September 2009 Archives

Michelle Obama will be appearing on Sesame Street to teach the muppets how to garden.

The New Scientist is reporting on computer technology that could help detect early signs of domestic violence from medical records.

Finally some good news on the health care front: anti-choice amendments fail in the Senate Finance Committee. And some more awesomeness for Senator Debbie Stabenow (remember the your mom joke last week?)

One student midwife and doula took pictures of her cervix over the course of her cycle. You can see the photos here (warning: it's graphic, although not nudity exactly). I think it's pretty cool.

The Nation has an article about the history of sex columns in student newspapers.

In its August 2009 California Opinion Index, California's Field Poll looked at how California's electorate has evolved since the 1970's. Some trends are expected; in both 1978 and 2009, women comprised 53% of registered California voters. Compared to 1978, there are fewer white non-Hispanics, more homeowners, fewer Protestants, and more non-Christians registered to vote.

Finally, the poll evaluated support and opposition to same-sex marriage between 1977 and 2009, with distressing results: California Republicans are 7% more opposed to same-sex marriage now than 32 years ago.

"As the demographic profile of the state's voters has changed, so too have voter opinions on a number of important social issues. Republicans, on the other hand, have not changed their views on this issue, and if anything, are now more opposed than they were thirty years ago. A nearly three to one majority of Republicans (68% to 23%) currently opposes allowing same-sex marriage in California. This is marginally greater than their 65% to 30% opposition found in a 1977 Field Poll."

Last week, around the first day of fall, this tweet was going around courtesy of Sinclair Sexsmith, sex blogger and gender writer.

RT @mrsexsmith: tomorrow is equinox; it'll officially be fall, season for which my wardrobe was made. Yay sweaters & jackets!

I agreed with his tweet (strongly) and have been thinking more about how true this is as the weather has gotten steadily colder.

I love fall. It is hands down my favorite season. I do love the leaves, and the feeling of cool crisp air, and the newness of the season. But the main reason I love it is that the fall wardrobe is so much more me than any other season.

Pants, jackets, sweaters, vests. I love them all, and feel super comfortable in my fall clothing. I know I'm not the only one who feels this way about the season and clothing it brings, but for me it is definitely about gender presentation. When I dress up, I mostly wear long sleeve button down shirts and pants. Not much variety on that, regardless of the weather, so when it's hot out I sweat a lot and am uncomfortable. I also don't wear tank tops really, definitely no skirts or dresses for me.

I feel most comfortable--most safe even--wearing layers, sweaters over long sleeve shirts, jackets and vests. It's also much easier to find clothing that fits with my gender presentation in the fall. Even women's clothing is a little more gender neutral (although I mostly wear men's clothing these days). The silhouette created by this wardrobe is also more comfortable for me, less tight fitting, more square.

Related:
H&M Tomboy Chic
Black Tie Blues

I've noticed a trend in recent years, for stores like Gap and Old Navy to introduce baggier style jeans for women and call them "Boyfriend" jeans. You know, like you just slipped on a pair of your male lover's pants and look how great they look on you? But let's be clear, you don't actually want to wear men's pants. Since wearing men's clothing might make people think you're a lesbian (which you're obviously not), let's make sure everyone knows you are just trying your boyfriend's jeans on.

Ugh.

I have much more to say about gendered clothing and the difficulties of finding clothes that don't stick strictly to norms about gender, but I have a different issue to take on here.

Apparently boyfriend jeans are not just for adult women anymore. Gap now has "boyfriend" jeans for young girls, all the way down to age 4.

The must-have boyfriend jean with the comfy-cool style you're little fashionista loves, made just for her. Add ballet flats and a soft T for a sweet look, you'll both adore.

Not only do four year olds not need boyfriends, they don't need weird labeling so they can wear baggy jeans, or whatever else Gap thinks these jeans need to labeled for.

Today is the last day of Food Desert Awareness Month, hosted by the National Center for Public Awareness.

Food Desert defined:

A food desert is a large geographic area with no or distant grocery stores. Often, food deserts have an imbalance of food choice, meaning more nearby fringe food such as fast food, convenience stores, and liquor stores. While these communities are without enough mainstream grocers, many do have community assets, disposable income, appropriate sites for sustainable grocery stores, and talented community leaders working to improve healthy food options.

This is a super important piece in the broader conversation about food politics. As people get more aware about where their food comes from and what's in it--folks in urban (or rural) communities that don't have options for food purchasing get left behind. There are some really great projects to bring urban gardening and farming to low-income communities, as well as farmer's markets and other fresh produce.

Ladonna Redmond has more to say in her article Food is Freedom in the Nation:

There are many Americans who have the resources to buy healthy food and still are denied access to it. This denial of access has created "food deserts," a term I despise but use for the sake of argument. The trouble with the term "food deserts" is that it describes lack in a way that indicates that the solution is outside of the community labeled a desert.

To engage a broader audience, food-justice activists need to change their language.To change our food system, we need to change the way we talk about it.

There is a pervasive idea in the sustainable-food movement that simply returning to a food system of the past would right all that is wrong in the food world. However, history does not show that there has ever been a time when our food system was fair or just. Reflecting through my eyes, the eyes of an African-American woman, I see a system that from the earliest days of the founding of America was built on the annihilation of Native Americans and enslavement of Africans.

Read the rest here.

This one makes me nauseous.

A Senate committee voted Tuesday night to restore $50 million a year in federal funding for abstinence-only education that President Barack Obama has pushed to eliminate.

The 12-11 vote by the Senate Finance Committee came over objections from its chairman, Democratic Sen. Max Baucus of Montana.

Two Democrats - Kent Conrad of North Dakota and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas - joined all 10 committee Republicans in voting "yes" on the measure by Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah.

The measure would still have to pass the full House and Senate. Hatch said abstinence education had been shown to work, though Baucus disagreed. Obama had proposed in his 2010 budget to direct money spent on abstinence-only education to broader teen pregnancy-reduction programs.

I'm so upset about the health care reform process that at this point I can't even keep track. Republicans are so up in arms about government spending, but they'll throw millions of dollars at a backwards misinformed program about abstinence that doesn't work. I give up.

Also passed last night:

An alternate measure offered by Baucus also passed. Baucus' measure, which passed 14-9, would make money available for education on contraception and sexually transmitted diseases, among other things, in addition to abstinence. Lawmakers will have to reconcile the two measures, both approved during debate on a sweeping health overhaul bill, as the legislation moves forward.

Via Huffington Post

Two years after Nona Willis Aronowitz and the missed Emma Bee Bernstein hit the road for a journey across the country and into the minds of young women on the many states and forms of feminism, their book on their findings has been released. Here's the description:

What do young women care about? What are their hopes, worries, and ambitions? Have they heard of feminism, and do they relate to it?

These are just a few of the questions journalist Nona Willis Aronowitz and photographer Emma Bee Bernstein set out to answer in Girldrive. In October 2007, Aronowitz and Bernstein took a cross-country road trip to meet with the 127 women profiled in this book, ranging from well-known feminists like Kathleen Hanna, Laura Kipnis, Erica Jong, and Michele Wallace, to women who don't relate to feminism at all. The result of these interviews, Girldrive is a regional chronicle of the struggles, concerns, successes, and insights of young women who are grappling--just as hard as their mothers and grandmothers did--to find, define, and fight for gender equity.

Check out their blog (which documented their adventures) for more info and to buy the book.

If you haven't heard already, bad news folks: the U.S. Senate Finance Committee rejected the public option with a 15-8 vote. Fuckers.

The Japanese government plans to introduce legislation that will allow married women to keep their name.

Just when you thought the economic gap couldn't get wider.

A new "virginity-faking" device is being used in Egypt as a cheaper alternative to hymenoplasty - some are demanding those bringing in the product should be subject to the death penalty.

As you may have noticed, right now there's some major political wrangling going on over health reform. Not only has the public option been jettisoned, but news broke today that anti-choice Democrats are really upset at the prospect of low- and moderate-income women receiving federal subsidies to access insurance plans that cover abortion.

Rather than declare his support reproductive health coverage, Obama is basically telling congressional Democrats, "Hey, work it out amongst yourselves."

Meanwhile,

Abortion-rights supporters say such a restriction would all but eliminate from the marketplace private plans that cover the procedure, pushing women who have such coverage to give it up. Nearly half of those with employer-sponsored health plans now have policies that cover abortion, according to a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Needless to say, this would be a really bad scene.

NARAL and Planned Parenthood have action alerts to keep Congress from using health reform to decrease women's reproductive health access.

For more on why abortion rights are important in health reform, read my colleague Dana Goldstein.

What is up with the hypocritical bullshit right wingers are pulling with their usage of pro-choice language to oppose health care reform? In a New York Times article on lawmakers who are seeking a ban on mandates for health insurance, Minnesota State Representative Tom Emmer is in the featured pic, with his quote in the caption:

"All I'm trying to do is protect the individual's right to make health care decisions. I just don't want the government getting between my decisions with my doctors."

He's also described his proposed legislation allowing the state to refuse a federal universal health care system as an amendment that would "protect the freedom of personal choice in health care.''

And yes, he is 100% anti-choice.

h/t to Aaron.

Of the "60 Most-Influential Foreigners Shaping the Last 60 Years of Chinese Development", the China Global Times decided that Margaret Thatcher was the only woman who made the cut. 70 percent of the finalists were selected by readers, while 30 percent were recommended by "academics".

Margaret Thatcher is best known as Britain's shining example of virtue, who opposed the fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification. She earned a spot because she gave Hong Kong back to the People's Republic of China. Meanwhile, even Michael Jackson and the former soccer coach for Yugoslavia made the list.

A China-friendly choice would be Svetlana Orlova, who led a delegation of Russian women to China for Russia's National China Week. Other figures such as Hillary Clinton, who has been interacting with China professionally for decades, and Aung San Suu Kyi, are too controversial.

Will Michele Flournoy, the current U.S. Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, make the list in another 10 years? Let's hope the next decade yields more recognition for smart women leaders like Flournoy who continue to interact with China.

I just love it when conservatives get all riled up 'bout little ole us.

Our girl Phyllis Schlafly contended at the conservative conference, "How To Take Back America," this weekend:

I submit to you that the feminist movement is the most dangerous, destructive force in our society today. [...] My analysis is that the gays are about 5% of the attack on marriage in this country, and the feminists are about 95%. [...] I'm talking about drugs, sex, illegitimacy, drop outs, poor grades, run away, suicide, you name it, every social ill comes out of the fatherless home.

She was later presented with the "American Hero of the Century" award, in which Mike Huckabee stood up and said "God bless you - and God bless Phyllis Schlafly most of all."

Via Think Progress.

When asked about motherhood in an interview for Prevention magazine, she said she actually learned what not to do from her mom, which is to sacrifice your entire being for your kids:

"She'd say being a good mother isn't all about sacrificing. It's really investing and putting yourself higher on your priority list."

"Throughout my life, I've learned to make choices that make me happy and make sense for me. . . So I have freed myself to put me on the priority list and say, yes, I can make choices that make me happy, and it will ripple and benefit my kids, my husband and my physical health."

"That's hard for women to own. We're not taught to do that. It's a lesson that I want to teach my girls."

Last week the Detroit city council proposed an amendment to more heavily regulate the "adult entertainment" business. Here are the major highlights: it would ban lap dances, require exotic dancers to stand significantly further away from patrons, and require other workers at clubs to be certified in their positions. This proposed amendment just goes to show you that people can sometimes propose laws that trample on people's personal freedoms without offering concrete solutions to address the root of the problem.

Don't get me wrong; I am not giving strip clubs a get-out-of-jail-free card. Strip clubs have their issues and can be sites of exploitation especially during economic times like these. And then there's the sexism inherent in this discussion. I almost couldn't finish my breakfast when I endured an hour drive of Coco, Foolish and Mr. Chase in the morning on 97.9's hip hop radio station. They showcased disgruntled male after disgruntled male complaining about why they should be entitled to offer payment in exchange for groping women. It's problematic for many of these men to view women as if they are sexual beings and nothing else. And that's just one of the issues that is getting short shrift in this debate.

The inherent truth is that many of the women in sexually oriented businesses in Detroit are entering these industries because of economic constraints. This is different from folks who enter into sexually oriented professions having chosen exotic dancing from a variety of economic alternatives. But banning lap dances is an incredibly paternalistic way to show respect for women. If lawmakers are really concerned about women in these industries and increasing agency of these women, they should earmark some of the $18 billion in stimulus funds to create initiatives to provide women with real choices for employment.

A recent article in the UK's Times Higher Education magazine has caused a bit of an uproar, and understandably. In the feature about the "seven deadly sins of universities," the vice chancellor of Buckingham University claims that female students are a "perk" of the job and should be enjoyed.

Funnily enough, Terence Kealey insists the piece was "highly moral," probably because he encourages his fellow professors to look but not touch. Instead, just use her "curves" to fantasize about during sex with your wife. No joke.

Normal girls - more interested in abs than in labs, more interested in pecs than specs, more interested in triceps than tripos - will abjure their lecturers for the company of their peers, but nonetheless, most male lecturers know that, most years, there will be a girl in class who flashes her admiration and who asks for advice on her essays. What to do?

Enjoy her! She's a perk. She doesn't yet know that you are only Casaubon to her Dorothea, Howard Kirk to her Felicity Phee, and she will flaunt you her curves. Which you should admire daily to spice up your sex, nightly, with the wife.

He also says that in terms of sexual relationships among faculty and students, "the fault lies with the females" and seems to complain about the "intrusive" agencies that outlawed students bartering sex for good grades: "[T]he days are gone when a scholar could trade sex for upgrades."

Now this guy is a keeper.

The F Word has more.

Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, says the ban on women serving aboard submarines should be lifted.

A pilot is accused of stalking his ex-girlfriend...from the air.

Nancy Folbre at The New York Times weighs in on why health care reform is a women's issue.

When Texas says that abstinence-only education isn't working, you know that shit is done for.

During the third season of Mad Men Feministing writers will offer some of our thoughts on feminist moments, scenes, and themes in the new episodes in order to start a discussion about these topics in our community. *WARNING: Lots of spoilers follow.

No Joan!

I feel so conflicted. Season three of Mad Men has been a genre roller coaster ride (we've even had a musical episode and a screwball comedy, not to mention the many horror subgenre references including depiction of Betty giving birth and Don's sorta abduction this week). Even though "Seven Twenty Three" started with flash forwards it still felt to me like a classic episode, a reminder of why I fell for this show in the first place. So much happened and the show engaged with so many fascinating topics, but can I really love an episode with no Joan? And I didn't see her in the preview for next week either. -Jos

No Joan freaks me out. It's like peanut butter with no jelly. Or something. Though I can't imagine the show would do without her for too long. (Also, random weird Joan fact that I certainly did not find out while reading InStyle Weddings - Christina Hendricks is marrying the Super Troopers Snozzberries kid. Seriously. -Jessica

Don's one on one interactions with other men: Roger Sterling, Conrad Hilton, Pete Campbell, Carlton, Bert Cooper.

A strong reminder that Matthew Weiner wrote for The Sopranos, a show focused on fragile masculinity. This week gave us a number of comparisons of performance of power between Don and other men. Don and Roger used to be like a buddy comedy, but I think Don also saw Roger as a father figure. In an episode so filled with daddy issues it felt positively Freudian, Don had to kill his father - metaphorically, of course. I was reminded that both Roger Sterling and Archie Whitman went about affairs in very public ways that Don disapproves of (a major source of his own self-loathing - he hates his birth so much he's been running from it for years). Don finished the slow work begun at the end of last season of pushing Roger Sterling out, at least in relationship to creative. Don's interactions with Connie Holton and Mr. Cooper both contained telegraphed visual cues that they are more powerful than him - both men took Don's chair. Connie feels a connection with Don, but he presents a hypocritical "family values" image that will probably become an issue. Remember, this man who told Don his office needs a Bible and family pictures was a notorious womanizer who cut his heirs out of his estate. Cooper finally played the card he's had since season one: "After all, when it comes down to it, who's really signing this contract anyway?" Cooper's pretty eccentric, but he showed us in this scene why he is so successful. Meanwhile Pete and Carlton provided the contrast, men to whom Don can easily feel superior. I mean, Carlton stares at the sun (yes, I get looking at the eclipse was symbolically rich, including representing characters approaches to change. But it was also a source of much funny). -Jos

Betty gets involved in local politics in her living room.

I'm glad to see Betty doing something else than sulking and riding horses (though her shooting was pretty cool that one episode) but I kind of hate that her fellow Junior Leaguers were pretty blatant about wanting Betty to use her looks to get shit done. -Jessica

Betty's fellow members of the Junior League, upon discussing the consequences of a water tank and endeavoring to talk to the governor's office, say "Real estate- that's scary." Uh oh, ladies-- property ownership. Run away. -Ariel

Also, Betty says to Don "all you do at work all day is evaluate objects. I would like the benefit of your eye," in reference to interior decorating choices it felt like the writers' comment on the constant objectification of women in the workplace. -Ariel

As a lot of you already know, I'm getting married (this Saturday, eek). And I'm not going to lie, while there was definitely a lot of feminist-minded thought behind my planning process, there was also a lot of...well, other stuff. I succumbed to buying wedding magazines despite their gross consumerism, bought a pair of nearly-unwearable - though fabulous looking - shoes, and decided to have flower girls even though I didn't want a wedding party simply because I think my cousins' kids are adorable. It doesn't surprise me that I bought into some wedding culture stuff - after all, some of it is fun - but it was wedding blogs that did me in. Truly.

I've always been a bit of a dork over design, and wedding blogs were just the thing to bring my love of things aesthetically pleasing together with my control freak planning side. Whether it's "wedding porn" (yes, people call it that) shots of brides and table settings or DIY madness, I wanted it all. My Google Reader nearly collapsed under the weight of my bridal RSSness.

And though there's no doubt that some of the blogs I've been frequenting buy into the wedding industrial complex in a way that makes me massively uncomfortable (Martha Stewart Weddings, I'm looking at you!), I also found some sites along the way that we're amazingly helpful not just from a planning point-of-view, but from a feminist one as well. Like A Practical Wedding, Offbeat Bride, and IndieBride (no blog, but the forum is great) - these sites helped me keep my sanity with their sage advice and senses of humor.

When the wedding is over and my planning all finished, there's no doubt that I'll have to leave some of these blogs behind - after all, how many wedding cake shots can one look at? But there are a few that I'll keep reading, because the women who run them are funny and smart and remind me why I love the internet. Also, because I like pretty pictures.

Another guilty pleasure - wedding flowers! The picture above is a sample centerpiece from my dope florist, Sarah of Saipua - who incidentally has a really great and hilarious blog herself. Pretty, no?

A study in in Cancer, the journal of the American Cancer Society, says that a rising number of women are having a healthy breast removed after being diagnosed with breast cancer as a preventative measure.

My latest Current crush Bryan Safi on why coming out is super gay.

Roman Polanski was arrested in Switzerland this weekend. He's spent the past several decades abroad after fleeing the U.S. during his trial for raping a 13-year-old girl.

Sometimes other bloggers say it first and say it better than I can. May I direct you to these fine writers for some commentary:

Kate Harding: Reminder: Roman Polanski raped a child

Amanda Hess: Common Roman Polanski Defenses, Refuted

Kieran Healy: "I look forward to more detailed explanations of who the Real Victim is here, and more fine-grained elaboration of the criteria -- other than "marvelous dinner guest" -- for being issued a Get Out of Child Rape Free card."

Scott Lemieux: "The fact that the victim forgives Polanski doesn't give him a license to skip out on his punishment."

Amanda Marcotte: "I tend to have a negative view of doggedly pursuing a criminal decades after the crime, but there are exceptions. In this case, I think that that the pressing need to send the message that fame and fortune doesn't give you a free pass to rape is worth the resources and effort put on bringing him in."

Sady Doyle on rape culture and liking the artistic output of someone who happens to be a rapist.

What have you all been reading about the Polanski arrest?

Related posts:
Newsweek hearts Polanski (and victim-blaming)
Loving sex and hating rape: Not mutually exclusive

So, as you know from Military Missive Part One, I'm having an adventure in military life and culture this week. Through out the briefings I've attended, the facilities I've toured, and the panels I've observed, a few things have been foremost on my mind--first among them my interest in holding the military accountable for the epidemic of military sexual assault that takes place.

First I have to admit that this whole experience has been far more trees than forest. In other words, we've focused much more on the nuts and bolts of military training, protocol, and infrastructure than we have on bigger social, organizational, and moral questions. Thus, it's been sort of hard to figure out when to ask various military leaders about my concerns. (For official military speak on the issue, go to thise site.) In any case, you know that a little awkwardness can't keep me quiet, so here's an account of my attempts to get answers:

First I questioned a strategic communications officer--a likable guy who told us all about the army's changing philosophy of "engagement." According to him, the priority is to become "an agent of change" (yes, they are using this exact language) and shift the army's reputation from "cumbersome and bureaucratic to coordinated, collaborative, and cooperative." Great, I asked him, then what is the army doing about the military sexual assault problem. His answer:

I personally have never experienced an issue with gender.

Second...

"Wedlock or Deadlock" is a 2-month-old show on Fox featuring Dr. Michelle Callahan. Couples who are considering marriage seek her counsel on national TV to explore whether they should be married or break up. I could list a million things wrong with this show. But to name a few: It's on Fox. Dr. Callahan has only counseled hetero couples. And the show reinforces the idea that marriage is the only option for long term fulfilling partnership.

The show features many people of color and even an inter-minority relationship here and there. This is both one of its strengths and one of its drawbacks. In a television environment where couples of color are more likely to be seen on court TV shows waging war against each other, Dr. Callahan is a woman of color whose show takes on a community problem-solving approach to relationship disputes. Instead of being portrayed as inherently pathological, couples of color are presented as conflict-resolution oriented. However, because of the emphasis on marriage, the show reeks of the marriage-promotion mantra that reigned during the Bush years. These policies, and Callahan's show, prioritize marriage between people of color over self-sustainability and evaluating a range of long term relationship options outside of marriage.

The one thing I do think is feminist about the show is the way she incorporates compatibility tests. She poses important questions that invite everyday people to examine their assumptions about gender roles in relationships. From division of labor in the household, head of the household, having children and money savvy, it is a rare moment in reality TV where men and women have to grapple with these issues.

This weekend I attended the first wedding reception I have gone to among my peers. They skipped out on a formal wedding to have a private ceremony in Hawaii, courtesy of their parents. They used the money that would otherwise be spent on a lofty wedding to put a down payment on a house. I couldn't be happier for them. I just wish that it wasn't just people of relative means, and heterosexual privilege, that could make this choice.

While Japan is under fire from the U.N. for paltry efforts toward gender equality, their massive tax change proposal promises to push more women into the workforce.

Japan's August 30 election saw the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) soundly defeat the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Yukio Hatoyama was installed as the Prime Minister. By American standards, DPJ could be simplified as the more fiscally progressive party; their platforms include a freeze on sales tax, increases in minimum wage, free public education, and most notably, a $289-per-child monthly allowance for families.

How will DPJ possibly fund such a large monthly child allowance? The Japan Times reports that the DPJ proposes cutting tax deductions for spouses, which would force wives employed in part-time work into full time work. Since 1961, tax deductions for dependent spouses have discouraged women from finding full-time work. To remain qualified as dependents on their breadwinner husbands, Japanese wives operate under an effective income ceiling of 1.3 million Japanese yen, or $14,456.

Just a quick update: Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who was admitted to the hospital last week because of "light headedness and fatigue," was released on Friday and back to work the same day. That's what I call bad-ass.

This weekly Saturday column "Ask Professor Foxy" will regularly contain sexually explicit material. This material is likely not safe for work viewing. The title of the column will include the major topic of the post, so please read the topic when deciding whether or not to read the entire column.

Dear Professor Foxy,

Please help,
Anxious Partner

Hi Anxious -
Who do you have to talk to about this? A friend you can trust, a therapist? You need someone who can listen to your concerns and help you as they come up.

I am glad you have spoken to him about your fears, but if he is not able to talk about them you need to respect his desire or inability to talk about how he is feeling. Let him know you are here when/if he needs to talk and give him space to work it out as well. It also seems like he should find someone who is employed in a similar profession to talk out his concerns with. Sometimes the only person you can talk to is one doing a similar job or going through the same experience. Support groups exist on the internet.

Are there other jobs he could do? Perhaps phone sex or dancing? Something that is still in the sex industry, but involves less intimate contact and to a certain extent more safety.

If he needs to stay in the escort business, can he call you before and after? Give you his location and if you do not hear from in a set amount of time, you call the police or have a friend that will go over with you. How can you work to make both of you feel safer.

This is a difficult situation and an ongoing process. You both need an outside outlet to work this out. You need to be gentle with yourself and with him.

Best,
Professor Foxy

If you have a question for Professor Foxy, send it to ProfessorFoxyATfeministingDOTcom.

Kate Marsh, 27, is the Public Liaison Officer for Children by Choice, a pro-choice organization in Queensland, Australia. Children by Choice is a small organization that, in addition to advocating for reproductive rights, also offers pregnancy counseling.

In the last few months, Queensland's abortion laws have been thrust into the spotlight, thanks in large part to the case of Tegan Leach, a 19-year-old Queensland woman who is being charged for self-inducing a medical abortion using drugs bought overseas. Her boyfriend, who helped her procure the drugs, is also being charged.

The case has brought much-needed attention to the fact that despite the relatively common occurrence of abortion in Australia (in 2002, 25.2% of Australian pregnancies ended in abortion, which is comparable to the US's 24.5% in 2001), there are in fact very few circumstances under which abortion is legal in Australia. And as Marsh notes, the Leach case has led to a decrease in access as doctors around the country, fearing, criminal prosecution, have ceased to provide some forms of abortion.

As an Australian who has always understood the abortion debate in my homeland to be barely-existent, and Australian women's rights to be secure, the case has been eye-opening and upsetting. However, it was a pleasure to interview Ms. Marsh, who has been an outspoken advocate for legislative change on these issues. You'll notice that throughout the interview, I've had to engage in a small amount of cultural translation in order to make Marsh understood to Feministing's mostly American audience. Also, you may also notice that I've stubbornly used Australian spelling for this interview - just this one - in Ms. Marsh's honour.

And now, without further ado, the Feministing Five, with Kate Marsh.

More health insurance company FAILS. This time, Think Progress reports that Blue Cross Shield denied a woman's claim because they said her bleeding nipple was not an emergency. If that's not an emergency, I'm not sure what is.

In good news, a decision to close the Philadelphia Public Library System has been reversed by the State Legislature.

Some follow-up to Ariel's post about the UC Walkout, from SF Gate and the NYTimes. In short, there was huge participation. Stay tuned to see what the outcomes are.

Happy Friday folks!

I have had the opportunity to see a lot of really powerful speakers at the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting. Talk about internalized patriarchy: I was most excited to see Presidents Obama and Clinton speak, and though I was excited to see Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, she was not at the top of my list. I have to tell you all, I was most personally affected by Secretary Clinton's words. Our politics differ in a number of ways, but seeing her speak in person her morally motivated passion is undeniable. As she talked about fundamentally shifting our approach to hunger I got chills and even teared up a little. I have heard Secretary Clinton be accused of acting only out of a desire for power probably more than anyone else in politics. I think this stems partly from an insidious assumption that for a woman to be successful she must lose part of her humanity, which is supposed to be focused on nurturing others.

In his introduction of Secretary Clinton, President Clinton said that in the second half of 20th century the U.S. government gave up on helping those in poverty feed themselves. The thinking became that those with food would just give some to others. "This persisted through Democratic and Republican administrations, including my own. We were all wrong." By focusing on aid in situations of crisis instead of empowering small farmers and creating structures for them to sell their crops locally, "We forgot the dignity element of being able to feed yourself."

I wrote on this last Friday, but now the Yes on Question 1 campaign, primarily funded by anti-gay group Stand For Marriage Maine, has used the exact footage from California's bigoted Yes on 8 commercials in their newest commercial.

The only significant difference is the casting of Charla Bansley, a Maine anti-gay activist and teabagger, and Maine's head of Concerned Women for America, in the role of the teacher. Bansley is a teacher at a private Christian school, and wrote an op-ed in the Bangor Daily News in 2000 calling for the abolishment of the Department of Education:

The best thing the Department of Education could do to improve the quality of education is to close its doors and send back our money.

A private school teacher who wishes to abolish public education wields little credibility in deciding its content. Bansley has been quoted describing same-sex relationships as a "Public display of psychosis." Moya Watson has a good perspective on what impact Bansley's hateful words have on families, and Julia Rosen of the Courage Campaign breaks down the egregious lies about Maine's public curriculum that Bansley perpetuates.

And still, I wish that when opponents of equal rights say, "My child will be taught about same-sex marriage in public schools," activists won't answer, "That won't happen." but rather, "Yes. So what?"

This week's Time magazine shed more light on the fact that women make up only 13 percent of Wikipedia contributors. Sue Gardener, Wikimedia Foundation's E.D. noted:

The average Wikipedian is a young man in a wealthy country who is probably a graduate student -- somebody who's smart, literate, engaged in the world of ideas, thinking, learning and writing all the time.

It should go without saying that if women make up 51 percent of the population, 13 percent representation at Wikipedia is a DISGRACE!

The graduate student reference also surprised me. It seems odd that women are drastically underrepresented at Wikipedia when women in graduate school outnumber men. This means that there is more to the story, possibly more issues -- cough, sexism -- which Wikipedia must investigate to figure out what gives when it comes to their lack of women contributors.

Our own commentators have testified to sketchy posts on violence against women and the overall frustration with the "Wikipedia Gods." Wikipedia is increasingly becoming the go-to source for everyday information, and women of all status -- and men for that matter -- should have a space there. Wikipedia should step up to ensure that.

In the Time article, it seemed that affirmative action was the unspoken answer to the gender gap. I, for one, don't think affirmative action is perfect. But where woman are concerned, it has had significantly positive outcomes in various sectors. And the wheel doesn't have to be reinvented. The Wikipedia rep in this article came off as unapologetic and without a concrete plan for diversifying, even in the face of stunted growth.

Via Wonkroom's Twitterfeed, a quote from the health care reform hearings and mark-up:

[US Senator John] Kyl: "I don't need maternity care" in my benefits package. [US Senator Debbie] Stabenow fires back: "I think your mom probably did."

For serious.

Video after the jump.

An organization that is near and dear to my heart, the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, is turning 15 this year! In honor of this milestone, they're throwing a Quinceañera, a fifteenth anniversary celebration that is a Latino tradition for young girls. It'll be a fun twist on this traditional ceremony.

NLIRH was my first job out of college. It was a kind of a college-student-gets-dream-job situation. I like to think it was fate actually, but I had learned about NLIRH at the March for Women's Lives in Washington, DC and was so psyched to see an organization that brought together two things I cared about deeply: the Latino community and reproductive rights. I was beyond excited when they offered me a job as an organizer there.

The staff and activists affiliated with NLIRH taught me about reproductive justice, taught me how to be an organizer, how to work in immigrant communities, how to work in an office. I feel so grateful that my first experience in the non-profit world was an organization staffed and run by young Latina women. I have always felt supported and nurtured by the organization and it's values. I still work for them now, three years later, but in a more limited (and not full-time) capacity as their E-Communications Manager.

I'm excited to be able to celebrate NLIRH's Quince at the fantastic event they are putting on in a few weeks. There will be amazing food, Latin music, and awards presented to some amazing activists and leaders in the Latino community. It's on October 7th in Washington DC at the Museum of Women in the Arts. It's a fundraiser, so tickets aren't cheap--but trust me when I say it's a seriously worthy organization.

If you're interested in attending (or supporting the organization with a donation), the details are here.

Check out this fascinating video from Hunter Stuart and RH Reality Check. He went to one of the Forty Days for Life protests outside of a clinic in Central Wisconsin that doesn't even provide abortions. It's fascinating, and terrifying.

As you all know, Jos, Vanessa and I have been attending the 5th Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initative this week in Manhattan. We've put up several posts already about the event, including coverage of the opening session, photos from the first day, and coverage of Wednesday morning's Plenary Session on Investing in Women and Girls.

I'd like to offer a different kind of coverage here, one that tries to understand if and how the broader thematic goal of the Meeting- namely, cross-sector participation in addressing the world's problems- works, and how it will ultimately affect women and girls globally.

In other words- Can business interests and NGO interests ever align productively? Can the World Bank really make positive contributions to social change, given its rather horrific history of debt-mongering and culturally insensitive politics? Or are these interests mutually exclusive, in constant battle over zero-sum resources and therefore doomed to clash? CGI suggests convergence and collaboration can benefit all. I ask- what kinds of compromise on women's issues does such an ambitious mandate demand?

The Washington Post reports that Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was admitted to the hospital yesterday when she got sick after being treated for an iron deficiency.

Ginsburg, 76, "developed light headedness and fatigue" in her chambers about an hour after receiving an iron sucrose infusion, according to a statement from the court. A court physician determined that Ginsburg's blood pressure was slightly low and administered fluids. Ginsburg's symptoms improved, the court said, but the justice was taken to the hospital as a precaution at 7:45 p.m. She was expected to remain there overnight Thursday.

Justice Ginsburg battled pancreatic cancer earlier this year. Please send good thoughts her way.

"I call myself a feminist," said the Dalai Lama in Memphis yesterday. "Isn't that what you call someone who fights for women's rights?"

Researchers have made some progress toward creating an AIDS vaccine.

How feminist are German Chancellor Angela Merkel's policies?

The New York Times Magazine has a piece on kids who come out in middle school.

Um, 3-year-old Suri Cruise is wearing heels? WTF? (Reminds me of these.)

40 days of anti-choice protests are going on now. Support clinic workers and protect women's access by pledging a protester!

Vogue's Grace Coddington and Anna Wintour

From the day I first saw the trailer online, I was super excited to see The September Issue, the documentary about the making of Vogue's thickest issue of the year. I've long been fascinated by the popular portrayal of Vogue editor Anna Wintour as the ultimate ice-queen boss from hell. And fashion is probably my #1 Un-Feminist Guilty Pleasure. So of course I went to see it as soon as it opened.

There are, obviously, a lot of valid criticisms to make of the fashion industry. It's sizist. It's racist. It's classist. And yes, absolutely, Wintour bears some responsibility for that. At one point in the film, they photoshop a whole different neck onto a perfectly lovely cover photo of Sienna Miller. (Quote: "Is this shot with the old neck or the new neck?") On these issues, the editors get no pass from me.

But fashion is also a major (the only?) global industry in which women run the show. Watching The September Issue, I was struck multiple times at how unaccustomed I am to seeing women in charge. Not just one woman in a male-dominated setting, mind you. But women.

Most of the documentary hinges on the relationship (or power struggle) between Wintour and Vogue's creative director Grace Coddington, who have very strong and sometimes opposing views of exactly how they want the magazine to look. When they clash, Wintour usually emerges the victor -- she's higher on the masthead, after all -- but Coddington is one of the few staffers with the gumption to stand up to her. It was, frankly, awesome to watch two women over the age of 50 portrayed as powerful and experienced rather than past-their-prime and shrewish.

Other bloggers have said they were surprised to come away from the film with the distinct impression that Anna Wintour is not a bitch. She's just... in charge. Maybe she was just playing nice while the cameras were rolling, but honestly, I was not at all shocked to see that Wintour's devilish reputation appears overblown. Women managers who are straightforward -- who don't sugarcoat their opinions, and who realize they're your boss, not your mother -- are always seen as irredeemable bitches. 

There's also a common trope perpetuated by anti-feminists (and some feminists, too) that women are inherently more nurturing than men. That women are "naturally" power-averse and non-confrontational and inclined toward niceties. I think that is true for some women. But others who contradict that trope, like Wintour, are frequently declared to be in denial of their femininity or to be suppressing their true essence. That's bullshit.

Maybe Anna Wintour isn't super fun to work for. Maybe she doesn't make time for heart-to-heart chats with her employees. So what? At least in The September Issue, Wintour knows what she likes, knows what she doesn't like, and gets the job done. Even though I don't find the resulting magazine to be all that great (on a feminist level, on a journalistic level, or on a fashion-taste level), I have to say I really admire her for that.

New research (PDF) from the London School of Economics (LSE) says that, when it comes to fighting climate change, investing in contraception is five times more effective than technologies such as wind and solar power.

Meeting basic family planning needs along the lines suggested would save 34 gigatonnes (billion tonnes) of CO2 between now and 2050 - equivalent to nearly six times the annual emissions of the US and almost 60 times the UK's annual total.

In response to the report, some enviro-bloggers have called for "breaking the taboo" on linking population policy with environmental policy. Writes Lydia DePillis at TNR,

[I]t's simply about reducing the number of footprints as well as their size, through increasing access to reproductive choice--a key element of the development agenda, and something the Obama administration itself endorsed eight months ago, by scrapping the gag rule on family planning. Too bad it looks like that's totally off-limits in the American environmental discourse.

Now, I do understand that rapid population growth can exacerbate the impact of climate change. And I'm all for meeting global family planning needs. But linking these goals is problematic. I know the LSE report contains a prominent caveat that this is about non-coercive family planning, but using fears about climate change as a way to expand contraceptive use is eerily reminiscent of "population control" policies, some of which were coercive and all of which were rooted in the idea that certain people should be having fewer babies. (For some examples of the historically problematic use of "population control," check out this report from Hampshire College.) I wonder whether liberals who are favorably linking to the LSE research are aware of how close its rhetoric is to racist talking points about population. Some taboos exist for a reason.

Of course, the LSE report is carefully worded and clearly aware of this history. But it still doesn't sit right with me. I mean, the study was commissioned by a group called the Optimum Population Trust. Apparently "optimum population" is the new way of saying "population control." And it seems that Paul Ehrlich, author of The Population Bomb, is one of the group's patrons. In the late 1960s, Ehrlich's book set off a panic that overpopulation would lead to mass starvation in the coming decades -- and spurred the U.S. to create its first global family-planning policies, which were not super feminist. (Read Michelle Goldberg's book for more on this.) 

As Claire, guest-blogging at Feministe recently, asked, "Has science ever actually defined the number of people the world and it's resources can support, or is this fear of a "population bomb" about something else, more to do with which babies are being born than how many are being born?" (Emphasis mine.) Which is why I reject the "population control" frame altogether. Put another way, by Adam Werbach in a 2005 article about population and immigration,

In the population-control frame, the number of people and their placement on the planet is the root problem that needs to be solved. But is that really the problem? Family planning has succeeded only where economic security has been improved for women, including access to food and shelter, health care, and education. With this as background, the real population problem may be the treatment of women on the planet.

Today the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting hosted a press conference on human trafficking headlined by Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis and Melanne Verveer, Ambassador-at-Large for Women's Issues. I am very glad to see a focus on this incredibly important and too often ignored issue.

Mira Sorvino, who is a Goodwill Ambassador with a focus on human trafficking, framed the lack of knowledge about modern day slavery in the U.S. through her personal experience: "Like many Americans I thought slavery had ended with Lincoln... It's this unbelievably subterranean crime."

Not long after UK government officials suggested that airbrushed ads have disclaimers in a national effort to improve women's lives in the UK, French members of Parliament are not just pushing hard for a disclaimer, but are calling it a government "health warning." Love it:

A group of 50 politicians want a new law stating published images have bold printed notice stating they have been digitally enhanced.

Campaigning MP Valerie Boyer, of President Nicolas Sarkozy's UMP party, said the wording should read, 'Retouched photograph aimed at changing a person's physical appearance'.

Mrs Boyer, who has also written a government report on anorexia and obesity, added: 'We want to combat the stereotypical image that all women are young and slim.

'These photos can lead people to believe in a reality that does not actually exist, and have a detrimental effect on adolescents."

I'll hold my breath for the U.S. to catch on.

Because the only way to get people to care about women dying of breast cancer is to remind them that tits are stake.

Related: The Breast Cancer-Industrial Complex, More on breast cancer's most tragic victims..., Fun with Feminist Flickr (beating cancer/beating women edition), and more from Hoyden About Town.

Via.

Over the past few weeks, I have been working with coalitions and groups of student activists, student government leaders, statewide student organizers, University faculty, graduate students, and union workers around a Day of Action today, September 24, against the severe budget cuts and student fee hikes.

In the 1970s, student fees were less than $100. The University of California extols the virtue of a free public education, and thus charges "fees" instead of "tuition." On July 17, 2009, the UC Regents, a board of decision-makers appointed by the Governor of California and including only one student, declared a state of fiscal emergency and granted UC President Mark Yudof emergency powers to make financial decisions. The Regents are now recommending a 32% fee hike, which would push UC student fees over $10,000 for the first time in history.

The CA state legislature cut the University of California system by $813 million. Some of the fault for crumbling access to higher education lies with California's Republican choke hold on state revenue, which has de-prioritized public education through de-funding and program cuts. And some blame should be attributed to the UC Regents, who have continued to make ill spending choices and granted themselves raises while academic services have been cut ("Execs still get raises as UC cuts staffing, pay"). Instead of disclosing their highly-guarded budget or devoting resources towards serious reform of the California policy on tax revenues, the UC has sought to fund the cuts on the backs of students, workers, and faculty.

Today, we stage a walkout, to show voters that public education is worth funding, to show the UC Regents that the fee hikes and denial of access to higher education are not inevitable, and to allow students to stand in solidarity with faculty, workers, and each other in this battle. At Berkeley, the day's activities will include picket lines, a rally led by students and faculty alike, and a march around campus, but each UC campus has many different actions planned.

I can't afford a child, I'm going on the pill! Oh snap, I can't afford that either...

The Guttmacher Institute released a new study yesterday revealing that the economic recession has not only caused women to be less prone to want to have children, but literally half of the women researched said the recession has led them to either delay pregnancy or limit the number of children they have.

On top of the cost of birth control, we're in a bind that leaves us pretty much screwed; while women want to avoid getting pregnant because they can't afford a kid, amost one in four women have put off seeing a gynecologist in the past year to save money, and report having a harder time paying for birth control than they did in the past. Dr. Sharon Camp, Guttmacher president and CEO, put out a statement:

"The recession has put many women--including middle-class women who are having trouble making ends meet--in an untenable situation. They want to avoid unintended pregnancy more than ever, but at the same time are having difficulty affording the out-of-pocket costs of prescription contraception. Unfortunately, while delaying a prescription refill or skipping pills may save women money in the short term, it increases their risk of an unintended pregnancy and results in greater costs related to abortion and unplanned birth later on."

Check out the entire report, "A Real-Time Look at the Impact of the Recession on Women's Family Planning and Pregnancy Decisions."

h/t to Leila.

I've been in two unlikely places this week--Fort Leavenworth, Kansas and Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. That's right, I've left behind my Brooklyn coffee shops and my MLK books for an adventure in military culture.

The Media & the Military Workshop, a collaboration between the University of Kansas Journalism School and the Combined Arms Center at Fort Leavenworth, is in its second year (funded by the McCormick Foundation). It is an attempt to help journalists understand the military better, and visa versa. A group of about 25 of us have been learning about the military, meeting new soldiers, and even experiencing a bit of life inside (I did "PT," aka physical training, at 4:30am yesterday with a group of soldiers!).

It's been thrilling to have the experience to really learn firsthand about an institution that I have such complex feelings about.

As some of you may know, I've become increasingly interested in veterans' affairs over the last few years because my dear cousin Lang was in the Marines and served two tours of duty in Iraq, and also because I wrote an in-depth profile of Maricela Guzman, an amazing veteran activist who co-founded the Service Women's Action Network. This led me to write frequent columns on the topics of military sexual assault, veterans' benefits etc. While I've learned a lot from my interviews, and even a trip to a Congressional Round Table of the Veterans' Affairs Committee in DC, I felt like I was lacking in very basic knowledge about how the military works, and how those involved in it relate to their work.

I'm particularly interested in--shocker, I know--the intersections of gender and class in the military and military culture, more generally. Stay tuned for Part Two to hear some of my insights after a few days in the trenches...

Republicans are defending a big insurer who reportedly told their older consumers that the Obama health care plan would slash benefits.

A Gay bar in Chicago is purportedly requiring that folks' gender presentation to match their IDs in order to gain entrance to the club.

A really key domestic violence prevention organization in Washington DC, WEAVE, is in the middle of a fundraising campaign to keep their doors open. Due to amazing community support they've raised over $50,000 just this week. They need to get to $85,000 to keep things going. You can donate here.

A Vice-Chancellor at Buckingham University in the UK has stuck his foot in his sexist mouth by claiming that female students are a perk of the job.

Women, Action and the Media (WAM!) Director Jaclyn Friedman sent out an email blast yesterday with some big news about WAM! The organization is in transition, and becoming an entity independent of the organization it was born from, the Center for New Words. They've got big plans for the new WAM! including a national focus, local chapters to provide regional support and more.

We won't lie -- it's not going to be easy. In order for the new WAM! to succeed, we have to find brand-new sources of funding at a time when many funders are having a hard time even fulfilling their existing commitments. But we have one thing most organizations don't have: YOU.

Around the country and globe, there are thousands of women who consider themselves WAM!mers. If you're reading this, it's likely you're one of them. Maybe you've had your work published or produced because of WAM!. Maybe you've found a source or a story you wouldn't have otherwise. Maybe you've been exposed to a new idea that's changed the way you see the world, or changed the kind of media you're working to create. Maybe you were inspired to action. Maybe you got the chance to inspire others to action. Maybe you connected with someone who's become a valuable friend or colleague, or plugged in to a community that helps you feel less alone and more energized.

Whatever your story, if you've ever considered yourself a part of the WAM! community -- or even wanted to -- this is the moment to be counted. You are WAM!, and what you do right now will determine WAM's future.

The sad news is that the WAM! Conference, for which they are known, is being postponed until March 2011. WAM! was my first in person introduction to the world of feminist media and it remains an amazing gathering place for all sorts of writers, filmmakers and media folks focused on bringing the lens of gender to their work. I don't want to see it go.

Join the fundraising campaign that will set WAM! up to begin it's new phase. They've set a lofty goal to raise $30,000 by October 20th. You can donate by going here, and as always, every little bit counts.

President Clinton opened the second day of the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting by reciting damning statistics about women's economic marginalization, including that only 30% of the world's workforce is made up of women. Women do 66% of world's work, make only 10% of world's income, and own only 1% world's property. He said investing in women "can unleash an estimated $15 billion in annual productivity."

Investing in Girls and Women was hosted by Diane Sawyer. The panelists were: Edna Adan, Director and Founder, Edna Adan Maternity and Teaching Hospital; Lloyd Blankfein, Chairman and CEO, The Goldman Sachs Group; Zainab Salbi, Founder and CEO, Women for Women International; Rex W. Tillerson, Chief Executive Officer, ExxonMobil Corporation; Melanne Verveer, Ambassador-at-Large for Women's Issues, U.S. State Department; and Robert Zoellick, President, The World Bank Group.

The winners of one of the most prestigious awards in the US, the McArthur Fellows program, were announced this week. Also known as the McArthur genius grant, it's a no-strings-attached award of $500,000 that winners don't even know they've been nominated for until they receive notice that they've won via phone call. 24 people were named winners this week.

Winners are usually pretty impressive folks, activists, academics, researchers, journalists, writers. They range in age this year from 32 to 69, and are a geographically and racially diverse crew.

Anna Clark has a break down of the three writers who won awards, but profiles of all the winners can be found here.

A video of one of the winners, Camille Utterback, a digital artist, is after the jump.

It's Day 2 of the 5th Annual Meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative in Manhattan, and I'm sitting next to Jos in the press room trying to organize my thoughts on everything that's been going on. I mean, wow. I'm surrounded by conference participants, which range from diplomats to heads of state to movie stars to business executives to NGO presidents and CEOs to prestigious journalists and high-powered bloggers. I've got to be honest- I don't think I've never been in the same building as so many smart, powerful, and- let's face it- rich people before in my life.

Last year I wrote about how Gardasil, the relatively new HPV vaccine, had been added to the list of required vaccines for people seeking to adjust their immigration statuses.

Numerous immigration groups came out in opposition to this requirement, stating that it posed a unfair financial barrier to immigrant women, who already take on a lengthy and costly process to become citizens.

Well now one of the first reported cases of a young woman losing her path to citizenship because of Gardasil, via ABC.

For the last near decade, Davis has embarked on a quest to get Simone U.S. citizenship.

Now 17 and an aspiring elementary school teacher and devout Christian, Simone has only one thing standing in the way of her goal -- the controversial vaccine Gardasil.

Immigration law mandates that Simone get the vaccine to protect against the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus, which has been linked to cervical cancer.

But Simone, who has taken a virginity pledge and is not sexually active, doesn't see why she should have to take the vaccine, especially since it's been under fire recently regarding its safety. And none of her American classmates is mandated by law to be vaccinated.

"I am only 17 years old and planning to go to college and not have sex anytime soon," said Simone. "There is no chance of getting cervical cancer, so there's no point in getting the shot."

The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting kicked off yesterday with an Opening Plenary hosted by President Clinton. Thanks to Lori's crowd navigation skills we were able to be in the room for the plenary (instead of watching it on TVs in the press room) and even sat within 100 feet of the podium.

In his opening remarks President Clinton told CGI members this is the only conference they will attend where the gift bag is just that - a bag. Sounds like every activist conference I've been to!

Gary White and Matt Damon (*swoon*) spoke about access to water and sanitation. Many of us in the U.S. take clean water for granted. For much of the world, though, access to water is perhaps the largest health issue. White and Damon were there to promote water.org and their new focus on Haiti.

Linda Lockhart, founder of Global Give Back Circle, spoke about her work on education for girls in Kenya. Lockhart said, "Our goal was never to be the voice of the girls. It was to give them a voice." This was demonstrated through a video (which reminded me of this) and a powerful spoken word performance by three young women from St. Martin's School for Girls.

The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is being debated in a hearing before the House Committee on Education and Labor today at 10am.

The bill would protect against workplace discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.

There has been controversy in past years about bills that were not inclusive of gender identity, but this year it's been all-inclusive and had much support.

You can see a liveblog of the hearing over at Bilerico, or you can follow live tweets of the hearing here.

Sometimes you need a little humor and sarcasm during this health care debacle.

Via the Nation

Today in 1838, Victoria Claflin Woodhull was born.

Feminists in Little Italy respond to Tucker Max's ad campaign for his upcoming film. Nice.

Planned Parenthood of the St. Louis Region gears up for the 40-day anti-choice protest planned to begin tomorrow with a great campaign in response, Defend the Truth Pledge-a-Protester.

E. Jean, advice columnist for Elle magazine, calls a woman thinking about selling her virginity a "flimflamming trollop."

A Detroit prosecutor is calling for an investigation into possibly thousands of mismanaged rape kits found in a Detroit Police Department evidence storage facility.

Move over, purity rings; the National Marriage Boycott won $10,000 for their idea to fight the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) with an "Equality Ring."

...by suggesting that straight porn turns boys gay. Huh? Via Broadsheet, it seems that Michael Schwartz is giving advice to folks as to how to deter your child from pornography - tell them it's gay.

He dropped this divine wisdom this weekend at the Values Voter Summit during a panel on "The New Masculinity," which focused on how "feminism has wreaked havoc on marriage, women, children and men" and discussed the need to get "the principles and ideals for a new 'masculinism' right." Part of getting those principles right means inculcating young boys with fear of their own bodies, apparently.

This absurd sound bite surfaced when Schwartz shared an "astonishingly insightful remark" made by a friend of his who suffered for some time from "the malady" of homosexuality: "All pornography is homosexual pornography, because all pornography turns your sexual drive inwards." He continued, "Now think about that. And if you, if you tell an 11-year-old boy about that, do you think he's going to want to go out and get a copy of Playboy? I'm pretty sure he'll lose interest. That's the last thing he wants."

Check out the video:

So feminists and gay folks are responsible for the widespread popularity of pornography. Wait, how does that work again? Because you've completely fucking lost me between homosexuality being "inflicted on people" and the new "'masculinism' right." Looks like he needs to hook up with the MRAs.

Lori and I will be covering the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting for Feministing over the next few days (we're in the press room right now). Some basic info on CGI:

Building on President Clinton's lifetime in public service, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) reflects his belief that governments need collaboration from the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and other global leaders to effectively confront the world's most pressing problems. After attending thousands of meetings during his career in which urgent needs were discussed but no action was taken to solve them, President Clinton saw a need to establish a new kind of meeting with an emphasis on results.

In 2005, President Clinton established CGI to turn ideas into action and to help our world move beyond the current state of globalization to a more integrated global community of shared benefits, responsibilities, and values. By gathering world leaders from a variety of backgrounds, CGI creates a unique opportunity to channel the capacities of individuals and organizations to realize change. To fulfill the action-oriented mission of CGI, all members devise practical solutions to global issues through the development of specific and measurable Commitments to Action.

The meeting should be a fascinating experience. Some of the most powerful people in the world are gathered here to discuss what they consider the most pressing global issues. This includes a focus on women and girls. Check back for more on CGI and the topics covered over the next few days.

While I too, think that straight men can sadly be intimidated by women who love their vagina, this was upsetting. Another confession Fox divulged in her Rolling Stones interview was that she used to cut herself:

"Yeah...But I don't want to elaborate. I would never call myself a cutter. Girls go through different phases when they're growing up, when they're miserable and do different things, whether it's an eating disorder or they dabble in cutting."(Emphasis mine)

No biggie, just something girls "dabble in" as they grow up. Huh? While I respect her openness about her problem, normalizing pretty serious issues as just somethin' us gals do isn't sending her young emulating fans a good message here.

(Not to mention cutting seems to be more common in general among young actresses lately - and of course the media is eating it up. Heinous.)

We covered this a couple of years ago, but a reader sent it in and it's just too good not to bring to light, especially when we have the original.

This gem is from the July 1943 issue of Transportation Magazine, written for male supervisors of women during World War II. These were "helpful tips" on supervising women at work (emphasis mine):

1. Pick young married women. They usually have more of a sense of responsibility than their unmarried sisters, they're less likely to be flirtatious, they need the work or they wouldn't be doing it, they still have the pep and interest to work hard and to deal with the public efficiently.

2. When you have to use older women, try to get ones who have worked outside the home at some time in their lives. Older women who have never contacted the public have a hard time adapting themselves and are inclined to be cantankerous and fussy. It's always well to impress upon older women the importance of friendliness and courtesy.

3. General experience indicates that "husky" girls - those who are just a little on the heavy side - are more even tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters.

4. Retain a physician to give each woman you hire a special physical examination - one covering female conditions. This step not only protects the property against the possibilities of lawsuit, but reveals whether the employee-to-be has any female weaknesses which would make her mentally or physically unfit for the job.

Is it just me or does this sound like an episode of the Crocodile Hunter? Except in this case they're, you know, not animals. Sigh.

The rest of this madness is after the jump, my fave being, "A girl has more confidence and is more efficient if she can keep her hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick and wash her hands several times a day." Just give me a tube of lipstick and I'll be ready to take on the world!

Cause this email freaked all of us out:

Hi,

My name is Chrissy and I'm a high school guidance counselor. We had some issues in the school last year with a lot of the female students becoming pregnant. That problem, so far, seems to have carried over to this school year. I was doing some research for different ideas and I came across your site: http://feministing.com/archives/006141.html and I noticed you're currently linking to http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/infopage/mifepristone/default.htm which doesn't appear to be working. I found some really good info at another site and I thought maybe you'd be interested in linking to that site instead of the broken one. The address is: [redacted anti-choice site with dating url] which is a bit different but has really good information. Thanks again for the info and help I received from your site. I hope you'll also find my suggestion informative and helpful.

Sincerely,

Chrissy Compton

Cree-py.

Just a random shot I took yesterday of the "Women's Health" section at my local Eckerd drug store that I wanted to share.

Yes, it's no big news that women's products are very, very often pink for marketing purposes, but seeing an entire section of women's health supplements was just too pinkified to not point out.

Hida Viloria, author of the upcoming book Mighty Hermaphrodite, weighs in on Caster Semenya and her own experience being intersex.

My Yes Means Yes co-editor Jaclyn Friedman pens Four Things About the Hofstra Rape/Recant Story.

Rape prevention tips...for rapists. (h/t)

Girls' Ice Hockey Team Says No to Homophobia - I heart activism.

This, however, is enough to ruin my day.

During the third season of Mad Men Feministing writers will offer some of our thoughts on feminist moments, scenes, and themes in the new episodes in order to start a discussion about these topics in our community. *WARNING: Lots of spoilers follow.

Bobby: "I'm bored." Betty: "Go bang your head against the wall... Only boring people are bored."

My mom was always reading multiple parenting books when my sister and I were young. The books encouraged raising children to conform to the compulsory gender binary and were no doubt flawed in many other ways. But at least there was something available. Betty is stuck with the job of being a parent to three children. Don's involvement is fleeting at best - he gets to have meaningful moments with his children without being there for all the everyday challenges. Betty knows how to care for a baby, but she is raising Bobby and Sally without any road map. It makes sense that she tries to silence Sally with the television and appease her with a Barbie. Betty won't have to deal with anyone lecturing her on the merits of baby wearing, but she is also working an unpaid job with almost no support. -Jos

You know, I'm pretty sure my dad used to say this to me! But yes, totally agree, Jos. Though until recently, Carla has been doing that heavy lifting for the most part as well. -Jessica

Betty on moving to England: "I could get a pram and a real nanny."

Makes sense Betty would want to move to England, where full time nannies are socially acceptable. I think it is worth noting that Betty was largely raised by Viola, her family's African American maid, and that Carla plays a role in raising Sally and Bobby. Viola does not register as a nanny to Betty, but I imagine she filled a fairly similar role. -Jos

Joan plans to leave Sterling Cooper, Greg doesn't get the job.

I understand it could be problematic if Joan leaves Greg because he's not bringing her the kind of money and prestige she wants. I don't care. I say use whatever excuse necessary to leave that asshole. If Joan does leave Greg that will probably be the reason closest to the surface, but we all know Joan has been through much worse with her angry, unstable rapist of a husband. -Jos

Ugh, could Greg be more sniveling? I'm genuinely curious abut how the writers will either bring Joan back to Sterling Cooper or keep her in the loop if she's not at the agency. I don't think Mad Men could exist without Joan! -Jessica

I was going to write the second part to this post today, but then something else Miriam Grossman-related - something glorious - happened. I found this site.

Sense & Sexuality is a new website (launched today!) by the anti-feminist organization Clare Boothe Luce Policy Institute - you may remember them from when they tried to shut down The Vagina Monologues and bring back the hope chest. They also were in our top ten anti-feminists videos!

The site says its a project of the organization's "Center for Women's Health and Sexuality" - though as far as I can tell, no such center exists outside of the website, and all of the content is based on Grossman's work. Specifically, its a spin-off of the booklet Grossman wrote for the organization last year. Remember? It's the one that told us in pink cursive that "the rectum is an exit, not an entrance." (In fact, they already have a blog post dedicated to the topic!)

I think I can safely say this is the biggest piece of crap website on sex I've ever seen. And that's saying a lot. Between the straight up lies and scare tactics (you can get STDs from mutual masturbation, apparently), the sexism, and the hearts making up the DNA strand on the homepage (cause women are just made for love, not sex) - I don't even know where to start.

Well, maybe I do. From the site's "facts" section...

Why girls feel used after hooking up (seriously): "Girls expect emotional involvement almost twice as often as guys; 34% hope "a relationship might evolve." Guys, more than girls, are in part motivated by hopes of improving their social reputation, or of bragging about their exploits to friends the next day."

Why dudes you sleep with won't remember your name: "When it comes to sex, oxytocin, like alcohol, turns red lights green. It plays a major role in what's called "the biochemistry of attachment." Because of it, you could develop feelings for a guy whose last intention is to bond with you. You might think of him all day, but he can't remember your name."

Why young women should put off education and get knocked up as soon as possible: "[T]ypically a student who always put career first, and is finally getting a Ph.D. at 38 or 40. She's thrilled to reach that milestone, but aches for another: to feel a new life inside her, to give birth."

There's even a section on beer goggles. (How scientific!) Oh and if you're looking for resources, you're in for a treat of Grossman's books, articles, and videos. Activism? Have Grossman speak on your campus! Or you can visit their blog, where all you need to know is indicated in the first blog entry's tags: hookup, regret.

Why not just call it Shame & Sexuality and get it over with?

Via this interview in the Rumpus, I discovered Trucker Desiree. She describes herself thusly:

"California is where I was born & raised. I am of a Family of Migrant Field Workers who came to California before the Freeways. I grew up at the beaches in Venice, Oxnard, Malibu, Arcata, Trinidad and Carlsbad as a child of the Welfare System."

"After a life of struggles as a Single Mother, I am now an "Over the Road" Trucker.

For the past year, she has been sharing her story at AskTheTrucker.com. On her own site, she writes,

My initial concern was student truckers, primarily women who have had violence acted upon them during their student phase and simply quit because they are made to feel ashamed or responsible.

She also works to expose the problems she saw in trucking school -- especially as the industry increasingly looks to recruit women.The (slightly outdated) stats on women in trucking:

Today, there are nearly 170,000 women truckers, making up 5% of all U.S. trucking jobs. By the end of 2007, that number is expected to attain 200,000. What motivates these women to leave the general work place? You will find that independence and the irrepressible challenge of truck driving jobs are the two most common motivations given. Another important reason is the wage-earning aspect. Truck driving averages 20-30% higher wages than jobs' women usually enter into. Woman in trucking is on such a rise in the United States that it is the cause of such great organizations such as the National and International Women's Trucking Association.

While Desiree expresses some concerns for her safety in this industry, her interview with the Rumpus has some humorous moments, too:

Rumpus: Do you ever wish you could pee in a bottle?

Desiree: That's Funny! I actually did not know truckers did that or anyone else for that matter before I went to CDL [trucking] School. I find a Super Big Gulp cup works fine and I pour it in the grass.

Forget the P-Mate or the Go Girl, apparently all you need to do is buy a 64 oz. fountain drink.

Follow Desiree's tweets from the road.

I have to say, nothing gets me writing faster than anti-feminist blogs. Caroline from the Network of Enlightened Women (more on them here) thinks that couple living together is a tremendous destructive force:

I remember when I was in kindergarten and the big tease was "Johnny and Annie sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in a baby carriage!" That is how I always thought it went, love, marriage, baby carriage. Easy as pie. As a college student preparing for the real world, I realize that there are some new steps in the process. Now, the song could be sung , "hookup, move in together, maybe get married when we are 30, baby." Cohabitation, or the Trial Marriage, is causing the disintegration of not only courtship and dating, but also marriage, and ultimately the family.

Actually, Caroline's song perfectly encapsulates my relationship! We met, hooked up, moved in together, and in less than two weeks - at the oh-so-ancient age of 30 - I'm getting married. I guess I have a lifetime of family-destruction to look forward to!

Caroline, who conveniently forgets that a good portion of the couples in America have no choice but to cohabitate, also writes that "there are very few redeeming qualities of the cohabitation movement." (Who knew I was part of a movement?!)

This leads me to question, why would we want to train for divorce? Why would we want to bring children into a home that is unstable and designed for failure? And, why would be want to engage in something that causes us to have a poisoned view of the opposite sex?

I have one more question to add: Seriously?

But perhaps even better is the original article that sparked NeW's blog post, Michael Gerson's "The Relationship Wasteland." Gerson's piece, which bemoans all the slutty kids living together, hits all the right moral panic notes. (Take a drink when you see these words: spring break, fragile hearts, courtship, cold showers) While you check it out, I'm going to go count the number of STDs I've supposedly transmitted from keeping my ring finger bare through my twenties.

Scott Roeder, the man who shot and killed Dr. George Tiller, won't see trial until next year.

Roeder was scheduled to go to trial today, but both prosecutors and Roeder's lawyers wanted it moved to a later date.

Related posts: Esteemed Doctor and Friend of George Tiller to Provide Late Term Abortion Care in Kansas, Thank you Dr. Tiller, Vigils for Dr. Tiller

Feminist backlash: Better than spinach!

Via Wendy Norris at RH Reality Check, we find out that the Christian conservative think tank Family Research Council wants dudes to be more manly. Apparently, the way men become more manly is by fighting back against feminism.

According to the seminar description on "The New Masculinity," Pat Fagan, senior fellow and director of FRC's Center for Family and Religion, will discuss how "feminism has wreaked havoc on marriage, women, children and men. It is time to redress the disorder it has wrought and that must start with getting the principles and ideals for a new 'masculinism' right."

What always strikes me as odd about conservative discussions of masculinity is how closely they're tied with feminism and a fear of all things 'woman'. As if the only way to be a "man" is to not be a woman. This oppositional definition of masculinity not only seems to give men a pretty short shrift, but also just furthers misogyny. (It reminds me a lot of Stephen Ducat's great book, The Wimp Factor: Gender Gaps, Holy Wars, and the Politics of Anxious Masculinity and its discussion of femiphobia.)

Seriously, why is it that conservative masculinity is completely dependent on misogyny and keeping women in their supposed place? How many purity balls, dates with Dad and anti-feminism diatribes does one need before you feel like a "man"?

This post reminds me why Amanda Hess at The Sexist is quickly becoming one of my favorite bloggers.

Update: Apparently Feministing love for Hess runs deep. My bad.

In case you missed it, check out a snippet of First Lady Michelle Obama's speech on health care reform and women. You can read her full speech here.

h/t Michelle Obama Watch

A new study shows that states that skew towards more conservative religious beliefs tend to have higher rates of teenage girls giving birth. (Shocking, I know.)

Researcher Joseph Strayhorn of Drexel University College of Medicine and University of Pittsburgh says,"We conjecture that religious communities in the U.S. are more successful in discouraging the use of contraception among their teenagers than they are in discouraging sexual intercourse itself."

Now, obviously studies like these have the whole correlation/causation issue going on - but from the work I did write The Purity Myth, this study makes sense to me.

If you grow up in an area where you're taught that sex is bad and contraception is evil (and that it can kill you), when you do have pre-marital sex - as 95% of Americans will - you're much less likely to protect yourself. Not only because you've been taught that condoms cause cancer and other such ridiculousness, but also because you may think that if sex happens in the heat of the moment - and you didn't plan for it like a bad, slutty girl - you're not as tainted.

Feminists mourn Patrick Swayze.

It is race. "News flash, we ain't even close to a post-racial America." Plus, "A funny thing happened on the way to PostRacialLand."

The "happiness gap," debunked.

Why the woman in a wheelchair onstage with Lady GaGa at the VMAs wasn't progress -- she was scenery.

I'm excited to see that there's a new website for pro-feminist men. I'm not excited that, like Double X, they've named it after chromosomes.

Naomi Wolf and Phyllis Chesler really need to stop talking about Muslim women.

The Society for Menstrual Cycle Research has a new blog.

A new film looks at human trafficking.

On the response to Michelle Obama's speech about women and health care.

This weekly Saturday column "Ask Professor Foxy" will regularly contain sexually explicit material. This material is likely not safe for work viewing. The title of the column will include the major topic of the post, so please read the topic when deciding whether or not to read the entire column.

Dear Professor Foxy,

Thanks,
Not a "Sir"

Hello Ma'am -

I am really happy that you are this comfortable with yourself and your gender expression. Unfortunately, you are ahead of the world, which has not caught up yet. Regardless of your facial structure, we live in a society that overwhelmingly codes gender by obvious external traits: haircut and clothing type. I have seen butch and soft butch women with extremely feminine facial features and large breasts regularly referred to as "sir."

You are being true to yourself and this is commendable, but not easy. Nor is it going to go away, but it is a great deal less painful to deal with then putting on an exterior that does not reflect you. The real question is how to deal with both the random strangers and your mother.

If you do not feel the need to correct them, then don't. The proper response is whatever feels best for you. I would also talk to your mother, who seems quite supportive, and tell her that you understand it upsets her, but this is who you are and you both have to learn how to deal with this.

I do not think you are accepting male privilege by allowing people to read you as male, you are just reflecting who you are. When you correct people, you expand their idea of what it means to be a woman. Correcting people should be done when you feel comfortable and safe. Unfortunately, this is just something that you and the people you love will have to deal with so you can be true to yourself.

Best,
Professor Foxy

If you have a question for Professor Foxy, send it to ProfessorFoxyATfeministingDOTcom.

This weekly Saturday column "Ask Professor Foxy" will regularly contain sexually explicit material. This material is likely not safe for work viewing. The title of the column will include the major topic of the post, so please read the topic when deciding whether or not to read the entire column.

Dear Professor Foxy,

Thanks,
Not a "Sir"

Hello Ma'am -

I am really happy that you are this comfortable with yourself and your gender expression. Unfortunately, you are ahead of the world, which has not caught up yet. Regardless of your facial structure, we live in a society that overwhelmingly codes gender by obvious external traits: haircut and clothing type. I have seen butch and soft butch women with extremely feminine facial features and large breasts regularly referred to as "sir."

You are being true to yourself and this is commendable, but not easy. Nor is it going to go away, but it is a great deal less painful to deal with then putting on an exterior that does not reflect you. The real question is how to deal with both the random strangers and your mother.

If you do not feel the need to correct them, then don't. The proper response is whatever feels best for you. I would also talk to your mother, who seems quite supportive, and tell her that you understand it upsets her, but this is who you are and you both have to learn how to deal with this.

I do not think you are accepting male privilege by allowing people to read you as male, you are just reflecting who you are. When you correct people, you expand their idea of what it means to be a woman. Correcting people should be done when you feel comfortable and safe. Unfortunately, this is just something that you and the people you love will have to deal with so you can be true to yourself.

Best,
Professor Foxy

If you have a question for Professor Foxy, send it to ProfessorFoxyATfeministingDOTcom.

Patricia Berne is the Co-Founder and Director of Sins Invalid, a San Francisco theater company that blends performance and art with the political vision of a more just and equal world. The goal of the company is to challenge and reshape the public's ideas about people with disabilities and other traditionally marginalized groups. Focusing particularly on disability justice, their performances resist the framing of the company members' bodies as "less-than," simply by putting those bodies on stage. "It's the most basic claiming of voice and claiming of space by creating beautiful work with political grounding," Berne says.

Berne, who believes that performance and other forms of cultural work play a crucial role in movement building, has dedicated her life to social justice, a dedication that has taken many forms. Currently, Berne also chairs the board of San Francisco Women Against Rape. Clearly, her role as Director of Sins Invalid is only one piece of a life devoted to giving voice to the voiceless and empowering the invisible. When I observed that the mission of Sins Invalid sounds both challenging and crucial, Berne's matter-of-fact reply was, "It's challenging, but life is tough."

If you're building a social justice movement, this is the woman you want in your corner. That said, as her answer to question number two reveals, she is a (self-professed) total geek.

And now, without further ado, The Feministing Five, with Patricia Berne.

Two female firefighters in Houston filed grievances after finding racist and sexist graffiti in the firehouse, and faced serious backlash. Now the women are returning to work, with the situation never really addressed. (Thanks to Stephanie for the heads up!)

A brief history of American racism.

The Lt. Gov. of Mississippi tells girls to be good, abstinent Christians. This was in response to a lawsuit from the ACLU over a state-sponsored abstinence rally where students chanted "Stop! Don't touch me there! This is my no-no square!"

The First Nations Women's Alliance and its member organizations are working to support victims of domestic violence and sexual assault on North Dakota Indian reservations.

I had to post a link to the new movie, Precious:

I am halfway through Push, the book by Sapphire that the movie is based on. It is not often that so many issues women face are embodied in one character. From racism, sizism, sexual violence, domestic violence, welfare issues, colorism, ablism, and many, many more -- this is the ultimate feminist primer! I am not quite sure what to make of how Precious' mother's character, played by Mo'Nique, is being framed as the "monstrous matriarch." On one hand, giving her villainous character, it seems fitting. On the other hand, what does it mean that the black single mom has once again gotten this branding? This is especially interesting considering the villainous male characters in the story that seem conspicuously absent from this trailer.

On another note, I posted earlier this week about Tyler Perry. He is serving as an executive producer of this film, alongside Oprah. Again, I think we can log some progress points for Perry on this one. It will be important to see what, if any, the trade offs will be.

But, after all, I'm just a cautious optimist. Preliminary thoughts?

A September 16 Research 2000 poll reports 48% of Maine voters support taking away marriage rights from same-sex couples, 46% oppose, and 6% remain undecided. This close race merits some media analysis.

One nefarious aspect of the Yes on Proposition 1 effort is its similarity to the Yes on 8 effort in California. Here is a radio ad in support of Proposition 1:

"The chair recognizes the representative from Brunswick."

(Narrator) Special interest groups got the legislature to approve homosexual marriage and tried to prevent Mainers from voting on it.

(Representative Charlie Priest) "We ought not to send it out to referendum."

(Narrator) But Question 1 gives us our vote.

(Scott Fitzgibbon, professor of law from Boston College Law School) "Unless Question 1 passes there will be real consequences for Mainers. It will no longer be live and let live. Homosexual marriage will be the law whether Mainers like it or not."

"Dear Governor Baldacci, we write to provide you with an analysis of the effects..."

(Narrator) Distinguished legal scholars wrote the Governor warning of the flood of lawsuits against individuals, small businesses and religious groups. Church organizations could lose their tax exemption. And in Massachusetts, homosexual marriage is taught in public schools. Federal courts have ruled that parents have no right to notice, or to pull their children out of this instruction. Vote Yes on Question 1 to preserve traditional marriage between one man and one woman. 

Compare that to this TV ad in support of Proposition 8:

My colleague Alexandra Gutierrez reviews the much-anticipated Jennifer's Body and -- surprise! -- concludes that it's not a worthy heir to horror's feminist traditions

In their efforts to create a feminist horror film, [Diablo] Cody and [Karyn] Kusama made a movie that is truthfully neither one of these things. What they missed is that their objective could be accomplished without redefining genre conventions -- horror already has plenty of space for feminism.

After all, one of the major takeaways of horror films is that strong women can stand up to those who would rather control them through fear. The formula of the "Final Girl," as Carol Clover termed it in her oft-cited Men, Women, and Chain Saws, allows "the rezoning of the feminine into territories traditionally occupied by the masculine." In the Final Girl formula, the woman prevails against her antagonist and saves herself -- which neither lead of Jennifer's Body does -- promoting the idea that "triumphant self-rescue is no longer strictly gendered." It's no coincidence that most of horror's memorable heroes are actually heroines.

Read the rest here.

I am totally floored to read about the attack against Tasha Hill, an African-American woman in Morrow, Georgia, which occurred last week in a Cracker Barrel -- all in front of her 7-year old daughter. My heart goes out to her as she pursues justice. But it seems she might have two fights on her hands: trial by law and trial by media.

CNN's coverage of this event by Rick Sanchez on Thursday was on the shady side. To be totally honest, I really don't watch him that much to know whether he is an ally or an enemy. My suspicion first rose, though, when he framed this piece of news as something that he had been twittered, blogged and e-mailed about.

I wasn't sure if this was simply standard protocol, an innocent appeal to plug CNN's new media. But given that the event happened a week ago and he was just reporting it now, it felt like the media had to be lobbied by readership that demonstrated that there was a growing demand for this news story. And only after this demand was quantified was this black woman's story important enough to cover.

Then, I almost dropped my Miso soup when he started the interview asking the survivor if she "provoked this incident."   This man called her the N-word and the B-word, punched and kicked her several times and she can be asked if the crime was provoked??!!!??   I made a second attempt to assume best intent. Perhaps, this was also a protocol Sanchez was upholding to frame the event from both sides. But because of this framing, Tasha Hill's lawyer, Kip Jones, remained on the defensive throughout the interview clarifying more than once that she did not provoke this attack. Not once did anyone state that attacks of this nature cannot be provoked. That there is no justification for racism and sexism and certainly none for the violence that historically and increasingly accompany these isms.

So I ask, are these simply protocols? Or is there some underlying truth about these protocols that coincide with the reality that a Black woman has survived this crime?

After hearing that a woman at Hofstra University who accused four men of gang-raping her this week had recanted, my immediate reaction was more or less the same as Gina's: "No doubt this will be used against future victims." That sad truth is just the surface.

We typically every rape story framed as two-sided: His (I didn't rape her) and hers (He raped me). She's a victim, he's a villain. Or she's a liar, he's completely innocent. To a large extent, I agree with to Amanda Hess:

Most of the time, we, armchair rape analysts, launch into these arguments before we have any actual idea whether a particular person has raped another person. In most cases, we will never know. What we do know, all the time, is that rape is a problem, and false rape accusations are a problem. The meaningless squabbles between the two camps tend to overlook the fact that people concerned about rape and people concerned about fake rape accusations are both fighting against the same thing: rape culture.

Rape culture does not just encourage men to proceed after she says "no." Rape culture does not simply teach men that a lack of physical resistance is an invitation. Rape culture does not only tell men to assert ownership over whichever female body they desire. Rape culture also tells women not to claim ownership over their own bodies. Rape culture also informs women that they should not desire sex. Rape culture also tells women that saying yes makes them bad women.

Absolutely, we can blame the fucked-up narrative around rape (and race -- all of the accused were men of color) in this country for the total media meltdown that ensues after something like the Hofstra incident occurs. Like Amanda, I want to get beyond the situation at hand and focus on the broader picture -- after all, none of us know what actually happened in that Hofstra dorm room. And we can agree that, like rape, rape accusations are a problem.

But I keep coming back to the fact that trying to compare the two is problematic. In our culture, the incentives for rape are strong. All sorts of social messaging says women are just bodies, not agents. That women are passive and men are powerful, especially when it comes to sex. Women are not very likely to report being raped -- or even acknowledge that "rape" is the term for what happened to them. The incentives for false rape accusations, on the other hand, are few and far between. Think about how we treat women who stand up in public and say that they were raped. They are vilified.

We should be asking why a woman is saying she was raped and then recanting. We should be looking at the campus culture and racial dynamics and history. We should be talking about what we can do about how rape is portrayed in the media. We should not just scream "LIAR!" and leave it at that.

Note: Because we've gotten so much hateful email on this topic, I'm going to make comments subject to approval. If you leave a comment, be aware it may take a bit of time before you see it published.

In case you hadn't noticed, I haven't been blogging for a few days and it is because I have decided to take the month off and finish up my long lingering MA thesis (please, just shoot me now!). I wanted to take a few weeks to really buckle down and focus and well as you know, all us feministers have 9 different jobs and I am trying to only have 2 (OK, maybe 3) for the month.

But don't worry, you won't miss me! Meet Rose Afriyie, our newest guest blogger who will be covering for me while I am gone. I met Rose this summer in the class that I was teaching at National Sexuality Resource Center and I knew she was the one when she told me that even while recognizing the troublesome relationship women of color have with feminism, "it was one of the most transformative experiences of her life.

A little about Rose:

Rose is a black feminist who has a B.A. in English Writing and Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh with a certificate in communication. She has organized and lectured in several states on issues of gender, race and sexuality. Her articles have been featured on media justice blogs, university publications, TheRoot.com and in the Chicago Tribune. She is currently pursuing a Masters in public policy at the University of Michigan.

All this and she is only 25. You may have seen Rose's writing on the community site as well. Please give Rose a warm welcome and treat her well while I am gone until the middle of October.

The Daily Mail considers the health implications of the evolving female body size.

Dan Brown, "transgendering" is not a word. You suck.

Rush Limbaugh acts like the crazy nut he is and says we should return to racially segregated buses.

To add to the list of really screwed up things about our current health care system, a previous c-section can be considered a pre-existing condition.

The National Women's Law Center has more on the health care reform bill released by Senator Baucus yesterday.

Check out Kate Murphy, Fordham University senior, on The Women's Room over at the Women's Media Center. An excerpt:

As I plunged headfirst into The Women's Room, the most famous novel of the late feminist Marilyn French, I found myself submerged in a foreign world, or so I thought. Beginning in the 1950s, the novel follows Mira Ward through her teenage years, her young marriage, her life as a stay-at-home mother, and her subsequent feminist rebirth during her forties, while a student at Harvard University. Hers was a world where women were second-class citizens; where all that many young women had to look forward to was a life of suburban discontent and servitude. I found it shocking. But at first I just couldn't relate to it.

Dorte Kiilerich, CEO of tourist marketing campaign Visit Denmark, has been pressured to issue an apology over a hoax in which an actress posing as a hot, single mother talks about how a one night stand--or the Danish custom of "cosiness"--with a tourist has left her wondering where the father of her baby is. The video appeared on YouTube. Apparently Visit Denmark thought that it would be a great way to attract male tourists who were looking for some boozy, no-strings-attached loving with Danish women.

This is all kinds of offensive and confusing. Insinuating that all Danish women are eager for a one night stand is insulting, of course. The idea that men are shallow enough to want to visit a country just to get laid is also pretty debasing. And finally, if you want to play on archaic stereotypes about hot women and no-strings-attached sex for a one night stand, why the hell do you depict a woman who has a baby? Did Visit Denmark think being an absent father was going to be a turn on to all those philandering men across the globe? So. Weird.

If you feel like letting Visit Denmark know how you feel about their campaign, here's the email address: info@goscandinavia.com

Thanks to a reader for the heads up.

This video is really poignant in addressing the ways in which Africa is so often overgeneralized, pitied, romanticized, historicized, and misrepresented. Check it out:

Thanks to my girl Kate for the heads up.

According to the AP:

Women like Aysun Akbay, a 24-year-old Turk, are slowly making inroads into the upper levels of seafaring, a profession more resistant than most to female command. Women have long worked on passenger ships, but they are increasingly enduring the risks and hardships of life on merchant vessels, a key engine of global commerce.

Akbay was recently captured by pirates (seriously people) who are holding about 100 mariners captive for ransom. So far, it appears that Akbay is actually being treated better than the rest of the male captives, allowed to call her family. She uses the special permission to call other sailors' families as well.

The AP also reports:

Founded in 1974, the Women's International Shipping & Trading Association, or WISTA, reported a membership increase of 40 percent in the past two years, with 20 country branches and more than 1,000 individual members.

Fascinating, right?

Mary Travers of Peter, Paul, and Mary passed away yesterday after a battle with cancer. From the Times:

Their sound may have been commercial and safe, but early on their politics were somewhat risky for a group courting a mass audience. Like Mr. Yarrow and Mr. Stookey, Ms. Travers was outspoken in her support for the civil-rights and antiwar movements, in sharp contrast to clean-cut folk groups like the Kingston Trio, which avoided making political statements.

Peter, Paul and Mary went on to perform at the 1963 March on Washington and joined the voting-rights marches from Selma to Montgomery, Ala., in 1965.

Over the years they performed frequently at political rallies and demonstrations in the United States and abroad. After the group disbanded, in 1970, Ms. Travers continued to perform at political events around the world as she pursued a solo career.

At a time when there are too few women singing about social justice in the mainstream music world, it's easy to admire such a bold, unapologetic voice. And hot damn if she didn't have some hot dresses back in the day. RIP Mary.

No, I'm not having sex in the bathroom, but I am blogging from 30,000 feet. Virgin America has wireless internet these days so I'm trying it out. I'm titillated at the whole scenario--staring out at the clouds, having my little cup of coffee, and blogging away. Another part of me is resistant. I do a lot of traveling and plane rides have always been one time when I'm disconnected. I get great reading and reflecting done.

Reminds me of an interesting issue that came up, both this weekend at the Omega conference and yesterday when I gave a talk at the Girls Scout Research Institute: information overload. In a world where there is way more access to news and opinion than ever before, how do we protect ourselves psychologically and lead healthy lives?

I think so much of it comes down to self-awareness. We can't act like media or technology are happening to us, but instead be tuned in to how we feel and intentional about how we consume. For example, if I knew that I needed an internet break to be a balanced person, I wouldn't have logged on. (As it is, I had a computer coma on my hands the past few days so it feels great to have a working laptop and wifi again.)

I'm also confident that we're entering a new phase in the internet when the focus will be on curating all this volume we've come to produce. Pat Mitchell, facilitator of the panel I was on at Omega asked a great question: "How do we make sure the curators are at least 50% women?" I don't have an easy answer (other than support the women curators already working on making the internet a less sexist environment), but I'm excited to continue to explore it.

Tired of sexual harassment in the form of pinches, stares, taunting, groping, and catcalling, Indian women now have access to all-women commuter trains, dubbed the Ladies Special, in New Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Calcutta.

India would seem to be a country where women have shattered the glass ceiling. The country's most powerful politician, Sonia Gandhi, president of the Congress Party, is a woman. The country's current president, a somewhat ceremonial position, is a woman. So are the foreign secretary and the chief minister of the country's most populous state, Uttar Pradesh, and the new minister of railways. India's Constitution guarantees equal rights for women, while Indian law stipulates equal pay and punishment for sexual harassment.

The New York Times article concerning the new trains details the shocking increase in incidents of violence against women and kidnappings from 2003-2007, demonstrating the need for increased personal safety for Indian women. So far, "The eight new trains represent a tiny fraction of the nation's commuter trains."

But this act by the government, which runs the commuter trains, recognizes physical mobility as a tenet of women's empowerment. It allows greater access to employment, metropolitan areas, and financial independence. With greater personal safety, it follows that women will be more comfortable and more willing to travel, as well as to enter the workplace. Finance Canada, a microloan organization, notes:

Women's status within the home increases as their self-confidence and economic self-sufficiency grow. They demonstrate significantly greater empowerment as measured by physical mobility, ownership and control of productive assets such as land, involvement in family decision-making, and legal and political awareness and participation.

Similarly, public transportation has long been an American issue of class. Even in a recent episode of Mad Men, Joan, the head secretary, discusses the subway only with the disclaimer that her fiancé would "never" allow her to take it. Taking public transportation, like driving, is a step toward equal opportunity for women. through The backlash against the new train service, such as public urination by men in the trains and protests by men, suggests this is a significant change in the government's treatment of women in India's metropolitan areas.

But still, to stop men harassing women, the police removed the women instead of educating those who harass. Perhaps this is a first-world concern about a developing nation, but the message sent is that the presence of women causes harassment, rather than the idea that those who prefer to objectify women and project their sexual desires onto strangers cause harassment. And lastly, women deserve that increased personal safety regardless of the presence of men.

As said by a Dr. Kumari at the end of the NYT article,

"You really need to make every train as safe as the Ladies Specials."

Related:
Women-only train cars in Brazil
Japanese men angry over women-only train cars
Tehran introducing all-women transportation
Taking up space: The Blank Noise Project
Subway gropers exposed
Raise your hand if you've been harassed on the subway

Campus Progress has created a new National Wall of Student Debt, to demonstrate the huge debt burden faced by young people today. Go here to sign it, or send it to your friends!

In really sad news, after test results revealed that Caster Semenya is intersex, she has now been put on a suicide watch.

Louder than Words is currently accepting submissions from girls ages 13-19 who are interested in writing a memoir.

The National Women's Law Center is calling for action on abortion and health care reform, to ensure that women who currently have abortion coverage in their health care plans keep it.

A really sad story of a eighteen women who were trampled to death during a stampede that broke out during the distribution of free flour in Karachi, Pakistan.

Today is Mexican Independence Day, when Mexicans celebrate independence from Spanish rule.

The New York Times has a video about the first gay couple to be featured in their wedding pages.

The much awaited health care reform bill from Senator Baucus was released today. Analyses of parts of the bill are here and here.

Given my recent interests in food politics, I was psyched to see this new book from Lisa Jervis, of former Bitch Magazine fame. Cook Food: A Manualfest for Easy, Healthy, Local Eating is a quick and dirty guide to the basics of cooking a plant-based local diet.

It's a quick read and the second half of the book consists of recipes. I haven't tried any yet but I look forward to it! The first half of the book is part politics and part cooking primer. Everything from what tools you need in your kitchen to what spices you should have in your rack. Amanda over at Pandagon reviewed the book when it first came out, and here is what she had to say:

I like cooking, but breezing through the short, incredibly easy-to-understand chapter "tips and techniques" made me realize how much I didn't know that's actually pretty simple, like how to use salt while cooking. And even for people that are hip to things that I just never picked up on like that, I think this book is really useful because it teaches you, in the space of about 15 minutes worth of reading, how to cook vegetables, which a lot of people don't understand. Don't fear the greens! You can cook them so they'll be edible. Grains also intimidate a lot of people, but after reading Jervis, you'll realize it's not that scary. And tofu! It wasn't until over the Christmas holiday that another vegetarian friend showed me the secret to making good tofu (drain it), but if I'd read this book sooner, I would already have it down. Plus, her technique is easier than the one my friend showed me. Once you eat really well-prepared tofu, I promise you'll never crinkle your nose and say "yuck, tofu" again. To make it all that much easier on you, she also has a chapter on what to stock in your kitchen, both in tools and food to just have on hand. The tools section is really helpful for people who don't know where to start, and Jervis makes sure to explain what you can feel relatively at ease buying for nothing at thrift stores, and what you probably need to spend money on, or ask your mom to buy you for your birthday.

It's a great deal at only $10 a copy. You can learn more about the book at PM Press. Lisa also has a blog for the book, which you can check out here.

This post contains spoilers for Inglourious Basterds and The Battle of Algiers.

Have you read Amanda Marcotte's fantastic piece on Inglourious Basterds? See the movie if you haven't, then read her review. It's a great feminist perspective on a really complex, tense, and ridiculously fun movie.

While I and the rest of the world mourn the death of Patrick Swayze, I hope the death of another amazing and important figure in American history doesn't slip through the cracks. Today the AP is reporting the death of Crystal Lee Sutton, labor organizer and activist for the working class, whose story of fighting to unionize textile plants in the South was depicted in the film "Norma Rae."

From the AP:

In 1973, Sutton was a 33-year-old mother of three earning $2.65 an hour folding towels at J.P. Stevens when a manager fired her for pro-union activity.

In a final act of defiance before police hauled her out, Sutton, who had worked at the plant for 16 years, wrote "UNION" on a piece of cardboard and climbed onto a table on the plant floor. Other employees responded by shutting down their machines.

Even though Sally Field won a best-actress Academy Award for playing the character inspired by Ms. Sutton, the AP reports today that she never made much profit off the movie. I wonder if that was because the film execs didn't give her her fair due, or because she was too much "of the people" to get rich from the story. Or some other unknown reason.

Either way, she is completely bad-ass and her work is inspirational to me. As a female labor organizer in the 70's fighting against low pay and poor working conditions for "ordinary people," both black and white, she was certainly a trailblazer.

May she rest in peace.

This is a video about an awesome organization based in Denver, Colorado--the LUZ Reproductive Justice Think Tank. I had the opportunity to connect with them through my work with the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health and I was impressed by their vision for reproductive justice.

You can watch part II of the video after the jump!

UPDATE: The video was made by Corina Leu, an awesome Mount Holyoke College student and a 2009 Reproductive Rights Activist Service Corp intern through the Civil Liberties and Public Policy Program who was working with LUZ.

NPR and the Associated Press are reporting that Operation Rescue may be completely out of funds and in danger of closing.

Don't remember Operation Rescue? They are the scary anti-choice organization, who've been linked to a number of violent anti-choicers, including the man who killed Dr. Tiller. From NPR:

Roeder, who is charged with shooting Tiller during a Sunday morning church service, had the name and number of an Operation Rescue adviser in his car.

Operation Rescue also has had the gall to offer to buy Dr. Tiller's clinic after it was closed. Obviously that isn't going to happen with their current financial situation.

Randall Terry, the founder of the organization, also is responsible for a few scary and violence provoking stunts, including the "Defeat Sotomayor Tour."

The current head of the organization, Troy Newman, who told the AP he hasn't been paid in two months, was at the Tea Party Protests this weekend in DC, according to the organization's website.

While admitting that donations are down 30-40%, Newman didn't offer reasons as to why the organization has lost support. I would hope that links to something as horrific as the murder of Dr. Tiller would encourage those who are pro-life but do not support violence to take their dollars elsewhere. The group also lost their non-profit status in 2004, which may be impacting their fundraising.

On September 16, 1913, thousands of women demonstrated for suffrage in Holland.

Via Today in History

A 12-year old Yemeni girl dies in childbirth a year after being forced into marriage.

Courtney has a great column in the American Prospect questioning whether people have expected too much of the president in the fight for the health care reform.

A study on "egotism" finds that women with "masculine" names are more likely to become judges.

After years of "political foot-dragging," the United Nations adopted a resolution creating a new UN agency for women's rights.

Obama issued a presidential proclamation celebrating the 15th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA).

During the third season of Mad Men Feministing writers will offer some of our thoughts on feminist moments, scenes, and themes in the new episodes in order to start a discussion about these topics in our community. *WARNING: Lots of spoilers follow.

Yes, we are publishing this Monday column on Tuesday again. Between Omega and the VMAs it couldn't be helped.

Pete tries to market Admiral Televisions to black people, harasses Hollis.

Pete represents an interesting shift, realizing money can be made from African Americans as consumers while still being racist. His approach is all about the bottom line - black people are buying Admiral Televisions so the product should be marketed to them. It's the most logical economic decision. Pete is still a scary racist, using his position to menace Hollis. And he's still incredibly ignorant, failing to realize The American Dream has a very different meaning to Hollis, especially in the aftermath of Medgar Evers' assassination and thinking he can get some comprehensive picture of why some members of a group would by a product from one man. He just doesn't have a problem taking any money he can get. -Jos

I've read comparisons of the 1960's Admiral Television depicted in this episode to the modern day Cristal, referencing the public falling out between the high-end champagne company and rapper/hip hop mogul Jay-Z back in '06 when a Cristal rep made some problematic comments about the company's hip hop following. This analogy works for me but I'm more inclined to recall the Tommy Hilfiger escapade from the 90's. Remember that whole thing? The hood started rockin' Tommy to death (I remember my middle school self decked out in those tommy overalls, one strap loose!) and then there were rumors (never fully substantiated, I should dutifully add) that Hilfiger said his clothes weren't made for the African-American community, but for upper-class whites. *shakes head* But let's be clear. These situations- Mad Men's Admiral, the real world's Cristal and Tommy- don't embody the manifestation of some epic duel between bigoted racism and colorblind capitalism. That would make capitalism moral, and it isn't. Rather, the situation with Admiral in this episode showcases how intertwined and indistinguishable these social forces are. Capitalism isn't some kind of separate entity, independent of the society it serves. It- just like any other social system- is both a reflection of and an influence on the people who make up its ranks. So racist behavior is driven by capitalist ideals (Pete's racist assault on Hollis in the elevator to get the info he needs for financial gain), and capitalist behavior is driven by racist ideals (Admiral execs choosing to advertise to whites based on the idea that blacks will want what whites do, aka the idea that blacks will be racist by virtue of self-hate). -Lori

The Bridge on the River Kwai.

This has nothing to do with anything, but The Bridge on the River Kwai is my favorite movie and I was happy to see it name dropped on Mad Men. A good choice in an episode that touched on decorum and communication across difference. -Jos

Sally's teacher.

I'm trying to figure out what is up with her character. I get that she's supposed to be the kind hippie and all, but what's with her drunk dialing Don? Is it because of the connection they have in losing someone when they were young or his general irresistible-ness? -Jessica

I found her calling Don like that a little unrealistic - not to say this doesn't happen, but something about it just didn't sit right with me. I'm still trying to get what she's about too, am curious to see how the relationship unfolds. -Vanessa

Mad Men has earned my trust when it comes to storytelling, but the clichéd possibilities with the teacher have me a little bit worried. And seeing her drunk dial Don with her bra strap hanging off her shoulder did nothing to allay my concerns. Visible bra strap = slutty flake is just way too overplayed (and, ya know, sexist). -Jos

Can we be surprised? Via the Frisky, according to Bill Maher, choking a woman is A-OK if she's an annoying, promiscuous publicity whore, right?

Said Maher:

New rule: stop acting surprised someone choked Tila Tequila! The surprise is that someone hasn't choked this bitch sooner.

And I don't give a rat's ass what actually happened with San Diego Charger Shawne Merriman that night; where the charges are true or not, it doesn't make jokes about violence against women acceptable. It's never acceptable.

Just when you thought it couldn't get worse, right?

But while this baby shirt (that's right, for 0 - 4 year olds) has created a huge uproar among parenting blogs, Sociological Images updates that the designer of the shirt claims it was actually a critique in response to clothes that sexualize young girls. (Check out her Equal Opportunity Baby Grows line.)

So what do you think, still offensive (after all, I wouldn't be surprised if the designer failed to mention another reason behind the shirt was to get this publicity) or a humorous way of poking fun at the ridiculousness of sexualized children's clothes?

h/t to Daniela!

Shall we?

Full disclosure - a bitch is a former high school tennis diva, a huge fan of professional tennis and the kind of tennis viewer who watches that McEnroe/Borg match every damn time it comes on to fill in during a rain delay at Wimbledon.

I fell in love with tennis because it allowed me an outlet for my anger and frustrations built up while being bullied as a young child. There are idols...people of color who I could always look up to...but there was also the amazing satisfaction of hitting the living shit out of a forehand after a day filled with taunts and humiliations.

I also fell in love with the ceremony...the rules, the sorta- courtesy of players calling each others lines (translation - some of those players from "the club" cheated like a South Carolina Governor on a business trip)...and loved knowing that I was part of a tradition that went back hundreds of years.

Sigh.

Over the weekend Serena Williams, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, lost her shit on the court.

I've followed the Williams sisters since they were in braids and braces.

Serena doesn't have a reputation for losing her shit...she has a reputation for channeling her intensity into her game.

But Ms. Williams lost her shit on the court...and one only insults her if one tries to act as if that outburst was normal match-based behavior for her.

Cough.

We've all lost our chili over some bullshit call. Hell, I still have a scar on my leg from a tantrum gone wrong (note to self - hit the ground with the racket, not thy leg).

Many of us have regretted our behavior post freak-out...just as Serena regrets her actions.

Tennis has addressed the incident...Serena has addressed it...and time will repair whatever damage has been done.

Black people get angry...black women get angry...anger happens.

Sometimes we express that anger well and sometimes we don't...just like everyone else.

And, just like everyone else, black hall of fame tennis players will get some serious media attention when they lose it on the court.

Unlike everyone else, those black hall of fame tennis players will also get the added bonus of having racist knaves jump out of their caves and add their two cents to every damn article and post written about whatever incident went down.

Just once...just once, damn it...I'd like to be able to read an article about something a black athlete does without being subjected to a deluge of ig'nant as hell racist comments trying to use an individual's behavior as proof that ALL black people are inferior beasts who should be kept locked up.

Just once...I can't even imagine it...I'd like to be able to read an article like other folks got to read articles about Jimmy Connors - the facts, the opinions and the response minus the absolute statements about ALL black people (well, in Connor's case it would have been ALL white people) blowing up unreasonably at a bad call, not being able to properly express their anger and generally being dangerous bad sports who should be banned from the court.

If I were a lesser person, I'd respond in kind for every Congressional "You lie!!" outburst, every tea bagger who steps over the line between protest and KKK rhetoric, every celebrity who falls from grace and every conservative lawmaker who gets outed for fucking around on his spouse.

But I'm not a lesser person (damn it!) so I must wade through the muck without tossing out a juvenile response featuring an example of a white person who has done the same shit or worse during a tennis match.

Sigh.

There is a weight that many public figures of color carry...the "credit to their race" weight that is added to everything they do, say and support. 'Tis that weight that lingers...even after people of color have made history, broken down barriers and added their achievements to culture and sport.

And 'tis that weight, the predictable absolute statement-based racist comments and thoughts, that demonstrate just how post racial we are not...in politics, in sport or in life.

Sam Riche/AP Photo

*Possible trigger warning*

Many of you have probably heard about the arrest of former GOP lawmaker and one-time gubernatorial candidate Steve Nunn, whose ex-girlfriend was shot and killed on Friday. Hours later, Nunn slit his wrists.

While Nunn (who survived) is pleading not guilty to the charges made - he had a domestic violence order against him by victim Amanda Ross and found with a gun at the scene of his suicide attempt - his lawyer Astrida Lemkins is saying that the issuance of the domestic violence order this past winter "caused all the problems":

"It caused Steve Nunn to lose his job, reputation and drove him to slit his wrists," she said.

"If there does turn out to be a relationship between the death of Amanda Ross and Steve Nunn, it is not because the DVO failed, but rather because the DVO was issued," said Lemkins.

Lemkins said Ross should have also been held accountable for her role in the domestic violence incident.

"Things are not black and white," she said. "There's a lot of gray in there."

Um, what? Whatever Steve Nunn has done to himself and to Ross is absolutely no fault but his own - to place any blame on a woman who was not only a victim of abuse but has no opportunity to defend herself (because, you know, her life was taken from her) is inhuman.

Furthermore, blaming the DVO made against him after he repeatedly beat Ross and implying that if he did kill her, that could have been avoided sounds pretty damn similar to threats used to keep women in abusive relationships; in other words, if she hadn't went to the authorities and caused trouble, she would be alive right now.

There are just no words for this kind of offense.

h/t to reader Katie

Since we already have the iPhone's Purity Ring application, the Wobble, the iGrope and the obnoxious "I Am Rich" app, why not throw some good old-fashioned lookism in there while we're at it?

This doesn't seem nearly as bad as the others, but is still a reminder of how technology can depress me as much as it can excite me. Are there any iPhone apps folks have that are actually doing some good for the world?

In New York? Check out Planned Parenthood NYC's new voting guide.

This is the interview I've been waiting for.

Nine women were rescued from in a fake reality show Turkey after being held captive.

This is a bit old - a German ad campaign to combat trafficking - but it freaked me out enough that I wanted to post it anyway.

Don't hate me because I'm cute.

You know, I almost forgot to do a Monday Monty blog today - but then I got this email that reminded me. It's from someone who sent along a story they wanted Feministing to cover, and who wrote said email in such a way that it compelled me to find a super cute picture of the dog. (And no, I won't link to the story. Yes, I'm spiteful.)

Not that you ever print anything I've sent in the past, though it's usually more relevant than updates on Jessica's dog, I'll send this article by [redacted] along. Cheers

Paging PassiveAggressiveNotes.com! Seriously, though. We get hundreds of post ideas a day and we do our best to write about the ones we think Feministing readers will be interested in. So thanks to all of you who continue to take the time to email us story ideas sans snarky commentary about my poor wee dog.

Incredibly disturbing news from the SEIU blog:

[I]n DC and nine other states, including Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Wyoming, insurance companies have gone too far, claiming that "domestic violence victim" is also a pre-existing condition.

For more information, read the National Women's Law Center report, Nowhere to Turn: How the Individual Health Insurance Market Fails Women.

Related: A cartoon from Mikhaela Reid

UPDATE: In April, Arkansas prohibited insurance discrimination against DV survivors

This ad for Coopers Premium Light beer, created by a Singapore agency, is one of three. Get it? Because of the low alcohol content dudes won't have beer goggles and end up hooking with an "ugly" woman! Charming, no?

You may have noticed that the bottom of our posts now includes a a "retweet" button for those who have Twitter accounts. Basically, this retweets the post from our @feministing account - so please make use of it! We want our stories out there. (On a related note, you can also share posts in any other number of ways - like through Facebook - on the larger button.)

And if you'd like to follow us individually, you can do that too: Vanessa, Samhita, Courtney, Shark Fu, Ariel, Chloe, Jos, Miriam, Lori, Ann, Jessica.

As mentioned in Friday's What We Missed, 19 year-old Tegan Simone Leach could go to jail for up to seven years for having a home abortion. Leach's 21 year-old boyfriend is also going to stand trial for "supplying drugs to procure an abortion."

Police allege a family member obtained the abortion pill misoprostol from a doctor in the Ukraine and smuggled it into Australia on a flight to Cairns on December 25.

The pill was then allegedly successfully used by Ms Leach to terminate her pregnancy and induce a miscarriage at 60 days.

In their first court appearance on Thursday, it was alleged the pair did not ask about the lawful process to have an abortion.

Medical abortions are legal in Queensland but are often expensive with 90 per cent or more terminations performed in private clinics for a minimum out-of-pocket cost of about $370. But it remains an offence under the 100-year-old criminal code to access or procure an abortion.

Kate Marsh, of Children By Choice, said, "It comes as such a shock that someone can be charged with this offence in this day and age...We'd like to see abortion removed from the criminal code and be regulated like any other health procedure."

Leach is believed to be the first woman charged in Queensland in nearly 50 years for having a home abortion.

Sarah Jones, pretty much the most bad-ass woman playwright/performer/poet/activist of all time, loves Feministing. And we have the video to prove it. (Just another reason to love Omega's conference - you get to meet the coolest women!)

If you are under 21 today, you have a 50% chance of losing your health care coverage in the next decade.

Health care coverage matters. It matters to the country, to progressives, to feminists, but especially to young people. We're the least likely to be covered, and the most likely to end up changing the course of our lives because of health care related debt. This is serious folks.

We need to do something, because our chance at real health care reform that could free our generation from the chains of shitty health care coverage we can only get at certain places of employment is quickly slipping away.

Now is the time Feministing. Now is the time.

That is all.

A rivalry between California's two largest marriage equality organizations to publicly define the timeline of repealing Proposition 8 has become a bitter spat that threatens to cripple the effort.

On August 12, Equality California (EQCA) announced their decision to put an initiative to repeal anti-marriage Proposition 8 on the 2012, rather than the 2010 ballot. As the self-described largest queer rights advocacy group in California, EQCA deciding to wait until 2012 received statewide coverage and was perceived as representative of the LGBT activism community as a whole.

EQCA was the defendant not only in the original 2008 California Supreme Court case in which same-sex marriage was first allowed, but also in the 2009 case to challenge Proposition 8 after its passage. EQCA has traditionally set the agenda for marriage equality in California, even passing a bill in the state legislature Wednesday night to recognize same sex marriages from other states.

Still, several organizations who were fighting for 2010 before the announcement have not backed down. EQCA's primary competitor for funds and political clout in the California marriage equality fight is the Courage Campaign, which works on myriad political issues unrelated to equality.

In DC and nine other states, insurance companies have claimed that domestic violence is a pre-existing condition.

What is the role of privileged white women in the reproductive justice movement?

Sean Lennon defends that Purple magazine photo.

Even Kleenexes are gendered now?

Cara and Amanda write about Tucker Max so we don't have to.

Does parenthood make women more liberal and men more conservative?

How the coverage of Chris Brown is bad for understanding abuse.

A new documentary on water rights and access in Michigan.

On the unconventional anti-sex-tourism activism of FEMEN, a women's rights group in Ukraine.

A Florida group wants to outlaw birth control, and the Alabama Supreme Court upheld the criminalization of sex toys.

Renowned coach C. Vivian Stringer enters the Basketball Hall of Fame.

Should the people who killed a white man for dating a black woman be charged with a hate crime?

A high school in Iowa strip-searched five teenage girls.

Pat Mitchell moderates panel with the amazing Helen Thomas, Courtney Martin, Charreah Jackson, Liza Donnelly, and Jensine Larsen.

One of my fave quotes was when Mitchell asks Thomas where she asks her, "You've covered presidents from Kennedy to Obama. Who has worked the hardest for women's rights?"

"None of them." *Commence standing ovation.*

(She actually clarified that while presidents have done work to improve the status of women, none of them have really put themselves on the line for women's rights.)

Least favorite quote of hers? "Everyone with a laptop thinks they're a journalist." (Referring to bloggers.) *Commence disappointment.*

A couple of other random Q&A's after the jump.

The Fire This Time: Young Women and the Future of Feminism

Courtney Martin, our amazing Editor, writer and activist extraordinaire and Charreah Jackson, Associate Editor at Essence.com

There has been a lot of amazingness at this conference, so one would think it would be difficult to pick out a favorite moment or aspect of Women & Power. But not for me.

By far the best part of the conference has been meeting this amazing group of young women who came to Omega after seeing our post about scholarships for the conference. Not only is my heart warmed that they ended up here because of our blogging - but the fact that they met each other and connected is similarly amazing. In fact, they've connected so much that they've decided to start a group blog together - woot!

Sometimes I forget that despite the downsides of blogging - hating on each other, out-of-control threads, feminist one-upmanship, etc - the communities we create through blogging really do inspire real life activism and serve an important role in a lot of people's feminism. And I can't imagine a better lesson to remember this weekend than that.

So a big thanks to the young women I've met this weekend; you remind me why I do this work.

The Omega Women and Power Conference knows how to put on a party. We are at the evening performance and it some stage acting from Sarah Jones and a musical performance from Natalie Merchant. Yeah, amazing. Since you can't be here, enjoy the videos below.

My favorite ever 10, 000 Maniacs song.

This weekly Saturday column "Ask Professor Foxy" will regularly contain sexually explicit material. This material is likely not safe for work viewing. The title of the column will include the major topic of the post, so please read the topic when deciding whether or not to read the entire column.

Hello Professor Foxy,

Thank you,
Shy About Inverted Nipples

Hello Shy -

Things are a problem, if they are a problem for you. If a part of your body makes you uncomfortable, it matters.

Both men and women have inverted nipples. Breasts are different on everybody: size, shape, aerola and nipple size, color, heft, etc. Around 20 percent of women have at least one inverted nipple. (That's right, people can have one inverted and one not).

The important thing about this is to claim them. They are a part of you and if you can find them hot others will follow. As a sex educator, people constantly talk to me about the parts of their bodies that they hate. My response is pretty consistent "people are just glad to be in bed with you. No one is judging your body more than you are."

As for guys ignoring your breasts, the only way to get what you want in bed is to ask for it. Move your lover's hands to your breasts and moan. Erect nipples are just one way we have of showing our lovers what we like, our linguistic and verbal cues and how our body moves are equally if not more important.

Some people with inverted nipples do get them pierced and while there are no great studies, for some people this actually does cause the nipple to stand out even after the piercing is removed. If you decide to go this route, I would carefully choose a piercer who has experience piercing inverted nipples. Call around and find someone who will answer your questions honestly. Piercing causes scar tissue to form and this may impact your sensitivity (for better or worse) or your ability to breastfeed (if you want to have children and breast feed).

I would try the owning route first. See how it feels to try and love and accepting your body as is and projecting that to lovers. Give it time and see if you can start to truly love what you have.

Best,
Professor Foxy

If you have a question for Professor Foxy, send it to ProfessorFoxyATfeministingDOTcom.

Isabel Allende

Omega Co-Founder Elizabeth Lesser (who I was thrilled to meet last night) moderates this next panel with novelist Isabel Allende, author Loung Ung, Co-Director of Development at Mujeres Unidas y Activas (MUA) Andrea Lee, Executive Director of the Isabel Allende Foundation Lori Barra, and the fabulous Lateefah Simon we have been gushing about.

Speaking of gushing, Loung Ung introduces Isabel by talking about the first time she read her book about her late daughter Paula, and how it made Loung feel connected to her late mother. In short, she become a crazy huge fan and determined to meet her, which she did and a great friendship was formed.

This was a touching discussion between Loung and Isabel (who has a ridiculous potty mouth, by the way - and I love it) because they don't just talk about using writing as outlet for pain, but how readers can connect with it and use it alleviate their own. It was also about how friendships can be formed through these connections and the story-sharing involved - stories about family, loss and survival, and how activism through writing can not only help ourselves work through our own lives, but trigger a domino effect with others.

As Loung said, "Some of us do it all, and some us do it with writing."

Andrea Lee talks about her work at MUA, which was a good discussion to follow after Loung and Isabel - she talks about the ways that while the Latina immigrants who find the organization have their own story to tell, connecting with other Latina immigrants, hearing their stories and how they parallel allows them to feel connected and fuels their activism together to make their stories visible.

My favorite part of the panel was when Allende said towards the end, "Death is a terrible inconvenience, but not an obstruction," an obstruction to connecting with people, to love and working towards change.

Yes, this is a gushy post. Eat it up.

Check out Lateefah Simon - who has us all in awe of her. More video of the conference to come.

You know you are in a powerful conference space when there is a buzz around you of inspiration, innovation and creativity. The concluding morning panel is a discussion with all the morning panelists about what they are getting out of the conference so far and how they do the work they do. I thought the answers about how the overcome fear were the most powerful.

What is the practice or script you use to push yourself past fear?

Sakena Yacoobi: "Every time I am walking out of my house I am taking a risk...it is my faith that carries me through, side by side."

Alberta Nells: "Spirit, tradition. Instead of wallowing in fear, I pray and go into ceremony so my fears won't happen."

Gloria Steinem: "I was too afraid to speak in public until after 30 and finally decided to speak because of the women's movement and I still was terrified, but I realized if women can't do anything fucking right anyway, might as well do as you please."

Jensine Larsen: "Still have knots in my stomach, I fear I am not doing enough. I go to my stomach and think about my sisters in the struggle around the world and trust peace and that things will happen in time."

Lateefah Simmons: "If my grandmother had a soapbox or a bullhorn, what would she do? I try and garner their strength and all the women that came before us."

I also have to appreciate that Gloria Steinem brought up the irony of us asking Alberta Nells what feminism is to indigenous movements, since indigenous resistance and practice were one of the inspirations to the women's movement in the United States, but was polluted by the legacy of colonization. "Feminism is about memory," she said, and I would add, feminism is about our collective memory and our overcoming the way we have been taught to remember to forget.

I am currently watching a panel discussion with three young leaders and each are so inspiring that I find myself repeatedly holding back tears. Jensine Larsen, Alberta Nells and Lateefah Simon have in common deep roots in community based organizing efforts and a deep connection with a spiritual force that is moving them to action.

First up, Jensine Larsen founded World Pulse an interactive media center that projects the stories of women around the world and analysis of international issues through their eyes. She believes that "pulse" symbolizes the electricity of women's voices rising around the earth. She says, "the creative human potential of women and girls is the greatest untapped resource on the earth and we can use technology and communications to connect and empower these voices." To add she says,"When women control the communications channels, they control their destiny."

There are countless examples of women having even a tiny bit of access utilizing it to share their voices, be it one computer, text, one blog or the strategic use of web 2.0 technology, she tells us. Often women don't have time to be online to blog, their husbands sitting next to the computer disallowing them from using it. She concludes with an example of a woman in Kenya that had been dying of AIDs but managed to retrieve retroviral drugs for herself and 17 other women in her village. Through the use of World Pulse and web 2.0 technology, they were able to bring her story to life and is now flown all over the world to tell her story and train other rural women in how to organize their communities. "How can I go to sleep when my country is burning and Pulse-Wire is my light?"

Up next, Alberta Nells, a young leader/organizer, Navajo organizer. Southwest organizer, her work is focused on protecting indigenous rights to land. When she found they would use recycled waste water as snow on sacred land, that is when she knew she had to speak out, "I can't allow this to happen to my people, to the teachings of my people." She speaks tenderly of her relationship with her grandmother and the power of teachings from a previous generation on how to move our people. She speaks to the power of song to organize and uplift and specifically the teachings of women. When asked about Navajo relationship with feminism, she says she doesn't understand the question as they believe in the balance between the feminine and masculine energy, or recognition of two-spirit in all of us. And concludes, "each one of us is indigenous to a different place and we must tap into that energy."

Finally, Lateefah Simon, 32 feels old as we carry the weight of our grandmothers and came to this work because of our grandmothers and mothers. Lateefah became an organizer by giving out condoms she got in her girls group in high school. It was her informal realization that this is what organizing is. She worked deeply with communities that people wouldn't touch, drug addicts, sex workers and holding them and giving them support. She understood at a young age how to raise money and build resources, "if we could battle pimps on the street, it was easy." When she realized that there was a choice to parent, she embraced the power of that choice and decided to become a radical choice organizer for the African American community. In talking about the prison industrial complex and re-entry programs she says, "human and civil rights issues are women's issues" and concludes, "of all that we have learned in our work how to do we move that power and use it in a man's world?"

I don't think this live-blog can even start to do justice to how powerful this session was. We took some video so we will be posting that as well.

The Feministing crew is still at the Women & Power retreat at Omega. Kicking off today's speakers is Sakena Yacoobi, who founded the Afghan Institute of Learning (AIL) in 1995. After the Taliban closed girls' schools in the 1990s, AIL opened underground home schools and women's learning centers. Today AIL is still working to empower Afghan women, and Yacoobi continues her work despite constant threats to her safety.

One of the biggest consequences of her nation being at war for decades, Yacoobi says, is the loss of the educational system. If people can defend themselves through communication, they don't need a weapon. But through years of war, the educational system was demolished. So she wanted to do more than teach people to read and write -- and think critically. And so she began opening schools for Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

In a matter of one year, her classes went from 300 students to 1500. All girls. "These girls are very bright. They wanted to have a future," she says.

Since the government has taken over many of the schools AIL founded, many people have become distrustful of the schools. So AIL began opening Women's Learning Centers as an alternative. The centers teach some curricula that the government-run schools don't: peace education, democracy, ethics, health, family planning, sex education. These are the topics, she says, that lead to electing better leaders, making a more peaceful country, empowering women.

Why has her organization been so successful? "We work with tradition, culture, religion." No matter how much the technology advances, people's traditions must be treated with respect.

"A lot of good things are happening in Afghanistan," Yacoobi says. "But the government is not doing that much. We don't have roads, electricity, clean water, shelter, basic rights of human beings. The Taliban, day to day, are getting more power. And our people are tired of fighting. Those people close the door of education. Women can't even walk down the street. They have no mercy."

On the recent election: "The men are scared to go to the polls because the Taliban announced that if you go and vote we'll cut your finger. And they did that. But women did go. They went to those polls. Through the leadership workshop we teach them how to choose their leader, why it's so important you get involved in politics, why it's so important for you try to negotiate and communicate. So women are going and voting."

Yacoobi continues, "The news is that Afghan women are empowered. They are intelligent. They are courageous."

"You might hear there is war. People are killed. Acid poured into faces of girls. Every day there is bombing, rocket shelling, torturing. But the women of Afghanistan get up in the morning and say goodbye to their family and go to work and go to the learning center. They found out that this is the only way they can stop the problem. They must be educated. And they are learning. And they are not afraid."

Melissa Harris-Lacewell is a professor, an author, a mother, a prolific Tweeter, and the possible future First Lady of the great city of New Orleans. Harris-Lacewell, an Associate Professor of Politics and African American Studies at Princeton University, majored in English, which explains why she was the only interview subject I've spoken to who was immediately able to answer question number two in the Feministing Five. She didn't stay on long on the English track, however, and got her Ph.D in political science at Duke University and an honorary doctorate from Meadville Theological Seminary.

Fans of The Rachel Maddow Show will recognize Harris-Lacewell, who frequently appears on Maddow's show as well as on Countdown with Keith Olbermann (in fact, Harris-Lacewell had to cut her Feministing interview a bit short, as she was scheduled to appear on Maddow that very night). A very impressive woman, this year Harris-Lacewell was the youngest person ever to deliver the prestigious W.E.B. DuBois lectures at Harvard, and is the author of the acclaimed book Barbershops, Bibles, and BET: Everyday Talk and Black Political Thought. Her upcoming book is called Sister Citizen: A Text For Colored Girls Who've Considered Politics When Being Strong Wasn't Enough. We can only hope that Tyler Perry doesn't direct the movie version of that, too.

I was grateful to get a few minutes to talk to Harris-Lacewell, or as her students call her, MHL, as she's a busy woman; she spent most of the summer campaigning with her partner, James Perry, a candidate in the 2010 New Orleans mayoral race. So, without further ado, here is this week's Feministing Five, with Melissa Harris-Lacewell.

Alberta Nells, a youth leader of the Navajo Nation, does the final closing for the evening. At 19-years-old, she is the youngest member of the faculty here at Omega.

She says that she thought it would be most appropriate to do a journey song. The song, she explains, begins with a prayer for "good planning," which corresponds with all the community organizers in the house. She promises that rain is a good sign: "For us, that mist and that fog means that our holy people, our deities are among us."

"You're not closing the ceremony because the ceremony will never be closed. The blessings will never stop."

Gloria Steinem was seriously bad-ass tonight. I have no idea if she reads Feministing - but in case she does...

Gloria, all the folks at Feministing would like to formally invite you to write a column for us called "Cunt Power." What do you think?

"We've learned from the domestic violence movement that the maximum time of danger is when a woman is escaping.

That's where our country is.

We're not going to put up with the same financial system, fed up with the health care system, not supporting wars, by 2012 we'll be a majority, non-white country.

We can see that the country is escaping and also that the danger is present.

What we need is a big national movement, like MADD, that simply says no house is safe if it has a gun in it. That connects our home and our lives to the armaments everywhere.

I think we should do it big."

Lateefah Simon (who is amazing, btw) introduced Gloria Steinem who is one of the great speakers kicking off the conference tonight.

Steinem says that while "difference is the source of learning" and that "difference is a gift," we should focus on our shared humanity. Also, she is hilarious: apparently back in the day "studies" said that only women should type because we had the necessary motor skills to do so. Then computers came long. (Ha!)

I'm also glad that she's talking about forced sterilization as its related to reproductive justice and that racism and sexism are "intertwined and cannot be uprooted separately." Also, she mentioned the prison industrial complex - as Miriam said in her conference tweet: Rock.

My favorite line of the night: "The stereotype about young women is that they're ungrateful and inactive - this is utter bullshit."

Also: "More young women identify as feminists than older women, yet we're led to believe that the opposite is the case." Sweet.

And scary: "If only white women had voted, John McCain would be president."

And... "Is the women's movement racist? Yes, the country is racist."

And more amazing: Older women ask her if she's surprised about the way young women and dress and she responds, "well I wore miniskirts and a button that said 'cunt power,' so..."

There's something particularly intense about doing a go-around where hundreds of women introduce themselves. Kudos to the Omega crew for making space for all the women here!

As you may already know, the Feministing crew is in upstate New York at Omega's Women & Power conference. We'll be liveblogging a good deal of the conference's events and posting pics and videos of the amazing women participating this weekend.

We just finished up dinner (we're still recovering from the awesome chocolate cake) where we met all of the bad-ass faculty here, and waiting on tonight's speakers. More to come!

Nine women were held captive for two months, filmed naked and broadcast on the internet after being told they were going to be on a Big Brother-like reality show.

A former flight attendant remembers 9/11 on Pam's House Blend.

Community poster Brissy Gal brings to light a case in Australia where a 19-year old woman and her boyfriend from Queensland may face up to seven years in prison for taking taking a version of the abortion pill mifepristone.

Non-Shocker of the Day: PETA's new ad takes on multiple offenses at a time.

Congrats to American Idol! They've just upped the ante on their already-hugely successful show by bringing on Ellen DeGeneres: comedian extraordinaire, media mogul, talk show host, inspirational speaker, prolific dancer, same sex marriage advocate, and all around bad ass woman.

I'm a huge fan of this decision because I think Ellen is hilarious and lovable and her presence will most likely make me enjoy the show a lot more on those (rare I swear!) occasions that I tune in. But it seems like the move has also spurred something of a different reaction in the blogosphere and beyond: namely, that of questioning:

Will Ellen DeGeneres make American Idol "gayer"?

One problem with this question that I'm going to have to point out right away is that- and I'm truly sorry to break this to you America- American Idol is already pretty, really, very gay.

Another thing is that the presence of someone queer does not always a "gayer" show make, just as the presence of a person of color doesn't always make the show more geared towards people of color, or even necessarily more tolerant of them.

This is especially true if that person is tokenized, toned down, glossed over, marginalized, or heavily censured, all of which I hope Ellen is not subjected to on American Idol.

That being said, she's already given interviews in which she alluded to being "the people's judge," and for this reason and more I am hopeful and optimistic that Ellen's presence will make the show more queer friendly and just generally more tolerant and inclusive.

So I'd like to devote a huge Friday Feminist Fuck Yeah to the intelligent and- dare I say- progressive decision of American Idol to choose such a down to earth, inspirational, and compassionate queer feminist as the newest addition to their show.

Check out this awesome news! From the AP:

"Uruguay lawmakers Wednesday adopted a trailblazing law allowing gay and lesbian couples to adopt children, in an unprecedented move in Latin America."

This is hugely exciting, and a true sign of progress towards equal rights! I would be remiss not to note, though, that, as the article mentions, religious leaders and right-wing politicians continue to push a conservative agenda and hold great influence in Uruguay (abortion remains illegal there, for example). So there is much work still to be done. But today, we can celebrate this exciting landmark victory for progressive values and equal rights in Latin America!

P.S. I can't quite make it out, but I'm pretty sure the banner in the pic reads "No Mas Homofobia" or "No More Homophobia"!

...can be drug traders!

We're a few days late on this but necessary to post nonetheless. Via the Wonk Room, we find that the U.S. Forest Service issued a Labor Day warning advising hikers to "beware of campers in national forests drinking Tecate beer, eating tortillas and playing Spanish music" because "they could be armed marijuana growers."

No joke.

The warning was later retracted and a public apology was made, but come on people - these kinds of gargantuan errors are just too fucked to let fly. In other words, the damage is done. More from the Wonk Room:

A high-ranking Forest Service official in Colorado also identified people speaking Spanish and eating Spam or Tuna as "warning signs of possible drug trafficking."

The warnings, which were issued as part of a slide show presentation for law enforcement officials and the general public, came after police arrested two people for allegedly growing 14,500 marijuana plants in a Colorado forest. However, little information about the case has been disclosed, including the names of the defendants. Polly Baca, co-chairwoman of the Colorado Latino Forum has accused the US Forest Service of racial profiling and says the warning is discriminatory and could put Hispanic campers in danger.

Not shit. Are we glad that the U.S. Forest Service retracted the warning? Sure. Does this take Smokey the Bear off my shit list? Hell no.

A couple weeks ago The New York Times published a compelling and far too brief article titled Afghan Youths Seek a New Life in Europe. The focus is on "Afghan boys" immigrating to France.

Thousands of lone Afghan boys are making their way across Europe, a trend that has accelerated in the past two years as conditions for Afghan refugees become more difficult in countries like Iran and Pakistan. Although some are as young as 12, most are teenagers seeking an education and a future that is not possible in their own country, which is still struggling with poverty and violence eight years after the end of Taliban rule.

The boys pose a challenge for European countries, many of which have sent troops to fight in Afghanistan but whose publics question the rationale for the war. Though each country has an obligation under national and international law to provide for them, the cost of doing so is yet another problem for a continent already grappling with tens of thousands of migrants.

European nations have a much greater obligation than that created by national and international law. The article frames poverty and violence in Afghanistan as existing despite the war. In reality aggression from countries including the U.S. and European nations is productive of increased instability and refugee populations. The article discusses the experiences of "Afghan boys" now living in France but hardly addresses their reasons for leaving home in the first place.

Age and gender are obvious features of the population discussed in this article so it's strange they are not addressed directly. I am particularly interested in young men immigrating to France as a result of war given the country's history of gendered immigration.

I want to discuss the history of immigration to France from North Africa as I see a lot of potential parallels and think it will provide context. Knowledge of North African immigration should show how important it is to explore the reasons for young male immigration, why it is this particular part of the population that is moving to France and how this might impact individuals, families, and communities. It can give us hints as to how the country may treat this population and the potential for more people from Afghanistan to follow. France's history with immigrants who are understood as Muslim is a history of exploitation and marginalization that has led to extreme social and political exclusion and violence. So this current moment when similar or related patterns could occur deserves a historical perspective.

North Africa and Afghanistan are very different places, but both have populations understood as Muslim. I am interested in how these populations may be understood as similar, not claiming any inherent similarity or spreading the idea of the so-called Muslim World.

I just have one word: momamorphosis.

Well this is horrible:

One in every 33 women who attend worship services regularly has been the target of sexual advances by a religious leader, a survey released Wednesday says.

The study, by Baylor University researchers, found that the problem is so pervasive that it almost certainly involves a wide range of denominations, religious traditions and leaders.

"It certainly is prevalent, and clearly the problem is more than simply a few charismatic leaders preying on vulnerable followers," said Diana Garland, dean of Baylor's School of Social Work, who co-authored the study.

The piece has a story of a young woman who was sexually assaulted by her pastor at her Evangelical Lutheran Church - when seeking spiritual guidance, he told her that having sex with him was ordained by God. Even after years of therapy, she still has a hard time walking into a Church.

Sadly only a couple of states have laws in place around this, including Texas, which defines clergy sexual behavior as sexual assault if the leader "causes the other person to submit or participate by exploiting the other person's emotional dependency on the clergyman in the clergyman's professional character as spiritual adviser."

This just depresses me. I've never been religious so I'd really like to hear from some readers' of faith thoughts on this. Any experiences, thoughts?

ht/ to Hugo.

I just moved to Brooklyn (Fort Greene stand up!) and I'm definitely loving my new neighborhood. However, as a last tribute to my old neighborhood, I thought I'd share this feminist gem, snapped in the east village. I know there's been some lively discussion on this site in the past about the merits/morality of altering public property in the name of feminism, and I think that needs to be an ongoing discussion because I don't know that it was ever quite resolved. But for the record I tend to think that "renegade feminist" acts like this one usually do more good than harm. I don't know about you, but I can always use a little something to make me look twice at that objectifying image or heavily touched up ad and remind myself not to be fooled by the BS, or to ever take it at face value. So for that jolt of a reminder, I appreciate the person who put up this sign. The verdict is still out on whether or not these kinds of street sign tactics are viable for long term effectiveness.

What do you think-Was the ad problematic in the first place? (I say yes.) Are you moved to put a sign up every time you see a bothersome/un-feminist/offensive image? Would it make a difference if we all did this all the time? Should it matter whether or not this is technically "legal"?

I am loving Glee. As a kid I thought life was a musical (and I never grew up). This show feels like it was made for me. It's so gay. It's got Jane Lynch as a delicious villain who loves social hierarchies and is constantly claiming gender discrimination. There might be more musical talent on display than in the High School Musical movies. And unlike those films, which push a conservative Mormon "family values" agenda, Glee has already shown itself to share some of my politics. Bullying is depicted in a way rarely seen in pop culture: Quinn Fabray constantly aims transphobic insults at Rachel Berry. Bulimia and body image issues are covered. And in the second episode the show takes on abstinence only programs and comprehensive sex education.

Glee takes place at William McKinley High School in Lima, Ohio, the kind of public school where the principal's pastor gives him a list of acceptable songs for the Glee Club to sing. The school has a Celibacy Club, led by Quinn, that demonstrates abstinence is about a lot more than not having sex: programs in U.S. schools push a religious ideology, teach conformity to the compulsory gender binary, and censor information about contraception. Celibacy Club meetings start out divided by gender before the students "come together to share [their] faith." We're shown just how little these young people actually know about sex. While talking about cheerleader's skirts (all the female members of the Celibacy Club are cheerleaders) Puck, one of the guys, says, "Santana Lopez spun open her [skirt] the other day and I swear I could see her ovaries." Funny? Yes. Also, scary. There probably actually are high school guys who don't know what ovaries are or where they are located. I feel really bad for any woman who sleeps with a guy so clueless about her anatomy. The cheerleader motto about the skirts is: "It's all about the teasing and not about the pleasing." Talk about teaching conservative gender roles. Women are supposed to attract men using their sexuality, but not give men what they want: sex. Abstaining is women's responsibility because desire for sex is supposedly a male trait.

Rachel attends a Celibacy Club meeting and during a ridiculous activity with a balloon this exchange happens:

Rachel: Did you know that most studies have demonstrated that celibacy doesn't work in high schools? Our hormones are driving us too crazy to abstain. The second we start telling ourselves that there's no room for compromise we act out. The only way to deal with teen sexuality is to be prepared. That's what contraception is for.

Quinn: Don't you dare mention the "C" word.

Rachel: You want to know a dirty little secret that none of them want you to know? Girls want sex just as much as guys do.

Male student: Is that accurate?

Like I said, I love this show. Not only do they show some of the ideology taught in abstinence only programs, they offer a passionate and compelling argument for education about contraception.

Glee really might be the anti-High School Musical. While that series of movies models abstinence and heterosexual gender norms, Glee is actually engaging with issues in an intelligent way. And the show is hilarious, moving, and full of fabulous musical numbers at the same time.

You can watch both episodes of Glee online here.

Depressing news on Caster Semenya as the obsession with binary gender continues as she is ostracized for potentially transcending comfortable notions of gender, including biological ones. She might lose the medal. Related.

I can't help it, it is funny.

Trigger warning. A reader sends a story about a murder that is being characterized as a lover's quarrel as opposed to an incident of violence against women, in a small town in Chicago.

Accusations of sexual abuse at the hands of prison workers has doubled.

Charming. Dirty Tats is a promotional flash app for the racing game Dirt 2, that lets you tattoo words and designs on women's breasts. Enter at your own risk.

File this under creepy, sexist and misogynist. via Boingboing.

I was pretty halfheartedly watching the health care speech last night while dreaming of Canadian health care, but there were definitely some poignant discussion points including the distracting shout-out by Joe Wilson calling Obama a "liar." The Huffington Post has a full transcript.

Thoughts?

Additional Links:

Op-Ed News on the Racial Context of Joe Wilson's Outburst.
Amanda on the right-wing reaction.
Crooks and Liars on Boustany's rebuttal (haha!).
From the Prospect Dana on Immigration and Health Care reform and Tim Fernholz on the success of his speech.

Mark Whicker, a sport columnist at The Orange County Register, had a terrible idea for an article: use the imprisonment, systematic rape, and forced pregnancy Jaycee Dugard was subjected to by Phillip Garrido as an excuse to talk about moments from the last 18 years of sports that Whicker wanted to rant about. Then, Whicker actually wrote this article. Someone actually approved it. And the Orange County Register actually published it. In case you needed evidence of the institutionalization of rape culture.

It doesn't sound as if Jaycee Dugard got to see a sports page.

Box scores were not available to her from June 10, 1991 until Aug. 31 of this year.

She never saw a highlight. Never got to the ballpark for Beach Towel Night. Probably hasn't high-fived in a while.

She was not allowed to spike a volleyball. Or pitch a softball. Or smack a forehand down the line. Or run in a 5-footer for double bogey.

Now, that's deprivation.

Can you imagine? Dugard was 11 when she was kidnapped and stashed in Phillip Garrido's backyard. She was 29 when she escaped. Penitentiary inmates at least get an hour of TV a day. Dugard was cut off from everything but the elements.

How long before she fully digests the world she re-enters? How difficult to adjust to such cataclysmic change?

More than that, who's going to explain the fact that there's a President Obama?

I'm sorry, how does any of this, including Obama's presidency, matter in comparison to the hell Dugard was put through by Garrido? In what world is missing events in sports history the relevant "deprivation" Dugard experienced? How can a person write a sentence like this: "I know you've had trouble digesting all this so far, but they also built a basketball arena at USC. Honest to God." You think the building of a basketball arena will be hard for this woman to digest? Seriously Whicker, how clueless are you?

Unsurprisingly, Whicker and The Orange County Register got a lot of negative, outraged feedback on the article. So Whicker issued an "apology."

It was not my intention to do so. But it's obvious that I miscalculated the effect the column on Jaycee Dugard, and the events that she might have missed during her captivity, had on those who read, buy and advertise in our newspaper. ...

I'll try to earn back the trust of those customers in my future endeavors.

Whicker is sorry he lost the paper paying customers and probably advertisers? That's what he apologizes for? There's no overstating how messed up Whicker's priorities are. You know we live in an overwhelmingly oppressive patriarchal and misogynist world when Garrido can imprison Dugard for eighteen years and enough people can fail to understand the weight of the sexual and reproductive violence she experienced that both the original article and subsequent "apology" could be published.

Mark Whicker can be contacted at mwhicker@ocregister.com. Contact information for plenty more people at The Orange County Register responsible for the publication of these articles can be found at this page.

h/t to Vanessa's friend Mary Alice.

Previously: Friday Feminist Fuck You: Philip Garrido

Yesterday, a FDA panel recommended that the agency approve Gardasil - the HPV vaccine - for use in young men and boys. Something tells me that despite the vaccine being recommended for use in boys as young as 9 years old, no conservative organizations are going to bemoaning boys' "lost innocence" or worrying about them becoming big whores.

Related: Quick Hit: The HPV vaccine for boys?
Good news on HPV vaccine?
How safe is the HPV vaccine?
Hit me with your best (HPV) shot

The New York Observer reports that Naomi Wolf's new book will be "a cultural history of the vagina." Which is funny, because I was totally planning on writing a history of my left tit! (Kidding, kidding.)

Hanne Blank - amazing author of Virgin: The Untouched History - pointed out on my Facebook wall that Wolf has a tough act to follow: Catherine Blackledge took on the history of the vajayjay in The story of V: a natural history of female sexuality (which I have yet to read).

I'm more interested in what the title will be... Come up with a title for Wolf's new vag book and share in comments! The commenter with the most "likes" at the end of the day wins a book (your choice of Full Frontal Feminism; He's a Stud, She's a Slut; Yes Means Yes or The Purity Myth.)

The Women's Media Center points out the names being thrown around for regulars on CNN's new Crossfire-like show are pretty...male:

So far, the names mentioned in consideration for the show include Roland Martin, Errol Louis, Cenk Uygur and Steve A. Smith on the left and Roe Conn, Joe Watkins, Steve Malzberg and Joe Pagliarulo on the right. Hopefully the names of the women candidates being considered for these slots will be released soon. As we often note at the WMC, despite being 51% of the population, women hold only 3% of clout positions in media. And as the the recent success of Rachel Maddow has shown, news consumers are hungry for a break from all-male news shows.

No joke. Who would you want to see on this new show? (My top picks would be Melissa Harris-Lacewell and Rinku Sen.)

Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor officially took her oath and her seat on the bench for the first time yesterday.

CNN is casting a news show and so far there are no women on their eight person list of possible pundits.

Van Jones has stepped down as Obama's man in charge of green jobs. Melissa Harris-Lacewell explains why this is not good for the green jobs movement.

Michelle Obama put in an application for a new DC farmer's market near the White House.

SarahMC takes on a terrible "sex talk" commercial.