Let’s start off on an upbeat note: Harvey Weinstein lost another rape trial and got a 16-year sentence.
A mom in a commercial discusses how to use a tampon. One Million Moms flips out!
The Supreme Court is reviewing a lawsuit over a charter school that insists female students wear skirts. I side with the students but given this SCOTUS I’m not sure they will.
“The app Lensa, which shot to the top of app charts in November, creates AI-generated self portraits. Many women said the app sexualized their images, giving them larger breasts or portraying them shirtless.” — from a look at how AI can turn ordinary women’s photographs into porn.
Multiple women have accused a Utah ob/gyn of sexually assaulting them during exams. Under state law, it’s malpractice, not assault, which raises problems for getting justice.
A lawyer argues a pregnant woman’s fetus should be released from jail along with its mommy.
Does gender inequity contribute to the collapse of democracy?
“Soon, it’s Valentine’s Day and your womb resembles a dried up tumbleweed blowing down an old Western town,” according to ass-hat misogynist Jesse Kelly. Some past deep thoughts from Kelly here and here.
Good journalists do an amazing job speaking truth to power. When the reporters are women, the response is particularly ugly.
A lawsuit to de-legalize the abortion pill has support from 23 Republican attorney generals. I know, big surprise. There’s a good chance the right-wing judge will sign off on the effort; one Democrat says Biden should tell the judge to go to hell.
A Wyoming bill would prevent anyone under 16 from marrying, even with parental approval and Republicans are outraged. What about parental rights to marry off daughters to their rapists and save the family shame (they do not put it that way)? What about religious freedom? I’m sure the same Republicans are happy to pretend they hate groomers while staying silent about church groomers such as this guy or this one.
“The attacks on transgender people and L.G.B.T.Q. rights are of a piece with the attack on abortion and reproductive rights. It is a singular assault on the bodily autonomy of all Americans, meant to uphold and reinforce traditional hierarchies of sex and gender. Politicians and those of us in the media tend to frame these conflicts as part of a “culture war,” which downplays their significance to our lives — not just as people living in the world, but as presumably equal citizens in a democracy.” — Jamelle Bouie.
For an example, consider Montana Republicans’ push for a bill that lets medical professionals refuse to provide services based on “ethical, moral, or religious beliefs or principles.” This is much broader than the First Amendment which protects religion but not ethical or moral beliefs (which is good, because going that far would render the law moot). While the religious right loves to whine about how the US is Babylon, it’s actually Rome — Christian Rome — and they’re the ones throwing the outcasts to the lions.
You can read more of my work about women and misogyny in Undead Sexist Cliches, available as a Amazon paperback, an ebook and from several other retailers. Cover by Kemp Ward.
Fraser Sherman's Blog 