zerlina

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By zerlina • 10 years ago

Paula Deen thinks she’s oppressed like “that Black” gay NFL player

I thought the real life Olivia Pope was supposed to be handling America’s Paula Deen?

Apparently not, as this week the celebrity television chef, who has been plagued by lawsuits and first hand accounts of her calling employees the N word, is back to let America know that she knows just what it feels like to be to be the first openly gay player in professional football.

Deen, who admitted to using the N word and planning a wedding where she planned on having her staff dress up like slaves, saw her television show canceled and her long standing public popularity dry up.

By zerlina • 10 years ago

How many more times is the media going to fall for GOP Obamacare lies?

It’s like deja vu all over again! This week the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office released a report with new analysis of the impact of Obamacare on the economy. The report, which analyzed the economic outlook from 2014-2024, concluded that Obamacare will cause a reduction in the labor force by the end of 2024. 2.3 million workers will drop out of the labor force either by deciding not to work or reducing their hours. Apparently, retiring early sounds a lot better than pulling double shifts at a thankless job so you can keep your health insurance.

The CBO concluded that: “The estimated reduction stems almost entirely from a net decline in the amount of labor that workers choose to supply, ...

By zerlina • 10 years ago

New Anita Hill documentary premieres at Sundance

This week, Anita, a new film documenting the confirmation hearings of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Via EBONY.com, more than 20 years since the divisive confirmation hearings which made Anita Hill a household name. Right now is probably a good time to remind everyone that even though he was eventually confirmed, Anita Hill’s account of the sexual harassment she experience working under Thomas was corroborated by additional witnesses that the public likely never heard of.

The Feministing Five: Anita Hill

Anita Hill on sexual harassment, Ginny Thomas, Slutwalks, and more

By zerlina • 10 years ago

Rand Paul thinks poor moms should be punished for being poor

Senator Rand Paul may be emerging as the frontrunner for the 2016 Republican nomination, but we must never forget that he holds some of the most extreme policy positions imaginable. Whether it’s being against portions of the Civil Rights Act, being opposed to all abortions without exception, or his latest nonsense about benefits for poor mothers. For every moment where the Senator says something sensical about the war on drugs, there’s this kind of moment where you remember how far outside of the mainstream Senator Paul is.

Via Think Progress (emphasis added):

At a luncheon for the Chamber of Commerce in Lexington, KY, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) floated the idea of capping government benefits for ...

By zerlina • 10 years ago

Quote of the Day: “An abortion doesn’t un-rape a woman.”

*Trigger warning*

So last night I tuned into CrossFire on CNN to support my friend and new CNN contributor Sally Kohn.The debate about women’s reproductive rights on the 41st anniversary of Roe v. Wade was between anti-choice hoaxter Lila Rose and NARAL President Ilyse Hogue.

When I tuned in, I expected to hear Lila Rose spew the usual non-sense about babies being “ripped apart” during the abortion procedures that exist only in her vivid imagination.

What I didn’t expect to hear (because I’m clearly naive) is a woman say on national television, “An abortion doesn’t un-rape a woman.” That was Rose’s response to a question about abortion exceptions for rape and incest. Rose opposes ...

*Trigger warning*

So last night I tuned into CrossFire on CNN to support my friend and new CNN contributor Sally Kohn.The debate about women’s reproductive rights on the 41st anniversary of Roe v. Wade ...

By zerlina • 10 years ago

White House launches a new task force to end rape on campus

Wednesday, the White House Counsel on Women and Girls and the Office of the Vice President released a report and launched a new initiative to end rape on college campuses.

Due in no small part to the hard work of campus activists, like our own Alexandra and Wagatwe, the president says his administration is focused on ending sexual violence and will hold those schools who receive federal funding accountable for shamefully inadequate reporting procedures on campus. As I’ve said before on this site, hearing the president address this issue that has effected so many of us personally is an emotional experience. When he says, “To anyone out there ...

Wednesday, the White House Counsel on Women and Girls and the Office of the Vice President released a report and launched a new initiative to end rape on college campuses.

Due in no small part to the ...

By zerlina • 10 years ago

Why is Florida State Attorney Angela Corey trying to put Marissa Alexander back in jail?

Sigh. Marissa Alexander was finally released after years in prison, but State’s Attorney Angela Corey just moved to revoke her bond on the grounds that she left her home in violation of the terms of her release to go shopping with friends and family. Alexander’s attorney maintains that she had the permission of the supervising corrections officer, but Corey, who seems to have it out for Alexander, is going ahead with the motion.

By zerlina • 10 years ago

Video: How Obamacare is a win for women

Back when the media was in a frenzy over the Obamacare Web site “glitches,” I wrote a post about how they were missing the point. Access to affordable healthcare is life changing and once the Web site got fixed, which it did, people would sign up in droves. Nearly 9 million did.

Women no longer face codified gender discrimination under the old health insurance system. That is life changing. That’s why I was so frustrated back in November when the media was in hysterics over the web site rollout debacle. Did it take me a few tries to sign up for health care? Yes. But it took me longer to upgrade my iPhone and I had the patience ...

Back when the media was in a frenzy over the Obamacare Web site “glitches,” I wrote a post about how they were missing the point. Access to affordable healthcare is life changing and once ...