2011 April Archive | Feministing

SaVE Act: A Step in the Right Direction

Originally posted at Female Impersonator

As we have said before, rape on college campuses is a huge issue that needs to be better addressed. It looks like the proposed SaVE Act may be a step in the right direction.

The Campus Sexual Violence Elimination Act, or SaVE Act, would amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 and expand the 1990 Jeanne Clery Act to “improve education and prevention related to campus sexual violence, domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking.”

Co-sponsored by Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the SaVE Act (S. 835) would expand the framework of sexual assault education and victims’ rights to include domestic violence, dating violence, and stalking, and addresses the issue of how to define consent in sexual ...

Originally posted at Female Impersonator

As we have said before, rape on college campuses is a huge issue that needs to be better addressed. It looks like the proposed SaVE Act may be a step ...

By Maya Dusenbery • 12 years ago

Baratunde Thurston on Obama birther controversy: “We have all been debased”

As Lori mentioned yesterday, President Obama has released his long-form birth certificate in an attempt to lay to rest the ridiculous (racist, ignorant, bigoted, baseless) birther claims once and for all. (Donald Trump, we’re still waiting on yours.)

It’s pretty clear that this won’t shut up the true believers who never cared about things like, um, facts to begin with. But, god willing, it will squelch some of the media circus that irresponsibly validated those views. (I’m not holding my breath on Fox News though.)

I’m personally pretty conflicted about whether or not this was a good political move by the President.

Elle at Shakesville argues that this sets a terrible precedent and legitimizes bigotry:

“In ...

By Maya Dusenbery • 12 years ago

Indiana becomes first state to defund Planned Parenthood

Yesterday, Indiana became the first state to vote to defund Planned Parenthood. If signed into law, the bill would also make Indiana the 5th state to jump on the unscientific “fetal pain” train and ban abortion after 20 weeks.

As we learned from the federal battle over Planned Parenthood’s funding, it’s quite a challenge to bolster your “pro-life” political score by targeting Planned Parenthood without revealing your complete and utter hypocrisy. For every point you score with folks who believe the organization is neutering American men, trying to make straight women more like lesbians, and literally run by Satan’s “demon spirits,” you lose a few with those who understand that family planning prevents abortions.

And the ...

By Vanessa • 12 years ago

White House to host first-ever meeting with trans activists

Tomorrow, the Office of Public Engagement at the White House is hosting a meeting with a number of transgender activists and leaders working on federal policy around trans issues — for the first time in American history. Via the Washington Blade:

[White House spokesperson] Inouye said the meeting will be the first ever for the Office of Public Engagement where transgender issues are the sole focus of discussion.

“While transgender issues have been covered in previous OPE meetings, and transgender leaders have been included in other OPE meetings, this would be the first time OPE has held a meeting solely focused on transgender issues,” Inouye said.

Mara Keisling, executive director of the National Center ...

By Maya Dusenbery • 12 years ago

Will.i.am doesn’t like women who have their own condoms and I don’t like him

Slut-shaming with a side of awful sex education? My favorite! Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas recently told Elle that he thinks women who have their own condoms are a total boner-killer.

ELLE: If you walked into a woman’s house, what one item would convince you that you weren’t compatible?

W: If she had condoms in her house, that would just fuckin’ throw me off. That’s just tacky.

ELLE: Well, okay, I could see if she had a candy bowl full of them on the coffee table. But if she’s got a few in a drawer, wouldn’t that simply suggest she’s health-conscious?

W: I just think, like, if you’re into someone and you guys get to that level, then that’s something ...

Slut-shaming with a side of awful sex education? My favorite! Will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas recently told Elle that he thinks women who have their own condoms are a total boner-killer.

ELLE: If you walked ...

By Courtney • 12 years ago

What We Missed

Bahrain activist Assel Ibrahim Sharif on her missing father. Zainab Alkhawaja is on the eighth day of a hunger strike that she vows to continue until her family members are released.

A new report on gender equity (or, um, not equity) in the NYC municipal workforce.

Sayantani DasGupta on raising multilingual kiddos.

An estimated 2,594 juveniles are serving life without parole in the United States.

The tao of facilitative leadership by Adrienne Maree Brown.

Tomorrow is take your child to work day. Do it with purpose.

Apply to be part of Progressive Women’s Voices. It is an amazing experience.

Bahrain activist Assel Ibrahim Sharif on her missing father. Zainab Alkhawaja is on the eighth day of a hunger strike that she vows to continue until her family members are released.

A new report on ...

By Lori Adelman • 12 years ago

What will new credit card regulations mean for women?

Disclaimer: I hate credit. It just feels wrong that I’m forced to borrow money from some big credit card company month after month, even if I don’t want or need access to any funds beyond what I hold in my bank account, just so I can improve my “score” and people in society will trust me enough to give me things I need to survive, like the ability to rent an apartment. That being said, I go along with this hair-brained scheme because we live in a capitalist society where no one trusts each other and apparently coming to terms with that is part of being a grownup (along with learning to like the taste of beer and not tittering ...

By Sarah • 12 years ago

Campus Sexual Assault Activism: Link Overload

I can’t even wrap my head around everything that’s going on right now. So many students doing awesome work, and in the midst of it all SAFER has endorsed the Campus SaVE Act (more on that soon). It looks like Sexual Assault Activism Month is going to end on a number of high notes. Just look at all of this:

Washington University, Stanford University, Brandeis, and Swarthmore all made policy changes in light of the OCR “Dear Colleague” letter, sparking some campus dialogue on the issue. UMass and the University of Vermont are making some important changes as well.

After three years of investigating, student journalists at the University of ...

I can’t even wrap my head around everything that’s going on right now. So many students doing awesome work, and in the midst of it all SAFER has endorsed the Campus SaVE Act (more on ...