Texas actually passed a bill which would require women to carry fetuses to term even if the fetus is suffering from a painful irreversible condition. Slate reports: Republican State Representative Matt Schaefer has recently proposed an amendment to the Health and Safety Code for medical facilities that would “prohibit the performance of an abortion at the facility on the basis that … Read More
Amy Schumer and Women’s Issues
Comedian Amy Schumer’s brand of humor isn’t for everyone. She’s a bit of a potty mouth (if that matters to you), and sometimes her sexual humor misses. But other times, she is really on the mark about the objectification of women and rape culture. Two examples of that are below… from the first show of her third season (“Inside Amy … Read More
Controversial “Feminist”?
Hard to believe this actually is happening in 2015: One middle school class photo is getting a lot of attention — because of what it doesn’t include. Eighth grader Sophie Thomas wore a black t-shirt emblazoned with the word “Feminist” in silver for a recent picture day at Clermont Northeastern Middle School in Batavia, Ohio. Yet when the teen — … Read More
Campaigning “As A Woman”
The horrible thing about Maureen Dowd’s op-ed in yesterday’s New York Times (“Granny Get Your Gun”) is not what she says, but the existence of the op-ed in the first place. For those of you not wanting to click through, Dowd writes about Hillary Clinton’s problem, which she describes this way: “She can’t figure out how to campaign as a woman.” … Read More
Tucker Carlson and Misogyny
Yeah, I’m not going to wade into this controversy, but I will give Tucker Carlson this free advice: If you are being accused of misogyny, don’t respond by referring to a woman as a “chick”. BONUS: And Rand Paul is in hot water for “shushing” women reporters (which he’s done twice now). Bad start, Rand.
NFL’s Groundbreaking Female
Congratulations, Sarah Thomas, the first full-time female official in NFL history.
CIA to Carrie Matheson: “Good Riddance”
So, this happened: Good Riddance, Carrie Mathison http://t.co/6zNSBK89Eo — CIA (@CIA) April 5, 2015 That’s an official tweet from the official Central Intelligence Agency to a fictional character — Carrie Mathison of the Showtime series, Homeland. Next season, Carrie will no longer be working for the CIA. The CIA tweet references a Sunday New York Times op-ed by Maureen Dowd which … Read More
False Rape Stories
Having a specific story in mind, and then going out to find the “facts” to support it. Tell the dramatic narrative of ONE example to explain a larger phenomenon. That’s what right wing media does (i.e., if they can find ONE example of voter fraud, then voter fraud must be a huge problem). And apparently, that’s what Sabrina Rubin Erdely did … Read More
It’s Perving and Slut-Shaming Season
Like clockwork, around this time of year, Sean Hannity has the unpleasant job — no, he really hates doing this — of telling his viewers about the terrible terrible debauchery going down in Florida, as students flock to places like South Padre Island or Daytona Beach to drink, do drugs, have wild and glorious hook-up sex — all the things we think … Read More
Attacking The Rape Kit Backlog
A couple years ago, two Texas Republicans — Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) in the Senate and by Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas) in the House — introduced a common sense bill called The Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Registry Act, also known as the SAFER Act of 2012. It would have reallocated $117 million to help make a dent in the nationwide backlog … Read More
I’m Jes A Girl Who Cain’t Say ‘No’…. Rape Culture and “Yes Means Yes”
Last September, California Governor Jerry Brown signed a new law mandating that California universities take certain steps regarding their sexual assault policies. Many of the changes are common-sensical, i.e., a student who is intoxicated or asleep cannot be said to have “consented” to sex. (This might seem like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised how many people wonder about … Read More
Dartmouth Bans Hard Alcohol, Starts Sexual Violence Program
I can’t say if the sexual violence problem is worse now than when I went to college, or not. I suspect, sadly, that it was just as bad in the 1980s. We just didn’t know about it and/or didn’t do anything about it. Still, it’s sad that it has come to this, but I give props to Dartmouth for taking this bold step. … Read More
About “The Newsroom” Penultimate Episode
I am enjoying the last season of “The Newsroom”. Like the first two seasons, the show is not without its critics. And I agree with some of the criticism. For one thing, Sorkin has beat a dead horse with his views on New Media vs Old Media. Tellingly, New Media critics hate the show because Sorkin reveres things like fact-checking and … Read More
Hobby Lobby Wins
In a not-very-suprising 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court decided in favor of Hobby Lobby in the recent case involving religious freedom and corporations. As a result of the holding, business owners with religious objections to birth control may defy federal rules requiring most employers to include contraceptive care in their health plans. This is in direct contravention of what the Supreme Court … Read More
How To Talk About Rape In High School? Censorship.
Cardinal Columns is a student newspaper at Fond du Lac High School, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. In last month's issue, a student wrote an article entitled "The Rape Joke", a thoughful article about the rape culture that percades high schools and youth. You can read the article here. And once you do, I hope you'll agree that the student … Read More