2013 August Archive | Feministing

TV news channels turn not actually controversial story into an excuse for transphobia

I am so sick of 24-hour news networks. Their insistence that every story be framed as controversial has led to some awful coverage of California’s new law requiring public schools to respect students’ gender identity, which we reported on yesterday. The law’s going to be a big deal in the lives of kids whose shot at academic success was limited by, say, not being able to find a place to change for gym. It’s an important but very basic fix, and there’s no reason for controversy or for folks who aren’t directly benefiting to care, besides being happy for the win. That is unless you’re a bigot. And in the land of 24 hour news, bigots get a great ...

By Jos Truitt • 10 years ago

Support our upcoming meetings and the future of Feministing blogging

The Feministing team is hard at work planning two important working weekends in the next month. And we need your support to fund these meetings and make our work possible.

This weekend, part of the site’s leadership team is meeting to plan Feministing’s financial future. We’ve blogged before about the fact that Feministing is a “labor of love,” which really means its the third shift work the team does for almost no money after all the other work we’re already doing. This makes our blogging incredibly unsustainable – folks often struggle to keep up our commitment to Feministing, knowing what we do here is important but also knowing we all need to eat. This is particularly hard for those ...

The Feministing team is hard at work planning two important working weekends in the next month. And we need your support to fund these meetings and make our work possible.

This weekend, part of the site’s leadership ...

By zerlina • 10 years ago

Daily Feminist Cheat Sheet

Anti-choicers in Kansas are claiming that abortion clinics should be closed because their presence incite protests.

Rep. Steve King continues with his racist rants, this time claiming that immigrants are from a “violent civilization.”

The only candidate in the NYC mayoral race who is opposed to stop-and-frisk, Bill de Blasio, is leading for the first time in the latest polling. The NYC democratic primary is September 10, 2013.

Are there really Obama “golf truthers?”

Why is San Diego Mayor Bob Filner still in office?

Study casts doubt on so-called hook up culture.

Until last week, Norfolk, Virginia classified all rape cases “unfounded” (i.e. a presumption that the victim is lying) by default.

Anti-choicers in Kansas are claiming that abortion clinics should be closed because their presence incite protests.

Rep. Steve King continues with his racist rants, this time claiming that immigrants are from a “violent civilization.”

The only candidate ...

By Sesali B. • 10 years ago

New law requires California public schools to respect students’ gender identity

California has already been proactive in fighting discrimination against trans folks – you may remember us talking about their ban on trans discrimination in healthcare. They also banned gender discrimination in schools.

Lawmakers in the state have now taken steps to make sure that trans folks are not only safe from discrimination but given the opportunity to participate and flourish in school. Governor Jerry Brown has signed the School Success and Opportunity Act into law.

“The law, which goes into effect on January 1, 2014, is the first of its kind in the country, and requires that California public schools respect students’ gender identity and makes sure that students can fully participate in all school activities,sports teams, programs, and ...

Lawmakers in the state ...

By zerlina • 10 years ago

Quick Hit: Congratulations North Carolina you have worst voter suppression bill in America

Yesterday, the Governor of North Carolina Pat McCroy, finally signed the nation’s worst voter suppression law. North Carolina which has been in the news lately for negative things like, #motocyclevagina bills, which included abortion restrictions in a bill about motorcycles. Now they are on record, as the state with the worst voter suppression.

Via Think Progress:

Among other things, the bill includes a strict voter ID law, which will reduce turnout among minority, low-income and student voters. It will cut a full week of early voting, which is likely to depress turnout among low-income and African American voters. And it will prohibit certain kinds of voter registration drives, which tend to register low-income and minority voters.

In other words, this bill is ...

By Sesali B. • 10 years ago

Who do we trust to name their own child?

Yesterday we included a link in our Daily Feminist Cheat Sheet about a Tennessee judge who imposed her own religious views and changed the name of a baby against his parents’ wishes. But as rapper Meek Millz said, “it’s levels to this shit” and this is more than an issue of violating the separation between church and state. The racial and family dynamics in this story are important and deserve some unpacking.

Jaleesa Martin and the father of her son, of New Port Tennessee, could not agree on their baby’s last name and were going to child support court to resolve the issue. They did, however, agree on the first name, which was Messiah. Judge Lu Ann Ballew came ...

By zerlina • 10 years ago

Attorney General Eric Holder announces new treatment for non-violent drug offenders

Yesterday, in addition to the court ruling on stop-and-frisk, there was other news with regards to civil rights. Speaking at a national gathering of the American Bar Association, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that he will review the criminal justice system and push for legislation that adjusts the archaic mandatory minimums for drug offenders as well as a directive for all U.S. attorneys to draft charges in non-violent drug offenses and possession cases, that do not trigger mandatory minimum sentences.

As a reader of this site, we all are aware that the criminal justice system and the so-called “war on drugs” in particular has a discriminatory impact on black and brown bodies. These changes are a continuation of the work that ...