(via War On Women: Extended Cut - YouTube)
I couldn’t possibly express how happy this makes me.
March 22, 2012
March 15, 2012
March 13, 2012
“
Trudeau explained to the Washington Post why he chose to go ahead with the comic:
“Texas’s HB-15 isn’t hard to explain: The bill says that in order for a woman to obtain a perfectly legal medical procedure, she is first compelled by law to endure a vaginal probe with a hard, plastic 10-inch wand. The World Health Organization defines rape as “physically forced or otherwise coerced penetration — even if slight — of the vulva or anus, using a penis, other body parts or an object.” You tell me the difference.”
Some papers, such as the Oregonian, have decided to forgo the explicit material, though major newspapers like the Chicago Tribune are running the segment. Those who are not running the particular strip will be running old Doonesbury comics in its place. The Dallas Morning News was reported to have seriously considered pulling the comic, but went ahead and published the heated storyline.
”—
Doonesbury Calls Texas Abortion Law “Rape” in New Comic Strip | NewsFeed | TIME.com
My hero.
March 05, 2012
“
Under a new law that took effect three weeks ago with the strong backing of Gov. Rick Perry, she first must typically endure an ultrasound probe inserted into her vagina. Then she listens to the audio thumping of the fetal heartbeat and watches the fetus on an ultrasound screen…
“It’s state-sanctioned abuse,” said Dr. Curtis Boyd, a Texas physician who provides abortions. “It borders on a definition of rape. Many states describe rape as putting any object into an orifice against a person’s will. Well, that’s what this is. A woman is coerced to do this, just as I’m coerced.”
”—
When States Abuse Women - NYTimes.com
This is making my BLOOD BOIL.
January 27, 2012
“It seems as if the considerable push back again victim-blaming has pushed all the way past prudence and levelheadedness, making anyone who suggests that “women can actually be taught how to behave too” insensitive or a “rape enabler.” And, while the sentiment in Maxwell’s article suggests that victim-blaming is dangerous, I think it’s even more dangerous to neglect to remind young women that, while it’s never their fault if they happen to get sexually assaulted, they shouldn’t thumb their noses to common sense either.”
—
(I only link to people I like, so check out this takedown if you want the original source.)
Oh my god this is so stupid.
Let me try to explain this as simply as I can:
Risk-avoidant behavior (to pick a less charged example: lock your door when you leave your house) reduces the probability that one person will become a victim of a crime.
Teaching aversion to doing harm (to hell with less charged examples, how about “HEY SON DON’T BE A RAPIST”) prevents the crime from happening in the first place.
The most obvious reason “stop dressing slutty” makes you a rape enabler is that IT DOES NOT REDUCE THE NUMBER OF RAPES AT ALL. At best — and I am talking in your wildest fucking dreams about the effectiveness of demure clothing at rape deterrence — it reduces the chance that certain women will be selected as victims, in favor of other, more sluttily dressed (and therefore expendable???) women.
What you are saying is that “don’t be the one he picks as his victim!” is just as important a message as “hey asshole, stop making people victims at all!” It’s not. Even if this dress code bullshit were incredibly effective (which, news flash: it’s not), all it can ever hope to accomplish is to transfer the burden of victimhood to someone you, personally, care less about.
YOU ARE RESPONDING TO RAPE WITH “NOT IN MY BACK YARD!” AND THEN WONDERING WHY PEOPLE WITH THEIR OWN BACK YARDS THINK YOU ARE AN ASSHOLE.
(via doctordisaster)
Hear, hear.
December 12, 2011
December 08, 2011
ARE YOU KIDDING ME. FUCK THIS AD CAMPAIGN.
The Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board recently released a new ad campaign, Control Tonight, that attempts to curb teen drinking. Their case? Don’t drink too much, or else you’ll get raped, but hey–that’s your fault, because we warned you!
One ad features a young girl’s legs, underwear around the ankles, as she lays on what appears to be a bathroom floor. The text reads, “She didn’t want to do it, but she couldn’t say no.”
The campaign even blames the victim’s friends–the Control Tonight website reads:
“Calling the shots starts with you. What if you didn’t watch out for your friends during a night of drinking?”
The campaign blatantly shifts the blame onto victims and friends, and away from the very person who deserves it: the rapist.
While the board may have had good intentions, these ads show that rape culture is alive and well in our society. Alcohol is definitely a huge factor when it comes to sexual assault, but in no circumstances is it ever the victim’s fault. Again we see our culture continuing to teach “Don’t get raped!” instead of “Don’t rape.” And instead of teaching people how to make sure they’re properly getting consent from someone they’re hooking up with, our society perpetuates a mindset that makes women feel guilty for a crime committed against them.
Call or email the PA Liquor Control Board and ask them to pull the campaign: 1-800-453-PLCB (1-800-453-7522), or contact@controltonight.com.
Everything is wrong with this. I just… there are no words.
Yep, I signed a petition about this. The picture’s awful too.
November 08, 2011
CREDO Action against human rights abuses in Ecuador
“It’s shocking that this is happening in 2011: At 207 “clinics” across Ecuador, lesbians are held captive, raped, tortured, starved and beaten in an attempt to make them straight.
But far from being clandestine, this systematic brutalization of women happens in plain sight, with the tacit approval of the government of Ecuador.
We know that the Ecuadoran government is sensitive to international public pressure — they already shut down a small handful of clinics in response to public outrage when the international press first learned of the existence of these clinics.
But we have to keep the pressure on the Ecuadoran government until they close every single clinic that continues to facilitate the torture and rape of women.
I told the Ecuadoran Minister of Public Health Dr. David Chiriboga to investigate and shut down all remaining 207 ex-lesbian “clinics.” I hope you will too. You can sign the petition at the link below.”
http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/ecuador_torture/?r_by=30107-3286859-dYWDRFx&rc=confemail
July 06, 2011
A Modern Sexual-Assault Tale
- Man: Hello, I'd like to report a mugging.
- Officer: A mugging, eh? Where did it take place?
- Man: I was walking by 21st and Dundritch Street and a man pulled out a gun and said, "Give me all your money."
- Officer: And did you?
- Man: Yes, I co-operated.
- Officer: So you willingly gave the man your money without fighting back, calling for help or trying to escape?
- Man: Well, yes, but I was terrified. I thought he was going to kill me!
- Officer: Mmm. But you did co-operate with him. And I've been informed that you're quite a philanthropist, too.
- Man: I give to charity, yes.
- Officer: So you like to give money away. You make a habit of giving money away.
- Man: What does that have to do with this situation?
- Officer: You knowingly walked down Dundritch Street in your suit when everyone knows you like to give away money, and then you didn't fight back. It sounds like you gave money to someone, but now you're having after-donation regret. Tell me, do you really want to ruin his life because of your mistake?
- Man: This is ridiculous!
- Officer: This is a rape analogy. This is what women face every single day when they try to bring their rapists to justice.
- Man: Fuck the patriarchy.
- Officer: Word.
April 05, 2011
“To protest a police officer’s advice that women should “avoid dressing like sluts” to avoid getting raped, hundreds of Toronto women got together and dressed like sluts.”
—
The Great Toronto Slutwalk on The Hairpin - Ladies First
“”Whatever we wear, wherever we go, yes means yes and no means no,” the crowd chanted, as they marched on police headquarters, calling on police to stop blaming rape survivors for what happened to them.” (Winnipeg Free Press)
Awesome!!
