Shameless Self-Promotion Sunday March 21, 2010 Cara Drop a link in the comments to what you’ve been writing this week. Make sure to link to specific posts, not just your whole blog.
Actually from 3/13/10, but, speaks to the need for me, as a woman and as a person, to do it all myself, which can be dangerous: http://missincognegro.wordpress.com/2010/03/13/too-proud-to-beg/
This week at Yes Means Yes Blog: Affirmative Consent As Legal Standard. How does “enthusiastic participation” translate to the substantive law of rape? This is my answer, drawing at length on two law review articles. Again with my lawyer hat on: Sexting: Parents’ and Girls’ Autonomy Upheld, covering the Third Circuit’s appellate opinion about the Pennsylvania sexting case that I previously posted on. A prosecutor tried to bully girls who appeared in non-nude suggestive pictures into going to his re-education program, even though they didn’t really commit any crime. They stood up to him, and the THird Circuit sided with the girls and their parents. I’m relying on a review of the decision at a law blog because I still have not had a chance to read it carefully for myself. Also this week, and this is truly gratuitous self-promotion, Amanda Hess at the Washington DC CityPaper interviewed me.
Rethinking Bisexuality? http://queersunited.blogspot.com/2010/03/open-forum-rethinking-bisexuality.html Demand that Lesbian Student be Allowed to Go to Prom http://queersunited.blogspot.com/2010/03/demand-that-lesbian-student-be-allowed.html Gay for Pay or Pay for Gay? http://queersunited.blogspot.com/2010/03/open-forum-gay-for-pay-or-pay-for-gay.html Does the Kama Sutra Address Asexual Orientation? http://queersunited.blogspot.com/2010/03/open-forum-does-kama-sutra-address.html
This week, I remark on a recent article that shows that some leftist governments in Latin America are passing legislation that restricts women’s reproductive rights, such as abortion.
About a week or so ago the US-based TV show Dr. Oz ran a short segment on vaginismus, a condition in which the pelvic floor & vaginal muscles tense up, which can make some activities like PIV sex and gynecological exams painful or impossible. The show covered biofeedback as a treatment, but it left much room for improvement. http://feministswithfsd.wordpress.com/2010/03/15/vaginismus-and-biofeedback-on-dr-oz/
The Jewish fight over Leonardo DiCaprio and Bar Rafaeli’s potential marrage and women being attacked by chairs at the Western Wall
Continuing from last week, the Catholic Church abuse coverup story continues to expand, with Bill Donohue and the moralists at the Catholic League rushing to defend the Church of Rome while decrying the horribly “unfair” and–get this–“immoral” treatment that it’s receiving. Apologism that must be seen to be believed: http://errport77.blogspot.com/2010/03/defending-indefensible.html And continuing the week’s theme of white men whining about their persecution complexes, our good friend Bart Stupak starts crying over people’s stubborn insistence on actually holding him accountable for his attacks on attack women’s reproductive freedoms: http://errport77.blogspot.com/2010/03/time-to-call-waaaaaambulance.html
I *really* want feedback from feminists on this one. I’m a feminist to my core, but I’ve also gotten honest with myself about some things I used to consider very “not feminist.” I’m not a feminist in that “because I choose my choice” kind of way. And I believe appreciating gender qualities (no matter how socially constructed they are) is fine. But when I published this post http://www.tsaphanbabe.net/2010/03/im-animal.html I really felt… frightened? Afraid I will be misunderstood. I’m still tackling the issues inside before I return to it and blog about how it’s not inconsistent with being a feminist, a self-respecting and strong woman who loves men and women who also respect and love self-respecting and strong women. Thank you for any feedback you give me (on the blog, so I don’t take over this link share, which I so love!). I <3 Sundays here.
Why did the nuns come out in support of health care reform? One reason is that without that socialistic Medicare elderly nuns would be among the uninsured. Did you think the Church takes care of its own? Bishops ride Cadillacs, nuns take the bus. Bishops dine in Washington, nuns give direct care to the poor. I’ll be the Bishops are wishing more of them had taken a vow of silence, because they are speaking out. http://kmareka.com/2010/03/18/listen-to-the-nuns/
A little bit ago I made a post about Google Reader, and by the way, I am subscribing to Feministe! The other day, I linked a video I found about social media, so feel free to check those out!
Tell Them is hosting the first Virtual March on the South Carolina statehouse this TUESDAY! The march is in support of responsible reproductive health policies- something that is very needed in this state. We need all the help we can get. Read about the ridiculous choices our legislators made this week in the budget (http://blog.tellthemsc.org/2010/03/sc-house-version-of-5-billion-budget/) and then please sign up to march along side us. You don’t have to be from South Carolina- your voice will help secure better funding and policies for women across our state. Please join us. http://www.tellthemsc.org
Man Arrested For Intentionally Spreading HIV: Looking at the high rate of HIV/AIDS in the African-American community Jesse James and the Fallen Woman: Looking at why we always slut shame the mistress in an extra marital affair. Xenophobia, Sexism, and Islamophobia, let’s take a World Tour: Looking at the isms that are enforced to supposedly encourage travel. Weight Loss Companies Target Gabourey Sidibe: Looking at how fat hatred is used to shame Sidibe while at the same time marketing products that are harmful.
When a Bishop in California needed money to pay off sexual abuse settlements, he decided to evict some nuns and sell their convent. Bishops know how to use power. That’s why they are in Washington telling Bart Stupak how to vote. http://kmareka.com/2007/09/14/homeless-nuns/
This week at re:Cycling, it was all about the femcare advertising! We wrote about the new Kotex “Why Is Tampon Advertising So Ridiculous?” campaign, Stayfree’s athletic wear for menstrual wear ads, and the Mooncup’s “Love Your Vagina” advertising campaign. We also smackdown the “women who take the pill live longer” propaganda.
I was lucky enough to give a 15 minute presentation at South By Southwest Interactive last Sunday (aka SxSWi) on how tech has been used to fight against sexism. You can read the text and see my slides on my site. There is also a shortened video snippet and a few other links to things I didn’t have time to talk about. You can view it here.
This week over at femonomics: I review Lessons from the Fat-o-sphere Coca Colo brings us pieces on the gender wage gap, doing business as a woman in Saudi Arabia (hint: you can’t), and recent suicides at Cornell Duchess discusses women and pornography Mad Dr reviews the U.N. Commission on the Status of Women
I didn’t write anything I particularly love on my primary blog (though my name still links to it and I still wrote some stuff, so feel free to check it out if you’re inclined to). But I wrote a fairly decent (I think) post on my Tumblr: My Feelings =/= Ideological Battleground, in response to a bit of ~drama~ that went down.
Floria Sigismondi does an amazing job of not just telling the story of The Runaways, five girls who changed rock ‘n’ roll forever with their brash songs and pouty teenage dispositions, but of capturing the magic and electricity of what it’s like to be a young girl who finds power in music and chances across other girls who live and die by the albums made by their rock gods. The Fat Studies Reader argues that size-ism is unacceptable and that fat phobia exists both in popular culture and in the medical industry. The writers assert that being fat should not be seen as a personal failing, and oppression and ridicule of fat people should not be acceptable in popular culture. Chai, Chai: Travels in Places Where You Stop but Never Get Off: The trick to good travel writing is having the ability to recognize that everything is worth seeing, and it’s the duty of the writer to look closer than the average traveler in order to extract what is fascinating from the seemingly mundane. Bishwanath Ghosh clearly doesn’t have this ability, nor does he have the tenacity to obtain it. The biggest obstacle to women, according to Maryann Breschard, is other women. In American Catfight, Breschard posits that even the best-intentioned feminists have, along the way, exploited and undermined other women in their mad dash to power. City Island: Feminists might cringe at how conveniently the very bad mother myth—“a drunkard and a whore,” says her own son—is used to justify Rizzo’s youthful conduct. I was more disturbed by the dispatch with which the delightful Emily Mortimer was whisked out of the picture, essentially, for putting her own dream ahead of maternal responsibilities.
I weighed in on vajazzling, even though I think it’s pretty silly. In response to a one-sided Alternet piece, I asked why women might use hormone replacement therapy despite its risks. And though I’m solidly pro-choice, I wrote a “pro-life” rejoinder to Stupak and his allies.
: (FOX’s) Backlash and (Gaga’s) Response – (even though I don’t particularly like Lady Gaga) why I think she may be a valuable cultural figure
TsaphanBabe: If you’re using firefox, you can click on the RSS symbol in the address bar and the dropdown will give you a comments feed option. (If you aren’t, the link for this post’s comments is this.
On men being stronger than women: my reaction to the classic line, “You’re a feminist? Well, what do you think about the fact that men are stronger than women?” And a post about some annoying crap in the music magazine Spin.
This week was a slow week but I did managed to produce one post about reclaiming our ugliness as a means of coming to terms with body image.
Questions on being trans, from high schoolers, part one, part 2, and part 3 – I had an opportunity to speak to a high school health class this past week on what it means to me to be trans. In preparation, they emailed me a list of questions they had on what it means to be trans, and I’ve been slowly working my way through the list. Talking to high schoolers – My thoughts after speaking to the class, and the importance of comprehensive sex and health education 30 Rock on the ‘porn for women’ bandwagon, too? – I’m disappointed in the ‘porn for women’ parody from last week’s 30 Rock, and think it reinforces negative ideas about porn and about women
One teacher’s response to Newsweeks assertion that the education system is going downhill because teachers are mostly women. And minorities. http://liberallollygagging.blogspot.com/2010/03/one-where-i-give-newsweek-piece-of-my.html
The Intellectual’s Survival Kit. Tired of encountering ‘Survival Guides’ for young women which invariably include chocolate, makeup, and romance novels, I decided to create my own. In it, I list seven things which I see as indispensable in any aspiring female intellectual’s life — and I’d love to hear anyone else’s thoughts!
It’s tough sometimes to find clothes and shoes that are comfortable and easy to take on and off when you’re disabled, but then again, it seems tough to find clothes and shoes that are stylish and fit whatever size you are as a woman: http://onefemalegaze.wordpress.com/2010/03/19/ra-diaries-the-hardest-button-to-button/
I wrote about disabled quality of life, and the difficulties I have in summarizing all the things I want to say, One hell of a ride. I also wrote about food affordability, in response to posts at Shakesville and Bitch, PhD. –IP
I have been working on launching a social networking site for Canadian feminists and women to organize around. It’s pretty awesome and we already have over 100 women from across Canada signed up! Even if you’re not from Canada feel free to join! http://www.antigoneconnect.ning.com. Amanda Reaume Executive Director The Antigone Foundation
Why do our grandparents want to refuse us the coverage they have? discusses my take on health care reform. On a lighter note Cards 4 cancer show a really easy way that you can help a stranger traveling down a difficult road. Thanks for the opportunity to share!
The most relevant post this week for me this week began with a sexist bumper sticker that I saw on a car when I was out for a walk… http://ms-marx.blogspot.com/2010/03/where-do-i-begin.html
Lady Gaga and Beyonce’s Telephone Video: (FOX’s) Backlash and (Gaga’s) Response – (even though I don’t particularly like Lady Gaga) why I think she may be a valuable cultural figure http://thatneedstogo.wordpress.com/2010/03/20/lady-gaga-and-beyonces-telephone-video-foxs-backlash-and-response/
After attending SXSW film fest, I’m reviewing some of the films I saw from a feminist perspective. My first review is of Kick Ass: http://kaitlinvroom.tumblr.com/post/463708722/sxsw-feminist-film-reviews-pt-1-kick-ass
I wrote a post about a campaign trying to raise awareness about mental health conditions, and why I think it missed the mark: t-shirt slogan fail and if there are any Alex Chilton fans here: yes, i’m writing a sappy post about a dead musician
A long post wherein I try to articulate something that’s been bothering me with respect to experience and privilege: Amending the rules.
I commented on some Allyship 101 problems that arose (even on this blog!) after the debut of the ‘Telephone’ video, as well as some issues I’ve been having with passing.
I made a transcriptions wiki: http://textube.wikia.com/wiki/TexTube_Wiki More information can be found at this post at Shakesville: New Web Videos/Podcasts Transcriptions Wiki! I’m hoping that more people get involved with it: contribute to the transcriptions repository, make transcription requests, and so forth. The more people who use it, the more it becomes useful, until finally you can just post a video and a link to the TexTube page, and be done with it. If I weren’t so incredibly busy, I’d be contributing more myself. So join today, if you would! Whee!
That Friendship Does Sound Toxic: Melrose Place s6 Finale. Gay Kisses: Ugly Betty finally has its gay teen act on his feelings, and it reminds me of my first kiss. The SLAT custody battle is no Kramer vs. Kramer is all I’m Saying: Secret Life’s penultimate episode of the season has everyone pissing me off. Overheard: On Gossip Girl.
This week at f/law our contributor delves into women’s rights advocacy and freedom of religion. http://canadianwomenandthelaw.blogspot.com/2010/03/since-dalton-mcguintys-announcement-of.html
I just fisked the first letter of Benedict to the Irish. It took hours and I didn’t comment as much as I wanted too. I also wrote about an article urging women to remain young in spite of the recession.
I promoted a fan’s project to define feminist sex education and study whether Chicago’s schools are doing a good enough job with LGBTQ students: http://clarissethorn.wordpress.com/2010/03/19/chicago-feminist-sex-ed-paper-focuses-on-lgbtq-students-needs/
This week at Happy Bodies: Reconsidering feminism: A series of questions to ask yourself as a feminist Consent is sexy! Nko finds another great example. A call for submissions and a list of question to begin brainstorming how to write about your body.
New feminist/social justice blog with posts on news, sex toy reviews, women’s firsts throughout history and more … This being my first stretch, I have only a few posts but check it out for: Georgia “Tiny” Broadwick: My first post in the Women’s First series: she was the first woman to parachute from a plane (in 1913) Also: Oh the Humanity: A long and winding post that serves as an introduction to my thoughts – that binaries and simplistic views stifle peace, prevent progress and just suck, frankly. Be sure to check out my first sex toy review: The Gold Bullet
My thoughts on the idea of E-books are the future Thoughts on Ostara and Easter, from a former fundamentalist turned pagan.
I have a few exciting announcements this week. First, The Abortion Gang blog launched which I’m very happy to be a part of. My first post is now up, I’m Pro-Choice Because Second, this week I officially became co-host on the Angry Hippies’ Podcast. We put out two episodes this week, one on abortion and one on gender & social work. And finally, I put up a new post at Voices of Dissent, Double Standards – The Issue of Body Hair Now I’m off to spend the next few hours reading the other articles posted 🙂
This week, I wrote about having beautiful (man)boobs (according to some entitlement-infused arsehole’s OKCupid test) – and the amusement at the thought of what would happen if I sent him a pic (as he asks anyone with beautiful boobs to do)! I also picked up on a story about the first female American football coach for a high school team. Finally, I wrote about how listening skills are important in kink, following a taster day for a counselling skills course.
This week at Bitch Flicks we wrote a Director Spotlight on Kathyrn Bigelow, who won the Directing Oscar this year and has been making movies since the 1980s. We also preview The Runaways and provide our weekly list of films releasing on DVD that are woman-centered.
Answering hand-waving with hand-waving: Donnelly, rape, and Lady Gaga – on uninformed remarks by a NSW parliamentarian. Official Perth Stormageddon Thread – here’s hoping all Feministe Perthites are ok. And, on a lighter note, Sunday Night Fontmonstery: Dogs As Fonts.
Over on Beauty Schooled: *COVERGIRL’s new “Stand Up for Beauty” campaign is making me nauseous/generating some debate: http://beautyschooledproject.com/2010/03/17/glossed-over-covergirl-says-beauty-is-the-victim/ *Jessica Simpon’s THE PRICE OF BEAUTY is pure drivel. (Shocker, I know.) http://beautyschooledproject.com/2010/03/19/pretty-price-check-jessica-simpson-special-edition-03-19-10/ *I’m guest blogging about why I’m going to beauty school for CRAZYSEXYLIFE.COM: http://beautyschooledproject.com/2010/03/19/beauty-schooled-on-crazy-sexy-life/ *Big news: I’m hosting the next Feminist Blog Carnival! And want your posts that have anything at all to do with beauty: http://beautyschooledproject.com/2010/03/18/feminist-carnival-march-31/ (Deadline for submitting: March 29)
Last week, I posted this Call for Writers on Gender Across Borders. It’s for our upcoming series on “Visualizing our World’s Future: How Techniques and Tools of Visuality are Being Used to Raise Awareness, Communicate and Make Change.” Submissions are due April 3rd! Check it out! http://genderacrossborders.com/2010/03/16/call-for-writers-2/
I wrote my first-anniversary post for The Lady Finger, titled “Body Hair and Being Human.” http://www.theladyfinger.com/2010/03/body-hair-and-being-human.html It’s about celebrating our bodies as a connection to our ancestors and to evolution, and as a record of important events in our lives. My first blog post was “Body Hair and the Gender Binary;” this one expands on that topic.
An action alert item: Stop the Deportation of Immigrant Military Veterans. And, since I am a veteran, I thought I would offer my thoughts on Lt. Dan Choi. For Cereal, Stars and Stripes? Mocking Paranoia is Headline Worthy?
Due to loads of homework and wedding-related obligations, I haven’t been able to write much. I have been thinking a lot about my upcoming final paper for my Intro to Philosophy class, and wondering what other people have to say about whether everyone should always be trusted to know and choose what is best for them, in relation to their choices’ imact on their immediate and larger communities.