The L.A. Kings tweet rape joke

Last night during the NHL playoffs, Kevin Ryder, a radio show host live tweeted the game between the L.A. Kings and San Jose Sharks, and thought it would be hilarious to tweet out a rape joke.

Via Deadspin.com

Via Deadspin.com

The L.A. Kings swiftly tweeted out an apology but seriously folks we’ve got to do better with the jokes about rape and domestic violence.  We’ve wondered on this site before whether it’s possible to make a rape joke funny as opposed to exploitative and incredible painful for survivors, and honestly I’m still in the camp where rape shouldn’t be used as a metaphor or a punchline.  So for me, every time I see something making fun or light of rape, I call it out.  Shame on Kevin Ryder for being so insensitive.

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Judge strikes down Arizona’s 20 week abortion ban

On Tuesday, an Arizona judge struck down Arizona’s unconstitutional ban on abortions after 20 weeks.

Via Mother Jones:

On Tuesday, judges on the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals struck down an Arizona law that would have banned abortions at 20 weeks. The judges called the law “unconstitutional under an unbroken stream of Supreme Court authority.” This is the first 20-week ban to be struck down in court.

The judges wrote that Arizona “may not deprive a woman of the choice to terminate her pregnancy at any point prior to viability,” echoing the Supreme Court’s ruling in Roe v. Wade 40 years ago that abortion should be legal up to the point that a fetus is can survive outside of the womb, which is usually construed as 24 weeks.

This type of ban is becoming all too common throughout the country, as Republican controlled state legislatures continue to pass restriction after restriction of women’s reproductive rights. Arizona isn’t the only state with a ban after a certain time period, in Arkansas it’s 12 weeks, and in North Dakota it’s 6 weeks. Last week a bill banning abortions after 20 weeks was introduced in Washington, DC.

The continuing assault on women’s rights in the states is ongoing and likely won’t end unless Democrats post big wins in next year’s midterm elections and successfully take back majorities in state houses.

Related:
Pro-choice groups file lawsuit to block Arizona’s 20-week abortion ban
Arizona passes uterus-bogglingly bad abortion ban

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The three companies ignoring the #FBrape campaign

fb-fail-thumbs-down2As was noted in yesterday’s Daily Feminist Cheat Sheet, Women, Action, and the Media (WAM!) launched a great social media initiative on Tuesday, taking on gender-based hate on Facebook. Specifically, WAM and other great organizations are “calling on Facebook users to contact advertisers whose ads on Facebook appear next to content that targets women for violence, to ask these companies to withdraw from advertising on Facebook until you take the above actions to ban gender-based hate speech on your site.”  Several companies have responded to the#FBrape campaign and are considering pulling their ads. Make sure you check them out, tweet your support and urge them to do the right thing here.  Unfortunately, three key companies have chosen not to respond or have responded inadequately to the campaign.

  • Dove has not responded at all.
  • Vistaprint has said they won’t take action won’t take action.
  • Audible has not responded, but is deleting all comments about the campaign off their Facebook page.

Make sure you contact these three companies and tell them what you think. It’s easy. Just go here.

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Daily Feminist Cheat Sheet

Women, Action, and the Media (WAM!) is organizing its first-ever social media initiative today around content promoting gender-based hate on Facebook, targeting companies like Dove, American Express, and Audible.com. Read the Open Letter to Facebook and visit the WAM website for more information. Judging from the responses from advertisers, the campaign is already a huge success.

Our hearts go out to everyone affected by the massive tornado in Oklahoma and especially those who lost loved ones. Donations to the Red Cross are needed; to make one, go to www.redcross.org, call 1-800-Red-Cross, or text “Red Cross” to 90999 to make a $10 donation. Nb: This heartwarming video shows a a survivor of the Oklahoma City tornado recovering her dog alive while mid-interview with CBS News’ Anna Werner.

Does Cannes have a women problem?

How sexual stigma is undermining HIV treatment on American-Indian reservations.

“It remains a radical act to be fat and happy.”

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With some electoral gains in Iraq, women candidates work towards change

Cross-posted from UN Women

To run as a political candidate in Iraq demands courage and determination – even more so for a woman. Fourteen candidates, including one woman, were murdered in the run-up to local elections held in April – the first elections to be run by the Iraqis themselves without any international help since 2003.

Maryam Abdulla, 31, was recently elected to the regional council in Kut, southern Iraq. She is proud of her success and pleased that training from UN Women helped her achieve more votes than predicted.

Women candidates and their election trainer following a recent training in Kut. Pictured from left to right: Sanaa Isaa, candidate from the Iraq of Wealth and Giving coalition; Radhiea Ali Salim, candidate of the Gathering of Loyal Hands party; Sanaa Al-Taai, trainer; and Sajida Nezer, Al-Ahraar coalition. Sajida Nezer won her seat with a total of 1,495 votes. Photo courtesy of the Iraq Foundation

“The training provided by UN Women to us as women candidates was a good and positive step to broaden the women’s culture. We as women need to work more, especially in the south of Iraq where we have to break through the tribal layer. We need more training to be able to change people’s attitudes,” said Maryam, sounding sprightly and positive despite the obstacles she faced.

Maryam is one of approximately 300 women candidates from five governorates who were trained by the Iraq Foundation and their local partners in the run-up to the local elections in Iraq on 20 April. Supported by UN Women, the three- to five-day sessions covered issues like dealing with the press, how to put together a campaign, presentation techniques and self-management. All political parties were asked to nominate their women candidates for training, but not all did.

“Today women face more challenges. I’m always asked by other women how did I break through the tribal layer, my answer to them is it was possible through dialogue and improving myself to convince them that I understand women issues and I can be a leader,” said Maryam.

According to the UN’s Women in Iraq factsheet, women “represent one of the most vulnerable segments of the population and are generally more exposed to poverty and food insecurity as a result of lower overall income levels.”

Despite the large peak in violence in the run up to the elections, election day itself passed off without incident; approximately 50 per cent of the population turned out to vote, of which 40 per cent were women.

Read More »

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