The establishment of the Republic of South Sudan came with high hopes that it might improve the lives of women there. But women’s rights activists in the country left behind–the mostly Muslim Sudan–are bracing for a battle against an escalation of Islamic fundamentalist law. Following South Sudan’s independence, its neighbor to the north, Sudan, is […]
Month: July 2011
Women Street Artists Break Into the Boy’s Club of Graffiti Art
Some of the best work in Art in the Streets, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Los Angeles’ graffiti extravaganza, was made by women. Swoon’s towering white and silver Ice Queen manages to be delicate and unapologetically muscular at the same time. Lady Pink’s canvases feature good looking but ungainly female figures painted in a […]
A Preventive Health Care Game-Changer for Women
In a huge victory for women’s health, an Institute of Medicine (IOM) report today advised that birth control and seven other women’s health services should be considered “preventive care” and be covered by health insurance with no co-pay. The institute’s recommendations for no-cost coverage also include yearly preventative-care visits; lactation counseling and equipment; gestational diabetes […]
Don’t Ms.: Women’s History Scavenger Hunt, A Call for Tweeting Feminists of Color, and More!
Welcome back to another round of Don’t Ms.! We’ve got a good variety of feminist events this week, so there are plenty of opportunities to get involved. Feminist events are calling for writers, activists, explorers–everyone is invited! Nationwide: “Professional Feminist” Morgane Richardson and CUNY Associate Professor Jessie Daniels are calling for submissions of essays about […]
She “Desexed” Our Language: Remembering Kate Swift, 1923-2011
Let us go then, you and I, when the evening is spread out against the sky … My great-aunt Kate Swift and I memorized T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” during one of many childhood visits to Maine. We traded lines back and forth, lying in the mossy beds of woods near […]
Orlando “Siege” Fails to Draw Protesters, Yet Stalking Continues
A planned siege of seven Orlando-area abortion clinics by Operation Rescue/Operation Save America (OR/OSA) began this Saturday, but failed to draw the “hundreds” of anti-abortion protesters that organizers had called for. Only an estimated 40 or so individuals took part in anti-abortion protests Saturday, Sunday and Monday at the clinics–and that number included children brought […]
A New Mexico Escort Speaks Out About the Albuquerque Busts
Jennifer is an escort working in New Mexico. She graciously agreed to be interviewed about the recent prostitution bust in Albuquerque [Editors’ note: which Ms. Blogger Laura Paskus covered here]. The David Flory she refers to is the man accused of running the Southwest Companions (SWC) website and other charges. How did you find out […]
Creepy Anti-Choice Horror Film Says Women Who Get Abortions Go to Hell
I am not especially drawn to horror films. And there’s one I know for sure I won’t be viewing: The Life Zone. Just watching the trailer was more than enough punishment. If you happened to catch Stephen Colbert’s commentary on this anti-choice propaganda piece, you know that the film is about three pregnant women who have […]
Why the Sexist Milk Campaign Is Bad for Men, Too
UPDATE: The milk ad website, formerly everythingidoiswrong.org, has been pulled down and traffic redirected to gotdiscussion.org. Read more here. It’s heartening to see that my recent post on the sexist California Milk Processor Board campaign, as well as the Change.org petition protesting it, has generated so much discussion about damaging gender stereotypes in advertising. What […]
USA World Cup Soccer Women: No Apologies!
As the FIFA Women’s World Cup ended on July 17 with a stirring, nail-biting victory by Japan over the USA, we can celebrate a triumph for women athletes everywhere. The matches were beautifully and excitingly fought, as we watched the deft touch of Brazil’s Marta, the unstoppable force of the USA’s Abby Wambach … sports fans of all genders have […]