In her new book Pornland (Beacon Press) author Gail Dines argues that our sexuality is hijacked by the multi-billion-dollar-a-year porn industry. (See my three-part interview with Gail here, here, and here.) Dines also argues that pornography is racist. But not everyone agrees. In the Pornland chapter titled “Racy Sex, Sexy Racism!” Dines writes that women […]
Month: August 2010
A Feminist’s First Pap Smear
I’m officially a woman now. I’ve had my first annual visit to the gynecologist. I’ve been putting it off, even though doctors recommend a woman start getting exams when she turns 18 or becomes sexually active. (And both those ships have sailed for me.) As a feminist journalist, I spend much of my time eagerly discussing women’s […]
Global News Roundup: Iran, Afghanistan, Jamaica, Pakistan
This week, the Iranian woman facing stoning allegedly “confesses” on state-run TV; the Taliban executes a pregnant Afghan widow; a gay Jamaican man is granted asylum in Canada; and a maternal health hotline in Pakistan offers some questionable recommendations. IRAN: Amidst international media coverage condemning the stoning sentence of Iranian woman Sakineh Mohammadi Ashtiani, Iran […]
Across Oceans, Violence is Violence
Honor killing. Domestic violence. Murder. Spousal abuse. “She made me do it.” There may be different names for the murder of women by men in their families, but as first-time filmmaker Mary Ann Smothers Bruni tells Ms., “We’ve got to stop the killing of women in every place.” In her debut film, Quest for Honor, […]
Teen Botox Epidemic? What That Really Means
After reading reports that Charice Pempengco, an 18-year-old singer who recently landed a part on Glee, got Botox treatments for her TV debut, I proceeded to bang my head against a wall–ironically achieving the same goal of altering the shape of my face through frustrated self-inflicted violence that Charice accomplished with poisonous injections. No, in reality […]
Now’s the Time to Prosecute the Taliban for War Crimes
It is this view that perceives only nation states to be human rights abusers that must change drastically for groups like the Taliban to be held accountable for their brutality. The lack of an existing system of justice in Afghanistan means that unless international mechanisms of justice get actively involved in the situation, Afghan civilians will remain helpless before the bloodthirsty campaign of the Taliban. Women like Sanam Gul will continue to die at their hands in acts of political theatre that manipulate faith to keep a population in constant fear. Because of this Amnesty International is calling for the investigation of Taliban crimes so that they may be prosecuted for war crimes.
For Latinas, A Fine Line Between Reproductive Justice and Eugenics
The advent of the birth control pill and legalized abortion were watershed moments for the U.S. feminist movement. At the same time, these advances continue to be bound to the race, class and economic status of those who have access to reproductive technologies. U.S. Latinas and Chicanas, along with Native American and African American women, have […]
Happy 150th Birthday, Annie Oakley!
“She’s obsessed.” That’s what my friends roll their eyes and say after asking me what I’ve been up to lately. The object of my obsession: the great American sharpshooting icon Annie Oakley. I’ve now spent more than two years in research and creative devotion after, by chance, catching a PBS documentary of Oakley’s life. I became engrossed as […]
SNEAK PEEK: The Women Who Won’t Abandon the Gulf
The government says that the millions of barrels of oil spilled into the Gulf are “dissipating.” But environmentalists warn about long-term effects. Does the “Mission Accomplished” rhetoric mean BP and the feds are bailing? Not if Gulf women have anything to say about it. In the current issue of Ms., Antonia Juhasz reports on the […]
The Leap from Younger Puberty to Fat-Shaming
When the story that girls are reaching puberty earlier than ever began popping up everywhere this week, I did not doubt its veracity. It was no coincidence that I received an email from a friend yesterday, observing with mixed feelings that she had just purchased a first bra for her oldest daughter. Her daughter is […]