feministhemes.com

A friend of mine has been keeping me up to my ears in links, and they’re of quality material so I figured, why not share the wealth?  However, all of this information can be pretty overwhelming, so what can you do?  First, share this information with other people in your lives – and not just the feminists: we know this and how important it is, so pass it on to someone who might not otherwise be thinking about these issues, too.  Secondly, get involved. College campuses usually have student advocacy groups, and communities often have sexual assault and domestic violence shelters that can always use free help.  You can volunteer as a crisis call advocate or get involved in educating the community about rape, sexual assault, domestic violence, and healthy relationships.  You can also contact your local congresspeople and senators and advocate for more attention to be paid to the rape culture that extends to the military.  But most importantly, don’t forget about this a few days after you read the articles.  Empower yourself and others by facing the facts and working towards change.

56% believe some rape victims partly to blame for attack [the independent]

Dr Jan Welch, clinical director at the Haven in Camberwell, south-east London, said: “Unfortunately, women have bought into the idea that sometimes the rape victim is to blame. Under no circumstances is a woman at fault for being raped.  Coping with the emotional trauma of rape or sexual assault is made even harder when the victim is made to feel responsible for what’s happened.”

Violence against women is justified, says pupil study [bbc news]

A study of schoolchildren has found that most of those questioned thought violence towards women was acceptable if there was a reason behind it.  The majority of the pupils said it was justified if the woman had an affair, or if she was late in making the tea.

Myths That Make It Hard To Stop Campus Rape [NPR]

What Lisak found was that students who commit rape on a college campus are pretty much like those rapists in prison. In both groups, many are serial rapists. On college campuses, repeat predators account for 9 out of every 10 rapes.

Women at war: How roles are changing [bbc news]

“You’re supposed to carry your weapon at all times in a combat zone,” she said.  “But I put my weapon down and walked away to smoke a cigarette and that was when I was attacked.”  She was then dragged behind some power generators and raped.  “If I had kept my weapon maybe I would have been able to prevent it,” she says.  “But if I had used it I would probably have ended up in jail.”

Utah has a chance to pull its head out of its arches, and at least this bill has been slowed down, but we’re not out of the water yet, folks.  Keep spreading the word about how the Utah House and Senate hope to target women with their proposed anti-miscarriage law.

Utah Anti-Abortion Bill Citing ‘Reckless Act’ Is Withdrawn [The New York Times]

The original bill, which was sent to Gov. Gary R. Herbert, a Republican, for his consideration — and set off a firestorm of anxiety and criticism from abortion rights and women’s advocacy groups around the country — now goes back to the Legislature, neither signed nor vetoed.  The sponsor, Representative Carl D. Wimmer, a Republican, said he had removed a key clause that would have allowed prosecution under Utah’s criminal homicide laws for a “reckless act of the woman” that resulted in death to a fetus. Language will remain, he said, that makes a woman’s “intentional” actions, if resulting in the death of her fetus in an illegal abortion, a felony.

Quick Hit Update: Utah miscarriage criminalization bill withdrawn [feministing]

But don’t be fooled: the new legislation they create could still potentially criminalize women who have miscarriages or illegal abortions, and we can’t let that happen.

Good News: Utah Tones Down Miscarriage Bill. Bad News: It’s Still Murder [jezebel]

All this is in response to a 17-year-old girl who paid someone to beat her into miscarrying — the solution to which, clearly, is to throw her in jail. It apparently hasn’t crossed the legislators’ minds that improving access to safe, legal abortions — by, for instance, removing Utah’s parental-notification law — might prevent girls and women from resorting to such horrific tactics. Or, more likely, Utah still cares more about controlling women than about helping them.

There are some interesting studies floating around out there this week in terms of men and reproductive health.  And to be honest, they’re a little unnerving.  Check out these stories, then hit up some educational sites like Amplify, Scarleteen, Sex, etc. and Planned Parenthood to educate yourself, your partner, and anyone else who’s willing to listen!

Americans stunningly ignorant about birth control [feministe]

29% of men and 32% of women reported knowing “little or nothing about condoms.” 78% of men and 45% of women said the same about birth control pills… And 90% believe they have all the knowledge they need to prevent an unplanned pregnancy.

Rubber Barons: Why Doesn’t Your Boyfriend Know Jack About Contraception? [the sexist]

When Allison’s boyfriend expressed concern with the efficacy of her vaginal ring, she told him all about it. But even between two adults, the subject inspired some awkwardness. “The conversation wasn’t exactly free-flowing,” Allison says. “I’ve been dating since high school, and it feels like the men that I date now have a very similar idea of birth control as the men I dated who were high school students,” says Allison. “They get a preliminary idea in sex ed, and then there’s not really any education after that. Nothing ever changes.”

Would Your Boyfriend Be “Pleased” By Your Surprise Fetus? [the sexist]

Forty-three percent of young men responded that they would be “a little pleased” or “very pleased” by the news; only 20 percent of women answered the same. Men also proved more comfortable with an unplanned pregnancy at an earlier age: Thirty-four percent of men 18-19 said they would be pleased. By the time they reach age 20-24, 42 percent of men said they would be pleased. And over 50 percent of men aged 25-29 would be pleased by the news. Remember: this is only among men who deemed it “important” that a pregnancy not occur at this junction.

Ay yi yi.

As you can probably tell by the increase in quotes and links lately, the life of a graduate student has been catching up to me this week.  Hopefully I’ll become a more productive contributor to the blogosphere again soon, but until then, check out some of these other recent posts on my girl Gaga.  Some are celebratory, some are critical, and that’s just the way I like it – after all, if we can’t be thoughtful about things, what’s the point?

Lady GaGa Condoms, For When Your Junk Just Has To Look Insane [Celebuzz]

The “Bad Romance” singer is promoting a line of prophylactics created by fashion designer Jeremy Scott in an effort to keep your carnal liaisons safe and, just as importantly, fashionable. The condoms, available through the Proper Attire condom company, will be available in electric-orange, green and pink animal prints (because what could be sexier?), and will come in studded, ribbed and sheer varieties.

In case you haven’t heard, the Utah House and Senate have passed a bill that aims to criminalize miscarriage.  This is discriminatory, sexist, hateful, repugnant bullsh*t, and a (very likely) signature away from becoming law.  The blogs have done a great job of raising consciousness about this issue, but I’m sadly not holding my breath for Utahns to riot enough to prevent this from happening.  Anyway, check out the posts because I can’t bring myself to come up with my own response to this crap.

I recommend starting out at RH Reality Check for the scoop.

From Jezebel

Utah’s new bill would apply throughout pregnancy. Given that 15-20% of recognized pregnancies end in miscarriage, 80% of those in the first trimester, Utah could have a lot of work ahead.

From Feministing

It [the bill] could create cases where women are prosecuted for having an unintentional miscarriage if there is any indication of “reckless behavior,” like drink alcohol and miscarry, or do any number of other things that could be deemed “reckless.”

From Amplify

Women in physically abusive relationships could be criminally liable for not leaving their partner, regardless of their ability to do so safely or securely. Women seeking lawful abortion may be guilty of criminal homicide if her physician failed to follow exact procedures set forth in the law.

From Feministe

The concern here isn’t really about fetuses or life or any of that. It’s about punishing women.

I did not watch the SuperBowl.  Proudly.  But my stance on professional sports is a topic for another discussion.  Anyway, if there’s one thing that the SuperBowl is known for (besides hypermasculinity and large men in spandex trying to kill each other in addition to rubbing up against one another and grunting in a totally non-sexual way – wait, another post, right) it’s envelope pushing advertisements.  These are being covered all over the place today, so here are some links to get you thinking about the fallout.

Woes Of Bros: Super Bowl Ads Star Pathetic Men — And The Women Who Ruined Them [Jezebel]

Knowing that Super Bowl Sunday is the only day of the year in which TV viewers actually care about commercials, you’d think ad agencies would have tried to reach the men and the women watching at home, right? Wrong.

Superbowl Sexism: Spineless, skirtless edition [feministing]

I’m sensing an anxious masculinity theme for the Superbowl commercials this year. I mean, we get it, dudes: You’re worried about being castrated by lavender scented candles and shopping with your lady friend. Go kill something, quick! And for the love of god, stop being nice to your girlfriend.

The Super Bowl and Madison Avenue Misogyny [feministe]

Superbowl ads are sexist. This is well trod ground: Marketers objectify women and play up stereotypes in order to sell things to (heterosexual) men. But we knew this year was going to be special. This year there was going to be some extra anti-feminist flavor… There were fewer half-naked women and dick jokes this year. Instead, the 2010 Superbowl Ad Mantra seemed to have one common theme: “Feeling castrated? . . . by women? Man up.”

The Critics On The Super Bowl Ads: Boring, Misogynistic [Jezebel]

• From Time’s James Poniewozik:

Wow, Super Bowl ad men really hate Super Bowl ad women this year, don’t they? …. Why would CBS turn down a Super Bowl ad from a gay-dating service, then run a bunch of ads with the message that men can’t stand to be around women?

• From  Slate’s Seth Stevenson:

Is it me, or was this year’s dose of casual misogyny a little rawer and angrier than usual?

• From The Washington Post’s Tom Shales:

An oddly recurring theme had to do with men asserting their masculinity, or attempting to assert it, as well as the perpetual male fear of emasculation.

• NOW via the Los Angeles Times:

NOW president Terry O’Neill said it glorified violence against women. “I am blown away at the celebration of the violence against women in it,” she said.

Looks like a big mess.  Did I miss any good critiques of last night’s ads?  Feel free to leave your own responses as well as links to more posts in the comments.

A number of hopeful stories in the news this week:

Human Rights Campaign Announces Comprehensive Campaign to End Failed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” Law
From HRC:

“The Commander in Chief sent a clear message tonight that in a time of war, what matters is that our men and women get the job done – not whether they’re gay or straight,” said Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese. “Our ‘Voices of Honor’ campaign will bring about much needed action to end this law that the vast majority of Americans oppose.”

Research Shows Two Gay Parents Are Better Than A Single Straight One
From io9, Full scientific article available via Journal of Marriage And Family.

Anti-gay marriage activists have argued vigorously that children need a mother and father. Now a new research study shows that kids do need two parents — but that gender doesn’t matter… finding that it’s ideal if a child is raised by two parents who are “responsible, committed, stable,” but that the gender doesn’t cause radical differences.

Florida allows third gay adoption
From UPI.com via Jezebel.

A Florida judge allowed a lesbian to adopt a child while an appeals court decides whether the state’s ban on gay adoptions is unconstitutional, records show.

Huge LGBT Family Law Victory in PA
From Feminist Law Professors via Jezebel.

For some time now, the Pennsylvania courts have been relatively good at handling legal issues involving lesbian and gay families. For example, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court has interpreted state adoption law to permit second-parent adoptions, and it has applied the in loco parentis doctrine to allow a former same-sex partner with no legal connection (e.g., through birth or adoption) to a child of the relationship to nonetheless obtain custody or visitation.

This is all great news, and shows that even though a lot of battles haven’t gone so well, some are still being won.  The war to extend equal rights to all U.S. citizens rages on.

Keep fighting the good fight, everyone.

Not much of a contribution of my own today, but check out these cool recent posts from other bloggers (props to Laura at Adventures of a Young Feminist for the formatting inspiration):

An analysis of Purity Balls at Jezebel:

Why is the focus solely on getting girls to protect their “purity” and so little on preventing boys from violating it? After all, I think the term “purity balls” would be much more appropriate for Christian males who pledge to remain virgins. But aside from that, there’s a laundry list of reasons why I think purity balls are not only ridiculous, but harmful to the females who are pressured into participating in them.

Part 2 of Jukebox Heroines’ defense of my girl Gaga:

Now, I know there will be some Gaga haters out there, and still others who think her and feminism are like oil and water. They never mix. Nope, sorry, they do. Those who will chid her feminism based on how she looks or the style of music she writes are guilty of the same sexism they propose to be fighting. Judge not by the outfits one wears, but by the content of their character!

A list of the top 10 best films for women in 2009 from Stiletto Revolt:

2009 has provided a lot of opportunities for female filmmakers and has brought some breakout female performances in unlikely places. A variety of films addressed women’s issues with depth, clarity, and honesty this year. After watching marathons of movies, both poignant and compelling, a compilation of the best was born.

What else have you been reading?

Sorry for the extra late post today, it was one of those days where everything happened later than it was supposed to (my alarm didn’t go off and I didn’t wake up until five minutes before I was supposed to give a presentation – fantastic)!  However, I don’t want to disappoint, so here are links to some of the things I’ve been reading over the past few days.

Three awesome recaps at Jezebel:

• Rihanna and Chris Brown speak out about what happened last spring and the aftermath;
• Taylor Swift hosted SNL, and from the looks of it helped the show actually produce a decent skit or two for the first time in a long time; and
• Ellen and Portia speak about the importance of gay marriage.

Elsewhere…

• In competition with SNL, Wanda Sykes‘ new show premiered Saturday night [Bitch Media].
• Nancy Grace objectifies a missing woman by referring to her as a “Co-ed Beauty” rather than by her actual name, over and over again [Sociological Images].

Sorry again for the super late and lazy post – I hope to return to productivity in the near future!

It’s been a busy busy Friday, and I apologize for the late posting.  Since I don’t have much to contribute today, check out these links:

You don’t have to be a feminist to notice the trends in Halloween costumes (you know, the “slut-o-ween” trend), but the fact that the sexualization of costumes is affecting younger and younger girls is deeply problematic.  Check out an analysis of the costume trend at Oh, You’re a Feminist and some other gag-worthy examples at Feminist Law Professors.

Don’t let it get you down, though – there are some awesome feminist Halloween costume suggestions out there from pop-culture icons at Bitch Magazine’s blog, great ladies of history at Nothing Elegant, and pro-choice themed get-ups at ‘NYC Unrated and Unfiltered.  What are you going as this year?

Also, if you haven’t carved your jack-o-lantern (or maybe jill-o-lantern) yet, check out this sweet Wonder Woman template at pink raygun.

Like I said, sorry for the late post today – tomorrow we’ll conclude the Halloween Movie Marathon!