Gender Issues
Feminism 101
In a patriarchal society, men are the default humans. Women are the sex class. They are defined in terms of their relationship to the default humans, the men: whether as daughters, mothers, sisters, wives, or potential mates. This definition is automatic and fundamental. A woman’s femaleness—and thus her sexual potential—is, in a patriarchy, always uppermost. [...]
Women’s rights, 162 years later
Today is the anniversary of Seneca Falls. Two years ago I used this occasion to publish a review of how much progress women have made since 1848. Since the topic is still relevant (and since an html table, once made, should never be put to waste), I decided to republish it today. ******************************************************************** July 19, [...]
Take back Halloween!
Halloween used to be my second-favorite holiday (after Christmas). Back in the 80s, before Halloween became Dress Like A Whore Day, I used to love going to costume parties. One year I went as a floor lamp. Another I went as a mermaid. I still remember the costume winners at the big Halloween bash in [...]
Why isn’t the Richmond gang rape being treated as a hate crime?
That’s a rhetorical question, of course. If you read my post yesterday about hate crimes (or even if you didn’t), you know why. But the Richmond case provides an unusually clear-cut example of how violence against women, just because they’re women (as opposed to black/immigrant/Jewish/gay women), is considered normal. Why? Because it was in this [...]
One of these hate crimes is not like the others
The big news today on the progress-of-civilization front is that President Obama has signed the new hate crimes bill into law. The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act expands federal law to cover hate crimes based on sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. Yes, gender really is on the list; [...]
My alma mater elects a homecoming queen
The College of William and Mary crowns its first transgender homecoming queen: Jessee Vasold ’11 made history at the College of William and Mary Wednesday when ze was announced as the school’s first transgender homecoming queen, representing the Class of 2011. Vasold identifies as gender-queer and prefers to be referred to with gender neutral pronouns: [...]
The pornification of breast cancer
I’m too pissed off about this to write a proper post, so this is gonna be kind of a connect-the-dots type thing. A few quotes and links, some pictures, possibly arrows. Here we go: If you’re a sentient adult female in this country, you probably know that “breast cancer awareness” is a pink sewer hole [...]
If only they had something to do
There was a good article in Sunday’s Guardian about the economic meltdown in California. I was distracted, however, by a paragraph halfway through, and for reasons unconnected to the ostensible topic at hand. The scene is the little town of Mendota in California’s Central Valley: Outside, in a shop that Riofrio’s grandfather built, groups of [...]
This is interesting: transgender rapist to be moved to women’s prison
A reader sent me this story from the U.K.: Transsexual prisoner wins right to be in female prison. That’s from the Torygraph — right-wing, I know, but at least it’s preferable to the sleazy red tops. Cliff Notes version: The prisoner, who cannot be identified, won a human rights battle against Jack Straw, the Justice [...]
Welcome, Charlie Foxtrot
It’s official! The healthcare debate is now a genuine, certified, pharmaceutical-grade clusterfuck. I’m going to write another post about the deep currents at work in this mess, but in the meantime, here are a few quick hits: Jamison Foser blames the media for the current morass of misinformation: When you see people yelling, “Keep your [...]
