That Feminist Feeling

Taxing (or Fee-ing) Non-profits

2011-05-12T09:32:00.000-04:00

I read this article this morning about Boston (and other cities) turning to nonprofits to increase revenue for the city. I have mixed feelings...Squeezed Cities Ask Nonprofits for More Money Michael Cooper, New York Times, 5/11/11As recession-racked cities struggle to balance their budgets with everything short of feeling behind sofa cushions for loose change, a growing number are seeking more

Sterilizing Pets

2011-03-24T17:19:00.000-04:00

Alright, so I’m all about family planning, right? I believe in easy access to various types of birth control methods for EVERY PERSON so that every person can find the method that is right for them. When people can control their family size, they have more opportunity for education, wealth and happiness. I think it is no surprise that I am opposed to forced or coerced sterilization or

Why I Love Being a Roller Girl

2011-03-22T17:36:00.001-04:00

Before last June, the most interesting story I could tell at a party was that my sister is a clown (truth!). Guaranteed, this conversation would go on for at least the next 15 minutes. I loved pulling it out because it instantly made me the most captivating person at the party even though I share none of her talent. But now I have an interesting line to drop that is actually about me- I play

National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers

2011-03-10T11:15:00.001-05:00

Today, March 10th 2011, marks the anniversary of Dr. David Gunn, the first abortion provider to be murdered for the work he did. Many other have faced the same brutal fate since. Others have been injured in attempted murders and bombings. When abortion providers and clinic workers are lucky enough to not be harmed, many still face threats and protests at work and even at their homes. I wanted to

Happy International Women's Day

2011-03-08T18:32:00.000-05:00

Happy International Women’s Day! Yes, March 8th is International Women’s Day. The UN says they adopted the day for two reasons: “to recognize the fact that securing peace and social progress and the full enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms require the active participation, equality and development of women; and to acknowledge the contribution of women to the strengthening of

I'm back!

2011-03-08T16:57:00.000-05:00

Yes, this is my official notice of intent to begin blogging again. It's good for me to keep in practice of thinking things critically. It's also good for anyone who may read this to get updates on feminist issues and feminist perspectives on current events. So it's good for everyone. Good. Now that I have resigned my position with Baltimore Choice Avengers and taken more of a backseat in

Resolving to Protect Choice in 2011

2011-01-24T11:10:00.000-05:00

Last week, I hosted a potluck for the Baltimore Choice Avengers and it was a blast. The food was absolutely delicious and I met and re-met some really awesome pro-choice people. I also learned about a great event that was this Sunday to thank and honor Dr. Carhart for his work (now in Maryland- I'm so proud!). Overall, it was a big success. And it also helped me make my resolutions for 2011

Bryan Fischer, Misogynist

2010-11-18T11:02:00.001-05:00

This is a short rant in response to Inside Charm City blogwriter Jeff Quinton's recent post "Brian Fischer, Ignoramus." I feel like Jeff brought up good points to refute Fischer's comment, and I thank him for the detailed facts and his point of view, but he missed the elephant in the room. Here's how my post would have read: I was a bit surprised to see this today via TPM:Bryan Fischer, the “

Vote Early, Vote Pro-Choice

2010-10-22T19:50:00.000-04:00

This post is cross-posted at the Baltimore Choice Avengers blog. Did you know that you don’t have to wait until November 2nd and stand in a long line to elect your next pro-choice leaders? Maryland has implemented early voting this year, and it has already begun!Starting today, you can visit one of the early voting centers to cast your ballot without waiting in long election-day lines. You can

Help Pro-Choice Candidates in close races

2010-10-21T10:09:00.000-04:00

Yes, it's getting down to the wire, but there are still a few campaigns that could use your help. Across Maryland, pro-choice candidates are facing defeat by anti-choice opponents, but we can help give them the boost they need. We ask so much of our legislators- we ask them to sponsor and support pro-choice legislation. We ask them to vote against legislation that limits reproductive freedom. We

Gov't Program to Reduce or Forgive Student Loan Payments

2010-10-04T17:26:00.000-04:00

I had never heard of this before, and I'm not sure if that's because it wasn't advertised much, or because I don't have federal student loans so nobody bothered to tell me. On the chance that it wasn't advertised much and there are many people that could qualify for this great program but aren't using it, I decided to post about it here. I'll be brief and let you get the info from the people who

Primary Elections today!

2010-09-14T16:33:00.000-04:00

It's not too late to vote, so do your research and head out now! Think that you can skip it since "it's just the primary"? Well that's just not true. While the statewide elections might be a close call between Democrats and Republicans, most of the Baltimore City officials elected in November will be chosen in the primary. Through my research today, I learned that there are some heated races

Slowpoke Celebrates Condoms!

2010-04-27T00:23:00.000-04:00

If I haven't said it on my blog before, I've said it enough on my Twitter account. But I'm going to say it again now... Jen Sorensen is a great political cartoonist and blogger, and I thoroughly enjoy reading every single bit in her blog and comics. At least this one is sexual health related, and I felt it appropriate (nay, necessary!) for me to post it. Ms. Sorensen, please do not sue me for

"Greenberg" - A Pro-Choice Movie?

2010-04-21T22:47:00.000-04:00

** Beware ** Semi-spoiler alert if you plan on seeing the movie "Greenberg" I don't know how I missed this little tidbit. When my roommate said he was going to see "Greenberg" tonight, I asked him WHO that was- I had never heard of the movie! But I probably should have known, since I seem to be the authority in my group on all things abortion related, and according to The Daily Beast, one of the

Dating as a Feminist

2010-03-31T14:13:00.000-04:00

This topic/theme/meme came this time from Jaclyn Friedman interview on The Sexist, but I was really digging the commentary and additions from Jill at Feministe. And I got this all from my awesome buddy Renae. The gist- dating while identifying as a feminist is hard. Heck, even having and keeping friends is hard. The problem is that there is always a need to compromise. A lot of comments from

Balt. Co. Judge Marries Woman to Her Abuser Instead of Convicting Him

2010-03-17T12:28:00.000-04:00

Some wonderful (not!) news out of Baltimore County. I'm so angry about it I can't even explain. I'm posting the news story in it's entirety, with my comments after. You can watch the news coverage of the story (with soundbites from the courtroom) at WBALtv. I-Team: Judge Married Woman, Suspected AbuserCouple Involved In Domestic Violence CaseMarch 16th, 2010 – BALTIMORE COUNTY, MDThe 11 News

XKCD on Porn for Women Books

2010-03-15T09:00:00.000-04:00

I want to post, but I figured I should warn that profanity is used in this AMAZING xkcd comic from today entitled "Porn for Women." Read it! Don't know what they're talking about? Surely you've seen these books in your local bookstore.

Today is Abortion Providers Appreciation Day!

2010-03-10T17:15:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I got an email from the DC Abortion Fund reminding me that March 10th is Abortion Provider Appreciation Day. Of course, I appreciate all the people that risk their lives to provide abortions to women who need them every day, but DCAF reminded me that (at the very least) one day a year, I should do something to show it. One thing I'm doing is letting everyone else know about this day and

Economy Threatens Reproductive Justice in Maryland

2010-03-09T11:19:00.000-05:00

I wrote this for Baltimore Choice Avengers, a community group dedicated to advancing reproductive rights and sexual health. If you live in or around Baltimore, you should really think about getting involved. It is mostly a resource to stay updated on local pro-choice issues and meet some cool people. This is an example of how we keep you up to date with the local news and throw in pro-choice

Bump+ Show Reveals Anti-Choice Themes

2010-02-17T12:34:00.000-05:00

Oh my freaking frizzle fudge!!! (and more angry gibberish!) I’m so mad about the last two episodes of Bump! Let me count the ways... For the past few episodes they’ve made it obvious that Hailey is not intending to keep her pregnancy because she is callous, superficial, and letting her boyfriend make the choice for her (because of course, that is the situation in which a woman that would choose

Punk Goes Feminist

2010-02-15T09:50:00.001-05:00

Last night I went to a punk show. Yes, I went with my boy for Valentine’s Day. It was great, because it had been a while since I went to a show and rocked out in the pit. I’ve certainly got some bruises to show for it. Strike Anywhere was playing, and they’re an activist punk band. Unlike many punk and hardcore singers, Thomas sings lyrics so you can understand them; that’s because their lyrics

Roundup: Awesome People! (oh and Superbowl Ads)

2010-02-13T16:06:00.000-05:00

We all know the deal with the Superbowl commercials. Every year people wait to see super expensive commercial spots and think they will actually be better than normal commercials. After every Superbowl, feminists everywhere point out how sexist/racist/inappropriate they are (because there are always plenty of them). And this year there was the especially "controversial" Focus on the Family ad-

Winter Olympics… and Safe Sex?

2010-02-12T14:32:00.000-05:00

(via CNN Money) Got Olympic fever yet? I’ll admit, I do not. Winter Olympics do not really excite me. I much prefer the summer Olympics… and by that I mean gymnastics. If you’re like me, and need something to excite you before tonight’s opening ceremony, you’ve come to the right place! Introducing… CURLING CONDOMS! Say what? Curling? That dorky sport that people make fun of even more than they

FP and RH in the President's Budget

2010-02-09T22:01:00.000-05:00

The Guttmacher Institute has a comprehensive analysis of how well the President Obama's proposed budget addresses various family planning (FP) and reproductive health (RH) issues at home and abroad. It is worth going to their website to read the media release if you're interested in what the next year will look like. They summarize it this way- "Prevention Advances, but Abortion Rights Stall Out."

Nick Kristof on International Family Planning

2010-02-04T15:36:00.001-05:00

I saw this on a tweet from the Knowledge for Health Project. K4H is a project of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health provides resources in improve worldwide health. They focus on reproductive health, so I am a big fan of them. (full disclosure- I just put in an application for work on the project!) You can learn more about them at www.k4health.org and follow them on twitter: @

Another Victory for Women in Maryland

2010-02-03T17:31:00.001-05:00

If you watch the video above, you’ll see some pretty shocking statements that crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) are telling women who come to them in need. I wrote about CPCs in December when Baltimore City passed a law to regulate them, so you should already know what a problem they pose. Well yesterday, Maryland saw another victory in providing honest information to women in need. Montgomery

Bump+ Show Continues, With Promise?

2010-02-02T12:00:00.002-05:00

Maybe this is a guilty pleasure and I shouldn’t be tackling this webseries at all, but I did get hit on this issue days before the Washington Post did, so I’m feeling some sense of ownership and duty (and pride). The second episode of Bump+ has arrived. I’m going to refrain from embedding the videos, since they are going to start “airing” twice a week and I don’t think you should have to watch

Political Cartoon: Women and girls in Haiti are vulnerable

2010-02-02T10:02:00.004-05:00

A little add-on for the previous Haiti post, from Daryl Cagle's Political Cartoons Index: As anyone would expect, women and girls are also facing rape and trafficking. (via the Times Online) Also, cheers to JHPIEGO, I don't know how I forgot about them or thought they might not be on the ground in Haiti. They do great work year round.

Dr. Tiller's Murderer Convicted

2010-01-29T16:39:00.001-05:00

Just a quick update since this is the culmination of one of the biggest abortion-related stories of the year: Scott Roeder was convicted today for the murder of Dr. George Tiller. He faces life in jail. I could talk about how mad this whole issue has been making me since last May, but that will just turn into a rambling mess. Let's just say it's good that he was convicted of murder (not the

Reproductive Health Relief in Haiti

2010-01-28T14:28:00.001-05:00

There are many, many reasons I love the Guttmacher Institute, and today’s reason is their most recent media release, “Haiti Relief Efforts Cannot Afford to Overlook Reproductive Health Needs.” Countless organizations are providing aid to Haiti in the wake of a disastrous earthquake, and the aid is now gearing toward longer-term rehabilitation. As the Guttmacher Institute reports, it is important

‘Conversation’ on Abortion FAIL: Web Series “Bump”

2010-01-27T11:45:00.001-05:00

I came across this review yesterday completely by happenstance, and I’m glad I did. The review is for a new Internet series “Bump.” It is a short experimental series that is trying to explore women’s choices to terminate or keep their pregnancies. I’ve got a lot of problems with this show (big surprise). First of all, this show is a fake reality show. It’s somewhat scripted. I guess you could

Sexuality... in the words of young women

2010-01-26T20:35:00.002-05:00

As can be expected, there are a few themes that are repeated in the feminist and reproductive health news, and one I keep coming back to is young people's and women's sexuality. Last October, I wrote about a CNN article and a HIMYM episode about why women have sex. Now I'm really looking forward to seeing this film by Melissa Tapper Goldman. The documentary "Subjectified: Nine Young Women Talk

Trusting Women

2010-01-22T13:19:00.008-05:00

This post was written to commemorate the 37th anniversary of Roe v. Wade and participate in NARAL Pro-Choice America’s 5th Annual Blog for Choice Day. I also wrote this post for the NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland blog, where I have been interning for the past 4 months. I have found that this was a common experience for many women, and maybe you will relate- When John McCain named Alaska Governor

Who says feminists don’t have a sense of humor?

2010-01-15T14:17:00.002-05:00

(Answer to the title question: mostly hateful anti-feminist commenters on the Internet) Many state legislatures around the nation have passed or are considering regulations for abortion providers and women seeking abortions. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 17 states mandate that women be given counseling before obtaining an abortion, and many of the regulations even have state-mandated

Anti-Choice for Congress? No Way!

2010-01-05T16:54:00.002-05:00

The Baltimore Sun reported today that Andy Harris is throwing his hat into the ring for the 2010 U.S. Congressional race. The bid from the Republican State Senator for District 7 means the 1st Congressional District will see a rematch of the 2008 election in which Harris lost to Frank Kratovil in a closely contested race. Andy Harris, if you don’t know him, is super anti-choice. He has sponsored

Groundbreaking CPC legislation in Baltimore City

2009-12-30T00:43:00.003-05:00

So I know I've been not posting, which is not good. My internship at NARAL Pro-Choice Maryland keeps me pretty busy. Plus, I write for that blog, so I get a lot of my writing urges out there. (Hint Hint… Read it!) However, I find it amazing that I didn't take the time to highlight on my blog some great pro-choice legislation in my own hometown! I'm talking about the Baltimore City Council

Young girls need a responsible conversation about Twilight

2009-12-11T13:45:00.005-05:00

So let's talk about Twilight. Yes, I am talking about the vampire teen craze too. And since this is a feminist blog, I am of course going to talk about how it is a completely anti-feminist piece of crap (that I am still reading... and watching). I don't read and watch it because I'm addicted- I just feel like I should know what is the big deal about it. I'm glad I did, because it became really

This Breast Cancer Thing...

2009-10-06T14:31:00.002-04:00

For a while now, I've been really pissed about breast cancer awareness campaigns, and I couldn't figure out exactly why (just that feminist feeling, you know?). But I just read this article from Sistersong's Collective Voices, and the first half of it just about sums it up. It's used as a marketing scheme because white middle class women care about breast cancer and they're the ones buying things

Apparently, we liberals must be prayed for...

2009-10-01T12:44:00.002-04:00

This is too good to not post....Liberty Counsel Adopt a Liberal Homepage"Helping Restore Poor Leaders to Right Thinking"...Also it is too scary to really comment on.

Why Women Have Sex

2009-10-01T11:09:00.004-04:00

I'm not completely sure how I feel about the tone of this CNN article about "Why Some Women Have Sex." Example: This passage is a perfect opportunity to address the fact that gender stereotypes are not reality, they are just our conceptions of reality.Meston said some 20-somethings defied the gender stereotypes that women should be more chaste than men and not sleep around as much. (emphasis

Abortion IS Health Care!

2009-09-02T18:57:00.002-04:00

I had been thinking this for a while but had yet to articulate it, so thank you Amanda Marcotte of RH Reality Cast for addressing this.Listen to this week's episode of Reality Cast, from 1:30 to 5:30.[But really, you should just listen to the whole podcast. And subscribe. It's a great treat every week]We've been hearing a lot of talk about abortion coverage in health care reform. If you're on any

2009-09-02T07:13:00.002-04:00

A former victim of Phillip Garrido speaks up about how he kidnapped and raped her 33 years ago. Phillip Garrido is the man who kidnapped Jaycee Dugard and held her captive for 18 years, forcing her to birth and raise two of his children while held captive in sheds in his backyard. We are now learning that he was also involved in the murder of 10 prostitutes. In 1976, Garrido was caught holding

Sexual- er, I mean Auto- Revolution!

2009-08-31T09:34:00.000-04:00

From HuffPo:"Zipcars Are The New Hooking Up" by Sybil Adelman SageHow clever! but err... not really. I was hoping it would be a satirical post about how we're obsessed with hookup culture, but it's not. It is just persisting annoying stereotypes. Here's the gist: Until now, only men wanted non-committal relationships. But now women want them too... with their cars! Women even thought up the idea

Current Health Care System Kills

2009-08-30T07:29:00.000-04:00

Until Medical Bills Do Us Part function getSharePasskey() { return 'ex=1409371200&en=b4a377cff3739ad7&ei=5124';} function getShareURL() { return encodeURIComponent('http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/30/opinion/30kristof.html'); } function getShareHeadline() { return encodeURIComponent('Until Medical Bills Do Us Part'); } function getShareDescription() { return encodeURIComponent('How do

Godless Liberals are We

2009-08-30T07:16:00.000-04:00

Had to repost this, short and elegant:(From David Horton at the Huffington Post)For the leastJust when I think the hypocrisy of fundamentalist christians can't get worse. When I read of support for the Iraq war, hatred of immigrants, the killing of doctors, the prayers for the death of a president, the church that encourages bringing guns to services, the anti-science crusades, the subjugation of

Trust Women

2009-08-29T20:30:00.000-04:00

I generally stay away from the issues that get a lot of coverage on all the feminist stuff I read. You'll see a lot of crossover on stories among all the blogs I follow (see the sidebar for links to those blogs), and I know that I won't be able to write anything better (or original), so I stick to my personal musings or draw attention to things that I haven't seen covered much. But I have to

Monitoring the Media

2009-08-29T19:20:00.000-04:00

From CNN.com yesterday:Protests to focus on doctor who performed 60,000 abortionsI can't really tell what the tone of this article is... Since I already know the details, the subtle ways in which the reporter writes them has little effect on my feelings about the issues. But I worry that others who are not so sure about their views on abortion (specifically late-term abortions) reading this

Debunking a Myth: Post-Abortion Syndrome

2009-08-28T16:00:00.000-04:00

One of the most commonly heard cries from anti-choice groups that claim to care about women's health is of "post-abortion syndrome" or "abortion trauma syndrome." They claim that having safe, legal, accessible abortions is actually harmful to women because it cause more women to have severe psychological problems. However, these so-called syndromes are not recognized as psychological disorders by

Book Review: The Purity Myth

2009-08-25T01:39:00.000-04:00

The Purity Mythby Jessica ValentiLet me just say first of all, that I got super-excited to read this book because of all I had heard about it through the feminist blog grapevine. You can find great/interesting/provacative media coverage of it (the same stuff that made me desperate to read it) from the Today show, Planned Parenthood Action Center, RH Reality Check, and radio shows.The "purity myth

Things That Are Wrong with Ab-Only Sex Ed

2009-08-25T00:04:00.001-04:00

(I promised this months ago, and I wrote it then also. But I still felt like I should post it. This is certain sections from my research paper, so if some things seem to be introduced out of the blue, I apologize.) “Abstinence-Only” Sex Education: An Unacceptable Standard In recent years, there has been much criticism of the Bush administration's funding of sex education programs that teach “

Notes on the News

2009-08-21T10:22:00.000-04:00

On my days off work, I try to catch up with my CNN news feed, so forgive me if I am a few days behind on news stories. Today I read this blurb in my Google Reader:I almost didn't read further because I have been jaded from watching Law & Order all the time and thinking it is no big deal for a woman's nude body to be found stuffed in a suitcase. Then I thought to myself "wtf is wrong with you?"

Let's have some fun with it

2009-08-11T11:44:00.001-04:00

If you're not already watching Sarah Haskins, you are really missing out. She does a segment on current.com about how advertisement tries to market materials for women. She's hilarious. She's amazing. You should worship her. At least for 3 minutes every Friday.And today I discovered Brian Safi, who does funny media bits about gay people! (And okay, I will admit some of these things are depressing

On a personal note

2009-08-05T17:25:00.000-04:00

No commentary on the world today, just commentary on myself- I've been getting distracted from... I guess from having any sort of goals in life (?). I'm working a crappy job with some possibility to move into a higher position... in the same crappy company. My language skills are deteriorating (although enough of that happened after 4 years at Hopkins I feel) and my interest in getting out and

Jaclyn Friedman at the Boston Dyke March

2009-06-17T11:32:00.000-04:00

Conservatives: Sexist/Racist? or Just Whiney?

2009-06-15T14:14:00.000-04:00

With regard to Sotomayor's nomination for Supreme Court Justice, conservatives seem to be completely out of touch. There's not even much evidence that she would be a particularly liberal judge, and she is Catholic. Even many powerful Republicans are speculating her confirmation and saying she does not deserve the attacks against her. So it makes me wonder... are conservatives just fussy that

Classics: When Men Open Doors for Women, Sexist?

2009-06-08T12:26:00.001-04:00

I realized that I have yet to verbalize my perspective on a lot of classic paradigms of feminist theory. So I'll start a mini-series ("Classics") today with talking about men opening doors for women.[note: this was inspired by seeing this new video blog which I am excited to follow]First off, I would like to say that I have come across a lot of feminists that share my stance. The caricature of

New Yorkers, You Can Help Sex Workers!

2009-06-07T23:15:00.000-04:00

repost:Sex Workers Project 2009 Legislative Agenda for New York State Posted by: Cara in Do Something, Law, Politics, Sex Work Robin from SixToedKitties forwarded me the Sex Workers Project (SWP) 2009 legislative agenda for New York State. These issues don’t get nearly enough airtime, and I doubt

Yay Chemistry.com

2009-06-01T21:40:00.000-04:00

(Okay, sorry it's been a while but I'm still not ready to write a full post)Cheers to Chemistry.com for being a non-creepy/"conventional" dating site. And they're advertising it.But I will admit, it isn't a great commercial. And the "promises" strike me as really stereotypical gay (comparing a gay guy to his mother, and then talking about him wearing makeup sometimes?). That's kinda obnoxious,

Campaigns to "Prevent" Teen Pregnancy

2009-05-06T13:20:00.001-04:00

The Candie's Foundation is the campaign to prevent teen pregnancy that named Bristol Palin the teen ambassador. I wanted to check out how this program worked. At first sight, it seems like a good site. The black and white and pink color scheme certainly screamed "teen" to me and reminded me of other great sites like teenwire, Scarleteen, and Go Ask Alice. But then I read closer. I first looked at

Bristol Palin, Candie's Foundation, and Teen Pregnancy

2009-05-06T12:21:00.000-04:00

Bristol Palin was on the Today Show this morning with her father and her son talking about preventing teen pregnancy. She has just been named the Teen Ambassador for the Candie's Foundation, an organization working to prevent teen pregnancy.* (I feel that statement needs an asterisk and I explain in the next entry)I got the video from Emily Douglas at RHRealityCheck:Visit msnbc.com for Breaking

US may ratify UN's Rights of the Child Treaty

2009-05-05T08:39:00.000-04:00

I have been doing research for a paper on abstinence-only-until-marriage education and how it is a violation of the rights of young people, so I actually took notice when I saw this article by the AP about the U.S. possibly ratifying the UN's Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). The CRC

Equal Pay Day was this week.

2009-05-01T13:36:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Samhita on Feministing for posting

Supreme Court Breaking News!

2009-04-30T23:46:00.000-04:00

Justice David Souter to retire from Supreme CourtThis is big news. Mostly because nobody was expecting it. But now Obama will have the chance to nominate a liberal judge! Or at least nominate one that actually values people.Unfortunately, Souter was already a liberal judge, so we're not really turning the tides on the courts. But still, it is good to keep things the way they are with a democratic

Join me in pro-choice action

2009-04-30T14:41:00.000-04:00

Would you believe that a sitting U.S. representative actually said that one of President Obama's federal nominees had a "prejudice against motherhood"? Well, his name is Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey and the nominee he was talking about is Prof. Dawn Johnsen, a nationally renowned constitutional law scholar, and a mother of two.Smith's just one of a handful of loud anti-choice voices calling on

"Choose Life" plates aren't just about free speech

2009-04-28T20:06:00.001-04:00

The NYTimes published an article yesterday about "Choose Life" license plates that 19 states (so far) have issued. These specialty plates (there are many other kinds that support sports teams or charities) raise money which the government then allocates to appropriate causes.The NYTimes article is accurate in saying that the plates in Florida mandate that the funds go towards adoption services.

Brad Pitt - Doesn't believe in birth control?

2009-04-23T14:49:00.000-04:00

From LA Gossip Examiner:(I'm reprinting the article for ease and because it is short)Brad Pitt, who claims he has questioned religion in many interviews, believes that birth control is going against God's wishes, according to a former friend. "Believe me, Brad has discounted many of the religious beliefs that were taught to him. However, he still doesn't feel comfortable about birth control. The

Quick note on lovable frat boys

2009-04-15T13:32:00.000-04:00

Now I will say first off that I have nothing against fraternities. In fact, I have basically lived in one for a few months. They certainly have their benefits and are great for some people. Some are more honorable than others. I don't hate all men's organizations just because a lot of men are dbags.But at a party last week, I heard some wonderful news.The boyfriend of one of my friends told me

EC is appropriate for younger ages

2009-04-15T10:52:00.000-04:00

rt Emily Douglas from RH Reality Check:NYU Study Examines Young Women's Understanding of ECA recent study by NYU professor Dr. Miriam Cremer found that young women aged 12 to 17 can understand how to use emergency contraception as well as adults, reports the Washington Square News. Researchers surveyed girls in malls, movie theaters and parks in New York City. Participants in the study were

Historical Role of US in World Reproductive Health

2009-04-15T10:48:00.000-04:00

Amanda Marcotte from RH Reality Check did a great interview with Michelle Goldberg about the state of women's and reproductive rights around the world. She talks about the past, present, and future, and the US's role in it all.The interview is about 10 minutes long. The whole podcast is worth listening to also (~25 min)The Fate Of Gay Marriage, Notre Dame, And The World

Taxes! Argh!

2009-04-13T17:29:00.000-04:00

I'm a firm believer in taxes. I think it is important for the government to tax the citizens to pay for public programs that help those in need.Even still, I hate tax season. For many reasons:1. I always procrastinate. You can probably tell because this post is coming 2 days before the due date. (But at least they're done now)2. It's really complicated! Or maybe it's not, but I somehow always

A new era of LOLcats?

2009-04-10T16:10:00.001-04:00

I'm not ashamed to admit that I am a big fan of LOLcats. I find that their signature sayings and "lolspeak" are useful in making everyday conversation more interesting. For example, when asking for a sip of my boyfriend's chocolate milk, saying simply "I can has?" is much more interesting, playful, and endearing than asking normally.To go further than that, I will say that the first Lolcat video

Powerful: Anti-Domestic Violence Ad w/ Kiera Knightley

2009-04-03T13:59:00.000-04:00

via Feministing:This gave me full body goosebumps, although I wasn't very shocked consciously.

Women Pay the Price for Health Insurance

2009-04-02T14:40:00.001-04:00

(Reports on this came out in October/November of last year, but I just heard about it on NPR)New information came out indicating that women pay significantly more for individual health insurance policies than their male counterparts. This isn't just to cover child-bearing costs. Even plans that exclude maternity care cost more for women then for men.It is justified (supposedly) by the fact that

Score one for the Princesses

2009-03-27T16:27:00.000-04:00

from WYPR:Britain may relax "anachronistic" royal lawsThis is awesome. PM wants to repeal the 1701 Act of Settlement that says the King/Queen must be a follower of the Church of England. More importantly, repealing this would also get rid of the tradition that favors male heirs over female heirs. It won't change much right now as there are not (m)any women in line, but it's good to see ancient

Hipsters

2009-03-27T15:50:00.000-04:00

Whats wrong with being a hipster?Nothing...Except that you make me feel icky and violent on the inside.But really, it's okay. I want you to be who you are. Because I like all the same things you like. Except then I hate them because you ruin them for me.But that's your prerogative, you are human beings with the right to dress, act and go where/as you please.Obviously I have this love/hate

Wombs as weapons?

2009-03-27T13:22:00.000-04:00

From NPR radio:In Quiverfull Movement, Birth Control is ShunnedA classic story about super-christian families believing God will give them all the children they need (and supposedly only as many as they can handle).But then this comment comes out:"The womb is a powerful weapon against the enemies"Just FYI, those enemies are us! We pagans will soon feel the wrath of the christian baby-making

Being Punk Rock

2009-03-13T17:43:00.000-04:00

This has nothing to do with feminism, but I'm getting back to my roots here.I went to a Bouncing Souls show last night, and it wasn't just any show. It was the 20th Anniversary Tour of the Bouncing Souls and they played the Ottobar, my favorite venue on the east coast. It should have been grand. But it wasn't quite perfect. Aside from faults in the performance, what made the show less incredible

More realizations of anti-woman programming

2009-03-09T13:31:00.000-04:00

Quick writing, possibly to be expanded upon later...This season, there have been two shows that bothered me (especially) on television. The first was Tool Academy on VH1. Although I was somewhat amused, I was also disgusted at the approval and recognition the toolish boyfriends got. There's a piece for Bitch magazine about it. But I particularly agree with Amanda Marcotte of RHRealityCast and her

2009-03-03T15:48:00.000-05:00

Just sharing a little reminder that a good number of the people in this world disgust me...I was directed to this news story by NARAL's Choice in the Headlines feed, and was reading through with the usual disappointment/hope. Then I read the comments at the end, and one really pissed me off. Luckily, other posters acknowledged his ignorance.Abortion bill sent to House after Senate passageA bill

Men and Women- Pay Differences

2009-03-02T13:52:00.000-05:00

This New York Times article has an interesting display of earnings statistics for men and women separated by job-type. Interesting (not surprising though) that women earn less than their male counterparts in the same jobs most of the time. Of course, the only areas in which women earn more are the fields dominated by women. "Women jobs" like special ed teachers and social workers. Grrreat.

That feminist feeling

2009-03-02T13:11:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, when I'm watching a commercial, reading a news story or in a conversation, I get an uneasy feeling. I feel offended, and I have a feeling it is because I am a woman, but I can't figure out exactly what it is that is wrong about what I am watching/reading/hearing.Two recent examples are the Teleflora Superbowl commercial and an article from CNN about women "bringing home the bacon."I

"Culture of Life" crap

2009-03-02T12:18:00.000-05:00

I'm really sick of conservatives saying they are committed to "preserving a culture of life." The terminology is obnoxious- a culture of life as opposed to a culture of... killing(?) which I suppose we currently live in. Just be real with it, you're trying to promote a culture of people who do what you want them to. A lot of people may want that, but they don't try to pass it off like it is a

It's God's Will

2009-02-28T17:21:00.000-05:00

Recently I've been hearing a lot about people that think birth control is wrong because it messes with "God's Plan." Apparently, instead of controlling our bodies, we should all give ourselves to God to be vessels for His will. [I'm going to use the male pronoun for tradition's sake] The assumption is that condoms and birth control prevent God's will (pregnancy) from happening. Obviously, if a