Tag Archive for "women in the military"

Posts Tagged women in the military

Quote of the Day: Veterans take down Fox News for “boobs on the ground” joke

Sixty US veterans from the Truman National Security Project have written an open letter to Fox News’ Eric Bolling and Greg Gutfeld over their oh-so-funny jokes about Major Mariam Al Mansouri, the female UAE pilot who led airstrikes in Syria.

“[B]efore you jump to the standby excuse that you were ‘just making a joke’ or ‘having a laugh,’ let the men amongst our number preemptively respond: You are not funny. You are not clever. And you are not excused. Perhaps the phrase ‘boys will be boys’—inevitably uttered wherever misogyny is present—is relevant. Men would never insult and demean a fellow servicemember; boys think saying the word ‘boobs’ is funny.”

Word.

By Sesali B. • 10 years ago

Some things you might want to know about black hair before you regulate how black women wear it

The United States Army is facing criticism after releasing new appearance standards that essentially ban most of the hairstyles that black women with natural hair wear. The regulations ban twists, locks, and braids thicker than one fourth of an inch.

By Chloe Angyal • 10 years ago

Quick hit: Meet the first three women Marines to graduate from infantry training

When it was announced earlier this year that the US military would be opening up to women combat positions that had previously been off-limits for them, I heard the same skeptical, sometimes sexism-veiling refrain over and over again: I’m fine with women doing these jobs, as long as they can pass the same physical tests as the guys. Well, meet the first handful of women Marines who have done just that:

By Maya Dusenbery • 11 years ago

Daily Feminist Cheat Sheet

In case you are worried that little women can’t carry big men out of combat, here are some GIFs.

Enter a short film in the Female Condoms Are_______ Film Contest and win a cash prize!

Teenage Girl Blossoming Into Beautiful Object.

Please, anti-choicers, let’s keep Lilly Potter out of this.

Kiera Feldman looks at the long White Flight of American Jews moving to illegal settlements in “Israel” (Spoiler alert: they’re not within Israel’s legal borders.)

Marriage equality! It’s just like “legalizing male breastfeeding”!

Florida man accused of fraud for taking his wife’s… last name.

In case you are worried that little women can’t carry big men out of combat, here are some GIFs.

Enter a short film in the Female Condoms Are_______ Film Contest and win a cash prize!

Teenage ...

By Maya Dusenbery • 11 years ago

BREAKING: Military lifts ban on women serving in combat

Well, it’s about time.

Senior defense officials say Pentagon chief Leon Panetta is removing the military’s ban on women serving in combat, opening hundreds of thousands of front-line positions and potentially elite commando jobs after more than a decade at war.

The groundbreaking move recommended by the Joint Chiefs of Staff overturns a 1994 rule prohibiting women from being assigned to smaller ground combat units. Panetta’s decision gives the military services until January 2016 to seek special exceptions if they believe any positions must remain closed to women.

Last year, the Pentagon made a move towards this policy change by opening up thousands more combat positions to women. And, of course, women have been risking their lives–and sometimes ...

Well, it’s about time.

By Maya Dusenbery • 11 years ago

Military women who have been raped will finally have insurance coverage for an abortion

Good news! Looks like Senator Shaheen’s amendment expanding abortion coverage for women in the military is going to pass:

A bipartisan conference committee of House and Senate members approved an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill on Tuesday that will extend the insurance coverage of abortion to military women who have been raped.

Sen. Jeanne Shaheen’s (D-N.H.) amendment to the defense bill lifts a decades-long ban on abortion coverage for military rape victims. Since 1981, military women have not had the same level of health coverage that civilian employees, Medicaid recipients, and even federal prisoners receive from their government-issued insurance plans. High-profile supporters of the amendment include former Secretary of State Colin Powell.

The House is expected to approve ...

Good news! Looks like Senator Shaheen’s amendment expanding abortion coverage for women in the military is going to pass:

A bipartisan conference committee of House and Senate members approved an amendment to the Defense Authorization bill ...

By Syreeta McFadden • 12 years ago

Are all job programs created equal?

The Southern Poverty Law Center has filed a sexual descrimination suit against Asheville-Buncombe Community Christian Ministry (ABCCM) of Asheville, North Carolina. The SPLC alleges that women veterans were given unequal access to job training classes, as well as, resident support in comparison to men.

The SPLC filed the complaint on behalf of Bagby, an Army veteran, and other female veterans. It details how female veterans are excluded from job training and educational programs provided to male veterans that include truck driving and culinary arts skills. Women have access to classes such as knitting, art therapy, yoga, meditation, how to declutter your room, self-esteem and Bible study, according to the filing.

We’ll have yet to see what the findings will determine. ...

By Maya Dusenbery • 12 years ago

Is the military labeling rape survivors as “crazy” to get rid of them?

Last year, 3,191 military sexual assaults were reported and the Pentagon estimates the actual number was about 19,000. And, although the military claims to have a zero tolerance policy for sexual assault in the ranks, the it has long been accused of not doing enough to address the problem.

Now, according to a new report from CNN, it seems one of the ways they’re sweeping the problem under the rug may be by labeling the survivors as “crazy” and booting them from military. Interviews and records obtained by CNN suggest a pattern where servicewomen come forward after being assaulted, their complaints are ignored, and then they’re diagnosed with a personality disorder and discharged.

From 2001 to 2010, the military ...