Feminism isfor everyone.

a celebration of feminism at UVA.
become a fan on facebook!
May 29, 2008,3:53 PM
Student activists!

Take a few minutes to help Mother Jones out with this survey on student activism
May 27, 2008,11:37 AM
12-Year-Old Basketball Phenom Banned for Being Too Awesome

If only I were kidding:
12-year-old Jaime Nared was barred by The Hoop [a private Beaverton basketball/sports facility] from playing basketball with the boys team that she had played with since second grade.


The Hoop's decision was prompted by the parents of opposing teams shortly after Jaime embarrassed an opposing team by putting up 30 points. The complaining parents' stated concern was that their sons were not playing as well because they had been taught not to be rough with girls.


There are so many things wrong with this I don't know where to start! How rough can 12-year-olds possibly get on a basketball court? Read the article here or a slightly awkward news video here.
May 26, 2008,11:34 PM
teeth!

BEST MOVIE EVER. Everyone should see it.

http://www.teethmovie.com/
May 24, 2008,9:08 PM
Pregnant man Thomas Beatie is due in 6 weeks

The "Pregnant Man," Thomas Beatie, who first appeared on Oprah in April, is due to have a baby girl in 6 weeks. He has recently been photographed trimming his front lawn in a T-shirt that said: Define Normal. He and his wife, Nancy, haven't been saying much these days because they are planning on writing a book. (Nancy and Thomas said on Oprah that going public about their situation may put their family in danger and that they were prepared to go into hiding if necessarily- in which case profits from the sale of a book would help sustain them.)
May 23, 2008,7:18 PM
90% of Girls Experiance Sexual Harassment

A recent study found that 90% of girls between the ages of 12 and 18 experiance sexual harassment. Latin and Asian girls reported less sexual harassment than other girls. Older girls and girls from lower socioeconomic backgrounds reported more sexism as well. The most common forms of sexual harassment were unwanted romantic attention or physical contact, demenaing gender-related comments and teasing based on appearance. The study also found that girls who had a better understanding of feminism were more likely to recognize sexual harassment.

(reported by Feminist Daily News Wire, May 20, 2008)
(study conducted by Campbell Leaper of the University of California, Santa Cruz)
May 22, 2008,12:45 AM
hey USA! comprehensive sexual education please!!

Better education and easier access to contraceptives has significantly cut the number of abortions sought by Canadian women, particularly teenage girls.
May 21, 2008,10:34 AM
action!!!!!!

Last week we had our first big victory for Affordable Birth Control when the Senate Appropriations Committee approved our language to restore access to affordable birth control for millions of women!

Now this bill is moving to the Senate floor for a vote this week! We need to be sure Virginia's Senator John Warner (R) will support this measure. He is currently considered a swing vote and our constituent calls are critical! Please make your call TODAY. It will only take a few minutes and will help us restore affordable birth control for millions of women!

more information about affordable birth control >>

TAKE ACTION NOW

Call Senator John Warner (R-VA) at (202) 224-2023

When you reach the office please tell Senator Warner that affordable birth control is a priority for American women and ask him to vote in favor of restoring affordable birth control for women. Please also be sure to leave a message if you reach voice mail and to mention that you're a constituent.


Thank you for your support! Want to do more to restore affordable birth control? You can volunteer in your community or write a letter to the editor.

-from Planned Parenthood
May 20, 2008,8:48 PM
follow up on catcallers, etc

CNN takes on our controversial topic:
Is catcalling creepy or a compliment?
May 19, 2008,5:40 PM
feminist parenting!

Since I've been home from college, I've had very little luck finding a full time job so I have ended up babysitting a lot. So here are some feminist parenting/child raising observations I've made (nothing revolutionary):

1. Gendered toys
I took the four year old girl I babysat for last week to McDonalds for lunch and of course she wanted a happy meal. We ate inside so the cashier knew the meal was for a girl. The toys right now are "speed racer" or "hot wheels" or something like that. When I was a little girl, I remember they'd always have the toy race cars AND the mini barbie dolls as happy meal toys at the same time. The girls would usually be given the barbies and the boys were given the cars. But now, speed racer or whatever the brand is called is giving out little mirror cases with a comb inside for the girls (they look like make up powder compact cases). It's black and says "speed racer" in pink on the cover. What's the message here: Girls should be looking pretty at all times, fixing their hair and checking out their reflection in their easily accessible mirror while boys can just play with their race cars and have fun. I don't know if it's really a step up from barbie but at least playing with barbies requires imagination.

2. Sexism and God-talk
My cousin Sabrina (9) goes to a Catholic school. She told me that when her teacher was talking about how boy and girls were created equal, the boys protested and said that boys are better than girls because Jesus was a man. I just did a project on this very topic for my Jewish feminism class last semester and discussed how male gendered notions of God support patriarchy and sexism. I was really upset to hear just how right feminist theologians have been. Solution: Re-imagining God (not as male) and changing the language we use to talk about God.

3. Stay-at-home moms
Stay at home moms really should be paid. They work so hard. I went to my cousin's (who is 4 and adorable) ballet class this morning with my aunt and all the moms there were desperate for babysitters. Taking care of children is really exhausting, especially when you have housework piled on top and little help to do it. One of feminism's greatest remaining tasks is equal parenting. One of the moms I talked to, for example, said her husband is out of the house by 8am and gets home at 10 pm. She has two kids (2 and 4 years old) and has to do everything by herself. I'm also reading (finally) Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters in which author Courtney Martin discusses how this dynamic plays into how parents affect their children's body image. She argues that working dads often seem like the fun and cool parents while the stay at home moms are the strict disciplinarians because dads will bond with their children through food in a way to kind of make up for not being around much. In the mean time, moms are the ones who have to make sure their kids are being healthy and not watching too much tv. My aunt definitely experiences this and is extremely frustrated by it. When it comes to moms who work, often the same dynamic plays out because the mom still takes on the responsibilities that make her seem like the disciplinarian. It'd be cool to hear how families with stay-at-home dads differ or are the same.

4. Moms with body image issues
I also recently joined a gym and since I am currently unemployed, I've been able to go in the middle of the day when mostly only retired people and moms are there. Over hearing their conversations in the locker rooms has been a little depressing. They seem just as body, weight, and image obsessed as my generation. One conversation in particular stood out to me. Mom #1 was saying that she only works out so that she can eat chocolate and food that taste good. She said she even tells her kids that.. "mommy is going to the gym now so she can eat this chocolate later." She said she doesn't care about fitness or stress reducing or anything like that. Mom #2 kept putting herself down, constantly complimenting mom #1's body. Then they talked aboout how they can only lose weight in the arms and legs and have lots of extra skin hanging on their arms and legs because of this. Finally Mom #3 said after having 3 kids, your body changes for the worse but it's worth it (for the kids), which they all then agreed upon.

I recently bought my aunt (a stay at home mom who loves her kids but also loved working) the book Opting In: Having a Child Without Losing Yourself by the super feminist Amy Richards. It's basically about raising children with feminist values. We'll see what she thinks about it...
May 16, 2008,1:14 PM
Furniture Sale

Hey Everyone!
Rachel wanted to let everyone know that she will be having a furniture sale TODAY from 1 -3 PM (sorry...a little late notice). I am sure if you don't get this until later and are interested you can e-mail her about it: rlm3p@virginia.edu
May 9, 2008,10:10 PM
Too bad she wasn't white and lost in Aruba...

http://feministing.com/archives/009168.html

This is really appalling, however not that surprising given the lack of attention given to women of color like Megan Williams.

No mother should have to remind the police that she feels "the same emotions and pain as a white person" to get justice for her child.
12:36 PM
Pregnant Cop Denied Desk Duty

In Ocean, New Jersey, a Officer Sonia Henriques, who is 2 monthes pregnant, has been denied a desk job so that she can continue working without risking harm to her unborn child. Management has told Henriques that she should either stay on patrol or take a leave of unpaid absense (after she uses all of her sick days). Other officers (male) who have had disabilites have been given desk jobs in the past.

I found this article on cnn.com and 7online.com. There is a cool comment from "mraj" (from 7online.com) : "American is the only place we set rules for mothers. we wanted to give tougher work to a mom who is carrying a baby. We want to degrade her performance if she does not do it. Women have a weaker voice before congress and corporate america."
http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/story?section=news/local&id=6124803


This raises an important debate in feminism- should we treat men and women as equals or acknowledge that women and men are different (ie women have special needs as mothers?) Can feminism encorporate both or is it one or the other? Which one is more important/central to feminism?

12:14 PM
How to Decrease the Number of Abortions:

Create more unwanted pregnancies!! Wait...

In a stroke of genius (or insanity), The American Life League is sponsoring "PROTEST THE PILL DAY 08" (tagline: "The Pill kills babies!!") If you want a good chuckle, check out their website, where you will be treated to such gems as:

It is a proven, scientific fact that when the human egg and human sperm unite, fertilization occurs and a new human being is created.(note obvious lack of citation here)

and
[The Pill] also changes the lining of the uterus. This makes it difficult, if not impossible, for the five- to seven-day-old baby to attach to the lining,

please take a moment to imagine a 5- to 7-day old baby trying to attach to your (or a female friend's) uterus.

All I have to say is that I'm glad that at least some opponents of the right to abortion are showing their true colors: they want to control women's sexual activity, force them to "pay" for their actions (ie. be reduced to a womb with legs if they become pregnant), and slap on a nice big guilt trip to boot. Maybe they should also have a "Whacking Off Whacks Babies" Day or "Menstruation = Murder" Day to condemn those unfertilized sperm/eggs that could have maybe had a tiny chance of becoming humans.
May 6, 2008,11:50 PM
sexism in the media and hillary clinton

whether or not you support obama or hillary, take a minute to view this just to see how sexist our society really is.

11:27 PM
remember those scientific studies i was bashing?

So here's a nice example of a scientific study that has its medical merits, however, is framed in way that supports beauty standards for women through science.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you "In the long run, leggy women live long, have more fun"

"Long legs not only perk up your social life but also protect you from killer diseases."

...and later on:

"It's even suggested that taller women have higher risk of cancer because they spend more time in the sun compared to short, dumpy women."

So things to take from this article:
-short women are "dumpy"
-long-legged, excuse me, "leggy," women have more fun
-long legs perk up your social life

AWESOME.

(as in not awesome)

ALL MY 5'3 SISTAAAS OUT THERE... YOU ARE NOT DUMPY! YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL!
3:56 PM
About damn time.

I just found this out, but England is (going to? Already does? I'm not sure.) prosecuting men who visit prostitutes as rapists. FYI: We don't do this in America. That's an important difference: while paying for sex is a sex crime, offenders in American penal code do not register as sex offenders. And--in the spirit of the sex offender registry--I don't think they should have to; but I do think that it's a great deterrent to paying for sex. While a lot of men only blink at the thought of using a prostitute, many more might take it a bit more seriously if they'd be treated (and viewed) as a rapist in society. I especially think the point they make about the actual sex trade is extremely valid. Trafficked women, and women who operate through pimps are usually physically, financially, or psychologically (or all three) forced into the sex trade. They're not consenting, and it is rape.
Now, again, I don't think prostitution should be illegal--that might actually make it a lot easier to sort out who's being forced and who's not. It would also make it a lot safer for women--making it legal would allow us to regulate it. And I fully think any able-bodied woman is capable of deciding whether or not she wants to use her sexuality for profit; she doesn't need the government to mollycoddle her and try and "shelter" her from the dangers of prostitution.
But that rant aside, if we are going to keep prostitution illegal, maybe we should be treating the men who use prostitutes as rapists--it's not like they are certain whether or not these women were forced into it--and I think that's a negligence that should be prosecuted. At least England's got the right idea. Get on the fucking bandwagon, America!!
12:09 PM
PRIVATE PROPERTY -- NO TRESPASSING


I.... don't even know what to say about this.... other than.... *sigh* fuck!

I actually just got back from walking from Barracks shopping center (in a skirt and tank top, for shame) and some guys of course yelled something at me out their car window. I don't even know what they said, I don't even care. What did bother me was that it didn't bother me. I mean it did, but it just did not surprise me. It just goes to show that, like Katrin described a few days ago with her 'lingerie party' hassle, we are used to being seen as just public property. Men can holler what they want at us, catcall, whistle, throw stuff, dry hump, fondle, assault, whatever... except FUCK NO. I don't think so. Last time I checked I'm a human being entitled to the privacy of my own body. So is Melissa Bruen, so is Melissa McEwan, so is Katrin, so are we all.
May 4, 2008,9:53 PM

National NOW conference is in D.C. this year, from July 18-20. Anyone may
go, but only people who have been members as of March 20, 2008, may attend
as voting delegates. For more info, see:

http://www.now.org/organization/conference/2008/

For NOW members, the conference fee is on a sliding scale, and if one
can't afford to pay, one may go anyway.

Charlottesville NOW
PO Box 5082
Charlottesville, VA 22905
434-963-0669
http://www.avenue.org/cvillenow/
3:33 PM
angry.

I just wanted to give out a big old FUCK YOU to the group a guys that drove by my roommate and me last night on our walk home.

I was walking back FROM THE LIBRARY and met up with my roommate at her friend's apartment to walk back the rest of the way home together. It was probably around 12 or 12:30 when a group of guys drove by, slowed down to the speed we were walking, and stuck their heads out of the window. They only did this for a few seconds but when we walked to the top of the hill (5 minutes later) they were PARKED, and stuck their heads out again, this time saying, "HEY LADIES, WHERE'S THE LINGERIE PARTY?!"

Okay first of all, just to make this clear, neither of were dressed in lingerie or anything remotely close to lingerie. Apparently there was a lingerie party somewhere near where we were, but that was not our destination. And second of all, even if we had been dressed in anything a little revealing, it would not justify their behavior in any way. Women should be able to dress however they want without having to deal with assholes like them.

So, FUCK YOU DUDES FROM LAST NIGHT AND PUBLIC PERVERTS EVERYWHERE for making us feel extremely uncomfortable and unsafe just to walk 5 blocks home. And FUCK YOU for making us feel disgusting and like sex objects.

People try to blame it on the women, saying ooo well what were you wearing? what time was it? were you alone? etc etc
BUT MEN, CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, HAVE THE CAPACITY TO RESTRAIN THEMSELVES (as demonstrated by the group of men who don't do this).
While yes, women can take preventative measures, THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE TO.

I can think of NUMEROUS TIMES where I have been followed like that, in the middle of the day and in "safe" neighborhoods, by men who slow down, honk repeatedly, try to talk to me, etc. I hate it and I shouldn't have to deal with it.

To conclude, HERE'S A BIG FUCK YOU TO PUBLIC PERVERTS EVERYWHERE, FROM MY HERO, JESSICA VALENTI of feministing:

Labels: , ,

May 2, 2008,1:11 PM
Most Shocking Headline Ever

From the National Science Foundation:

Chore Wars: Men, Women and Housework -- Study confirms wives do most household chores

NO WAY!
11:02 AM
Pay Gap Primer

CampusProgress.org has a great article this week explaining everything you need to know about the national pay gap and the attempts to rectify it. Caution: Article comes complete with anti-feminist comments!

PS. Despite rampant whining from nay-sayers, if anyone would bother to READ the AAUW report they would find:

The regression analysis of earnings one year after graduation
for the combined sample of women and men shows a gender pay difference of 5 percent, controlling for educational and occupational choices as well as demographic and personal characteristics (see figure 23) [emphasis mine].


And in Figure 23, we find: Education, Industry, Sector, Undergrad Major, Age, Marital Status, and Number of Children (among others). WOW, READING!
10:54 AM
RAPEX

Wikipedia, somehow through a maze of links, led me to discover RAPEX: THE ANTI-RAPE CONDOM.

Basically, it's a female condom with hooks that embed itself into the rapist's penis and then must be surgically removed.

The website encourages women to wear them whenever they are taking long trips alone and at night, or whenever they are uncomfortable.


It's really sad and awful that women have to FEAR walking home alone or traveling at night because of rapists. This condom is awesome in my opinion, but it just reinforces some sad truths. Women shouldn't have to wear these to defend themselves because THEY SHOULDN'T BE RAPED. But rape happens so RAPEX seems like a good method of self defense.

The creator, in response to criticism that rapex is a "medieval device," wittingly responded, "a middle device for a medieval deed"

I wonder if there are any success stories.

side note:
rapex was invented in South Africa, which has the world's highest rate of sexual assault and rape.
May 1, 2008,9:40 PM
Goodbye, DC Madam

Deborah Jeane Palfrey, the "DC Madam" who blew the whistle on several politicians/clients, has committed suicide. She hung herself at her mother's house after facing what apparently looked like a bleak court battle.

After the prostitution charges were brought against her (about) 2 years ago, she decided she wasn't going to go alone, and she released the phone records of her company--dropping some very high-profile, political names in the process. (David Vitter, the neo-con Louisiana Senator, and Randall Tobias, the man behind the Abstinence-only-or-no-AIDS-funding in Africa program, were two such names on the hot list.) However, as Ms. Palfrey was swinging from her mother's rafters in favor of going to jail (a second time), her hypocritical clients got get-out-of-jail-free cards. Read more about her, as well as a great interview, at Susie Bright's Blog. (By the way, if you're not a Susie Bright fan already, I suggest you become one.)

I realize that prostitution (and the sex industry in general) is a controversial topic in (and out of) Feminism. However, can we at least all agree that the prostitutes are not the problem? Why is prostitution the great evil? Why do we need to further ruin women's lives when they've already been dragged through the gutter? A lot of them turn to prostitution because they need money--because the system has failed them. So we compound the injustices by throwing them in jail as well?

And the worst part is: the clients often walk! Boys will be boys, right? I mean, we can't blame men for exercising their god-given right to have sex with every woman possible, can we? This is ridiculous. When we consider the fact that Deborah Jeane Palfrey hung herself rather than enduring another prison term, and that the hypocrites who frequented her business are getting a walk in the park, can we finally deduct who the real victims are?
7:49 PM
feminist role model



So I've been thinking a lot about Uma Thurman's character in Kill Bill this week as I try to get through my four papers and four finals. I mean, she's pretty kick-ass. There's no use in denying that (especially when she snatches that one chick's eyeball out). AND what I especially love is that she's no Charlie's Angels. She's much better than the angels. She does what she wants while kicking major ass and without being over-sexualized. The fights aren't sexy, hair-pulling "bitch fights," but rather are all out blood and guts. Just the way I like it.

SO Uma, or Black Mumba, or Beatrix, whatever your name is, thanks for showing me that women can majorly kick ass... because I really need to do that with these finals.
12:45 AM
STUPID SCIENCE.

OKAY so one of my ways of finding sweet feminist and women related news is using google news. Every week, I come across the same bullshit "scientific" studies on women... things like:
-women's voice sound sexier during ovulation
-pregnant women should eat chocolate daily

i don't know why, but these types of articles and studies just seem really stupid to me. they all basically try to use science to prove that men and women are essentially different. The ones i linked aren't the best examples, but still.
10 previous posts
We've moved!N.O.M.Dropoutwell said.feminism + internet memes = awesome.the "F" word and the "L" word.Levy vs. Colbertthis is what I want our dessert parties to be like...the top ten fictional feminist icons of all time
Past posts by month
August 2006September 2006October 2006November 2006December 2006January 2007February 2007April 2007August 2007September 2007October 2007January 2008February 2008March 2008April 2008May 2008June 2008July 2008August 2008September 2008October 2008November 2008December 2008January 2009February 2009March 2009April 2009May 2009June 2009July 2009September 2009October 2009November 2009December 2009January 2010February 2010March 2010April 2010June 2010August 2010September 2010October 2010November 2010December 2010January 2011
Credits
Coded by wickedicy banner from Reviviscent.