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Sep. 1st, 2009 @ 08:38 am Referendum 71
Current Mood: pissed off
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Fellow Washingtonians: Referendum 71 has been announced to go on the November ballot.

"R-71 backers are seeking to overturn a law passed by the Legislature this spring that granted same-sex, registered domestic partners, along with straight couples with at least one partner older than age 62, the same state benefits as married couples."

There is hope that the referendum will be disqualified because it doesn't have enough signatures - it gathered 121,617 (the requirement is 120,577), but some of those signatures may not legally qualify.

Of course, that still means that there are about 120,000 homophobic fuckwits in my state who are willing to tear down the civil rights of other human beings. GTFO my state, thanks.

And remember: if R-71 does make it to the November ballot, you need to VOTE! And vote YES to KEEP domestic partnership rights.
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Apr. 2nd, 2009 @ 06:24 pm 5 things make an anti-oppression post
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( Some personal background explaining the reasons behind this post )

1. For those who are still asking, "What is RaceFail '09?" the briefest answer I can manage is: what started as another instance of the discussion about misrepresentation/lack of representation of people of color in science fiction and fantasy has resulted in a particularly public and particularly ugly backlash from (often white) writers and readers.

For a timeline of specific events, please start with this summary by Avalon's Willow. Further events occurred later, as described here by [info]rydra_wong, who has also painstakingly collected all the RaceFail-related links she could find, under this tag

If you're ready for further detail, please see my LiveJournal memories for (what I consider) some of the important posts.

And finally, please refer to this guide to the positive, productive actions taken by POC and allies in the face of RaceFail. Not because of. In the face of.

Read as much as you can. Learn as much as you can. If you take nothing else away from this, remember these two things: This is not "just another wankfest," because it's about race, racism, and representation - not individual personality clashes and this or that book. Also, this is not the first or only such conversation, even if it's the first time you've heard of one like this.

2. One of the best responses to RaceFail has, by far, been the creation of Verb Noire, an e-publishing company dedicated to written works by and about people of color and/or queer people. Please support them by donating.

3.I've posted this before, but remember: if you are an Asian woman or an ally, please contribute to the first Asian Women Blog Carnival. The deadline is tomorrow.

4. This is not a new study (it was published in 2007), but it's highly relevant: Subtle Discrimination is More Taxing On The Brain. Instances of ambiguous racism were more detrimental to black test subjects than obvious cases.

"Interestingly, white volunteers were more impaired by overt racism than by the more ambiguous discrimination. Salvatore and Shelton figure this is because whites rarely experience any racism; they do not even notice the subtle forms of racism, and are thrown off balance when they are hit over the head by overt acts. Many blacks, by contrast, have developed coping strategies for the most hateful kinds of racism; it's the constant, vague, just-below-the-surface acts of racism that impair performance, day in and day out."


This is why I'm more disturbed by expressions of privileged ignorance from people whom I have some trust in, rather than dude-on-the-street spouting a racial slur. This is why I care more about creative works that fail in race or other areas when they come from creators who should know better, based on their previous performance (Joss Whedon, I'm looking at you).

5. This is not race-related, but it's important: March 31st was End the R-word Day, a day dedicated to ending the use of "retard"/"retarded" as a derogatory term.

I have succeeded in removing the word from my vocabulary, but I've utterly failed in speaking out to the people around me. There's no excuse for this. I wouldn't tolerate people using "cunt," "pussy," or "gay" as insults to me, so I can't tolerate "retard" used in the same manner.

I will start by resolving to respond to derogatory uses of "retard"/"retarded" by saying, "Please don't use 'retard'/'retarded' as an insult." That's all. It's just a start.
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Nov. 25th, 2008 @ 02:58 pm (no subject)
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Way to make me proud, alma mater.

Includes such gems as, "Race is a biological state," and "homosexuality is more of an emotional condition." This is a COLLEGE STUDENT, folks. Our country's future.

Fucking A.
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Jun. 29th, 2008 @ 04:34 pm Save same-sex marriage in California!
Current Mood: hot
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Opponents of same-sex marriage are seeking to reverse the California Supreme Court ruling in June of this year, which legalized same-sex marriage in that state. These forces want to put a constitutional amendment to vote in November that will take that right away.

Live Long and Marry is an LJ community seeking to raise money for the efforts against this proposed amendment. Artists of all kinds are offering their services for bidding/purchasing, which you pay for by donating to same-sex marriage activist efforts.

For those (like me) who are not in fandom and do not wish to bid, we can just make donations directly to an organization. The community profile includes a list of suggested organizations. I picked Equality For All, which is a coalition of groups supporting gay and lesbian rights, as well as trans people, African Americans, and Asian Americans. You can donate directly through their website via credit card, for any amount. So even if you can't afford much, you can throw in what you can for a good cause.

(hat-tip: [info]laylah)
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May. 16th, 2008 @ 08:19 am Stupid body
Current Mood: blah
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Ugh. My body decided to be stupid and hit me with about of nausea in the middle of dinner last night. Not food poisoning, not PMS-related, not vomit-inducing - just enough queasiness to render speech impossible and make me useless for anything besides going home and curling up until it went away. This is especially frustrating because it used to happen to me all the time as a teenager, but then it went away and should not come back now that I'm taking care of myself and being healthy. >:(

So that meant productivity was shot for the evening, which makes me grumpy. I'm trying to get my mood back on track this morning:

1. Prior to the stomach blargh, I was having a wonderful time on my date with [info]ratzeo, discussing plans for the Warmakers endgame.

2. Today is Friday, and it is sunny and warm.

3. This.

4. BPAL will (most likely) post this month's update tonight. I'm not looking forward to it because I actually want to make an order (perhaps it's best if I don't establish a pattern of monthly BPAL orders, you know ;D), but I like the prospect of new shinies to read about and put on my future-order wishlist.

5. Tomorrow is the first day of the Street Fair! I probably won't get to go until Sunday, but I'm still jazzed for it.
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Dec. 12th, 2007 @ 04:36 pm Surface Tension
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The full title is Surface Tension: Love, Sex, and Politics Between Lesbians and Straight Women, edited by Meg Daly. I picked it up a couple of months ago at the library book sale, and, like all the books I get there, I didn't actually read it until much later (though this is still better than the dozens of books I've bought there and never read at all).

( My review )

P.S. When I started this entry, it was beginning to get dark outside of my window, and I wondered, "Is it almost time for dinner?" But no, it was only 3:30 p.m. D:
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Sep. 20th, 2007 @ 03:56 pm Upcoming events
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( V-Day: Until the Violence Stops )

( Queer Night at the Movies )

( Q Center and GBLTC Welcome Luncheon )

( Violence Prevention Resource Event )

( The Epidemic of Violence Against Native Women )

( Dating Safety 101 )

( The Masculinity Dilemma in Violence Prevention )

( Faye Wattleton )
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Aug. 31st, 2007 @ 01:40 pm Iowa legalizes same-sex marriage ... maybe
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But two men managed to make use of the ruling a couple of hours before it was stayed. Go them. XD

Let's name some names, so we remember who's a homophobe and who's not:

Polk County Judge Robert Hanson ruled that the state law banning same-sex marriage must be nullified, severed and stricken from the books, and the marriage laws "must be read and applied in a gender neutral manner so as to permit same-sex couples to enter into a civil marriage ..."

On the other hand, County attorney John Sarcone is appealing that ruling, which led Hanson to stay the ruling while the appeal is being resolved. Clearly, he's looking out for the best interests of his constituents - just not any of the gay ones, of course.

Dennis Johnson, the lawyer for the plaintiffs in the case to overturn the Defense of Marriage Act, says that the Act contradicts previous rulings regarding civil rights and is simply "mean spirited."

But of course that can't be right, can it? The DoMA isn't about oppression, just personal opinion - at least, according to Governor Chet Culver, who says that "While some Iowans may disagree on this issue, I personally believe marriage is between a man and a woman." Proving the point that heterosexist marriage laws are just about personal beliefs, Republican House Minority Leader Christopher Rants says that the ruling illustrates the need for a state constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.

Oh, and in contrast, here's what one of those heterosexual-oppressing, U.S.-hating abominations has to say:

"This is it. We're married. I love you." - Sean Fritz to his new husband, Tim McQuillan.
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Jun. 15th, 2007 @ 11:53 am Leaving on a jet plane ...
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One day left before [info]zinjadu and I flee the country (breathe, Dora, breathe!) and I'm just about ready to go. All my stuff is ready and just needs to be put in my suitcase. I've even managed to work within the regulations on liquid substances (which, by the way, includes liquid gel cap OTC medicines because they're semi-liquid - which begs the question, what would happen if I packed a cat?). Everything is in order and ready to go.

Now if my debit card would just get here already, dammit.

As you might expect, I'm going to have very little Internet access for the next two weeks. I'm going to try to check my email every few days or so, because I should be getting a notification about my prospective job soon. But besides that, I think I'd rather spend my time seeing the sights - so that means no blog-reading (gasp!). So if there's anything you want to talk to me about, speak now or for-two-weeks hold your peace.

The prospect of going blog-less for a couple of weeks meant that I was eager to get my fill of blogs ... but also a little hesitant, because most of the worthwhile content I read is also rage-inducing in one form or another, and I don't want to start my vacation off on a sour note. But the Internet gods must be smiling on me, because I found a lot of things that pleased me:

( links! )

Okay, that's it from me for now. See you in July!
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May. 10th, 2007 @ 10:03 pm Hey, Marvel
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Here's an idea: stop putting out shit that pisses me the fuck off.

Oh, look! It's MJ bent in a back-killing position, contorted to show off tits AND ass, with a waist smaller than her neck! Har, har! Oop, don't forget the obedient little smile while she does Spidey's chores. Hilarious!

Hey, Marvel? That shit isn't funny. It isn't edgy or rebellious. Making women be on sexual display while engaged in domestic labor isn't new; it is, in fact, the same goddamn pressure women have had to face for-frickin-ever. Oh, and, guess what? Women shoved into uncomfortable positions that make them "sexy" to the viewer without allowing them any sexual pleasure - hell, any comfort - for themselves, is also not new. It's what we call the fashion industry. And advertising in general.

Hell, if we're talking about women being physically uncomfortable in order to provide sexual gratification for someone else, that's a good chunk of heterosexual relations.

In less teeth-gnashing news, Democratic presidential candidate Mike Gravel has the guts to be a decent human being. "What this world needs is a lot more than what we presently have" is true - and it goes for people like him, too.

ETA: Karen Healey makes things better.
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Dec. 11th, 2006 @ 08:16 pm Oppression is not a zero-sum game
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I have a ton of blog reading to catch up on, due to the fact that the last five days were jammed full with getting all of my Christmas shopping, writing all of my final papers, and doing all my winter-time celebrating (i.e., holiday party and my birthday). But here's the first thing to jump out at me:

Via Jenn at Reappropriate, Rosie O'Donnell makes a racist (anti-Chinese) joke. And surprise, surprise, no one does a goddamn thing about it.

One of the reasons this pisses me off so much is that I recently heard about O'Donnell having a public spar with Kelly Ripa over Ripa's homophobic comment. Ripa insisted she didn't intend to be homophobic, and O'Donnell replied, "I'm just saying from where I sit as a gay person in the world that I have to tell you, that's how it came off to me." In other words, as the non-privileged person, she (rightly) has the broader perspective concerning what is privileged or bigoted. However, when O'Donnell says that her racist comment "was not meant to mock," and Asian-Americans try to assert their perspective, we're told that we just don't have a sense of humor.

Bigoted "humor" is one of the things I hate most. Because when you try to call someone on their privilege, they always use the chickenshit response, "hey, it was a joke, get over it." Instead of taking two seconds to see what's wrong with what they said, they just carry blithely on. And what ends up as a throwaway comment for them is usually the 600th repetition of the oppression I have to face every damn day.

So, Ms. O'Donnell, let me tell you - being a lesbian who knows a lot about queer issues doesn't give you a free pass concerning other forms of oppression. Yes, white women can be racist too - that's kind of what one of the giant schisms in Western feminism is all about.

You know what? Just like I'm tired of sexism in the anti-racist movement, it's also really fucking tiresome to have to deal with racism in the queer movement, feminism, and everything else.

And while we're at it, you know what's not okay? This whole "nobody's racist anymore, but sexism is all over the place" whining from white women who don't have a clue what it's like to deal with both. Or any other form of "my oppression is the only one still out there, so you shut up about yours." We're all stomped on in different ways, so stop trying to be the special snowflake whose hardship is the worst.

On another topic, go take a look at Hey Hetero!, a public art installation in Australia that highlights straight privilege. Which I've got in spades. (Because, you know, being yellow and female doesn't mean I get to forget that I'm a straight person who doesn't get harassed for the gender of my partner. Who'd've thunk?)
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Oct. 25th, 2006 @ 08:42 pm Gay "marriage" in New Jersey
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Go New Jersey!

The state Supreme Court gave the OK for gay unions to have the same benefits as straight couples, though it left the legislature to decide whether the unions should be "marriages" or not. (Because OH NOEZ teh gays will turn "marriage" into an evil word!!1!)

Here's a delicious quote from Matt Daniels, president of Alliance for Marriage: "The court is holding a legal gun to the head of the State Legislature, and saying, 'Listen, there are two bullets, you get to pick the bullet: either gay marriage or civil unions.'"

Yes, because gay people getting married is like SHOOTING STRAIGHT PEOPLE IN THE HEAD.

And here I thought that the whining from heteros about how gay marriage would hurt them had reached the limits of absurdity. But luckily there's this Daniels guy to show me that that isn't so.
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Aug. 1st, 2006 @ 01:21 pm I wish I still had my "bitch, please" icon
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Still don't believe in male privilege in fandom?

I give you Exhibit A. Here we have a report on WriterCon from an articulate, intelligent-sounding man. An articulate, intelligent-sounding man who says this about slashfic:

"Taken in its rawest form, that situation would go as follows: the people who formed and maintained a fandom for years, purely from love of the world and its characters, find themselves invaded by a new crowd enthusiastically producing (and celebrating) a mass of stories built around a premise revolting to the original fandom group and glaringly OOC for the fandom characters involved [...] The fandom is being flat-out ruined for its builders by something utterly alien and utterly incompatible with everything they originally loved in it."

This casual dismissal of slash writers and readers exudes privilege.

( Shall we count the ways? )
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Jun. 26th, 2006 @ 03:49 pm Awesome weekend
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Yesterday [info]ratzeo and I met up with [info]maho_kiwi and [info]rivetcat to see the Seattle Pride Parade, which was just amazing. First of all, this was the first time I watched a parade in person, so that was fun. But this was something more, because I'd never been to any public event that was about ... solidarity like this. It was great. Even though I felt almost like an intruder, for the most part I felt really really happy, even if it wasn't for myself. I was also proud to see the Filipino and other Asian groups present, because the queer color community doesn't always get noticed.

Also, there were gay pirates. XD

We had to cut out early, so we couldn't stay for the post-parade fair, but we headed down to [info]neo_angiel's house, where he hosted a lovely barbecue. I got to try playing Betrayal at House on the Hill, a really fun pseudo-tabletopping board game. Also, [info]ratzeo proved once again that he is the master of gaming.

But, you know, even though I call this my weekend, that's sort of a lie - because my summer vacation so far has been just an extended weekend, with a few hours of work thrown in on some days. XD;; I'm thinking I need to set a stricter schedule for myself, so I don't slide completely into unproductive laziness over the holiday ...
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May. 12th, 2006 @ 12:45 pm Cartoons to warm a pinko hippie liberal heart
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I found Mikhaela Reid's political cartoons through Ms. magazine and figured my friends list would also enjoy them. They're mostly queer/feminist themed, but there are also good bits about religious extremism and racism. Some highlights:

Every Sperm is Sacred!

It's Not Easy Being a College Gay-Hater!

What's Your Fantasy?

Citizens Against Earned Citizenship
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May. 9th, 2006 @ 03:37 pm Entering Rabid Feminist Mode in 3 ... 2 ...
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What the fuck is wrong with sexist men who constantly paint themselves as fucking victims?*

GayProf tackles specific instances of two common issues: misogyny and homophobia in the (educational) workplace, and misogyny and homophobia in popular culture. These two cases, of a sexist/homophobic university professor and a sexist/homophobic Burger King commercial, demonstrate the common tactics of those who are threatened by feminism and queer rights: belittling ("check your vaginas at the door"), appropriating (turning "I Am Woman" into "Manthem"), and, as GayProf describes, complaining that those who oppose them are humorless or too "politically correct."

The underlying implication is that those who hold traditional positions of power by being male, straight, and - the extension is easy to make - white, rich, etc., are defending themselves against offenses. Women asking for rights is annoying - so clearly, a fast food commercial about reclaiming caveman-esque "masculinity" is not only funny, but justified. (If you don't know what I'm talking about, see tekanji's post on it.) Women's lib is done, and now it's men's turn. After all, we feminazis (and queer activists, and anti-racists, and other such rabble-rousers) have now skewed the world so that we hold the power over them. Don't you see the logic?

You know, I don't know why I haven't seen it before. Straight white men all over the world are suffering from this hidden oppression! Is it that bad? Of course it's that bad! According to comic artist Erik Larsen, large-breasted cheesecake female characters are now an embattled minority, victims of feminazi censorship!

I think I speak for all intelligent people when I say: WHAT ABOUT TEH POOR MENZ!!?! I mean, just look at what they have to go through: Not enough female bodies to objectify! Oh, the horror.

So let me say something that needs saying:

I apologize to the Straight White Man. I am so very sorry that you, who control 99.99% of the power in the economy, politics, popular culture, education, and sexuality are feeling so put-upon. I know you long for the days when it was a good old 100% that you had under your belt, with no one to question otherwise. But alas, times have been changing, and in doing so they have been chipping away at your historically entrenched hegemonic power. These have been small changes, of course, but I can only imagine the kind of pain it causes you to lose that .01%. Please accept my deepest, heartfelt apologies for inconveniencing you with my yellow, vagina-bearing, queer-friendly self, and for - silly me! - daring to ask for my share of human consideration. What folly, I know.

Rest assured, I will cease such offenses immediately. I also have no intention of telling you where to go, or what to shove up where. None in the slightest.

Also, as with all feminists, I have no sense of humor. Indeed, I never laugh or show other signs of amusement, for I excised my humor the moment I learned about women's rights, at the same moment that I burned my bra. I don't know how to take a joke, and I certainly don't know how to make one.


*Insert obligatory disclaimer about men-who-aren't-like-that here. If anyone comes away from this thinking that I "hate all guys" or am "sexist against men," I may break something. Like the person in question. Read this if you don't get why criticizing patriarchy doesn't mean hating men.
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Apr. 22nd, 2006 @ 01:13 pm Blog Against Heteronormativity
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*posted early because I probably won't have time to do it tomorrow

Female genital cutting is a practice followed in many countries throughout Africa, a few in the Middle East, and occasionally in other continents, including Europe and North America. It involves a variety of procedures, depending on the community practicing it: Circumcision or sunna involves the "removal of the prepuce or hood of the clitoris, with the body of the clitoris remaining intact." Excision or clitoridectomy is the "removal of the clitoris and all or part of the labia minora." Intermediate cutting involves the "removal of the clitoris, all or part of the labia minora, and sometimes part of the labia majora." In infibulation or pharaonic cutting, there is "removal of the clitoris, the labia minora, and much of the labia majora. The remaining sides of the vulva are stitched together to close up the vagina, ecept for a small opening, which is preserved with slivers of wood or matchsticks." (From Warrior Marks by Alice Walker and Pratibha Parmar)

You've probably at least heard of the practice, and heard a lot about it if you've studied feminism or international human rights. Have you heard of labiaplasty? It's an elective surgery practiced here in the U.S. in which the labia (minora or majora) are trimmed to be smaller, or injected with fat from elsewhere in the body to be fuller.

( So what's the difference? )
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Apr. 17th, 2006 @ 10:14 pm Reminder
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On April 18, Blog To Raise Awareness About Sexual Violence.

On April 22, Blog Against Heteronormativity.

These topics mean whatever you want them to mean. Break out some statistics. Analyze a news story. Develop a theory. Refute a theory. Or go with the old stand-by of writing an angry rant (which is, of course, my plan, assuming I can manage to write something in between studying for midterms). Just say something, anything, that throws off the tired assumptions that we should keep silent about sexual violence, or that heterosexuality-with-traditional-gender-roles is the way things have to be.

If you're not going to write something, and you don't want to read what I write, go to the links I posted and browse the comments to see what other people have to say - the feminist blogosphere is full to bursting with impassioned and intelligent writers!
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Mar. 28th, 2006 @ 01:49 pm Announcement
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This is as much to remind me as to notify everyone else, but:

April 22 is Blog Against Heteronormativity Day.

Because I can't resist the call to Blog Against Something. And maybe I'll even do this one on time!
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Mar. 3rd, 2006 @ 12:05 pm Link dump
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Some highlights from what I've been reading this week:

-From Shrub.com, a post on Octavia Butler, notable primarily because it provides links to some of her stories and other writing. One of the links is to "Amnesty," a story I read last quarter for my sci-fi class - great stuff.

-Biting Beaver clarifies the statement that rape is about power, not sex. At the same time, she illuminates the connections that exist between sex and rape, while explaining why it would be hard to explain the concept to the population at large.

The rest of these links may make you want to kill things. They did for me. (Thanks to [info]ratzeo for putting temporary moratorium on my angry ranting so my blood pressure didn't hit the roof.)

-In case anyone's forgotten that homophobia kills, Pandagon gives us a news story that refreshes our memories. The state of our country's law enforcement, people.

-We treat rape victims with the respect they deserve, right? Especially in court. Women only have to watch the video recording of the rape or risk jail time. The judge has since backed down - more likely from outside pressure than the realization that he's a fuckwit - but what does it say about us that this issue was even raised? (From Feministe.)

-Clearly inspired by the moral righteousness of the South Dakota abortion ban, Utah wants to enforce parental notification even in cases of incest. Because a father deserves to know if his daughter is having an abortion - even if he's also the father of the baby. "Abortion isn't about women's rights," says Republican Senator Chris Buttars. There you have it, straight from the horse's mouth. (Another one from Pandagon.)

-In light of the disgusting anti-abortion legislation that seems to be popping up everywhere, the information for women in South Dakota from Molly Saves the Day ought to be shared again. It's frightening and horrifying - but no more frightening or horrifying than what's going on in South Dakota, Utah, Mississippi, and god only knows where else.

*sigh* As [info]ginmar put it so aptly: I swear, some days I feel like a proctologist with an overbooked schedule. Too many fucking assholes and not enough suppositories.
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