By Sarah • 13 years ago

On the Critical Hotness of Enthusiastic Consent

This post is by Erin, SAFER’s Campus Accountability Project Coordinator, and is cross-posted from Change Happens

I am pleased to share some of the best, most comprehensive and most badass explanations of enthusiastic consent, “Sex Talk” below. We at SAFER can’t emphasize enough how important it is that a sexual assault policy be sex positive. And I know at first glance that might have a strange ring to it, but gimme a minute and I’ll lay it out for you.

A comprehensive and usable understanding of consent is the absolute first step to preventing sexual violence. In turn, a strong definition of consent in a sexual assault policy on a college campus is how to make policy sex-positive. ...

This post is by Erin, SAFER’s Campus Accountability Project Coordinator, and is cross-posted from Change Happens

I am pleased to share some of the best, most comprehensive and most badass explanations of enthusiastic consent, “Sex Talk” below. ...
By Advocates for Youth • 13 years ago

Arkansas School Board Member: “The only way im wearin (purple)…is if they all commit suicide”

Two news items from yesterday:

1) The Department of Education sent out a letter to schools that “clarifies the relationship between bullying and discriminatory harassment,” observing that since homophobic bullying is gender-based, it violates the law, and schools must address and prevent it.

2) A school board official in Arkansas (Clint McCance) declared on Facebook that wearing purple to honor GLBTQ youth is stupid, because all “queers” should commit suicide.

Two news items from yesterday:

1) The Department of Education sent out a letter to schools that “clarifies the relationship between bullying and discriminatory harassment,” observing that since homophobic bullying is gender-based, it violates the law, and ...

Silhouette of a woman whose breast is being grabbed by a hand
By Miriam • 13 years ago

How not to prevent sexual harrassment

This graphic was taken from an Egyptian website for a campaign to stop sexual and street harrassment. The campaign itself I’m all for (despite some rather interesting wording, which may be a translation issue) but this graphic does a terrible job of representing the campaign.

First of all, the woman (who is represented by a black silhouette with a voluptuous chest and butt) appears to be naked. She also appears to be almost pushing out her breasts at the silhouette hand that is reaching out to grab her.

This might be this most victim-blamey “prevention” graphic I’ve ever seen. Also probably not the most effective.

Via Kathleen Hanna

This graphic was taken from an Egyptian website for a campaign to stop sexual and street harrassment. The campaign itself I’m all for (despite some rather interesting wording, which may be a translation issue) but ...
By Miriam • 13 years ago

Help Colorlines celebrate love

Colorlines Editor Kai Wright told readers earlier this month that he wants to celebrate love more at Colorlines. I’m not entirely sure, but I believe it’s in response to the recent barrage of youth suicides.

Either way, I think it’s a fabulous idea. In Kai’s words:

There may be a long road ahead to justice, but surely it begins with everyone doing their best to love themselves and one another.

You can support this effort by sending in ideas for posts celebrating love. Instructions here.

In the latest celebrating love post, Colorlines highlighted the incredible journey of Mia Mingus and Stacey Millburn, two queer disabled diasporic Korean women of color who are moving from their respective Southern ...

Colorlines Editor Kai Wright told readers earlier this month that he wants to celebrate love more at Colorlines. I’m not entirely sure, but I believe it’s in response to the recent barrage of youth ...

mike-and-molly-mdn
By Vanessa • 13 years ago

Marie Claire piece questions whether “fatties” on TV are offensive

Yes, this was the actual headline, and this was an actual piece by a mainstream women’s magazine. Maura Kelley questions whether the show, Mike & Molly (which is about a couple who meet at an Overeaters Anonymous group) and others with overweight actors is too offensive for viewers:

My initial response was: Hmm, being overweight is one thing — those people are downright obese! And while I think our country’s obsession with physical perfection is unhealthy, I also think it’s at least equally crazy, albeit in the other direction, to be implicitly promoting obesity! Yes, anorexia is sick, but at least some slim models are simply naturally skinny. No one who is as ...

Yes, this was the actual headline, and this was an actual piece by a mainstream women’s magazine. Maura Kelley questions whether the show, Mike & Molly (which is about a couple who meet ...

Cover of Gender Outlaws with colorful comics
By Miriam • 13 years ago

Not Oprah’s Book Club: Gender Outlaws

Seal Press recently sent me a review copy of this anthology that I’ve been eagerly awaiting since I heard about it. Two of the better known gender-bending authors out there, Kate Bornstein and S. Bear Bergman teamed up to create Gender Outlaws: The Next Generation.

The anthology begins with a online chat between Bear and Kate. It’s tone is loving, appreciative and unabashedly flirtatious. They continue their dialogue about the book, gender and the future, in three installments throughout the anthology. Reading it you feel like a voyeur on an intimate exchange between two old friends–not dissimilar from the voyeurism that reading about people’s intimate ideas about gender invokes.

Seal Press recently sent me a review copy of this anthology that I’ve been eagerly awaiting since I heard about it. Two of the better known gender-bending authors out there, Kate Bornstein and S. Bear ...
By Miriam • 13 years ago

Yesterday in Feminist History: Happy Birthday Hillary

Yesterday was the 63rd birthday of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Clinton has been one of the most prominent women in politics in recent memory, with her Democratic bid for the Presidency most recently bringing her to the forefront of media attention. (And often negative sexist attention, as we might remember).

Now she’s working away in the State Department, arguably in a position that has allowed her more freedom to pursue her agenda (such as advancing the rights of folks in the LGBTQ community) than the Presidency would have allowed. She’s out of the spotlight, and most of the time doesn’t need an act of Congress to approve her changes. I’m not expert on foreign policy, so I ...

Yesterday was the 63rd birthday of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. Clinton has been one of the most prominent women in politics in recent memory, with her Democratic bid for the Presidency most recently bringing her ...
By Courtney • 13 years ago

What We Missed

Brian Elliot describes himself as being professionally gay.

Elizabeth Kapu’uwailani Lindsey maps the human story.

Dana Goldstein on “character education.”

No Country for Young Women’s got all kinds o’ coverage of the 2010 Women’s Forum Global Meeting.

Mark your calendars: The Women of SNL, a two-hour special is scheduled to air on NBC on Nov. 1.

Brian Elliot describes himself as being professionally gay.

Elizabeth Kapu’uwailani Lindsey maps the human story.

Dana Goldstein on “character education.”

No Country for Young Women’s got all kinds o’ coverage of the 2010 Women’s Forum Global ...

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