July 2006 Archives

The women of Kurdistan are dedicated to improving their lives. Through the development of advocacy groups and violence shelter's, several women's groups are making a substantial difference in the lives of women within Kurdistan region of Iraq.

The women in the city of Sulaimaniyah are trying to change the status quo, and help women caught in difficult and often violent situations.

Five years ago, the Asouda shelter for abused women opened in Sulaimaniyah. Since then, this independently-funded center has helped dozens of women victims of domestic violence, offering shelter, legal services and counseling.

Asouda also offers literacy and sewing classes, with the aim of helping the women to help themselves.

Asouda is not the only women's advocacy group in Sulaimaniyah. Runak Faraj Rahim is a social worker and researcher at the Rewan center for women's issues. She has written extensively on the issue of honor killings in Kurdish society, women who are killed by their fathers or brothers, if they suspect she has had extra-marital relations with a man.

This type of activity/movement/change does indeed inspire the shit out of me.

via VOA.

The Senate will vote today on the "Child Custody Protection Act," which would make it a federal crime (punishable with a $100,000 fine, one year in jail or both) to transport a minor across state lines for an abortion. It requires abortion providers to contact a minor's parent or guardian if she lives in a state with a parental consent or notification law. The legislation would also allow parents to sue if they "suffer harm" when their daughters cross state lines to get an abortion.

A similar bill, the "Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act," was passed by the House back in April.

In Planned Parenthood v. Casey the Supreme Court said it was A-OK (sigh) for individual states to restrict minors' abortion access. But this federal legislation isn't just taking another small chip out of abortion rights. It would force largely pro-choice states (like California, which recently rejected a parental notification ballot initiative) to abide by the restrictive laws passed by states with anti-choice legislatures. So much for letting individual states decide how to restrict abortion. Now we'll all be bound by the laws of our more conservative neighbors.

According to the Guttmacher Institute, 22 states have parental consent laws that require written permission from a parent before a minor can receive an abortion (Mississippi and North Dakota require consent from both parents), and 12 states require parental notification. Only 12 states make exceptions in cases of abuse or incest. Most states have a judicial bypass procedure, but I always wonder what sort of real option that is. If I'm a pregnant 16-year-old who's scared to tell my parents, how on earth will I be able to navigate the court system and tell a judge that I need an abortion?

This legislation certainly won't reduce the number of abortions-- if lawmakers wanted to do that they'd fund medically accurate sex-ed and increase contraception access. Instead the law is designed to punish teenagers who need abortions and the people who are there to help them in a time of crisis.

Click here to ask your Senator to oppose the bill.

And if you're interested, Legal Affairs recently published a thought-provoking debate on parental consent laws.

Things are not going so well. Women are organizing world-wide over the attacks in Lebanon. I am not saying I agree with the militants, but I can't say I blame them for being pissed.

Dozens of female Kashmiri separatists carrying placards and shouting anti-Israeli and anti-American slogans marched Monday to demand an end to Israel’s bombing of Lebanon.

The women, members and supporters of an Islamic women’s militant group, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, or “Daughters of Faith,� marched through the streets of Srinagar, the main city in India’s Jammu-Kashmir state, shouting slogans in support of the Hezbollah militant group. They were covered head-to-toe in black burqas, with only their eyes revealed.

It doesn't sound like these folks are fucking around. More to come on Lebanon.

via Khaleej Times.

Before accepting a job as the host of PBS's "The Good Night Show," Melanie Martinez starred in two "Technical Virgin" videos, in which she spoofs PSAs about how young women can keep their virginity. The network took her off the show last week, after she told them about the videos.

"PBS Kids Sprout has determined that the dialogue in this video is inappropriate for her role as a preschool program host and may undermine her character's credibility with our audience," said Sandy Wax, network president.

Right. As if most 2-to-5-year-olds even know what a virgin is, let alone how to find the Technical Virgin parody website. Seems a bit ridiculous.

Amnesty International recently decided to extend its mandate to support abortion access in cases of sexual violence. Of course, the freepers are unhappy about this. Because *god forbid* if something should happen to you, against your will, you should be allowed to control the consequences.

A small but growing band of pro-life campaigners and Roman Catholic clerics -- including some who have backed Amnesty's activities in the past -- say the Nobel Prize-winning group is drifting away from its principles of unbiased advocacy.
They have threatened to pull members and donations and have called for a flood of protest letters to Amnesty offices -- the same strategy the rights group uses to pressure for the release of political prisoners and others.
Amnesty officials note that any decision is still more than a year away and defend their right to debate abortion and birth control within the context of women's rights.

The religious folks believe that supporting abortion (in the case of SEXUAL VIOLENCE) is out of sync with Amnesty's mission of supporting human rights. Uh, I am not getting that one.

via AP.

Violence against women in Peru is an epidemic. Studies say more than half the women of Peru have been victims of domestic and/or sexual violence. Several factors have been identified, but mainly they have found that poverty is a major issue within the communities that report the highest incidents of violence against women.

Sexual violence against women in Peru is now so bad that Peru's President-elect Alan Garcia, who takes office Friday, made it one of his central campaign issues and has vowed to tackle the problem and give women a greater say in government.

Male frustration at high unemployment in Peru despite the country' unprecedented economic growth since 2002 and a corrupt justice system that rarely makes convictions are exacerbating violence against women in an already macho society.

The study found that more than 300 women have been killed by men committing sexual violence in Peru since 2003, even in cases when victims asked for police protection.

Some 51 percent of women in Lima and 69 percent of women in the southern Andean city of Cuzco said they have been victims of sexual or physical violence, the study added.

These are indeed staggering statistics.
via Reuters.

FYI--

Tamoxifen, the pill that prevents breast cancer in high-risk women, does not appear in the long run to save many lives, U.S. researchers reported on Monday.

Women at the highest risk of breast cancer do appear to live longer if they take tamoxifen, the researchers report in the latest issue of the journal Cancer.

But for women at the low end of the high risk group, the sometimes serious side effects of tamoxifen outweigh the benefits, Dr. Joy Melnikow of the University of California, Davis, and colleagues reported.

Tamoxifen can cause blood clots and uterine cancer.

via Reuters.

The Afghani government, with the approval of Hamid Karzai, is going to re-establish the Department for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice that historically served to curb the rights of women.

The decision has provoked an outcry among women and human rights activists who fear a return to the days when religious police patrolled the streets, beating or arresting any woman who was not properly covered by a burka or accompanied by a male relative.

"This is a very bad idea at a bad time," said Sam Zia-Zarifi, the Asia research director of Human Rights Watch. "We're close to the edge in Afghanistan. It really could all go wrong and it is alarming that the United Nations and Western governments are not speaking out on this issue."

Huh, funny remember back when we invaded Afghanistan, our motivation was to spread democracy and defend women's rights? Foiled again! Laura Bush and her "campaign for women's rights" really only matters if it is connected to military intervention tactics and US imperialistic tendencies I suppose.

The repression of women was often cited in the West as a reason to intervene and oust the Taliban. Both the US First Lady and the wife of the British Prime Minister made passionate speeches on the subject.

Laura Bush took over her husband's weekly radio address in November 2001 to boast that "because of our recent military gains in much of Afghanistan, women are no longer imprisoned in their homes. They can listen to music and teach their daughters without fear of punishment".

Yet almost five years after the fall of the Taliban, Afghan women are far from achieving these aims. There have already been more attacks in the first half of this year than all of last year and according to a UN official, barely a day goes by without a school being burnt or teacher killed.

via The Australian.

According to last year's statistics on HIV/AIDS infection in South Africa it seems that pregnant women are the fastest growing segment of the population to become infected.

The department of health says its figures for 2005 show that HIV prevalence has increased by the largest figure among pregnant women aged 35 to 39.

The department has released the figures of its annual HIV and syphilis prevalence survey on its website. The statistics show that HIV prevalence among women aged 35 to 39 climbed by 4% in 2005 compared to the 2004 figures.

All together they found that 5.5 million folks are living with HIV/AIDS.

Damn.

via SABC News.

Hello, feministing readers! I'm Lindsay, your guest blogger. Currently, I'm perched at the base of a street light sucking WiFi from an open network.

I'm curious to hear your reactions to this New York Times Sunday Magazine piece about unfit parents losing custody of their children.

I'm curious to know what you guys think of it.

A senior aide in the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales resigned following newspaper claims his former girlfriend had an abortion nearly 20 years ago.

Missouri's corrections department plans to fight a judge's ruling that they must provide transportation to women inmates seeking abortion.

And in more Missouri news, a Kansas City program is offering drug addicts $300 to get on longterm birth control or be sterilized. I don't think drug addicts would make the best parents, but I definitely agree with Lynn Paltro of National Advocates for Pregnant Women, who says (of the program's founder), "She makes it all about individual blame. She creates the mythology that if you could just get a certain group of people to stop procreating, some social and economic problems would go away. … That’s the same economic argument that was used to justify eugenics."

Samantha Weeks just became the second woman in history to be invited to join the Thunderbirds, the top eight fighter pilots in the entire Air Force.

South Dakota Republicans are fighting amongst themselves over what to do about party members who opposed the state's abortion ban.

Meghan Daum discusses Batwoman's new sexual identity.

On Friday the Senate debated a bill that would make it a federal crime to take a teenager across state lines to have an abortion without a parental consent. The so-called Child Interstate Abortion Notification Act was passed by the House back in April.

Anti-abortion protesters with graphic signs have invaded downtown Baltimore, and most people aren't pleased. Says one woman, “I think it’s offensive and I don’t think it helps — and I’m against abortion. Women have abortions for reasons. Address the reasons and you address abortion.� Sounds a lot more rational to me.

The confrontation continues outside Mississippi's only abortion clinic.

Outrate.net interviews Camille Paglia.

While debating the gay marriage ban, Rep. Lincoln Davis (who's a Democrat) said he thinks Congress should “outlaw divorce in this country� and “outlaw adultery and make it a felony.� He also thinks divorcees and adulterers should be barred from running for office. Davis claims he said this to point out that all "threats to marriage" should be punished equally. Which is interesting rhetoricall, but then Davis voted for the amendment. Sigh.

The first issue of Australian feminist magazine Wo! hits newsstands August 2. They also have a blog.

I'm taking a much needed vacation with the family this week, so I leave you in the very capable hands of the other Feministing gals and the lovely Lindsay of Majikthise, who will be guest blogging.

I'll be back on the 30th, hopefully well-rested, tanned and fattened.

They're giving an award to the Girlcott gals! They're even cooler in person, by the way.

What I love about feminists (esp older ones): they love to hiss. Abercrombie and Fitch? Hissssss.

Ani DiFranco is supposed to making some sort of huge announcement...we'll see.

By the way, my panel this morning went really well. Unfortunately, Liza couldn't make it because of a tragedy in her family. Send her good thoughts. Lindsay--who is going to be guest blogging next week while I'm on vacation--stepped in and was terrific.

So NOW is giving the Dove campaign folks an award. Thoughts? I mean, "real life" models are great but they are selling cellulite cream...

Ani's on. It's cliché, but I still crush on her. Oh my god, she's crying. I crush hard.

Oh my god, Ani is pregnant. And did a little pregnant patriarchy poem. Sigh.

It doesn't get worse than this. The South Bend Tribune reported last week:

A 2-year-old South Bend girl was reportedly raped by four young boys Tuesday evening on South Bend's far west side.

The girl was taken to an area hospital by a relative with non-life threatening injuries, South Bend Police spokesman Capt. Phil Trent said Wednesday afternoon. Police have four male suspects ages 5, 6, 7 and 10. Trent said he believes all of them are relatives of the girl.

All four suspects played some part in the alleged rape, according to Trent. He said the child could have been raped more than once.

Just a reminder to go check out Altar magazine's Her Voice, Her View film festival, which kicked off last weekend in NYC and will be featuring fantastic feminist films through this weekend and next.

If you haven't seen NO! The Rape Documentary, directed by Aishah Shahidah Simmons, (whom Celina had the pleasure of interviewing back in May), it will be featured tonight.

According to a new Austrian study:

When men spend the night with a bed mate their sleep is disturbed, whether they make love or not, and this impairs their mental ability the next day.

"Make love." Heehee.

Women, on the other hand, sleep deeper than men with a bed mate and doesn't have the same impairment on their mental ability the next day. Dr Neil Stanley, a sleep expert at the University of Surrey suggested that "women are pre-programmed to cope better with broken sleep." You know, because we're babymaking caretakers and all.

NOTE: Vanessa wrote this post...it says Jessica because she wrote it from Jess' laptop, oops!

As an update to the recently proposed Guarantee of Medical Accuracy in Sex Education Act, a new report introduced by Rep. Henry A. Waxman has revealed that $30 million of federal funding towards abstinence-only programs have been funneled into anti-choice crisis pregnancy centers since 2001.

Whie thirty mil out of the hundreds of millions spent towards abstinence-only programs over the past five years (over one billion was spent since 1998) isn't a huge percentage, we can't forget that it's still millions of federal dollars being put into illegal and extremely harmful practices that are conducted in these supposedly "safe spaces" for women to go when in need.

Nonetheless, it's good to see Waxman isn't giving up on this. Let's just hope that this new legislation is passed.

Check out the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS) for more detailed information on federal funding of abstinence-only programs.

So Jessica and I are off to Albany and the National NOW Conference and Young Feminist Summit today. Jessica, Amanda from Pandagon and Liza from culturekitchen will be speaking on a panel on blogging, while I'll be representing Girls for Gender Equity on a panel covering Title IX. (After all, we did just celebrate its birthday.)

NOW is celebrating their 40th birthday as well. They're even having Ani sing them happy birthday -- just kidding! (But she is coming and I totally wouldn't be surprised if that happened.)

NOTE: Vanessa wrote this post...but from Jess' laptop, hence the author fuckup.

Only in the New York Times style section.

That's right! Hot, horny desperate women everywhere are "nailing" their handymen and contractors!

“Nobody knows,� Mr. Hay said. “The contractor isn’t going to tell because the husband is writing the check, the wife isn’t going to tell, and you get a better job because she’s providing a fringe benefit. Everybody wins.�

Ah yes. Whenever want great service, I make sure to open my legs and offer a "fringe benefit."

This story has all the makings of a New York Times Invent-A-Trend: A Gotham magazine society editor "says he has heard more and more stories" about women having affairs with men doing repair work on their homes. A House Beautiful editor says, “I can’t tell you how many times" he's heard about it. A Hamptons columnist says the contractor can become your “de facto guy." All the elements are present... Interviewing primarily other members of the media? Check. Scant anecdotal evidence? Check. The only thing this story's missing is a few quotes from Ivy League graduates.

What's next? An article about how female nurses are increasingly wearing short white uniforms, red lipstick, and providing their well-endowed patients with some extra TLC? Or maybe one about the "emerging trend" of naughty schoolgirls seducing their male teachers? If you're a gossip columnist or a Harvard graduate, you should call a New York Times reporter today and inform them that these things are going on! The world needs to know.

Also, if you're someone who's generally attracted to men you may agree (as Gawker does) that the photos accompanying the article don't make the strongest case for the "allure" of the handyman. "Ronald Brannan, a contractor in Southern California, has been impressed by the power of his job to attract women," one photo is captioned, clearly because his stunning looks and charming personality alone wouldn't be enough to prompt even the most desperate of housewives to remove his toolbelt.

The "Born Different" ad campaign-- with its mooing spokesdog, Norman-- was created to persuade Colorado voters to say yes to domestic partner benefits for gay couples. The campaign tries to cleverly point out that not all dogs bark, and not all people are heterosexual.

Kind of a weird message. Predictably, Focus on the Family takes it to a whole new level of crazy by responding with Sherman, an anti-gay pooch who definitely only barks (see above)... and opposes same-sex partnerships.

First they point out that the famous gay penguins have since repented and are now living a properly hetero life. Then they say that "we can't base our behavior on what animals do." So that means humans can't "leave the lifestyle" either? I'm so confused.

Why can't either side show images of actual gay humans when discussing this issue?

Thanks to Darin for the link.

In related Focus on the Family news, check out this fascinating profile of SpongeDob.

Because I have a weakness for both sewing and trashy TV, I'm a total Project Runway addict.

For this week's challenge, designers were paired off to make pageant gowns for Miss America. One team, composed of the truly crazy Vincent and always-annoying Angela, bickered the entire time. Angela at one point refused to help at all, and Vincent later demanded she stay 3 feet away from the dress form. In short, they were both acting like children.

At the end of the day, Vincent was complaining to other male contestants about having to work with Angela. And Jeffrey Sebelia (he of the nasty neck tattoo and even nastier attitude) poked his head around the corner to say, "I got one word for ya: FEMINAZI!"

I'm not defending Angela's design skills or behavior (or taste, for that matter), but that seems totally ridiculous. And this isn't the first time "feminazi" has been used as an insult on the show to describe a woman who disagrees with a self-righteous male designer.

Project Runway (season 1) winner Jay McCarroll mentioned the term Feminazi to describe eBay Style Director Constance White during the show's "Making A Splash" challenge, where White was a guest judge. It was said to fellow contestant Robert Plotkin, who earlier was criticized by White for his oft-quoted comparison of women to sports cars.

I missed Season 1 due to lack of access to premium cable, but it makes me wonder how a proudly, openly feminist contestant would fare on the show. It's no secret that feminists and fashion haven't always gotten along. But I think the two can definitely coexist, and would even venture to say that learning to make clothes, DIY-style, is definitely a feminist act. (And can be feminist activism, too!)

Bush will use his first veto to stop a law seeking to expand embryonic stem cell research.

Maureen Lane, co-director of Welfare Rights Initiative at Hunter College, has an article at Alternet (via TomPaine) about how the Department of Health and Human Services’ handling of welfare programs is keeping women poor.

Study after study has shown that when people receiving welfare have the chance to get an education -- whether it's earning a college degree, securing a GED or mastering the English language -- their family incomes and long-term prospects improve far more than those families who remain trapped in low-wage jobs. Yet dead-end low-wage positions without benefits or security are frequently the only jobs people pushed off the rolls without education and training are able to secure in this economy.

Make sure to check out the whole thing; it's good stuff.

Related: Don't forget that the Bush administration would rather see women married than with a job.

A new form of contraception--well, not so new, it’s pretty much like Norplant--has just been approved by the FDA.

Once a doctor inserts the Implanon device under the skin, a single rod releases a synthetic progesterone hormone each day to block the release of an egg from the ovaries, maker Akzo Nobel NV said.

Studies of 923 women suggested Implanon was 99 percent effective at preventing pregnancy, Food and Drug Administration officials said. Fertility returned quickly after the rod was removed, sometimes within 30 days, said Dr. Scott Monroe, FDA's acting director of reproductive and urologic products.

...Implanon's approval follows Wyeth's withdrawal in 2000 of the controversial Norplant contraceptive after tests found thousands of implants may have been faulty.

Apparently Implanon (could they think of a less attractive name?) doesn’t have the same problems as Norplant because it’s just sticking one rod in your arm, rather than six. Ouch. Give me my pill any day.

Contributed by Gwendolyn Beetham

So… I was a little late in getting this to Jessica, but I wanted to write a quick post on the UN Human Rights Committee, which is meeting in Geneva this week to review U.S. compliance with international human rights agreements.

A couple U.S. women's rights organizations got together to write a gender shadow report for the Committee, and you can find that here. It’s an interesting (and shocking) report – and I’m not only saying that because I’m quoted in it for work I did at the National Council for Research on Women.

The shadow report basically documents the various ways the U.S. has been violating the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, including: the fact that the U.S. does not comply with international standards for the treatment of incarcerated women, does not recognize women seeking asylum from gender-specific persecution, refuses to adopt laws to address the gender pay gap, and does not clearly prohibit sex discrimination in the U.S. Constitution. The list goes on…

Women’s eNews also has great coverage of the shadow report and the Center for Reproductive Rights in New York did a separate shadow report specifically focused on reproductive rights. Check it out here. And hurray for “American human rights.� (Sorry, not feeling particularly patriotic after reading this shit.)

At least women in Missouri prisons, anyway.

A federal judge ruled yesterday that the state must provide transportation for any woman prisoner seeking to end her pregnancy. Which is a good thing, because both of the state's women's prisons are more than two hours away from the nearest abortion provider. It's not like these women can just walk down the street or have an abortion at the prison health center.

Given that Missouri usually has from 35 to 50 pregnant inmates in any given month and surveys of incarcerated women have shown that more than 83 percent have had a history of unplanned pregnancy, this is great news.

Thanks to Erin for the link.

Are you serious? Check out what the Los Angeles Times had to say about Bush's nasty little Merkel-massage:

Entering the meeting room, as relayed by a Russian television camera, Bush headed directly behind the chancellor, reached out and, placing both hands on the collar of her gold jacket, gave her a short massage just below the neck.

She smiled.

Smiled? Seriously? Huh, and here I thought she threw up her arms in self-defense/disgust. But what do I know.

Via Broadsheet.

Half fairy tale, half Classic Concentration. Totally bizarre.

From the Associated Press:

A federal judge has denied a request by anti-abortion protesters for a temporary restraining order against the Jackson Police Department for alleged First Amendment violations.

Boo hoo. It must totaly suck when the courts won’t let you harass women.

This weekend I'll be heading up to Albany for the National Organization for Women's annual conference and Young Feminist Summit. They'll also be celebrating their 40th anniversary!

Cool fact: I'm doing a panel with Amanda and Liza on feminism and blogging. Should be fun.

Related: The Christian Science Monitor has an article up today about the history of NOW and where it's headed. (Full disclosure: I'm quoted in it.) Check it out...

Raw Story reports that a proposal to establish an "Office of Victim Advocate" within Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld's office has been rejected.

Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-NY) had reintroduced the "Military Domestic and Sexual Violence Response Act" in May, along with 28 co-sponsors.

The bill includes a variety of provisions, but its first title seeks to establish an Office of Victim Advocate to assist victims of alleged assaults.

Slaughter explained in her testimony that the Defense Department needs an Office of Victim Advocate "to oversee and coordinate efforts to prevent and respond to cases of family violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking within the military and among military families."

From 2004 to 2005, there has been a 40 percent increase in the reports of sexual assaults in the military, so you would think that taking some action would be a no-brainer.

Sexual assault victims in the military can go to Sexual Assault Response Coordinators for help, but according to experts these coordinators aren’t enough.

...Anita Sanchez, the Director of Communications at the Miles Foundation, an organization that advocates for military programs to prevent and respond to sexual assault, sees problems with the current approach. She told RAW STORY that for many of the advocates, "This is a voluntary position, many are uniformed personnel, and for both the victim and the advocates themselves it poses issues. They have limited education and training, and their background is not within this type of assistance or services."

The Pentagon didn’t give Raw Story an explanation for why the proposal was rejected, but only said that “the Department does not tolerate sexual assault of any kind and the department has worked vigorously to implement programs to prevent [it].� Clearly.

This shit is wild:

A third day of anti-abortion rallies and counter-demonstrations in Jackson on Monday saw nine arrests, tires slashed, a false report that a fetus had been found in a downtown bank and a lawsuit filed against the city.

Huh. A bank fetus? Thankfully pro-choice activists are out in force, despite alleged unfair treatment by police:

They linked arms to form a line in the grass and chanted "my body, my right."

Several officers told abortion-rights activists their signs were not permitted and to put them away or they would be removed from the area.

"We have provided a peaceful presence at these events," said Michelle Colon, president of the Jackson-area National Organization for Women. "And we're really disheartened at how horribly we've been treated here (by police)."

For information on how you can get involved, click here.

Lynn Paltrow, the executive director of National Advocates for Pregnant Women, has a great piece up on Alternet about laws that seek to punish pregnant women for...well, almost anything.

In Arkansas' recent special spring session, Hot Springs Rep. Bob Mathis followed up his successful proposal to make it illegal for someone to smoke in a car with children with a proposal to ban pregnant women from smoking. For those who subscribe to the view that pregnant women are vessels, treating them like cars makes perfect sense.

No one disputes that smoking, drinking and using drugs raise serious health issues for everyone, including pregnant women and their future children. Addressing these health matters, however, through punitive prohibition measures does not work to protect the health of women or the babies they're carrying. Rather, focusing on pregnant women as dangerous people who require special control or punishment inevitably undermines maternal and fetal health. Such measures divert attention from pregnant women's lack of access to health services, and deters them from seeking what little help is available.

No joke. And I’m still convinced that it’s a slippery, pre-pregnant, slope.

Make sure to take the AFL-CIO's Ask a Working Woman survey--the responses will be sent to every U.S. representative and senator (and state and local officials) on Labor Day.

Word.

Ew. President Bush tries to give German Chancellor Angela Merkel a creepy little back massage as he’s walking by her at the G-8 Summit. Her body language says it all. The video is here.

Via Daily Kos.

I saw this a while ago, and was just waiting to see it on YouTube (The Daily Show videos have army commercials before the clip!). Ed Helms covers the “controversy� of a restaurant being named the Pink Taco.

It’s amazing. Best part? When Pink Taco owner Harry Morton points out the hypocrisy of Scottsdale being down on his restaurant while supporting the Vagina Monologues, “a play about a vagina talking.�

A new report released by Rep. Henry Waxman shows that federally funded "pregnancy resource centers" mislead young women about abortion. Not exactly shocking news, but it's frigging great to have some backup to what feminists have been talking about for a while.

This is so cool: Investigators went to 23 different anti-choice centers, pretending to be pregnant 17 year-olds. The investigators were told that abortion leads to breast cancer, infertility, and mental illness.

The report also found that 87 percent of the centers--which have received over $30 million in federal funding--provided false or misleading information about abortion.

But as we all know, young women are so much better off with false, misleading, and dangerous information. Cause otherwise they might make informed decisions. (Shudder.)

Thanks to all the people who sent me Sunday's Doonesbury, which implies that feminism isn't needed anymore. (Make sure to check out the whole strip.)

Now, it would be nice if no one needed to call themselves feminists because the world was a shiny happy equality-filled place--but we're far from there.

Amanda thinks that the strip is more wistful than anything else. What do you think?

Oh how I wish this was a joke. Conservative blogger Iowahawk is holding an online beauty contest using mugshots of female inmates in Des Moines' Polk County Jail.

When I first started posting the comely mugshots of selected arrestees from Des Moines' Polk County Jail (h/t State 29), I had no idea so many readers shared my fascination with caged pulchritude. To commemorate the anniversary of this popular feature, I think it's finally time to select the official Hawkeye Hoosegow Honey of the Year.

So classy it hurts.

Today marks the 30th anniversary of the U.S. Naval Academy admitting women.

While the percent of women in the academy has increased significantly--there were 22 percent women in this year's class--there still are plenty of problems:

The most recent [report] found that in the 2004-05 school year, 59 percent of female midshipmen and 14 percent of men reported sexual harassment--defined as crude and offensive behavior, unwanted sexual attention or sexual coercion. Sexist behavior--put-downs and offensive comments--was reported by 93 percent of women and 50 percent of men.

The article also reports that a player on the academy's football team was recently charged with raping a female midshipman. So while today is definitely a milestone, it's not exactly time to celebrate yet.

A bridge in Paris has been named after feminist Simone de Beauvoir. Awesome.

Designed in the form of two steel intersecting curves, [the footbridge] is part of a regeneration effort in south-eastern parts of the French capital.

This is the city's 37th bridge and the first to be named after a woman.

De Beauvoir is most-known for her groundbreaking book, The Second Sex.

My fave de Beauvoir moment recently? When in an article about manly man Harvey Mansfield, a writer from The Harvard Crimson identified Simone de Beauvoir as Simon.

Pro-choice women gathered in Jackson, Mississippi this weekend to support the state’s last clinic that provides abortion.

Operation Save America (formerly Operation Rescue) had been planning an assault on the clinic for some time, but thanks to the organizing skills of different women’s organizations, pro-choice activists were out in force.

Clinic officials say they won't be deterred. Many women travel for hours to get to the state's only clinic, says Susan Hill, president of the Jackson Women's Health Organization. "To me this isn't really a protest, it's really abusing women — the women who come into the clinic to work there, the women who come in to have surgery — screaming and yelling at them is abuse," she says. "We don't intend to be run out by a bunch of people screaming at us."

But OSA says they won’t leave until the clinic is shut down for good. I'm trying to find out the best way to support the Jackson Women's Health Organization, but I'm betting a donation would be appreciated. Here's their info.

For more information, check out Frontline’s The Last Abortion Clinic.

Ladies across the country (and Brazil!) are bringing some heat to their guitars, drums, microphones and the like at Rock n’ roll camp. I was able to see S-K perform a benefit show during the second year of the Portland camp, and though they won’t be making a repeat appearance (single tear), lots of other talented women are helping to make the rock happen. Join up!

Portland, Oregon’s Girls Rock n’ Roll Camp for Girls
New York City’s Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls Co-founded by Real Hot 100 winner Ingrid Hu Dahl
Girls Rock! Chicago

Or you could just go to this and support the Portland camp by rocking out in the crowd.

Anyway, it’s HOT outside, so why don’t you spend some more time online? For some additional reading, check out Girlistic for some grassroots feminism. Jaymi and April created the site and will have an accompanying magazine later this year. Yay for more feminists getting their voices out there and helping others do the same.

More reading, writing and ‘rithmetic in a week.

Massachusetts' highest court validated a proposed state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, allowing it to go on a statewide ballot.

The AP has been referring to a 14-year-old rape and murder victim as a "woman."

A New York district attorney fired a dozen part-time women prosecutors unless they agree to work full time. The D.A., who is a woman, defended her decision by saying that some of the top executive positions in her district are held by women. As if that makes it all better.

The McDonald's in Amsterdam has removed its offensive urinals shaped like a woman's mouth. Back in 2004, Virgin Airways also backed off their decision to install the urinals at JFK airport.

Peaches says of her lyrics, "they're sexual, and they’re also questioning sexual standards of rock and hiphop... Or even, you know, [Jan and] Dean, who said, [sings] “two girls for every boy…� and I’m like, “two guys for every girl.�

The psychologist who coined the term "gender role" has died.

Jewish feminists are reclaiming the mikvah bath.

In an effort to combat misleading "crisis-pregnancy centers," Australia has a bill under Senate Committee review to regulate the advertising of anti-abortion groups. Learn more here.

The Guerrilla Girls are still going apeshit over the lack of recognition for women artists.

Today marks the opening day of Gay Games VII in Chicago, Illinois. More than 12,000 members of the global lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) community from 70 countries will be taking part in the Games all week. And Nancy Brigham, 49, of the San Francisco team will be one of them, competing in the women’s bodybuilding/master physique portion of the Games for women ages 40-49.

Nancy won a gold medal in Sydney in 2002, and is looking for another gold this year. She’ll be competing on Tuesday. So if you’re in the area, give the girl some support! The closing ceremony is Saturday, July 22.

And when Nancy is not at the gym training, she’s at Brigham’s Therapeutic Massage. The private practice she founded in 1988.

Here’s Nancy…

Check out these two Alternet pieces that take on conditions for women in Iraq -- one concerning U.S. female soldiers, and the other on Iraqi women and sexual terrorism.

As an update to the hilarious Onion piece (“I’m totally psyched about this abortion!�) we linked to last month, check out Rebecca Traister’s interview with the anti-choice crazy who actually took the article seriously.

“Pete,� founder of the anti-choice blog March Together for Life, tells Traister of his humiliation in misunderstanding the article’s satire, his confusing childhood, and his talks with Jesus Christ. (Yes, Jesus talks back.)

Check out this press release by The Leadership Council via Trish Wilson about PAS, a theory that essentially puts abused children in the custody of their abusers.

Parental Alienation Syndrome claims that children’s disclosures of abuse by a parent are frequently reinterpreted as evidence of “brainwashing� by the other parent. The solution to this problem? Give custody to the alleged abuser.

Luckily, most of the legal community thinks the syndrome is nothing more than “junk science�: The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges condemns PAS as a “discredited� syndrome, as well as the American Bar Association’s Children’s Legal Rights Journal, who conclude in a review of PAS that “science, law, and policy� all oppose its admissibility in court.

Read the whole press release for the details; this is one of the most fucked up faux "syndromes" I’ve encountered in quite a while.

That's my favorite line from yesterday's Village Voice article by Rachel Kramer Bussel titled, “Fucking and Feminism.� Here’s a snippet:

Ladies, be warned: Your pussies are causing the downfall of society. If we keep posing for nude photos, sucking cock (and enjoying it), and getting Brazilian bikini waxes, our hard-won feminist gains will disappear, according to the latest generation of scolds and alarmists. . . To them, fucking freely is bungling our climb toward equality.

While she acknowledges that sex is obviously complex, she also says that being submissive in the sack doesn’t mean you’re not feminist.

“I may like to get spanked until I scream, but I still deserve to be treated as an intelligent human being. Submitting sexually doesn't equal becoming a doormat outside the bedroom.�

This lusty lady’s got a point. The feminist movement has been struggling with bedroom politics for so long, it might be time to put the debate to bed (no pun intended). As Bussel says, “[It’s] as if coming up with the most politically correct form of orgasm will automatically solve other inequities.�

Thoughts?

Not that anyone is all that interested in my bruises, but this I had to share. Apparently my little scooter mishap earlier this week has resulted in a fractured hip bone and the coolest bruise I've ever had. It's in the shape of my handle bar--you can even see the lines from the throttle!

Yeah, I know; I'm way too excited about this. Give me a break; it's Friday. Pic after the jump.

Three words: Fuji Computed Radiology.

While the name of a camera company is a wee bizarre to see when talking about mammography, this shit seems pretty cool.

Digital technology has been used for other types of X-rays for almost two decades, but breast cancer was never really possible because of the high resolution that was required. Now younger women (and with lovely lady lumpy or dense breasts) in particular can take advantage of digital mammography.

This is partly in response to the existence of occasional misdiagnoses from traditional film mammograms. A study done last year showed that digital mammography diagnosed 28% more cancers in women under 50 with dense breasts, therefore making it a better option.

And while digital X-raying was always super expensive for hospitals to buy, this new technology will be sold for a significant amount cheaper.

But we’re talking about the hospitals' cost, not the patients'. Would they have the same access and cost as a film mammogram? (My misgivings towards the medical industry are kicking in.)

It’s nice to see this type of recognition. (A few centuries after the fact.)

Virginia issued a ceremonial pardon this week to Grace Sherwood, the only person in the state to be convicted as a witch.

Sherwood was accused of witchcraft in 1698 due to her midwifery and occasionally wearing “men’s clothes.� She went to court a dozen times to either fight the charges against her or attempt to sue her accusers of slander. On her final case, she was subjected to “trial by water,� a common custom those days where people would drop accused witches into rivers to see if they would float in order to determine their guilt.

Check out an article from 1934 with details of the case; these people had a sick delight of watching strong women suffer.

Via Boing Boing.

I just have to cut and paste this whole thing. And then I am going to turn my computer off and pretend I never read it in the first place!

A police magazine is advising women planning a drunken night out to ensure they had waxed and were "wearing nice pants" in case they collapsed.

Suffolk Police's Safe! magazine carries a reminder for readers "intent on getting ratted", alongside a picture of a scantily-clad woman on the floor with the caption "if you've got it don't flaunt it".

It reads: "If you fall over or pass out, remember your skirt or dress may ride up. You could show off more than you intended - for all our sakes, please make sure you're wearing nice pants and that you've recently had a wax. Better still, eat before you go out, think about how much you're drinking, pace yourself and drink plenty of water in between bevvies or better still, don't get in this sorry state - it's not nice."

Suffolk police defended its "gossipy, tongue-in-cheek style" saying officers hoped it would encourage young women to pick up the magazine and take notice.

"There have been a number of attacks on women who have been drinking and there is a serious safety message to get across," said a police spokesman.

How the fuck does that get any type of safety message across? And you know for the umpteenth time, if you are a woman AND drunk AND passed out, you asked for it. I will not even dignify this with analysis. Fuckers.

via TelegraphUK.

From Ed Carpenter, an IRL driver four slots below driver Danica Patrick:

"I think Danica's pretty aggressive in our cars...I mean, you know especially if you catch her at the right time of the month."

Who knew being on the rag would help you on the road?

Thanks to Mike for the link.

Check out this great interview with Jemele Hill, the only black female sports columnist found in a survey done by the Associated Press Sports Editors.

Hill says that she has "pretty much heard every racist and sexist insult there is." Make sure to check out the whole thing.

The New York Times has a piece up today about the evolution of the word slut, "The Taming of the Slur."

It's an interesting piece, though it irks me that it's in the Styles section. (Because what's more fashionable than the sexual double standard?)

Oh how this part reminded me of high school:

Often, [Leora Tanenbaum] said, the label has nothing to do with sexual behavior. Among teenagers, the word has been attached to girls whose bodies develop more quickly than those of their peers, Ms. Tanenbaum said, as well as to pretty girls, girls who are somehow different, even girls who have been raped.

I was, um, more endowed boobie-wise than a lot of my classmates--this apparently meant I was having enormous amounts of sex. Constantly.

And, for once, I agree with what Ariel Levy had to say: “I think there are a lot of women who want to have a lot of sex because they enjoy it.� Funny that we need someone to remind us that women actually like sex.

It was but over a year ago that I made my feministing debut with a post on Larry Summers (I can't believe it has been so long!) and his stupid remarks on women in science. That moment caused a huge stir throughout the country as several women working in science were like, um no, I am just as capable, but I have not been given the same opportunities, hello!

Now this is exciting. A transgender professor at Stanford has just published an essay called Does Gender Matter?, which discusses how gender plays out in the field of science and how he is being treated differently by colleagues as a he, as opposed to a she. Umhm.

Now, Stanford University professor of neurobiology Dr. Ben Barres is wading into the fray with an essay in this week's Nature, contending that women are just as scientifically inclined as men -- if given a level playing field and the chance to shine.

He should know: Ten years ago, as Barbara Barres, this M.D. and Ph.D. made the decision to undergo hormone therapy and begin living as a man.

In his provocative essay, Does Gender Matter?, Ben Barres contends that it does -- that the attitude of others in the sciences changed toward him soon after he made the switch.

"The main difference that I have noticed is that people who don't know that I am transgendered treat me with much more respect," he writes. "I can even complete a whole sentence without being interrupted by a man."

That fundamental lack of respect for women is what Barres, 51, believes drives the relatively low representation of females in the world of science -- not any innate genetic inability.

You can keep reading the article at Forbes.

Interesting stuff. Thoughts?

The church of England is demanding that traditionalists accept the ordination of women as bishops and priests.

In the first step towards women bishops, the General Synod voted yesterday to enforce a church law that upholds the ordination of all bishops, priests and deacons without exception.

Until now, an Act of Synod has protected Anglican Catholics who refuse to accept the ordination of women as valid and allowed them to declare their parishes “no-go zones� for women priests.

Traditionalists tend to be against women being ordained because they believe they will "taint" the church-hood (what is this the dark ages, keep your period blood away from this church!). You know because molesting young children is where real purity lies. Not that all priests are child molesters because they are not, but come on people!

Earlier this year bishops tried to draw up a plan that would have created havens for traditionalists, but their attempts collapsed in disarray. Yesterday the General Synod agreed in York to set up a new group to tackle the framing of the legislation for women bishops. The legislation will be voted on in about five years and will need a two-thirds majority to pass.

Members agreed that those against the ordination of women could still be considered “loyal Anglicans�, but declared that any new arrangements for traditionalists had to be “consistent with Canon A4�, the church law stating that all those ordained in the Church of England are “lawfully ordained� and must be accepted by all as “truly bishops, priests or deacons�.

Oh snap!

via Times Online.

Since I have never had to collect firewood to make food or to make money, I can't imagine a) having to do that and b) being afraid of being attacked when doing it.

In Sudan’s Darfur region, women and young girls continue to bear the brunt of the insecurity. Many continue to be attacked and raped.

“There is a real problem with women collecting firewood in order to sustain their cooking and their family needs, sometimes as a form of income. First and foremost that they have to leave the camps in order to collect firewood, which is really unsafe for women and leaves them very vulnerable. Also, their firewood source in most areas is depleting. So now the women have to walk further in order to get the firewood, which leaves them even more vulnerable,� she says.

Damn.

via Voice of America.

A study in Canada found that a large percentage of women end up financially insecure after the death of their husbands.

The study found that the adjusted income of senior widows dropped 13.2 per cent in the five years after the death of their husband, while the income of widowers increased by 5.8 per cent in the same period.

In addition to experiencing an overall decline in median family income, more widows also fell below the low-income threshold. Five years after the spouse's death, 8.7 per cent of women were living in poverty, compared with 5.1 per cent of men. Among seniors who did not live below the threshold before their spouse's death, 8 per cent of widows and 4.3 per cent of widowers had slipped into poverty five years later.

Many of the women within this particular generation (that had the option i.e. middle class or wealthier) did stay home and "take care of the family". As a result they rarely have a pension for themselves. This study will obviously look different as the proceeding generations, either by choice or necessity, most women DO work, but I wonder how different. And what about women that never marry or people that can't get married, like gays? Hm Hm, I guess they just stay poor. Interesting.
via GlobeandMail.com

What is it with all of these studies on women and cell phones? The most recent has apparently found that 75% of women don't know how to use them.

Seven in 10 women ask partners or even their children for advice on how to operate gadgets, including having others download music to an MP3 player for them.

Wondering about the relevancy of this blatantly incorrect data, I found that the retailer who did the study has formed their very own "GadgetAngels," an all-female team of experts who will basically teach us dum dums how to use cell phones in order to break down this gender-based "technofear."

While the study is obviously part of a marketing strategy to seem like this "women-friendly" company that will save us from our idiocies, it also perpetuates the whole idea that women are technologically incompetent.

At the least, they could have thought of a better name than "GadgetAngels." Barf.

From Married to the Sea, via Nerve.

Make sure to check out my interview with Katha Pollitt over at Salon.

What I find hysterical right now is that an interview about backlash is generating all backlash letters. So please, leave me some kind words. After all, I'm in pain today.

Related: Make sure to check out Pollitt's op-ed in the NY Times about the infamous Wonkette book review. It even has a great title, Thank You for Hating My Book.

Sorry if I'm slow getting posts up today, or if they're lacking in length. I took a spill on my scooter yesterday; road burn and I are best friends right now.

Thanks for your patience!

Damn.

Officials at the State Center Community College District, in Fresno, Calif., are remaining tight-lipped after as many as 10 men, some of whom are football players at district colleges, were questioned by police officers over the weekend in an alleged rape of an 11-year-old girl Saturday.

Police have arrested two students who attend Reedley College, one of the colleges in the district, in connection with the incident. Eight other people, some of whom attend Reedley or Fresno City College and play football for one of the colleges, were identified as “persons of interest.�

I am speechless.

via InsideHigherEd.com

Make sure to check out this segment from Democracy Now! with Sara Rich, the mother of Army Specialist Suzanne Swift. After bringing sexual harassment and assault charges forward against two sergeants that went ignored, Swift went AOL and has since been arrested. She is turning 22 this weekend.

The whole interview is really interesting/upsetting, but check out this part in particular:

So this other sergeant started pursuing her and finally coerced her into having a sexual relationship with her. And I’ve learned now what that's called is “command rape,� when the person that has a direct life-or-death decision over you in a combat zone coerces you into having sex, it's called “command rape.� And he would sabotage her and do really mean things to her. He would show up in her room, in her bunk, in the middle of the night, drunk. And just horrible, you know.

I’ve actually never heard of “command rape� before, but this certainly makes sense. Apparently when Swift went to her equal opportunity officer he told her he didn't believe her and that he wasn’t going to do anything about it. Nice.

I had to take the opportunity to use Jessica’s oh-so-favorite sperm pic for this.

Recent scientific findings show that we may soon be able to use embryonic stem cells to create sperm, which would not only cure some types of infertility in men, but allow lesbian couples to reproduce their own babes.

While this is something that’s in the works and may take years to perfect, it’s exciting nonetheless.

Check out this piece on the not-so-new wave of laws dedicated to “fetal protectionism.� Shockingly, many of these laws would criminalize some women’s behavior during pregnancy.

In Arkansas, lawmakers are considering whether to make it a crime for a pregnant woman to smoke a cigarette.

In Utah, a woman received 18 months' probation for child endangerment after refusing to undergo a cesarean section to save her twins, one of whom died. In Wisconsin and South Dakota, authorities can haul pregnant women into custody for abusing alcohol or drugs.

...In South Carolina, Regina McKnight is serving a 12-year prison sentence for killing her unborn child by smoking crack, as jurors saw it. They took only 15 minutes to deliberate, and the U.S. Supreme Court let the verdict stand.

Lynn Paltrow, executive director of the National Advocates for Pregnant Women, says that this is part of a larger trend of fetus’ rights trumping those of women.

"I think 30 years of anti-abortion rhetoric -- 'women killing their babies' -- has led to a moral vilification that doesn't just stick to those who seek to terminate a pregnancy. It's spreading to all pregnant women."

I don’t think anyone is arguing that pregnant women should be doing drugs and smoking, but these laws are a slippery slope.

Taken further, could authorities charge a pregnant woman who miscarries after she rejects a doctor's advice to take prenatal vitamins? How about banning pregnant women from playing sports? And why not punish alcoholic men? Their addiction could affect sperm and produce birth defects, studies show.

Yeah, that’s likely. And now with this pre-pregnant nonsense, how long will it be until women who aren’t pregnant are charged with not taking care of themselves? (In preparation for The Fetus.)

As Wyndi Anderson, also of the National Advocates for Pregnant Women, told me via an email a while back--if we want to help pregnant women and their babies why not actually do something for them? You know, that’s effective.

There are things we can do to help women and families. Make sure that when a woman asks for help she can get it. Too often women and other people seeking help for addictions are put on waiting lists, told to come back later, given a referral to a program that will not in fact take them, or told that they are ineligible because they do not have the right kind of insurance. Make sure that women with drug problems are treated the same as other patients.

But what fun would that be?

At least when it comes to lung cancer.

A new study published by the U.S. National Lung Cancer Partnership shows that women in the U.S. remain largely unaware of the threat of lung cancer.

Only 41 percent of women know that lung cancer is the leading cancer killer in the United States.

Only 8 percent of women understand that exposure to radon gas is the second leading cause of lung cancer. Instead, 60 percent of women share the mistaken belief that exposure to secondhand smoke is the number two cause.

Only 36 percent of women are aware that lung cancer kills more women than breast cancer.

Only 29 percent know that lung cancer kills more women than breast, ovarian and uterine cancers combined.

Dr. Joan Schiller, president of the NLCP, says that “lung cancer is often perceived as a man's disease, yet it affects tens of thousands of women, and we're very concerned that women seem to be in the dark when it comes to the facts about lung cancer.� So read up, ladies.

From UPI: Women more likely than men to earn degrees

From The Washington Post: Drop in working women

Michigan Citizens for Life recently failed to gather enough signatures to put an anti-choice law on the November ballot.

They needed more than 317,000 signatures by today; no such luck.

The group wants to change the state constitution to legally define a person as existing from the moment of conception.

If successful, the initiative could have sparked a legal challenge to the US Supreme Court's 1973 decision legalizing abortion.

But thankfully, that’s not going to happen. At least not soon.

You've gotta love this. Tucker Max, the author of "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell," has a piece in The Huffington Post where he tries to explain feminism. Yeah. If you don't know about Max already, he's basically part of this new wave of "manly" books that the NY Times called Fratire. Yeah, I know. Read this Salon piece for some info.

In any case, you have to love a guy with a website like this who thinks he knows the first thing about feminism. Check it out.

To understand why current culture is at the point where men being men is considered a radical notion, you need to understand how we got here. Feminism came in three "waves"; 1st Wave, which was suffrage (the right to vote), 2nd Wave, which was the 60's and 70's sexual and social revolution fought for inclusion, and 3rd Wave, which is what we have now. It emphasizes freedom of choice for women regardless of what decision they make, and it endorses everything from porn to girly culture.

He then goes on to say that a second wave feminist is Gloria Steinem, a third wave feminist is Britney Spears. So you can see the awesome depth of his knowledge right there. Sigh.

Yeah, now everyone can have a pair. Whoa.

This is some great, great news.

Women prisoners in Pakistan freed under an amendment to a controversial Islamic law began to be released over the weekend.

President General Pervez Musharraf amended the law, which has been on the statute book since 1979, on Friday. The change means women convicted of adultery or sex outside marriage can be released on bail rather than having to serve prison sentences.

The long-awaited amendment to the Hudood Ordinance would affect thousands of female prisoners, Pakistan’s Minister for Women’s Affairs, Sumaira Malik, told journalists in the capital, Islamabad.

President Musharraf isn’t exactly known for women’s rights--this is the guy that said women “get themselves raped.� But it looks women’s rights activists and politicians got to him, at least a little.

By the way, there are about 6,500 women in prison over Hudood Ordinance charges in Pakistan.

Pope Benedict travels to Spain to tell them they're all going to hell for allowing gay people to get married.

The New England Journal of Medicine has a doctor's perspective on pharmacists' refusal to dispense emergency contraception, and a profile of Nebraska late-term abortion provider Dr. Leroy Carhart.

Trafficking victims suffer post-traumatic stress on a par with torture victims.

Lakshmi Chaudhry calls out makeover "reality" shows that pretend women’s emotional debasement is “for their own good."

The mail-order bride business is alive and well. The men who are drawn to it are looking for demure ladies who won't talk back like those difficult American women.

Cecilia Fire Thunder, who vowed to establish an abortion clinic on her tribe's South Dakota reservation, has been impeached.

Four more soldiers have been charged with rape and murder in the Iraq rape case.

California advocacy groups are joined forces to launch an Emergency Contraception Network, which promotes access to reproductive health services and emergency contraception. Massachusetts and Minnesota have similar networks.

In other happy news, the state of Michigan now provides free reproductive health services (including birth control, well woman exams, and pre- and post-natal care) to 200,000 low-income women in an effort to prevent unplanned pregnancies.

The 34 Million Friends of UNFPA campaign seeks to get that many people to donate $1 to the UN Population Fund to restore the funding that the Bush administration has denied the organization. The website has an address for you to mail in a dollar, or you can contribute online ($10 minimum).

Winifred Breines is a sociology professor at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts (my alma mater;). I spoke with Winifred about her latest book, The Trouble Between Us: An Uneasy History of White and Black Women in the Feminist Movement. Winifred's research spans from the Civil Rights Movement through the 1970's women's movements, to 1980's activism and a brief look at third-wave feminism.

In addition to her research, Winifred personally partook in the new left, anti-Vietnam War, and women's movements in Madison, Wisconsin; Ithaca, New York; and Boston, Massachusetts.

Here’s Winifred…

Just an update about the horrendous rape and murder of a young Iraqi woman, and the murder of her family--in which at least four U.S. soldiers are suspects. The U.S. ambassador to Iraq and the top American military commander there made an “unusual� statement apologizing to the people of Iraq for the crimes. This statement just-so-happened to be made hours after Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki said in a conference that he may request that the U.S. military to do away with immunity from Iraqi prosecution.

Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad and General George W. Case made an official public apology last night, which the New York Times described as “strongly worded�:

"We understand this is painful, confusing and disturbing, not only to the family who lost a loved one, but to the Iraqi people as a whole. . . The loss of a family member can never be undone. The alleged events of that day are absolutely inexcusable and unacceptable behavior."

“The family who lost a loved one?� Wasn’t the whole family slain? The “alleged events� are “unacceptable behavior?� Yeah, real strong words. Maybe I’m just nitpicking, but they could have been referring to a kid stealing a Snickers from the candy store.

Prime Minister Maliki stated of the crime, “I’m about to talk to the multinational forces to reach solutions that will put an end to such practices. . . Our people cannot tolerate that every day there is an ugly crime such as that in Mahmudiya.�

While this is at least the fifth crime against Iraqi civilians under military investigation, it’s been said that Iraq is reacting so strongly to this particular case because the girl, who was as young as 15, was raped. According to the Times, "sexual assault is considered one of the most heinous and shameful crimes in Muslim society; even mentioning the subject is often considered taboo."

Via Broadsheet.

Talk about weird headline of the day. And speaking of Jessica's previous post, is this comparable to an Onion headline or what?

I love The Onion these days. Check out I'm Totally Psyched About This Abortion!. It takes on the dumb-ass notion that women are just lining up to get abortions (using them as birth control, cause they're selfish, etc.)

So, to all of you pro-lifers who are trying to rain on my parade, keep it to yourself, because I don't have the time for that kind of negativity. I've got an abortion to plan, and I just know it's going to be the best non-anesthetized invasive uterine surgery ever!

Even better? Some anti-choice nut took the article seriously. Nice.

While we know that Ireland has had their share of struggles as a nation that outlaws abortion, the Alliance for Choice is making a huge push for its legalization.

They’re using information just released by the UK Department of Health which shows that an average of 15 Irish women per day travel to Britain to have an abortion. And the remainder who can’t afford to the time or money to travel, well, just have to deal.

“Ireland needs to face up to its responsibility to Irish men and women to provide a comprehensive sex education strategy, a national sexual health services strategy and safe and legal abortion in Ireland,� said spokeswoman Sian Muldowney.

Let’s hope they're able to change their “luck,� and soon.

And not only when singing.

As a huge fan, I was thrilled to find that the singer spoke on a panel at the Essence Music Festival on Monday titled, Who You Calling a Ho? Sisters, Take Back Our Sex!

Scott spoke out against degrading images of women -- particularly black women -- in music, and urged the boycott of any sexist material.

“This is about choosing what we will allow in our lives. We can force things. We can change things. Challenge the music industry with your purchasing power.�

I always knew she had to be a feminist.

‘Twas a sad day to be a New Yorker yesterday when the State Court of Appeals ruled that banning same-sex marriage is constitutional.

The lawsuit that 44 gay and lesbian couples brought forward was thrown out by the highest court in the state, and nearly two years after it was filed. (What a nice, long wait to get such good news!) This also means that New York couples can’t get married in Massachusetts.

This shit is just too infuriating to even comment on, particularly so soon after Pride Day. Why, New York, why?!?

The fastest growing population of the prison system is women.

Over 950,000 women are currently under some form of correctional supervision. Some prison reform advocates say time behind bars may pay the inmates' debt to society, but society is the loser in the long run, they add, because of the often devastating effect incarceration has on female prisoners' families.

Voice of America looks at the book by New York City journalist Cristina Rathbone, A World Apart: Women, Prison, and Life Behind Bars, which gives us an intimate look at one women's prison in Massachusetts.

The question the article asks is a real one. Do prisons punish or rehabilitate? And what opportunties do women have (because from working in the communities I have worked in, I see the options for men are VERY limited after jail) when they get out of jail?

Blac(k)ademic asks the only reasonable question that can be asked about this ad: What the fuck?

I just had to write about this because they said boozy (snorts and laughs like beavis). And because I love the assertion that women's binge drinking causes them to be put in harms way. Haven't we been over this?

But on a more serious note, this study does address the deeper issue of drinking and self esteem. They found that young women felt more attractive and fun to be around when drunk.

"Alcohol makes you more friendly and outgoing - when you're sober you stand in the corner," or "I have to have about 10 drinks before I can dance - guys go to the dance floor to pick up women," were typical comments from the 18- to 24-year-old women interviewed in a study of risky drinking by Chatswood Community Drug and Alcohol Service and Northern Sydney Central Coast Health Promotion. One woman says: "When I have a few drinks, I feel like a supermodel."

Compared with women of other ages, this age group drinks at the riskiest levels, the National Drug Strategy Household Survey warns. About 45 per cent of 16- to 24-year-olds engage in "risk drinking" - drinking five to six drinks in one day or one session - while 27. 8 per cent drink at high-risk levels, consuming seven or more standard drinks on one day or at one time.

Okay so if we can get past the hocus pocus *risky* jargon (that is used to instill fear) I do think this is a huge issue. I don't think it is just women that use alcohol to substitute for self esteem, I think it is part of bar/club/going out culture period. At the beginning of this year I quit drinking and I was shocked to see how much of my interactions with people changed. I had to readjust to a new form of socializing. Now I notice how differently people act even after just one drink and how often it does affect their behavior in social settings that may require more self-esteem (asking people out, hitting on them, flirting etc.).

The dynamics of this are naturally different between men and women in mainstream bar culture, and although I think many parts of drinking culture are patriarchal (women need to loosen up, men get more aggressive etc.) this is an issue for all young people.

Plus the article fails to mention how some people drink to be more attracted to people they otherwise wouldn't be. I think we have all been guilty of that one.

Thoughts?

via Sydney Morning Herald.

Minnesota doesn't have any women elected to the Senate or the governer's office, but the state leads in having female lieutenant governors. (btw a lieutenant governer is a government official who is the subordinate or deputy of a Governor.) So they have a lot of subordinate women. Oh wait that doesn't sound very good. . .

Women have held the No. 2 spot in Minnesota state government since 1983, a streak that is unmatched according to the Council of State Governments. Lou Wangberg, a school superintendent from Bemidji, was the last man to hold the post when he won on the ticket with Gov. Al Quie in 1978.

There's a strong chance this year's elections will follow the pattern. All three of the endorsed major-party candidates for governor have chosen female running mates.

State Sen. Becky Lourey, who is challenging Mike Hatch in a primary for the DFL Party's nomination, has picked a man as her running mate.

None of the men who have chosen a women in this year's elections says gender played a large role. But former Gov. Arne Carlson and some political analysts say it does matter.

Gender always matters. Why is it even significant that we notice women to be in this number 2 position? eh eh?

Finally,

Still, the director of Center for American Women and Politics at Rutgers University acknowledges that No. 2 selections only go so far and probably don't sway the electorate.

Some experts believe Minnesota's tradition of electing women as lieutenant governors started in part because voters were annoyed that the men running the state weren't letting women in.

Still, women haven't had much luck cracking into the top office. In other states, the lieutenant governor's office has been a springboard to the top job.

via AP.

Woah. I never hear about people in the states working towards gender parity in construction. Although, there are many women in construction and I am probably being ignorant.

Western Cape MEC for Transport and Public Works, Marius Fransman has singled out the "male dominated" construction industry as the most untransformed sector in the province, saying rapid measures were required to address the problem.

"The construction industry is a prime example of an industry that has struggled to transform itself into one that is more gender representative," he said.

He said while there had been an increase in the number of women-owned construction companies being awarded tenders, the value of the tenders was negligible.

So the goal is to get these women owned companies some of these high bid contracts. Sounds good to me.

via AllAfrica.com

I didn’t forget about reviews for Peaches and Strangers with Candy…they’ll be here soon. In fact, I missed my chance to see Peaches strip down to her pink skivvies this weekend, but did see the 80s giant The Go-Go's.


The ladies have been doing this and that and are touring. See tour dates here. Also, the women have inspired some guys to make a cover band called “We Got the Meat.� Who says only guy bands get the cover treatment?

Speaking of dudes who don’t suck, I heart Dan Savage of Savage Love.


This guy has a way of answering the bonkiest sex questions that is humorous yet factual and helpful. He rocks even more for his un-ironic support of Planned Parenthood, as recently witnessed in last week's column. He’s so right about putting some elbow grease behind your skrill for the PP. I loves it and you should too!

This book is a year old, but golly gee, you need to read it if you haven’t:
Hunger by Lan Samantha Chang


Chang does much to dispel the "model minority" myth simply by exposing the inner workings, pressure and sorrows of first-generation Chinese Americans.
After reading this book, are you inspired to add to the AA fiction cannon? Then you should enter your latest short story in Hyphen magazine's contest, which you can read up on here.


Maybe you’re not a budding novelist or are too lazybones (or busypants) to knock out a short story. That’s cool. You should check out Hyphen magazine anyway, because it’s a smart, sassy mag full of AA pop culture that has a lot of women’s voices in the mix. Ya know, like it is in real life. Check out their site, with EIC Melissa blogging like you want her to.

K, that’s it for now. Coming up for the future:

PROJECT RUNWAY!!!
Begins July 12. This may be the only reality show that requires its contestants have actual talent. Who will be the next Chloe Dao (or Daniel V, my swoonable fave who has a BLOG)? Same setup, but Heidi's carrying a different kiddo.

An abstinence video that inexplicably links premarital sex to sin-inducing movies..like Grease. And Dirty Dancing. It's priceless.

And as Amanda pointed out to me (via IM), it doesn't exactly make married sex seem all that hot. If matching khaki outfits is all I have to look forward to, then sign me up for some fornication.

This is so insanely upsetting, but not surprising at all.

A recently discharged Army private appeared in federal court Monday on charges that he raped and murdered an Iraqi woman after rounding up and killing three members of her family as part of a planned assault in the central Iraqi town of Mahmoudiya.

The LA Times article goes on to describe the attack; it’s just horrible stuff. What I found interesting however, was that the man arrested for the crimes--21 year-old Steven Green--is being described as a loose cannon, someone with a “personality disorder� who was “drinking alcohol� that night.

Now I have no idea how potentially nutty this guy is, but it really bothers me that this isn’t being talked about as a larger problem of militarization and masculinity--and how rape is frequently used as a weapon in war. This wasn’t just some crazy guy--three other soldiers were involved and it was a planned attack.

After the decision was made to rape the woman, according to the FBI affidavit, three of the soldiers changed out of their uniforms and into dark clothes. One soldier told investigators that Green covered his face with a brown T-shirt. One of the soldiers told investigators he changed clothes so he "wouldn't be seen."

Let’s call this what it is, a war tactic. Unfortunately, wars being fought over women’s bodies is nothing new. For more information on women, war, and militarization, check out Cynthia Enloe’s work.

Via Feministe.

The Blog Reader spoke with our lovely gal Ann about Feministing. Check it out.

Well, it can certainly try.

Among the normal components of the "Miss Army Knife" like a flashlight and scissor, this pocket knife also contains a needle and thread, a nail file, a mirror, and a "secret compartment to put an emergency bottle of perfume!" Barf.

Via Popgadget.

I'm speechless. Luckily, Pandagon, Shakespeare's Sister and the Tennessee Guerilla Women aren't.

Lactivists are doing their thing in Alabama. A law that says women can breast-feed in any public location went into effect this week, and women are celebrating, tits-out.

...some mothers celebrated by breast-feeding their children outside Victoria's Secret lingerie stores, which has apologized for two recent incidents involving breast-feeding.

During the third week in June, a shopper in Boston was told she couldn't breast-feed her baby in the Victoria's Secret dressing room and was directed to a nearby bathroom, according to a company spokesman. The same week, a woman in Wisconsin was not allowed to breast-feed in a corner of the store when the dressing stalls were occupied. She later took her baby into a dressing room but got upset when she overheard employees discussing her.

..."It's ridiculous that there are people or stores or establishments that discourage breast-feeding, the best thing you can do for your child," said Pattie Bank of Homewood, who has a 14-month-old child. "A company that makes its money off breasts and has breasts all over its stores told two mothers to leave for breast-feeding. I couldn't believe that irony."

Doesn’t she know that boobies are purely for show? Seriously though, maybe they need some breast-feeding cards.

Make sure to check out Free to Rock Out, an article up at Alternet about rock camps for girls. Feministing's own Celina penned the piece.

Hope folks are having a nice long weekend...we're doing BBQing up in Woodstock.

Want to do something really patriotic for the 4th? Check out what Code Pink for Peace is up to and show them some support.

Cause of the holiday weekend and all. A girl needs a break every once in a while.

Anne Kornblut writes in Sunday's New York Times about which Congresswomen go by "Mrs." and which choose to be identified as "Ms."

It calls to mind sociolinguist Deborah Tannen's 1993 op-ed piece on the linguistic concept of "markedness" (which explains that endings like -ette or -elle, for example, mark a word as feminine), and how that theory can explain other aspects of women's lives.

Women can't even fill out a form without telling stories about themselves. Most forms give four titles to choose from. "Mr." carries no meaning other than that the respondent is male. But a woman who checks "Mrs." or "Miss" communicates not only whether she has been married but also whether she has conservative tastes in forms of address -- and probably other conservative values as well. Checking "Ms." declines to let on about marriage (checking "Mr." declines nothing since nothing was asked), but it also marks her as either liberated or rebellious, depending on the observer's attitudes and assumptions.

But if Congresswomen are any indication, that doesn't necessarily hold true. Some of the more liberal Senators and Representatives-- Carolyn Maloney, Hillary Clinton-- go by "Mrs." while Republicans Katherine Harris and Olympia Snowe prefer "Ms." And "liberated" or "rebellious" are pretty much the last two words I'd use to describe Harris.

Can women avoid being marked by using the title "Dr."? That's the route Condoleezza Rice has taken, after all. But, as Tannen points out, the Dr. label isn't unmarked, either.

I sometimes try to duck these variously marked choices by giving my title as "Dr." -- and in so doing risk marking myself as either uppity (hence sarcastic responses like "Excuse me!") or an overachiever (hence reactions of congratulatory surprise like "Good for you!").

Tannen points that women are marked in other ways, too. Most notably by our appearance. We're marked if we wear a short skirt (floozy!), or if we wear a power suit (ballbuster!), if we wear our hair cropped short (dyke!) or if we get a giant perm (stupid secretary!). She notes that men can be marked by their clothing choices or titles, too. The difference is they have the option of going unmarked. That's a choice women never have.

An article in the new issue of Mother Jones says that litigation over the South Dakota abortion ban may not be the only legal threat to Roe v. Wade that's on the horizon.

Couples who go through fertility treatments currently have the final say over what happens to the embryos they create. But fertility clinics across the country have more than 400,000 abandoned embryos filling up their freezers. Some legal experts say that state legislatures are going to start passing laws that award "custody" of these embryos to the state, allowing a state agency to arrange for their implantation or disposal. And, the theory goes, this could form the basis of a legal challenge to Roe.

Traditionally, [legal expert Alta Charo] pointed out, abortion rights involves weighing the interests of the woman against those of the fetus, and up to now the woman’s interests have been considered paramount. But now the interests of the embryo, or fetus, or potential child, can be separated out. This, she said, is a watershed development.

For those who want to test the core of Roe v. Wade, Charo told the fertility specialists, “you guys are the perfect opportunity to separate the question of embryos and best interests, and the woman’s right to direct her body. You take a law like Louisiana’s, saying that personhood begins at conception, and that you cannot discard embryos. Now the Supreme Court has the ability to look at the status of the embryo, not as compared with the woman’s right to control what she wants to do with her body.

Sounds kind of scary, right? But I don't think it's the serious threat that the story makes it out to be.

An Ohio judge ruled that the Cincinnati Planned Parenthood Clinic must release all records on abortion patients younger than 18. The records request was connected with a case in which the clinic was sued by the family of a teenage girl who had an abortion there.

Is the "pimp tax" really the best way to curb prostitution and sex trafficking?

When Meryl Streep was asked if "The Devil Wears Prada" is a feminist movie because it's about a tough female boss succeeding in the business world, she said: "There's a way to kill the box office. No, this is a guy flick, a lot of eye candy, a lot of lingerie shots."

Chinese education officials have called for a change in sex education efforts, shifting away from textbook-based anatomy teaching and focusing more on morals and relationships.

Spain passed a gender equality law that gives preferential treatment to companies who appoint more women to their boards. Some businesses aren't happy.

Human Rights Campaign just released its 2005-06 report on the state of the workplace for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Amercans.

The FDA has delayed approval for the new "no period" birth-control pill.

Would women vote for Hillary Clinton for president?

The TV show "Rescue Me" featured a disturbing scene that some critics say blurred the line between rape and consensual sex. Looked like rape to me-- I find the smirk on his face at the end of the scene truly disgusting. What do you think?

Is it time to retire the term "pro-choice"? Lynn at Broadsheet says yes, Jill at Feministe isn't so sure.

Ana Marie Cox debunks the statistic that "75 to 80 percent of women are wearing the wrong bra size." ...Then she turns around and slams feminist writers who don't wear stilettos. Sigh.

(Photo by Anh Dao Kolbe)

As the Program Director for the Center for New Words, formerly the 32-year-old feminist bookstore, New Words, based in Cambridge, Mass, writer and performer Jaclyn Friedman is busy coordinating feminist spaces online, and all over Boston.

Thankfully, Jaclyn made time out of her busy schedule to speak with me about surviving change and the importance of independent bookstores and media. Here’s Jaclyn…