By Lori Adelman • 14 years ago

Quick Hit: Spain Declares Abortion a Woman’s Right, Removes Threat of Imprisonment


Awesome news: Today, Spain approved a sweeping new law that eases restrictions on abortion, declaring it a woman’s right and removing the threat of imprisonment. The new law also allows women to obtain abortion without restrictions up to 14 weeks into the pregnancy, and gives 16- and 17-year-olds the right to have abortions without parental consent.
I’m especially excited about this because I see this latest legislative victory as part of an overall trend in Spain toward more liberal and pro-woman policies, despite quite vocal opposition from conservatives and the Catholic Church. As the article explains, this is just the latest of a series of reforms by Prime Minister Zapatero- under Zapatero, Spain has also legalized gay ...


Awesome news: Today, Spain approved a sweeping new law that eases restrictions on abortion, declaring it a woman’s right and removing the threat of imprisonment. The new law also allows women to obtain abortion without ...
By Vanessa • 14 years ago

“A Culture of Indifference”: Report on Campus Sexual Assault Reveals Inaction Taken by Schools, Education Department


In December, the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) released a report not only about the fact that 95% of college campus rapes go unreported, but that survivors who do report often get no justice. Today, they have followed up with solid results from a year-long study, revealing that school judicial systems sanction little to no punishment for students responsible for sexual assault, often leading to repeat offenders. Via The Center:

The Center interviewed 50 experts familiar with the campus disciplinary process, as well as 33 female students who have reported being sexually assaulted by other students. The inquiry included a review of records in select cases; a survey of 152 crisis services programs and clinics on or near ...


In December, the Center for Public Integrity (CPI) released a report not only about the fact that 95% of college campus rapes go unreported, but that survivors who do report often get no justice. Today, ...
By Vanessa • 14 years ago

Racism on Ice: Russian Ice Dancers Co-Opt Aboriginal Culture at the Olympics


No. Just no. For ice dancing in the Olympics this year, the theme was folk dancing. Who knew it would turn into this?
Despite the controversy Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin created when Aboriginal leaders found out the Russian ice dancers’ routine was an unbelievably offensive interpretation of Aborginal dance, all they did was “tone down” their costume (meaning not use as much face paint) but the dance was not altered. They came in third place on Sunday’s competition. Via Yahoo! Sports:

The dance they did was more likely their interpretation of Aboriginal dance, though they claimed to have done research. Watching the dance Sunday night, one can understand why Aboriginal leaders were offended.
At times, Shabalin led Domnina ...


No. Just no. For ice dancing in the Olympics this year, the theme was folk dancing. Who knew it would turn into this?
Despite the controversy Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin created when Aboriginal leaders found ...
By Vanessa • 14 years ago

Miss Beverly Hills Lauren Ashley: God wants gays “put to death”

Looks like we have a new Carrie Prejean on our hands, except not only does this beauty queen oppose same-sex marriage, but promotes the abomination and death of gay people.
While headlines are popping up everywhere about how Miss Beverly Hills Lauren Ashley opposes same-sex marriage, where are the headlines about her contention that God thinks gays should be put to death? Here’s one (content may be upsetting):

“The Bible says that marriage is between a man and a woman,” Ashley told FOX News. “In Leviticus it says, ‘If man lies with mankind as he would lie with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death and their ...

Looks like we have a new Carrie Prejean on our hands, except not only does this beauty queen oppose same-sex marriage, but promotes the abomination and death of gay people.
While headlines are popping ...
By Jos Truitt • 14 years ago

UK psychiatrists propose editorial code to counter media support of eating disorders

New York Fashion Week wrapped up recently and London Fashion Week is underway, which means images of dangerously thin, overwhelmingly white models are everywhere in the media. Of course, such images are ubiquitous year round, often coupled with articles about the latest diet sure to make you impossibly thin, too.
The Eating Disorders Section of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, the UK’s main professional organization of psychiatrists, has begun a campaign to oppose the media’s over-representation of incredibly thin models and glamorizing of eating disorders. They are calling for a new editorial code and a symbol placed on images that have been airbrushed.

“Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, are serious mental illnesses,” said [Dr. ...

New York Fashion Week wrapped up recently and London Fashion Week is underway, which means images of dangerously thin, overwhelmingly white models are everywhere in the media. Of course, such images are ubiquitous year round, ...
By Vanessa • 14 years ago

Dr. Laura Reminds Us Who’s the Boss

You may already know we’re not the biggest fan of Dr. Laura, but she just keeps coming back to piss us off.

The Sexist covered her most recent video chat, addressing a question by a listener about stay-at-home dads. Her response? That being the family’s breadwinner could lead these women to extreme emasculation (sounds like a good band name) of their men:

[W]hen the moms are working, and the dads are at home, the moms, the women, the wives, tend to change their feelings somewhat about their husbands. They tend not to see them as the heroes. The warrior. The man. The caretaker. The provider. The protector. And those feelings are really very significant. And I have found ...

You may already know we’re not the biggest fan of Dr. Laura, but she just keeps coming back to piss us off.

The Sexist covered her most recent video chat, addressing a question by ...
By Vanessa • 14 years ago

Utah House and Senate pass bill that would criminalize miscarriage

This isn’t good, folks. A bill passed by the House and Senate in Utah this week could make it a crime to have a miscarriage, with penalties up to life in prison. RH Reality Check reports:

The bill passed by legislators amends Utah’s criminal statute to allow the state to charge a woman with criminal homicide for inducing a miscarriage or obtaining an illegal abortion. The basis for the law was a recent case in which a 17-year-old girl, who was seven months pregnant, paid a man $150 to beat her in an attempt to cause a miscarriage. Although the girl gave birth to a baby later given up for adoption, she was initially charged with attempted murder. However ...

This isn’t good, folks. A bill passed by the House and Senate in Utah this week could make it a crime to have a miscarriage, with penalties up to life in prison. RH Reality Check reports: ...
By Jos Truitt • 14 years ago

What We Missed

W.E.B. DuBois, civil rights activist and scholar, was born today.
Senator Rockefeller says he probably would not vote to pass the public option through reconciliation. Not a good sign.
Harry Reid points out a statistical relationship between male unemployment and domestic violence against women. Of course he says it in a problematic way – he’s Harry Reid.
Kansas State Rep. Steve Brunk compares rape to having your car stolen.
Kenya is poised to ban abortion in their constitution.

W.E.B. DuBois, civil rights activist and scholar, was born today.
Senator Rockefeller says he probably would not vote to pass the public option through reconciliation. Not a good sign.
Harry Reid points out a statistical ...

Load More