Recently in What We Missed Category
Actress Gabrielle Union blogs in a smart and honest way about the horrific responses to the Richmond rape case, and about her own rape. Via Shakes.
More research shows that comprehensive sex education results in increased condom use among teens and lowers their chances of contracting HIV.
Gawker argues that the woman who shot Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan to stop his shooting spree is solid proof that we need to allow women in combat.
A new UK report finds that institutional racism in England schools prohibits ethnic minorities from being promoted and reaching top posts. 44% of folks reported being discriminated against.
Feminist artist Nancy Spero has died at the age of 83. She has written: "I have come to the conclusion that the art world has to join us, women artists, not we join it. When women are in leadership roles and gain rewards and recognition, then perhaps 'we' (women and men) can all work together in art world actions."
GLAAD has put out a media reference guide. Please check it out now.
New Moon Magazine is in need of support. Read about them and donate.
Justice who denies interracial couples right to marry has quit.
via Racewire on beauty pageants being racialized.
A program in North Carolina is paying girls not to get pregnant. Yeah.
A must-read from Lynn Harris at Broadsheet.
"Feminists remain the enemy in the United States." Don't let the headline fool you...
A trend is growing in Dallas where police officers are giving drivers $200 tickets for not speaking English - all but one of them thus far have been Latino.
Tracy Clark-Flory with more details on the right-wing "coming out" of Abby Johnson from Planned Parenthood.
And to add to that a post from the community site from Shelly Blair, co-host, Fair and Feminist on KEOS 89.1 who has interviewed Johnson before.
The New Yorker on what really happened during the Israeli attacks in Gaza.
Amanda debunks the "what if you were aborted," argument anti-choicers love to throw around.
One of the new owners of the Chicago Cubs is also the first openly gay owner of any sports team.
Mama Cash reports that a coalition of African Lesbians is fighting back against new anti-homosexuality laws in Uganda and Rwanda.
The controversial Illinois parental notification law goes into effect tomorrow. The law requires that parents notify, but don't necessarily get consent from, parents of girls 17 and under.
A group of female professors at DePaul University are filing discrimination lawsuits after being denied tenure in what they say is gender discrimination (5 of the 7 professors denied tenure in this year's cycle at DePaul were women).
Hip Hop artist KRS-One talks about how we need more women in hip hop.
President Obama signed into law the Matthew Shepard Act, which adds sexual orientation and gender identity to existing hate crimes laws.
A trans woman in Australia successfully fought for an apology and a change in policy from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade after she suffered embarrassment and harassment while traveling abroad with a passport that still identified her as male.
It's Friday folks! Add your links in comments and enjoy the Halloween weekend.
Mary Cuddehe Jennie Rothenberg Gritz of The Atlantic writes about the backlash from a Mexico City decision to decriminalize first-trimester abortion within the city.
Various parties weigh in on Rhode Island's unique approach to indoor vs. outdoor prostitution.
17-year-old star Taylor Lautner, star of the new Twilight movie, is posing all over the place with his pecs on display. Hollywood, with a double standard? Naw, couldn't be.
The brilliant Alaa Al-Aswany on why religious extremism is the other face of political despotism.
Still don't know what to be for Halloween? Planned Parenthood of NYC has a list of some awesome and hilarious pro-choice costumes.
A Guam Archbishop says suicide bombers are better than gay people.
Models promise to get naked for you if you talk to your politicians about climate change.
A new bill was proposed in Baltimore that would force crisis pregnancy centers to post signs disclosing they don't provide all reproductive health services.
What's wrong with how "romance" is portrayed in video games.
A disheartening story about runaway youth. According to the NYTimes, "Nearly a third of the children who flee or are kicked out of their homes each year engage in sex for food, drugs or a place to stay."
A Swiss investment company is reserving funds for companies that have women on their boards.
Check out the most recent "Addicted to Race," about Latino in America, Halloween, Chinese adoptees, racist kid.
The 5 Most Unintentionally Racist Movies About Racism via Racewire.
A teenager was gang raped and brutally beaten and approximately 15 people were watching and did nothing. This story is horrifying.
Congrats to Jessee Vasold, the first transgender homecoming queen at the College of William and Mary!
A new study on the Internet and prostitution.
Italian feminists are wiping the floor with Berlusconi.
Why did Project Runway edit out a gay relationship from the show?
Queens University covers the launch of our tour! We'll be at Boston College on Monday and Wheaton on Wednesday. Contact the amazing Martha (polk.marthaatgmaildotcom)if you'd like to book us for an upcoming stop.
Corruption compounds the discrimination women already experience.
Women's eNews covers An $18 million "Start Strong" initiative to prevent teen dating
violence.
Jenni Prokopy founder and editor of ChronicBabe.com, an online resource for young women with chronic illness, writes about health care reform over at the Women's Media Center.
Senate blocks Medicare Payment Bill.
Aboriginal women are targeted in the Canadian sex trade.
Can people stop writing books about unlocking women?
More on reframing health care around gender.
A mind-numblingly awful story about a woman who was struck from insurance after taking anti-AIDS medication after being raped.
Abortion is still a major issue in the health-reform debate. Plus, why we need a queer-er health care system.
Men's involvement is key to ending rape culture. But what does that look like?
Pregnant women are at greater risk when it comes to swine flu.
An excerpt from Kate Bornstein's Hello Cruel World.
The public radio show Radiolab interviews Stu Rasmussen, the first openly transgender mayor in the U.S. (Interview is at the 20 minute mark.)
A court blocked the Oklahoma law that would have required the public disclosure of the personal health details of women who have had abortions.
Infuriating: A woman was ousted from a New Jersey roller derby team because she was being stalked by the owner of the rink where the team plays. Several of her teammates quit in protest.
The FDA, which recently approved the Gardasil vaccine for use in boys, has also approved and a new HPV vaccine - Cervarix - for girls and women ages 10 to 25.
Amanda takes on the teen oral sex panic in her podcast for RH Reality Check.
Apparently women "hate" thin models because we're oh-so-ashamed of our fat selves. Uh huh.
The new fabulous blog FWD/Forward highlights a 2008 piece from Hoyden About Town on the barriers women with disabilities face when reporting rape.
The Center for American Progress and Maria Shriver today released The Shriver Report: A Woman's Nation Changes Everything. We'll probably have more coverage of the report to come, but you can check it out here.
On the backs of Princeton's decision to offer limited gender neutral campus housing next year, President Shirley Tingman is opposing the creation of a campus center for chastity and abstinence. More at Equal Writes.
Some serious outrage in response to an article in the UK's Daily Mail by Jan Noir concerning the death of Boyzone star Stephen Gately.
Love your Vajayjay? Well Etsy's got a necklace for you. Via Jezebel
This is sad. A Queen's woman who was leading an important sexual harassment lawsuit against the construction company she worked died in a fire at her home.
Community poster wonderwall brought attention to this awesome performance by spoken word artist Desdemonda.
A woman is suing Toyota for a marketing campaign that led her to believe she was being stalked.
Double X has a piece on Lingerie Football, perhaps the worst excuse for a sport created.
New York women's organizations and senators are calling for the removal of Democratic Senator Hiram Monserrate from office for assaulting his girlfriend, then getting off the hook with a misdemeanor charge. Says NARAL Pro-Choice New York: "Our message to the Senate is urgent and clear: if you do not remove this individual from office, we will."
A new report published Wednesday by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America includes stats like these: more than 30,000 single mothers have deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan and the divorce rate for female soldiers is nearly triple that of the men who wear the same uniform.
Raymond Ruddy, a 66-year-old retired businessman who runs a pro-life charity in suburban Natick, Massachusetts, is the premier benefactor of the abstinence-only sexual education movement. The Atlantic Monthly analyzes his unsubtle strategy to block comprehensive sex ed.
Fox And Burger King apologize for ad mocking Jessica Simpson's weight.
Apparently people are as racist in online dating as in real life. Go figure.
The New York Times takes on all this cougar talk. God help us.
The super smart Lauren Sandler writes about the color that just won't quit. Pink, of course.
Are you an LGBT parent? Take this survey to be part of a Lawrence University research project.
The Senate Finance Committee approved it's version of health care reform legislation today, with a yes vote from Republican Senator Olympia Snowe. It's got no pubicpublic option. Now all the bills go behind closed doors, where congresspeople will craft one piece of legislation to be voted on.
A Ralph Lauren model was fired for being "too fat", when she weighed in at 120 pounds and 5 foot ten inches. She was also photoshopped to the point of absurdity in a previous ad for them (see link for pic).
The National Cancer Institute now has a website exclusively for adolescents and young adults battling cancer.
Another technological advancement for detecting the date rape drug--this time it's a coaster.
Domestic workers are at heightened risk for exploitation. This SF gate article examines why.
Sexism from liberals is no more acceptable than sexism from conservatives. Olbermann screws up big time when talking about Michelle Malkin on his show.
Oklahoma prosecutors are investigating accusations that ormer state employees at the governor's mansion raped three female inmates assigned to work at the mansion's grounds.
Teen feminists blogging. Love it.
An interview with a lesbian soldier who was denied "Don't Ask Don't Tell" discharge, was subsequently harassed, and is now seeking asylum in Canada.
The awesome Audacia Ray on "Thoughtful Masculinities"
Christopher Columbus is being more accurately described in many classrooms as the criminal he was - but the struggle to recognize the day for what is really represents still continues. Sign the petition.
CA governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed two bills; one declaring May 22nd as a day of recognition honoring Harvey Milk, and the other recognizing same-sex marriages performed in other states. But of course, he had to veto a trans rights bill as well as legislation establishing protections for LGBT prisoners.
Tell Congress that being a woman does not make you a pre-existing condition.
Amidst the Obama "Did he deserve it?" Nobel Peace Prize hoo-hah, we missed that Elinor Ostrom has become the first woman to win the Nobel Prize in economics. In fact, it was a Nobel record year for women.
Conservative group's video: If you love playing in piles of leaves, don't support same sex marriage.
A Kansas college denies funding to a trasngeder speaker.
Check out this new poll on the internet/new media and Latina voters.
A Canadian group wants the government to ban the burka and the niqab.
A new lipstick in the UK will turn blue if you've ingested a "date rape drug." Huh.
The President of Legal Momentum has a piece at HuffPo about how immigration enforcement hurts women.
Talking Points Memo reports that the gubernatorial race in New Jersey is being strongly influenced by the candidates positions on health care reform and mammograms.
A group of Swedish sixth graders campaign against a Toys R Us catalogue's gender stereotyping results in a public reprimand for the store.
The LA Times reports that a woman who lost her 17 year old daughter due to a denied liver transplant by their insurer, Cigna, received heckling and the finger from employees at the agency when she went to ask for an apology.
One woman's guide for men on how to approach women without being maced.
The Federal Trade Commission has new rules for bloggers.
DV victims struggle to get health insurance.
Egyptian conservatives want to ban an artificial hymen being sold to help women fake their virginity and exile anyone who sells it.
And from Daily Kos: GOP backs corporate rape
The Sexist gives us the 10 Worst Sexy Halloween Costumes. Be afraid.
Another horrifying top 10 (as in horrifyingly offensive): "Top 10 Actresses Past Their Expiration Date." Let them know how you feel about it.
The Supreme Court refused to hear a case by Illinois anti-choicers who gathered 25,000 signatures to try and force the state to issue license plates that say, "Choose Life." Dream big, guys!
The New York Times has a story on medically treating depression while pregnant.
When the recession ends, what will happen to women workers?
The Frisky chats with Crystal Renn about her new memoir about the body-size pressures of the modeling world.
Newsflash! Some women like to hunt. And some smoke pot.
Do organizations and officials that try to help women out of forced prostitution hurt more than they help?
Ten tips for talking to kids about sexism.
The Women's Media Center releases a statement on the media's handling of the Polanski case.
Census data confirms that the opt-out revolution is a myth. Shocker. We've been saying it for years, but it's nice to see that the rest of the world is catching on.
File this under unequivocally devastating and wrong: A federal court dismissed lesbian mother's visitation case against a Miami hospital where her partner died alone.
A George Washington University fraternity tries to integrate humanitarian, anti-homophobic values into the rush experience. Awesome work fellas.
For the gamers in the house: a feminist analysis of Veronica Dare Halo ODST commander of nothing, according to LesbianGamers.com.
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.
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.
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.
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 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!
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.
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."
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
Former first lady Laura Bush defended President Obama's decision to address the nation's school children. Thanks for the bipartisan back-havin' LB.
Guanabee has an interesting take on the criticism thrown at thin women on the runways and pageants.
An interesting piece about how Obama's art choices might transform the White House collection (Hint: it's not just that he'll probably choose more women and artists of color; it's that he's actually interested in abstract art).
The Fox "Sexpert" debunks 8 myths about sex and women and it does not suck.
Safer Campus blog has a really good take on Chris Brown and teaching love.
Jeff Chang has more on Roxanne Shante.
Tyler Perry has been asked to write, direct and produce an adaptation of the 1975 play "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Enuf." And I want someone to tell me this is not true.
Gizmodo thinks coercing a woman into having sex is funny.
Have a great Labor Day folks!
Dr. Tiller's murder makes many medical students doubt if they want to be abortion providers.
Ben & Jerry's renames ice cream in support of same sex marriage. And the Family Research Council thinks that the low number of Vermont same-sex marriages means LGBT folks don't actually want to get married. How conveeeenient.
Kathryn Joyce has a great piece up at The Nation about how crisis pregnancy centers "encourage" adoption.
Apparently Showtime is creating a reality tv spin off of the L Word. After the way they botched the last few seasons of that show, I'm not looking forward to this one.
Lil Mama from America's Best Dance Crew has issued an apology about her comments to Leomy from Vogue Evolution that Jos wrote about yesterday.
Lil Mama: "I would like to clarify anything that was misunderstood from Sunday's show. My remarks were never meant to be disrespectful regarding Leiomy's gender nor offensive to the LGBT community, which has been a community that has supported me in all my endeavors. However, in hindsight, I recognize that my words may have come across as hurtful. I spoke with her privately after the taping to express that it was not my intent to offend her or any member of the transgender community and that I still live for Vogue Evolution."
A nasty tell-all piece in Vanity Fair about the Palin's accuses Sarah of being a bad wife and mother. Despite all my feelings about Palin, this was pretty low.
Apparently the feel-good story that Courtney wrote about last week, that the rapper Roxanne Shante getting her PhD paid for by the label that mistreated her is not true, or at least seems impossible to verify.
Check out the Guttmacher Institute fact sheet on induced abortions worldwide. Some scary figures, "More than 95% of abortions in Africa and Latin America are performed under unsafe circumstances, as are about 60% of abortions in Asia (excluding Eastern Asia)."
Amanda's review of Inglorious Bestards.
Jaclyn Friedman's interview in Salon with Lisa Jervis about her new book Cook Food. I got the book and it is amazing.
Oscar Grant's father is suing BART.
A great piece from Will Wilkinson on male hetero privilege and the fear endemic in the loss of male privilege.
Costco takes a racist toy off the shelves. The question of how the hell it got there to begin with remains.
A study shows that despite the stereotype, women aren't more "tentative" than men.
Newsweek on "America's War on the Overweight."
Circulation of women's magazines are sharply declining.
Amanda at the Sexist takes on gender misidentification in reporters' coverage of the DC women who were murdered recently.
Check out the launch of Harlot's Parlour, a new blog about sex, sexuality and sex work.
A review of Still Here, a book of photography of Katrina 4 years later.
Obama's abstinence FAIL from Amplify.
Women activists in Iran are not buying Ahmadinejad's nomination of the first female Cabinet ministers since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
Tami's must-read take on the NYT article about black women and hair.
What if black women were white women?
Mali's President Declines to Sign Legislation Expanding Women's Rights
Have a great weekend folks!
Elle Magazine breaks down swimsuit controversies through out history.
ESPN writer Scoop Jackson tries to slut shame Brett Favre. Seriously?
Chiara Volpato, a professor of social psychology at the University of Milan, explains why conservative ideas die hard in Italy--especially while Berlusconi is around.
Feministe reports: Since 2005, nine women who lived at the edges of the poor community in this small North Carolina city have disappeared. And the mainstream media doesn't seem to give a shit.
Bloggers react to Chris Brown's pop apology.
Firing woman for taking unauthorized breaks to pump breast milk is just fine, Ohio top court rules.
A leaked iPhone commercial spoof that shows you how to stalk your ex.
It looks like Senator Kennedy's death might just be a rallying cry to pass health care reform.
A jury in West Virginia found a man guilty of raping a number of sex workers. The things said about sex workers by the defense were horrific, and I'm thankful they agreed that non-consensual sex is rape, regardless of your profession.
Microsoft is caught in a huge race FAIL, when they were found to have photoshopped an image on their website--to change the race of the man in question.
Angered about what is happening to Caster Semenya? Sign National Sexuality Resource Center's petition asking officials to stay out her pants. Courtesy of community blogger h.buck.
This Saturday marks the 4th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Melissa Harris-Lacewell and James Perry have some thoughts on what they call our "Katrina Nation."
Check out this great cartoon, All Things Being Equal from Indexed.
Metro Weekly, the local DC LGBTQ newspaper, screws up royally in their headline's reference to a trans woman.
Rush Limbaugh is worried about keeping his penis.
The first case where a woman was to be caned in Malaysia, for drinking a beer, was put on hold.
Chris Brown will be sentenced today, anticipating a sentence of five years of probation and six months of community service.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) released a policy issue a statement saying women will be "allowed" to drink modest amounts of clear liquids during labor. Some home birth activists and midwives groups are not happy about it.
AP on how the Afghan elections are being seen as a setback for women.
Sharon Lerner at The Nation tells us Why Women Need Healthcare Reform
BeckySharper takes on alcohol and antifeminism.
More feminist analysis on facials. (I know, shocking that it's such a hot topic.)
How rapper Roxanne Shante got Warner music to pay for her PhD.
MoJo on why you shouldn't be drinking Fiji Water.
Germaine Greer's gender FAIL on Caster Semenya: "We pretend that all the people passing for female really are. Other delusions may be challenged, but not a man's delusion that he is female."
A blast from the past. I'm six weeks away from getting hitched, and Courtney's 2007 piece on love as activism has been on mind.
Excellent article on under-reporting about Pakistani hijras in the U.S. media.
Couples seek Indian egg donors to have multiracial babies: "The perception is that multiracial children are healthier and brighter."
Salt Lake City resident faces major discrimination. Her experience highlights the challenges faced by LGBT workers, who, in Utah, are not protected against discrimination in the workplace by local, state or federal laws.
I don't like writing about facials. So I'll let Tracy at Broadsheet do it.
People magazine (and CNN) carry cringe-worthy quotes from Kourtney Kardashian and why she decided to have a baby: "I looked online, and I was sitting on bed hysterically crying, reading these stories of people who felt so guilty from having an abortion...I was reading these things of how many people are traumatized by it afterwards." Good to research your options, bad to fall for anti-choice claims of "post-abortion syndrome."
What is "natural beauty" anyway?
Danish conservatives are calling for an abortion ban.
Proposed legislation in the Bahamas would outlaw marital rape (it's still legal?!) and apparently - sigh - the bill is facing opposition.
Conservatives in Denmark are calling for a ban of the burqa.
A good piece in WashPo about the status of women in Afghanistan.
Lactivists held a "nurse-in" at a Chick-fil-A in Orlando after a breastfeeding customer was asked to cover herself.
On Bishop Salvatore Cordileone, who some call "The Father of Proposition 8."
The New York Times takes on women in combat.
New book, same old advice: If you want a man (the assumption being that of course you do), let him chase you because - sigh - "men are natural-born hunters."
A link for no other reason than liking this headline: "Feminists on a Spree, With Alcohol and Firearms"
Your Friday feel good cute cartoon for the day.
Check out Jaclyn's new column at Amplify Your Voice.
On Tyler Perry's Gender Problem at The Nation by Courtney Young.
The Onion takes PETA to task.
The long awaited trailer for Chris Rock's documentary, "Good Hair," via Wiretap Magazine.
A law has passed in Afghanistan that allows a husband to deny his wife food, if she denies him sex.
Have a great weekend folks!
Nancy Griffin, a tennis player in Raleigh, is suing the city for refusing to let her play against men. An actual quote from the article: "Men have invoked both their wives and God to avoid matches against her." Wowzer.
For an -ism (sizeism, classism...) packed punch from the New York Times, don't miss this piece on J.C. Penney coming to Manhattan's Herald Square.
What else did you find interesting today?
Twilight Barbie. For serious.
Victory for the author whose book cover was "white washed"
I've been seeing these ads everywhere in NYC so I'm thrilled that Miranda took them on.
Amanda continues to blog about Nice Guys (shudder)
Apparently, Merkel's cleavage is more important than her platform in Germany.
Deeply Problematic writes about a triumph over transmisogyny by trans woman Andre Edwards who was fired for wearing nail polish and wearing skirts on the job, but then rehired for (gasp) being able to do the job!
Women organize in Nepal after the government tries to pay men to marry widows.
Harry Potter's Daniel Radcliffe gives major donation to The Trevor Project via Pam's House Blend.
And that is all I have today, I am busy getting ready for Netroots Nation so please add more in comments!
Purity pushers are bringing sexy back.
Carl's Jr. says Padma is "more than just a piece of meat." Well that's a relief.
The Daily Mail (always good for a laugh) says that "modern women are turning their husbands into 'male-female hybrids'" by wanting silly things like equitable division of household chores.
A new study says that female managers are three times as likely as their male peers to underrate their bosses' opinions of their work.
We had technical difficulties for most of yesterday so apologies for this going up so late, and for the lack of posts yesterday afternoon. We are working on getting to the bottom of these technical problems, so thanks for hanging in there with us and sorry for all the interruptions in comments, posting to the community site and accessing content. We are back up now.
Your feminist funny, Will Arnett doing a dramatic reading of Are You There God? It's Me Margaret.
According to the government of the city of Seoul and Time Magazine, the kinds of things that make women happy are heel-friendly streets and pink parking garages.
On sexism against female sports writers.
The trend to suggest that young women of color are lascivious continues. The Woodburn police department is suggesting a teenager has had "inappropriate relations" with the person who kidnapped her, to suggest she is not in danger.
A woman's name was run repeatedly on a local TV station as an example of "sexting" for millions to see. When she complained to Hearst the owner of the TV station and they countered her lawsuit with a donation to a journalism school in their name? So she is suing them.
File this under, things that make you go, "WTF???" A pageant for landmine victims is canceled in Cambodia.
Have a great weekend folks!
The site was down for a few hours today, so apologies if you had problems with comments, accessing content or the community. We are back up and should be working properly now.
NYTimes discusses male rape victims in the Congo.
The ACLU asks Florida courts for pregnant women to have the right refuse medical care. What part of, "we can decide for ourselves," are they not understanding?
Daniel Ellsberg remembers Hiroshima at the Nation.
Openly gay Charles Pugh advances to the Nov 3rd election for Detroit City Council. People are asking, what does it mean that he is garnering so much support?
Finally, the APA is encouraging mental health professionals that they should not advise patients that they can change their sexual orientation through therapy.
Lots of news today, so please add more in comments.
The headline from this Psychology Today article really says it all: "Why modern feminism is illogical, unnecessary, and evil"
Jaclyn Friedman at HuffPo tells us "What Really Matters About Chris Brown's Sentence"
Michelle Obama tops Vanity Fair's best dressed list.
I'm a little sad to see Mouthpiece Theater go, if only because we'll get no more hilarious parodies.
Speaking of the Dana Milbank/mad bitch brouhaha, Ta-Nehisi has a great line that I can't stop thinking about: "With few exceptions, the 'bitch joke' is the marker of a male mind confronting its own limits and a formidable woman, at the same time."
I'm planning on writing a lengthy post about the horrific shooting in Collier County, PA. In the meantime, check out Jennifer Pozner's great piece.
Shane Bauer, Sarah Shourd and Josh Fattal were detained over the weekend on the Iraq-Iran border. Bauer is a correspondent for New America Media. We are still awaiting any news on the situation.
Kai Wright on the bare essentials of the current health care debate.
Protests in Sudan as the trial about women being lashed for wearing pants is delayed.
A Latino grandfather hosts a baptism for his grandsons, he is tasered by the police after a noise complaint. When the pregnant mother of the boys runs over to the man, she is tasered as well. Racewire on why calling them racist isn't an effective enough tactic.
Barbara Ehrenreich and Dedrick Muhammed on the destruction of the black middle class.
A new and inclusive domestic partner law starts today in Wisconsin.
In response to Gold Gym's declaration that July was "Cankles Awareness Month", Imagine Today has declared August "Self-Esteem Awareness Month."
Quakers formally approved support for same-sex marriage.
Sharkfu has a great article up at The Guardian about Skip Gates and our supposed post-racial America.
A survey about domestic violence in the trans community in the UK is up until September 1st. If this applies to you, please fill it out here. All trans women in the UK are urged to complete the survey, even if they themselves haven't been subject to domestic violence.
Dana Millbank suggests that Hillary drink "Mad Bitch Beer." Nice one asshat.
Over at Slate there is an article by Kate Klonick about why more young women should consider the IUD as birth control.
Some sketchiness in Orange County California, with a Planned Parenthood whose standing nine year county grant was lost, possibly because of anti-choice involvement.
A story from US News and World Report about the Veteran's Administration trying to adjust to providing health care to female vets.
The census will officially report married same-sex couples in the 2010 census.
Feel free to add links in comments!
Sad news of a supposed "honor killing" in Gaza.
An interview with Kate Clinton about her work, human rights and new media.
A round-up of places to see feminist art in NYC.
A discussion about women's roles in movies or television. Could TV roles be better?
The NYTimes is reporting that less than 400 women in France actually wear the full veil--which legislators there were recently considering banning in France.
Maddow responds to Dobbs calling her the "teabag queen."
Audacia Ray guest-blogging at Feministe about 7 Key American Sex Worker Activist Projects.
On the infamous Dutch Abortion Ship and it's potential shut-down.
Nancy Goldstein's newest piece on, "Culture, Conservatism, Conflict: Challenges in Promoting the Health of Youth on the Thai-Burma Border"
NYTimes article on the new demand for women wanting jobs as "hostesses" in Japan due to the failing economy. (Unrelated: Say "hostesses" 3 times in a row.)
A must-read piece by Jaclyn Friedman on the Roethlisberger case. I wrote about it here.
Pam Merritt on the Surgeon General's weight at RH Reality check.
Not so shocking headline of the day, "Teen pregnancy and disease rates rose sharply during Bush years, agency finds."
Finally read this piece by Amanda on how the mainstream media is reinforcing false information on the public funding on abortion. Best quote from her piece,
Here's the unvarnished truth: There is no way that any kind of public health care plan will have elective abortion coverage. Nor is there any real chance of abortion becoming mandated coverage. It's more likely that breast implants will be paid for by tax money. It's more likely that a public insurance option will provide everyone with an iPod Touch.
Bonus What We Missed:
Hate Mail of the Day directed right at me,
Me thinks that this erstwhile young lady that swears so much needs her mouth washed out with soap!!
We all know washing your mouth out with soap is a bad idea.
Is feminist art "the most important artistic movement since World War II"?
American Apparel does it again.
Mom Refuses C-Section, Baby Taken Away (More at National Advocates for Pregnant Women)
Family Guy will take on abortion - whether it will be aired is another story.
Ain't That a Shame (author has her book cover "white washed")
Jaclyn Friedman on rape culture and on why the charges against Roethlisberger are civil as opposed to criminal (and how this doesn't make her a "lying golddigger")
Ireland is having a wolf-whistling competition? Charming.
Are "feminine" styles of leadership better equipped to deal with the recession? (Why the constant obsession with normative gender roles bound to thine genitalia? Le sigh.)
A hilariously sexist review of the movie The Ugly Truth with advice like, "loosen up ladies and get in touch with your inner pig."
Women in Afghanistan are outraged at the new proposed family planning law.
Telling a country that their women are "the most beautiful" in the world is sexist, Joe Biden. You are VP, not judging a "where in the world are the hottest chicks" pageant.
Lindsay asks at RHReality Check, "Should Tiller's Assassin Be Charged As A Domestic Terrorist?"
Amanda on the media and health care reform.
Ta-Nehisi on the limits of our dialogue on race.
A few weeks old, but excellent piece from my friend in LA, Daisy Atlan about "How Pro-Life Activists and OC Supervisors Cut Off Funds to Planned Parenthood."
Two assholes are challenging Obama's nominee for Surgeon General because they claim she is overweight. Disgusting and not surprising for Fox News. Pam Spaulding has more on this absurdity.
Republican Senator Graham is reportedly going to support Judge Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court.
Apparently one scientist at Ohio University is working on technology to power your car with pee. Yup, pee.
The Center for American Progress has a new report out about reproductive health and the effect of chemicals.
Fatemah's MUST READ piece on the Dos and Don'ts of Defending Muslim Women.
Taz on the cover of Ms. Magazine at Sepia Mutiny. I will probably write a post about this as well, but it is taking me some time to think through it :)
Tyler Perry is taking the kids who couldn't get into the swimming pool in Philly to Disney World.
via Media Matters, Fox News and CBS aired parts of the video that was taken of Erin Andrews. Not. OK.
Colorlines has a spotlight on Jay Smooth.
Sarah Seltzer on the sexification of our favorite wizards.
Canada is spending $355,000 to reduce sexual violence by promoting self-esteem among Quebec girls and battling sexualization.
Super classy "blow up" ads in New Jersey.
A 11 year-old girl is making a name for herself in drag racing. Nice!
RNC puts out an Obama card "game" on their website that is racist, homophobic, anti-Semitic and the list goes on.
Via Feministe, "Lateisha Green's Killer Dwight DeLee Convicted of Manslaughter as a Hate Crime." Thank. Fucking. Goddess. But Cara breaks down the transphobia endemic in the trial.
Dana takes on the supposed decrease in importance on marriage and procreation among young people.
Learn something new at Queers United with their "Gay of the Day," feature. Word of today, "Homo hop." Love. It. Glad someone is talking about it.
Hate Crimes Bill (aka Matthew Shepard Hate Crimes Prevention Act) passes the Senate. This is exciting news.
New America Media is hosting community meetings in 5 different cities this week about the issues facing immigrant women kicked off by the report they released about what immigrant women face.
Congrats to Ann and Kai Wright for receiving the Maggie Award from Planned Parenthood for Kai's awesome piece on HIV Apartheid in the US.
Have a great weekend folks!
No shocker here: the Department of Veteran's Affairs isn't meeting women's treatment standards.
The awesome Rinku Sen tells us what the NAACP means to her.
A female prison guard in the UK was fired for being "too pretty" and wearing clothes too "snugly fit."
A new video game for girls plays on Little Red Riding Hood in a really weird way.
Forbes releases their list of the most influential women in the media.
From The Root: Toward an 'Authentic' Black Barbie
Broadsheet asks if there's an "epidural epidemic"? (And the writers weigh in on pain in childbirth.)
Also via Broadsheet, Sotomayor affirmed yesterday that she believes Roe v. Wade is "settled law."
Today, Sotomayor addressed (again) the "wise Latina" comment by bringing up Alito's words about discrimination at his confirmation.
Shiny Shiny takes a look at "rape alarms."
Some women in Sudan were flogged for wearing pants. Yes, you read that right.
Dana asks what is the goal of the GOP with health care and abortion?
Slate on what kind of surgeon general Regina Benjamin could be.
Melissa Harris-Lacewell on the SCLC and marriage equality.
Bill Clinton says he supports marriage equality or at least, he is not against it.
Really sad story about a domestic violence victim who died after being shot by her abuser, who was also a police officer. The incident occurred in 2006, but the family has sued the police department for their handling of the incident. TRIGGER WARNING.
More from NPR about exclusion of women's ski jumping in the 2010 winter Olympics, despite the Canadian Supreme Court ruling that it is in fact discriminatory. (For background see Vanessa's post and Honeybee's post).
More musings on why Palin decided to quit from the NYTimes.
A soap opera star decides to quit rather than a play out a gay plot line.
Talking Points Memo has the text of Sotomayor's opening statement from her hearing today.
Tori Amos talks about what she knows about men.
An interview in Guernica with Fatima Bhutto.
Sociological Images notes a price difference between black dolls and white dolls.
On how not to advertise games.
A roadside tent city of sex offenders in Miami and its surrounding controversy.
As in, technical problems...not the site. STAY DOWN!
Apologies, we had some technical difficulties today so some of you may have seen double posts in comments and a lag in posting content. We have taken care of the issue. But now I have to run and won't have a chance to put together the what we missed, so consider this an open thread. What did we miss Feministers?
The world watched Michael Jackson's memorial service today.
A reader sends in a story about a fashion line geared towards Muslim women's fashion sensibilities.
Courtney writes about the climate change debate and grassroots environmental activism at the American Prospect.
The House Appropriations Committee is taking action on a bill tonight that lifts the ban on D.C.'s ability to use locally raised funds for abortion services.
All women rowing team makes history by crossing the Indian Ocean.
I didn't get to cover a lot of news today on the site, so here is a news-focused round up.
Unrest continues in Iran and Honduras, with an escalation in violence this weekend in Honduras when the ousted President tried to return to the country.
Marjane Satrapi, the well-known Iran cartoonist and author of the Persepolis series, published this Op-Ed in the NY Times about the situation in Iran.
Still no juicy gossip behind why Governor Palin is resigning her post, but Mother Jones reports about her last act--parental consent for abortion.
Uganda moves to outlaw female genital mutilation.
Former DC Mayor Marion Barry adds another accusation to his already long list: stalking.
The former Defense Secretary who led the US into the Vietnam war (among other things), Robert S. McNamara, dies at 93.
Five things you can do right now to help Honduras fight for justice from RaceWire
New efforts in Montana to redefine their constitution to add fetal personhood. Sigh.
Interesting NY Times article about progressive US nuns facing scrutiny from the Vatican.
Carmen over at Racialicious launches the Racialicious Experience, a six week workshop series via weekly phone discussions. More details here!
Teresa Puente on the sexist and racist stereotypes stirred up by the Sanford affair.
Demand justice for the Florida tomato pickers who supply the produce that Chipotle uses.
Dana Goldstein and Michelle Goldberg chat on bloggingheads about Sanford, Iran, Sarkozy's burqa ban, and Michael Jackson.
A study shows that women are less likely than men to agree on what traits are attractive. (Though I tend to think studies that make such major generalizations based on gender are not particularly enlightening.)
Urge the Senate Finance Committee to ensure any health-care reforms contain reproductive health coverage.
Ross Douthat clearly wanna be startin something, but Amanda calls it all out.
Kenyon Farrow tells us that 40 years after Stonewall: black gays still targeted.
The Wimbledon marginalizes players that are not "attractive." This is both racist and sexist.
And finally a piece by Amy Sueyoshi for American Sexualities Magazine (a project of the National Sexuality Resource Center) on Inequality in the Marriage Equality Movement.
Carnal Nation questions the validity of Ms. Magazine's coverage of sex workers.
Tennis player Chris Evert joined agrees that the noise level in women's tennis, specifically the "grunting" is out of hand. Seems steeped in mysognoistic assumptions about appropriate conduct for women to me...any tennis players want to chime in?
Sex education that provides information about abstinence, condom use and other contraceptive methods is the most effective way to reduce the growing number of teenagers who contract a sexually transmitted infection or become pregnant, according to a Council on Science and Public Health report adopted at the AMA Annual Meeting. Duh. I mean, very excited that this info is being widely accepted in the medical community.
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force wants to know: "Given the chance, what would you say to the president? What would you ask? What story would you want told to let the president know how you feel?"
Iran is not a "lipstick revolution."
The White House appoints an adviser on violence against women.
"The highest court in France determined that executives at Garnier, L"Oreal's beauty products division, intentionally created an all-White sales teams to promote their shampoos throughout the country."
A heartbreaking first-hand story behind the staggering South Africa rape statistics: "A friend and my cousin pressured me to prove that I was man enough, by taking part in the rape of a teenage girl in the village."
In New York, stem-cell researchers will be allowed to pay women for their eggs.
Rep. Tammy Baldwin introduces a bill to end health-care disparities faced by LGBTQ Americans.
Lynn Nottage on the how a playwright's race and gender affects whether their works are produced on Broadway.
Why women-only networking is different than discriminatory all-boys clubs of the past.
"Neda is not the first person to die in this. She's not the first person whose death has been captured on video camera, either. But she was young, slender, and pretty, and so Western media images are obsessed with watching her die over and over."
Jezebel points out that while Perez Hilton is rightly being called out for his homophobic comment, he never gets called out for his constant misogyny.
Michelle Goldberg has a smart piece in The American Prospect about France's Burqa restrictions and the issues brought up by immigration and progressive political movements.
From RH Reality Check, Spain makes emergency contraception accessible to all women over the counter, without a prescription.
A new tool for using Twitter for activism. Act.ly allows you to petition someone via Twitter. It's already been used to ask Wired to include more women and people of color in their panels!
President Obama hosts a town hall on health care reform on ABC News at 10pm EST tonight.
Feministing was mentioned in The Lesbian and Gay Foundation's Top 100 LGBT blogs list. It's nice to be acknowledged for all our queer content!
Racialicious asks rightly, "Must brown people be martyred for Americans to be motivated?"
Anne Applebaum at Slate takes on why having half your population oppressed creates an unstable society.
"No Matter Who is the President of Iran, They Would Stone Me."
Jezebel asks if the NOW presidency was hijacked by anti-choice Palin supporters.
"An Uncertain Fate for Voting Rights."
I know we missed a lot more than that, so please put in comments. Thanks!
BBC pundit says female tennis players are "just there to sell sex."
Amanda highlights a hilarious Buffy/Twilight remix.
Some UK docs are trying to ban "sexy" abortion clinic ads.
Former Episcopal parishes are coming together to form a new national church, the Anglican Church in North America. The church will ban women and gay people as bishops. Charming.
The French government is in talks about potentially banning the burqa.
Jon Stewart and Mike Huckabee talk abortion. (h/t to community poster Irre!)
Random feel-good story of the day: Great grandmothers 86-year-old Emma Dausman and 69-year-old Judy Conner become Chicago state bowling champions.
Shakes takes on how folks are using Senator Boxer asking to be called "Senator" as opposed to "ma'am" as a juicy opportunity to talk about what an "uppity bitch" she and the rest of those damn liberal women are.
Check out this ridiculous UK Mail Online piece on the 'epidemic of pregnancy' among women older than 30 and how those who become mothers in their 30s are 'defying nature.' Yes, really.
Bacardi reaches the ultimate low with their new campaign targeting women: "Get an Ugly Girlfriend" to look more attractive.
Women lead the way in protests in Iran and their appearances aren't irrelevant.
Kellee Terrell breaks down why she is sick of people blaming DL brothers for the spread of HIV/AIDS.
More and more families can't afford to take maternity leave in this difficult economy.
Congrats to Jess, and the other friends of feministing, who were named 40 Under 40 to watch by the New Leaders Council. We couldn't agree more. (Jess and Andrew are now an official political power couple! Watch out world!)
Rhode Island became the first state to expand their existing medical marijuana law to allow state licensed centers to grow and distribute to patients.
Sundance Channel launches the Gay Pride Channel on Digital Shorts in honor of Pride Month.
The University of Michigan is holding a vigil for Dr. Tiller TONIGHT at 7:30pm at the Diag on Central Campus.
One response to Obama's movement on gay rights.
The NY State Senate madness is screwing over work to protect women's right to choose in New York State. Take action here.
Over at Campus Progress, a student writes about Facebook's gender categories and how they are limiting to trans and gender non-conforming folks.
The NOW National Conference is kicking off this weekend - as well as the election to succeed Kim Gandy. (Go Latifa Lyles!)
So much news today, let's start with some links about Iran.
Shark-fu talks about twitter and Iran. Also, you can get up to the minute updates on Iran by searching for #iranelection.
Some empirical evidence on the vote counting at FiveThirtyEight.
Laura Rozen at Foreign Policy discussing Obama and Diplomacy with Iran.
Voices of America on the recount.
And Utne Reader has three ways you can support the protesters.
In other news...
Another white supremacist related killing, this time on the border.
A racist email aimed at Obama.
Kenyon Farrow on how not all gays support same-sex marriage.
On white men and the Asian women fetish. I have written about this topic before, naturally, and a corresponding pic after the jump.
Happy Tuesday folks.
A young woman employee at Abercrombie & Fitch was "banished to work in the storeroom for not fitting with their 'look' policy," according to the f word. Why? She has a prosthetic arm.
From The New York Times: A City Team's Struggle Shows Disparity in Girls' Sports (Want to help girls in NYC play sports? Check out Girls for Gender Equity.)
The Houston Chronicle takes on feminist weddings (full disclosure: I'm quoted).
From The CS Monitor: Who was really cheated in Iran's vote? Women.
Today was Iran's election, TPM has some pictures.
A soldier's courageous story of why he will not deploy to Afghanistan.
Great piece from Sokari on organizing around sexuality and gender in some of the African nations.
Firedoglake has an update on the debacle in Albany.
Adam Serwer at Tapped on D.C.'s anti-gay marriage "crusaders."
A new Target Women from Sarah Haskins, "Lady Friends."
A jail in Virginia broke up a lesbian cell block that had been created to separate butch women. Um, wow.
Sara Ziff's documentary on why teen modeling is fuct.
How Aaron Traister at Salon embraced being a stay-at-home poppa.
A weird, jarring, chilling personal testimony from a "mail-order-bride" that probably deserves its own post but I am out of time today. I understand why she wrote the piece, but that doesn't change how deplorable the mail order bride system is.
World of Warcraft branding gone wild. Seriously.
Jill being the castrating feminist that she is on puke-face Guy Cimbalo.
One woman shares the story of her second trimester abortion: The Hardest Choice at Babble.com.
How did 100,000,000 women disappear? A story at The Star highlights new research which talks about the epidemic of women dying in the developing world from systemic neglect and abuse.
Prosecutor in Florida refuses to press charges in sexual assault of 15 year old. Post at What About Our Daughters.
Well's Fargo's blatantly racist sub-prime mortgage policy revealed.
There have been some really good posts from around the blogosphere about Obama, Cairo and women's rights. Here are a few that caught my attention.
Sarah MC takes Obama to task on not being afraid to offend religious fundamentalists and make a statement about state sanctioned religious law.
Peter Daou has a very strong and powerful criticism to Obama's discussion of women's rights.
Dana responds to Peter at the American Prospect and reminds us there are far greater problems facing women in fundamentalist regimes outside of the hijab.
Yolanda at the Kitchen Table on Muslim women and the concept of "choice."
Tami has a few thoughts on nuance and messaging in the Obama speech along with the full video and transcript.
Add more in comments as you read em! And what did you think about Obama's remarks on "women in the Arab world?"
The National Network of Abortion Funds' George Tiller Memorial Abortion Fund raised $15,000 in its first 24 hours!
An advocate reflects on helping teenagers get abortions.
A New York Times writer reflects on his experience of hormone therapy.
A new study affirms that men gain an average of 14 pounds in sympathy weight when their partner's are pregnant.
Sotomayor starts to make rounds on Capitol Hill.
Wendi Muse writes on interracial relationships over at Racialicious.
Here are just a few of the stories we missed over the past few days of hibernating:
New American Media announces national ethnic media awards
Are sexy avatars putting girls at risk?
The Campaign on Accelerated Reduction of Maternal Mortality in Africa is launched
American diplomats with same sex partners will be given benefits
Working Mother's 2009 Best Companies for Multicultural Women
When our failing immigration system and our failing approach to mental health collide
