Shameless Self-Promotion Sunday September 29, 2013 Jill Promote yourself. Netiquette reminders: we expect Content Notes as a courtesy to our readers for problematic content in linked posts and/or their comment threads (a habit of posting only triggering/disparaging links may annoy the Giraffe (you really don’t want to annoy the Giraffe)) extended discussion of self-promotion links on this thread is counter-productive for the intended signal-boosting – the idea is for the promoted sites to get more traffic. If it’s a side-discussion that would be off-topic/unwelcome/distressing on the other site, take it to #spillover after leaving a note on this thread redirecting others there.
When it comes to reproductive health and justice, there is a ton of misinformation flying around. That’s why our blog is debuting its Mythbusting series — to tackle some of the most common falsehoods that are currently in circulation. Check out the first post in the series, which focuses on emergency contraceptive options like Plan B. Does the “morning-after pill” cause abortion? * * * Many of us are confused about Obamacare and how it will affect us. But if you’re interested in birth control with no co-pays, along with other preventive care, you might be interested in some demystification! * * * Finally, if you still need more links in your life, check out last Friday’s link roundup. It actually includes some good news this time!
Mutual Assent Mutual Assent is a blog by Georgetown Law students as part of the student group Advocates Against Sexual Violence. The blog went live this week. It deals primarily with rape culture and sexual violence. Trigger warning!
I picked up on the current debate on “rebranding feminism”: http://disciplineandanarchy.wordpress.com/2013/09/27/do-social-justice-movements-need-mainstream-appeal-the-problem-with-rebranding/
Between voting to defund Obamacare and voting to cut food stamps, an awful lot of “pro-lifers” are actually okay with killing kids: Pro-Lifers Killing Kids http://broadblogs.com/2013/09/27/pro-lifers-killing-kids/
My first published piece of long-form journalism: “Den of the Dominatrix.” Read how this independent Dominatrix feels like she’s fulfilling her “Feminist sensibilities.”
I grew up in the country and now live in the city. Last weekend, I went to a festival in each. The enjoyment at one was interrupted by a pretty disturbing display of racism. (Warning: Contains some images of racist historical materials.) If education promises a “new” you, what happens to the “old” one?
I wrote: –Feminist Hulk smash the devaluing of pink collar work: on gender, value, and opportunity. –It’s time for a pro-life economy (no, not that kind of pro-life).
This week at Bitch Flicks, we celebrated older women in film and television. Here is a link to all of the posts: Older Women in Film and Television: The Roundup We also announced the Ten Most-Read Posts from August 2013.
I just posted about a fundraising concert for anti-bullying . The other day I made a short post about shaming, For Shame!
I hate to get all meta, but I wrote about how Feministe recently deleted a controversial anti-sex work piece, along with over 200 comments, without so much as an explanation or apology. This is something that really, really bothers me. It’s one thing to make a mistake; it’s another thing to try to make the mistake disappear without acknowledging it.
UGH that’s awful. Thank you for pointing it out. I hope Feministe will put the post back up and apologize for both posting it originally and deleting it.
IThere was an explanation, but only after someone asked about it: the person apparently asked to withdraw her guest post, and Feministe complied.
I do kind of wonder what the standard practice is on blogs like this when a guest blogger asks to withdraw a post. Even if there’s some reason why the request has to be honored, I’m not sure why all those comments — on which a lot of people spent a lot of time — had to be deleted as well. They would hardly have been incomprehensible in their condemnation of what Sarah Elizabeth had to say (including her violent fantasies about choking feminists who disagree with her, and her refusal to withdraw them), even without the original post.
This week I asked the perennial question: Why aren’t there more women columnists at The New York Times?
“On Eating Whatever I Want and Throwing Up A Lot” Content notes: discusses disordered/compulsive eating, Lap-Band surgery, weight loss/weight management, food
I offer feminist film criticism, and I seek out feminist or female-made films on my blog. But what happens when I find a brilliant film about a woman who has no degree of control over her life? This posed big problems as I analyzed the film Black Venus (Venus Noire) about Sarah Baartman, the so-called “Hottentot Venus” of the early 19th century. Black Venus: Can I recommend a film I hated watching? …and on the other hand, Orange is the New Black was created in a test tube just for me.
I wrote about Borderline Personality Disorder isn’t just “being in your 20s”, and fears of ‘overmedicalisation’ send people too far the other way and how mental health stigma (like a Mental Patient Halloween outfit) isn’t exactly a barrel of laughs.
I wrote a piece for the Irish Left Review about the participation of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions in a campaign to deny labour rights to sex workers. ICTU: Denying Sex Workers a Workers’ Identity
This week we launched the new Girls Can’t WHAT? Colorizer! So excited to be offering a new way to personalize a design by customizing the hair, eye, skin and uniform colors. We currently have our most popular designs up (hockey, firefighting, military) and will be adding in more each week. Your personalized design can also be downloaded for free as an avatar or for use on the web. Check it out and create your own Mini Me today: http://www.girlscantwhat.com/gifts/
A couple of lighter — hopefully amusing — stories this week: Another Bra Problem, concerning the loss of my keys. And Stuff My Students Say, gleaning life lesson’s from the Odyssey.
In this week’s Female Gaze Friday, artist Amy Sherald paints identity-focused portraits of black men and women in fairy tale and circus-like situations. I had a few paintings featured on art tumblrs over the past few weeks! A post on Yeesookyung, a Korean artist whose beautiful sculptures are made of the shards and fragments of broken ceramics, carefully fitted together like a jigsaw puzzle.
I reviewed Antonio Campos’s ‘Simon Killer:’ http://film-nut.tumblr.com/post/62599928743/simon-killer-2012 and here’s 5 weekend links: http://film-nut.tumblr.com/post/62636405829/the-weekend-5
A little askance: for Banned Books Week, the exciting story of my favorite publisher’s founding. http://drunksandrevenants.wordpress.com/2013/09/29/midnight-in-paris/
Women Living Under Muslim Laws’ global campaign to Stop Stoning Women was featured today on Trust Law Women and the Independent, highlighting the case of Arifa, who was stoned to death recently for possessing a cell phone: http://www.trust.org/item/20130927172339-hoq1u/?source=hpagehead http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/politics/special-report-the-punishment-was-death-by-stoning-the-crime-having-a-mobile-phone-8846585.html Also up is a new infographic tracking the 15 countries where the practice of stoning continues. And our petition.
Content Note: child abuse, religious abuse, sex abuse I wrote about my response to the Nalt All Like This (NALT) Christians Project as a lesbian ex-Catholic. Content Note: mental illness, stigma, symptoms, survival Our local paper has been running a series on Mental Illness – I shared my thoughts and considered when it might mean for the local LGBTQ community. I’m also pretty happy with a biographical interview I did with the chairwoman of the Pgh LGBTQ Community Center, Lyndsey Sickler.
Three writing related posts. CN: Size issues, body shaming, synestheisa, female parts, police states, fascism. Talking about female genitals. This is me, talking about the problems writing erotica when I don’t find any of the words erotic. Thinking about arcologies. Arcologies are the human terrariums of the cyberpunk future. Of course, they are fascism in the purest form (the corporation and the government are the same) and some people maintain they are police states. Guestblogging at my publisher’s place on “Writing the Larger Lady.”
This week on Kiss My Wonder Woman: We reviewed a whole bunch of shows for Pilot Season Beautiful Creatures isn’t a great movie, but it’s sure interesting Strong Female Character Friday with Mindy from The Mindy Project (This whole article was written before the rapey episode came out, but the points still stand for the most part.) Tune in this week for more coverage of Pilot Season, the IT Crowd finale, and more.
There is an upcoming conference at Virginia Tech called Gender, Bodies & Technology. The website has more information about the conference as well as a form to submit proposals. Currently, proposals are due October 1st but may be extended if there is interest. Also, you can like our Facebook page for GBT related news. https://www.facebook.com/genderbodiestechnology
I know I’m a day late, but I finally got around to recreating my blog (the Delphiad) under a new name: the Pythiad. Here is the first post: http://wp.me/p3XUCg-6 The personal as political is still personal
Alas, the first person to follow my new blog is a violent MRA. So I’ve taken it private. To read my post, please email me for permission. Thanks.
This week I reviewed Love Minus Eighty, an odd story about the value of life in a future where the wealthy can pay to revive the beautiful dead as near-slaves. It’s not as intelligent as it could be about the sexism in the system, but it’s engaging nonetheless.