August 2013 – Page 2

Spillover #8

New #spillover thread, since the last one is up over 200 comments. Some reminders:

1. #spillover is part of our comment moderation system for keeping other threads on-topic.
2. Commentors are encouraged to respect the topic of each post and cheerfully volunteer to take off-topic side-discussions into #spillover.

The Moderator Team will enforce topicality where necessary, and off-topic commentors who ignore invitations from others to take their tangents to #spillover are one of the reasons commentors might consider sending the moderators a giraffe alert.

Women’s Equality Day Open Thread

Today is Women’s Equality Day, marking the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920, which gave women the right to vote. Ninety-three years later, women in the United States have more rights than ever before, but are still a long way away from true equality with men. The feminist movement has never directed all its energy at a single issue (nor should it), but if you could set the agenda, where would you focus feminist efforts for the next several decades?

Shameless Self-Promotion Sunday

Promote yourself.

N.B. remember your netiquette.

Weekly Open Thread with Falcon Feathers

Keeping a hostly eye on the thread this week is this watchful falcon. Please natter/chatter/vent/rant on anything* you like over this weekend and throughout the week.
* with a few netiquette exceptions

Pop Goes The Culture: Strong Female Characters (and more)

A few days ago in the #solidarityisforwhitewomen secondary thread, Gloria made a suggestion I really liked, so, welcome to the first edition of implementing Gloria’s idea! Last week, Sophia McDougall wrote an article in New Statesman that I’m linking to as a discussion kick-starter: I Hate Strong Female Characters.

P.S. Suggestions for discussion kickstarters for future Pop Goes The Culture editions are very welcome, pitching discussion-starter posts as Guest Posts is strongly encouraged!

Do we need another Todd Akin?

I’m not a fan, but at least Republican rape philosophers shine a light on the GOP’s radical views on abortion. As it stands, they’re passing laws that include no exceptions for rape survivors, and they’re doing it quietly:

The Freedom to Abuse Kids

This week at the Guardian I’m writing about the gay conversion therapy ban passed in New Jersey, and how religious freedom is too often used as an argument for abusing kids — at the expense of children’s own equal protection under the law.

Open Letter to Michelle Obama: Cutting Calories at the Women’s History Museum

Dear Mrs. Obama,

I wrote to you several years ago when you first announced your anti-childhood-obesity campaign, stating my opinion that opposition to childhood obesity both focuses on a red herring instead of a problem and encourages low self-esteem in all children (and people) who perceive themselves to be fat. I was sorry never to get an answer.

Building a new racial justice movement

Here is a thing you should read today.

Selfless Signal-Boosting Wednesday

This thread is for links to pieces on other people’s blogs that you have found delightful/memorable/provoking recently. Please save the self-promotion links for a Shameless Self-Promotion Sunday thread – use this thread to let Feministe readers know about the other blogs you love to read, especially those on the margins of the mainstream social justice communities, who tend to not get as much exposure as they should.