misogyny

Rape Suspect Cross-Examines Accuser, Then Asks For Public Defender

by Cara January 17, 2011

Trigger Warning for descriptions of sexual violence and being confronted by one’s rapist Just a couple months ago, I wrote about how a case in which an alleged rapist defended himself, and therefore cross-examined his own accusers, ended in a threat of suicide from one of the alleged victims. In a follow-up, I noted the [...]

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“This Is a Maid”: Which Rape Accusers Are Worth Listening To?

by Cara January 14, 2011

Trigger Warning for rape apologism, brief descriptions of sexual violence Former pro-baseball player Lenny Dykstra (left) was recently accused by a woman, his former housekeeper, of repeated sexual assault. According to the woman’s claim, Dykstra forced her to perform oral sex on him every Saturday. Earlier this week, prosecutors declined to file charges, apparently citing [...]

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One Year Later, Sexual Violence Remains an Epidemic in Haiti’s Camps

by Cara January 13, 2011

Trigger Warning for descriptions/discussions of sexual violence Yesterday was the one year anniversary of the 2010 earthquake that devastated Haiti. In the wake of this milestone, much reporting has appeared on the current status of the earthquake recovery, and how it is sorely lagging behind everyone’s hopes, as well as what the expectations would be [...]

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Book Review: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

by Cara January 5, 2011

Trigger Warning for sometimes graphic descriptions of human experimentation and medical research on non-consenting individuals There’s a photo on my wall of a woman I’ve never met, its left corner torn and patched together with tape. She looks straight into the camera and smiles, hands on hips, dress suit neatly pressed, lips painted deep red. [...]

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Study Finds 10% of Teens Who Say They’ve Never Had Intercourse Test Positive for STDs

by Cara January 4, 2011

A new study purports to show a disturbing discrepancy between the number of teens who say they’ve “had sex” with those who test positive for STDs. Of those who supposedly said they’d been abstinent, 10% tested positive for at least one of the three common STDs (chlamydia, gonorrhea, and trichomoniasis). As such, researchers and journalists [...]

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Off-Duty Cis Cop Allegedly Assaults Trans Woman, But She’s The One Who Is Charged

by Cara December 21, 2010

Trigger Warning for transphobic violence and police violence At the beginning of December, an altercation between a trans woman and an off-duty police officer resulted in the woman being charged with assault (h/t). The problem is that this charge is in spite of the fact that she alleges the officer assaulted her — and that [...]

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International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers

by Cara December 17, 2010

Trigger Warning for violence against sex workers, including but not limited to sexual violence and police violence Today, December 17, is the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. The International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers is a day to remember sex workers who have been murdered, and to acknowledge and spread [...]

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District Attorney With Transphobic Record Appointed to Tennessee Safety Commission

by Cara December 13, 2010

Last week, Tennessee Governor-elect Bill Haslam named Memphis prosecutor Bill Gibbons (left), a fellow Republican, as his safety commissioner. The state safety commissioner oversees state law enforcement, homeland security, and the highway patrol. While Gibbons’ record as a strong death penalty advocate who believes that inmates should have fewer opportunities to file appeals for their [...]

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Nashville Police Officers Charged With Domestic Violence Get to Keep Their Jobs

by Cara December 10, 2010

This week, the Tennessean reports that the Nashville Metro Police Department has quite the record of letting police officers charged with domestic violence off with few consequences, with the vast majority getting to keep their jobs on the force. At least 10 Metro Police officers have been arrested on domestic violence charges in the last [...]

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Idaho Law Says Only Married Women Can Be Raped By Fraud

by Cara December 3, 2010

Trigger Warning for sexual violence and rape apologism A couple weeks ago in Idaho, a judge dismissed a rape case in which a woman was allegedly raped by a man who she believed at the time to be her boyfriend. The article itself contains a graphic description of the charges themselves (Trigger Warning), but what [...]

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