2010 September Archive

What We Missed

This weekend is the amazing Facing Race conference, hosted by the folks who produce ColorLines. I’m very sad I’m not there. Follow along with what’s happening in Chicago here.

Steven Colbert testified before Congress about immigration. Sometimes, when things just suck a lot, we need to laugh. Thanks Colbert.

When you didn’t think the Texas Board of Education could get any worse, TPM reports they sent a warning to text book makers: “scrub their books of “gross pro-Islamic, anti-Christian” bias.” What is this, Farenheit 451?

Tomorrow is National Public Lands Day.

This weekend is the amazing Facing Race conference, hosted by the folks who produce ColorLines. I’m very sad I’m not there. Follow along with what’s happening in Chicago here.

Steven Colbert testified before Congress about immigration. Sometimes, ...

By Sarah • 15 years ago

Campus News Round-Up, Back to School Edition

Campus Sexual Assault has been in the news a lot these last couple of weeks, with a lot of folks talking about a “new” report on the acquaintance rape of college students. I’m not sure where people are getting the “new” from, it’s actually from 2002. But it’s worth checking out. Of course, it’s brought out the usual campus rape deniers, and Amanda Hess does a great job of taking them down at her new blog. It seems worth mentioning that our former Board member, Nora, also took the same folks and claims on a couple of years ago in this piece in the LA Times.

Back-to-School means all sorts of awesome ...

Campus Sexual Assault has been in the news a lot these last couple of weeks, with a lot of folks talking about a “new” report on the acquaintance rape of college students. I’m not sure ...

By goddessjaz • 15 years ago

The Fourth R: Relationships

Alaska schools have introduced a new program to curb the high rates of sexual assault and domestic violence experienced by teens across the state. “The Fourth R” is a curriculum designed to help reduce teen pregnancy, drinking and violent relationships by teaching young people refusal and delay skills which experts believe is particularly useful in combating peer pressure.

This type of education is important for Alaska’s teens since the state usually has the nation’s highest per capita rates of sexual assault and ranks in the top five for domestic violence, according to Lori Grassgreen, director of prevention projects for the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, who helped develop the program. “The Fourth R” was created ...

Alaska schools have introduced a new program to curb the high rates of sexual assault and domestic violence experienced by teens across the state. “The Fourth R” is a curriculum designed to help reduce teen ...

By goddessjaz • 15 years ago

Teen Depression and Abortion Not Linked

A new study from Oregon State University shows that teens who have abortions are no more likely to be depressed or have low self-esteem than teens whose pregnancies do not end in abortion. This is the latest evidence in an ongoing debate about connections between mental health and abortion. Although in a 2008 study the American Psychological Association found no evidence between mental health and abortion, there had not been any official studies done on teens until now.

This is good news that legislators and experts can point to when states debate the utility of pre-abortion counseling and ultrasound requirements, especially if Republican and Tea Party candidates push abortion as a central issue in the mid-term elections.

The Guttmacher ...

A new study from Oregon State University shows that teens who have abortions are no more likely to be depressed or have low self-esteem than teens whose pregnancies do not end in abortion. This is ...

By Miriam • 15 years ago

Hispanic Heritage Month: Quienes somos?

It’s Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15-October 15. A month like this, which is meant to celebrate the Latino (Hispanic) community in the US, always sparks folks to write about who the Latino/Hispanic community in the US really is. From a demographic standpoint, we know a lot more about Hispanics in the US thanks to the recent census.

You can access a lot of the data about how the Hispanic population has changed over the last three decades here. The short version is that there are a lot of us, and that by 2050 it’s predicted that everyone one in four people in the US will be Latino. Maybe that explains the upswing in nativist anti-immigrant sentiments? ...

It’s Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15-October 15. A month like this, which is meant to celebrate the Latino (Hispanic) community in the US, always sparks folks to write about who the Latino/Hispanic community ...

By Miriam • 15 years ago

New project from Dan Savage: It Gets Better

Dan Savage (the man behind the Savage Love sex advice column and podcast) has started a new project, called It Gets Better. It was inspired by the suicide of gay teenager Billy Lucas, after he experienced much bullying.

About the project:

If you’re gay or lesbian or bi or trans, and you’ve ever read about a kid like Billy Lucas and thought, “Fuck, I wish I could’ve told him that it gets better,” this is your chance. We can’t help Billy, but there are lots of other Billys out there—other despairing LGBT kids who are being bullied and harassed, kids who don’t think they have a future—and we can help them….

Mad Men Friday Fix: The Beautiful Girls

During the fourth season of Mad Men Feministing writers will offer some of our thoughts on feminist moments, scenes, and themes in the new episodes in order to start a discussion about these topics in our community. This year we’ll help you get through the middle of the week wait for the next episode. *WARNING: Lots of spoilers follow.

Don lets Faye stay in his apartment alone.
Remember Don’s secret Dick Whitman drawer? Letting Faye stay in his apartment feels like a big change for Don, a shift away from his very secretive nature. Can you imagine him building relationships with women based on trust and honesty? –Jos

No, I really cant. Besides, I think Betty might snag him ...

During the fourth season of Mad Men Feministing writers will offer some of our thoughts on feminist moments, scenes, and themes in the new episodes in order to start a discussion about these topics in ...

By Miriam • 15 years ago

Florida gay adoption ban is no longer

A recent court decision overturned a thirty year old Florida law that banned adoptions by gay, lesbian and bisexual* folks. The ban has been the center of attention in recent years, including advocacy by Rosie O’Donnell and her family.

Governor Crist can no longer enforce the ban because of the ruling, meaning LGB people can now adopt kids in Florida. Crist has done a 180 on queer issues recently, reversing his previous opinions on this issue as well.

The Florida law was one of the most discriminatory in the nation, not only preventing LGB couples from adopting, but single LGB folks as well.

Via MSNBC

*I didn’t include transgender folks in this because I couldn’t find any mention of gender identity in writing ...

A recent court decision overturned a thirty year old Florida law that banned adoptions by gay, lesbian and bisexual* folks. The ban has been the center of attention in recent years, including advocacy by Rosie O’Donnell and ...