Appetite For Equal Rights

Today marks the 100th anniversary of...

2011-03-08T12:55:00.008-05:00

Today, activists all over the world are gathering on bridges to show their support for gender equality. It might be too late to attend a bridge gathering near you, but you can see from this map just how many bridge events happened across the globe. Pretty incredible.

There are plenty of other IWD events to attend today/tonight, so find one near you.

Google even dedicated one of its famous doodles to International Women's Day.

Head on over to the IWD website for some cool stuff, including photos of women celebrating all over the world. And if you're a social media junkie like myself, read Mashable's "How To Support International Women's Day Using Social Media." By the way, look to your right to see IWD on Twitter.

Mashable also posted this nifty video from Equals that lists many of the ways women and men are not equal (and it features Daniel Craig in drag!)

Even if you just stay at home today, find a way to celebrate. Enjoy today, enjoy how far we've come, and enjoy the women who did so much to get us here.

More commercials I can't stand: Virgin Atlantic sets us back 50 years

2011-02-24T15:04:00.003-05:00

Really, Virgin Atlantic? You couldn't have made a commercial without the horrific gender stereotypes? Apparently they want us to live in a world where the men are the pilots and the businessmen, and the (skinny, white) women are flight attendants dressed in short red skirts and stripper heels. Thanks, Virgin, for your big middle finger to the feminist movement.

Ending solitary confinement, reducing psychological damages

2011-02-23T20:10:00.004-05:00

Though I may not write about it too often, prisoner rights is a feminist concern. Women and non-gender conforming prisoners find themselves uniquely affected by a variety of issues: just take a moment to read about the all-too-horrific practice of shackling incarcerated women during pregnancy or the large amount of sexual assault inflicted on inmates with an unconventional gender identity.

But steps are being taken in the right direction to ensure that prisoners are treated humanely. Most mental health experts agree that the use of solitary confinement in prisons can result in long-lasting psychological damages. According to the ACLU, a bill was introduced in the Colorado state legislature this week to end Colorado prisons' use of solitary confinement. Some shocking numbers tell why this is clearly the humane thing to do:

In Colorado, 37 percent of those in solitary confinement are prisoners with mental illness or developmental disabilities – up from 15 percent just a decade ago. The more than 1,400 Colorado inmates in solitary confinement spend 23 hours a day in isolation, for 16 months on average, at an increased additional cost of up to $21,485 per year, per inmate.

Read a copy of the bill online.

Kansas' abortion provider targeted

2011-02-23T13:20:00.001-05:00

The doctor who stepped up after the assassination of Dr. George Tiller is now facing serious intimidation from anti-choicers, who have made her their new target.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

"Girlie-girl" culture

2011-01-31T15:17:00.003-05:00

Spotted an article on Slate today that highlights a new book: Cinderella Ate My Daughter by feminist author Peggy Orenstein.

Her website describes the book:

The acclaimed author of the groundbreaking bestseller Schoolgirls reveals the dark side of pink and pretty in this wake-up call to parents: the rise of the girlie girl is not that innocent.

As a new mother, Peggy Orenstein was blindsided by the persistent ultra-feminine messages being sent to a new generation of little girls—from "princess-mania" to endless permutations of pink. How many times can you say no when your daughter begs for a pint-sized wedding gown, she wondered. How dangerous is pink and pretty anyway? Being a princess is just make-believe, isn't it? Does playing Cinderella shield little girls from early sexualization—or prime them for it?

I LOVE anything that questions the mass distribution of harmful gender role-reinforcing products to young girls that are far too easily accepted by society as "normal." Will be adding this to my reading list.

Why do we do this to our daughters?

2011-01-18T16:45:00.003-05:00

Huffington Post put up this video recently. It's a clip from a horrific show on TLC called "Toddlers & Tiaras" (which is about exactly what the title implies) that depicts one of the pageant mothers forcing her crying five year-old daughter to get her eyebrows waxed. The girl was traumatized from a previous waxing session during which her skin was ripped off.

Pure child abuse, and a prime example of how gender roles and beauty expectations operate in a vicious cycle. I'm sure this pageant mother's parent(s) forced the same twisted values on her. Even though I don't plan to have kids in my lifetime, sometimes I wish I could raise a daughter, if only to teach her that her self-worth goes beyond having well-shaped eyebrows.

Feminists making moves

2010-12-23T11:16:00.004-05:00

Oh, and since it's Bad Ass Feminist Day (just because I say so), enjoy this blog post at Ms. about Sady Doyle's quest to get Michael Moore to fucking apologize already for calling the rape allegations against Julian Assange "all a bunch of hooey." Sady started the hash tag #MooreandMe on Twitter, where feminists are all a-gatherin' to tell Michael Moore just what we think of him (and of course there are some haters on the hash tag as well, but just ignore them). Four days into her anti-Moore campaign, Sady blogged:

No matter what they do to me, no matter how long Michael Moore ignores me, I am still going to be here outside the tower. At this point, if you want to fucking stop me from demanding that apology, you will have to get a gun and literally shoot me down. And if I survive that, I’m Tweeting from the hospital.

She's bold, to say the least. Check out #MooreandMe, it really is great fun.

And here's another bad ass feminist to round out your day: Nicola Briggs. Because if you haven't seen the video of her PWN'ing the pervert who sexually harassed her on the subway, stop what you're doing and watch it now.

Oh fucking yes.

The Girl Effect

2010-12-23T11:12:00.003-05:00

Ack! I've fallen off the face of the blogosphere!

I'm still here. Bear with me.

And in the mean time, watch this video. It's a couple months old, but I just saw it and found it incredibly heart-breaking and, at the same time, uplifting. It's from the NoVo Foundation.

#ihadanabortion

2010-11-08T12:17:00.004-05:00

I hope some of you have been participating in the lovely Twitter hash tag #ihadanabortion, started by @IAmDrTiller. The tweeter behind @IAmDrTiller, Steph Herold, wrote:

When I started the #ihadanabortion hashtag, I was afraid no one would talk. You all exceeded my wildest expectations. LOVE!

It's phenomenal to see so many women sharing their experiences and breaking the silence around what should not be a taboo subject. It reminds me of when I helped organize an Abortion Speak-Out with my Feminist Collective when I was in college. Although face-to-face sharing is ideal, I love seeing modern technology used to connect women from around the world who might not get the opportunity to connect with one another otherwise.

You can read about #ihadanabortion on many sites, including Change.org, Chicago Sun-Times, and others. Wow.

New Yorkers on Women's History

2010-10-15T10:41:00.003-04:00

I helped make this nifty little video for Women's eNews, where development intern Angela and I got to meander around downtown Manhattan and ask strangers about women's history. It yielded some interesting results. Enjoy! (I'm on the right...)

If you're around the NYC area, definitely try to make it to the launch of Opening the Way on October 23rd. Not just saying this because I work for Women's eNews... but I really was in awe at the abundance of women's history packed into this tiny area. I guarantee anyone who takes time to read this blog will enjoy it :)

National Coming Out Day 2010

2010-10-11T13:35:00.005-04:00

Just wanted to say...

Happy Coming Out Day!

I'm glad we have a positive connotation attached to today to counter the ever-awful Columbus Day.

It's important to understand that today is not just a day to encourage being "out and proud," but also a day when folks across the country can "come out" in support of queer-identified, transgender, and gender nonconforming peoples. I've seen plenty of my friends dedicate their Facebook statuses and Tweets to today, which is a good way to show your support. But if you do want to use today to come out or stand up and show your pride, go for it. I'm queer-identified, and proud of it!

The Human Rights Campaign also has some good resources on what you can do today. And if you are planning on coming out today, there are some guides on the HRC site to help you. Enjoy the day, all!

Radio show dude endorses candidate for her "tight little butt"

2010-10-06T18:16:00.004-04:00

Bill Cooksey, of WRKO-AM, wins Douchebag of the Week... or maybe even the year... for the disgusting language he used to "endorse" Republican state treasurer candidate Karyn E. Polito. These remarks were said by him on-air:

I think she’s hot. She’s tiny, she’s short. She’s got a banging little body on her. Facial wise, I give her about a seven. Body wise, I give her about an eight-and-a-half. Tight little butt. I endorse Karyn Polito.

For the record, Cooksey is a grown man, not an 18 year-old frat boy, contrary to what his language might demonstrate.

Be sure to cite this incident any time an ignorant person claims woman have complete access to political office. Because yes, we may be able to run for office, but what is the point if no one will take us seriously?

Objectification of women is a rampant problem. Yesterday, I was walking along W 71st Street, when three gentlemen behind me proceeded to talk loudly about my ass. Even a "fuck off" from me couldn't get them to shut up and stop leering at me in a way that made me want to take a shower. You know how it makes me feel when I get reduced to a piece of meat? It makes me feel like less of a person... like I'm not worth the same as them because I don't deserve to be known for my personality or my thoughts or my feelings. Even though I know they're wrong, an incident like what happened to me yesterday can break my spirit. Because sometimes, I worry that there will never be a day when a woman can walk down a sidewalk or run for office without some waste of life, piece of shit moron commenting on her ass.

"I Love My Boo" campaign shows men of color being affectionate

2010-10-06T00:44:00.005-04:00

Wow. Check out the "I Love My Boo" campaign, hitting subways now, produced by Gay Men’s Health Crisis (GMHC) (hat tip to Feministing for the info). According to GMHC:

I Love My Boo is an important campaign because it features real young men of color loving each other passionately. It contextualizes gay relationships showing what is possible through love and respect. The models are not your average chiseled bodied gay men who tend to be featured in campaigns. Rather than sexualizing gay relationships, this campaign models caring, and highlights the importance of us taking care of each other. Featured throughout New York City, I Love My Boo directly challenges homophobia and encourages all who come across it to think critically rethink our notion of love.

How often are male-identified same-gender couples portrayed in this manner? Even I was shocked to see these images because I'm not entirely used to them. There needs to be so much more of an emphasis on same-gender couples of color, and I really respect this campaign for not only covering that area, but also having the guts to show couples being affectionate. I see an immeasurable amount of ads that show straight couples nuzzling, so no one should have a problem with this, unless they can openly admit that they agree with relegating queer-identified people to a second-class status.

This month, the "I Love My Boo" ads will be hitting 1000 subway cars and 150 subway platforms in NYC. I can't wait to see one. I know that it won't be long before I see several of them vandalized... but I still can't help but get all fuzzy and warm inside when I think about the progress we're making when we can display an ad all throughout NYC that features two men of color kissing. Wow.

I am voting Republican because...

2010-10-05T23:55:00.001-04:00

This is pretty amazing.

Buffet of the Week: "I wuv you" edition

2010-10-03T15:37:00.003-04:00

Here's me making up for the lack of updates with LOTS of links to lovely feminist news, and with a picture of cute animals XD

A legislation has been introduced to END funding for abstinence-only education. Cue the Hallelujah chorus. In a press release, Congresswoman Lee stated: "The issues of unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections among our young people have reached a critical level. The best and most responsible way to protect them is through comprehensive sex education." Amen, sistah.

Interesting: "How 19th Century Prostitutes Were Among the Freest, Wealthiest, Most Educated Women of Their Time."

From Jezebel: "In what is perhaps a strange homage to Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Cosmopolitan has come up with '50 Great Things To Do With Your Breasts,' and guess what? Most of them revolve around dudes." Would you expect anything less from Cosmo?

A new poll shows that Latino voters are reluctant to embrace the GOP, despite the GOP's efforts to lure them in.

Lance Bass and my gay husband, Neil Patrick Harris, are speaking out against bullying of queer-identified youth, prompted by the recent suicide of Tyler Clementi. Lance even admits that he used to bully LGBTQ youth himself. But Queerty points out that we also need to hear from celebrities who "built their image on being bullies," e.g. 50 Cent, whose recent anti-gay pro-suicide Tweet got him in some deep shit.

Quite possibly the best submission to PostSecret I've ever seen.

Two (male) senators are halting the construction of the National Women's History Museum: "Their reasoning for blocking the National Women's History Museum, which would showcase the original, signed 19th amendment along tens of thousands of other artifacts central to women's history in the U.S., is that taxpayers might be asked to subsidize the museum in the future and that the museum would focus on abortion rights without 'without featuring any of the many contributions of the pro-life movement in America.'" GAH!

Dolce & Gabanna photoshopped Madonna within inches of her life in her newest spread for them.

A new series from Women's eNews, "Poverty - Tales from the Recession's Front Lines," explores the burdens placed on women during the recession. Also available in Spanish.

More commercials I can't stand: "all inclusive" resort is actually pretty exclusive

2010-09-15T12:05:00.002-04:00

What's missing from nearly every commercial for Sandals, Jamaica? Oh right, anyone who isn't white, heterosexual, coupled, or thin.

Quote of the day

2010-08-31T17:12:00.003-04:00

"Look dad, I made a modest studio apartment for my Malibu Stacey doll! This is the kitchen, this is where she prints her weekly feminist newsletter..."
-Lisa Simpson

You gotta love her.

John McEnroe: tennis "asks too much" of women

2010-08-30T19:17:00.003-04:00

Pro tennis player John McEnroe wants to look out for us ladies by ensuring that we don't hurt our dainty little arms picking up those big heavy tennis rackets. Better let the menfolk do it for us. In an interview, he said (among many other things):

"You're asking too much of the women. They shouldn't be playing as many events as men."

and

"They should be required to be in less events, there should be less events for the women. It seems it takes an actual meltdown on the court or women quitting the game altogether before they realize there's a need to change the schedule."

Thanks for looking out for us, John, but seeing as how you don't have a woman's body, I think it's a little tough for you to decide what we are and are not capable of.

Women's Equality Day

2010-08-26T15:37:00.005-04:00

Don't have too much time to blog, but I just wanted to pop in and wish everyone a

HAPPY WOMEN'S EQUALITY DAY!

For those of you who don't know, August 26th was picked by U.S. Congress as Women's Equality Day because it was the day the 19th amendment was passed, giving women (though women of color were widely left out) the right to vote. Today marks 90 years.

If you're a reader of this blog, most likely you know the seemingly endless list of reasons as to why feminism is still necessary... the simple reason being, "WE STILL AIN'T EQUAL!" And let me try to make up for a fraction of the exclusion faced by most women by the mainstream feminist movement of the first and second "waves" by saying that equality is not fully achieved until it is achieved for ALL women: women of color, women with disabilities, immigrant women (including undocumented), LBTQ women, etc etc etc.

I realize many modern feminists have issues with the suffrage movement because women of color were largely left out, but instead of dismissing this day altogether, let's shape and reclaim Women's Equality Day to be a day of positivity in which we honor the sacrifices our foremothers* made, while looking ahead to the future and thinking about what we can improve.

What's everyone doing to celebrate Equality Day? I'll be here.

*My computer is telling me this word is misspelled, but "forefathers" is correct. Nice.

Genderless future?

2010-08-20T19:36:00.004-04:00

This week, Newsweek asked: Are We Facing a Genderless Future?

Although no one is keeping statistics, researchers who study gender say a small but growing number of people (including some who have had sex-change operations) consider themselves “gender neutral” or “gender variant.” Their stories vary widely. Some find that even after surgery, they simply can’t ignore previous years of experience living as another gender. Others may feel that their gender identity is fluid. Still others are experimenting with where they feel most comfortable on what they see as a continuum of gender.

I'm all for more mainstream and respected media outlets covering this issue because I think right now, far too many people view those who step outside of gender boxes as a small group of freaks whom, if we ignore, will eventually go away. But Newsweek is absolutely right: as more and more people realize that "there is no way that six billion people can be categorized into two groups," the group of people who define gender on their own terms is growing.

But I've said before: I personally don't aim for a genderless future -- instead, I hope for a society that embraces the right of each person to define their own gender. Seriously, can't we get rid of those tired and constricting "male" and "female" check-boxes on every form we have to fill out and replace it with a blank line instead?

Best @SarahPalin Tweets

2010-08-18T22:01:00.002-04:00

Some of my favorite responses on Twitter to Sarah Palin's 100% ridiculous anti-feminist tweet.

Shakespalin: What's in a name? That which she calls a cackle By any other name would smell as rad

deliriumbubbles: "Cackle" is not a fucking unit of measurement. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/cackle

feminismxianity: We cackle because we are so rad

thatmags: Remember: It took a #cackleofrads to make women's #suffrage a reality 90 years ago.

KeithOlbermann: The cluelessness of @SarahPalinUSA is astounding, panoramic. W/out feminists she'd have virtually none of the freedoms she abuses daily.

Andy Borowitz: Dear Sarah #Palin: "Gaggle" means a group of geese. "Cackle" means what we're doing at you.

Jessiebeal: What the hell is a cackle? A coven + a gaggle?

Tweet of the Day

2010-08-18T16:35:00.003-04:00

Who hijacked term:"feminist"?A cackle of rads who want 2 crucify other women w/whom they disagree on a singular issue; it's ironic (& passé)
-Sarah Palin

Well Sarah, you certainly don't speak for my cackle. Fun is at #cackleofrads and #jointhecackle on Twitter.

Your daily dose of scary shit

2010-08-16T13:55:00.002-04:00

A New Pill Can Make a Baby Less Likely to Be Gay -- Will It Be Used to Change Sexual Orientation in the Womb?

I worry about this because not only can this magical pill reduce the likelihood of a gay offspring, but it can also ensure that little boys are masculine and little girls are feminine. Sounds far too Brave New World to me...

Tomorrow's Degrassi episode will feature transgender character

2010-08-10T18:26:00.004-04:00

If you're a huge Degrassi fan like I am, be sure to catch tomorrow night's episode, which will be part one of two (part two airs Thursday night) of the first Degrassi episode to feature a transgender character.

Given that Degrassi has covered nearly every controversial issue under the sun, including abortion, drugs, sex, gay/lesbian issues, and even murder, I'm surprised it took them ten seasons to put a transgender character on the show.

Still, I'm stoked to see the episodes and I sincerely hope they're done tastefully. Here's an interview with the actress, Jordan Todosey, who plays Adam on Degrassi, a new character who is FTM (female-to-male) and deals with the backlash when his fellow students find out.

TRIGGER WARNING.

London anti-domestic violence campaign

2010-08-09T14:52:00.003-04:00

I saw this on Feministing, and thought it was pretty interesting. This domestic violence awareness campaign from London puts a specific emphasis on the responsibility of those who might hear or witness this type of violence to call 911 (or 999 in England) for someone who might not be able to.

They also use an interactive video to convey this message -- depending on if you "choose" (by clicking) to call the police or not, you will get a different ending to the video.

Trigger warning.

Buffet of the Week

2010-08-08T17:13:00.007-04:00

Found many-a interesting things while perusing the web on my Sunday afternoon, so here's a nice little round-up for y'all.

If you need your daily dose of disgust, you can read about the opposition to building mosques near Ground Zero.

For those of you who haven't heard, an appeal has already been filed against the Prop 8 ruling. No one's particularly surprised.

From The New Gay: Queers You Should Know: Fred Karger, Our First Gay President?

In honor of World Breastfeeding Week (which ended yesterday), Kimberly Seals Allers wrote a piece for Women's eNews about the low breastfeeding rates amongst black mothers.

I found this absolutely horrific but thought it served as a good reminder of the lengths people will go to in order to protect their precious gender roles. A man allegedly beat his girlfriend's 17-month-old son to death because he wasn't acting "manly" enough.

From AlterNet: In States Where "Gun Ed" Is Prevalent, Comprehensive Sex Ed Is Nowhere to Be Found.

Another one from AlterNet: The GOP Fights to Make African-Americans Sicker and Poorer.

Scenes from an anti-choice abortion-kills-black-babies protest.

Ironically, Lucky magazine airbrushed Jessica Simpson to make her look thinner in her photo for an article about how much she loves her body.

Jane Lynch. Hosting SNL in October. 'Nuff said.

Thank goodness for Rachel Maddow and her ability to take on offensive media powerhouses, e.g. Bill O'Reilly.

Changing unemployment rates

2010-08-07T13:05:00.003-04:00

Sociological Images posted this, and I thought it was worth putting here. It's a 30-second animation showing the changing unemployment rates from 2007-2010. Scary stuff.

Horrific scenes from inside a crisis pregnancy center

2010-08-03T22:18:00.004-04:00

I'm watching "12th & Delaware" right now (if you're not sure what it is, see below post) and one particular part got me so angry that I had to sign onto Blogger and start writing a rant-filled post in here to keep myself from throwing things. I was fine for most of the film because all the lower-than-low deceitful and manipulative tactics used by the anti-choice crisis pregnancy center in Florida wasn't anything I haven't seen before: make the young pregnant woman get an ultrasound, make her hold a tiny plastic fetus, refer to her "baby" as "he" and "him," call her and her boyfriend "mommy and daddy," etc.

BUT THIS.

In one scene, a 24 year-old pregnant woman went into the CPC, and she was what the staff calls "abortion-minded," which means she is certain she wants to have an abortion and probably wandered into an anti-choice center by mistake, which the CPC staff admitted in the film they hope happens. The staff member, who is most shown in the documentary, sat down with the woman, already a mother of 2, and started talking to her about her boyfriend.

Young Woman: He's not the best boyfriend... he is verbally abusive.
CPC Staff member: He's verbally abusive?
Young Woman: Yeah.
CPC Staff: For all you know, the baby changes him.

I'm still shaking. How dare you suggest a woman stay with an abusive partner in order to selfishly impose your own agenda. That was one of the most appalling tactics I have ever seen an anti-choice advocate use. They claim to be "pro-life," yet they tell a young impressionable woman to go back to her abusive partner because a baby might magically make things better. It just makes me sick.

Don't miss "12th & Delaware" premiere tonight

2010-08-02T16:37:00.008-04:00

Thanks to Feministing for the reminder that tonight is the premiere of the documentary 12th & Delaware on HBO. This film highlights the intersection in Florida known as "ground zero" for the abortion rights battle because on this corner lives both a reproductive health clinic and an anti-choice crisis pregnancy center, right across the street from one another.

As mad as this documentary will inevitably make me, I'm excited to watch it. I sincerely hope the numerous ways in which CPCs are detrimental to women is apparent in the film because more people need to know the truth: these fake clinics are staffed with liars and harassers who don't trust women to make their own decisions about their own bodies. And sadly, CPCs greatly outnumber abortion-providing clinics in the U.S.

WBW 2010

2010-08-01T17:14:00.004-04:00

August 1st-7th is:

World Breastfeeding Week

World Breastfeeding Week's purpose is to raise awareness about the numerous benefits of breastfeeding and to encourage society to stop viewing it as some sort of pornographic act that belongs in the home. New mothers have every right to breastfeed when and where they feel it necessary, but unfortunately we still have to fight for that right.

Learn more about what you can do in honor of World Breastfeeding Week at the official website.

Lynn Harris & Dr. Elizabeth Miller on reproductive coercion

2010-07-31T19:40:00.001-04:00

Anna sent me this video from GRITtv about reproductive coercion. Scary stuff...

Bored of your suitcase? Decorate it to look like you kidnapped a woman

2010-07-28T20:51:00.004-04:00

Posted on Jezebel, a charming suitcase sticker that allows you to look like you're carrying a bound and gagged woman... and for only $15!

"Disgusting" doesn't even begin to describe it. Send hate mail to info@thecheeky.com.

Mexican women jailed for abortions

2010-07-28T20:41:00.004-04:00

This makes me sick.

In the Mexican state of Guanajuato, which holds the strictest abortion policy and the highest teen pregnancy rate in the country, and also refuses to teach comprehensive sex education, six women have been sentenced to 25 to 30 years prison time for the crime of violating Guanajuato's abortion laws. From womensrights.change.org:

Ms. Magazine reports that the six women were tried and sentence for homicide under laws criminalizing abortion. Activists working with the women reports that all six defendants were poor and had little education. Two were impregnated by rape, and all were abandoned by the sperm-providers. One had a spontaneous abortion, a.k.a. a miscarriage.

To have a woman charged with homicide and thrown in jail for making a decision about her own body is appalling to me... it sounds like something out of some horrifying dystopian novel. Too bad it's reality.

Quick note about updates

2010-07-28T20:35:00.002-04:00

Eek! Lack of new posts! Fret not, I have not now nor will ever forget about my beloved feminist blog or its wonderfully loyal readers. I've been slacking a bit because as a marketing intern at Women's eNews, I spend my day social networking so I'm a bit blogged/Facebooked/Tweeted out by the time I get home. But I will make a conscious effort to update more. Posts might be shorter than usual, but research has told me that all of you prefer shorter more frequent posts to longer less frequent posts.

So keep your eyes peeled for more updates, and don't forget about me!

Kotex's new ad campaign tries to change society's perceptions of menstruation

2010-07-14T22:44:00.005-04:00

I just saw a commercial on TV for Kotex's line of menstruation products, called "U." I have to admit: normally, I tune out during commercial breaks, but this completely got my attention because it expressed basically every single qualm I have with your average tampon/pad ads:

I did some YouTube'ing, and not only do their commercials address how obnoxious tampon ads are, but they also address how uncomfortable people, particularly men, get when women talk about their periods:

And this one, again addressing the ridiculousness of most tampon/pad ads, made me laugh:

I also noticed that one of their ads posted on YouTube was tagged with "feminism." All of this was a bold move on Kotex's part, and although I don't use disposable pads/tampons (not since I bought my LunaPads), I'm intrigued.

Visit their YouTube channel or their website to learn more. Their website even has a pledge you can sign that starts out with:

Yeah, I have a period. And a vagina, not a va-jay-jay. It's what makes me a woman. But society and the media aren't being straight with me. It's like there's a code of secrecy and it makes me feel uncomfortable when talking about these topics.

Is this too good to be true?

Sexism: everywhere, even in birthday cards

2010-07-12T16:33:00.004-04:00

Straight from Sociological Images, I didn't know whether to be appalled or just laugh at this utterly ridiculous birthday card from Dublin:

Oh, how cute.

Mel Gibson caught verbally abusing his girlfriend

2010-07-12T15:49:00.004-04:00

Wow, just when I thought Mel Gibson's existence couldn't get anymore appalling, the internet gets ahold of his latest disgustingly misogynist and racist rant. It was recorded by his girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva. "Horrific," "offensive," and "repulsive" are all understatements.

Here's a part of it, from AlterNet, where Gibson yells at Grigorieva for looking like a "Vegas whore." SERIOUS TRIGGER WARNING.

You go out in public and it's a fucking embarrassment to me. You look like a fucking bitch in heat. And if you get raped by a pack of niggers it will be your fault. Alright? Because you provoked it. You are provocatively dressed all the time with your fake boobs that you feel you have to show off. I don't like it. I don't want that woman. I don't want you. I don't trust you. I don't love you.

Even though this is absolutely detestable language, I'm posting this here because this is an unfortunately common sentiment today: dress like a "whore," and you're asking for it. Not too long ago, I was out at a bar with some friends, dressed in my usual jeans, boots, and a tank top with a cardigan over it. Some charming gentleman tried to hit on me, I took him I was married to get him off my back, to which he responded, "If you were my wife and you went out looking like that, I would smack you around." Nice.

The Sexist actually recently posted a really nice PSA from Scotland that dealt with this issue.

Seriously, this shouldn't be such a hard concept to grasp. Women NEVER "ask for it," and even if a woman does go out in public wearing a short dress or whatever and ends up getting raped, the fault ultimately lies with the rapist. To say otherwise is preposterous.

Thoughts on Fourth of July

2010-07-04T11:39:00.003-04:00

My Fellow Americans,

I'm always torn on the Fourth of July, between feeling grateful that I live where I live, and not in a country where FGM and stoning and acid attacks are the norm, and feeling utterly ashamed by the horrific past the good ol' U.S.A. has of exploiting, slaughtering, an enslaving its people.

I suppose it's OK to feel both ways on this day. It is also OK to eat 5 burgers and wash them down with a beer each, which I plan to do.

But amidst the brouhaha of fireworks and BBQ, I encourage everyone to do a little internet exploration and learn something new about our past. No doubt it will be a depressing delve into history, but it's important to know about the injustices the U.S. has inflicted upon its citizens... because unfortunately those injustices are being repeated today. A good place to start is with Frederick Douglass' "Fourth of July" speech, delivered in 1852 to a crowd of white men, including the president. In his speech, Douglass asked why he was invited to speak, when clearly the country they were celebrating still saw him as less than human.

Fellow citizens; above your national, tumultuous joy, I hear the mournful wail of millions! whose chains, heavy and grievous yesterday, are, today, rendered more intolerable by the jubilee shouts that reach them. If I do forget, if I do not faithfully remember those bleeding children of sorrow this day, “may my right hand forget her cunning, and may my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth!” To forget them, to pass lightly over their wrongs, and to chime in with the popular theme, would be treason most scandalous and shocking, and would make me a reproach before God and the world. My subject, then, fellow-citizens, is AMERICAN SLAVERY. I shall see, this day, and its popular characteristics, from the slave's point of view. Standing, there, identified with the American bondman, making his wrongs mine, I do not hesitate to declare, with all my soul, that the character and conduct of this nation never looked blacker to me than on this 4th of July!

Sums up my sentiments quite well. Other things to do today: read the "Declaration of Sentiments," put together in 1848 at the herstoric Seneca Falls Convention. Also learn about the women that played key roles in the American Revolution, conveniently left out of history textbooks.

Also, take a look at some reflective pieces written by contemplative Americans who are using today to ask some important questions. "Has the American Dream Become Our Nightmare?" on AlterNet is a good place to start.

But let's not get too down today. After all the depressing stuff, find a reason to smile, whether it's what I said earlier about being grateful that we live here considering some of the alternatives, knowing that amidst all the injustices in this country, we can truly make a difference, or this Michael Ian Black/Michael Showalter 4th of July video:

Enjoy today, and eat many hot dogs (or soy dogs).

'Stop Deceptive Advertising' Act aims to crack down on crisis pregnancy centers

2010-06-30T21:53:00.004-04:00

Today, Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ) introduced the Stop Deceptive Advertising in Women's Services Act (SDAWS), which would crack down on crisis pregnancy centers, or fake clinics that claim to offer women all their options, but fail to provide abortion services or referrals of any kind. From their press release:

"Although I may disagree with their views, many crisis pregnancy centers are forthright and respectful. Unfortunately, some take a more underhanded approach to lure in women seeking abortions by using tactics that should be illegal," Representative Maloney said. "An unintended pregnancy is an especially difficult time to encounter deception, and deceptive practices should be outlawed. Women shouldn’t have to face the added stress of deciphering whether or not the clinic they choose offers legitimate medical services."

Senator Menendez said, "This legislation would simply help ensure truth in advertising related to reproductive health services. Women's reproductive health choices are very personal decisions, and they should never be influenced by deception or pressure."

Essentially, the Act directs the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to establish rules declaring it illegal for an establishment to advertise as a provider of abortion services if they do not provide such services. I wonder if it would crack down on other deceptive tactics CPCs use, such as deliberately placing themselves across the street from a real family planning clinic, so that women might accidentally wander into an anti-choice establishment instead. Probably not.

Read the full text of the act here (PDF).

New technological trend in dating violence

2010-06-29T22:55:00.005-04:00

A new weapon that is becomingly increasingly popular amongst abusive partners: text messages. The Washington Post had a chilling update in their Breaking News blog recently, highlighting this issue. They have stories to back it up, including one about a 22 year-old who was texted and called 758 times by her boyfriend.

Text messaging is allowing abusers to keep constant tabs on their partners, and because young people are handed cell phones from the minute they emerge from the womb, it can take awhile for them to notice something wrong in receiving excessive text messages from a significant other.

This is why new trends in dating violence need to be immediately woven into the anti-dating violence already implemented in schools. And for the schools that don't have any such programs, why the hell not?!?

And I don't need to remind anyone that this is yet another reason why we still need feminism: to teach young girls that their purpose extends beyond getting the attention of dudes. People wonder why women and girls stay with abusive partners - maybe this wouldn't be the case if we were taught that we can survive without a husband.

Fetuses definitely don't feel pain before 24 weeks, says U.K. docs

2010-06-25T15:13:00.004-04:00

Interesting piece of news! A new report released by United Kingdom's Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says that there is no evidence to show that fetuses feel pain in the womb before 24 weeks, according to Women's eNews. 24 weeks is a few weeks short of the third trimester.

Apparently, the nerve connections in the cortex, which is the area in the brain that processes responses to pain, does not form properly before 24 weeks. But the report also points out that even in cases of abortions after 24 weeks, a fetus is naturally sedated and unconscious in the womb before the procedure.

Father's Day shout-out

2010-06-20T19:42:00.002-04:00

To my wonderful dad, and all the other wonderful dads out there. Fatherhood is undeniably a feminist issue because it's up to us to promote positive parenting that transcends gender stereotypes. To demonstrate, I'm re-posting this adorable and heart-warming ad from Fatherhood.gov.

And one more!

We can only hope for more people to be lucky enough to have feminist daddies :)

Random tip of the day

2010-06-19T15:16:00.004-04:00

If you're not already following Feminist Hulk on Twitter, DO IT NOW. Some sample Tweets:

TRICK TO SMASHING GENDER BINARY: MAKE SURE IT NOT SIMPLY BREAK INTO TWO NORMATIVE PIECES. HULK CREATE GENDERQUEER DEBRIS!

HULK SMASH MASCULINIST DEMANDS TO DENY EMOTION. LOGIC AND FEELING NOT MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. HULK CRADLE TENDER, SENSITIVE HULK WITHIN.

HULK HAVE LOVE FOR SMASH, / HATE FOR PATRIARCHY, AND / PENCHANT FOR HAIKU.

So much awesome feminist humor in this one Twitter page, and almost 16,000 followers!

More reasons as to why same-sex marriage opponents are wrong

2010-06-19T14:58:00.004-04:00

In light of the sheer stupidity demonstrated within the comments during the Prop 8 trial, Jason Kuznicki wrote an interesting opinion piece, analyzing the arguments of same-sex marriage opponents:

For the opposition, possibly the strongest is the claim that children need a mother and a father, and that marriage is the institution that ties heterosexual sex to childbirth and parenting.

Clearly, that's one thing that marriage does, but it can't be the only purpose of the institution. If it were, we wouldn't let 80-year-olds get married, and if you've had a hysterectomy, then forget it. To complicate matters, gays and lesbians also raise children, and an institution that ties them to their kids, and that empowers them to raise their children responsibly, seems like a reasonable addition to the law.

He later concludes:

All of this brings up a strange inconsistency to the opponents of same-sex marriage. Their ends -- every child gets a mom and a dad -- are strangely mismatched to their means -- prohibit same-sex marriage. It's sort of like banning bad moustaches to stop pornography. Perhaps there's some vague association, but that's about it.

Same-sex marriage isn't nearly the root of the problem, and we all know it. If it's really so important that every child gets a mom and a dad, then there is an obvious policy solution: prohibit divorce after childbirth. Of course, divorced parents are numerous and politically powerful, and it's always easier to scapegoat a minority.

Why, oh why, can't the same-sex-marriage-will-ruin-society crazies understand such simple and undeniable logic?

'Stonewall Uprising'

2010-06-14T00:00:00.002-04:00

I really, really want to see this. Stonewall Uprising is a new documentary about the infamous Stonewall riots in 1969 and how queer people were treated (or mistreated) during the time period. Here's part of the synopsis from the official website:

Told by Stonewall patrons, reporters and the cop who led the raid, Stonewall Uprising recalls the bad old days when psychoanalysts equated homosexuality with mental illness and advised aversion therapy, and even lobotomies; public service announcements warned youngsters against predatory homosexuals; and police entrapment was rampant. At the height of this oppression, the cops raid Stonewall, triggering nights of pandemonium with tear gas, billy clubs and a small army of tactical police. The rest is history.

Sarah Palin: start your own damn movement, and leave ours alone

2010-06-11T12:49:00.005-04:00

Your "UGH" moment of the week: Sarah Palin on the cover of Newsweek in all her angelic, feminist, conservative glory.

I said it before, I'll say it again: I refuse to accept Sarah Palin as the face of feminism.

Calling Sarah Palin a feminist is like calling Perez Hilton a queer rights activist. You can't claim to advocate for queer rights when you make blog posts with titles such as "WHEN TRANNIES ATTACK!" just like you can't claim to want the best for women when you oppose their right to reproductive control and are perfectly comfortable with reducing lesbians to second-class status.

How dare she publicly adopt the "feminist" label and distort to some warped, twisted anti-equality anti-woman bullshit, all while acting like she's some kind of savior for women.

I'm all for building inclusive social movements, but I'm not about to roll out the welcome mat for those who are blatantly detrimental to our goals.

Want oral sex? Buy her pretty things!

2010-06-03T20:36:00.006-04:00

Oh my goodness, now I want to go down on you!

Came across a charming article from The Frisky called 19 Ways to Get Her to Go Down. According to this list, dudes can get blowies from their chicks by doing things such as: buying her jewelry, taking her to the opera, sending her flowers, or giving her an engagement ring.

How about: ask us and we'll "go down" if we effin' feel like it? Why all the bass-ackwards ulterior motive bullshit and not, oh I don't know, communicating with your partner? Major fail on the part of The Frisky and on the (female) author for perpetuating stereotypes that men are conniving assholes, and women are shallow gold-diggers.

PETA: still offensive

2010-06-03T17:11:00.006-04:00

PETA has never ceased to disappoint us when it comes to sexist, racist, and overly-sexualized ad campaigns. I'm 100% for animal rights, but I'm also 100% for advertisements that don't offend large amounts of people. Here's their newest display of a lack of morality:

Wow PETA, between the "eating meat" comment, the limp hotdog, and the cleavage-y lady, you really know how to shit all over feminism. Keep up the good work! :)

As one commenter on Jezebel said: "PETA is to animal rights activists as Glenn Beck is to Christians."

O'Reilly compares gay people to Al-Quaeda

2010-06-03T16:45:00.004-04:00

Bill O'Reilly has had some pretty douchey moments, but this might just be one of the douchiest things he's ever said in his entire douchebag history.

Remember the French McDonald's ad I posted about the other day, the one featuring the gay teenager with the phrase "come as you are"?

Last night, during O'Reilly's segment, first he and Fox News anchor Jane Skinner implied that the commercial will only make gay men hungry for McDonald's (what?) Then, O'Reilly went on to say: "Do they have an Al-Quaeda ad? You know... 'Come as you are.'"

Here's some advice, Bill: gently wrap hand around ankle, then in one swift motion, remove foot from mouth.

Assumptions that all skin comes in white

2010-06-02T17:39:00.005-04:00

The ever-amazing Sociological Images posted recently about the undeniable fact that in the fashion world, "nude," "skin," and "natural" equals Caucasian, and I went hunting for some examples. I found three of them in all of five minutes.

This model is wearing a "natural"-colored bra (the name "natural" might be the one that bothers me the most).

Victoria's Secret made my case for me by putting a woman of color in a nude bra that clearly is so far from her skin color.

In this one, the color meant for black women is called "mocha," while the color meant for white women is simply "nude."

Lesson learned: white people are the default, and people of color are the other.

When will the fashion industry learn that there is no one color that can be associated with "skin"?

Queer character in McDonald's ad

2010-06-02T17:19:00.001-04:00

Saw this French McDonald's ad posted on Feministing, and I actually kind of love it.

Dr. Tiller honored on the Senate floor

2010-06-02T17:01:00.002-04:00

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid gave a statement on the Senate floor last week, honoring former Dr. George Tiller. The one-year anniversary of his murder was just this past Monday. Here is the statement:

A community in Kansas still shakes one year after the brazen murder of one of its own. This weekend will mark the first anniversary of Dr. George Tiller’s death. He was gunned down in front of his Wichita church the day before last Memorial Day.

Dr. Tiller was killed at point-blank range, at his place of worship, in the middle of a Sunday morning, while his wife sang in the church choir just yards away.

He was murdered by an unrepentant assassin who took a life in the name of protecting life. It was an indefensible crime and an incomprehensible excuse.

Just as despicable as Dr. Tiller’s death was the fact that his murder wasn’t an isolated incident. It wasn’t even the first time someone tried to kill him. His clinic was bombed in 1985. He was shot twice in 1993. And over the next 16 years, seven clinic workers would be killed before Dr. Tiller would become the eighth. More than 6,000 other acts of violence have been launched at clinics and their workers – bombings, arsons, assaults and other attacks.

The last doctor killed before Dr. Tiller was a husband and father from Buffalo named Barnett Slepian. He was an OB/GYN who also helped poor women access safe, legal abortions. Because of that, he was murdered in his home. I didn’t know Dr. Selpian, but I knew his niece. She came from Reno, Nevada, and she once worked in my office.

The tragedy of Dr. Tiller’s death, and of Dr. Slepian’s death – and of every atrocity like it – is independent of the issue of abortion. It’s not about the legality of abortion or funding of abortion. These are emotional debates, and ones on which people of good faith can disagree.

What so shook that Kansas town was rather an act of terrorism. What reverberated out to our borders and coasts from the center of our country was the violation of our founding principle: that we are a nation of laws, not of men.

Everyone in America has the right to disagree with its laws. Everyone has the right to dispute and protest its laws. But no American has the right to disobey them.

Not all of us would choose Dr. Tiller’s profession. Not all of us would seek his services or agree with his philosophy. But it is the responsibility of every American to respect another’s right to practice his profession legally.

Those who believe in the sanctity of life cannot be selective. We must value every life – not just those with which we agree.

"Screw Marriage" Tuesday

2010-06-01T18:59:00.004-04:00

I've stated before that I'm not the biggest fan of the institution of marriage. To sum it up: I don't need a piece of paper from the government to validate who I'm allowed to love, and I don't feel comfortable being a part of a patriarchal and exclusive institution that I feel wrongfully dominates our society. That being said, I don't judge anyone who chooses to get married, feminists included.

Anywho!

For those who dig the idea of challenging holy matrimony, check out Liz Langley of AlterNet's Eight Reasons Marriage Doesn't Matter. I applaud anyone who's gutsy enough to take on the ginormous institution of marriage.

Reproductive coercion

2010-06-01T16:56:00.005-04:00

I'm encouraging everyone to head over to AlterNet to check out a recent article, "My Boyfriend Stole My Birth Control": When Men Force Women to Get Pregnant Against Their Will.

Scary new evidence is showing that a significant number of women experience their partners trying to steal away their bodily control through "reproductive coercion," or the act of forcing a pregnancy onto someone.

In the largest study of this phenomenon to date, “Pregnancy Coercion, Intimate Partner Violence and Unintended Pregnancy,” published in the January issue of the journal Contraception, lead researcher Elizabeth Miller and others surveyed nearly 1,300 16- to 29-year-old women who’d sought a variety of services at five different Northern California reproductive health clinics. Among those who had experienced intercourse, i.e., who could be at risk of unintended pregnancy, not only did 53 percent of respondents say they’d experienced physical or sexual violence from a partner, but one in five said they had experienced pregnancy coercion; 15 percent said they experienced birth control sabotage, including hiding or flushing birth control pills down the toilet, intentional breaking of condoms and removing contraceptive rings or patches. These figures were consistent from clinic to clinic.

Currently, this phenomenon is little-known, and the prevailing stereotype is still "the woman—call her the femme fertile—who conspires to get pregnant, perhaps by 'forgetting' to take her birth control pills, as a way to 'trap a man' and force marriage—or at least keep him in her life." But people need to know that there is another scarily common situation out there: the boyfriend or husband who, disgusted by a woman's ability to have reproductive control, goes to heinous measures to force pregnancies, abortions, or miscarriages onto his partner.

This is some seriously fucked-up stuff. Spread the word, feminists. Please.

UK's first ad for abortion services

2010-05-28T09:28:00.004-04:00

The first advertisement for abortion services to run in the United Kingdom hit the air earlier this week, and will run about 25 times throughout the next month. Specifically, it advertises Marie Stopes International, which is one of the world's leading family planning organizations.

The ad doesn't mention abortion services - it just refers viewers to MSI. Wow, 2010 and we're just seeing the first family planning services ad now.

Genderfuck Thursday

2010-05-20T17:25:00.013-04:00

After finding out about the wonderful Genderfork.com (via Feministing) I had an urge to post an ode to gender-bending, because I just love it so damn much. First of all, if you haven't been to Genderfork, visit it ASAP! It is a lovely blog with user-submitted photos...

...and quotes from those who find beauty and pleasure in androgyny and ambiguity:

"Some days I wish I could set my gender on Facebook to 'It's complicated.'"

"People think they're being invasive when they ask me questions some might consider 'personal'— questions about my body, my gender, the way I look, think, etc. They don't seem to understand I love being able to tell people there's a different way of existing out there. Not everything is black and white, just 'this' or 'that.' There's a 'Thiat' and a 'Thast' and every combination you can possibly dream up."

"I bound and buttoned up for church; I wore a fancy dress that showed off my hairy armpits for dinner. This Easter is one big pastel-colored drag show."

I want to cry at the sheer beauty of people being able to express who they are, despite being a part of an entire society that tells them to conform. Some days I wonder if I would present myself in a more androgynous manner if I had questioned gender more while growing up, or if I wasn't so intimidated by society's reactions. Still, last year when I attended a drag ball, I had a blast trying a different gender on for size:

Genderfucking just... rules.

I've thought a lot about gender, and I know that some may argue that the world we should strive to live in is a genderless one... but my thoughts are that instead of abolishing gender altogether, let's have more gender! People take pride and pleasure in gender expression and identity, and I think the world might be a bit boring if we take that away. Let's have thousands of genders, millions, billions! Imagine a world where instead of checking "man" or "woman" on any mundane form or online profile, you're given a blank line on which to write whatever you want. My body tingles just thinking about it.

So I raise my glass to genderqueer, genderfuck, genderbend, unisex, androgynous, ambiguous, fluid, transgender, butch, and everything else.

I want to conclude with some worthwhile videos, first one of spoken word artist Kit Yan performing an amazing piece on the fluidity of gender:

And, because someone on Genderfork.com mentioned it, the music video for "I Want to Break Free," by one of my favorite gender-bending bands, Queen. Think of it in terms of breaking free from binary gender roles :D

Sexual Harassment cards

2010-05-16T15:16:00.007-04:00

My college graduation is rapidly approaching, and it's final project/exam time. For my wonderful Masculinities class, we're required to do a "liberating action," that is, some kind of activism that draws on what we've learned throughout the class. I've chosen to make small cards that can be carried around and given out to street harassers - whether they cat-call, make inappropriate comments, unwelcome sexual advances, or any unwarranted physical contact. I explain my reasoning for doing this in my accompanying paper:

Every time I have to walk down any street alone, I find myself preparing to be harassed. It’s sickening that I should have to prepare myself for such a thing, but the truth is that I cannot remember the last time I walked down Main Street by myself or with girlfriends, and was not at least honked at by a car full of men. When I go to the bars, I see men standing to the side of the dance floor, watching the women dancing, picking out which one is the hottest or the sluttiest, and then making their moves, which always consists of latching onto her backside without so much as a “hello.” The worst part is that I can’t even really hate them for what they do, because I know that it isn’t entirely their fault; they were just taught in a variety of ways by a variety of people that to be a “man” is to treat women as objects to be ogled. The sad truth is that, “Men learn that to effectively perform masculinity and to protect a masculine identity, they must, in many instances, ignore a woman’s pain and obscure her viewpoint” (Quinn 397). To the harassers, the cat-callers, and the gropers, there are no feelings or souls attached to our bodies, and we could not be their mothers, sisters, girlfriends, or friends because we are not really people, and that is what allows them to continue to do what they do.

It’s time to start reminding these men that, contrary to what they have been forced to believe, what they do does affect us. A honk or a “hey sexy” might seem harmless, but I know that every time I get that attention on the street, it hurts me. It hurts even more when I can’t respond to this inexcusable behavior because it just gets too exhausting to say something to every jerk on the street. Therefore, for my liberating action, I want to make it easier for me and every other woman to call harassers out on their behavior, and for the harassers to realize that their actions affect us.

I'm sure some people might argue that this isn't the best way to handle harassment, and I think it is important to discuss what the best way to respond to being harassed is, but these are for the women who feel that this method is the best for them.

You can download the cards I made as a Word document here.

Please note that the cards are intended to be printed double-sided so that one side has English text, and the other side has the same text in Spanish. Feel free to make any adjustments you see necessary and to post these to your own blog/site (I just ask that you link back to here). And I would love to hear your experiences with carrying these around and distributing them - whether through comments on this post, or through e-mail.

Good luck, and stay safe.

Sarah Palin's anti-feminism

2010-05-16T14:41:00.006-04:00

So, Sarah Palin recently spoke at the Susan B. Anthony List breakfast - for those of you who don't know, Susan B. Anthony List is "a political action committee helping pro-life women gain election to Congress." I watched some of the video of her speech but I couldn't get too far into it because my body wouldn't stop cringing whenever Sarah Palin mentioned the "new conservative feminist movement."

...Wait, what?

Isn't that an oxymoron? I respect people's individual political opinions, and I'm certainly not one to render feminism an exclusive movement, but I will until the day I die assert that a person cannot claim to want the best for women when they do not trust women to make the right choices for their own bodies.

I have met people who admit that they would never get an abortion themselves, nor are they particularly 100% comfortable with the idea of abortion, but they understand the importance of this right remaining intact because they know it is what is best for the emotional and physical well-being of women. To me, that is a true feminist: someone who, despite any personal hang-ups they might have about a particular issue, will always support the position that protects our needs and rights.

Sarah Palin is not that type of feminist. She isn't a feminist.

Here's what Taylor Marsh, of HuffingtonPost.com, had to say:

You simply can't be a feminist if you don't support a woman's individual rights. Announcing a "new conservative feminist movement" without acknowledging the individual freedoms of women won't cut it. This feministic facade that actually takes aim at women's rights should be seen for what it is.

Anything less than supporting women's full individual rights simply renders you a pretender, a fake, a feminist fraud.

I sincerely hope this "conservative feminist movement" doesn't gain momentum. I might have to *headdesk* repeatedly.

Hump Day post: feminist dating edition

2010-05-12T17:19:00.005-04:00

As someone who's gotten more than her fair share of blank stares and outright laughter when I tell people I meet in bars that I'm a feminist, I more than understand the plight of finding a partner who doesn't cringe at the mention of the "F" word.

If you have some experience in this area, take a few minutes to read two posts in the Ms. Magazine blog by Alexandra Tweten on her mission to find a feminist date-worthy dude via CraigsList. Here is her original post, and here is a second post she wrote yesterday, giving an update on the situation.

How does everyone else deal with trying to find romantic partners who support/hold feminist values? It ain't easy.

Abortion rates rise amongst poor women

2010-05-11T15:33:00.004-04:00

A new report from Guttmacher Institute shows that the proportion of abortion patients who are poor has increased by almost 60%, from 27% in 2000 to 42% in 2008. According to the report, impoverished women are more likely to seek abortions because financial constraints deter them from wanting to have children. Additionally, financial constraints also make it more difficult to access contraceptives. Sharon L. Camp, president and CEO of the Guttmacher Institute, commented:

Gaps in unintended pregnancy and abortion between poor and more affluent women have been increasing since the mid-1990s, so—sadly—none of this comes as a surprise. Reproductive health disparities, and health disparities more generally, are endemic in this country and stem from broader, persistent economic and social inequities. We need to bridge these reproductive health gaps by ensuring that all women, regardless of their economic circumstances, have meaningful access to the full spectrum of information and services—both contraceptive services to reduce levels of unintended pregnancy and abortion services.

Read the full report here.

The time has come!

2010-05-10T19:16:00.004-04:00

Obama has made his choice for Justice Stevens' nominated replacement on the Supreme Court: Elena Kagan.

And I ate my words when I predicted that Obama might not nominate a woman, out of apprehension for the crap he's going to get.

So who is Elena Kagan? She is a young 50 years-old, and has impressive credentials, though some say she lacks experience. Unfortunately, not a whole lot is known yet on her stance on feminist issues. Apparently, when she was a White House adviser in 1997, she urged then-President Bill Clinton to support a ban on late-term abortions. My prediction is that she holds a somewhat moderate stance on abortion, but given the chance would uphold Roe v. Wade. Reproductive rights organizations are optimistic, and anti-choicers hate her, so that's a good sign! Heh heh.

I also read that as dean of Harvard Law School, she mandated that military recruiters should be banned from campus because she disagreed with the discriminatory "don't ask, don't tell" policy. An awesome move on her part, but undoubtedly a part of her past that will come back to haunt her when Republicans try to shoot her down.

Still, it's likely she will win confirmation, since Democrats have a control of 59 votes in the Senate.

Thoughts on Mother's Day

2010-05-09T21:10:00.004-04:00

Although I'm sure many of us have our issues with the overly-commercialized "Hallmark" holiday that is Mother's Day, I can't imagine many of us have issues with honoring the women in our life who have made us who we are. That's how I see Mother's Day. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a mother like Lorelai Gilmore, but I sincerely hope that we are all lucky enough to have strong women role models in our lives.

Living with my mom hasn't always been the easiest task. I have nothing but happy memories of her as a kid - from her ability to always act as if I had given her diamonds for her birthday when really all I gave her was a bunch of pictures I scribbled, to her tendency to always stand up for me when I felt the wrath of my dad's temper (not to say that I don't love my dad - I love him very much, but the man can sure yell). But by nine years-old, she had been diagnosed with a nightmarish disease that over the years, has attacked her body and mind. At 57 years-old, though she needs constant care and is essentially wheelchair-bound, she is still kickin', defying all odds. There is a 50% chance I have inherited the disease from her, and while I don't know yet if I have it or not because I'm not at the point where I'm ready to take the test, I'm sure I inherited her never-give-up, don't-take-shit attitude. Go mom.

We have had our fair share of fights, as the disease attacked her ability to think rationally which made it increasingly difficult to be around her, but I have nothing but love for my mom. And not only was I blessed with an awesome mother, but also an older sister who looks out for me, defends me when people give me crap for being a feminist, and in a few weeks, will be sharing a house with me. I see how my mom's older sister treats her with nothing but the utmost care and love, and I know that if either my sister or me were affected by the disease (Heaven forbid) it would be no different. Because that's what women do, or should do, for each other.

So go give the women in your life big hugs, and tell 'em why they rock. Also, feel free to comment with your stories. Now, enough with the mushy stuff. I feel I have to post the hilarious video I always think of whenever Mother's Day is mentioned.

Anti-domestic violence campaign records men breaking cardboard women

2010-05-05T14:41:00.003-04:00

A Turkish anti-domestic violence organization, Mor Çati, set up displays in Istanbul of cardboard women with the slogan "I want freedom... from violence" and recorded men destroying them on hidden cameras.

Hmm. Does this really show us anything about domestic abuse? Maybe it just demonstrates an overall disrespect for women and women's issues. Or maybe, as Jezebel suggests, it shows more about vandalism than violence against women. I mean... not that I'm making excuses for what these men did, but to me they just seemed irritated with cardboard legs blocking their path.

Thoughts?

Sexist B.S.

2010-04-28T17:23:00.003-04:00

With all the offensive lower-than-low crap slung by Republicans and right-wingers on a daily basis, this really shouldn't surprise me. But their ability to exhibit sheer stupidity and disrespect still amazes me. Rep. Betty Sutton (D-OH) was the target of a sexist attack when a Republican multimillionaire, Tom Ganley, who wants to take her place in Congress, funded a mailer sent out by the Republican party that said:

"Let's take Betty Sutton out of the House and send her back to the kitchen."

I still have a hard time grasping that people still actually think like this. Women have come so far thanks to feminism, but attacks like this are a blatant attempt to shove us ten steps backwards. Well, I'm standing right here. My feet are planted and I am not moving.

Sign the petition to push Tom Ganley to denounce this comment, and for Medina County Republican Party Chairman Bill Heck, who continues to defend this sexist attack, to step down.

Obama on his next Supreme Court nominee

2010-04-27T01:59:00.002-04:00

"...I want somebody who is going to be interpreting our Constitution in a way that takes into account individual rights, and that includes women's rights... And that's going to be something that's very important to me, because I think part of what our core constitutional values promote is the notion that individuals are protected in their privacy and their bodily integrity. And women are not exempt from that."

Hmm. He's expected to choose Justice Stevens' replacement within the next couple weeks, and I'm really excited/nervous to see who he picks.

Fair Pay NOW

2010-04-20T18:00:00.002-04:00

Today is Blog for Fair Pay Day.

The fact that over 45 years have passed since the Equal Pay Act was signed and women still face unfair pay shows that discrimination is alive and well. A wage gap still exists in every state, women are poorer than men in all racial and ethnic groups, and black women have a median net worth of $5.

We have a long way to go.

That's why calling awareness to unfair pay is so important. The ability to be economically stable and independent is crucial for women, and we cannot settle for anything less than 100% of what men make.

Take action today. And as usual, make some noise! Talk it, blog it, post it, tweet it.

WE WANT FAIR PAY, ALREADY!

Day of Silence 2010

2010-04-16T15:23:00.003-04:00

Today is the National Day of Silence, a day in which "hundreds of thousands of students nationwide take a vow of silence to bring attention to anti-LGBT name-calling, bullying and harassment in their schools."

According to a 2007 study done by GLSEN, nearly 9 out of 10 LGBT students report verbal, sexual or physical harassment at school and more than 30% report missing at least a day of school in the past month out of fear for their personal safety.

The Day of Silence is close to my heart, because I began participating in it when I was a wee 9th grader in high school, and it unleashed my then-dormant activist side.

It's a great feeling to participate, and I recommend everyone do it at least once. Even if you aren't a student anymore. But if you aren't comfortable with actually staying silent all day, there are plenty of other things you can do to support the cause, if you visit the Day of Silence website.

Here's what people who walked into the library on my campus were confronted with today:

Scary new anti-choice legislation in Nebraska

2010-04-15T17:04:00.005-04:00

There are two bills underway in Nebraska that could severely limit a woman's access to abortion.

The first would require doctors to screen women for possible mental and physical problems before performing abortions for them. Doctors or other health professionals would have to also screen women to determine whether they were pressured into having abortions (are they going to start screening women who choose adoption or parenthood to see if they were pressured into that?) This ridiculous bill received final approval from Nebraska's "nonpartisan" legislature on Monday.

The second bill would ban abortions after 20 weeks based on the assertion that fetuses feel pain (?!). Nebraska is one of the few states that has doctors willing to perform late-term abortions.

Both these bills would cause severe barricades for women who need reproductive services. The bills are likely to be challenged in court, and we can only hope for the best.

Justice Stevens retires from the Supreme Court

2010-04-09T13:28:00.005-04:00

After 34 years of serving on the Supreme Court, Justice John Paul Stevens has announced his retirement. He served until age 89 (!) and was first nominated by President Gerald R. Ford in 1975, who said he wanted to appoint "the finest legal mind I could find." I got e-mails from both NOW and CredoAction, commending all Justice Stevens did for equality. He was a proponent of women's rights, reproductive justice, affirmative action, and LGBTQ rights.

Stevens' are some enormous shoes to fill, but I'm hoping President Obama will appoint someone who is just as dedicated to fighting for justice and equality. NOW is calling upon President Obama to appoint a woman in order to better balance the male-dominated Court, but I'm afraid he might be hesitant to appoint another woman, out of apprehension for what crap the ignorant right-wingers will sling at him: "OMGZ, he lyke appointed another woman?!?! He's totes only appointing judges based on whether or not they're a part of oppressed groups!!! Because two women could not possibly be best qualified to serve on the Court... I blame affirmative action!!!1!!111"

But let's hope for the best, and take a minute to send Justice Stevens a thank you note, all of which will be delivered on his 90th birthday on April 20th. Thank you for your years of hard work, Justice Stevens, I wish you all the best.

Douchebag of the Day

2010-04-07T18:18:00.003-04:00

...Robert F. McDonnell, governor of Virginia!

This prestigious award is given to Bob because of his push to create CONFEDERATE HISTORY MONTH in Virginia to honor a rich history of oppression, slavery, and proclaiming that "the negro is not equal to the white man."

Keep up the good work, Bob.

Fit into a gender role, NOW!

2010-04-07T17:41:00.004-04:00

Well, Caster Semenya has fallen out of the media, but luckily people have yet another public figure to impose gender upon. A Filipino singer, Reggie Ramirez, from "Pilipinas Got Talent" has become known for his ability to sing both "female" and "male" parts of songs, and his tendency to perform in both women's and men's clothing.

And inevitably people MUST KNOW! Is it a tranny? A dragqueen? A hermaphrodite? WHAT IS IT?!? WE CANNOT ACCEPT THIS PERSON UNTIL THEY FIT INTO A GENDER BOX! AGGGHHHHHHHHHHHH!

Methinks people should save themselves a whole lot of trouble and just realize it's none of their damn business.

Sebelius chews out Westboro protesters

2010-04-07T17:32:00.003-04:00

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius severely criticized the crazies that come (largely from Fred Phelps' Westboro Baptist Church) and protest funerals of former soldiers. You know, these people:

You really can't publicly condemn them enough.

$250 million for abstinence-only education in health care reform

2010-04-02T21:03:00.005-04:00

Like cockroaches, abstinence-only education programs just will not die, no matter how many times they are proven to be a load of crap (I'm not buying the new studies that say they might work).

The health care reform legislation that President Obama signed includes a renewal of $50 million per year for five years for abstinence-focused education. That's $250 million to tell young people to put their chastity belts on.

RHRealityCheck has an explanation on how this funding made its way into the health care bill:

Here are some of the things we are hearing. Even though a number of prominent Democrats including Cong. Henry Waxman (D-CA) had contacted leadership and demanded that the ab-only programs be pulled from the bill, we’ve been told that leadership was focused on the "bigger issues" and never reached consideration of the ab-only piece.

Boy, does that ever smack of the “dog ate my homework” excuse. There was no rationale for keeping this amendment in the bill. Hatch is a Republican who opposes health care reform so there was no political need to placate the author of the measure. Taking Title V out of the bill would have saved a quarter billion dollars over five years and Democrats were desperate for savings so they could show that the bill would reduce the federal deficit.

Finally, we’ve been hearing that the recent publication of the Jemmott study showed that abstinence-only programs really work. One small problem with that line of thinking. Jemmott’s program would not qualify for Title V funding since it doesn’t follow the rigid, ideological eight-point definition—a point made by the authors themselves! So there is still no evidence those programs work; in fact quite the contrary.

This whole health care reform debacle is giving me an aneurysm.

Major changes made to 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell'

2010-03-25T14:10:00.005-04:00

Breaking news! Defense Secretary Robert Gates has majorly revised how the Pentagon will implement the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, making it much more difficult to remove a person from the military who does not out themself as gay. According to Gates, the changes will add "a greater measure of common sense and common decency" for those negatively impacted by the law. The Washington Independent reported:

Starting today, only a general officer in an accused service member’s chain of command can discharge someone for a violation of the ban, and only an officer with the rank of commander or lieutenant colonel or higher can conduct a fact-finding inquiry to recommend a discharge. The standards of evidence provided to those inquiries will become far less burdensome on the accused, with what Gates called “special scrutiny on third parties who may be motivated to harm the service member.” Entire categories of evidence will no longer be admissible, including testimony from clergy members, physicians, abuse counselors, security-clearance review personnel and mental-health personnel — a move that also significantly improves troops’ quality of life.

While this harmful law still unfortunately remains in place, this is an important step towards repealing it. Gates has stated that it isn't a matter of whether it should be repealed, but how. There is concern about abruptly ending the ban because it could put queer service members in danger, so perhaps eliminating the policy in steps is the best way to get homophobic service members used to serving next to openly queer soldiers/sailors/pilots/marines. But I have no doubt that I will live to see the end of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

Obama maintains ban on federal funds for abortion

2010-03-24T18:11:00.003-04:00

Upsetting news. From The New York Times:

President Barack Obama signed an executive order on abortion on Wednesday that had won crucial votes for his healthcare bill, but disappointed women's groups that have been among his most enthusiastic supporters.

The order is intended to ensure the new healthcare law will maintain a ban on the use of federal money to pay for abortions, except in cases of rape or incest, or if the life of a woman is in danger.

The White House announced on Sunday that Obama would sign the order in exchange for support for the massive healthcare overhaul bill from Democratic abortion rights opponents' in the House of Representatives.

It's upsetting that Obama hasn't turned out to be as much of a supporter of reproductive justice as we hoped. But it's tricky... the morons who don't understand that a woman controlling her own body is a necessity won't budge on health care reform unless they know their tax dollars won't go to providing abortions.

Dear opponents of federal funding for abortion: There are plenty of places I don't want my tax dollars to go... but guess what! Part of being a U.S. citizen is paying all our taxes. Get over this "I don't believe in it, so I won't pay for it" bullshit, because that's unrealistic. Women need reproductive care, and there is no good reason to prevent this legal procedure from being funded by federal money. There will always be a demand for abortion, and whether you decide the government can pay for it or not, women will find ways to control their reproduction. The only difference is receiving the $700 to have an abortion safely and legally vs. paying a stranger $50 for a punch in the stomach. For once, stop thinking about what your churches tell you, and start thinking about the lives of women!

GAH!

National Back Up Your Birth Control Day!

2010-03-24T17:42:00.002-04:00

Visit the official website to learn more, and head over to the Center for Reproductive Rights to tell the FDA to make emergency contraception available over-the-counter to women of all ages.

Marketing breast cancer awareness to men

2010-03-20T19:31:00.005-04:00

I've been on a major Freaks and Geeks kick lately, and naturally, I fell in love with Jason Segel's character, Nick (you know Jason Segel from Forgetting Sarah Marshall and I Love You, Man... but Freaks and Geeks was his much earlier work). Anywho, I went searching for an adorable photo of him to put on my desktop, and came across this one:

I said, "Ooooh, what is Men for Women Now?" and immediately went to MenForwomenNow.com to find that it is a website, designed to appeal to men, that collects donations for a breast cancer foundation. How lovely!

While I adore the idea of getting men involved in women's issues, I found the way in which the website appealed to men to be disheartening. First of all, their slogan is: It's a Matter of Life and Breast! Second of all, the main page has a big pink button that says "Save boobs now" to add their Facebook application. The page says: "When you click 'Save boobs now', in two easy steps, you can start saving boobs."

I don't like this. Is the only way to get men to join in on the fight against breast cancer to remind them that the disease threatens a woman's ability to have a great rack? I have just a little more faith in men than that... call me naive, but I think simply reminding men that breast cancer can, oh I don't know, cause deaths of their loved ones is enough to garner some concern.

This reminds me of the whole "Save the Ta-Tas!" slogan that can be seen on bumper stickers and bracelets. I know our society loves to objectify women and pretend that there isn't a brain attached to our bodies, but it really saddens me that campaigns to raise awareness for breast cancer (a women's issue!) sink to the level of society's mistreatment of us. Yes, it is called breast cancer, but it affects more than just the actual breasts... it affects a woman's entire life.

Protect our schools' textbooks

2010-03-18T13:27:00.006-04:00

This whole Texas textbook debacle makes me shudder. It may sound cliche, but true change does rely heavily on our children. But how can they understand what needs to change if they are being fed B.S. in school? The entire schooling system angers the hell out of me. I wasn't taught a damn thing about feminism until twelfth grade when I had a feminist teacher for my U.S. government class, who finally explained women's suffrage in a way that I understood. Still, she was forced to teach us how to pass the AP test instead, and had to leave behind most of the truly important stuff.

Well I'll tell you: I don't remember one thing on that AP test, but I do remember her telling us how Alice Paul was sent to prison, where she went on a hunger strike and was force-fed meals through a rubber tube inserted in her throat... and all so women would be treated like human beings. Still, my eyes weren't truly opened to feminism and the importance of equality and all the social injustices that exist in this world until I went to my super liberal college. It's so upsetting to me that children are being given textbooks that glorify Christopher Columbus (and leave out his slaughtering of Native Americans), exclude the LGBTQ movement, and devote all of two pages to women's rights. And it's about to get worse! From CredoAction.com:

Led by far-right ideologues, the Texas SBOE recently gave preliminary approval to a plan that would radically change what children across the country learn in history class.

The ultra-conservative majority on the board (none of whom are experts in any academic discipline and many of whom are explicitly anti-science) took the curricula proposed by teachers and made over a hundred changes to "correct" the perceived left-wing bias.

But it gets worse. Since Texas is one of the largest textbook markets in the country, material written to cater to the Texas curricula will find its way into textbooks across the country unless textbook publishers take a stand.

We can't allow a small group of extreme ideologues on the Texas State Board of Education to re-write history.

Children who use textbooks conforming to the new standards will not learn anything about the political philosophy of Thomas Jefferson or his thoughts on the separation of church and state. When they learn about the Civil War, they'll have to study Jefferson Davis' inaugural address alongside Abraham Lincoln's. And when they study the civil rights movement they'll have to learn about the "unintended consequences" of Great Society programs, affirmative action and Title IX. Oh — and Joe McCarthy was right all along no matter what historians actually say about it.

*bangs head on desk repeatedly*

Write to the United States' largest textbook publishers and tell them this is unacceptable, please. The future of this country depends on it.

Buffet of the Week

2010-03-16T13:16:00.004-04:00

Here's what's up:

A court in Illinois heard arguments yesterday regarding the parental notification law that has been stalled in the state since 1995. The law, if passed, would require that physicians notify the parents of women 17 or younger seeking abortions at least 48 hours before the procedure.

Representatives Jared Polis (D-CO) and Rosa DeLauro (D-CT) introduced the Women and Workforce Investment for Nontraditional Jobs (Women WIN Jobs) Act late last week. The bill has more than 40 cosponsors and is intended to give low-income women greater access to high-wage, high-demand occupations.

According to CENTCOM Commander General David Petraeus: "the time has come to consider a change to Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

There's a campaign underway in New York called Fight Back New York that intends to defeat anti-gay candidate Hiram Monserrate in an election happening today. Visit their website to donate, spread the word, and watch a video featuring Cynthia Nixon on the importance of passing marriage equality in NY.

A heart-breaking occurrence at a Mississippi school: a girl name Constance wanted to bring her girlfriend to prom. But the school opted to avoid letting her by canceling the prom altogether. Take action at the Human Rights Campaign site.

Ever pay attention to the little pedestrian icon that flashes when it's okay to cross the street? Ever notice it's probably the icon of a man? A photography mural on the streets of NYC, titled "Walking Men 99," is making people more aware of the fact that pedestrian traffic light icons can actually have many other identities.

An article in Women's eNews exposes the hardships of women in Arizona with breast cancer: "Undocumented women with breast cancer in Arizona have to rely on community clinics and sliding scale fees to get services. Help is not easy to find. When it does arrive, economic barriers and fear of deportation often stand in the way or delay treatment."

See how International Women's Day was celebrated in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Women's History Month presence on a college campus

2010-03-14T23:53:00.005-04:00

When I graduate in May, I'm going to miss college moments like this. For Women's History month, there is a "Women and Social Movements" display in the library. Several glass cases hold photos and information on all different groups of women: feminists, queer women, Latina women, sex workers, and many many more. It is a beautiful representation of women's history. Here's a photo of the cases put together by two clubs I'm in: the Feminist Collective (right) and Take Back the Night (left):

(Thanks to Kay for the photo!)

Afghan women burn themselves to escape abuse

2010-03-11T17:00:00.005-05:00

This video is a little old (I just found it on the International Women's Day website), but it is something that I would not doubt is still going on in Afghanistan. It's heartbreaking, to say the least.

Warning: this video may be triggering for some.

You can visit the sites of organizations like Women for Afghan Women and the Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan to learn more about the hardships of post-Taliban life, and to find out how you can help.

A big thank you to abortion providers

2010-03-10T18:25:00.003-05:00

It's March 10th, the National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers. But the wonderful people who work in clinics to ensure that women have access to a safe and legal abortion deserve our appreciation every single day. Their work isn't easy, but they have many reasons to stick with it. I cannot thank them enough for being there for the women who need them.

Today also marks the anniversary of Dr. David Gunn's death in 1993. He was murdered by anti-choice activist Michael Griffin in Pensacola, Florida, becoming the first abortion provider to be killed simply because he provided abortions. And supporters of reproductive justice were greatly shaken when Dr. George Tiller was murdered last May. My heart goes out to the families and friends of Dr. Gunn, Dr. Tiller, and other abortion providers/clinic workers who have lost their lives.

There are many things you can do to honor today. A simple, but powerful, action would be to send a thank you card to your local abortion provider(s) and/or clinic workers. You can also (if you have the means) make a donation to any of several organizations that work towards reproductive justice. The National Network of Abortion Funds allows you to find a local fund for low-income women who need abortions. There's also Medical Students for Choice and Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health.

Also, be sure to head over to the National Abortion Federation to add your name and thank you note to their collection.

Support the International Violence Against Women Act

2010-03-09T13:22:00.000-05:00

Sign the petition here.

IWD 2010

2010-03-08T19:41:00.004-05:00

It's today! What are you doing to celebrate?

4000 > 40

2010-03-07T12:57:00.005-05:00

February 17th marked the beginning of the 40 Days of Life campaign, which is basically an excuse for anti-choicers to harass people outside clinics even more than usual for 40 whole days. If you need to access a Planned Parenthood or a similar clinic, be aware that the crazies will probably be on your ass.

BUT... oh, how I love reproductive rights activists. There is an excellent response campaign (hat tip to Feministe, who posted about this) called 4000 Years for Choice. This is especially great to check out in honor of Women's History Month. One need only take a look at their timeline to see that women have been finding ways to control their reproduction for thousands of years.

And guess what? 4000 trumps 40.

Men and the birth control pill

2010-03-06T20:08:00.003-05:00

I saw this posted on The Sexist. It's a video created by Amanda Hess, where she interviewed men on birth control and how it works. Watch!

Wow. Some of the things said by the men (the birth control pill is the same as Plan B? wtf?) are just shocking. Unfortunately, a lot of men who have sex with women don't bother to learn about birth control because they see it as something only women have to deal with. Birth control is as much a man's concern as it is a woman's, and deciding on a method of contraception should be a collaborative process.

But too many men take the birth control pill for granted - there seems to be this idea that it's this simple process involving popping a pill a day with ease, and there's no need to think or talk about it. But men should know how it works, and men should understand that it's certainly not easy for a woman to take birth control. It takes awhile to find the right brand, and with every brand comes a slew of terrifying side effects. Can most men even name one side effect of the birth control pill?

I'm not blaming men for being ignorant. I know the real reason is that somewhere down the line, men got the message from society that birth control is not a man's issue. So men, it's time to unlearn what society taught you and hop on Wikipedia to learn about birth control. It'll be one of the most manly things you'll ever do.

D.C. legalizes!

2010-03-03T12:50:00.004-05:00

Same-sex marriage is now LEGAL in Washington, D.C.

Congratulations to all couples who are finally able to tie the knot, and thank you to the D.C. politicians who voted in favor of equality.

More commercials I can't stand: Axe uses sophisticated humor

2010-02-28T22:45:00.001-05:00

Activism through theatre

2010-02-24T16:03:00.002-05:00

I just want to give all of you a heads up that posting might be sparse over the next week - I'm performing in The Vagina Monologues on my campus this weekend, and evidently have two exams next week, so I'm stretched pretty thin.

But I am super excited for The Vagina Monologues. This will be my fourth year in a row performing in them, and it's so wonderful every time. If you've never seen it before, I highly recommend you do. Granted, the show has its flaws, but overall it's a really empowering experience, and the proceeds always go to a wonderful cause. This year, the spotlight is women in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Search for V-Day events near you to find a production. And if I didn't convince you to see the show, I bet the below video will.

Black women breastfeeding: a multigenerational story

2010-02-24T15:56:00.001-05:00

Saw this on Women's eNews, and wow!

National Condom Week 2010

2010-02-17T17:19:00.005-05:00

I didn't get a chance to post this earlier, due to our wonderful guest post series, but this week is:

National Condom* Week

(*It doesn't just have to be limited to condoms. It's excellent to promote other methods of safer sex as well, such as female condoms and dental dams).

Planned Parenthood's Facebook page has a bunch of things you can do to celebrate Condom Week. I got 1,000 condoms to pass out on my campus, and I'm sure my fellow students will be quite appreciative. Enjoy the week and promote safer sex!

Domestic violence numbers increase in many states

2010-02-17T16:59:00.005-05:00

There is some chilling new evidence that indicates that the rates of domestic violence increased in 2009. Interestingly enough, according to FBI statistics, many cities reported falling crime rates:

FBI figures indicate law-enforcement agencies throughout the nation reporting a decrease of 4.4 percent in the number of violent crime offenses for the first six months of 2009, compared with the same period in 2008. The violent crime category includes murder, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault.

Nationwide, FBI statistics for 2009 show a 10 percent decrease in murders.

Unfortunately, the FBI doesn't track domestic violence homicides as a separate category, so it's difficult to tell if DV cases are are on the rise.

But phone calls to state anti-violence coalitions and to the Washington, D.C.-based National Network to End Domestic Violence are revealing that in many states, domestic violence deaths rose in 2009, sometimes dramatically.

Some are speculating that the increased violence is being caused by stress related to the recession - that lost jobs, debt, and evictions may be contributing. What does everyone else think? Why the increase in domestic violence? And most important, what can we do about it?

National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network

Morning after pill

2010-02-13T23:22:00.001-05:00

By: Rudi - from the series of guest posts written by Dr. Baldwin's students at Michigan State University.

I feel like, even though it is an important thing, a large part of society has not come to terms with the morning after pill. During semester break, a friend of mine had been drinking, and she ended up having unprotected sex. She was so completely ashamed of what she had done, and just wanted to make sure that her guilt was the only consequence. I took her to Walgreens that morning, and said I'd go buy the pill for her. I went into the store, and asked the 40-something women at the counter if I could have the morning after pill. The look I recieved from her was such a scandalized one that I'll never forget it. Was it really so bad that people want to prevent an unwanted pregnancy? Especially college students who can barely afford school, let alone carrying a baby to term. The thing I hated the most was how quickly she judged me. I'm still a virgin, I didn't do anything. All I was trying to do was be a good friend.

Two interpretations of one size fits all

2010-02-13T16:37:00.004-05:00

By: Amanda Cunningham - from the series of guest posts written by Dr. Baldwin's students at Michigan State University.

I recently stumbled across the article in V Magazine titled “One Size Fits All.” The premise of the article was to show a “regular” model, next to a plus size model in the same outfits. After reading and rereading, I’m having a hard time deciding if this is an article moving women’s body images in the right direction, or making us take one step back.

This is the photo from the front page of the spread:

Find the article here.

When I first looked at it, I thought, “Oh, this is great! We’re showing plus size models in a magazine spread! We’re moving forward!” Plus, they both look stunning in the outfits they’re rocking.

However, when I looked at it again, I worried that this type of comparison photograph might make women feel even more upset about their current size. Will a woman that looks like the model on the right be worried that that’s how much bigger she actually looks? What if she begins to point out her flaws with the right picture compared to the left? Or, will a woman that looks like the model on the left start to freak out that if she doesn’t change her habits, she may one day look like the woman on the right? But would that even be so bad?

The next thing that I wanted to pay attention to was the caption below this photograph. It reads:

“IF IT'S BRIGHT ENOUGH, TIGHT ENOUGH, OR EYE-POPPINGLY PRINTED
ENOUGH, ODDS ARE IT'LL WORK ON ANY FIGURE.”

I find that there are two interpretations for this, as well. The first, being Thank you V Magazine for showing me something that anybody could wear, and that looks good on every body. But the second being a much more brutal interpretation. The next time I read this phrase, I took it as “any woman of a larger size can still look good as long as they hide their figure behind bright colors, lots of print and tight clothing.” Wait…I thought women were supposed to embrace their curves! Not hide them behind ridiculous clothing!

Obviously, there are a lot of ways people can interpret anything…I just wonder if this article may actually be more damaging to a woman’s mind than helpful. I feel as if the messages the article is sending are almost subliminal, hinting at the thoughts that, oh wait, it still is more acceptable to be skinny, rather than, damn look how good that model on the right looks, even though she’s 10 sizes larger.

My ending thoughts would be, regardless of the ruthless interpretations above, props to you, woman on the right! And for the rest of the women out there, those curves are beautiful!

Who is to really be blamed for inequality of genders?

2010-02-13T16:05:00.001-05:00

By: Anonymous - from the series of guest posts written by Dr. Baldwin's students at Michigan State University.

As a woman in the United States of America, I take for granted some of the rights that other women are not given. For instance, I did not even second guess if I would be accepted into college primarily based on my gender. There are many other rights that I do not have to think about as I go through each day, like the freedom of wearing whatever I choose and without covering my face, or being able to apply to any job I want without being disregarded because of my sex. These rights were granted by the law, but it took the fight from society to actually establish them throughout the country. Today, we still must fight for equality among gender regardless what the law may state. The Declaration of Sentiments formed in 1848 says that” all men and women are created equal”. Women still earn less than men in the workforce. We have yet to see a woman as the president of the United States.

There are other countries around the world that have not accepted the fact that women are created equal, too. A recent article by Dr. Khalid Alnowaiser in the Khaleej Times, talks about how women in Saudi Arabia must fight for themselves. Dr. Alnowaiser quotes the Quran that clearly states that men are not superior or inferior to women. It is the citizens that have divided the sexes and made the rules for women to live by. These include only being offered a few jobs and are controlled by men. The author continues to state that if women want to change this, they must do themselves. From an outsider’s perspective, it seems that government is the one to blame for the lack of women rights in Middle Eastern countries; however, it is the boundaries that culture has implements that must be broken.

The law can only protect the rights of women, and it takes more than the signing of a bill or amendment for it to take action. Women must stand up all across the globe for accomplishment to take place. It does not matter if it’s Saudi Arabia or the United States, women must take the power into their own hands and defend their civil rights.

Too much makes too little

2010-02-13T16:00:00.002-05:00

By: Jill Pass - from the series of guest posts written by Dr. Baldwin's students at Michigan State University.

There is a huge pressure for women to be skinny. Our society teaches us that beauty on the outside ranks higher than ever possible on the inside. This has conformed how society views women, making us strive for acceptance through looks. Ever wonder why women are 90% more likely to have an eating disorder then men?

Men often are attracted to females with thin pretty bodies. This idea warps the mind of women. Men often put the pressure of being thin onto us even if they don't realize it. Men have calendars or posters of models in their rooms. We want the affection a man will give to a half naked model.

Often times this need to be wanted by a man can cause a women to go to extremes. Dieting constantly and dressing up to go to the grocery store just makes a chain effect for men to continue to put this pressure on us. They have seen the effects that the pressure to fit in can do. They continue to chase after women with a tight body before they ever see their personality. Not all of us have it in our genes to be a size 2. However, we still try to get there. Sometimes, striving too hard can lead a woman to have an eating disorder. With society and men putting too much pressure on women to be "perfect," many are becoming too thin.

We don't know exactly what causes an eating disorder. Possible causes include feeling stressed out or upset about something in your life, or feeling like you need to be "in control." However, Society also puts a lot of pressure on people to be thin. This pressure can contribute too; wanted to conform to want society thinks is correct.

Although the majority of women do not have an eating disorder, most still strive for a thin and beautiful body. Our society glorifies thinness and places significance on obtaining the "perfect body." Our cultural norm is to place a value onto people with outer beauty rather to take the time to get to know their strengths on the inside. Size two models are always laughing in pictures, happy to be wearing great clothes and getting attention for it, while women a few sizes bigger are never featured on magazines. We do not have the access to see overweight women "enjoying life" through photo shots. This has created society's need to be a size two; to see skinny as happy.

Objectification of women in media

2010-02-11T14:51:00.003-05:00

By: Anonymous - from the series of guest posts written by Dr. Baldwin's students at Michigan State University.

Do you ever notice that women get objectified as sex objects all the time, when men hardly are? Video games... how are women dressed? Provocatively. Clothing advertisements, such as A&F or even Guess... how are women dressed? Half naked or with bare midriffs or cleavage hanging out. Do you seen men portrayed this way very often? Women, please give me your input on this.

Women and men in relationships

2010-02-11T14:48:00.000-05:00

By: Anonymous - from the series of guest posts written by Dr. Baldwin's students at Michigan State University.

The other day in class we started discussing relationships. I’ve been briefly thinking about some of the comments made and it’s come to make me feel like the younger the boyfriend the less he cares. I’ve been dating my boyfriend for nearly three years, and I am a freshman in college. Tell me about it. When we were younger it was kind of you do your thing, I’ll do mine. I notice many girls crying because their boyfriends don’t spend enough time with them, or he’d rather be a boy than paint her toenails. Understandable? I think so, but she doesn’t. Boys seem to like being manly, and I feel like with their girlfriends not being understanding of the fact, it tends to drive them away. Women seem to strive for the perfect lovey dovey relationship. The candles, the movies and the cuddling. The man; however seems to like to watch football, and eat a burger. Young couples getting married appear to fall out of love, or result in divorce whereas older couples fall more in love with each other. Elderly couples look like they could not be happier because they both know they were in it for the long haul, and made it. They no longer have anything to damage their reputation. They have a best friend they couldn’t live without. They may not have gotten married when they were 20 however. This is very stereotypical of me to assume these things, but men and women not getting along gets more and more apparent with every discussion had.

Some call it confidence

2010-02-11T14:43:00.000-05:00

By: Anonymous - from the series of guest posts written by Dr. Baldwin's students at Michigan State University.

During the 2009 election we had three strong but very diverse candidates. We had the old-timer, the minority and the female dog. Unfortunately she didn't get a very good reputation. Hillary Clinton is seen as an over empowering woman. She is a threat to men in the government and throughout the world. But what is wrong with a little confidence? In today's society it is a positive thing for a man to be confident. Confidence in a man is sexy and shows power. Women are taken as aggressive and atrocious. That if we come off as too confident or secure men are turned away and view that woman as stuck up. Why can't a woman be confident and proud of herself without being called out on it? Women and men should be see as equal when they are looked at for what they have accomplished or how they perceive themselves.

Natalie "Green" Portman

2010-02-11T14:37:00.002-05:00

By: Anonymous - from the series of guest posts written by Dr. Baldwin's students at Michigan State University.

Graduating from an Ivy League college, Natalie Portman had been voted the "Sexiest Vegetarian Alive" couple of years ago. Aged 28, while most of the fellow celebs would focus on making their professional career on-screen, this young celebrity chose to perform globally. She wasn't vegetarian in her childhood days. This transition came when she read aloud a book about animal shit to two of her friends and realized that meat eating had ruined their own backgrounds. One friend had asthma while other couldn't eat fish because of dumping in the local river. While some greenies buy vegan clothes and footwear that are made from non-animal materials, Natalie Portman actually designs them! The actress lent her name and voice to the Animal Planet documentary Saving a Species: Gorillas on the Brink, which highlighted the threats to the animals' rainforest habitat. Portman has also been active in groups like Global Green USA, an organization that tackles environmental issues on an international scale. Below are the 10 reasons that Natalie Portman gave to justify her being a vegetarian.

1. Slim Down While Feeling Good

Is shedding some extra pounds first on your list of goals for the new year? Vegetarians are, on average, up to 20 pounds lighter than meat-eaters. And unlike unhealthy fad diets, which leave you feeling tired (and gaining all the weight back eventually), going vegetarian is the healthy way to keep the excess fat off for good while feeling full of energy.

2. It's the Best Way to Help Animals

Every vegetarian saves more than 100 animals a year from horrible abuse. There is simply no other way that you can easily help so many animals and prevent so much suffering than by choosing vegetarian foods over meat, eggs, and dairy products.

3. A Healthier, Happier You

A vegetarian diet is great for your health! According to the American Dietetic Association, vegetarians are less likely to develop heart disease, cancer, diabetes, or high blood pressure than meat-eaters. Vegetarians get all the nutrients they need to be healthy (e.g., plant protein, fiber, minerals, etc.) without all the nasty stuff in meat that slows you down and makes you sick, like cholesterol and saturated animal fat.

4. Vegetarian Food Is Delicious

So you're worried that if you go vegetarian, you'll have to give up hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, and ice cream? You won't. As the demand for vegetarian food skyrockets, companies are coming out with more and more delicious meat and dairy product alternatives that taste like the real thing but are much healthier and don't hurt any animals. Plus, we have thousands of tasty kitchen-tested recipes to help you get started!

5. Meat Is Gross

It's disgusting but true: Meat is often contaminated with feces, blood, and other bodily fluids, all of which make animal products the top source of food poisoning in the United States. Scientists at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health tested supermarket chicken flesh and found that 96 percent of Tyson chicken was contaminated with campylobacter, a dangerous bacteria that causes 2.4 million cases of food poisoning each year, resulting in diarrhea, cramping, abdominal pain, and fever. Learn more.

6. Help Feed the World

Eating meat doesn't just hurt animals; it hurts people too. It takes tons of crops and water to raise farmed animals-in fact, it takes up to 16 pounds of grain to produce just 1 pound of animal flesh! All that plant food could be used much more efficiently if it was fed to people directly. The more people who go vegetarian, the more we can feed the hungry.

7. Save the Planet

Eating meat is one of the worst things that you can do for the Earth; it's wasteful, it causes enormous amounts of pollution, and the meat industry is one of the biggest causes of global warming. Adopting a vegetarian diet is more important than switching to a "greener" car in the fight against global warming.

8. All the Cool Kids Are Doing It

The list of stars who shun animal flesh is basically a "who's who" of today's hottest celebs. Joaquin Phoenix, Natalie Portman, Tobey McGuire, Shania Twain, Alicia Silverstone, Anthony Kiedis, Casey Affleck, Kristen Bell, INXS lead singer J.D. Fortune, Benji Madden, Alyssa Milano, Common, Joss Stone, and Carrie Underwood are just a handful of the super-sexy vegetarians who regularly appear in People magazine. Check out our recent "World's Sexiest Vegetarians" poll for more hot, compassionate celebs.

9. Look Sexy and Be Sexy

Vegetarians tend to be thinner than meat-eaters and have more energy, which is perfect for late-night romps with your special someone. (Guys: The cholesterol and saturated animal fat in meat, eggs, and dairy products don't just clog the arteries to your heart; over time, they impede blood flow to other vital organs as well.) Plus, what's sexier than someone who is not only mega-hot, but also compassionate?

10. Pigs Are Smarter Than Your Dog

While most people are less familiar with pigs, chickens, fish, and cows than they are with dogs and cats, animals used for food are every bit as intelligent and able to suffer as the animals who share our homes are. Pigs can learn to play video games, and chickens are so smart that scientists to that of monkeys have compared their intelligence.

When asked to comment on her choice to be a vegetarian, she said, "I am a very strict vegetarian ... I just really, really love animals, and I act on my values."