In defense of the sanctimonious women's studies set || First feminist blog on the internet

Month: January 2009

Illinois Sued Over Refusal to Correct Birth Certificates

Well this is incredibly ridiculous, really upsetting . . . and wholly unsurprising.

Two transgender women are suing the state of Illinois, which is refusing to change/correct their birth certificates to accurately reflect their gender identities.

Why won’t the state change them?  Karissa Rothkopf and Victoria Kirk haven’t met the state’s standards for gender reaffirmation surgery, which apparently include having the surgery performed by a doctor licensed in the United States.  Their surgeries were both performed in Thailand.

Their lawsuit, filed by attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union, called the denials a violation of state law and asked a judge to order that their birth certificates be changed.

“It could create significant problems for me in the future,” Kirk said Tuesday at a news conference. “A document that says I am male puts me at risk of embarrassment, harassment and possibly even physical violence.”

The two women said they chose to undergo procedures in Thailand because they felt the one-step surgery offered there would be medically safer. Both women have been able to change the gender on their driver’s licenses, passports and Social Security cards.

In addition to the apparent concern over safety, for many trans individuals seeking surgery there’s the additional issue of cost.  Most health insurance plans to not cover gender reaffirmation surgery (or other medical costs, such as hormones).  And with U.S. health care costs so high, many other countries can offer the surgery (or surgeries) at a significantly lower price, even with travel expenses tacked on top.  Because, you know, we don’t all have tens of thousands of dollars sitting in the bank.

But personally, I’m even more concerned that there are laws in place stating that one has to have invasive surgery, which not all trans people even want, in order to be legally considered the gender that you live, present and identify as.  What a ridiculous, pointless, expensive and discriminatory exercise in cis-privilege.  Clearly, the law needs to be changed in more way than one.

Good luck, Karissa and Victoria.  We’re pulling for you.

via Questioning Transphobia

Good news about women and the stimulus package

We didn’t win the birth control battle, but the stimulus package is still very good for women.

So, what’s in the package for women? “Expanding health for them, childcare, unemployment insurance, direct help in higher food stamps, and energy assistance,” said Joan Entmacher, vice president for family economic stability at the National Women’s Law Center, a non-profit, nonpartisan advocacy group that has worked closely with the Obama transition team and key members of Congress. “It also protects a lot of jobs for women in education, early education, and social work services,” she added.

“You don’t get everything you ask for,” said Entmacher, “[But] we’re pleased with the funding specifically targeted to childcare and Head Start and other investment for children with disabilities.”

Other feminist leaders are also guardedly positive about the stimulus.

“We’re pretty happy with what we’re seeing so far,” said Kim Gandy, president of the National Organization for Women, “But we’re waiting to see details.”

Asked whether the Obama administration was more friendly to feminist advocacy groups than the last administration, Gandy laughed and replied, “Are you kidding? The difference is like night and day.”

Shockingly, caving to right-wing interests does not achieve progressive goals.

Obama pressured Dems to cut a provision of the stimulus package that would have made it easier for states to use Medicaid to cover birth control for low-income women. The reasoning? It would foster bipartisanship and get Republicans on board with the stimulus as a whole.

The outcome? Not a single Republican voted for the BC-free stimulus package.

The problem with bipartisanship as a goal is that both sides have to want it. I don’t have a problem with making politican compromises or with genuine bipartisan cooperation, but you’d better make sure that the people you’re “compromising” with are going to give something in return before you start scaling back your own plan.

Plus what Katha says. Birth control belongs in the stimulus package.

Obama Signs the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act

President Barack Obama has just signed his first piece of legislation — and in a move that will hold much symbolism for women and all invested in their equality, it was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

Ledbetter, now 70, became an icon for Obama during his campaign for the White House. Obama escorted her into the East Room this morning for the signing ceremony, and led a prolonged round of applause for her as they stood together at the podium.

“We are upholding one of this nation’s first principles: that we are all created equal and each deserve a chance to pursue our own version of happiness,” Obama said before signing the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act, which makes clear that workers may bring a lawsuit for up to six months after they receive any paycheck that they allege is discriminatory.

” . . . While this bill bears her name, Lilly knows this story isn’t just about her,” Obama said. “It’s the story of women across this country still earning just 78 cents for every dollar men earn — women of color even less — which means that today, in the year 2009, countless women are still losing thousands of dollars in salary, income and retirement savings over the course of a lifetime.”

The law is an early emblem of the more liberal tilt the federal government is likely to take now that Democrats control both houses of Congress as well as the White House.

Among those enthusiastically looking on were House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who Obama praised for leading passage of the bill in the House; Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, whose historic bid to become the first U.S. female president ended when Obama secured the Democratic nomination; first lady Michelle Obama and Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.).

[. . .]

Obama said he was signing the bill this morning not only in honor of Ledbetter, “but in honor of those who came before her. Women like my grandmother who worked in a bank all her life, and even after she hit that glass ceiling, kept getting up and giving her best every day . . .

“And I sign this bill for my daughters, and all those who will come after us,” Obama added, “because I want them to grow up in a nation that values their contributions, where there are no limits to their dreams and they have opportunities their mothers and grandmothers never could have imagined.”

Yup, I’ll admit it: that brings a little tear to my eye.

I couldn’t find any images yet of Obama signing the the bill into law.  Once they’re available, I’ll post some links; because that sounds like one kickass crowd.

I’ll tell you, there are a lot of things that could be said about how there is more work to be done, and how this should only be the beginning.  All of that would be true.  But right now, I’m just going to savor the moment.

UPDATE: the NY Times has a really great photo.  You can also find a video of Obama’s remarks and his signing the legislation here.

And we’re so damn glad that he could never be our husband.

So that’s why they call him “Dick”:

For those who can’t view the video, towards the end, Joan Walsh is making a point while former Republican House Majority Leader Dick Armey rolls his eyes and laughs at her. When Walsh finishes, he says:

I am so damn glad that you could never be my wife, ’cause I surely wouldn’t have to listen to that prattle from you every day.

Because that’s what women are good for: marrying, fucking and popping out babies for their man. Unfortunately, they have to ruin the whole process with their talking and their opinions.

In addition to Walsh’s own smart, if appropriately stunned, comment of “well that makes two of us,” Bob Herbert calls out Armey’s comments in a later segment, shaming Chris Matthews into also admitting that they were inappropriate.  Unsurprisingly, though, there’s still no word of an apology from Armey himself.

South Carolina Tries to Further Restrict Abortion Access

South Carolina, already home to a law that forces women to undergo ultrasounds before they have an abortion, and another one that forces them to wait an hour to have the abortion after being given literature about why they shouldn’t, is now trying to pass yet another law saying women are too stupid to know what they’re doing:

Women seeking an abortion in South Carolina would have to wait at least 24 hours after their ultrasound under a bill given initial approval Wednesday by a House subcommittee.

The measure would increase the waiting time from an hour to a day.

Proponents said it would bring South Carolina in line with other states that have waiting periods and give women time to reflect on the decision. Critics said requiring two trips creates a burden, especially for poor, rural women.

The proposal follows nearly two years of debate on whether to require women to view an ultrasound image before getting an abortion. Under a compromise passed last year, women must be asked whether they want to look at the screen during the procedure or see a printed image — and sign a form verifying they were given the option.

The compromise kept in the law a 60-minute wait already required after women are handed brochures about fetal development and abortion alternatives.

“But one hour is not enough time to think about it,” said Rep. Greg Delleney, the sponsor of last year’s law and the current proposal. “I’m trying to give the chance for a child waiting to be born to have a birthday.”

Well at least the guy, unlike many other proponents of the bill, is honest about the fact that his intent isn’t to save the poor stupid, imbecile women who don’t understand the meaning of the word “pregnancy,” but to save the poor babies from those poor stupid, imbecile women.

Read More…Read More…

Fuck you Dov Charney.

I’ll admit that despite what everyone knows about Dov Charney’s creepiness and American Apparel’s child-porn-y ads, I still shop there from time to time. It’s hard to find sweatshop-free affordable clothes, and they’re good for basics like sweatpants and t-shirts.

But, yeah, not anymore. The text of the above ad reads:

“Women initiate most domestic violence, yet out of a thousand cases of domestic violence, maybe one is involving a man. And this has made a victim of culture out of women.”

Renee pretty much covers it, so head over and read her. I’ll just add a few more numbers to the game:

1 in 4: The number of women raped and/or physically assaulted by a current or former spouse, cohabiting partner, or dating partner/acquaintance at some time in their lifetime. (for men: 7.6 out of 100)

1.3 Million: The number of women physically assaulted by an intimate partner annually in the United States. (for men: 835,000)

20: The percentage of nonfatal violence against women committed by an intimate partner. (for men: 3)

33: The percentage of female murder victims who were killed by an intimate. (for male murder victims: 4%)

1,247: The number of women killed by an intimate partner in 2000. (for men: 440)

2/3rds: The percentage of women killed by firearms who were killed by an intimate partner.

1,006,970: The number of women stalked annually in the United States.

84: The percent of spouse abuse victims who are female.

I’m not trying to downplay the plight of male victims of domestic violence, or suggest that becase men are victimized less often that their victimization isn’t just as wrong. There is a cultural silence and erasure of male victimization, and that’s a huge problem. But addressing that doesn’t require ignoring — or spitting at — the fact that women experience the vast majority of intimate partner violence, and that we often pay for it with our lives. It doesn’t require implying that women bring domestic violence upon themselves by saying that women “initiate” most of it (What does that even mean? She talked back?).

I wish I could come up with something more adult and biting than “Fuck you, Dov Charney,” but it’s about all I can muster.

Thanks to Amanda for sending this on.

UPDATE: The ad may be fake, but the quote isn’t. A while back, Dov Charney apparently told a McGill Daily Reporter that:

“Women initiate most domestic violence, yet out of a thousand cases of domestic violence maybe one is involving a man.” And this, Charney decries, “has made a victim culture out of women.”

So the “fuck you” to Dov still stands, and the ad itself may be genius.