Recently in Weekly Feminist Reader Category
Womens eNews on the lives of Iraqi women who have fled to Damascus.
Go read Black Canseco's eloquent post at Racialicious about the racial gap in coverage of missing or murdered kids.
Bloggingheads.tv has a conversation about wearing hijab and definitions of modesty.
Melissa at Shakesville on the power of getting personal in blogging.
It's carnival time: There is a new Carnival Against Sexual Violence up, as is the new Carnival of Feminists.
A transgender delegate to the DNC has some comments on the Democratic platform as it pertains to trans rights. (via Monica Roberts.) Plus, Linda Hirshman on the DNC platform change about choice, and reclaiming the morality of abortion. More from Digby.
The New York Times discovered that ladies like the internet! What a scoop!
A new poll from the National Women's Law Center shows women feel they are falling behind economically. And go read Lauren on low-wage workers.
Sorry this is a bit late today, folks...
Four women who were sentenced to die by stoning in Iran have had their sentences commuted... but that doesn't mean this issue should fade from the headlines.
Angry Black Bitch is pissed about stupid election-related polling of women.
Sweden is proposing mandatory sterilization for transpeople. Lisa at Questioning Transphobia writes, "To me, this idea doesn't send the message "We want to accommodate your transition." It sends the message "We want to make sure you have no chance of procreating once you start the medical aspects of transition.""
HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt blogged about the new proposed rule that redefines contraception as abortion -- defending it.
In In These Times this month, Kate Sheppard has a must-read, comprehensive look at McCain's attitudes toward women: McSexist.
The HIV infection rate is 40 percent higher than previously estimated. For more on the changing face of HIV/AIDS in the U.S., read Kai Wright. (More at the AIDS Institute.)
There are some good signs for women and people of color in TV and radio news.
Angie Zapata, a transwoman from Greeley, Colorado, was murdered on July 17. A man has been arrested in the case, which is truly horrible in all its details. (Trigger warning.) Zapata's killer actually referred to her as an "it."
Massachusetts will now allow out-of-state couples (of all gender combinations) to marry!
Legislation was introduced last week that would allow tribal councils to address crimes that take place on their lands, with a goal, in part, to "reduce the prevalence of violent crime in tribal communities and to combat violence against Indian and Alaska Native women." (Cecilia at Ojibway Migisi Bineshii has more.)
Le Loup-garou on maternal medicine access in the developing world.
A Russian judge ruled, "If we had no sexual harassment we would have no children."
Turns out (shock!) that Barbie's exclamation that "math is hard" for girls is... not true. Paging Larry Summers...
Kara Jesella reports from BlogHer on the blogosphere's glass ceiling.
Catholics in the Philippines oppose the church's stance on contraception.
A liberal comic wasn't allowed to discuss McCain's use of the C-word on XM radio. (And she didn't even say the whole word! She just said, "C-word.")
Veronica at Viva La Feminista on the problem with the business of mommy-blogging.
I'm still up in Woodstock retreat-ing with the other Feministing gals, so no Weekly Feminist Reader today. But leave your links in comments and let us know what you've been reading...
After Norwegian Muslim rapper Deeyah received death threats, she set up a project for Muslim women in music.
"Repeat After Me: All Black Transwomen AREN'T Hookers." (via)
Katha Pollitt on McCain's record on contraception.
Rikyrah at Jack and Jill Politics discusses Michelle Obama as a racial Rorschach test.
NYC transit services canceled a series of anti-groping ads because they were afraid the ads would encourage groping.
The National Review's Mona Charen tells her 14-year-old son that all women who read Cosmo are sluts. Now, I'm no Cosmo fan, but, as Dana puts it, "What more approval does a boy need to call women 'sluts' for the rest of his life than his mom signaling to him that it's okay?"
Renee at Womanist Musings looks at the media coverage of the Brangelina babies and asks, "Whose children count?"
Colorlines on black girls reaching puberty early.
A Brooklyn woman who was simply walking to the hospital late at night (after having an asthma attack) was arrested and charged with prostitution. The cops claimed she was carrying a condom and had a previous arrest for prostitution. Neither was true.
The latest Carnival Against Sexual Violence is up at abyss2hope. Marcella Chester also has a must-read post at Feministe, Linguistics and Meaning of "Why Did She Stay?"
John McCain: "I think that we've proven that both parents are important in the success of a family so, no, I don't believe in gay adoption." Now that's some serious antigay assholery.
Jessica and Courtney chatted with Times columnist Gail Collins about the Twilight series of tween novels.
A Washington Post op-ed proudly equates fucking over the planet with all-American manly swagger.
At London Pride last week, a trans woman was denied access to the women's restroom facilities and threatened with arrest. At a pride event. A few weak apologies have been issued.
British chain Marks & Spencer defends its practice of selling bigger bras for higher prices.
A Tucson alt-weekly has an in-depth report on rape along the U.S.-Mexico border. "I thought the wailings we heard at night were the coyotes barking at the moon," one volunteer told The Washington Times. "I didn't know until later that those sounds were the cries of women being raped in the Mexican desert, some less than 100 yards away from the border. There was absolutely nothing anyone could do about it."
You might not be surprised to learn that being constantly objectified takes a toll on women.
Via Sara at F-Words, a profile of the Idaho politician who changed his name to "Pro-Life."
It's not just socio-economics or genes: Black mothers may be at greater risk than women of other races because of social factors.
GO Magazine names 100 women they love. So many awesome women on this list. Unlike the recent spate of most-fuckable-female-blogger lists, this one actually honors women for things like their brains and skills and talents and humor.
Q: Is Dolly Parton a feminist icon? A: Hells yes!
A pregnant woman was pulled over by police as she left a prenatal clinic, and her three children were taken from her. She gave birth while in custody, and the baby was taken from her. All because she is an immigrant. Rachel writes, "This event sends a message to the community of immigrant women that there will be no discretion, no compassion, that they risk being jailed, giving birth in custody, and having their baby taken away if they take the simple step of seeking medical care while pregnant." (For more on immigration and reproductive justice, see the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health.)
Over on the community blog, Kala asks for advice on feminist baby-naming. MzBitca points out that you can flout traditional beauty standards and still be successful in Hollywood -- if you're a dude. And milby_daniel has the story of a woman who was forced out of her police-department job after unrelenting sexual harassment and discrimination.
ICE raided a garment factory in Houston, and over 70 percent of those arrested were women.
The FDA chose not to approve Gardasil, the HPV vaccine, for women ages 27 to 45. This doesn't mean women those ages can't get it -- it just means your insurance is not likely to cover it.
Megan McArdle says guns are a feminist issue. Jill at Feministe, Megan at Jezebel, and Dana at TAPPED tell her why she's not quite right.
Read Renee over at Feministe on race and gender, and then check out Think Girl's petition to stop the false race/gender divide.
A Southern Baptist scholar says domestic violence is a result of wives' failure to submit to their husbands.
The Frisky weighs in on a modeling competition for women with disabilities.
Male members of Phoenix golf club are harassing those who protest the no-girls-allowed policy.
Actions and Events
The Hip Hop Culture Center in Harlem is holding Rapathon 3: The Female Takeover. The Rapathon is a 24-hour cipher that features over 100 rappers who rhyme non stop with no vulgarities.... Our objective this time is to amass over 100 female MCs with hot lyrics, great energy, and stage presence... For more info, please contact Natassia Seward at 212-234-7171 or hiphopculturectr@aol.com
Frank Rich debunks the "angry white women" stereotype about Clinton supporters. Plus, the Center for American Progress has a rundown of McCain's anti-woman positions.
Jessica was on a panel in the UK about misogyny online.
New blog to add to your election-year reading: Michelle Obama Watch.
A women's clinic in Allentown, PA holds a Pledge-a-Protester fundraiser.
McCain cancels a fundraiser after it's revealed the event's host compared rape to the weather: “As long as it’s inevitable, you might as well lie back and enjoy it.”
Newsweek writes about young women who embrace the "nerd" label. Broadsheet points out, though, that "the Nerd Girls video makes it seem like sexual appeal is a necessary component to being part of their group."
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on how Americans talk about blackness. (And Shark-Fu on a related note.)
Rabia Siddique's war against the sexism and racism she experienced in the British Army.
Ovulation caught on tape. Reader Julie writes, "I gotta say, even though many people will 'ew' over the graphic images, it's pretty amazing to be able to see something that happens to so many of us every month."
"Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)" was a major hit in the UK. It was also dedicated to The Gossip's Beth Ditto.
The New York Times has a major article on "equally shared parenting."
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick declared domestic violence a "public health emergency."
Women police officers in Detroit fight for paid maternity leave.
Given epidemic levels of sexual violence against women of color, why is it not considered an epidemic?
MADRE explains the connection between women and the global food crisis.
Colorado may have an abortion ban on the November ballot.
Get your mind ready for bikini season.
The abstinence-only juggernaut gears up for a major lobbying effort.
I'd forgotten all about Daria!
Heba blogs from Gaza… the whole world might not be listening, but some of us certainly are.
More on why John McCain would be disastrous for women's rights.
How the cost of infertility treatments effectively shuts low-income women out of motherhood.
On the rising number of widows in Iraq. (Also see Haifa Zangana's book about Baghdad since the U.S. occupation, City of Widows.)
Lisa Kansas on what makes a movie misogynist.
A history of women visual artists.
Colorado considers "every sperm is sacred"-type legislation.
A lesbian soccer player is raped and murdered in South Africa.
A girl wins the state team track title -- by herself!
Missouri rejects a slew of abortion restrictions!
A pervy harasser was arrested in Venice for taking pictures of women's asses without their consent.
A Canadian legislator apologizes for calling a female politician a "dumb bitch."
Kill a sex worker, get a two year prison sentence? (Cara has more.)
On persistent sexism in the engineering and technology fields.
A journalist with the UK Daily Mail completely misrepresented a Dolly Mix blogger, quoting her out of context to prop up a ridiculously bad story about "getting e-venge" on your ex.
Muslimah Media Watch on female Muslim rappers.
Much more after the jump...
First up, a few Mothers Day links:
An index of the best and worst places in the world to be a mother.
Mothers in prison celebrate the holiday.
Juarez mothers demand justice for their daughters.
The former vice mayor of San Jose discusses her experiences with gender discrimination in politics.
Thomas on why food is a feminist issue.
Female Impersonator has an update on the Johnny Vegas sexual assault .
A Catholic law school tells students they can't get credit if they do pro-bono work for a pro-choice organization.
The Cleveland Plain Dealer has a series of articles by reporter Joanna Connors, who writes, for the first time in 20 years, about being raped by a felon on parole and the fallout from that violent act. Her story "is about rape. It is about race and class. And it is about our community -- our line-in-the-sand combativeness over these issues, and our stubborn and fearful reluctance to talk about them."
There's been some debate lately as to whether those Dove Real Beauty ads were photoshopped. Photographer Annie Leibowitz and a professional photo-retoucher say they weren't.
All Africa profiles a woman who has climbed the political ladder in Ghana.
We mourned Mildred Loving's passing this week. Racialicious has two great posts on interracial relationships. And Rick Perlstein republishes Loving's call for marriage equality for same-sex couples.
More links after the jump...
Maria Soledad Vela, who is helping to rewrite Ecuador's constitution, wants to include that "women should have the right to make free, responsible and informed decisions about sex lives."
Veronica on why you should know who Lorena Ochoa is, but probably don't.
I highly recommend this piece by Betsy Reed in The Nation about Hillary Clinton and institutional feminism. Ta-Nehisi Coates adds, "As a guy who's long felt that civil rights-era black leadership has lost the moral high ground, I get where she's coming from."
Manohla Dargis on the state of women directors and actors in Hollywood. Also check out Women Make Movies.
The Coup Magazine offers some steps toward ending the violence (particularly the violence against women) in the Democratic Republic of Congo -- and also notes there's a new Amnesty International report on women, HIV/AIDS and violence in South Africa.
On those deceptive robocalls by Women's Voices, Women's Vote.
Latoya quotes Joan Morgan on hip-hop and feminism and racial solidarity.
Check out all the great Blog Against Disablism posts.
Does Obama support parental consent laws?
A day in the life of a feminist high-school student. (via Lauredhel)
Alice Walker on Clinton, Obama, and womanism.
What a horrible headline: "Testimony starts in manslaughter trial of woman who cried 'rape'." Astraea has a great post responding to this news story -- and an update noting the woman was convicted.
On the depressingly high maternal mortality rate in Afghanistan. (via)
Carmen at Racialicious on the "reality" TV show Miss Rap Supreme.
Scientific American has an article on subliminal stereotyping.
On marginalization, exoticism, and a South Asian adaptation of the Vagina Monologues.
Secondhandsally reacts to that Esquire cover featuring Jessica Simpson shaving (a takeoff on their 1960s-era cover that featured Marilyn Monroe Virna Lisi in a similar pose).
Prof BW has a list of Feminist Reading Tools for Recognizing and Countering Racism.
Actions and Events
On Tuesday, COLOR (Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights) is hosting an event to oppose the defeat the deceptively named “Human Life Amendment.�
May 8-11 is the Willie Mae-ra-thon in NYC to benefit the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls!
Click here to support the International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA).
What Danica Patrick's victory means to young girls who aspire to be racecar drivers.
Last week, coincidentally the Global Action Week for Education, UNICEF released a study showing Afghan girls are excluded from the country's education system.
The awful Maricopa County (Arizona) Sheriff Joe Arpaio is now adding to his resume of "shaming" male inmates by forcing them to wear pink underwear and denying female inmates abortion access by throwing a few immigration raids into the mix. Last week he rounded up 150 immigrants against even the wishes of the mayor , who said, "That's not acceptable behavior for anyone, let alone someone whose job is to help make our community safer."
A good post from secondhandsally on obsession, objectification, and Judd Apatow movies.
Why young women in particular are at risk for pay discrimination.
Menstrual blood could save lives! (Now I'm waiting for the Christian right to come out against this because there are baaaaaabies in that blood… or something.)
A Saudi court ruled that a man had not, in fact, attempted to rape a woman (despite the fact that she leapt out a window to get away from him) because her jeans were found folded on the bed.
Ashton Kutcher is a real asshat.
A plus-size woman will compete in the Miss England pageant. I'm torn between being glad that the pageant is expanding its definition of what beautiful looks like, and still hating on pageant culture as a whole.
Someone has started a cleaning service called Dust Bunnies in which women clean your house clad in lingerie or topless. Endorsed by Time Out Chicago: "The chance to entertain your sexy-maid fantasies while actually having your place cleaned...need we say more?" Sigh.
Christina Ricci: “I think people are learning to actually aspire to be objectified. It’s like the highest form of flattery for teenage girls. The culture we live in right now seems to reward behavior that we used to frown upon. We used to teach our daughters not to be like this." Well, I agree with the general sentiment, but let's not veer toward the "gee, everything was great back in the 1950s" mode of thinking, mmkay?
NPR's News and Notes had a good segment on women's rights in Sudan.
On feminism and Sex and the City. (via Broadsheet)
Serving sushi on naked women is a high-end food trend in the U.S. now, too? (Ok, and serving some on naked men, too. Still.)
Illinois considers putting known domestic abusers on a GPS tracking system.
Some female superdelegates who support Obama have had their sisterhood called into question.
The SAFER blog has a thought-provoking post on drinking and consent.
Unmarried women earn only 56 cents for every dollar a married man earns (PDF).
LiP magazine on Obama and white voters: "But this is where things become considerably more complicated; the point at which one is forced to determine what, exactly, his success means (and doesn't mean) when it comes to the state of race, race relations, and racism in the United States. And it is at this point that so-called mainstream commentary has, once again, dropped the ball."
Fewer med schools are training future doctors in how to perform abortions.
Pro-choice women turned out before the Lithuanian Parliament to protest the proposed abortion ban.
How race, class, and other factors influence quality of life for aging Americans.
A group called the Internet Sexuality Information Services is holding a contest for the best underwear design that promotes STD awareness. Oh lord…
The sexist coverage we've come to expect from articles about Hillary Clinton is now showing up in articles about Chelsea Clinton.
Iraqi refugees forced to turn to prostitution.
Are black women always the "mean girls" on "reality" TV?
Much more after the jump...
An 8-year-old Yemeni girl takes her father to court for forcing her to marry a 30-year-old man.
The Guardian publishes an ignorant, hate-filled screed against fat people.
Female leads in blockbuster movies, by the numbers.
Note to Silvio Berlusconi: "Your women are ugly" is not a political argument.
A court dropped charges against an Oklahoma man who took photos up a 16-year-old girl's skirt while she was shopping at Target, because apparently you can't be a "peeping Tom" in public.
Philadelphia magazine on 8-year-olds getting waxes. Shudder. (Also file under: Lifestyles of the Children of the Rich and Famous. This is one of those New York Times-style "trends" that only affects the wealthiest 1% of the population, but yeah, has some resonance for the rest of us.)
The case for young women getting better breast cancer screening -- not just cervical cancer screening.
An elementary school in Wisconsin has a dress-in-drag day, and conservatives freak out.
A great post over at Bitch Ph.D, "Coming out of the menstruation closet." And Sara wonders, "Why aren't [tampons] provided for free in public restrooms, like toilet paper?"
More links after the jump...
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Despite what the L.A. Times prints, it's still a major problem on college campuses.
More colleges are assigning coed roommates.
Illinois considers tracking devices for people with restraining orders against them.
The Department of Justice's inspector general is investigating whether a U.S. attorney was fired because she is a lesbian.
Weight discrimination hits women harder than men.
Minnesota considers comprehensive sex ed -- 'cause, yeah, abstinence-only doesn't work.
Some interesting linguistic history on how we talk about virginity.
Women fight back against poverty.
The Pentagon apparently has a problem with "transporting gay domestic partners." WTF?
On rape as a weapon of war. (The Senate recently held its first-ever committee hearing on the subject.)
The Navy abruptly changed its policy to allow women to serve on submarines. (Ok, I was belatedly gotten by an April Fools joke. Sadly, the item about the Pentagon and gay partner travel is no joke.)
What have y'all been reading? What about actions/events coming up this week? Leave your links in comments...
The Advocate explores what happens when transmen choose to get pregnant. (And please, hold the stupid Junior jokes.)
Apparently anything with a female pronoun attached is subject to hate-filled, sexist rants that purport to be humor. Weird.
How rape and violence against women is downplayed in coverage of Darfur.
Rebecca Walker has a blog!
An awesome primer on Asian and APIA feminists.
Afghan feminists look to the Koran as reinforcement of their beliefs: "Forced marriage, child brides, honor killings – none of this is in the Koran," Fatima told me, when we met in her office at Kabul's Red Crescent Society, which she directs. "Women are treated like chattel, and in the name of Islam. This is not sanctioned in the Koran," she said. […] "If we want to change Islam from within, we have to be totally committed to the religion. That's the only way to succeed," said Fatima.
Reminder: Civil unions are not "just as good as" marriage. Scott and Melissa have more.
Kavita Ramdas tells us to look beyond Clinton v. Obama and toward the status of women and people of color in the rest of the world.
Some reflections on International Women's Day.
McCain: Be afraid. Be very afraid.
The Guerrilla Girls pen a letter to Eli Broad, whose new Broad Contemporary Art Museum in LA is 97% white and 87% male.
The Census Bureau just released a 40-year study on pregnancy in the workplace.
On women presenting as male online to avoid harassment.
Despite the screaming headlines, serotonin levels are probably a better predictor of whether girls will cut themselves than their relationships with their mothers.
The Missouri legislature wants to reclassify mifepristone -- the drug used in medical abortions -- as a Schedule I controlled substance, a classification for drugs with "a high potential for abuse and no medicinal value."
Amnesty International decries the backlash against women's rights activists in Iran.
An anti-domestic violence riff on the typical jewelry ads.
A line-by-line rebuttal to Charlotte Allen.
The "mentoring gap" for women in science fields. And yeah, the good ol' pay gap is still around, too.
"American sex experts" define "sex" as only penis-in-vagina.
This is horrifying: Police pull over a woman for little to no reason, then "one of the officers allegedly inserted his finger into Shutter's vagina on a public street during an apparent search for drugs."
The Wisconsin state senate just passed a law mandating that EC be offered to rape victims.
If you've not been following the disgusting, homobigoted comments by Oklahoma legislator Sally Kerns, head over to Pam's place and get caught up. You will be appalled.
Christopher Hitchens has once again declared that women aren't funny, and Katie Halper has this great response.
The National Urban League focused its 2008 State of Black America report on women.
Spc. Monica Lin Brown, a 19-year-old US Army medic in Afghanistan, became the second woman to be awarded a medal for valor since WWII. After a roadside bomb hit a convoy of Humvees, "Brown ran through insurgent gunfire and used her body to shield wounded comrades as mortars fell less than 100 yards away, the military said." Too bad women are still banned from combat!
Guttmacher reports on the role of contraception in preventing the spread of HIV.
Actions and Events
In the UK, the nonprofit Southall Black Sisters (which works to end violence against women of color) is under threat of closure. Some ideas on what you can do do help.
Birth mothers react to Juno.
Ellen DeGeneres speaks out about the murder of 15-year-old Lawrence King, who was killed because he was gay.
A Japanese video game is about a young woman who is rejected by boys because of her "tremendous size." In playing the game, "You are that young woman and your mission is weight loss by way of exercise, diet, and mini-games." Ugh.
Military maternity leaves are awfully short.
On proudly identifying as a "bitch, ballbuster, battleaxe, ballcutter."
A high-powered networking society is now required to admit women.
Tennessee considers whether to make paternity tests mandatory for every baby born in the state.
As we gear up for the Texas presidential primary on Tuesday, the NY Times had a piece on the history of female leadership in the state.
A nice essay on supporting the notion of Hillary Clilnton, and how that's separate from supporting the candidate herself.
Public service announcement: You can be a devout Muslim and not wear hijab.
Arizona considers a measure that would undermine the rights of pregnant women.
A 16-year-old girl was raped by four teenage boys, and used MySpace to figure out her attackers' identities. When police got a warrant and searched their MySpace accounts, they found details of the attack.
Writes Kavita N. Ramdas, of the 2008 election: "What is alarmingly absent from our conversations and arguments, even as they allude to race and gender, is any sense of how our decisions affect the well-being of people across the planet--not least the status of women, 51 percent of us, who are being treated with appalling brutality around the globe."
More after the jump...
SO much stuff this week!
This entire article about sommeliers in Australia never explains why, in the photo, the one female sommelier is naked, while the men are all in suits.
Catholics in New York take to YouTube to bash pro-choice Gov. Eliot Spitzer.
How the media treat Britney Spears and Amy Winehouse differently than Owen Wilson and Heath Ledger.
DC Comics turns a black superheroine white.
More anti-LGBT bullshit in high schools. This week: Belleville, IL and Gary, IN.
Ve vill suck your period blood! (via.)
Can you believe that some whorish women want to wreck the white purity of their wedding gowns with a low-cut neckline? Horrors!
A new documentary explores what the Bible really says about homosexuality, and ponders why anti-gay sentiment is at the heart of the conservative Christian agenda.
I'm playing the world's tiniest violin for the so-called "angry white male" voting bloc.
A study by the Toronto school board found that "It appears a growing number of young girls are not only being sexually assaulted on campus, but have come to think of it as a normal part of their educational experience." That's incredibly upsetting.
Muslim Hedonist on talking to her daughters about FGM.
This article -- and the entire situation -- is pretty awful. Not only are they charging this woman for homicide for using drugs while pregnant, but the sheriff says her life consisted of "using drugs and having babies." Disrespectful much? Also, a reader sent along an earlier version of the article, which disclosed the woman is HIV-positive, which is totally unrelated to any charges brought against her. It appears they've now deleted the mention of HIV. (Check out our previous posts on drug laws that punish pregnant women.)
Next week the Canadian parliament will debate the "Unborn Victims of Crime Act." Pro-choice talking points are here.
The Bilerico Project has been running profiles of black LGBT people in history.
A Louisiana woman was arrested for a DWI and then brutally beaten by a police officer, who claims she "slipped and fell." (Trigger warning.)
They're marketing Frida Kahlo-brand skin cream? WTF?
A guy actually tried to get mini-silicone implants for his naked-woman tattoo.
An ultra-Orthodox Israeli politician blames gays for earthquakes. Seriously.
Anyone else find it sad that they're airbrushing kids' school pictures?
(Way more below the fold...)
A gender-nonconforming teenager was killed in Oxnard, CA.
Apparently gender equality is a bad thing, because sometimes teenage girls want to drink or use drugs. Which, you know, they never did when they thought their future career choices were homemaker, nurse or teacher. Time to blame feminism! This line of reasoning actually strikes me as remarkably similar to the paternalistic language used in the Supreme Court decision upholding the ban on dilation-and-extraction abortion: "We can't allow women to have choices, because they might regret what they choose!"
Newsday on the lack of models who are women of color.
Media coverage of Kentucky's ultrasound legislation has been rather misleading.
Alessandra Stanley on MSNBC trying to clean up its act.
A government official in Britain has suggested "temporarily sterilizing" all teen girls. (The article is accompanied by some truly heinous stock photo art.)
Jennifer Baumgardner on her support for Hillary Clinton.
Melissa Harris-Lacewell says that many women of color have decided they're "not willing to play Mammy to Hillary Clinton."
Kenya is moving closer to a peace agreement, but will that stop the rampant sexual assault? Plus, why women in crisis situations like this have different needs than men.
Muslimah Media Watch critiques Ann Telnaes' valentine cartoon.
The journal Nature rejects pushes to adopt a peer-review process in which authors are anonymous. Studies have shown that when auditions/submissions are anonymous, women (and minorities) fare better.
Malalai Joya rails against the twisting of Islamic law to suppress women's rights.
A new website lets you anonymously inform someone you may have given them an STD.
Tigtog pays homage to men in kilts.
Headlines like this make me think maybe we should start an Oppression Olympics Watch, in addition to our sexism watch(es).
Budget cuts in Chicago mean that lots of low-income women are waiting weeks and weeks for important gynecological care.
Twisty eviscerates the valentine-industrial complex.
Someone has created a "wine rack." Like a sexualized version of those ridiculous beer hats.
The fundies are incensed that people who don't hate gay folks are going to be allowed into schools in Ontario to talk about diversity and acceptance. The horror!
Even gaming magazines apparently come in pink for girls.
An interesting take on a somewhat controversial book among feminists, The Daring Book for Girls.
A woman visiting Saudi Arabia was jailed for having coffee with a male colleague.
Kira Cochrane has a long essay about her feelings on her weight, and explains why she'll be writing a column about dieting/fitness.
Is sex ed in Illinois really "comprehensive"?
Antigone Magazine has a video on their Dreams for Women project.
Bush still swears up and down that harping on the abstinence-only message is a better way to prevent HIV/AIDS in Africa than providing honest health information.
File under: So. Not. Funny.
A California high school paper is in trouble for publishing a diagram of the vagina. Teachers "rushed to confiscate the publication." This is clearly some seriously dangerous information in the hands of high-schoolers! The day after the issues were confiscated, the paper's 15-year-old editor-in-chief and others showed up at school wearing shirts that read, "My vagina is obscene." Nice.
What have you guys been reading this week?
Eve Ensler and Kimberle Crenshaw have some really thoughtful commentary on feminism and the Democratic primary.
Palestinian feminists stage a major demonstration in Rafah.
A woman misdiagnosed with HIV went through nine years of treatment before realizing her positive results were false. Wow.
Applying the "Slow Food" philosophy to sex.
On masculinity and campaign theme songs.
Jenn breaks down what happened with the Asian American vote on Super Tuesday.
On some churches shunning members who disagree with them.
More super-skinny model issues, but this time the models are male. Says one agency rep, “Skinny, skinny, skinny. Everybody’s shrinking themselves.� Ugh.
An Ohio woman called police to report being assaulted by her cousin, and found herself being violently strip-searched by sheriffs. There's a video, which -- warning -- is pretty disturbing.
Efforts continue to have HPV vaccination expanded to include men.
Oprah responds to those who call her a traitor against her gender for supporting Obama.
A county commissioner in Michigan was acquitted of sexual assault, even after he admitted he pushed a woman's face into his crotch.
Tis the season for barftastic (and offensive) Valentine's Day ads. Here's a real gem (har har) from JC Penney.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) comes out against home births. Surprise, surprise.
More on how the American invasion has made things worse for Iraqi women.
On gender-based violence in high schools in Ontario.
On Hillary Clinton, Courtney Love, and how women get a raw deal from being part of a power couple.
The BBC on Iraqi Kurdish women and self-immolation.
MSNBC temporarily suspends anchor David Shuster for asking if Hillary Clinton was "pimping out" Chelsea on the campaign trail.
An anti-choice rally in Brisbane, Australia gets heated when pro-choicers show up. I'm not without sympathy for the anti-choice spokesperson who complained the pro-choicers didn't allow them a chance to finish speaking. On the other hand, abortion is still a criminal act (except to save the woman's life) in Queensland, so the pro-choicers' anger is absolutely understandable. What do you all think?
Two mentally disabled women were used to bomb a marketplace in Iraq. The blasts killed more than 100 people.
Also in Iraq, police forces are once again allowing female police officers to carry weapons. Meanwhile, Iraqi women are facing more violence and have fewer rights.
New research shows women in India are not only more likely to donate a kidney, they're less likely than men to receive a kidney transplant when they need one.
A budget airline in the UK pulls its "back to school special" ads featuring a model in attire reminiscent of the "Hit Me Baby One More Time" video.
The siege against Kansas abortion provider Dr. Tiller continues. Now the antis are demanding he hand over non-redacted medical files.
Linda Hirshman on women voters in the NYT Magazine today.
A British chain store is selling A-cup bras for the same price as D-cups: "We're putting an end once and for all to one of the last prejudices - that of the bigger-busted woman," said brand director Fiona Lambert in a statement. (With apologies to my well-endowed girlfriends, II'll admit my total ignorance here: As someone with smaller boobs, I had no idea that bigger-size bras were way more expensive! Perhaps it's time to stage a bra-price-equity campaign in the U.S.?)
Despite President Michelle Bachelet's decree that the morning-after pill be made available to all women in Chile, there have been serious access problems.
An absurd piece of legislation seeks to deny restaurant service to anyone with a BMI over 30.
Hans Johnson argues that, "The ‘08 election, no matter its winners, will usher in decision-makers unable to deny the presence or escape the accountability of openly gay people in every precinct of the nation."
Susan Faludi has a great review of the new book, Thirty Ways of Looking at Hillary.
A state legislator in Colorado recently resigned after sexually harassing a female lobbyist:The lobbyist, who spoke to The Denver Post on Thursday on condition of anonymity, said Garcia exposed himself to her last month and said, "Wouldn't this be real nice inside of you?"
An Afghan man is sentenced to death for downloading a report about women's rights.
How did I miss the news that Jodie Foster finally came out?
An attempt to crack the woodchuck glass ceiling.
A new report documents the effects of Manila's ban on contraception.
A quick summary of sexist attacks on Hillary Clinton.
New research suggests that some women with breast cancer get better follow-up treatment if they have a female doctor.
A University of Georgia professor resigns on the heels of allegations he sexually harassed his female students.
On the growing prevalence of fair-skinned models in India. (Gee, wonder if this has anything to do with sales of skin-whitening cream?)
Covering up rape to win a few football games. Disgusting.
Hundreds of Afghan women gathered to protest the kidnapping of an aid worker.
Pam and Hilzoy dispel the myth that this is a post-gender or post-racial election.
The South Dakota legislature passed sonogram-requirement bills. (Click here to listen to Planned Parenthood's Kate Looby discuss the legislation.)
This is frightening: If consent is obtained through fraud or deceit, it's not considered rape in Massachusetts.
Hillary Sexism Watch: More name-calling.
Three women in Canada file a complaint against their imam for treating them differently than men and using abusive language toward them.
Ema has a nice rundown of the history of Kansas patient-chart stealer Phill Kline.
On the gross new "reality" TV show, Battle of the Bods.
Margaret Cho calls out the racist, sexist assumption that women of color will have to "choose" their race or gender while voting. "Why are white men allowed to look at the issues and judge for themselves and the rest of us are expected to take sides grade school style?" (DnA has a counterpoint.)
Our Bodies Our Blog asks, "do women really want on-demand C-sections?"
[Note: I had a bunch of other links in here with nice snarky comments, but MovableType decided to randomly delete the rest of my post. So I'm just going to put the headlines and links below the fold. My comments will return next week...]
Pioneering journalist Fran Lewine has died. She was the first woman to be a full-time White House reporter for the Associated Press.
Class issues, weight issues, and Starbucks' new "Skinny Platform."
What? You mean you can be in a devoted, life-long, loving relationship without getting married -- or even wanting to? Wow!
Schools in the UK are told to stop giving students sexist career advice.
The New York Times has a big feature and photo essay on female genital cutting. Plus, and Iraqi Kurdish parliamentarian is pushing legislation to criminalize FGM.
Women in Saudi Arabia are now allowed to rent hotel rooms without a male guardian.
Vogue editor Anna Wintour calls Hillary Clinton "mannish."
Texas teens were arrested for forcing girls as young as 12 into prostitution.
Susie Bright on "smashmortion" cinema.
Note to political journalists writing about Obama and the Latino vote: Black and Latino are not mutually exclusive.
UK police are trying tactics that encourage rape suspects to incriminate themselves via text message.
Wisconsin antichoicers are mailing out 40,000 plastic fetuses.
Rep. Louise Slaughter has a letter asking the Department of Defense to investigate the KBR rape case.
High-school moms in Denver ask for four weeks of maternity leave.
Does caffeine increase pregnant women's risk of miscarriage?
Frances Kissling and Kate Michelman on Roe's 35th anniversary.
How Kansas antichoicers are using grand juries to undermine abortion rights.
Reviewing the new Bella Abzug biography.
How John McCain is using his adopted daughter to "prove" he's got antichoice street cred.
A Muslim girl was denied the right to participate in her high-school track meet because of