The new legislation, SB 59, would replace “spouse” with “sexually intimate partner,” extending a provision—which previously only counted sex-by-impersonation as rape if the victim is married—to all cohabitants, including single women and men, domestic partners and gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender pairs.
Author: Rachel Kassenbrock
Rachel Kassenbrock is a writer who works at the Feminist Majority Foundation and blogs for Ms. Follow her on Twitter at @rkassenbrock.
What’s Next for Violence Against Women Act?
Congress failed to renew the legislation, which is credited with saving hundreds of thousands of lives by providing important protections for victims of abuse and designating millions of dollars for battered women’s shelters, abuse prevention programs and law enforcement.
Unmarried Individuals Are Not Lawfully Protected From Rape
Rapists who sexually assault unmarried individuals by impersonating their significant other are protected under state law.
We Heart: Hasbro, for Responding to Gender Criticism
On Monday, Hasbro announced that it will debut a gender-neutral Easy Bake Oven, after McKenna Pope, an eighth-grader from New Jersey, started a petition on Change.org asking the company to feature boys on its packaging. The 13-year-old garnered support from more than 44,000 people, including celebrity chef Bobby Flay. Pope, who started the widely publicized […]
Women Who Want to Wear Pants to Church Outrage Mormon Traditionalists
When a group of Mormon women began promoting “Wear Pants to Church Day” this month as a way to encourage a stronger voice for women in church affairs, they received an abundance of attention, ranging from encouraging support to bitter outrage. Apparently, some people were so threatened by the idea of women wearing pants to […]
It’s Time to Talk about Gun Control (Again)
At least 27 people died at the hands of a gunman who unleashed terror at an elementary school today in Newtown, Ct. This mass shooting, the second-deadliest in United States history, is made even more tragic by the fact that 20 of the victims were elementary school-aged. “The majority of those who died today were […]
Why Labor Union Rights Are a Feminist Issue
Amid fervent protests and desperate pleading, the Michigan House of Representatives passed legislation Tuesday that will drastically weaken public unions in a state once known for the strength of its organized labor force. Hours after passing the House, two “right to work” bills, which ban a requirement that nonunion employees pay union fees, were signed […]
Michigan Senate Votes to Ban All Insurance Coverage for Abortions
Last week, the Michigan Senate passed a slew of measures intended to make it even more difficult for women in the state to access and pay for abortions. Bills 612, 613 and 614 [pdf] if enacted by the state’s House, will ban abortion coverage by any private or state-based health insurance plans unless the woman’s […]
Afghan Women’s Affairs Official Murdered
Najia Sediqi, the acting head of women’s affairs in Laghman Province in eastern Afghanistan, was on her way to work on Monday when she was shot to death by two motorcyclists. This is the second time in six months a woman holding this position has been assassinated. In July, Sediqi’s predecessor, Hanifa Safi, was killed […]
Abortion Coverage for Military Rape Victims Passes Senate
On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate voted unanimously to extend abortion insurance coverage for rape or incest victims in the military. This amendment to the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), first introduced by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) last year, would mean that service women no longer have to pay out of pocket to terminate those […]