November 2010

California Fights Order to Reduce Prison Overcrowding at Supreme Court

by Cara November 30, 2010

Today, the U.S. Supreme Court takes up the issue of prison overcrowding in California — or, specifically, the judicial order that California must release 46,000 inmates from its overcrowded prisons within two years. For those not familiar with this order issued last year, a little bit of background: At issue is whether the special three-judge [...]

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Illinois Considers Laws to Revoke Medical Licenses of Sex Offenders

by Cara November 29, 2010

Trigger Warning for discussions of sexual violence within a medical context. Earlier this year, I wrote about part of a Chicago Tribune series that exposed how Illinois doctors can pretty easily sexually assault patients and get away with it with few to no negative consequences for their violations, frequently even being allowed to keep their [...]

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Thankful

by Cara November 25, 2010

Dear  J, On this Thanksgiving and somber anniversary, I’d like to say that I am thankful — thankful to have had you as a part of my life, and to have been a part of yours. Two years later, I still miss you. Eddie Kendricks – You Are the Melody of My Life I’ll never [...]

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Study: Too Many Fat Women Don’t Even Know They’re Fat

by Cara November 23, 2010

So there’s a fascinating new study out about how women perceive their weight, with the results being that a significant proportion of women who were deemed “overweight” by the BMI did not view themselves as such. Cue the body-shaming, junk reporting, and photographs of fat1 people with their heads cut off. In the most neutral [...]

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Tuesday March in Pittsburgh in Response to the Death of Amy Lynn Gillespie

by Cara November 22, 2010

Last week, a post I wrote about the death of Amy Lynn Gillespie generated a lot of attention. Ms. Gillespie, who was being detained Allegheny County Jail for violating the conditions of her work release by becoming pregnant, died after being denied timely medical care for her treatable condition. As I argued in the post, [...]

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On the Transgender Day of Remembrance, Remembering Why They’re Not Here

by Cara November 20, 2010

Today is the Transgender Day of Remembrance. It is a day set aside to remember all of the lives that have been lost to anti-trans violence, most specifically in the past 365 days, but also further into the past. I never know quite what to say on days like today, days set aside to mark [...]

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South African Teen Charged With “Underage Sex” After Recanting Rape Allegation

by Cara November 19, 2010

Trigger Warning for descriptions of sexual violence, victim-blaming, and rape apologism There were recently reports of a particularly horrific rape case out of South Africa, in which a 15-year-old Johannesburg girl alleged rape by two 16-year-old and 14-year-old classmates at Jules High School. The alleged rape was filmed by the two alleged perpetrators and a [...]

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Woman Jailed for Becoming Pregnant, Then Died From Lack of Medical Treatment

by Cara November 18, 2010

Trigger Warning for prison abuse, specifically denial of medical treatment, and reproductive rights violations. At the beginning of this year, a 27-year-old woman named Amy Lynn Gillespie died (h/t @DCdebbie). She was 18 weeks pregnant, and died in a hospital after being transferred there by Allegheny County Jail, which was currently detaining her. The problem [...]

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Study on Rape of Youth Age 12 and Younger Responded to With Victim-Blaming Rhetoric

by Cara November 16, 2010

Trigger Warning for discussions of sexual violence against children and adolescents, as well as victim-blaming and rape apologism. A new study out of B.C., Canada (pdf) on whether age of sexual consent laws are actually doing anything to prevent the sexual abuse of young people by adults has acted as an opportunity to engage in [...]

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Rape Charges Are Dropped in Relation to Victim Who Threatened Suicide on Courthouse Roof

by Cara November 12, 2010

Trigger Warning for discussions of sexual violence, rape apologism, and suicide. Last week, I wrote about a Seattle case in which a 21-year-old woman threatened suicide from the top of a courthouse. The woman was scheduled to testify that day against the man who allegedly raped her for years as a child. The person expected [...]

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