Category: Anti-Women Things
Hyatt Women Stand Up and Demand Boycott
Women workers at Hyatt hotels are demanding more respect and consideration! This video is great. It is time that workers, especially women, stand up for themselves and speak up.
Read more at SF Bay Guardian
Limbaugh: A Sexist, Disgusting Asshole!
Today Limbaugh once again showed what a sexist asshole he is when he called the female law student who was denied a spot at the Contraception Hearing a “Slut” and “Prostitute” on his radio show.
First of all, Limbaugh just doesn’t get it! The whole point Georgetown law student Sandra Fluke was trying to make was that women often need birth control for non-contraception related medical reasons, such as managing ovarian cysts, which otherwise lead to serious complications and surgeries. Sandra Fluke’s whole point was that some female college students need birth control not because the are sluts or prostitutes or as Limbaugh put it “want to be paid for sex” but because they may face serious medical issues if they don’t take their birth control.
And then, to top it off – Limbaugh manages to somehow add insult to injury by suggesting that this Georgetown law student should post sex videos online (I guess so that everyone can see what they “paid” for).
He never bothered to actually consider what she may have had to say – and automatically concluded that she must be a slut if she is standing up for her rights.
Read more at MSNBC
Women Boycott House Contraception Hearing
Women boycotted the House Contraception Hearing today in DC., to fight against the fact that House Oversight Committee Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA) prevented women from testifying in a hearing examining Obama’s new regulation requiring employers and insurers to pay for employee contraception coverage. Roy Blunt and other Republicans have introduced legislation that would allow any employer to deny birth control coverage for any reason to their female employees.
Women are Like Men ~ Just Cheaper
We need to pay attention to the fact that nationally American women earn only 81 cents for every male dollar! And this trend of inequality is consistent across America, with the median income for women being lower than men in all 50 states.
“The research focused on career paths of high-potential men and women, drawing on thousands of MBA graduates from top schools around the world. Catalyst found that, among those who had moved on from their first post-MBA job, there was no significant difference in the proportion of women and men who asked for increased compensation or a higher position.
Yet the rewards were different.
Women who initiated such conversations and changed jobs post MBA experiencedslower compensation growth than the women who stayed put. For men, on the other hand, it paid off to change jobs and negotiate for higher salaries—they earned more than men who stayed did. And we saw that as both men’s and women’s careers progress, the gender gap in level and pay gets even wider.”
Especially following the recent Wall-Mart scandal regarding unequal pay, it is clear that there is inferior value placed on women compared to men in the workplace. Isn’t it time we demand equal treatment?
Read more at ThinkProgress.com
Florida Bill: Abortion a Felony with Life Sentence
Florida state Rep. Charles Van Zant (R) begins the new year with a radical new bill that aims to ban abortions in his state. The “crime” of conducting an abortion would be considered a felony, unless the mother’s life was directly at risk. Raped? Too bad.
Read more at Thinkprogress.com
Women Beaten & Assaulted in Egypt by Military
Watch this HORRIFYING video!! The Eqyptian military and police are attacking, sexually assaulting and torturing women for the sole reason that they are female!! It appears the Eqyptian government has declared a full war on women! This is big news – and completely unacceptable. Please help these women in any way you can.
Alert: We Are Treating Women like Sh*t!
Objectification has consequences.
As 2012 is right around the corner, we have to be honest with ourselves regarding the fact that women are still treated like shit in most countries around the world, even here at home. We hear of women not being able to drive in Saudi Arabia, and imprisonment of rape victims in Afghanistan. However, we often assume that our women receive more equal treatment here in the Westernized world. Even though we may be slightly better off than our middle-eastern counterparts, I would also argue that the treatment of women in the US and Europe has gotten worse.
1 in 4 American women experience domestic violence in their lifetime.
We see a wave of right-wing laws controlling women’s reproduction, even calling for IUD users to be considered mass murderers! We also see increased objectification of women in the western world, with continued nudity and massive amounts of photoshopping of skinny stars and models. Apparently an anorexic waif is still not skinny enough. Also, women are still greatly discriminated against in terms of pay and opportunities for advancement.
Photoshop Fail! Avril is missing a piece of arm due to her altered waist.
But the most damaging attack on women is more psychological, pervasive and less apparent: objectification of girls, followed by the normalization and encouragement of sexual violence against these objectified (and thus ‘deserving’) girls. This psychological cycle is quite dangerous. First we prop up young women who are naked and photoshopped, indicating that this is what society values. Next, we encourage men to treat women as sexual toys ready for their pleasure and taking. And finally, we blame the victims for the attacks. Their clothes were too skimpy or they were drunk, rape clearly being the appropriate punishment.
An ad against heavy drinking by the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board, blaming the victim.
So how do we encourage violence against women? A recent British study looked at British men’s magazines and statements made by convicted rapists, and found that most individuals could not tell them apart. Here is a sample:
There’s a certain way you can tell that a girl wants to have sex . . . The way they dress, they flaunt themselves.
Some girls walk around in short-shorts . . . showing their body off . . . It just starts a man thinking that if he gets something like that, what can he do with it?
Mascara running down the cheeks means they’ve just been crying, and it was probably your fault . . . but you can cheer up the miserable beauty with a bit of the old in and out.
What burns me up sometimes about girls is dick-teasers. They lead a man on and then shut him off right there.
Filthy talk can be such a turn on for a girl . . . no one wants to be shagged by a mouse . . . A few compliments won’t do any harm either . . . ‘I bet you want it from behind you dirty whore’ . . .
You know girls in general are all right. But some of them are bitches . . . The bitches are the type that . . . need to have it stuffed to them hard and heavy.
You’ll find most girls will be reluctant about going to bed with somebody or crawling in the back seat of a car . . . But you can usually seduce them, and they’ll do it willingly.
Girls ask for it by wearing these mini-skirts and hotpants . . . they’re just displaying their body . . . Whether they realize it or not they’re saying, ‘Hey, I’ve got a beautiful body, and it’s yours if you want it.’
You do not want to be caught red-handed . . . go and smash her on a park bench. That used to be my trick.
Some women are domineering, but I think it’s more or less the man who should put his foot down. The man is supposed to be the man. If he acts the man, the woman won’t be domineering.
I think if a law is passed, there should be a dress code . . . When girls dress in those short skirts and things like that, they’re just asking for it.
Girls love being tied up . . . it gives them the chance to be the helpless victim.
I think girls are like plasticine, if you warm them up you can do anything you want with them.
A never-ending supply of naked and objectified women gracing magazine covers.
To find out which quote is from a convicted rapist or from a man’s mag, read about the study at Jezebel. Unfortunately the encouragement of violence against women also brings up the actual numbers. The CDC found in a 2005 study that 1 in 4 women in the United States are victims of domestic violence at some point in their lives and RAINN reported that there were 248,300 sexual assault victims in 2007. In addition, we are seeing laws being passed to punish and jail women based on their role in the reproductive process. I feel that the objectification of women makes it easier for others to hurt and attack her, and thus also indirectly contributes to violence against women. After all, an object feels no pain and has no emotions, and is never quite equal to a human life.
Raped Afghan Women Sentenced for “Moral Crimes”
The European Union recently blocked the release of a documentary commissioned by the EU about Afghan women in prison for moral crimes, known as Zina. The film follows two girls, one who was raped and another who ran away from domestic violence/ The documentary highlights the many injustices and human rights violations currently being carried out against women in Afghanistan. And even though the Afghan women had made recent strides in women’s rights, the film points out that sentencing of women for moral crimes has gone up.
Half of female prisoners in Afghanistan are sentenced for “moral crimes,” which Human Rights Watch estimates to be in the hundreds. These women are imprisoned for anywhere from 2 to 12 years, and sometimes there is a way out: in the case of rape you can choose to marry your rapist.
And when these poor women are set free? They have to worry about being murdered by their family members for bringing shame. One source quotes ”Quite a few of them feel like they’re going to be forced back into the abusive situation that they escaped from and some have said very clearly that they expect their families are likely to kill them, because they’ve brought shame on their families by ending up in prison.”
The reason the release was blocked, an EU official stated, was to protect the safety of the women in the film.
Read more here.
Disagreements Among Feminists
Disagreements in scientific or technological fields often push scientists toward discovering new findings. Progress tends to be made through discussions and battles. Then consider feminism: some criticize that there is no coherent message, belief or goal for the feminist movement. But, remember that one single message is much easier to squash than a debate. Then you often have women accusing each other of being anti-feminist (including LG with our page Feminist Fail), though we lack to see the positive side of disagreements.
Disagreements and discussion actually inherently contain more power than a single message and often signify more widespread support. Let us discuss and disagree and fight for our views so that we can all make progress.
Equality in the Workplace
Women collect nearly 60 percent of four-year degrees in the United States, and they make up close to 50% of the workforce.
However, our progress at gaining senior leadership positions is not as impressive. Last year, women held about 14 percent of senior executive positions at Fortune 500 companies, and worse, that number has barely budged since 2005!! So what is keeping women from taking charge? Ilene Lang, President and Chief Executive of Catalyst (a research firm looking at women in the workplace), finds that it is influenced by “entrenched sexism,” which both men and women are unconsciously influenced by. Women are often taught not to show their aggression like men, and competitiveness is often less valued in young women.
She continues by saying, “I don’t want to blame this on men,” rather “social norms that are so gendered and so stereotyped that even though we think we’ve gone past them, we really haven’t.”
The bar is set much higher for women, and men are able to get away with a lot more. It is like men are judged for their potential, while a woman has to prove herself multiple times. Companies must make a commitment to the advancement of women by promoting and mentoring them, and accurately measuring their progress.
Read more at The New York Times
Don’t Take Your Reproductive Rights For Granted
by Kate Pittman:
If you haven’t been paying attention to the anti-abortion, anti-contraception, anti-woman legislation that is currently being put forth and passed in state and national government, it’s time to wake up. The ultra-conservative anti-choice religious right has gained a very loud and powerful voice in government while we, the women who believe in reproductive freedom, stand by. Far too often it seems we have no voice at all. I watch in horror as I read about each new attack on my body and my life.
The individual laws requiring biased counseling, restrictions on insurance coverage for abortion and contraceptives, waiting periods, restrictions on method, and other attempts to reduce our reproductive rights are too numerous to list here. But you should know how serious this is right at this very moment. Please check these links if you have any doubt the Tea Party has something on its agenda other than jobs, jobs, jobs:
Center For Reproductive Rights, Can You Afford a Huge Step Back?
Planned Parenthood Action Center
Yes, this is personal to me and it should be personal to anyone who is a woman who believes that she has the ability to make the right choices for herself in her own life. What can be more personal than the choice to have a child? Yet there are many who seem to think I am incapable of making serious choices about my life. I boil over with rage when I read about my rights being infringed upon by people who purport to want to “protect life.”
Let us be clear about one thing: this battle is not about life. It is not about saving unborn fetuses from murder. It is an attack on women’s sexual freedom, and consequently women’s autonomy, plain and simple.
When you get right down to it, you would be hard-pressed to find many people in the world who think abortion is a good thing. The overwhelming majority of pro-choice people will tell you that we also believe that if you don’t want to have a baby, the absolute best course of action is to never get pregnant in the first place. Women do not choose abortion lightly. Yet there are those who seem to believe that we are incapable of knowing when we are ready to raise a child. These are the same people, by the way, who are always proclaiming that the government should stay out of our personal lives. Oh, unless they disagree with the way we live those lives. They always seem to forget to add that part.
A woman, in this view, is nothing but a walking, talking set of reproductive organs.
If the Anti-Choice movement really cared about reducing the number of abortions, they would focus on reducing the number of unwanted pregnancies. Yet they do just the opposite, taking every opportunity to reduce sexual education and availability of contraceptives.
Making abortion illegal does not stop abortion. Making it difficult to obtain an abortion by adding obstacles ensures that the only people who will still be able to choose whether or not to abort a pregnancy are the rich, who can afford to travel to a place where abortion is available. Relegating abortion to back alleys only harms women, and is sometimes even fatal; it does not save fetuses. When a woman wants to make this decision, she will find a way to make it. When abortion is legal and safe, women are protected. When abortion is illegal and hidden, we are not.
This is a scary time for anyone who believes in reproductive freedom. According to the Guttmacher Institute, in the first quarter of 2011 alone, 916 measures related to reproductive health and rights have been introduced in the 49 legislatures that held regular sessions. Seven states enacted 15 new laws on these issues.
Laws Affecting Reproductive Health Rights: Trends in the First Quarter of 2011
If you feel strongly about these issues, now is the time to stand up. Let your voice be heard. Make sure to vote. Don’t let their voices be louder than ours.
Disturbing, Terrifying….Awe-Inspiring, Speechless….
Okay, I’m not totally speechless; this is sick. This in fact, epitomizes bad parenting. From a psychological standpoint, I think it is fair to assume that this is incredibly detrimental to a child’s mental welfare and malleable/influential self-image. These girls are at an age where they are being molded and their most powerful role-models are the presence and teachings of their parents. Not only is this sexualizing little girls-children, and teaching them that worth is based on superficiality and a status quo “beauty,” but it spotlights them for predators and that, is not being a protective and sensible parent.
This is….shit culture at its best. Really…swimsuit competitions, for 6 year-olds? Are these parents so dense that they see nothing wrong with this, or is is mere desperation for their child to be the “prettiest and best,” that complete denial warrants their behaviors?
The disappearing Long Island Serial Killer
An emerging profile of a serial killer on Long Island, NY:
If you watch or read any form of the news, you may have heard emerging details of a serial killer on Long Island in the past month and a half. The more bodies that were uncovered at the beginning of April (evidently 10 in total currently), the more the media sensationalized, speculated, and closely followed the authorities every move and new discovery. Authorities started to create a profile on this confirmed serial killer….
He is most likely a white male in his mid-20s to mid-40s. He is married or has a girlfriend. He is well educated and well spoken. He is financially secure, has a job and owns an expensive car or truck. He may have sought treatment at a hospital for poison ivy infection. As part of his job or interests, he has access to, or a stockpile of, burlap sacks. -Time’s expert source
“He has to be persuasive enough and rational enough that he is able to convince these women to meet him on these terms. He has demonstrated social skills. He may even be charming.” -Drew University’s Scott Bonn, serial-killer researcher (via New Yorker Mag) That gives me an idea that he is a sadist. That would be reflected in his relationship and jobs. He is the one who laughs when a cat gets run over or a kid falls off his bike. He likes the suffering of others, and he really likes it when he can cause it or witness it.” -Jim Clemente, retired FBI profiler
And Then Media Coverage Ceased to Exist:
Then something interesting happened; we became aware of the typical sadistic pattern this serial killer had, and everything changed. Upon the discovery of his murder victims being prostitutes, the media began to taper out on the coverage of this story. How did it go from such complete sensationalism and the preeminent news story, to absolutely no coverage on any station any more? Shocking. Was it because the victims were prostitutes? Would the same story have completely disappeared from news sources if the victims were supposedly more respectable individuals? Something tells me that if the victims were not prostitutes, that there would be every effort made by the media and their resources to track down this monster, and instead, the story has fallen into obscurity. Interesting…
Of course the L.I.S.K.’s methods and typical pattern, has almost become synonymous with many serial killers. Is the prostitute-as-victim simply because they are more easily accessible, or is it a power/dominance aspect to it that these killers get off on? Why are their victims so commonly prostitutes? It’s entirely obvious that the treatment much of the media gives these tortured prostitutes (lack of coverage and relevance compared to other stories), is not so far above how these serial killers may view these women as well (like second class individuals, disposable and meant to be degraded). A message to the media: these women were daughters, some mothers; they were human beings too, not people to be devalued for any reason. Their occupation and methods for survival makes them no less of a human being who deserves honor, respect, mourning and justice. In fact, one of the woman’s lives might have been saved as a local man recalls her coming to his door screaming for help and then her subsequently running off after he said he would call the cops. No doubt she ran off for fear that she would have been severely penalized by the police (jailed and fined at the very least) upon realization of her selling sex and now instead, she is dead, and probably by a rather unpleasant death.
Is there something to the fact that a collective public has been chronically exposed to watching the most mundane details of a royal wedding for months and day after day, but a substantial story that needs people’s attention, falls off the radar after a couple of weeks. After all, this killer has not been caught and theoretically if not realistically, could still be preying on women. At the same time, it is questionable to provide too much attention to a person who may actually be seeking it, like some serial killers do. They admire themselves for being able to outsmart the authorities. If their actions are something that has become a sensational public story and mystery, this may greatly magnify their feelings of grandiosity and false superiority making them liable to continue their atrocities with no fear of being caught.
Real murders becoming films/TV programs for the public’s viewing pleasure:
Stories of horror, torture, terror and death that happen to real people and families become entertainment for our viewing pleasure. Is this not entirely sick? Craigslist Killer, Summer of Sam, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Zodiac, Monster, Ted Bundy, The Boston Strangler, Helter Skelter, this list goes on and on. Perhaps it would be less entertaining if it were someone we knew who had been a victim? This is blatant, despicable exploitation of a person or families suffering, to make a buck…and the sad part is that people buy it. Have we become so apathetic that we don’t even consider this to be morally perverse and disrespectful to the deceased who suffered a terrible death? While people sit and view these films from the comfort of their couches or movie theaters, real people like them also, induced torture and horrific terror and fear that we cannot even fathom, to become entertainment for the masses.
Real life Craigslist Killer
The precedent Craigslist has set for providing creeps to the general public, what they can do about it, and the discussion of legalizing prostitution:
Craigslist has become a catch-22. It is a potentially abundant resource/mechanism to save money, get great deals and provide utmost convenience under many different circumstances, but also a forum for sadistic creeps and predators. With the rapid advent of online social networking and technology providing access to anyone and everyone, there is a rise in suicide, murder, bullying, stalking and tangible fears that we must all be aware of. I hope stories like this may act as a catalyst for these sites’ demographic to take a more precautionary approach when utilizing their services. Occurrences like this are not a unilateral responsibility among one participatory party, but a combination of circumstances for all parties. It arouses the question of whether prostitution’s legality would perhaps save lives? The argument here is that prostitution will exist for forever and making it illegal is not going to stop it, but just cause it to be a taboo that as a result, creates a dangerous underworld because it is not regulated and/or protected. Besides politics and how they would come across to the voting population, I’m sure politicians would revel in delight over a clause like this. After all, how many have been caught with prostitutes and escorts now? Doesn’t it look worse when something is illegal and therefor uber taboo?
What can Craigslist do to protect their users? Not much, and unfortunately with the good comes the bad. They have removed any erotic services forums that they previously provided so they are taking some sort of accountability, but still, it is a vast medium to meet up with any random person. So although on one hand, Craigslist has proven to be a valuable resource for many users, for those who partake in risky behavior, it can mean their untimely end. I’d hope that after the prevalence of dangerous predators who prey on women advertising ANY kind of service, that it will cause women to protect themselves better and at least carry some sort of protection and have an escape plan (at the very least).
Advertising for erotic services has not been the only service on Craigslist with dangerous outcomes. Common services like selling goods which lead to face-to-face transactions, have also led to home invasions, and ultimately murder.
http://www.ktvb.com/news/regional/3-arrested-in-Craigslist-home-invasion-murder-92876094.html
Be smart. Think twice before you have a stranger come to your home to buy something from you, even if you aren’t there alone. Don’t ever be too trusting. And for the sick (expletive expletive) who get off on killing women, what can we hope for you but for there to really be some sort of hell in the after life that you will eternally burn in…or your eventual arrest which can also lead to your being ass-raped and tortured in prison for the rest of your life (probably worse than any theoretical hell).
Some of the victims of the Long Island Serial Killer, may you rest in eternal peace:
HELL YES! Rep. Thompson her passionate speech on Disrespect to Women – May 26, 2011
PROTEST in NYC Tomorrow, May 27th 5-7PM
If you are in the New York City area please attend this rally and protest tomorrow to protest the acquittal these 2 NYPD officers received after a very graphic, detailed and proof-laden account of them raping a young woman they should have been helping! This is a perfectly obscene example of victim blaming when it comes to rape and sexual assault and how the men who commit these atrocious acts are sometimes simply slapped on the wrist. This must end!
Read the NYTimes article here (Two New York City Police Officers Acquitted of Rape):
And here is the rally information for tomorrow:
http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2011/05/26/protest-the-nyc-cops-rape-acquittal/
