http://www.centralohio.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/B8/20060320/NEWS01/603200302/1002&template=B8

I guess I am complacent about the issue because I am not American, quite frankly the reaction to the news on SD here was shock.

Honestly and seriously, what is being done about all this?

What is a good way to help?

Gah, the cheerleader debate has probably done more to worsen eating disorders than letting the girls go naked would have.
The editorial photos were of a line of bare midriffs, with the head out of shot. The letters page repeated the stereotypes of healthy, active , athletic, "fun" girls, while censuring overweight, "nerdy" girls.

I want to write in and point out I fit all those labels, and that a girl should be able to do whatever makes life feel rich, be that shimming with gusto in a bikini or writing an OS in hex, but I don't know how to do it without sounding... either too earnest, prim, or like I've got something up my arse.

Gah, the cheerleader debate has probably done more to worsen eating disorders than letting the girls go naked would have.
The editorial photos were of a line of bare midriffs, with the head out of shot. The letters page repeated the stereotypes of healthy, active , athletic, "fun" girls, while censuring overweight, 'nerdy' girls.

I want to write in and point out I fit all those labels, and that a girl should be able to do whatever makes life feel rich, be that shimmying with gusto in a bikini or writing an OS in hex, but I don't know how to do it without sounding... y'know?

Cheerleading is not really a part of our culture ... just a stupid a American import. Last time I looked no such sport existed in Austraian high schools, but this may have changed in the last couple of years but certainly not for the football arena.

Prudes we are not!

But most wouldn't be caught dead in this activity. Yes anorexia is a huge problem, and we take it quite seriously, cheerleading has probably been targeted because it is not a part of our culture and as such has an air of "elitism" about it ... not exactly something to aspire to except maybe when it is presented like gymnastics.

Much like we ditched the Miss Australia contest some years ago because it was considered an unhealthy aspiration for any young woman ... the comment was ... we need to move with the times, so it was considered that it's day was well and truly over (yes I know Jennifer Hawkins was Miss Universe 2004, but that had nothing to do with any internal contest). So hopefully cheerleaders will go too ... football was dying here (well, rugby league anyway full of morons)so I guess it was part of the move to jazz it up ... most people just put-up with it, spoils the game.

Hypocritically, beach volley ball players (male/female) have been required to wear skimpier outfits to help boost the sport, but of course this will only increase their risk of melanoma ... so in a few years they'll be covering up too as fabrics improve.

But no, we couldn't rat's arse about skin exposure per se, hell people walk around in next to nothing in summer as it is so stinking hot for nine months of the year.

I actually used to live and work on Mackinac Island, MI, a well-known resort community with a huge demand for foreign labor during the summer. About half of the guys in my employee-provided housing were Jamaican nationals. While I loved working and hanging out with those guys--for the most part, they were awesome people--I am sad to report that homophobia IS indeed a strong part of their cultural worldview. Part of it is that a significant number of Jamaicans are devout Seventh-Day Adventists (Not, as you might suspect, Rastafarians). This is a faith with strong evangelical roots and as such places a strong taboo on homosexuality. I'm not saying they're all like that, but yes, it is a problem in Jamaican culture.

From an article in yesterday's UK Guardian, worth getting out into the feminist blogsphere:

"I passed a demo in the Strand on Saturday, outside Zimbabwe House. A small group of people protested in the rain about repression, corruption and starvation in their once thriving and beautiful country. Zimbabwe's leader is as cracked and corrupt as Iran's, but Africa will never merit the kind of outrage generated by the Middle East. One wonders why.

There is a deeply unsexy charity for Zimbabwean women which might interest you. Their only tampon factory has closed down: the farms are no longer able to produce cotton and the women of Zimbabwe can't afford to buy towels at inflated prices. A box of tampons costs £4 and the average monthly wage is £12. This forces them to use newspaper or leaves, leading to infections, which their partners often view with suspicion. Domestic violence ensues.

The charity Dignity.Period! has a truck full of tampons, donated by South African women and big business, which has been held up at the border since Thursday because customs are demanding taxes of $10,000 (£5,622). A benefit for the charity will be held at the 20th Century Theatre in Notting Hill on May 26, call 020-8991 2502 or see www.actsa.org for more details."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,1759873,00.html

http://www.actsa.org/Get_involved/zimbabwe_sanitary_campaign.htm

Apologies if this has already been mentioned.

So feminists are doing nothing about the actual removal of womens rights?

This is an actual issue people!

But what about the cheerleaders? Who cares!

What is being done About the erosion of womens rights?

Or should I go to a masculist site to learn how to stop abortion bans?

I mean...really?

thanks for the link, witchibus.

that's appalling. I'll definitely be looking for more information on the Dignity.Period! organization.

Hujo, seriously WHAT is your problem?

you're either whining about how A. the issues posted are frivolous, B. the issues posted are serious BUT OMG YOU'RE NOT DOING ENOUGH, or C. some combination of "but what about the menz!", "YOU'RE CENSORING ME" (which is pretty hilarious since you usually do this right after accusing feminists of acting the victim), derailing the thread talking about paternity suits, or refusing to acknowledge that you have ANY sort of privilege, of any kind.

I'm really curious as to why you aren't on a humanist blog, it seems like they would really cater to your blogging needs better than feministing would.