Crossposted at Ms. Blog. Bloomberg News took the campus sexual assault backlash to a new low last week with a piece describing how “hook-up culture” is on the decline at elite colleges now that there’s a heightened awareness of sexual assault on campuses. The focus of the article is the “burden” male students carry as a result of new… Continue reading Campus Rape: Reporters and Rape Myths
Category: Sexism
Campus Rape: A Brief History of Sexual Violence Activism in the U.S.
The new campus anti-rape movement is the latest effort in a longstanding struggle against sexual violence in the U.S. that African-American women initiated more than a century ago.
Dear Kelsey Weaver and Gianna Anile,
It takes courage to stand with a friend when some of the slut-shaming and victim-blaming filth thrown at her will land on you. It takes bravery to public admit that even imperfect girls can be raped. It takes a certain brand of loyalty to stand with your best friend when you know she’s been wronged, even if it means you’ll lose male attention and other friends, and face ridicule at school.
My TED Talk on the Lie that Sexy = Empowering
Rape and Other “Gifts from God”
During a debate this past Tuesday, Indiana Republican senate nominee, Richard Mourdock, made the case against the rape exception for abortions: “I’ve struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize that life is that gift from God, and even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that… Continue reading Rape and Other “Gifts from God”
The Science of Lady Parts and the GOP
Last Thursday, Republican Representative and Tea Party favorite, Joe Walsh (R-Ill), told reporters that when it comes to abortion, “there’s no such exception as life of the mother” because of “advances in science and technology.” This astounding claim was news to the medical community. Walsh joins the ranks of some other prominent Republican men who don’t understand… Continue reading The Science of Lady Parts and the GOP
Explaining Sexism 101 to Ali Velshi
I don’t want to be writing this post. I was hoping this Labor Day would truly be free of labor, but I woke up to another dismissive Tweet from CNN Senior Business Correspondent Ali Velshi that compels comment. I’ve always enjoyed and respected Mr. Velshi’s analysis, but was unpleasantly surprised yesterday by his response to Mitt Romney’s claim… Continue reading Explaining Sexism 101 to Ali Velshi
On “Having It All”
Marissa Mayer’s ascendency to the helm of Yahoo! while seven months pregnant has caused a media stir. Mayer’s comment, “my maternity leave will be a few weeks long and I’ll work throughout it,” has drawn criticism that she’s setting an unreasonable “Superwoman” standard for working women, and that she’s capitulating to anti-family corporate norms. I am elated that Marissa… Continue reading On “Having It All”
Sexual Objectification, Part 4: Daily Rituals to Start
This is the fourth part in a series about how girls and women can navigate a culture that treats them like sex objects. (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) Daily Rituals to Start This post details some daily rituals that girls and women can engage in to interrupt damaging beauty culture scripts. 1) Start enjoying your body as a physical… Continue reading Sexual Objectification, Part 4: Daily Rituals to Start
Sexual Objectification, Part 3: Daily Rituals to Stop
This is the third part in a series about how girls and women can navigate a culture that treats them like sex objects. (Part 1, Part 2). This post outlines four damaging daily rituals of objectification culture we can immediately stop engaging in to improve our health. 1) Stop seeking male attention. Most women were taught that… Continue reading Sexual Objectification, Part 3: Daily Rituals to Stop