sophiafromoregon

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By sophiafromoregon • 13 years ago

Victim Blaming and Shaming or Necessary Law?

Trigger Warning.

This is all sorts of fucked up. Britain’s new government is cracking down on rape victims and acting quickly to protect rapists.

The British Prime Minister is supporting limited anonymity for rape defendants, says the BBC News.

In its coalition deal, the government backed keeping the identity of defendants in rape cases in England and Wales secret until after conviction.

But Mr Cameron told MPs he favoured a "limited extension" to the law to cover the period between arrest and charges.

The acting Labor leader Harriet Herman is of course dismayed at such a stance. She is quoted as correctly stating that protecting rapists will only make it even more difficult for rape victims to come forward.

To single out rape defendants sends a very powerful message to juries in rape cases that the rape victim is not to be believed. It sends a devastating message to rape victims that uniquely of all victims they are not to be believed.

Although the article cites the statistical odds piled against rape victims in the UK, it concludes with the justification for rapist protection stating "number of cases in which celebrities were named in newspapers over allegations of sexual assault, even though in some cases they were not charge". Of course the actions of a few will endanger hundreds of thousands of other women, and for the British government that is apparently okay.

By sophiafromoregon • 14 years ago

Domestic Violence, Athletics and the Media UPDATE

A while back I wrote about an incident concerning a college football star and allegations that he physically assaulted his partner . I wrote that the University’s response and the way the media (locally and nationally) portrayed the incident was cruel, disturbing and all too common.

Today an official plea was rendered (guilty) and the defendant was sentenced.

James pleaded guilty to harassment charges today and received 10 days in jail and 24 months probation. The sentencing memorandum is interesting to read. James also wrote an apology letter. He’ll get credit for two days served, and because of jail overcrowding likely do community service rather than spend eight more days in jail.

On this same day, one of James teammates , the star quarterback of ...

By sophiafromoregon • 14 years ago

More Media Victim Blaming and Dehumanization

UGH This is the type of stuff which really gets my blood boiling. I swear I write about this every single day. And I am sure I could spend my entire life battling the media’s sick obsession with portraying rape and DV victims as liars, deviants and/or less than worthy of society’s support.

Cross Posted at WomenUndefined

Reporting a crime that did not happen is in and of itself a crime in the United States. The basic premise being, don’t make shit up. I won’t get too deep into the American prison system and all of its injustices, but headlines like this make me want to scream in frustration.
“Biurny Peguero, Fake Rape Victim, Gets Up To 3 ...

UGH This is the type of stuff which really gets my blood boiling. I swear I write about this every single day. And I am sure I could spend my entire life battling the media’s sick obsession ...

By sophiafromoregon • 14 years ago

Domestic Violence, Athletics, and the Media

I was in an abusive relationship for several years and I continue to suffer. I take to heart these stories and reports on domestic violence. I have a hard time yet talking about my personal experiences concerning intimate partner violence, but I do not have trouble criticizing the way in which media outlets report violence against women.

I woke up this morning to this headline: Oregon Football: LaMichael James arrested
So what happened? Why was he arrested? Oregon running back LaMichael James was booked into Lane County Jail on Wednesday morning on domestic violence charges, continuing a string of off-the-field issues plaguing the Ducks football program. James has been charged with assault-4, which is a misdemeanor that carries a potential ...

By sophiafromoregon • 14 years ago

Planned Parenthood of the Columbia Willamette Regional Service Health Center Grand Opening Celebration Reaction and Report

Hey everyone, I hope this weekend has been pleasant for you all. I, like millions of other people, don’t have a significant other to spend this “holiday” with, so instead, I attended the grand opening of a state-of-the-art, Planned Parenthood facility. I had a lot of fun and even met and spoke with Cecile Richards (!!) , needless to say, this turned out way better than a box of stale chocolate and flowers.

I posted this at my site www.womenundefined.com as well.

“There is no human circumstance more tragic than the persisting existence of a harmful condition for which a remedy is readily available. Family planning… is possible, practical and necessary…Sanger launched a movement which is obeying a higher ...

By sophiafromoregon • 14 years ago

Super Bowl 44: Sexism and Misogyny in Society 101

Originally Posted at WomenUndefined.Com

Hey Women’s Studies majors, no need to take those extra sociology courses – If you watched last night’s Super Bowl and the accompanying advertisements, you’re an expert in sexism and misogyny!

You can now say with confidence and pride: “I aced Sexism and Misogyny in Society 101″. Well, you can only say that if you didn’t break your TV after the whole shibang was said and done, no doubt some of us failed the course, myself included.

If you haven’t taken this course or are interested in applying please see course features, prerequisite requirements and goals of the course below.

The cost of this course is monetarily free (cost upon society unquantifiable and unaccountably negative-for certain reverberating ...

Originally Posted at WomenUndefined.Com

You can now ...

By sophiafromoregon • 14 years ago

In Honor of the 2010 Grammies: Beyonce Knowles; reaffirms or reverses roles of gender and racial stereotypes?

Cross Posted at WomenUndefined.

Watch this video of Beyonce Knowles performing her hit song “If I Were A Boy” at the 2010 Grammy Awards. What do you see? An overtly sexual puppet, propped up and hung from strings controlled by wealthy, predominantly white, corporate executives? A packaged sexual object , bought and sold for the financial gain of a select few?
Or do you see an empowered woman, self made and confident? A Woman well aware of the allure and power of her unique sexuality, a woman in complete control of her faculties and possessing of enough confidence to re-define old notions of black sexuality and femininity-using them to achieve ultimate success and power?

She has sold millions of records, won ...

Cross Posted at WomenUndefined.

Watch this video of Beyonce Knowles performing her hit song “If I Were A Boy” at the 2010 Grammy Awards. What do you see? An overtly sexual puppet, propped up and hung from ...

By sophiafromoregon • 14 years ago

Women’s Rights Worldwide in 2009: Some Steps Back, Some Steps Forward

In January, Barack Obama was inaugurated as the 44th president of the United States. He quickly revoked the global gag rule, restored funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for access the sexual and reproductive health and, in spite of Pope Benedict’s pronouncement in Africa against the use of condoms , acknowledged the need to rapidly and systematically address the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

The same month, more affirmation for sexual and reproductive rights came as Bolivians approved a new constitution with a dedicated chapter to women’s rights.

At the international level, in April, the UN Commission on Population and Development passed a resolution placing an unprecedented emphasis on human rights, including in regard to sexuality. ...