General Secretary, elaborates:
"Epidurals provide effective pain relief but, where there is no clinical indication that they are necessary, they can significantly raise the likelihood of other interventions such as Caesarean section occurring.The UK already has an extremely high Caesarean rate and, as the acknowledged experts in normal pregnancy, labour and birth we midwives need to debate ways in which we might help to bring this rate down."
They believe that charging women for the drug may decrease its usage and lead to healthier labors.
RCM will be holding a conference in May where they will vote whether they should start lobbying at health departments to start a charge. The education and research committee called the motion, requesting that epidurals should be “free to women who have a definite need of it” but states that a fee should be “levied for all other women who desire an epidural.”
Whaa? But how will that be decided? And who will decide? While a fifth of women choose to have an epidural during labor, it seems that this may a fight over something that should be a woman’s decision, no? And let’s not even get into the possible effects on poor women. But maybe RCM didn’t think about that; after all, they are royalty.
Thoughts?
My liberal, straight male friend Jonathan sent me a link to this open letter to all the liberal straight men, from the latest Carnival of Feminists, and asked if I would sign on to a letter like this.
My response? I think statements like this give all feminists a bad name.
The only real complaint I could find within this screed is that there are liberal, straight men who "derail the discussion" of gender by superimposing their personal experience. To which I say, sure, and there are also lesbians and straight women and gay men who do the same thing. I don’t think this implies self-centeredness. How can anyone completely separate from their personal experience while discussing gender issues? And why would we want to? Personal experience is what makes for a meaningful dialogue about how gender is lived on a daily basis. I want to hear what my straight, male friends have to say. And I expect them to listen to me, too.
I don't see this as a "defense of the male voice" so much as a defense of a wide variety of perspectives on gender. I understand that, as a group within institutions (like, say, the Democratic party), straight men have historically dominated and today continue to marginalize other voices. But I this isn't what the "open letter" is addressing.
And I do take issue with men who are unwilling to listen to women’s concerns/complaints/anecdotes about the subtle and not-so-subtle ways they experience sexism — and men who write off those complaints because they’ve never personally experienced or witnessed something similar. But in this post, she’s not making that argument. So I digress.
Other than that, I couldn’t really find anything specific to respond to. I honestly think this letter "detracts from the focus of the discussion" about gender by painting all liberal, straight men with such a broad brush.
Apparently this track inspector can’t escape scrutiny, regardless of whether her life is on the line or not.
The Daily News had an article on Monday about the New York City Transit Authority’s only female track inspector, and the sexist bullshit she has to deal with for simply being brave.
Ronda Rivers is the only female track inspector among 21 women working in the division, which includes another 1,800 men. But apparently, someone wants to keep ladies off the tracks. Written in the yellow chalk that’s issued to TA maintenance supervisors and other track inspectors, graffiti in one of her tunnels read, “Women should be cleaners, not track inspectors. Women don't belong on track."
"I was offended and it was humiliating," said Rivers. It’s at least good to see that her union has her back and are investigating into the matter. "These women put their necks on the line every night," said John Samuelsen, vice president of Transport Workers Union Local 100. "We don't tolerate this type of treatment of our employees.”
Don’t you just love the fact that a woman can’t escape sexism even in some random, dark underground tunnel?
Up to three million women may have heart disease which has gone undetected because signs and symptoms are different for women than they are for men and are ultimately missed by standard (men’s) health tests. It is the leading cause of death among women in the U.S.
Wanna find out if you’re at risk? Take the Heart-O-Scope!
The American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women campaign has created an online test that specifically caters to women’s hearts. Corny name? Absolutely. But it's still a great idea.
This online tool allows women to assess their risk of heart disease, letting them give a number of details such as cholesterol and blood pressure levels in order to accurately check the health of their heart. (Don’t worry guys, a separate scoring sheet is available for you too.)
Click here to check it out.
While big bikes are a wee scary to me, I was still happy to see that this summer will be a good one for female motorcyclists. The 2006 AMA/FIM International Women & Motorcycling Conference is to be held this June in Athens, Georgia.
The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) and the Federation Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM) are holding the event, and has a shitload of sponsors, including Harley-Davidson and Buell. (We’re not surprised about Harley-Davidson considering they have a section of their website dedicated to female bikers.)
The conference is also being organized by a slew of awesome groups dedicated to improving the world of women motorcyclists, including MXGirls.com, Ebony Angels, Motor Maids, and Femmoto.
Check out the website for more information on the conference -- just beware, these ladies give a new meaning to "hell on wheels!" (Sorry, I couldn’t help myself.)
The polls did not turn out in favor of women in election for the Chamber of Commerce in Eastern Saudi Arabia, but history was made and a female presence was seen.
The polls for the Eastern Province Chamber of Commerce and Industry were only the second time in Saudi history that women have run for elected office. Women and men are strictly segregated in the conservative kingdom, and women were not allowed to vote in the country’s first nationwide municipal polls last year.
A new survey by a recruiting firm says that women and people of color are still largely underrepresented in corporate boardrooms.
A study of 2,357 directors of the top 200 Standard & Poor's 500 companies found that 16 percent of the directors are women and 15 percent are minorities....Irene Natividad, co-chairman of the nonprofit CWDI, said the lack of women on corporate boards occurs because they rarely make it to the highest ranks of management.
"Only 16 percent of senior executives are female in the Fortune 500, Natividad said. "The pool is too small. They're not being recruited to rise to the top positions, so no one is putting them on boards."
The Spencer Stuart study also found that 97 percent of the top 200 largest S&P companies had at least one women on their boards, while 90 percent had at least one minority director.
Oooh--at least one! They must be so proud.
The only thing standing between a total abortion ban in South Dakota is the signature of an anti-choice governor. Terrific.
...After more than an hour of fierce and emotional debate, the senators rejected pleas to add exceptions for incest or rape or for the health of the pregnant woman and instead voted, 23 to 12, to outlaw all abortions, except those to save the woman's life.
Gee, thanks. But if you're raped by your dad, you're just shit out of luck. What's particularly disheartening about this is that it's just a taste of things to come.
Who knew?
Unmarried women are "by far the most Democratic base, except for African-Americans," said Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg, the chief executive officer of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, which conducted the survey. "We ought to be looking at this" as a political opportunity, he added.About 54 million women in America aren't married, nearly half of all voting-age women, according to Greenberg. His survey, sponsored by the "Women's Voices. Women Vote. Action Fund," explored the reasons that 20 million single women elected not to vote in 2004.
One of the reasons they found that women were not voting was that unmarried women felt that politics are too complicated to understand. Now what kind of survey questions would ask such a thing? My unmarried head is hurting from all these complications.
The mainstream media's sexual imaginary is a growing capitalist venture and increased visibility of women's overt sexuality continues to grab attention. The ongoing battle about the commodification of terms such as "pimp" and "ho" in music, video, advertising and film is a complicated one that plays off different stereotypes about women's sexuality and men's masculinity. What is up with the popularization of "pimp chic" and how do racial stereotypes interplay with the construction of these sexualized identities?
Anita Roddick President of The Body Shop speaks out against the use of the terms and the marketing of these images. She says,
"A lot of people seem to think that it's cool to be a pimp or whore. It's not cool. The reality is dark, evil and appalling and unregulated. The reality is sex trafficking, which is about young women being forced into rooms to have sex however many times a day so that the pimp can take all the money."
Now I have to say I agree with this. But I think there is more then just a lack of education as to the dangers and reality of sex trafficking in this equation. Pimp/ho culture or as the article calls it "pimp chic" is a manifestation of capitalist desire playing out in exaggerated sexual (and racial) stereotypes. It is the American dream.
Dame Anita criticised stars such as Beyoncé and Britney Spears for simulating sex in their music videos, and highlighted the trend among some hip hop artists to make porn films to be marketed alongside the graphic lyrics of their songs. "What we have now is what I call "pimp and ho chic" with all aspects of the sex industry presented as hip and cool," she said."Pole dancing as exercise, lap-dancing clubs as places to see celebrities, fancy-dress balls and the everyday use of the words "bitch" and "ho" to refer to women are just some of the examples I have come across."
Glamorizing pimps and hoes is problematic, I think that point is obvious. But I think there is a fine line between being portrayed/objectified as a "ho" and being empowered about your own sexuality (or profession as the case may be). I think a lot of women in media ARE empowered and visible in their sexuality and not just within the constraints of a male vision of sexy, but one that they own. Or is that empowerment just more marketing and feeding into dominant ideas of sexy (which are usually determined by male/capitalist desire)?
Spike Lee has also come out against "pimp culture."
He said: "We are bombarded by these gangsta images again and again and again and again ... they do make a difference to human behaviour. No one gets upset any more that pimpdom gets elevated on a pedestal."
So we have the age-old is this empowerment/visibility for women and men (often of color who historically are left out of the mainstream) or objectification and fetishizing of women as "hoes" and men as "pimps"?
Oh and I made the mistake of looking up the word "hoes" on urban dictionary. Read and weep.
Remember Michelle McCusker, who was fired from her job as a Catholic high school teacher for getting pregnant out of wedlock?
Feminists for Life has sided with McCusker, claiming that by firing her, the Catholic school was essentially encouraging abortion.
Serrin Foster, president of Feminists for Life, talks about McCusker at anti-abortion rallies, saying taking away a woman's job and income for being pregnant is anti-life."It is not pro-life to take away the resources and support that women need and deserve to bring children into this world," Foster says. "The appropriate response for the employer when they found out she was pregnant, is to say, 'Congratulations,' and, 'How can I help?'"
I agree. Has hell frozen over?
Don't worry-- I'm not rushing to join up with FFL, which doesn't take a position on contraception. I don't know if they've heard, but contraception tends to prevent unplanned pregnancies like McCusker's.
If you haven’t watched 30 Days on FX, you should. Spawned from Morgan Spurlock's Oscar-nominated film Super Size Me, the show asks folks to walk in someone else’s shoes for 30 days. It’s like reality TV for smarties.
The show is planning on doing an episode on the abortion debate and they’re looking for a pro-choice woman to go live in a faith-based center for young pregnant women in California. Seems really interesting, but of course brimming with controversy.
Check out the full casting call after the jump.
The REAL hot 100 is issuing a final call for nominations--March 1 is the deadline.
Q: What do a Protestant minister from Iowa, the owner of Chicago’s first woman-friendly sex shop, a political cartoonist from New York, and a lawyer from D.C. have in common?A: They’ve all been nominated to the REAL hot 100, a list of young women who are smart, savvy, and actively trying to make the world a better place.
Do you know a young woman who is breaking barriers, fighting stereotypes, or making a difference in her community or the nation?
Nominate her today and she will join over 150 women, from over 30 states that have already been nominated.The REAL hot 100 will stop taking nominations on MARCH 1 so visit our website and nominate a REALLY hot woman today!
Scary shit today. Legislators in South Dakota are gearing up to vote on a bill that would pretty much outlaw all abortions in the state. It would be the most anti-choice law approved by a state in more than ten years.
But this is about a lot more than just South Dakota. If the bill passes a Senate vote today and is signed by anti-choice Gov. Michael Rounds, pro-choicers will take their asses straight to court. Which of course, is exactly what the bill’s supporters want.
The anti-choice folks behind the abortion ban hope that a court fight could eventually lead to the overturning of Roe.
State Representative Roger Hunt, who sponsored the bill, noted the recent Bush-friendly appointments on the Supreme Court and said, “I'm convinced that the timing is right for this.” What’s truly terrifying is that he couldn’t be more right.
The Office for National Statistics says that the percent of children born outside of marriage in the UK has risen from 12% in 1980 to 42% in 2004.
15 other EU countries had an average of 33% of children born outside of marriage.
This increase was due not only to more single-parent families, but also an increase in cohabitation:
From 1986 to 2004, the percentage of non-married people under 60 who cohabited rose from 11% to 24% among men, and from 13% to 25% for women.
I know a good deal of my paired-off friends live together and have no intention of getting married. And of course, some of them can’t get married.
So is marriage on its way out? Are younger people more likely to raise a family together without getting married? (And please spare me the “feminists are killing the family” argument. I have no patience today.)
Lawrence Summers has resigned as president of Harvard University.
From a letter Summers posted on the school’s website:
Working closely with all parts of the Harvard community, and especially with our remarkable students, has been one of the great joys of my professional life. However, I have reluctantly concluded that the rifts between me and segments of the Arts and Sciences faculty make it infeasible for me to advance the agenda of renewal that I see as crucial to Harvard's future. I believe, therefore, that it is best for the University to have new leadership.
Summers is best known in feminist circles as the dipshit who said perhaps women were “naturally” worse and math and science.
Make sure to check out the REAL hot 100’s nominee of the week, Rachel Burton, 31, of North Carolina.
Rachel cofounded and directs Piedmont Biofuels Co-op, which aims "to lead the grassroots sustainability movement in North Carolina by using and encouraging the use of clean, renewable biofuels."
In fact, the above pic is Rachel filling up Willie Nelson's tour bus with biodeisel made by her Co-op.
Now that’s hot.
The Supreme Court has announced that it will consider the constitutionality of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, a bullshit law that has been struck down in California, Nebraska and New York.
Considering the new Bush-friendly make-up of the Supreme Court, I’m absolutely terrified.
The outcome will likely rest with the two men that President Bush has recently installed on the court. Justices had been split 5-4 in 2000 in striking down a state law, barring what critics call partial birth abortion because it lacked an exception to protect the health of the mother.But Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who was the tie-breaking vote, retired late last month and was replaced by Samuel Alito.
Supporters of the Act claim that it simply bans a certain procedure used in late-term abortions. Yeah right. Outside of the fact that the legislation has no health exception--which is generally why women obtain late-term abortions--the language of the act is deliberately vague and could potentially ban all abortions.
In fact, in 1998 doctors in Wisconsin stopped performing abortions pretty much overnight when the ban was enacted in their state. The doctors feared that giving any kind of abortion could mean prosecution and prison time. But I guess that’s the point, isn’t it?
Happy Worker, who brought us GeekMan, MoneyMan and BossMan, is coming out with their latest toy for grownups--SuperMom.
SuperMom, who Happy Worker says they created as a way of “exploring the challenges and pitfalls of modern motherhood,” comes with a ton of accessories and can transform from calm, collected mom to super frazzled mom. Complete with rollers in hair and screaming baby.
I’m not really sure how I feel about this. Is SuperMom really “a heroine for hard working moms” or just a tacky parody?
This is surprisingly good news from a state that has been so insane lately.
A South Dakota Senate committee rejected a measure that would have required schools push abstinence in sex education.HB1217 had passed the House by a wide margin, but the Senate Education Committee voted 6-1 to kill the bill after some senators said it would take away some control by local school districts.
Other opponents also said they believe the bill is flawed because it would prevent schools from including education on contraceptives, information they said some students need to protect themselves against pregnancy and diseases.
This is especially important considering that any day now women won't be able to obtain an abortion in South Dakota.
A new study from University of Michigan says that women who show signs of stress are three times more likely to have miscarriages in the first several weeks of their pregnancy. Yikes.
Previous studies on miscarriages and stress began when women knew that they were pregnant--usually about six weeks after conception. but most miscarriages actually occur within the first three weeks.
The researchers measured stress levels by checking the amount of cortisol--a stress-induced hormone--in women’s bodies.
3-day weekend edition! (Happy Presidents' Day)
Some Democrats haven't given up yet on getting Plan B over-the-counter approval from the FDA. FDA acting commissioner Andrew Von Eschenbach responded that the decision would be based on science, not politics. Riiiight.
Results of the Global Media Monitoring Project's 2005 survey of women's presence in worldwide media, show expert opinion in the news is overwhelmingly male. Men represent 83% of experts, and 86% of spokespeople. By contrast, women appear most in a personal capacity: as eyewitnesses (30%), giving personal views (31%) or representing popular opinion (34%).
The Guardian chats with Ariel Levy.
The city of Leeds, England is paying out millions to thousands of women workers to settle equal-pay claims.
Dr. Rebecca Guy, one of the plaintiffs in the suit to make Wal-Mart stock emergency contraception, makes the case for requiring businesses to sell EC.
The NY Times interviews linguist Deborah Tannen about her new book, which tackles mother-daughter communication-- but not in a self-helpy kind of way.
A federal appeals court let stand a Ohio law requiring special licensing for abortion clinics-- even though the new requirements will make it difficult for some clinics to remain open. Also check out the AP's take on legislation that targets abortion-providing clinics.
The Oregonian investigates several hospitals' practice of sending placentas-- without women's consent-- to Cascadia Placenta Registry, a Portland institute created and financed by the insurance industry, in part to help health care providers defend against birth-injury lawsuits. (via Kaiser and Women's Health News)
A new film about the lasting impact of the systematic rape of Bosnian women by Serb soldiers during the Balkans conflict is getting top honors at film festivals.
To mark National Freedom to Marry Week, a coalition of LGBT organizations launched a new initiative to raise the profile of people of color who support marriage for same-sex couples.
Check out Alternet’s interview with Cristina Page, author of How the Pro-Choice Movement Saved America: Freedom, Politics, and the War on Sex.
Page, the vice president of the Institute for Reproductive Health Access at NARAL Pro-Choice New York, discusses how its not only access to abortion that’s in jeopardy:
What I tried to do in this book is to say, Let's put on the table that [abortion] is something we don't want to have happen at the frequency that it is, or even at all. Those are the terms with which we'll discuss this. And when that happens, you begin to realize that [the pro-life side] is not interested in that. The greatest irony is that reducing abortion has become problematic for them, and it's because their aim is not pure.Their aim is not about reducing abortion -- it includes restricting people's access to contraception, it includes transforming our sex lives, it includes transforming our families. That's the goal, and [restricting abortion] is just one vehicle toward that end.
This clearly isn’t news to anyone who follows reproductive rights, but I think it’s a point often missed by a lot of folks. Has anyone read the book? I’m planning on picking up a copy today.
That is seriously the title of a marriage contract drawn up by 33 year-old Travis Frey of Iowa. Frey is facing charges of kidnapping his own wife and a separate child pornography charge.
The contract (which is 4 pages) is so out there, so scary, I can’t even think of anything snarky to say about it. Just check it out for yourself.
An out of context fact, so you know what you’re getting into: Unexpected anal sex will get Frey’s wife 14 Good Behavior Days.
And not wanting to be a sloppy, disorganized psychotic, Frey spices up the contract with fancy fonts:
Consider yourself prepared.
Sorry to lay such a depressing story on you first thing on a Monday, but this shit is insane.
A court in Italy has ruled that sexually abusing a woman isn’t as serious a crime if the victim isn’t a virgin. The case involved a man in his forties who forced his 14 year-old stepdaughter to have oral sex with him. The man--who was only sentenced to three years in jail--brought forward an appeal arguing that the fact that his stepdaughter had had sex before should have been taken into consideration during in his trial.
Unbelievably, the supreme court agreed, noting that the victim’s “personality, from a sexual point of view, is much more developed than what would be normally expected of a girl of her age” and that the damage done to the victim “would be lower.”
You know, cause once we’ve had sex rape isn’t such a big deal.
Some other things I am reading today:
Broadsheet's take on this article in Forbes about women either being wives or whores. You know how we love our virgin/whore dichotomies!(and you know how economists *really* understand prostitution.)
Check out Alternet's interview with Cristina Page on her new book, How The Pro-choice Movement Saved America.
Check out this piece on women's enews by a Washington Bureau Chief about the budget cuts on VAWA spending.
And a gamer blog talks about the Sex Worker's Outreach Project protesting Grand Theft Auto.
And finally Daily Feminist News (from the Feminist Majority Foundation) talks about the lack of progress for female policy-makers.
Hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend.
If you are in or around Brooklyn try and check out this mural that has been dedicated to women and activism. Titled "When Women Pursue Justice," the mural depicts several activist women throughout history.
Shirley Chisholm, the seven-term Congresswoman who represented the neighborhood from 1969 through 1983, is the star of the scene. The woman who ran for president in 1972 is shown riding a bright-orange horse and waving a banner that reads "A Catalyst for Change."The mural includes Emma Goldman, the anarchist labor and birth control advocate who was deported to Russia in 1919. There's also Clara Lemlich, an organizer of Lower East Side garment workers in the early 20th century, and anti-slavery and women's rights activist Sojourner Truth. Others on the wall are drawn from more recent history and include Dorothy Day, who co-founded the Catholic Worker Movement in the 1930s, and poet Audre Lorde, poet and author of the famous dictum, "Your silence will not protect you."
Living women include Angela Davis, who emerged as a prominent activist in the 1960s and ran for vice president on the Communist ticket. There's also Dolores Huerta, leader of the United Farm Workers, and Amy Goodman, whose "Democracy Now!" program on Pacifica Radio has for a decade covered left-wing politics. There's also Gold Star Mother Cindy Sheehan, whose anti-Iraq war activism took center stage last summer when she created Camp Casey near Crawford, Texas.
Weissman the director of the mural project says she sees this as not just an opportunity to remember and value the contributions of these women, but to remind us of how much work remains to be done on women's rights. "So many of the women depicted have been forgotten. We hope the mural will bring them back to their proper place in history."
For more info you can check out this exhibit at the Brooklyn Public Library.
As I scour the news for and about women I find study after study on women's health. In the recent few weeks there have been several studies that seem to be contradicting themselves and leave many women with a lack of understanding as to what is a proper diet and what will prevent heart disease.
Among the headlines: Low-fat diets may not significantly lower the risk of heart disease or some cancers. Exercise might not change your chances of getting colon cancer. Taking estrogen doesn't up the odds of heart disease, if you've had a hysterectomy.And the chalky calcium pills may be for naught: They don't appear to help prevent broken bones.
Whipsawed by contradictory advice, some women said the latest findings won't make them change their ways. After all, even if the studies found some habits weren't helping, they weren't hurting either.
The reality is that many of these studies are funded by companies that are looking to make money off a new (fad) solution or product. The corporate takeover of women's health has been a problem for over 60 years and has made it difficult to understand what is healthy for women or what *truly* affects women's health such as environmental issues, cultural issues, stress etc. Women's health is BIG business and then tends to distract us from having holistic understandings of health. (imho)
All I can say is GO VEGAN, hehe.
We’ve been covering the Ciudad Juarez murders for quite some time now, so you’d understand that I nearly spit out my food when I read this bullshit: “Mexican officials say women’s deaths not the result of serial killers.”
The Mexican Attorney General’s Office released a report yesterday stating that the hundreds of women murdered since 1993 were actually killed for a number of different reasons, ranging from sexual and family violence to robbery. Can you hear my teeth gritting?
The report also claims that the records of missing women have been exaggerated. “Of the 4,456 women reported as having gone missing, only 47 really did, the report said."
Women’s groups in the area have called the report “shameful.” I could think of a few other words.
PETA has stooped to a new low. You must check this out.
While we’ve covered a number of weird Playboy spreads of women from a number of different places ranging from the Olympics to McDonald’s to even video games, this is one feature that’s going to cause some controversy. Playboy.com is entering an enormous online community to search for their next models: “The Girls of MySpace.”
Considering the significant number of teenagers as young as 14 on MySpace.com, people are not going to be happy. Additionally, MySpace is being investigated in two open cases in which teen girls were possibly murdered by online predators.
While Playboy has purchased an ad on MySpace, the site has not agreed to partner with Playboy.com on the feature. Apparently, Playboy's “Girls of” feature usually doesn’t require any consultation with the business or group.
I can’t say that I’m shocked about this new "project." Thoughts?
Being a big ski lover, I was pretty pissed when I saw this shit. For some odd reason, ski-jumping is the only Olympic sport that women aren’t allowed to compete in.
Siblings Alissa and Anders Johnson are two of the best ski-jumpers in the world. Alissa is ranked ninth among the top female jumpers, which is 141 spots higher than her brother in the men’s ranking. However, it’s her little 16-year old bro that is training for the Olympics, and not her.
So why can’t she join her brother, who has repeatedly said that Alissa is the better athlete? Gian-Franco Kasper, head of the International Ski Federation, had a pretty explanatory answer:
"Ski jumping is just too dangerous for women. Don't forget, [the landing] it's like jumping down from, let's say, about two meters to the ground about a thousand times a year, which seems not to be appropriate for ladies from a medical point of view."
And it only gets worse. The reasons given to Alissa were a bit more in detail:
"So far, we've been told every excuse in the book. That it's too 'dangerous' for girls. That there aren't enough of us. That we're not good enough. That it would damage our ovaries and uterus and we won't be able to have children, even though that's not true. It's so outdated, it's kind of funny in a way. And then it's not."
Oh, so that’s why it’s “medically inappropriate”! It’s more appropriate for a lady to become a mommy than to become the best female ski-jumper in the world.
Sigh.
William Donald Schaefer -- former governor of Maryland and current State Comptroller -- has created quite a stir this week due to some really gross sexist behavior, reports the Washington Post. This was followed by his feelings being hurt when questioned about it.
At a State Board of Public Works Meeting, 84-year old Schaefer was brought a cup of tea by Gov. Robert Ehrlich's 24-year old administrative aide. After watching her ass intently as she walked away, he motioned for her to come back and said, "Walk again," in front of the other 100 people present.
When questioned about his lewd behavior, he said responded that "this little girl" should be "happy that I observed her going out the door," and then claimed that he�s the one who should be offended for being inquired about it.
His habit of calling women "little girls" actually extends to his office, where women who have worked for him in the past haven't been offended, says Louise L. Hayman, Schaefer's aide. "It sounds like he's demeaning you, but what he's really saying is he respects you," she continued. I'm sure that's what she tells her little self every day.
I guess you can't be surprised about this considering his history: He once complained about a Spanish-speaking McDonald�s clerk and also suggested the formation of a public registry of HIV-positive people.
Check out Broadsheet�s coverage for more info on this nut.
I love that feminist activists work to raise awareness of violence against women on Valentine's Day (duh), I mean considering I myself called it "hetero-normative, love-marriage construct hegemony day (I have been told this makes me a geek)." Beyond the capitalist motivations of creating a holiday that embraces the experience of *normal* straight couples, I think it is a perfect time to look at how abnormal (potentially filled with abuse, trauma, rape) relationships can be for women and people of other genders, sexualities and nationalities that hallmark didn't make a card for. Like you would never see a card saying, "Sorry you can't legally be recognized for the love you have for your transgender partner, but Happy Valentine's Day, anyway."
So it always freaks me out when I scour the interweb and find shit written by young women that *don't get* it. I found this opinion piece in the Post online, Ohio University's student run paper.
In one monologue, called "The Little Coochi Snorcher that Could," a 16-year-old girl describes how a 24-year-old woman gets her drunk, forces her to masturbate and then seduces her (in the original version, the girl is 13 years old). According to the law, sex between a 16-year-old and an adult is statutory rape - a form of violence against women. But in this case, the attacker gets a pass from feminists because she is a woman.A scene called "The Woman Who Loved to Make Vaginas Happy" features an attorney-turned-prostitute who caters exclusively to women. The play treats lesbian prostitution as an acceptable alternative to a real job: "There was nothing like this in tax law. There was no props, no excitement, and I hated those blue corporate suits." So much for the feminist claim that sex work dehumanizes women.
A third monologue, titled "Reclaiming Cunt," involves the actress leading the audience in a chant of the obscene slang term. People often use the word "cunt" as an abusive term to describe a woman herself, not the body part. Yet feminists would still like us to "reclaim" it.
Do you get the picture? None of this has anything to do with ending violence against women. In fact, it seems that the only connection "The Vagina Monologues" has to this mission is that proceeds from ticket sales are usually donated to a worthy organization, such as a domestic violence shelter.
I think we get the picture that homey didn't get it. This is just one example of a sentiment shared by many who just don't get/like this idea of reclaiming yourself as an act of empowerment (or are just grossed out by the whole process). My question is how do we a) get more young women to recognize the importance of V-day and b) let people know that Valentine's Day is just another way we are complicit in our own oppression?
Please excuse me while I go reclaim my cunt.
This pilot study done in London found that chemical abortions are safe to do at home in the first 9 weeks of pregnancy.
None of the 172 women, who took tablets supervised by a nurse in a health centre, suffered serious complications, Nursing Standard reported.The pilot could pave the way for women to have abortions at home, in GP surgeries and in family planning clinics.
In a medical abortion, a woman takes a tablet of the drug mifepristone under supervision before returning two days later to take four pills of misoprostol which leads to a termination within a few hours.
The pilot project in southern England represents the first time staff have offered the service outside a hospital setting.
The pro-life alliance is claiming that this is too traumatic to be done at home. I think there is no way of saying how different women will react to this particular method, but I find a hospital much more invasive than my own living room, where I can choose who I surround myself with.
Never mind that the name of this contraption sounds like it should be a spinoff of E!’s Dr. 90210. What’s really important is that it will vibrate your breasts into perfection.
Step 1: Rub some “healthful liquid” on your boobies.
Step 2: Adjust the vibrate button and shake the girls for a good 15 minutes.
Step 3: Go look at yourself in the mirror and try to pinpoint when your life went so terribly, terribly wrong.
This is pretty horrible stuff. A teenage girl in Iran has been sentenced to death by hanging after she admitted that she accidentally killed a man who was trying to rape her and her niece.
18 year-old Nazanin--who was 17 at the time of the incident--said that she, her niece and their two boyfriends were in a park when they were attacked.
When the three assailants started to throw rocks at the group, the girls’ boyfriends ran away on their motorcycles, leaving Nazanin and her 16 year-old niece Somayeh. Nice guys.
According to reports in the Iranian newspaper, E’temaad, Nazanin told the court that three men had approached her and her niece, forced them to the ground and tried to rape them. Seeking to defend her niece and herself, Nazanin stabbed one man in the hand with a knife that she possessed and then, when the men continued to pursue them, stabbed another of the men in the chest.
Despite Nazanin’s story of self defense, she was given a death sentence.
State by state this country is just dying to become the most intolerable country in the world.
A proposed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage in Idaho passed the state Senate on Wednesday and will go to voters this November.If approved, it would mean that in Idaho, "a marriage between a man and a woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized."
Opponents argued that a constitutional amendment isn't necessary because state law already defines marriage as being between a man and a woman. Supporters say the amendment would prevent judges from overturning that law.
Last week, the measure passed the House 53-17 vote. The Senate vote was 26-9.
You know just in case there was one judge who believes in rights for gays in Idaho.
I saw Margeret Cho on C-Span a few months ago (talking about her new book) and she was saying that the funniest thing about the people that oppose gay marriage is that these folks wouldn't really even know that gay people were getting married, if no one had told them.
I didn't catch this earlier, but it seems Kos didn’t take too kindly to Lakshmi Chaudhry’s In These Times piece on blogs in progressive politics, calling it “tedious whining about the supposed lack of diversity in the blogosphere.”
Yes, how boring we are.
Chaudhry, in The ITT List, says:
...any one trying to build or participate in a digital grassroots movement needs to prioritize including as many people as possible, especially those who are most marginalized by the existing political establishment. What’s so tedious or whiny about that?
Make sure to check out her full response. And please ladies, try not to nag the poor boys too much--they’re very sensitive.
Go check out the winners of Advocates for Youth's Respect Yourself. Protect Yourself. condom campaign that we told you about last year.
The winning entry above was done by 17 year-old Mo.
We all know the Bush administration’s record on international women’s rights isn’t exactly stellar, but this takes the cake.
Find out more at BushvChoice.
Australian Dems want condom vending machines placed in schools. Ah, if only this could happen here.
Democrat MP Kate Reynolds said the issue was not one of morals, but health."The facts are simple: high school teenagers are having sex," Ms Reynolds said.
Ms Reynolds said vending machines should be placed where students could buy condoms easily and without guilt.
We used to be able to get condoms from guidance counselors in school, but it was no easy task. Outside of the embarrassment factor, they actually had a list of kids who could not receive condoms--their parents had called in and specifically requested that they be barred from getting them. Twisted.
A new report from the Center for Women in Government & Civil Society at the University at Albany has found that from 1998 to 2005 the percent of women in state government leadership positions has only risen from 23.1 percent to 24.7 percent. Not very impressive.
"After reporting for almost 10 years these very modest gains for women, I have come to believe it is a very persistent social phenomenon," said Judith Saidel, the study's project director. "The problem does not appear to be going away."The study examined statewide elected officials, state legislators, high court judges, department heads, and top advisers in governors' offices.
Arizona tops the list with 38.6 percent of women in top positions, followed by Nevada, Vermont, Washington and New Mexico. Women in Mississippi held the lowest percentage of top government jobs, just 12.9 percent. Kentucky, South Carolina, Pennsylvania and South Dakota rounded out the five states with the lowest female representation.
Ouch.
Love it. The Associated Press reports that Wal-Mart is now required to stock emergency contraception in Massachusetts. The decision--made by a state board that oversees pharmacies--comes after three women sued the company.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Make sure to check out Rebecca Traister’s latest, Topless bodies found in brainless magazine. Traister takes on Vanity Fair’s most recent issue where the magazine let Tom Ford go nutty.
The short version: clothed men, naked women or women parts. Predictable and disappointing.
Traister’s take is much more comprehensive. My fave part:
I don't mean to be a scold; I have nothing against nudity in magazines. One of my favorite images from Hollywood issues past is of Sigourney Weaver, dressed in a fishnet body stocking and boots, lying on her back, one breast very visible. The photo was aptly dubbed "The Force." In it, Weaver looked fierce, turned on by her own long body. That picture might fairly have been described as a "Do Me" shot, but it projected an unspoken warning: "Do me wrong, and I'll kick you hard with my big boots." Sienna Miller looks like if you did her wrong she might pop another Klonopin and doze off.
Related: Gawker has one more reason nekkid ladies should not want Ford touching them.
The Associated Press reports that Saudi Arabia’s parliament has said that it can’t even debate the ban on women driving:
"What has been decided on by religious edict is not within our authority to debate," said Saleh bin Abdullah Malek, the secretary general of the Shura Council, an advisory body appointed by the king.
Naturally.
Last year in an interview with Barbara Walters, King Abdullah said that women would eventually be allowed to drive. Sounds like it’s really coming along. Jeez.
As if going to the gym wasn’t bad enough, now I have to go in heels?
Crunch gym, which came up with “Cardio Striptease,” has just started a new class: “Stiletto Strength.”
At a recent lunch-time session at Crunch gym near Times Square, dancer Amber Efe demonstrated how to strut like a cat-walk model, pivoting on six-inch heels that would challenge even the most ardent follower of shoe king Manolo Blahnik."Imagine you're at the bar, raise one hand high like you're holding your drink," she told the class, music pounding as she acted the part of a club-goer working through a crowd.
"Don't spill the drink," she told the group, a mix of women who clearly had plenty of experience and others still tottering on shoes that didn't show much wear.
Yeah. Sounds like a real health-conscious workout. What’s next? Push-up Bra Pilates?
CNN reports that Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist is planning for a June vote on a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.
Frist said he doesn't know how many votes the ban will receive, but Republican and Democratic aides privately acknowledged the vote will probably fall far short of the 67-vote supermajority needed to advance a constitutional amendment.When the Senate last voted on the issue in July 2004, a procedural motion to consider the ban received 48 votes -- well short of the number needed to send it on to the House of Representatives and then to all 50 states for ratification.
Yeah, so he’s just doing it to be a dick. Super.
Don’t forget--today is the Day of Purity.
Organizers are encouraging people to wear shirts and wrist bands with messages of sexual purity today--though you should wear them all the time "because purity is always in style!”
So in celebration of all things good and pure I will wear the above shirt today. (I just hope it doesn’t get messed up when I’m having sex with my boyfriend.)
I can’t believe I missed this segment.
The Daily Show's Jason Jones covers the pharmacist/emergency contraception debacle in Pill of Rights.
Jones interviews Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and pharmacist Ron Stephens, who refuses to fill EC prescriptions. It’s hysterical.
Though the laugh is bittersweet when you hear the last line of the bit: "The question remains, who will control a woman's body - the governor or her pharmacist?"
Ouch.
Make sure to check out the REAL hot 100’s nominee of the week, Keisha Entzminger.
Entzminger, from Los Angeles, founded MBADiversity--a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping women of diverse backgrounds get into business school.
Now that’s hot.
In Spotsylvania County, as part of a campaign by the sheriff's office to root out prostitution in the massage parlor business, detectives have been receiving sexual services from "masseuses." During several visits to Moon Spa on Plank Road last month, detectives allowed women to perform sexual acts on them on four occasions and once left a $350 tip, according to court papers.Spotsylvania Sheriff Howard D. Smith said that the practice is not new and that only unmarried detectives are assigned to such cases. Most prostitutes are careful not to say anything incriminating, so sexual contact is necessary, he said.
Oh, well as long as it’s unmarried cops are getting hand jobs, then it’s all good. This definitely goes under the WTF file.
Another Valentine’s Day campaign...
Catholics for a Free Choice is launching Condoms4Life tomorrow--ads and posters like the one above will appear throughout New York, San Francisco and Washington DC.
“We launched Condoms4Life to educate young Catholics, as well as gay and straight couples, about what we think our faith demands of us: Responsibility,” said Frances Kissling, president of Catholics for a Free Choice. “We see St. Valentine’s Day, a day representing love and passion for many couples, as the perfect time to remind people that the culture of life means affirming responsible and just sexual behavior—especially for those who are at risk of contracting AIDS. We call on the bishops to join us in this campaign to promote a culture of life and protect the lives and health of the countless men, women and children who are at risk of HIV/AIDS.”
Some scary stats that the Condoms4Life campaign found:
In California, none of the 40 Catholic hospitals and only one of the Catholic universities Condoms4Life researchers called said they provide condoms.In New York, only 7.1% of nearly $350 million in public funding went to Early Intervention Services, including “HIV testing, risk reduction counseling…transmission prevention” in FY 2004.
In Washington, DC, the Archdiocese of Washington opposed a school sex education program that taught students how to use condoms as “clearly not reflective of our values” in 2005. Previously in 2002, the archdiocese released a fact sheet about condoms containing several assertions about condoms that are simply not true, including that condoms are not a means of preventing HIV/AIDS.
I think these ads look great, but something tells me a lot of folks won't be too pleased with them.
Why crush the patriarchy when you can crush cars? In a bikini no less!
Click here for a close-up on the site’s tagline. Plus they recycle, so it’s clearly a win-win.
This Valentine’s Day, stay in and increase awareness of Emergency Contraception. On February 14th, the ABC show Boston Legal is airing an episode about a woman who was denied EC after being raped.
The organization Advocates For Youth is encouraging people to stay in and host a viewing party for the show.
RaisingHerVoice.org, a website dedicated to providing a safe space for survivors of sexual assault, has provided a toolkit to help you host a fun and informational event.
Our very own gubernator is proposing shifting 40% of California's female inmate population to neighborhood correctional centers.
The plan for female convicts is in the state budget the governor proposed last month.It calls for about 4,500 female inmates to be able to live closer to their families and receive education, job training, drug and alcohol counseling.
The new centers would be secure facilities run by private companies under contract to the state. Only inmates convicted of nonviolent crimes would be eligible. Some prisoners would be allowed to have their children live with them.
Sounds dandy, but his main motivation is to free up space for the already overcrowded prison system. His long-term plan is to use bond money to build more prisons, because you know, the whole prison industrial complex is REALLY doing the trick.
For every nine men holding executive posts or seats on the boards of California's largest public companies, there is only one woman, according to a study released Thursday by the University of California-Davis.
The focus of the Vagina Monologues this year is comfort women and the women of Taiwan have joined forces and are speaking out against these war crimes. They are showing a film and photo exhibit about the women used as sexual slaves during Japanese occupation.
This year the Spotlight Campaign is focusing on comfort women around the world.Historians estimate 200,000 women, from Korea, the Philippines, China, Indonesia and the Netherlands were pressed into wartime prostitution for millions of Japanese soldiers stationed throughout Asia. Some former comfort women said they were forced to service up to 50 soldiers in a day.
"We are celebrating the fierce spirit and resistance of these women," Ensler has been quoted as saying. "The comfort women are now speaking out. It is a celebration of them."
Forget The Rabbit. There’s a new bunny in town. A Montreal designer has created a video game that uses a blue bunny, Lapis, to demonstrate how to make women orgasm.
The prototype teaches how to reach orgasm by simulating the affect of pleasurable sensation on the cartoon. Players tickle, touch, tap, and stroke Lapis using the touch screen of the Nintendo DS, a hand-held video game device. They can also talk, sing and blow on the bunny's fur using the device's built-in microphone.The more they stimulate the bunny, the happier he becomes until eventually he begins flying through the air. But Lapis is also an unpredictable creature who needs a variety of sensations. Sometimes, no amount of stimulation is going to work.
"Sex is a perfectly natural part of the human experience and there has to be a way to handle it meaningfully and tastefully in games," said [creator Heather] Kelley, who took first prize for the prototype at the Montreal International Games Summit last month.
Pretty cool stuff, but there’s something a bit creepy about bringing a bunny to orgasm by whispering sweet nothings into her floppy ears.
And by the way, I was joking about forgetting the original Rabbit As if such a thing is possible...
Via SugarJoy.
Six women have mobilized to bring solar powered night lights and torches to the Sunderbans in Bengal, where there is no electricity.
"We are very happy because earlier we were mere housewives. Now we work for two to three days a week and assemble night bulbs etc."We have also learnt to market and sell these products to the people," said Sumana Satra, a villager.
"We are not spending any money right now. We are trying to accumulate so we can reinvest in the same business," said Nilima Maity, another villager.
Sumana, Nilima and four others, who never finished school, are part of a project by The Energy & Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi and the Ram Krishna Mission.
The project was launched last January to help disadvantaged rural women help themselves.
So many reasons this is rad. I love to hear about these awesome development/empowerment projects that combine leadership, energy conservation, and ownership together for women in these parts of Bengal. India continues to amaze me with its grassroots work.
IWF uses Coretta Scott King's death to say her husband would be irrelevant were he alive today, and to discuss the evils wrought by the civil rights movement. It's breathtakingly awful.
This is a much nicer tribute.
USA Today alerts us to this brand-new phenomenon of anti-choicers "push to emphasize the interests of fetuses and to create more hurdles for women seeking abortions." Uh, yeah. We were kind of aware of that.
The Village Voice has a cartoon "tribute" to the four Dems who voted to confirm Alito.
A Polish woman is suing under EU human rights because she was denied an abortion despite doctors' warnings that giving birth could damage her eyesight. After giving birth, her vision worsened. The European Court of Human Rights cannot make Poland change its abortion ban but could rule that the woman's rights were violated.
A new poll shows 92 percent of adults say they would vote for a woman for president.
Dahlia Lithwick takes on the "asinine game of semantics" that is Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline's requirement that officials and health-care workers report incidents of consensual teen sex. Over a two-week trial, four government officials have now offered five different interpretations of what abusive sex is in Kansas.
"Sex is what women want for Valentine's Day."
It's called "making love," damn it!
Check out the Painted Bride, which will be presenting “Phresh: A Celebration of Women in Hip-Hop.”
The art center will be holding a number of workshops, a panel discussion, and film screenings addressing the issues of women in the hip-hop industry. There will also be entertainment, including a dance performance by Michele Byrd-McPhee’s (one of the organizers) dance group, rock-rap artist Malene Younglao (above) and wordsmiths Versus and DJ Sparkles.
The other organizer, Maori Karmael Holmes, is a filmmaker who just finished “Scene Not Heard,” which is about the history of Philly women in hip-hop. The B-Girl Summit in Minneapolis this past summer gave Holmes the idea.
Let’s hope the inspiration doesn’t end here.
Fuck.
In December, Ann posted on South Dakota’s abortion task force and their more-than-scary report recommending that the state pretty much criminalize abortion. Well, the state House has apparently taken their advice:
“The South Dakota House overwhelmingly passed a bill Thursday that would ban nearly all abortions in the state, ushering the issue to the Senate.Supporters are pushing the measure as a means of drawing the attention of the U.S. Supreme Court, hoping to set up a legal challenge that ultimately will result in reversal of the high court's 1973 decision legalizing abortion.
The bill banning abortion, HB1215, was passed 47-22 in the House after more than an hour of debate.
Rep. Roger Hunt, R-Brandon, said the recent appointment of two new members on the Supreme Court and the prospect of one or two more replacements within a few years as older members retire makes it a good time to mount a challenge to the earlier Roe v. Wade decision.”
While New Line Cinema has its history of some really good and really bad movies (I won’t even get into "The New World"), it looks like its new Paul Walker movie, "Running Scared," is featuring quite a treat (no pun intended) on its website.
Yes, a game on the site lets you go down on Paul Walker’s wife. And it doesn't end there; click here to check out the details and a crazy-ass photo of what it says when you "win." While I feel like I should be glad that she's the one getting head, the shit is pretty trashy. And let's not forget, this is New Line Cinema!
Thoughts?
It looks like Lyn Allison may have reached the Australian Senate this week. Although abortifacient RU486 has been illegal in Australia since 1996, the Senate has decided to bring the continent a step closer to legalization.
While women living in Australia have been forced to go overseas to access RU486, a number of senior liberals have joined forces with the Coalition, Labor, the Democrats and the Greens to request that the power to approve RU486 be detracted from the Health Minister.
This created a bunch of hoo-hah among the Senate, including RU486 opponent Senator Heffernan claiming that its legalization would destroy the family unit and parenting, which is “the greatest vocation.” Us nonparents just don’t know any better, apparently.
In addition to Heffernan’s passionate speech on family values, he managed to discuss some other “great” concerns he felt needed to be addressed, including the reality TV show "Big Brother" and technological advances in tractors and headers. That’s not even a joke.
Next week, it’s likely that the House of Representatives will have the opportunity to pass the measure. Let’s hope they make the right decision, and avoid talking about "Big Brother." ("The Bachelor" is soooo much better.)
...if he has daughters, that is.
New research shows that male legislators who have daughters are more likely to cast liberal votes on women's rights issues-- especially reproductive rights.
Yale economist Ebonya Washington compared the voting records of fathers in Congress to scorecards maintained by NOW and the American Association of University Women. And regardless of party affiliation, the more daughters they have, the higher their voting record score on issues like flexibility for working families, pay equity, abortion rights and violence against women. Legislators with all daughters have scores that are 12 points higher than those with all sons.
So what about mothers in Congress? Uh, there aren't enough of those to draw firm conclusions.
A movie on censorship and the Motion Picture Association of America? Totally necessary.
A poster depicting a woman getting branded? Not so much.
male circumcision MAY protect women from AIDS.
Well half the peopled polled by the Japanese Sumo Association said they are against women entering the mound.
The 2,000-year-old national sport has always banned women from the ring, though the origins of the ruling remain unclear. It was believed to be based on beliefs in Shinto, Japan's native region, that women are impure.
Impure? Women being allowed on the mound (I just have to keep saying that, I love it, mound snarf snarf) became an issue recently when the first female mayor of Osaka wanted to present the medal to the winner. She was banned from being allowed to do so and a male vice-governer did so instead.
Why? What is the big deal?
I know this is not suprising, but the Women's Rights Association of Iraq has reported more then 240 cases of abuse against women by Iraqi police and soldiers during house raids.
WRA spokeswoman Sarah Muthulak noted that most cases involved sexual harassment or violence, including beatings."Urgent attention should be given to this issue," Muthulak said.
"I shouted at police when they came," recalled Rasha Obeid, a 25-year-old woman accused of supporting the insurgency. "I said I wouldn't accept arrest or anyone touching me... When I reached the prison, though, army officials started to touch my body and say bad words."
Women whose male family members are wanted for involvement in insurgency are often reportedly arrested in their place.
Women are frequently the victims in these war-related crimes and historically have been so. The question I wonder is two-fold: what is the US military role in preventing these abuses and who is checking to see if the US military is doing any better of a job in *handling* women during insurgent raids?
Naturally, the Ministry of Interior denies these accusations. How many women that have actually been detained for insurgent related activity is unknown. As history repeats itself, I am forced to wonder how these women will be treated if and when the war is over?
According to a study by Internet and Mobile Association of India, around 12.32 million online women users registered in the country during 2005-06, increased by four per cent against last year's figures of 11.85 million.While the number of male Internet users declined by four per cent to 26.18 million, the total number of online users in the country has increased by 54 per cent at 38.5 million, the study said.
That is a lot of women online. Any idea what they could be checking out? Probably everything from saddhi.com to feministing!
Due to instances of domestic violence, conservative traditions and social pressures women in certain parts of Iran are turning to self-immolation as a way of *escaping* patriarchal oppression.
Nasrin Mohammadi a member of a women's NGO in Marivan in Iran's western province of Kurdistan, tells us,
"Desperation is the main reason for the self-immolation [of women]," she continued. "Women face more pressure in a traditional society and in our region because of deprivations and the rule of [old] traditions this pressure has become much stronger. Women in our region are seen as 'second class' citizens. The economic situation of women is a main factor; they are totally dependent on men and also the laws of our country are such that the courts never protect women."
The organization has reported more then 150 women in Kurdistan that have committed suicide in the last 9 months.
If you don't know, now you know...
There's a new hunting legend in the mountains of Western Maryland.Born to the woods, she's 4 1/2 feet tall and 8 years old, with a shock of light brown hair and a steady trigger finger that put two bullets into a black bear's chest cavity Monday, according to her and her father and granduncle, who were hunting with her. State officials backed the claim by Sierra Stiles and credited her with the first kill of Maryland's second bear season since hunting the animals resumed after a half-century ban.
I’m not into hunting and this story kind of freaks me out, but I thought it was post-worthy nonetheless. Are kids really allowed to hunt? Yikes.
This is just genius.
Mystery Date reveals the most terrifying accessory of all time: the Manhunt Scarf.
Apparently this was put out in the 60s by Mademoiselle Magazine. And if the pink silkiness of the scarf isn’t enough for you to love it, check this out--it’s also a game. A Manhunting game!
You’re supposed to use the scarf as game board:
“Take one die, any number of girls, and toss. Use shells, pebbles, anything small for markers. First girl home is first girl married.”
Wowza. But that’s not all. On the way to the Home & Him finish-line, players land on squares that say things like, “You didn't put your perfume on this morning. Back to GO” or “You broil a great hotdog. Ahead 1.”
Who knew that the road to domestic bliss was paved with wieners?
Via Gawker.
Jessica wrote a piece on Alternet today about last week's loss of three great women. She discusses their lives, their work, and questions who will take their place in the continuing struggle towards social change.
Make sure to check it out.
Just good old fashioned feminist fun.
The Eighth Carnival of Feminists is up at gendergeek. It's better than cotton candy.
The next Carnival is being hosted at Mind the Gap. Send your submissions to mindthegapcardiff AT yahoo DOT co DOT uk by Feb. 19.
Australian Democratic leader Senator Lyn Allison has taken a novel approach to explaining her pro-choice position. Last night in the Senate she said, "An estimated one in three women have had an abortion, and I am one of them."
Sen. Allison also noted that if she hadn’t terminated her pregnancy at 18 years old, she wouldn’t be in the Senate now.
"Women are fully human," she said. "It is galling listening to the men, and it is mostly men, who have such contempt for women who terminate unwanted pregnancies, who have neither the compassion nor the understanding of the huge and, for many, daunting task of taking an embryo the size of a grain of rice to adulthood."..."There are plenty of blokes around this place who don't understand why women would do this. There are complex reasons why women need to make this decision … I wanted to send a message to all those women to say I'm one of them."
Sen. Allison was one of several politicians to get personal during a debate over the abortifacient, RU486.
I think this is great--though I can’t imagine any U.S. senators lining up to tell their stories. Thoughts?
Mike Adams at Townhall.com wants feminists to know that he doesn’t take them seriously.
In fact--he’s so indifferent to feminists that he’s just written the sixth edition of his antifeminist series of articles.
But he totally finds us uninteresting.
Lakshmi Chaudhry kicks some ass in Can Blogs Revolutionize Progressive Politics?, the latest cover story from In These Times. Love it. (And not just because Feministing's logo is featured, I swear.)
The whole piece is fab, but the focus on the “mainstream” political blogosphere’s lack of diversity is where Chaudhry really hits the nail on the head.
This little snippet is my fave:
As for the relative paucity of top female progressive bloggers, [Daily Kos’] Moulitsas is indifferent: “I haven’t given it a lot of thought. I find it totally uninteresting. What I’m interested in is winning elections, and I don’t give a shit what you look like.” It’s an odd and somewhat disingenuous response from an advocate of blogging as the ultimate tool of democratic participation.
Yawn. We’re sooo uninteresting, I’m totally boring myself out of writing anymore.
Just kidding: Also check it out because Amanda from Pandagon is quoted as the vagina-in-residence of the blogosphere.
Announcing the Amazing Housewife, er, "Amazing Woman of the Year" competition, brought to you by Swiffer and Cindy Crawford:
An Amazing Woman is an inspiration not only because of all she does to make her world a better place, but also how she does it. Maybe she runs her own home-based business while her children are in school, volunteers at a homeless shelter once a week and cleans on the weekend. Or maybe she cleans her home a little bit each morning, works during the day and is able to keep her weekend free for family and volunteer projects.
So even if she has to hold a job outside the home, an "Amazing Woman" is a homemaker above all else.
The one thing Amazing Women have in common is the creativity they use to get everything done. They team up with other women in their neighborhood, they order groceries and clothes on the Internet, or they use day planners to keep their schedules on track.
Using the Internet? Keeping a day planner? Amazing!
There are countless ways Amazing Women contribute to their world.
Ordering groceries, sweeping, dusting, ironing, mopping... countless ways to contribute. Something tells me the Amazing Woman of the Year's main contribution to society will be a well-Swiffered floor.
Amazing Women use innovative products in their homes so they can manage all of their responsibilities. That�s why they use Swiffer� products.
Thanks, but I'll be nominating amazing women to the REAL hot 100 instead. There's no housework requirement.
Can we just take a moment to note how awesome she is? I mean, really. Check out the transcript of her grilling Scott McClellan about Bush's domestic wiretapping:
Q Does the President think he should obey the law? He put his hand on the Bible twice to uphold the Constitution. Wiretapping is not legal under the circumstances without a warrant.MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I guess you didn't pay attention to the Attorney General's hearing earlier today, because he walked through very clearly the rationale behind this program. And, Helen, I think you have to ask are we a nation at war --
Q There is no rationale to disobey the law.
I have been a fan of the Guerrilla Girls for a hell of a long time, and their latest venture only makes me love them more.
In collaboration with MoviesByWomen.com, the Guerrilla Girls bought a billboard space in Los Angeles down the street from the Kodak theater (where the Oscars take place). The billboard--which is just bad-ass--features some pretty disturbing stats:
Women directed only 7 percent of the top 200 films of 2005. No woman has ever won the Oscar for best director. And only three have been nominated.
Those numbers aren't exactly award-winning. But perhaps what Lori at Broadsheet calls the "glare of Ms. Kong" will change some minds.
Dear lord. Californians rejected the parental notification amendment Proposition 73 last year. So why in the world would anyone bring forward a similar initiative?
Albin Rhomberg, a spokesman for the Parents Right to Know and Child Protection initiative, said the special election wasn't representative of the California electorate because unions and Democrats mobilized supporters to turn out against the four measures promoted by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. The parental notification measure was not part the governor's failed "year of reform" agenda."The turnout was very high in the liberal areas of the state and surprisingly low in some of the more conservative areas," Rhomberg said.
Boo hoo. Whatever, I say let them give it another shot. But what a waste of time and energy. President of the Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California Kathy Kneer says, "We'd rather be spending our time and resources preventing teens from getting pregnant in the first place. Isn't that more important?"
Of course not. That would be way too logical.
I didn’t watch the Super Bowl, but if you want some feminist analysis of the always-talked about commercials, check out Bernie at PopPolitics.
After reading this, I’m kind of glad I skipped all those football parties.
Take, for example, the second ad after kickoff in this year’s Super Bowl: Burger King introduced us to “The Whopperettes” (click on “Super Bowl Spectacular” to see the ad). While the ad features women doing a musical number, the women are not overtly sexualized (although one of them is swimsuit model Brooke Burke) and the ad initially has a gender-neutral and somewhat satirical “it’s an extravaganza!” feel. The women, after all, are dressed up in ridiculous outfits representing the many ingredients in a Whopper.But as the ad continues, its message becomes disturbingly clear -- and it’s nothing new: women are to be consumed by men. The bizarreness of the ad is that Burger King has found a literal embodiment of this idea -- which, of course, is the foundation for most Super Bowl advertising.
Yikes. Make sure to check out the rest of the post; it’s a whopper. (Couldn’t help myself, sorry.)
Anti-choicers remind us what really matters in the abortion debate: which side has the hottest women. Yeah, I’m serious.
I love me some British folks today!
The UK is defying the U.S. global gag rule; the Department for International Development will contribute £3m over two years for safe abortion services in developing countries.
This announcement comes on the same day that The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) releases their report, Death and Denial: Unsafe Abortion and Poverty.
"I think the UK is being very brave and very progressive in making this commitment," said Steven Sinding, director general of the IPPF. "We're deeply grateful for this gesture not only financially but also politically."Tens of thousands of women who depend on our services are not able to get them. We're committed to the expansion of safe abortion because in any society no matter how efficiently contraception is made available there will be unplanned and unwanted pregnancies."
Death and Denial reports that approximately 19 million women will undergo unsafe abortions this year. 70,000 of these women will die.
Michaela Hutchison of Alaska’s Skyview High School is the first girl in the country to win a state wrestling title competing against boys. Kudos!
Amid chants of "C'mon, Michaela" and "Girl power," Hutchison earned a 1-0 victory Saturday over Colony High School's Aaron Boss.She scored an escape with 16 seconds left to beat Boss for the second time in two weeks. Family and friends mobbed Hutchison as she walked away from the mat with a bloody nose, while the crowd rose in a standing ovation.
Awesome.
What's funniest: incest rape, statutory rape, or just plain old vanilla rape? Apparently these guys can't decide either.
Check out more "humor" shirts after the jump. And people ask why I'm a feminist...
Thanks to Andrea for the link.
And you thought South Dakota was bad.
The Associated Press reports that 40 members of the Kentucky House have signed on to a bill that would ban abortion.
More scariness:
Gov. Ernie Fletcher has "always been a strong supporter" of such legislation, said his spokeswoman, Jodi Whitaker.
Great. Lawmakers opposing the bill noted that politics were trumping women’s lives. Rep. Rep. Kathy Stein said, "It's a big election year...This is the biggest ballot we've had in years, and I think that there are many of my colleagues who are willing to jump on the bandwagon and sell out the women of Kentucky."
The bill is sponsored by Rep. Addia Wuchner. Go give her a piece of your mind.
After a thirty-year fight by women’s rights groups, a law banning pregnant girls from attending school has been overturned.
The law affected girls under 18 years old on the Tanzanian islands--if they became pregnant they were forced to drop out of school and were not allowed to return.
This may have had a little something to do with the law finally being scrapped:
Following elections last October, 30% of MPs are now women - the quota set by regional bodies - and there are four female ministers in Zanzibar's cabinet.The opposition Civic United Front staged a walkout during the parliamentary vote, saying it did not recognise the new government claiming electoral fraud.
Recognized or not, the new political make up is clearly making a difference for young women and girls.
This Austin Chronicle cover image says it all about reproductive rights in Texas. The accompanying story is good, too.
Is abortion bad? Will Saletan and Katha Pollitt duke it out via email. I think Katha cleans his clock. But you really must read all three days' exhchanges and decide for yourself.
Never thought I'd say this, but I love this feminist beauty queen! She ditched her tiara when she learned that Miss America is given very little opportunity to actually pursue her own charitable causes.
The candidates vying for the GOP nomination for Ohio governor are each vowing to scale back abortion rights more than the other. Why is it we never see two Democratic candidates trying to one-up each other's abortion-access policies? Sigh.
Yet another setback for awful Kansas Attorney General Phill Kline: The state Supreme Court dramatically restricted his demand that clinics turn over women's abortion records.
Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is trying to woo Catholic voters by restricting abortion pill imports. Sure, an easy decision to make if you're not having sex. This man is seriously disgusting.
This year's Academy Awards are a boys club. You know it's a bad year for women when none of the best picture nominees features one in a lead performance.
Bush's 2007 proposed budget cuts $35 billion from Medicare, and substantially increases military spending. The Bush administration is also expected to ask for another $120 billion outside of the budget to fund military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. This is how "we strive to be a compassionate, decent, hopeful society"?
Finally, remembering Betty Friedan.
After the Palestinian election results and the recent win of Hamas, it was made apparent that women had been a big chunk of the vote and potentially responsible for the victory.
Thousands of volunteers, including female university students, were sent door-to-door to deliver Hamas' message -- that Islam protects women, that it offers them equal partnership with men, on the job and at home. While short on details, Hamas campaigners also promised free education for girls.
The question is what does this mean for women's rights? (Really?)
Seventeen of the 132 new legislators, or nearly 13 percent, are women. That's twice as many female legislators as in the outgoing parliament -- ostensibly a breakthrough in the male-run Palestinian society.The female Hamas legislators are newcomers to politics, recruited by the male leadership because of their appeal in their communities.
While many of the female Hamas activists are educated and accomplished, the group is pushing a conservative agenda.
Saleh said she would not oppose polygamy, which is practiced in the West Bank and Gaza, because it's in line with Islamic law. While under current practice, only men can end a marriage, Saleh says a woman should be able to end matrimony if she agrees to leave without a penny.
For me that is just not okay, but I do think it is great that women mobilized in general and that there are more women in the Parliment. What this truly means for any type of a feminist agenda is yet to be seen.
Betty Friedan, author of the ground-breaking book "The Feminine Mystique" died today of conjestive heart failure.
The feminine mystique, she said, was a phony bill of goods society sold to women that left them unfulfilled, suffering from "the problem that has no name" and seeking a solution in tranquilizers and psychoanalysis."A woman has got to be able to say, and not feel guilty, `Who am I, and what do I want out of life?' She mustn't feel selfish and neurotic if she wants goals of her own, outside of husband and children," Friedan said.
She had a desire to keep feminist politics in the mainstream, but was involved in quite a bit of radical organizing.
In the racial, political and sexual conflicts of the 1960s and '70s, Friedan's was one of the most commanding voices and recognizable presences in the women's movement.As the first president of NOW in 1966, she staked out positions that seemed extreme at the time on such issues as abortion, sex-neutral help-wanted ads, equal pay, promotion opportunities and maternity leave.
Although, Friedan's work is not as pertinant now as it was then (especially with respect to race, class and sexuality) I STILL think folks need to be reminded that a women's one and only role is *not* in the kitchen or as mommy and wife. It is important for us to note her contributions and see not only how far we have come, but how much further we have to go, especially in light of the current attack on women's rights in this country.
Yeah, I ain't lying.
A researcher at the University of Paisley has determined that having regular penetrative sex (and only penetrative sex) makes people into better, more relaxed public speakers.
Like I needed a study to tell me that sex reduces stress. Puh-lease.
via BoingBoing.
Thanks to Dave for the link.
Ew.
You must know that it took a lot of stomach to put this picture up.
While we've shown you guys the disturbing boyfriend arm pillow and the super creepy girlfriend lap pillow, this one takes our pillow products to a whole other level.
"The Breast Pillow" is another body part to rest your head on when your lover's away. (Or can serve as a replacement for a lover altogether. After all, all you need is some boob nuzzling to kill the pain!)
CNN is polling on whether Wal-Mart should be required to stock emergency contraception. The poll is related to the recent suit brought by three Massachusetts women.
Go vote now!
Researchers have found that hormonal changes during pregnancy do not protect women from depression, and suggest that women should not stop taking their antidepressants during pregnancy, despite the possiblity of birth defects.
The study was published in this week’s Journal of the American Medical Association, and also says that researchers have not found that antidepressants lead to major birth defects, despite some reports that suggest a possible tie between certain drugs and heart malformation.
Anyone know more about this? Thoughts?
It looks like The Catholic Action League of Massachusetts got their wish, except in the wrong state. Yesterday, Catholics For A Free Choice released a study disclosing that New York Catholic hospitals routinely reject women -- including rape victims -- access to emergency contraception. Lovely!
The Catholics For A Free Choice (CFFC) is a fantastic women’s health care and advocacy group based in D.C. Their study also found that hospitals in New York, California, Washington and South Carolina said EC isn't available 35% of the time.
As for the local study in New York, only 7% percent of staff said available for all women, and 20% admitted to avoiding the calls, hanging up on callers, and sometimes even scolding them.
CFFC president Frances Kissling stated:
"The results were mixed at best, and devastating at worst. Women of many different religions seek emergency care at Catholic hospitals, in part, because of their reputation for compassionate, quality care. That the Catholic hospitals we surveyed would turn women away in their time of need ... is not only a violation of the law, it is a violation of their mission."
Dennis Poust, a spokesperson for The Catholic Conference of New York, said he was not aware of any rape victims who have come forward saying they were denied services. And check his comment:
“Until they do? I’m not going to take this seriously. They’re not a Catholic organization. Their mission is to undermine the Church.”
Wow. First of all, there have actually been five complaints over the past year regarding this in New York. Secondly, I’m sure the last thing on a rape victim's mind is taking up the Catholic Church.
Some things to peruse.
Media Girl compiles and analyzes blogger responses to the danger of being a tech/blogger model.
Pam at Pandagon takes on the tension between freepers (I love that word, had no idea people actually used it) and the new Alito.
Tennessee Guerilla Women cover the not so warm welcome of Dubya to Nashville, hehe.
Finally, read Pseudo-Adrienne's bitch-slap of Laura Bush's racism at Liberal Feminist Bias.
Yeah Yeah Yeah.
In response to National Condom Awareness Week, conservative groups have declared February 14th, "The Day of Purity," which they proclaim as "a day when this nation's youth can make a public demonstration of their commitment to remain sexually pure, in mind and actions."
That's just creepy.
Three million women potentially have heart disease and has gone undetected because the signs and symptoms are different for women then for men and are missed by standard (based on men's health) tests.
Instead of developing obvious blockages in the arteries supplying blood to the heart, these women accumulate plaque more evenly inside the major arteries and in smaller blood vessels, the researchers found. In other cases, their arteries fail to expand properly or go into spasm, often at times of physical or emotional stress.These abnormalities, which appear to be particularly common in younger women, can be as dangerous as the better-known form of the disease, strangling vital blood flow to the heart muscle, causing severe and sometimes debilitating pain and fatigue, and sometimes causing life-threatening heart attacks, the researchers found.
Yikes! *off to get some health insurance*
Backed by abortion rights groups, three Massachusetts women sued Wal-Mart on Wednesday, accusing the retail giant of violating a state regulation by failing to stock emergency contraception pills in its pharmacies.The lawsuit, filed in state court, seeks to force the company to carry the morning-after pill in its 44 Wal-Marts and four Sam Club stores in Massachusetts.
Right on ladies! Just another reason to not shop at Wal-mart as Broadsheet elaborates...
I realize this has been clear for a while now, but given that Wal-Mart pays women less, promotes women less and cares less about whether women have access to the medical remedies to which they have every right, women -- and men -- should not shop at Wal-Mart anymore.
Nuff said.
Looking at the roll call for Alito's confirmation vote, it's apparent that the only pro-choice Republican is Lincoln Chafee. Which is funny, because Chafee was one of the examples cited when some progressive bloggers criticized NARAL back in August for endorsing pro-choice Republicans:
Meanwhile, anti-abortion Democrats like Harry Reid don't vote for Frist or Lott, and they don't vote to confirm reactionary anti-choice judges like Janice Brown. There's no doubt Chafee will vote to confirm Roberts, regardless his record on choice, and yet NARAL would still rather endorse Chafee?
True, many anti-choice Democrats voted against Roberts and Alito. And Chafee may have gone the wrong way on Roberts, but he did oppose Alito. Arguably, that was a more important vote.
I'm not saying this absolves all NARAL-endorsed "pro-choice" Republicans who voted to confirm Alito. (I'm looking at you, Collins and Snowe.) But there were more Democrats who voted for Alito than Republicans who voted against him.
Because I like this debate (and because there's been some interesting reporting and commentary since August), I'm asking you: Where does Alito's confirmation leave the argument that we should be supporting even anti-choice Democrats because they vote the right way on judicial nominations?
Sure, it’s great news that two circuit courts ruled yesterday that the federal "partial-birth" abortion ban is unconstitutional. But nobody was really surprised, considering that every court to consider the federal abortion ban so far has ruled that the act is overly broad. And, in fact, Congress intended it that way, to force the court to reconsider its ruling in the 2000 case, Stenberg v. Carhart, which ruled state-level "partial-birth" abortion bans unconstitutional.
SCOTUSblog explains what all of this means.
The 64-page ruling by the Ninth Circuit found the federal Act unconstitutional for three reasons, summarizing them this way: "First, the Act lacks the constitutionally required health exception. Second, it imposes an undue burden on women's ability to obtain pre-viability abortions. Third, it is unconstitutionally vague, depriving physicians of fair notice of what it prohibits and encouraging arbitrary enforcement."
Rebecca Traister over at Salon does what she does best and breaks down what the hell happened with the Alito confirmation.
She leaves us with...
Roe will probably not be overturned, but in the coming decades it will get chipped away until it is almost unrecognizable, until abortions are legal only for privileged women with notes from parents and spouses in the first four weeks of gestation. It's worth remembering as we go back and forth on the technicalities about trimesters and spousal and parental notifications, and about how big a plank in the platform of either party abortion should be, that this fight is far from trivial or technical. What we're on the verge of losing is the legal acknowledgment that women are human beings capable of making decisions about their own bodies. What we could be losing is our equality under the law.
*sigh*
I mean seriously, I have so many mixed feelings about the much talked about Dove ad campaign (that started a year ago, my how time flys) and it's lofty goal of redefining beauty. It is just the marxist critic inside me that says this is not really what is going on.
Women's enews agrees...
Harousseau said the intent of the "Campaign for Real Beauty," launched globally in September 2004 after success in the European market, is to widen the stereotypical view of beauty, while advertising their firming lotion. The goal, while laudable, may also be shrewd. If more women feel beautiful, goes the underlying marketing premise, more will be inspired to take great care of themselves by buying beauty and hygiene products.
Also, the models are not really detracting from the millions of dollars that go to size 4 models, they actually only get paid a stipend, you know because they are real women.
On one level, it is totally cool to have billboards plastered with (albeit airbrushed and not bigger then size 12) *real* women. However, I think it is misleading to say that this is a)changing American's ideas of beauty standards or b)that is in any way the intention of Dove, really.
The intention is to sell more product and capture as many women as we can into the capitalist fortress of the beauty/body image machine.
Don't yah think?
Just to keep us updated. This is a terrible situation.
I am really excited about Chile right now. The new president has just hand picked 10 women and 10 men for her cabinet. She also said that her chief of staff will be a woman as well.
"This cabinet represents a historic step for equality between men and women," Ms Bachelet said. She and her cabinet will be sworn in on 11 March.The team combined new faces with experience, she said, and reflected the major challenges which lie ahead for Chile.
Some women elected include...
Engineer Vivianne Blanlot was named as the country's next defence minister, the post held by Ms Bachelet under outgoing President Ricardo Lagos.
Other women appointed include Paulina Veloso as chief-of-staff, Ingrid Antonijevic as economy minister and Clarisa Hardy as planning minister. Maria Soledad Barria will be in charge of health.
What are they running down there? A DEMOCRACY?!
