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By jen • 16 years ago

My thoughts following the Hirshman chat

The chat is over, but you can still read it. Some of it was even more upsetting to me than the original article. A number of things really pissed me off. Here’s just a quick sampling.

An example suggested to me is that women of color are subjected to pressure NOT to reproduce — one such report spoke of long term norplant type stuff as a condition of parole. This is different from the pressure TO reproduce that is the subject of much choice energy. The women’s movement must protect women of color from this particularly female oppression, if the reports I received are true.

If??? Exhibit A of why a real knowledge of and concern with intersectionality is ...

The chat is over, but you can still read it. Some of it was even more upsetting to me than the original article. A number of things really pissed me off. Here’s just a ...
By jen • 16 years ago

Talk About the Future of Feminism

At 1pm eastern on WashingtonPost.com with Linda Hirshman, here. You can submit questions now. Jill’s take on Hirshchman’s article over at Feministe is wonderful, so go check it out.
Hirshman says,
A movement that uses intersectionality as a lens but banishes white, bourgeois, corporate older women might be a vehicle to glue what remains of feminism together, but it will struggle to achieve social change for women.

Er, bullshit. First of all, demanding that someone make room for you is not the same as forcing them out of the way. And, if your social change only helps rich hetero (etc.) women, your definition of success needs a lot of work.

At 1pm eastern on WashingtonPost.com with Linda Hirshman, here. You can submit questions now. Jill’s take on Hirshchman’s article over at Feministe is wonderful, so go check it out.
Hirshman says,
A movement that ...
By jen • 16 years ago

Where do we go from here?

As someone who, honestly, was not deeply invested in either side of the Clinton/Obama battle, I’m excited that the primary season is over and we can move to the next phase of this process.
But, as I see yet another thread dividing along the same battle lines, I wonder, not about the Democratic Party, or even among feminists, but just between the members of the Feministing community, what’s next? This is not a rhetorical question. I’d really like to hear from all of you. How are we going to spend the next 147 days? I’m not suggesting as some have that Clinton supporters “get over it.” It’s pretty crappy to expect that when people feel so passionately.* I’m just curious ...

As someone who, honestly, was not deeply invested in either side of the Clinton/Obama battle, I’m excited that the primary season is over and we can move to the next phase of this process.
But, as I ...
By jen • 16 years ago

The Ortho Evra saga continues

Last week Public Citizen petitioned the FDA to ban Ortho Evra, the birth control patch, stating

the amount of estrogen released from the Ortho-Evra patch varies widely among individual women, and those who absorb too much were at greater risk for blood clots and and other painful side effects.
“The considerable safety concern of high-dose, variable estrogen exposure tips the balance of risks and benefits against the availability of Ortho-Evra as a contraceptive,” wrote Sidney Wolfe, head of the research group.

This is just the most recent move in a long history of controversy over the patch. And looking back over the Feministing reader birth control poll, some of you out there are using it. Personally, ...

Last week Public Citizen petitioned the FDA to ban Ortho Evra, the birth control patch, stating

the amount of estrogen released from the Ortho-Evra patch varies widely among individual women, and those who absorb too much ...
By jen • 16 years ago

Liking things that are bad for you*

One common thread I’ve noticed a lot in posts about Grand Theft Auto, Baby Mama, Madonna, and others recently, is hostility to criticism of something the poster enjoys. Simplifying it, some of the comments come off as “well, I like it, so it can’t be that bad� or “it’s funny, so don’t take it so seriously.� I think it’s natural to want to defend something you enjoy, and reject the idea that it is sexist or damaging. I feel it too. But that doesn’t mean we’re right to defend it to the end. Liking something does not negate its ability to harm. Enjoying something that is anti-woman doesn’t make you a bad person. Or even ...

One common thread I’ve noticed a lot in posts about Grand Theft Auto, Baby Mama, Madonna, and others recently, is hostility to criticism of something the poster enjoys. Simplifying it, some of ...
By jen • 16 years ago

“Race to the Bottom” of a nefarious scheme from young feminists?

Via Racialicious, there’s a good interesting article from The Nation, Race to the Bottom, partially a retread of the sexism v. racism issue in the Democractic presidential primary process. Good overview of what’s been going on if you’re not living and breathing this stuff. But there’s one section of the article that stopped me in my tracks. It’s part of a quote from Frances Kissling,

The implications of all this for the future of feminism depend significantly on the outcome of the primary, says Kissling. “If Clinton wins, the older-line women’s movement will continue; it will be a continuation of power for them. If she doesn’t win, it will be a death knell for those people. And that may be ...

Via Racialicious, there’s a good interesting article from The Nation, Race to the Bottom, partially a retread of the sexism v. racism issue in the Democractic presidential primary process. Good overview of what’s been going on ...
By jen • 16 years ago

Feminist Finance (avoiding a dated and played out show me the money reference)

After leaving my last (very long) steady job, I was terrified about money. Because there’s no financial buffer but what I save. Even though I only have myself to support, it’s something I think about every day. That’s probably a result of knowing how hard my mom worked when I was growing up to give me everything I needed and some of the things I wanted. Really, I’m obsessive.
This is all only to say that I think about money a lot. So, discovering the blog Feminist Finance a few weeks ago was fantastic for me. The writer covers practical tips to get out of debt, to buying local produce, the importance of mentoring, and a lot more. If ...

After leaving my last (very long) steady job, I was terrified about money. Because there’s no financial buffer but what I save. Even though I only have myself to support, it’s something I think about every day. ...

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