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"In my heart, I think a woman has two choices: either she's a feminist or a masochist." --Gloria Steinem
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May
8
Walking Out a Rapist
Filed Under Europe, International, human rights, media, misogyny, objectification, patriarchy, rape and sexual assault, sex and sexuality, sex work, sexual exploitation and harassment, violence against women and girls | 22 Comments
Did anyone doubt that my first post back would be about a rape-related issue that is considered “controversial”? If not, you know me well.
. . . Well, almost.
You see, the British Home Office has released this campaign to fight the sex trafficking industry — and from what I can tell, I love the concept (I have a practical criticism later). But, nowhere can I find the full text on the poster or an image large enough to make out the small text myself. As the Home Office has received my criticism before for some pretty terrible anti-rape ads, I’d like to know the full text before I sing its praises. If you find it, please send it on! I’ll be looking for it over the next few days; just be aware that my opinion is subject to change or expand on that basis. But here’s what we know:
Posters will appear in clubs and pubs from Monday warning men against paying for sex in brothels with exploited or trafficked women.
The posters, which will be piloted in men’s toilets in Westminster and Nottingham, will say “Walk in a Punter. Walk out a Rapist”.
They are part of a six-month home office review into tackling the demand for prostitution, which began in January, and aim to point out that trafficked women are forced into selling sex, and that forced sex is rape.
“So if you pay for sex with a trafficked woman what does that make you?” the posters ask.
They also urge Johns “if [they're] man enough” to call Crime Stoppers if they come across something suspicious.
Popularity: 15% [?]
Apr
24
Why We Need to Stop the Democratic Infighting
Filed Under Democrats, Republicans, assholes, class and economics, discrimination, legislation, misogyny, parenthood, patriarchy, politics, pregnancy, sexism, work | 12 Comments
Because John McCain is a misogynist nutbag. As are his fellow Republicans.
Yesterday, Republican Senators successfully filibustered — that’s right, not just voted against but fucking filibustered — a bill that would provide those who have been the victims of discriminatory pay with more legal recourse. In other words, they filibustered a civil rights bill. Because Republicans have so learned the error of their prejudiced ways.
Republicans said the proposal to ease the time constraints would prompt more lawsuits and lead to litigation over outdated cases. “This debate today is not about allowing, favoring or supporting discrimination,” said Senator Johnny Isakson, Republican of Georgia.
[. . .]
Mr. McCain, who was campaigning in Louisiana, skipped the vote but told reporters he would have opposed the bill since it could contribute to frivolous lawsuits harmful to businesses.
Senator Orrin G. Hatch, Republican of Utah, accused Democrats of unfairly trying to paint opponents of the bill as unsympathetic to victims of salary discrimination. “The only ones who will see an increase in pay are some of the trial lawyers who bring the cases,” he said.
Um, what exactly, Senator Hatch, is being unfairly represented? Victims of unfair pay discrimination need a recourse, and you are actively denying it to them. You’re openly protecting companies who have a history of discrimination. And you are allowing, favoring or supporting discrimination, Senator Isakson, by refusing to hold those corporations who have engaged in it responsible for their actions. This is pretty fucking simple.
John McCain didn’t show up to vote — but did support the “it would provoke lawsuits” argument (um, assholes, that’s the point), and had this to say:
“They need the education and training, particularly since more and more women are heads of their households, as much or more than anybody else,” McCain said. “And it’s hard for them to leave their families when they don’t have somebody to take care of them.
“It’s a vicious cycle that’s affecting women, particularly in a part of the country like this, where mining is the mainstay; traditionally, women have not gone into that line of work, to say the least,” he said.
Oh, I see: so Senator McCain, you’re going to start supporting flexible work schedules and reduced working hours for both parents? You’re going to promote men taking a more active role in child-rearing and support social services that help women with child care? You’re also going to support those who are genuinely stuck in low paying jobs because a lack of educational opportunity with resources, and work to improve school systems and economic equality?
Um . . . no. McCain supports the “free market” — the very same free market that allows employers to discriminate against women, racial minorities, the disabled and LGBTQ individuals. He’s just using an opportunity to remind everyone that women belong back in the kitchen with a child on each hip. He also needed to point out that women are only paid less is because we just can’t stop popping out the kiddies, are uneducated and don’t do equal work — even though the Ledbetter case shows that this argument is a bunch of shit.
Below the jump, what I think of McCain and the Senate Republicans (all but six of whom voted to block the measure).
Popularity: 18% [?]
Apr
11
Dancers For Hire Exploited, NYT Gets Hard On
Filed Under WOC issues, class and economics, media, misogyny, objectification, patriarchy, race and racism, sex and sexuality, sex work, sexism, sexual exploitation and harassment, stereotypes, work | 3 Comments
Former employees have filed a lawsuit against a club where they used to work as dancers for hire, claiming that they were never paid wages for their work. The women are mostly immigrants, many of them Spanish-speaking only, and they were paid a mere $2 per dance direct from the customers while the club raked in profits from the door fee and drinks. They were forced to pay fees to the club in order to work there and were all around treated like shit. (All emphasis mine.)
In interviews in Spanish, several former dancers said the owners often made them pay a $60 or $70 fine when they missed a day of work. Several complained of having to pay an $11 fee each day just to enter the club and an additional $10 if they arrived a half-hour late.
They said that sometimes, after dancing from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m., they had to attend meetings that lasted until 6 a.m. in which the owners held forth, calling some dancers “puta” (whore) as well as ugly and fat. The dancers’ most serious complaint was that the club never paid them a cent for their 45-hour workweeks.
“I never received anything in wages,” said Patricia Gonzalez, a long-haired, leggy immigrant from the Dominican Republic who quit dancing at the Flamingo last June. “In my three years there I must have paid thousands of dollars in fines. And I paid the daily fee of $11 to enter. What kind of job do you have to pay just to go to work?”
The lawsuit raises an intriguing question of law: whether the for-hire dancers were employees, who should have been paid wages for every hour they worked, or independent contractors who, as the Flamingo’s owners assert, were merely renting space on the dance floor.
The owners say they had no obligation to pay wages, asserting that the dancers were entrepreneurs who made a living by keeping the $2 they earned for each dance.
“They’re paying to rent the space so they can make a living,” said Peter Rubin, a lawyer for the club. “They can keep all the money they make dancing. They don’t have to split anything with the house.” The club makes its money by charging the men $5 to enter and $7 a drink.
[. . .]
If the dancers win their lawsuit, it could have ripple effects at the city’s many for-hire dance clubs, latter-day versions of Depression-era joints where men paid 10 cents for a dance. Many of today’s dancers, like their customers, are illegal immigrants who earn their money off the books. Amy Carroll, a lawyer for Make the Road, said it was ridiculous for the Flamingo to suggest that the dancers were independent contractors.
“It seems that Flamingo is doing the worst of both worlds,” she said. “They’re not paying the workers anything, and they’re controlling every aspect of the dancers’ work life. They tell them what days to work, what time to show up, what outfits to wear, what makeup to use. They even make the dancers sign in and out to go to the restroom. That level of control makes them employees, not independent contractors.”
Popularity: 20% [?]
Apr
5
More Contractor Rape, More Cover Up
Filed Under Republicans, activism, human rights, misogyny, patriarchy, politics, rape and sexual assault, violence against women and girls, work | 4 Comments
I mentioned before that the theme of this year’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month is sexual violence in the workplace. So, let’s talk about it.
Another woman has come forward to tell her story about working for KBR in Iraq. She was drugged and brutally gang raped by at least one American soldier and one KBR coworker. As the only medical personnel in the area, she was required to treat herself, never received a rape kit, was forced to medically treat her rapists during the course of her job before she was allowed to go home two and a half weeks later, had her allegations ignored by her supervisor who may have actually been one of the rapists, and then faced multiple aggressive attempts at cover up once she reported the attack.
The Nation has the full story. I’m issuing a strong trigger warning for the article as the descriptions of rape are graphic and the recounting of what happened next is very emotionally painful and difficult. But if you can do so safely, I adamantly urge you to read it.
Popularity: 16% [?]
Mar
29
Updates and Things
Filed Under 2008 election, Republicans, assholes, blogging, media, objectification, politics, race and racism, random, rape and sexual assault, sex work, sexual exploitation and harassment, violence against women and girls | 5 Comments
A few stories I’ve recently blogged about have some updates:
Yesterday, I wrote about a woman who was forced to undergo a painful process of removing her nipple piercings before she could board a plan, apparently for the amusement of the male security officers. The TSA has responded to the situation:
The TSA said Friday in a statement on its Web site that the officers properly followed procedures, but that the procedures must change. In the future passengers can either allow a visual inspection of their piercings, or remove them, the agency said.
The statement stopped short of apologizing to Hamlin.
”TSA acknowledges that our procedures caused difficulty for the passenger involved and regrets the situation in which she found herself,” the agency said in a statement. ”We appreciate her raising awareness on this issue and we are changing the procedures to ensure that this does not happen again.”
Hamlin’s attorney said she accepted the TSA statement as an apology, and commended the agency for taking quick action. The policy change is ”an achievement for the protection of passengers’ civil rights while meeting the security goals of the TSA,” Gloria Allred said.
Uh huh. Well call me difficult to please (you wouldn’t be the first), but I do find it a little odd how the TSA website already said prior to this statement that “If you are selected for additional screening, you may ask to remove your body piercing in private as an alternative to a pat-down search.” A pat-down search was never offered to Hamlin, and was in fact refused to her when she made the offer herself to show her nipple piercings to the female guard in private — the same guard who had to look at her piercings anyway as Hamlin went through the excruciating process of removing them. So I think that TSA will have to try again. Changing a policy is totally different from beginning to enforce one that is already in place. It was previously indicated that Hamlin was considering suing if she did not receive an apology. I think that it will be a shame if a lawsuit doesn’t go through, and after all of the trouble, TSA gets off the hook with a slight wag of the finger.
I’ve also recently blogged about how Al Sharpton and the NAACP are supporting leniency for the Dunbar Village rapists. Now, Sharpton’s organization (NAN) and the NAACP are furiously denying, changing their stories and pointing fingers at each other. Sharpton has tried to rewrite history and is blaming the “misinformation” on the women of color bloggers who have raised awareness and interest about this issue, without noting that the information came from numerous objective and mainstream news sources. In other words, he’s not only ignoring the fact that women of color deserve rights equal to those of men of color, but is now also blaming his own disgusting mess on women of color rather than taking responsibility for his actions. Nice. Also, while reviewing the denials and backpedaling, check out this flier. There doesn’t seem to be any evidence of who produced it, but according the the Dunbar Village blog, it was passed around at the NAN and NAACP join press conference on March 11. And even if they didn’t produce the fliers themselves, the fact remains that putting together an event with this type of bullshit propaganda being openly distributed isn’t exactly the best way to prove that you’re not supporting the rapists (and neither is standing on a stage with the rapists’ families).
Keep those letters coming, folks.
Popularity: 15% [?]
Mar
11
An Open Letter to Governor Eliot Spitzer
Filed Under Democrats, abortion, assholes, misogyny, politics, reproductive justice, sex work, sexual exploitation and harassment, women’s health | 14 Comments
Well you’ve certainly fucked things up, now haven’t you?
I was at the FPA conference in the Empire State Plaza, yesterday. That’d be Family Planned Advocates of NY State. You may remember that you were scheduled to speak there that morning, though with so much else going on, I wouldn’t be surprised if it slipped your mind.
You spoke there last year, and I was honestly very impressed. You were by far the most famous public official whose presence I’ve ever been in, but much more than that, you were unwaveringly pro-choice and pro-woman. Of course, you were at a conference for family planning supporters. But the media was there, and I’ve heard that other prominent speakers have not taken the opportunity to make a statement nearly as dramatic and affirmative. Frankly, I was very happily surprised with your display of enthusiasm and dedication. I’m almost embarrassed to remember how lucky I felt to have you as a governor. I thought “for a politician, this guy is pretty great.”
When you didn’t show up this morning, we were told that you had a “last minute emergency” that needed attending to. And I suppose that you did! Of course, you didn’t tell organizers the reason, and the news hadn’t broken yet, so we spent the whole morning talking about what an amazing governor you are. All of the legislators and other speakers invoked your name a lot of times, and I’d say that despite your absence, you probably got the most applause of the entire morning! That made us look and feel pretty foolish.
But don’t worry. That’s not why I’m mad at you. I have far more important and rational reasons than that.
Popularity: 24% [?]
Mar
4
International Sex Workers Rights Day
Filed Under blogswarm, class and economics, courts gone crazy, discrimination, feminism, human rights, misogyny, objectification, pornography, rape and sexual assault, sex and sexuality, sex work, sexual exploitation and harassment, slut-shaming, violence against women and girls | 26 Comments
As I briefly mentioned earlier, yesterday was International Sex Workers Rights Day. I missed it; I didn’t know that it was going on until I’d already posted for the day, and I just didn’t have the time for a second post. So I planned to write about it today instead. I felt slightly guilty about that, but now that I’m well aware that the issue didn’t get nearly as much coverage as it should have, I feel really guilty. I tell you this not only by way of explanation, but also to say that if you blog, I know it’s easy to miss things and to not blog about something when you should. And it’s not too late to make it right.
That being said, to those who purposely avoided blogging on the topic, I understand why. Talking about sex work causes fighting, and not the feminist vs. troll kind, but the feminist vs. feminist kind. Positioning yourself in that argument isn’t a fun thing to do, particularly if you think that each side has at least a couple of good points, and it’s easy to avoid the question all together (this is of course, what we call “privilege”). But that doesn’t make avoiding it right. I’m fine with everyone voicing their opinions, but I do want to let everyone know up front that I will not allow things to get ugly, personal or insulting. And while I’m not going to insist that everyone post from a pro-decriminalization standpoint, I do insist that comments come from a perspective that promotes rights for sex workers — however you believe that those rights are best obtained. I’ve never had to ban a feminist before, or even ask one to stop posting; please don’t make me start today.
So. Why sex workers’ rights? Well, it’s pretty simple. Even those sex workers who enjoy their jobs get a hell of a raw deal. All around the world, sex workers are: investigated and arrested for making a living, deported even when there is evidence of non-consent, left without any form of job security, gang-raped and abused by their bosses but left without recourse for fear that they themselves will be arrested, and arrested for mere suspicion of prostitution, including carrying condoms (which only discourages safer sex).
Popularity: 27% [?]
Mar
4
Some Feminist Links
Filed Under blogging, feminism, rape and sexual assault, sex work, violence against women and girls | 2 Comments
I’m having quite a shitastic morning, and so I unfortunately will not be able to get up a real post until this evening.
But in the meantime, in case you haven’t seen them already, the 54th Carnival of Feminists is now up, and so is the 42nd Carnival Against Sexual Violence.
In the less highly publicized realm, yesterday was International Sex Workers Rights Day. I missed it, but it’s what I plan on blogging about tonight. Ren has some links to other blogs that took part as well as information about sex worker outreach groups.
Also, I thought that this post was cool: you know when you’re feeling really masochistic and for some reason get yourself involved in a debate with an asshole rape apologist, and you wish you had all of the various statistics at hand to shove down their stupid, misogynistic throat? This post compiles a lot of studies that it’s good to have around. (The second link in the post is broken; hopefully the blogger will fix it, but until then it is here (pdf).) Bookmark it!
Got something else you think should be shared? Whether it’s an article, someone else’s blog post or your own, leave it in the comments — but pretty please, use HTML for me.
Popularity: 15% [?]
Feb
19
Reasons to Take the Bus
Filed Under Africa, Australia, Europe, International, misogyny, patriarchy, rape and sexual assault, sex work, violence against women and girls | 3 Comments
A man in London has just been arrested on charges of drugging and raping women he picked up in his taxi cab. Though there are countless published stories about the case, the information is exceedingly limited in all of them. Here is the gist:
Up to 35 women may have been drugged and raped by a London taxi driver, police said on Monday.
Thirty women have come forward after a man was arrested last Friday in southeast London on suspicion of rape.
Police were initially investigating five attacks in which victims were picked up in a black cab near Oxford Street, King’s Road or London Bridge.
The suspect is accused of attacking his passengers after offering them spiked glasses of champagne which he said were to help him celebrate a lottery win.
The most recent reported attack took place on February 5 after a 33-year-old woman was picked up near London Bridge Station.
“Every case is being linked,” a Scotland Yard spokesman said.
Knowing full well that the Mirror is about as far from a reputable news source as you can get (don’t worry, the facts are the same in every story), I chose to use their article particularly because of the confounding nature of the first sentence. “Up to 35 women.” Well, 35 women in total have come forward. And instead of reaching what I would deem to be the logical conclusion — that if 35 have already come forward, just think of how many others there are — the Mirror has apparently determined that when 35 women come forward with rape allegations, that’s the definitive total, and at least a few have to be liars.
It’s funny, because it seems to be a theme recently. No, not just calling rape victims liars, since that’s pretty much a theme of living in the world as a woman. I’m talking about women being raped in cabs — and then having it implied that they are liars or to blame for the assaults.
Popularity: 23% [?]
Feb
18
And here I was thinking that we should demand structural change
Filed Under books, misogyny, patriarchy, sexism, stereotypes, work | 13 Comments
The Times has an article on two new books about how women can get ahead in the workplace. I’m sure that we’ll hear a lot about both of them in the next few weeks/months as the media trips all over itself at the opportunity to spew misogyny while not actually being held responsible for it. How bad is it? Even the Times thinks its sexist.
“Seducing the Boys Club” is equal parts autobiography and how-to manual. Ms. DiSesa bases her recommendations on her 35-year career in advertising.
[. . .]
She lists seven deadly sins — humility, timidity, cowardice, submissiveness, blind obedience, visible fear and hypersensitivity — as common female traits to be avoided at all costs. On the other hand, she also warns women to avoid male tendencies like getting “drunk with power.”
The two principal tactics advocated by Ms. DiSesa are seduction and manipulation. After bundling them together in a glib Madison Avenue abbreviation, she declares that, “All the men in our lives — the ones we work with or live with, admire or desire, and love or hate — are easier to control if we master the Art of S.& M.” Why would men fall for such tactics? “First of all, they love seduction,” she writes. “And second, they are oblivious to manipulation.”
Ms. DiSesa points out that sex and seduction are not one and the same. The first implies sleeping one’s way into the executive suite, an approach she deplores. The second, as she illustrates in rambling anecdotes, is more about using sophisticated charm and sugar-coated words to win the support of male business associates.
“One of the greatest tools, or weapons, we have as women is flirting,” she says, later adding, “Men like women who like them.”
[. . .]
There are no maybes in “What Men Don’t Tell Women About Business.” Mr. Flett describes himself as a “reformed alpha male” who is now dedicated to helping women outwit alpha males.Mr. Flett says the foundation of the 21st-century business model is “authenticity.” But instead of recognizing the new paradigm, he says, many women keep hiding behind personality masks to play roles like Mother and Geisha or try to pass themselves off as “one of the boys” by feigning interest in macho sports like ice hockey. At the same time, he accuses other women of committing a laundry list of typical female mistakes he details in chapters with subheadings such as “Taking Things Personally,” “Making Excuses” and, in a description of perhaps the most egregious mistake, “Not Keeping Secrets.”
But Mr. Flett also seems to contradict himself. “Women don’t have to become men in order to be successful,” he says. “In fact, they should appreciate that they hold a lot of the skills men attempt to learn.” That said, he proceeds to advise women to act more ruthlessly. Among the dictums he says he has learned from his own male colleagues are “Success is yours for the taking,” “Leadership is given to those who take complete responsibility” and “The world drives over weakness.”
But Mr. Flett also seems to contradict himself. “Women don’t have to become men in order to be successful,” he says. “In fact, they should appreciate that they hold a lot of the skills men attempt to learn.” That said, he proceeds to advise women to act more ruthlessly. Among the dictums he says he has learned from his own male colleagues are “Success is yours for the taking,” “Leadership is given to those who take complete responsibility” and “The world drives over weakness.”
Did you catch all of that, ladies? Don’t sleep your way to the top, but act in a way that will make everyone think that you did. Flirting is great because men are stupid, and even great business men who manipulate people day in and day out don’t know how to spot the kind of manipulation that involves pushing our your boobs. It’s our only hope: flirting is the best “weapon” we have. Since we don’t have brains or anything.
Also, must we tell you again? Stop gossiping and crying to keep yourself out of trouble. And please, mothers/geishas, quit dusting your boss’ office and decorating with doilies. Unless that’s part of your flirting, I presume.
You know, I’m well aware that the business world is still run by men and women are constantly being forced to adapt to the patriarchal rules and make sacrifices to survive. But you know what doesn’t help? Reinforcing the ridiculous MRA claim that women are the ones with the true power because of our innate role as the gatekeepers of sex. Telling women that in order to become equal to men and get them to stop thinking that we don’t belong in the workplace because we’re all manipulative whores, they must start using flirtation as a manipulative device? Hmm. Sounds like someone’s goal isn’t equality. Like maybe the guy who says that women are a great contribution to the workplace so long as they stop acting like sensitive whiny bitches, which they do all the time.
*Checks calender* Yup, it’s 2008, folks. We’re still only making seventy-something cents on the male dollar, sexual harassment and other gender discrimination run rampant, maternity leave is a distant dream, and this is what we have trying to pass as a solution.
[NOTE: An earlier version of this post accidentally contained a link to "adult" material. This was obviously not intentional. I was doing a Google Image Search for an image to go along with this post (didn't find a good one) and while searching for "flirt" and "boss," porn unsurprisingly turned up. There is a bug with FireFox (as some users may know) that causes the URL to stick in the address bar at the top of the screen when a large number of tabs are open. I didn't click on the link before deleting it, but can only assume that this is what happened without my noticing after I closed the tab. I sincerely apologize to anyone who clicked on the link, and hope that you know it was a really bizarre accident.]
Popularity: 17% [?]
Feb
15
Ithaca College: Marijuana gets you fired. Rape, not so much.
Filed Under education and schools, misogyny, patriarchy, rape and sexual assault, sexism, violence against women and girls, work | 14 Comments
To all of the assholes last week whose comments both deleted and published demanded proof — proof, I say! — that we live in a rape culture and that men who are undoubtedly guilty of sexual assault very regularly get away with their crimes: here you go, assholes.
The guy who admitted to attempted sexual assault but was acquitted and got to keep his job as County Commissioner has nothing on the guy who raped a woman in her dorm room, was found guilty by the school of committing the rape, is on record as saying “I know what I did was wrong” and still got to keep his job as an Resident Assistant. Emphasis mine (and a trigger warning):
Popularity: 19% [?]