2008 April Archive | Feministing

On hate-filled op-eds in college media

Latoya at Racialicious has a roundup of recent incidents of blatant racism on college campuses — particularly op-eds written in college newspapers. And here at Feministing, we’ve written about some pretty appallingly sexist commentary in the campus press. (People send us links to craptacular college op-eds all the time.)
One thing these articles and incidents have in common is that they often purport to be satire — as in, “who would believe that I really want to declare war on all Asian Americans?” To be sure, there’s a fine line between satirizing racism/sexism and perpetuating it. But these columns weren’t printed in a known satirical publication (like the Onion). They were printed alongside straightforward ...

By Samhita • 16 years ago

Sharing is caring :)

So as you can see I have been MIA again, but I promise I have a really good reason. I just wanted to drop in and say Hi!, but also talk a little bit about what I am doing and why I have been so busy. There have been tons of things I want to write about, but I have been preoccupied.
While you are reading this, I am in the middle of a three day training that I have coordinated for the last two months to support grassroots organizers in their campaign work. As some of you know I work at an organization called the Center for Media Justice where we defend the communications ...

So as you can see I have been MIA again, but I promise I have a really good reason. I just wanted to drop in and say Hi!, but also talk a little bit about what I ...

By Courtney • 16 years ago

Thank You Thursdays: My Girls

As sparks flew this week about intergenerational feminism and the current election circus, there was one thing that continually buoyed me: my girls. I got emails from Michelle at Lehigh and Debbie at Girl with Pen, I got calls and texts from my feministing co-editors and feminist friends offline, and, of course, Jessica’s awesome post and Ann’s great editing officially allowed me to feel “in cahoots” (best word ever?).
No matter what intergenerational misunderstandings may arise, it is so heartening to know that women my age stand in solidarity. We respect our elders, but god damn it’s awesome that we also support, lift up, and value one another. I think we’re getting better each generation at ...

By Courtney • 16 years ago

Not Oprah’s Book Club: The Terror Dream and Homeward Bound

I’m still wading through both The Terror Dream by Susan Faludi and Homeward Bound by Elaine Tyler May. Check out last week’s post for a rundown of why.
One of the things that struck me the most during this week’s reading was the notion of comfort and how we seek it in very personal ways after very public events. In the case of Homeward Bound, comfort was to be found in marriages with traditional gender roles after WWII, when in fact, as May demonstrates, many people were profoundly uncomfortable in their own lives (but had told themselves a story about why it was necessary and good for it to be the way it was). She draws on ...

I’m still wading through both The Terror Dream by Susan Faludi and Homeward Bound by Elaine Tyler May. Check out last week’s post for a rundown of why.
One of the things that struck ...

By Courtney • 16 years ago

British Politician Admits to Suffering From Bulimia

Former deputy prime minister John Prescott has confessed to suffering from bulimia for ten years before getting treatment. He told the BBC: “I want to say to the millions of people, do take advice, it can help and it can help you out of a lot of misery that you suffer in silence.”
I think Prescott is incredibly brave. Too often folks only think of eating disorders as a female affliction, as he puts it “anorexic girls, models trying to keep their weight down – or women in stressful situations, like Princess Diana,” but in fact 10% of those throughout the world with eating disorders are men. With the rise of lad mags like Men’s Health, that are basically ...

By Vanessa • 16 years ago

Kidman Says No to Violence Against Women

Actress and Goodwill Ambassador Nicole Kidman is at the UN today advocating for UNIFEM’s Say No to Violence against Women campaign. As Mark at the UN Dispatch says, “Most coverage of this visit, though, seems to focus on the fact that Kidman is six months pregnant–and shockingly is showing a ‘baby bump.’ Amazing how that works.”
Read the whole post here.

By Jessica • 16 years ago

Arrested Iranian feminists and the One Million Signatures Campaign

Three Iranian feminists were recently arrested and received suspended sentences of lashings and six months in prison for “acting against national security.”

Nasrin Afzali (pictured at right), Nahid Jafari, and Minoo Mortazi were found guilty of acting against national security, disrupting public order, and refusing to follow police orders. All the charges stem from their participation in a political rally outside a Tehran courtroom in March 2006.
A fourth female activist, Zeinab Payghambarzadeh, who attended the same rally, was given a two-year suspended prison term after being accused of similar charges.
The sentences will only be carried out if the women are found guilty of another crime within two years. All four women intend to appeal the verdicts.

The ...

By Ann • 16 years ago

Ask your senator to vote for fair pay

On Monday I talked to Lilly Ledbetter, a truly awesome woman who sued her employer, Goodyear Tire, for paying her less than her male coworkers for year after year. As you may recall, the Supreme Court ruled last year that, because Ledbetter did not file a complaint within 180 days of her first paycheck. Nevermind that she didn’t find out about the pay disparity until nearly 20 years later.
Well, Congress is considering legislation that would undo the damage the Supreme Court has done. The Senate is voting on the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act at 6pm EDT tonight! So call your Senater now and ask for a YES vote.
Here a taste of

On Monday I talked to Lilly Ledbetter, a truly awesome woman who sued her employer, Goodyear Tire, for paying her less than her male coworkers for year after year. As you may recall, the Supreme ...