Tag Archives: women news

Republican Party Platform Drafting Anti-Abortion Amendment

Jessica WakemanAugust 21, 2012 //

As the Republican Party pieces together its official platform to present at the Republican National Convention, a draft has been seen by CNN. It allegedly includes “a human life amendment” which makes references to the “unborn child” and a “right to life.” You can read in more detail about the specifics of the draft language at the links. [CNN, Salon]
Roseanne Barr remembers groundbreaking comedienne Phyllis Diller, who died on Monday at age 95. [The Daily Beast]
The seven stages of feminist grief, Rep. Todd Akin edition. [Jessica Valenti]
Questions that Republicans who are abandoning Akin should be forced to answer. (But probably won’t.) [The New Yorker]
Seven more crazy statements about rape from ding dongs who should know better. [The Daily Beast] Keep reading »

I Had An Abortion

A mother writes about choosing to have an abortion. Read More »

An Exception For Rape

The problem with the anti-abortion movement's "rape exception." Read More »

Akin Wants Forgiveness

Lemme think ... nope! Not gonna get it! Read More »

Planned Parenthood Launches Breast Health Initiative

Daley QuinnAugust 21, 2012 //

PP's Youth Organizing

Why "Twilight"'s Elizabeth Reaser is attending this PP event. Read More »

How To Support PP

You can support Planned Parenthood even if conservatives won't. Read More »

Survivor In Pool

Breast cancer survivor fights to swim topless in public pool. Read More »

Did you know that one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime?

This astonishingly high statistic is one of the many things I learned about breast health at Planned Parenthood’s Breast Health Initiative briefing yesterday. Surrounded by some incredibly influential and inspirational women, including Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards and actress/activist Gabrielle Union, I was informed about the lives that screenings have already saved and the ways in which Planned Parenthood is expanding their services. Keep reading »

Rep. Steve King Says He’s Never Heard Of A Girl Getting Pregnant From Rape Or Incest

Jessica WakemanAugust 21, 2012 //

"Forcible Rape"

Behind Republicans' attempts to redefine rape. Read More »

Akin Wants Forgiveness

Lemme think ... nope! Not gonna get it! Read More »

An Exception For Rape

The problem with the anti-abortion movement's "rape exception." Read More »

%$*& this noise

Today in our regularly scheduled segment “Old White Male Politicians Revealing Themselves To Be Ignorant About Reproductive Rights”: Rep. Steve King (R-IA), when asked about a minor being impregnated from statutory rape or incest, told a reporter:

“Well, I just haven’t heard of that being a circumstance that’s been brought to me in any personal way and I’d be open to discussion about the matter.”

One, what is there to “discuss” when an 11-year-old is impregnated by her grandpa? And two, this is where I remind you that Rep. King, along with Rep. Akin and Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan, all co-sponsored a bill to rewrite the existing federal ban on abortion funding to have an exemption only for cases of “forcible rape” or in the case of minors, “an act of incest.” Keep reading »

Republicans Asking Rep. Todd Akin To Drop Out Of Race

Jessica WakemanAugust 20, 2012 //

Republicans are calling on poorly informed Rep. Todd Akin to drop out of his Senatorial race in Missouri. Like, begging him: Seriously, please, dude. You are making us look terrible. [Huffington Post]
Other things Rep. Akin believes to be true about the uterus! [The Awl]
And here’s Em and Lo’s send-up of the top five kinds of “illegitimate rape.” [Em & Lo]
Just a friendly reminder that in 2007, Mitt Romney said he would be “delighted” to sign a bill banning all abortions nationwide. His statement on Sunday night in response to the Akin incident said he supports abortion in cases of rape and incest. Before that, he identified as pro-choice and attended a Planned Parenthood fundraiser. So, which is it? [BuzzFeed] Keep reading »

Condi Rice Invited To Join All-Male Augusta National Golf Club

Jessica WakemanAugust 20, 2012 //

Discrimination

But Tiger Woods plays at Augusta National Golf Club anyway. Read More »

Condi On Crying

Dick Cheney says Condi cried, but Condi thinks he should STFU. Read More »

Frisky Sexism

All of The Frisky's posts about sexism. Read More »

making history

Breaking news! The He-Man Woman Hater’s Club has finally realized girls do not have cooties.

Okay, I am being glib. But it’s friggin’ 2012, Augusta National Golf Club — it took you long enough to admit your first-ever female members, i.e. stop discriminating against over 50 perent of the population. Women have always been allowed to play golf at Augusta as guests but it took the formerly mens-only club over 80 years to finally issue their iconic green jackets to two women: former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and South Carolina businesswoman Darla Moore. ”It will be a proud moment when we present Condoleezza and Darla their green jackets when the club opens this fall. This is a significant and positive time in our club’s history and, on behalf of our membership, I wanted to take this opportunity to welcome them and all of our new members into the Augusta National family,” said new chairman Billy Payne in a statement. Women’s rights activists have been putting firm pressure on Augusta since 2002, especially since it got rather embarrassing that the club wouldn’t even admit a female CEO whose company was a corporate sponsor of the Masters, a golf tournament being held at the club.

Welcome to the 21st century! (Well … sort of.) [Wall Street Journal]

Everyone Thinks Rep. Todd Akin Is A Moron, Except For Those Who Don’t

Jessica WakemanAugust 20, 2012 //

Akin's Rape Science

Rep. Todd Akin says "legitimate rape victims" don't get pregnant. Read More »

It Was Rape

Help fund a documentary about sexual assault survivors. Read More »

Project Unbreakable

Victims hold signs with of words said before, during, or after the assault. Read More »

untrue

Warning: Not Actual Science

Amelia is still down on the floor of her bathroom with her hand mirror, trying to find that anti-pregnancy rape mechanism thingamajig [APRMT] inside that will keep her from getting pregnant if she’s raped. I keep telling her that no such body part actually exists in a woman’s body and Missouri Rep. Todd Akin is just a dumbass, but she is all, like, “No, Jessica! Our elected officials would not lie to us. I will find this thing!” Hmm. I don’t think she’ll get much editing done today.

The good news is that a lot of people have come out to say Rep. Akin’s comments were medically inaccurate — a 1996 study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found that approximately 32,000 pregnancies each year are the result of rape— and that casting doubt on whether rape is “legitimate” or not is horrible. The bad news is that other people have come out to defend him. Keep reading »

Longtime Tennessee Abortion Clinic Forced To Close

Jessica WakemanAugust 17, 2012 //

A longtime abortion clinic in Tennessee is shutting down as the result of a new law called the Life Defense Act, which requires doctors have admitting privileges at local hospitals. The Volunteer Women’s Medical Center in Knoxville has provided women’s health care to TN women for 38 years but had to close because the only physician who had admitting privileges recently died and the clinic could not afford to stay open while other physicians obtained them. [Washington Post]
Twelve Democratic women running for office in the U.S. have already bested their competitors in fundraising. [Politico]
Chess grandmaster Gary Kasparov was arrested for protesting outside the Pussy Riot trial in Moscow today. The three band members were sentenced to two years in prison for “hooliganism.” [The Quietus]
Criminal prosecution of a Planned Parenthood clinic in Overland Park, Kansas, was dropped today. [KansasCity.com]
Keep reading »

Help Support “It Was Rape,” Jennifer Baumgardner’s New Documentary!

Daley QuinnAugust 17, 2012 //

I Was Date Raped

Amelia was date raped in college by a guy she liked. Read More »

Project Unbreakable

Victims hold signs with of words said before, during, or after the assault. Read More »

Should I Be Scarred?

This woman wonders if she should be more scarred by her date rape. Read More »

let's help!

"It Was Rape"

Every two minutes, someone in the United States is sexually assaulted. According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, each year, 207,754 men and women are victims of sexual assault and 54 percent of the instances were not reported to the police. With occurrences of rape this high, filmmaker and author Jennifer Baumgardner needs your help to end the silence through her forthcoming documentary film, “It Was Rape.” Keep reading »

Pussy Riot Issues Statement On Eve Of Court Verdict

Jessica WakemanAugust 16, 2012 //

Pussy Riot band member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova has written a letter, passed through her lawyers, on the night before her court verdict is read. Pussy Riot has been on trial these past two weeks in Russia over an incident in February when the feminist punk band disrupted a church service and spoke out publicly against President Vladimir Putin. ”Our being in jail is a clear and distinct sign that freedom is being taken away from the whole country,” she wrote in her letter. “And this threat of destruction of the liberating, emancipatory forces of Russia is what makes me angry.” [Guardian UK]
Need more proof that Mitt Romney’s running mate Paul Ryan is a scary, scary man? Ryan sponsored a bill that would define a fertilized egg as “a life,” which is the same logic used in personhood amendments that could render IVF, some birth control, and all abortion illegal. [Jezebel]
Why presidential debate moderators should reflect the United States’ diversity. [Clutch Magazine] Keep reading »

Pimp’s List Of 10 Rules Is The Most Depressing Thing Ever

Jessica WakemanAugust 16, 2012 //

Red Umbrella Project

The Red Umbrella Project helps sex workers write their truth. Read More »

Backpage.com Sued

Teen girls sue Backpage.com over sexual exploitation. Read More »

Sex Work Past

Is it OK for an elementary school teacher to have been a stripper? Read More »

Not that I was under any illusions that pimps were good people as a general demographic, but this just makes me want to take a bath after reading it. On Monday, Long Island police raided the home of an alleged pimp named Steve McDaniel and came across a handwritten list called “Rules 2 Da Game of Hoez!!!” Keep reading »