We're ending posting early today to prepare to launch the new and improved Feministing!
Brittany Novotny, a trans woman, is running against Sally Kern, an ultra-conservative, anti-gay member of Oklahoma's State House. Of course the New York Times' coverage conflates gender and sexuality.
A bartender's guide to the gender wage gap.
Where are the pro-choice Republican women in Congress?
The intersection of increased immigration policing and domestic violence in Albequerque, NM.
We're ending posting early today to prepare to launch the new and improved Feministing!
Brittany Novotny, a trans woman, is running against Sally Kern, an ultra-conservative, anti-gay member of Oklahoma's State House. Of course the New York Times' coverage conflates gender and sexuality.
A bartender's guide to the gender wage gap.
Where are the pro-choice Republican women in Congress?
The intersection of increased immigration policing and domestic violence in Albequerque, NM.
Via Broadsheet comes incredibly disturbing news out of Uzbekistan. Human rights groups, victims, and health officials are accusing the government of sterilizing hundreds of Uzbek women without their knowledge and against their will in an attempt to lower the birthrate.
From the Associated Press:
Human rights advocates and doctors say autocratic President Islam Karimov this year ramped up a sterilization campaign he initiated in the late 1990s. In a decree issued in February, the Health Ministry ordered all medical facilities to "strengthen control over the medical examination of women of childbearing age."
The decree also said that "surgical contraception should be provided free of charge" to women who volunteer for the procedure.
It did not specifically mandate sterilizations, but critics allege that doctors have come under direct pressure from the government to perform them: "The order comes from the very top," said Khaitboy Yakubov, head of the Najot human rights group in Uzbekistan.
While Uzbekistan may be the only country where forced sterilization is government policy, in reality far too many governments have been supportive of the practice. The AP mentions that Amnesty International has accused authorities in China of pushing coerced sterilizations. And Ryan Brown at Broadsheet reminds us that this practice is very much a part of recent U.S. history:
In our justifiably horrified response to this piece of news, we should keep in mind that 60,000 Americans, primarily the mentally ill, have been legally sterilized against their will. And I'm not talking ancient history -- the procedure was performed in several states well into the 20th century, with the last recorded legal forced sterilization taking place in Oregon in 1981. That means there are still Americans living with the brutal consequences of their government's belief that the decision to reproduce did not belong to them, a burden that they now allegedly share with hundreds of women half a world away.
Via Broadsheet comes incredibly disturbing news out of Uzbekistan. Human rights groups, victims, and health officials are accusing the government of sterilizing hundreds of Uzbek women without their knowledge and against their will in an attempt to lower the birthrate.
From the Associated Press:
Human rights advocates and doctors say autocratic President Islam Karimov this year ramped up a sterilization campaign he initiated in the late 1990s. In a decree issued in February, the Health Ministry ordered all medical facilities to "strengthen control over the medical examination of women of childbearing age."
The decree also said that "surgical contraception should be provided free of charge" to women who volunteer for the procedure.
It did not specifically mandate sterilizations, but critics allege that doctors have come under direct pressure from the government to perform them: "The order comes from the very top," said Khaitboy Yakubov, head of the Najot human rights group in Uzbekistan.
While Uzbekistan may be the only country where forced sterilization is government policy, in reality far too many governments have been supportive of the practice. The AP mentions that Amnesty International has accused authorities in China of pushing coerced sterilizations. And Ryan Brown at Broadsheet reminds us that this practice is very much a part of recent U.S. history:
In our justifiably horrified response to this piece of news, we should keep in mind that 60,000 Americans, primarily the mentally ill, have been legally sterilized against their will. And I'm not talking ancient history -- the procedure was performed in several states well into the 20th century, with the last recorded legal forced sterilization taking place in Oregon in 1981. That means there are still Americans living with the brutal consequences of their government's belief that the decision to reproduce did not belong to them, a burden that they now allegedly share with hundreds of women half a world away.
Itawamba County School District officials agreed yesterday to have a judgment entered against them in Constance McMillen's case. The school district first cancelled prom rather than have Constance, a lesbian, attend and then shewas sent to a fake prom.
From the ACLU, who brought the suit against the school district:
After getting an initial ruling from the federal judge that the school district had violated Constance's free speech rights, we pressed ahead with the lawsuit. And yesterday, the school agreed to have judgment entered against it. This isn't just a settlement, it means that the district is held liable for violating Constance's rights -- in other words: they caved.
The school will adopt a comprehensive nondiscrimination and nonharassment policy that covers sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, which is the first such policy in any public school in Mississippi. And they'll pay Constance $35,000 in damages (more than the median annual household income in Fulton, Miss.) and cover her attorneys' fees. All in all, a great resolution both for Constance and for LGBT youth in Mississippi.
Constance recorded this thank you to her supporters:
Transcript after the jump.
It's completely bullshit that Constance ever went through such cruel discrimination. But what she's done with this opportunity for activism, and the incredible support she's gotten from so many people, has been really beautiful to watch. Congratulations Constance, and thank you for turning such a horrible experience into an opportunity to make real change!
Constance McMillen: I just want to thank everybody so much for all the support. I appreciate it so much because I never thought in a thousand billion years there would be that many people who are supporting something that I was doing. And I think it's great that there's that many people out there that understand the difference between wrong and right. And I just want to say that I think you should stand up for what you believe in, stand up for who you are, and that's just the message that I'm trying to send people.
Itawamba County School District officials agreed yesterday to have a judgment entered against them in Constance McMillen's case. The school district first cancelled prom rather than have Constance, a lesbian, attend and then shewas sent to a fake prom.
From the ACLU, who brought the suit against the school district:
After getting an initial ruling from the federal judge that the school district had violated Constance's free speech rights, we pressed ahead with the lawsuit. And yesterday, the school agreed to have judgment entered against it. This isn't just a settlement, it means that the district is held liable for violating Constance's rights -- in other words: they caved.
The school will adopt a comprehensive nondiscrimination and nonharassment policy that covers sexual orientation and gender identity and expression, which is the first such policy in any public school in Mississippi. And they'll pay Constance $35,000 in damages (more than the median annual household income in Fulton, Miss.) and cover her attorneys' fees. All in all, a great resolution both for Constance and for LGBT youth in Mississippi.
Constance recorded this thank you to her supporters:
Transcript after the jump.
It's completely bullshit that Constance ever went through such cruel discrimination. But what she's done with this opportunity for activism, and the incredible support she's gotten from so many people, has been really beautiful to watch. Congratulations Constance, and thank you for turning such a horrible experience into an opportunity to make real change!
Constance McMillen: I just want to thank everybody so much for all the support. I appreciate it so much because I never thought in a thousand billion years there would be that many people who are supporting something that I was doing. And I think it's great that there's that many people out there that understand the difference between wrong and right. And I just want to say that I think you should stand up for what you believe in, stand up for who you are, and that's just the message that I'm trying to send people.
Via the LA Times:
Elena Kagan, President Obama's Supreme Court nominee, won approval from the Senate Judiciary Committee on a nearly party-line vote Tuesday, her next to last hurdle before gaining a lifetime seat on the high court.
The vote was 13-6, with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) joining the majority Democrats.
If she is confirmed by the Senate as expected early in August, the nine-member court will have four Democratic appointees for the first time since 1971. And for the first time ever, three of the justices will be women, and none will be a Protestant.
Yes, three women would be the most on the 9 seat court at the same time ever. So I guess that's progress.
Via the LA Times:
Elena Kagan, President Obama's Supreme Court nominee, won approval from the Senate Judiciary Committee on a nearly party-line vote Tuesday, her next to last hurdle before gaining a lifetime seat on the high court.
The vote was 13-6, with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) joining the majority Democrats.
If she is confirmed by the Senate as expected early in August, the nine-member court will have four Democratic appointees for the first time since 1971. And for the first time ever, three of the justices will be women, and none will be a Protestant.
Yes, three women would be the most on the 9 seat court at the same time ever. So I guess that's progress.
The new season of Degrassi, premiering today in the U.S. and Canada, will feature a transgender character. Adam, played by Jordan Todosey, will be a new character at Degrassi High this season, and his trans identity and the ways he is responded to in the school community will be explored.
Degrassi is a show known for confronting controversial issues facing young people. An episode in which a teen has an abortion was aired in Canada but censored in the U.S. The show has queer characters, but Adam is the first trans character to be featured.
I'm hopeful that this storyline on Degrassi will be a good learning opportunity as well as a chance for trans teens to see themselves reflected in pop culture. Some Trans folks are coming out at younger ages, thanks in part to the hard work of advocates like Trans Youth Family Allies. Schools, parents, and young people need to be informed about how to respectfully treat trans youth, and a show like Degrassi could do a lot to educate viewers. The shows writers have apparently gone to advocacy organizations for advice on Adam's storyline, which I think is a positive sign.
I'm always nervous when trans folks are represented in mainstream media, as it's usually done poorly. But as I've argued before, we need positive representation to humanize trans folks to a wide audience. I hope the inclusion of a trans character on Degrassi leads to positive education about the issues faced by trans teens.
