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By tabloidscully • 12 years ago

Choose Death: Mikki Kendall, Jill Stanek, and What Pro-Life Really Means

Feminists familiar with the intersectionality of oppressive -isms probably know about Mikki Kendall, a.k.a. Karnythia. She blogs over at The Angry Black Woman, and Feministing linked to her blog discussing how feminists aren’t immune from engaging in -isms during the 2008 election.

But there’s a new reason her name should be recognizable to all of us. In the last two months, Kendall has emerged as the face of abortion, and the nemesis to one-time nurse and conspiracy theorist whistleblower and anti-choice zealot Jill Stanek.

So, here’s the background.

On May 26, Salon published “Abortion saved my life,” where Kendall discusses how a placental abruption at 20 weeks into her pregnancy almost killed her and necessitated an abortion. But what makes Kendall’s account so harrowing is that doctors on-call refused to perform the procedure so that she lay bleeding to death until a nurse risked her own job to alert another doctor to come remove the fetus. Kendall survived, but just barely.

The story caught the eye of Stanek. Shortly after Salon ran the piece, Stanek left a comment and then began utilizing other mediums to vocalize her doubt of Kendall’s experience.

Stanek hasn’t stopped there, instead taking every opportunity to call Kendall a liar. It’s an odd accusation for Stanek to make, given that she and the truth aren’t exactly old friends, and it’s also interesting to note that part of why Stanek continues to deny Kendall’s experience is her refusal to ...
By tabloidscully • 13 years ago

The Cost of Birth Becomes Personal

Originally posted to GlobalShift.org

In a matter of days, I’ll hit my 37th week of pregnancy. Professionals in the field of obstetric and gynecological medicine will tell you that this is a time of considerable growth and importance for pregnant women and their developing fetuses, because it’s generally accepted that a baby born in this window will survive, barring any substantial medical issues.

Yet despite this reassurance of viability, I find myself more afraid than I have been at any other point during the last eight months. Early into my pregnancy, I selected the Women’s Health and Birth Center of Sonoma County to not only provide prenatal care, but to serve as the place where I intended to deliver my baby. ...

Originally posted to GlobalShift.org

In a matter of days, I’ll hit my 37th week of pregnancy. Professionals in the field of obstetric and gynecological medicine will tell you that this is a time of considerable growth ...
By tabloidscully • 13 years ago

Defending Twilight: An Interesting Look at Fandoms

I made the mistake of posting the most recent Feministing article about Twilight on my Facebook. I characterize it as a mistake not because I think Twilight is an amazing franchise above criticism, but because I earnestly believed folks would be interested in what Jos had to say, and her criticism of the series.

I was wrong. In fact, I don’t think I’ve been this wrong since believing that estimation works just as well as actually measuring out ingredients when it comes to baking a pound cake.

To be fair, it isn’t as though Jos was tossing out any new ideas, and that’s okay. The old ideas about how backwards Twilight is certainly have merit, and have spawned a lot of ...

I made the mistake of posting the most recent Feministing article about Twilight on my Facebook. I characterize it as a mistake not because I think Twilight is an amazing franchise above criticism, but because I ...
By tabloidscully • 13 years ago

A Survivors’s Reaction to SCOTUS Decision on Comstock

Cross-posted from GlobalShift.org under the title “SCOTUS Rules Congress Can Confine Sex Offenders Indefinitely”.

Individuals who have begun to worry about whether rights are steadfastly on the decline may have another reason to cite as justification. On May 17, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled on United States v. Comstock, a case challenging the Constitutional holdings of civil confinement for sex offenders. In a 7-2 decision, SCOTUS ruled in favor of the government, finding that Congress can keep sex offenders on the verge of completing or who have already completed their sentences behind bars indefinitely.
This is obviously a problem.

Before I get started on the numerous policy implications of this decision, it’s important to disclose a ...

Cross-posted from GlobalShift.org under the title “SCOTUS Rules Congress Can Confine Sex Offenders Indefinitely”.

Individuals who have begun to worry about whether rights are steadfastly on the decline may have another reason to cite as ...
By tabloidscully • 14 years ago

I Got You, Transphobia: On Chaz Bono and Societal Acceptance of Trans People

It was announced today that Chaz Bono, formerly Chastity, the progeny of Sonny and Cher musical group, petitioned a judge to legally recognize the name and sex change.

Bono made headlines when earlier announcing his intention to change from his birth sex of female to identified gender of male. Calling it “the best decision I ever made,” the subsequent comments on the news story have made it clear that ignorance and even phobias about transgendered persons are, indeed, alive and well.

The comments vary from calling Chaz a “He/she” to describing precisely why Chaz will never be accepted as a man. Here we are, as a society, trying to define someone’s gender for them, despite what they have already articulated as their ...

It was announced today that Chaz Bono, formerly Chastity, the progeny of Sonny and Cher musical group, petitioned a judge to legally recognize the name and sex change.

Bono made headlines when earlier announcing his intention to change ...