Link Roundup

Things I read last week and didn’t get the time to write about. Enjoy:

Exciting news: the California Assembly has become the first U.S. state legislative body to be led by a black woman. So disappointing that this had to happen as late as 2008, but good news nonetheless. (But WTF is up with that headline? A black woman having any powerful job whatsoever isn’t news . . . ) Congratulations to Rep. Karen Bass.

Turkish feminists are working on an innovative new way to bring to justice those who commit violent crimes against women.

The woman who was kicked out of a restaurant for using the women’s bathroom while apparently appearing too masculine has won her lawsuit.

The marine who sexually assaulted a Japanese girl has been sentenced to four years in prison.

Some really interesting new research on implicit bias.

Not okay on any level: a homeless man has been convicted of “assault with a deadly weapon” for spitting on a police officer — because he’s HIV positive. And he has been sentenced to 35 years in prison. Is this 1992? HIV can’t be passed through saliva, dumbasses. What the hell is wrong with people? How does something like this happen? Is Amnesty International or the ACLU or someone going to get involved in this shit?

Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton both just made me throw up in my mouth a little bit.

The Maryland House is filled with quite a few asshole legislators — who think that accused rapists should have child visitation rights (with the children of their victims), think that those accused of domestic abuse should be allowed to hang onto their guns, refuse to reasonably extend the term of protection orders and openly mock the idea that abusers harm pets as a means to further hurt, threaten or intimidate their intimate partners. Good on WaPo for reporting it.

Anything good (or bad) that I’ve missed?

UPDATE: I always forget something. Stupid brain. Working America and AFL-CIO are conducting the Ask a Working Woman Survey. From the email I was sent: “The survey is an opportunity for working women in America to tell decision-makers what it’s like to be a working woman in America in election years. [. . .] The findings will be announced to decision makers and released in nationwide media in order to highlight and help improve the status of the working mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmothers, aunts, cousins, and nieces in all of our American families.”