From the monthly archives:

January 2009

Yes Means Yes Live Chat

by Cara January 31, 2009

On Monday February 2, I will be participating in a live-chat on Feministing with Jaclyn Friedman and Jessica Valenti, the editors of Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power & a World Without Rape.  Also participating are Feministing bloggers and fellow Yes Means Yes contributors Samhita Mukhopadhyay and Miriam Perez. Did I never officially [...]

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Court Rules that Religious School Has Right to Expel “Suspected Lesbians”

by Cara January 30, 2009

In 2006, two teenage girls were expelled from California Lutheran High School on suspicion of their being lesbians. That’s right — though expelling students because they actually were lesbians would have been a gross violation of civil rights, this took it a step further by expelling the two students merely on a guess. Now, amazingly, [...]

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It was 40 Years Ago Today

by Cara January 30, 2009

Today is the 40th anniversary of the Beatles legendary rooftop performance, on top of their Apple office headquarters in Saville Row on January 30, 1969.  It was their last ever live show.  Below is one of the three performances they did of Get Back. Oh, to have been there. You can watch the full video [...]

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CIA Station Chief Accused of Raping Algerian Women

by Cara January 29, 2009

So, you know those CIA guys who we send overseas to work with foreign intelligence agencies, not only to protect our own security interests but also as a symbolic gesture to the world that we have a vested interest in their safety as well? Well, apparently at least one of those CIA guys interpreted “displaying [...]

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Rape Apologism Starts Early

by Cara January 28, 2009

James West, school dean for a prominent Roman Catholic high school for boys, has been suspended due to allegations that he sexually assaulted one of the students in his office. As far as this news story reports, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever to believe that the allegations are not credible and do not deserve [...]

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T-Shirt Hell Closes Its Doors

by Cara January 27, 2009

Trigger Warning — highly disturbing images below the fold. Via Sociological Images, I just learned that T-Shirt Hell (no I’m not linking) — that website that sells t-shirts which are beyond racist, misogynistic, homophobic, ableist, and I’m sure in many other ways very hateful — is closing down.  And knowing that they will be no [...]

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Berlusconi: Women Are Raped Because They’re Just So Good Looking

by Cara January 26, 2009

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, known for putting his foot in his mouth in really offensive ways, has done it yet again. This time, it’s one hot mess of rape myths and rape apologism, and a revival of the “women are raped because they’re pretty (and therefore rape is a compliment)” meme, once more with [...]

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Police Chief: Women Want the Dick

by Cara January 24, 2009

Trigger Warning Colorado State University Police Chief Dexter Yarbrough is a violent, misogynistic asshole. It seems like so many people have posted on this already — from Feministing, to Womanist Musings, to Yes Means Yes, to name only a few — but couldn’t let it just pass without comment.  Because this is rape culture at [...]

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Breaking: Obama Reverses the Global Gag Rule

by Cara January 23, 2009

It’s official. The gag rule is no more.  (At least until our next anti-choice president, if legislative action isn’t also taken.) International funding can now go to organizations that provide abortions with other funding, or simply offer counseling about abortion as an option from a different provider.  Desperately poor women with high risk pregnancies won’t [...]

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NY Times Article Got Story on DIY Abortions Wrong

by Cara January 23, 2009

The other week, I blogged about this NY Times article on Dominican women in New York City inducing abortion themselves with misoprostol. Well, it turns out that the NY Times go several key facts very wrong. AlterNet has the story. (emphasis mine) So what did the study find? Far less misoprostol use than expected, it [...]

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