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 Gates has stated that it isn't a matter of whether it should be repealed, but how.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."

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.

• Check out The New York Times' "Women at Arms" series, which "explores how the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have profoundly redefined the role of women in the military."


• In the Philippines, where abortion is illegal and 70% of the population cannot afford birth control, reproductive rights advocates are pushing for legislation that would require the government to provide free or low-cost reproductive services. However, these efforts are meeting harsh resistance.


• California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill Wednesday restoring the $16.3 million in funds for domestic violence shelters that he originally cut from the state's budget in July.


• In Saudi Arabia, a female journalist has been sentenced to 60 lashes for being involved with a TV show that discussed sex.


• The US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights, and Oversight held a hearing Wednesday to examine the violence perpetuated against women in foreign countries. Our goal is achieve re-introduction of the International Violence Against Women Act.


• Personhood Nevada filed a ballot initiative in the state to pass a law that would define a fetus as a human being. If passed, this law would threaten abortion rights, as well as IUDs, emergency contraception, in vitro fertilization clinics, and stem cell research.


• An article on MSNBC.com warns that certain menopause remedies that are becoming popular, such as hormone therapies, may contain dangerous side-effects.


• With the Barbie doll losing popularity, Mattel is giving her a makeover in hopes to revive the historic toy. It's pretty horrific... let the short short dresses and copious amounts of makeup speak for themselves.


• Michelle Obama has been active recently in Breast Cancer awareness.

Discussions are taking place in the Pentagon over how to "loosen" the restrictions imposed by the disastrous "don't ask, don't tell" policy, according to Defense Secretary Robert Gates.

Gates added: "What I discovered when I got into it was it's a very restrictive law. It doesn't leave much to the imagination, or a lot of flexibility."

The defense secretary said one possible modification might be consider the circumstances under which a service member is "outed" in determining whether or not he or she must leave the military.

Wow. Can a person really get kicked out of the military if another person outs them? Goodness. Well, here's my suggestion: how about we just get rid of this outdated and discriminatory policy?

Seriously. It's high time we get on our representatives' assess about repealing "don't ask, don't tell." Contact your reps and the White House. It seems foolish and futile to contact the president, but enough demand to repeal this policy might just be the push he needs to do something about it.

There is an interesting, albeit disturbing, piece on Salon by Matt Kennard, entitled "Neo-Nazis Are in the Army Now." Though army regulations are designed to keep out white supremacists, many of them are getting in anyway. Seems to me that the government doesn't care why a soldier is shooting at the enemy, just as long as s/he can shoot. It's utterly nerve wracking that powerful weapons (both literally and figuratively) are being placed in the hands of those who believe in whitewashing the world's population. Kennard, who interviewed an Iraq war veteran and Nazi, writes:

Army regulations prohibit soldiers from participating in racist groups, and recruiters are instructed to keep an eye out for suspicious tattoos. Before signing on the dotted line, enlistees are required to explain any tattoos. At a Tampa recruitment office, though, Fogarty sailed right through the signup process. "They just told me to write an explanation of each tattoo, and I made up some stuff, and that was that," he says. Soon he was posted to Fort Stewart in Georgia, where he became part of the 3rd Infantry Division.

Fogarty's ex-girlfriend, intent on destroying his new military career, sent a dossier of photographs to Fort Stewart. The photos showed Fogarty attending white supremacist rallies and performing with his band, Attack. "They hauled me before some sort of committee and showed me the pictures," Fogarty says. "I just denied them and said my girlfriend was a spiteful bitch." He adds: "They knew what I was about. But they let it go because I'm a great soldier."

I wonder if the army would be so forgiving if someone tried to enlist with tattoos of rainbow flags and two male symbols intertwined, or if a soldier's ex-lover sent in pictures of him or her engaging in same-sex kissing. My guess is that they wouldn't. The U.S. government is more comfortable giving guns to white supremacists than to queer people. That sends a shiver down my spine.

Wow.

A new soldier helping to attract others to the military was shot and killed outside an Army recruiting office today and a second soldier was wounded, and a suspect was arrested, police said.

A man inside a black vehicle pulled up outside the Army-Navy recruiting office in west Little Rock and opened fire about 10:30 a.m., said police Lt. Terry Hastings.

The two soldiers were outside the office when they were shot. They were taken to a hospital, where one died.

Though I'm never too thrilled myself when I see military recruiters, shooting them is never the answer. Amazing people (Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr.) have gotten so many things done in the past by employing non-violent methods... why can't we follow their examples? Shooting an enemy might provide gratification in the moment, but what does it solve in the long-run? Absolutely nothing.

I'm calling it right now: within the next decade, we will see the repeal of the discriminatory "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

Recently, more than 100 retired generals and admirals called for the repeal of the outdated policy. The officers wrote:

"As is the case with Great Britain, Israel, and other nations that allow gays and lesbians to serve openly, our service members are professionals who are able to work together effectively despite differences in race, gender, religion and sexuality."

On top of pressure from veterans, Obama has said that as president, he plans to work with military leaders to build a consensus to remove the policy. Between 1994 and 2007, 2,340 people were discharged for violating "don't ask, don't tell." I can't even believe that this policy has been supported for so long. It just seems like common sense to me that we can't tell people who are putting their lives on the line for our country that they're not allowed to say two simple words, "I'm gay," while serving. It's preposterous. Commence celebrations when this ugly discrimination is over.

Lots and lots and lots has been going on. I thought I'd create a buffet to let you sample it all.

• Ratings show that Obama's infomercial that was aired last night was a success.


• Michelle Obama was on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno on Monday. Watch it on YouTube.


• New evidence is showing that women are paying much more for health care than men are. Who says health care isn't a feminist issue?


• The anti-choice Attorney General in Virginia is trying hard to reinstate an abortion ban in the state.


• Barack Obama has a new ad out that attacks McCain's lack of economic understanding. He also uses footage of Palin winking at the camera in the ad.


• A non-profit organization is offering to pay a couple $10,000 to ban alcohol from their wedding and abstain from sex. Not surprisingly, there are no takers.


• The organization Women Against Palin is holding a webathon today from 1-9PM, where they will read thousands of letters sent to them by various women who oppose Palin on a live stream.


• Watch Samantha Bee of The Daily Show with Jon Stewart tackle McCain's infamous use of air quotes when talking about "women's health."


• The general of the rebel group that occupies the Democratic Republic of Congo says he wants talks with the government about ending fighting. Since fighting broke out, hundreds of thousands of women and girls have been raped by enemies.


• Anti-gay marriage groups in Arizona are pushing for the state to officially ban same-sex marriage and define marriage as only between one man and one woman. Sigh.


• In an interview, McCain claimed that race won't play an issue in the election outcome because most people will make their decision based on who they feel is more fit to lead. Keep dreaming.


• The McCain campaign is treating Palin, quite frankly, like shit. From calling her a "diva," to calling her a "whack job," and now it's becoming clear that she is going to be the source of blame from the McCain camp should they lose the election.


• A new study shows that many female veterans are reporting having experienced sexual trauma during their service.


• The McCain campaign volunteer who falsely claimed a man attacked her and carved a B (for "Barack") into her cheek has reached a deal in court.

Anything else?

Heh heh.

The good news: Lawmakers are re-examining the ludicrous "don't ask, don't tell" policy for the first time since it was established in 1993.

The bad news: They are only doing this examining because people are arguing that keeping qualified people out of the military due to sexual orientation is hurting the U.S. military's capabilities.

Oh no, we couldn't possibly repeal "don't ask, don't tell" because it makes gay and lesbian soldiers into second-class citizens and provides an opportunity for unconstitutional discrimination and segregation. The fact that we're treating gays like worthless pieces of shit who don't deserve the same rights as heterosexuals? Not a good enough reason.

But we'll be damned if keeping them gays out of the military hurts our abilities to blow shit up!

Ludicrous.

Been busy busy busy at my internship, so I apologize for not being able to post everyday. Here's a Buffet of the Week with several feminist-friendly stories and current events to make up for the lack of updates. Enjoy!

• As most of you know, Obama has officially gained the amount of delegates needed for him to win the nomination. Clinton is now respectfully bowing out, and planning to endorse Obama.

• The first U.N. General Assembly debate on human trafficking was held this week. Among the speakers at the event was actress Ashley Judd, who stressed the importance of empowering women and girls.

• I'm not sure how many of you have heard of this, but recently, a lesbian couple received complaints at a baseball game because they were kissing. An usher told them that their kissing was "inappropriate" - he had received a complaint from a woman who said that parents shouldn't have to explain to their kids why two women were kissing. Ugh.

• This is interesting. An artist in Bangkok is challenging the standards of beauty in China through her exhibit "Naked Beyond Skin." The exhibit features sculptures of nude women of various shapes, sizes, and body types. The sculptures are hairless, and are all showing different moods. Many are disturbed by the naked women, but they can't help but feel intrigued.

• Interestingly enough, West Point has adopted gender-neutral lyrics to its songs. For example, "the men of the Corps" becomes "the ranks of the Corps."

• The New York Times has a very interesting essay written by a doctor, who performed abortions before Roe vs. Wade.

• First same-sex weddings in Greece are stirring controversy. Surprised? Me neither.

• A Durban rape survivor plans to open a special hospital specifically for rape survivors.

• A writer in Germany is sparking controversy through her new racy novel. "Wetlands" follows an 18-year-old girl as she explicitly and honestly describes her sex life and private grooming habits.

• Similar to Angola's "Miss Landmine," Denmark now has an unconventional beauty pageant of its own: "Miss Headscarf."

• In Zimbabwe, predominantly female activists have been arrested and may be facing torture.

• Check out this super trendy line at Kmart that promotes abstinence amongst teen girls. The sweatpants sport the slogan "true love waits." So... if I don't wait until marriage, my love isn't true...?

Feel free to comment with any stories that I missed!

Woo, it's been a long day. I'll be visiting family all weekend, so updates will resume on Tuesday. To tide you over, here's your buffet of the week:

• Ellen challenges McCain on gay marriage! Probably the best video I've seen all week. McCain gets his ass handed to him.


• Hillary addresses sexism in an interview with The Washington Post, calling it "deeply offensive to millions of women."


• In Colombia, women continue to fight for reproductive rights. A 13-year-old rape victim being refused an abortion? They have a long way to go...


• This is very upsetting: some Zimbabwean women are so desperate that they have begun to sell sex in order to buy food. Some perform sexual acts for as little as 50 U.S. cents.


• Huuuuge gap in pay between male and female lacrosse coaches. On average, men made $85,000 more in 2006.


• In Tanzania, girls can disappear and no one will raise an eyebrow. Human trafficking is all too common, where a girl can sell for $20.


• The US Senate passed a supplemental war spending bill on Thursday, which included a provision to restore government subsidies for birth control pills sold at university and low-income health centers.


• The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals has brought a lawsuit against the Air Force that questions the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy.


• Women seek to ban men's ski jumping from the Olympics because the sport excludes women from participating.

Anything I missed?

Times is hard.

At least for the Marines, who are facing difficulty with recruiting during this highly unpopular war. Their solution? Why, reach out to the women, of course! The Marine Corps have begun running women-friendly ads in magazines with a female audience, such as Shape.

The Marine Corps started accepting women for clerical duties in 1918. In 1973, when the military dropped the draft, the Marines attempted to appeal to women by distributing brochures to college women. The brochure cover had a picture of a flower on it. Other than that, the Marines predominantly ran ads with its "few good men" slogan. In the 1990s, the Marines began having trouble reaching recruitment goals, and thus ran ads in magazines like Seventeen and Sports Illustrated for Women:

The tagline reads, "Get a make-over that's more than skin deep." Other ads during this time had the slogan, "You can look at models, or you can be one." I don't think I have to make any comments about gender stereotyping here.

Today, the Marines are again looking for a "few good women."

To me, it seems as if the Marines don't particularly give two shits about "reaching out to women" unless they're in a jam. Appealing to women doesn't seem to be a top priority unless recruitment numbers are down. That makes me angry.

Full article at the New York Times.

Barack Obama recently told The Advocate, a gay magazine, that he favors repealing the preposterous "don't ask, don't tell" policy in the military. He said:

"We're spending large sums of money to kick highly qualified gays or lesbians out of our military... That doesn't make us more safe."

Well put. There are so many things wrong with the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. Aside from the fact that it requires gays and lesbians to shut their mouths about their sexuality while straight people can talk about it freely, it really says something about our priorities when the armed forces cares more about a person's sexuality than their qualifications and ability to protect our country.

This will most likely ruin your day. But it involves an extremely serious and important issue that we all need to understand. The Democratic Republic of Congo, for those of you who don't know, is currently involved in a civil war that is resulting in the devastation of its people. An unfortunate result of this war is an unstoppable rape crisis. Rebels are using rape as a tactic of war - a way to humiliate their enemies and exceed power over them. Since fighting broke out in 1998, hundreds of thousands of females have been brutally raped, most suffering irrevocable emotional and physical damage. From a terribly shocking article in Guardian Weekly:

Raped at fourteen months old. This isn't a rare occurrence. Every day, the bodies of women and girls are being ravaged. Many are left pregnant, or infected with HIV. Some women are shot in the genitals, resulting in serious damage that very few hospitals are equipped to repair. Some women are raped while pregnant, some are forced to become sex slaves. Several women have watched their family members get shot right in front of them for refusing succumb to the rebels' sexual demands. Moreover, many women refuse to tell anyone that they have been raped because of the negative social stigma surrounding it.

It's an appalling situation. I'm currently sponsoring a woman in the Republic of Congo through Women for Women International. Her name is Lucie, she's 18-years-old and has four children depending on her. She can't afford to send her children to school, and her home has no electricity or running water. The hardships these women undergo are endless. If you want to help, please visit Women for Women to look into donating money or sponsoring a woman in a war-devastated country. You can also visit the International Rescue Committee website to learn more about the situation in Congo, as well as find out ways you can help. Please do what you can.

This is a video interview with a former British soldier who decided to receive gender re-assignment surgery to become a woman. I think it's great that this story is getting coverage because it can help everyone better understand people who are transgendered. However, I hope that one day, a person changing their gender won't be so shocking that it deserves a spot on the news.

Unfortunately, women have to worry about being sexually harassed almost everywhere they go... even in the military. A new study conducted by the Pentagon shows that 1/3 of women in the military have experienced sexual harassment.


It really upsets me that this is going on. To me, it shows that many men are still not taking women in the military seriously. These women enlist to serve their country - not to be treated like a piece of meat. When people argue against women being in the military, often they will reason that the presence of women might "distract" the men from their duties. It is clear that this isn't too far from the truth, but why should it then be the woman's responsibility to back off? Women shouldn't be kept out of the military because some men can't keep their hands to themselves.

Additionally, sexual harassment in the military is not just happening to women. 6% of men also reported being harassed, although it is unclear if the majority of the offenders were male or female. But these statistics still show that sexual harassment in the military is a major problem that is not getting nearly enough attention. I'm worried about women being discouraged from enlisting in the military because of potential harassment. It's tough enough being a woman in a male-dominated association without having to deal with being violated.

What can be done about this though? What kind of steps can be taken to prevent it? Better education? Stricter policies? It's hard to say. I think in the end, it's attitudes towards women that need to be reformed. Unfortunately, that's by far the hardest thing to change.