Bikini Kill – Rebel Girl – Live 1993

Riot Grrrl Retrospective Interview With Bikini Kill

Riot Grrrl Retrospective Interview With Bratmobile

Congress Repeals HIV Travel Ban

The House of Representatives voted Friday to repeal a discriminatory law that prevents HIV-positive foreigners from entering the country. The law, originally enacted in 1987, prohibits foreign nationals with HIV to obtain visas for travel to the U.S. and prevents them from becoming legal permanent residents, according to the Human Rights Campaign.

Senators John Kerry (D-MA) and Gordon Smith (R-OR) secured the provision to repeal the travel ban in the President’s Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR). The bill also includes a $48 billion five-year plan to fight HIV/AIDS and other diseases internationally, a significant increase from the $15 billion allotted previously, reports the Associated Press.
“Our government still treats individuals with HIV/Aids as modern-day lepers, categorically banning these individuals from entering into the US,” said Senator Smith, according to BBC News. “To fully embrace our global leadership on HIV/Aids, we must remove our unwelcome mat and overturn this ridiculous ban.” The US is currently one of only 12 countries with such a ban.
The bill will go to President Bush for approval. According to the Associated Press, Bush supports the bill and is expected to sign it into law.

Media Resources: Human Rights Campaign 7/25/2008; Associated Press 7/27/2008; BBC News 7/17/2008; Library of Congress

Riot Grrrl Retrospective Interview With Erin Smith

Riot Grrrl Retrospective Interview With Corin Tucker

Feminism Friday: Catholic Organizations Ask Pope Benedict To Lift Anti-Contraception Ban

Over 50 Catholic organizations published a letter addressed to Pope Benedict XVI last week urging the Pope to lift the Church’s anti-contraception policy introduced in the Humanae Vitae, the1968 Encyclical Letter of Pope Paul VI. The letter was advertised in the Corriere della Sera, Italy’s largest circulating newspaper, according to Catholics for Choice.

The letter marked the 40 anniversary of the Humanae Vitae, which, according to the letter, “holds significant sway over many national family planning policies, obstruct[ing] the implementation of good public health policies on family planning and HIV prevention.” Teachings of the encyclical have been defended by late Pope Paul VI’s successors, John Paul and Benedict. At the end of the letter the Catholic organizations asked Pope Benedict to use the anniversary to lift the ban “to allow Catholics to plan their families safely and in good conscience.”

The anniversary also reignited the debate in the Philippines over the eight year contraception ban with the Conference Episcopal Commission on Family Life in Manila where Catholic Bishops renewed the Church’s support of the Humanae Vitae, according to GMA News.

Media Resources: Catholics for Choice 7/25/08; Feminist Daily News Wire 2/5/08; GMA News 7/10/08

South African Woman Named Human Rights Commissioner For UN

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon named South African judge Navanethem Pillay the UN high commissioner for human rights Thursday. She will serve a five-year term, replacing Louise Arbour, after her nomination is confirmed by the General Assembly Monday, reports the Washington Post.

The U.S. has accepted her nomination, despite initial objections to her vocal support for abortion access, according to BBC News. She co-founded the international women’s rights organization, Equality Now, and continues to support a woman’s access to abortion, contraceptives and reproductive freedom, according to the Associated Press.

Pillay is currently a judge at the International Criminal Court and has worked tirelessly in the past defending anti-apartheid activists in her native South Africa. She was the first woman to start a law practice in Natal Province in South Africa and also served as the first non-white woman to serve in the country’s High Court, according to BBC News.

“She has to be the voice for human rights, focus on the violations of human rights, speak clearly and focus world attention on the egregious violations of human rights that unfortunately still take place in many places around the world,” said Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. ambassador, reports the Associated Press. “We look forward to working with her.”

Media Resources: Washington Post 7/25/2008; Associated Press 7/25/2008; BBC News 7/25/2008

Northern Ireland Proposes Abortion Rights Amendment

Nearly Half Of Egyptian Women Harassed Daily

This news story was taken from here.

A study released last week found that nearly half of Egyptian women are sexually harassed on a daily basis. The report, released by The Egyptian Centre for Women’s Rights, stated that 46 percent of Egyptian women were harassed daily and 98 percent of foreign women were harassed while in the country, according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).

Nihad Abu El-Qoumsan, head of The Egyptian Centre for Women’s Rights, said most Egyptian women blame themselves for the harassment, reports the BBC. Contrary to popular belief, findings stated that unveiled women were not more likely to be harassed.

This self blame may be only one reason why only 12 percent of victims reported incidences to police last year, as reported by AFP. According to the Windsor Star, victims were also reluctant to report harassment because of a perceived lack of response from authorities. The centre that released the study is campaigning to elucidate the current sexual harassment law in hopes of making reporting the crime easier for Egyptian women.

Media Resources: Agence France-Presse 7/17/2008; BBC News 7/18/2008; Windsor Star 7/21/2008

Need for Survival Fuels Sex Work, High Birth Rate Kills Mothers In Afghanistan

This news story can be found at Feminist Daily News.

Women and young girls are being pushed to commercial sex work due to high food prices and widespread unemployment in Afghanistan. High fertility rates, poor health services, and a high maternal mortality rate compound these issues.

Sex work is considered to be a serious crime in Afghanistan, where offenders can face the death penalty or lengthy prison sentences for engaging in sex outside of marriage. Fariba Majid, Director of the Balkh Province Women’s Affairs Department, calls sex work “an abhorrent deed and an appalling crime”, according to Irin News. However, many sex workers do not have other means to survive or feed their families.

Afghan women face high fertility rates and one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. Only 14% of women receive skilled birthing attention during childbirth. Access to health services is limited by a lack of awareness, economic barriers, and men’s willingness to take women to health centers. One of six Afghan women will die from complications during pregnancy or childbirth; the average woman will have six or seven children.

Parental responsibility is often tied to sex work in Afghanistan. An Afghan prostitute, Najiba, told Irin News, “I am a widow and I have to feed my five children. I am illiterate and no one will give me a job. I hate to be a prostitute but if I stop doing this job my children will starve to death.”

Media Resources: Irin News 7/14/08, 7/16/08; Feminist Majority Foundation

Blog Survey

I want feedback about this blog, so please answer the following questions in a reply to this post.

1.) What do YOU want to see on this blog? (as in posts)
2.) Are there any changes I should make to this blog?
3.) What do YOU think about this blog?
4.) Any other suggestions for this blog?
5.) Are there certain topics that I should post about more often? If so, What topics should I post about more often?
6.) Are there any posts/topics that YOU would like to see me write about? (I’m not talking about the news posts that I make on this blog. I’m talking about personal opinions, experiences, thoughts, etc.)

I know I already post about alot of different things, but I’m wanting opinions and suggestions. As a blogger and for you, as a reader, it’s important to know your thoughts about this blog, so I can improve this blog.

An Update On My Ovarian Cyst

This is an update from one of my previous entries located here.

My cyst is on my left ovary. It is small and I had an ultrasound done last month and the cyst has not grown any. Since July 10th, and this week, even right now, The cyst has been bothering me. It was so bad last week, I had to stay in bed quite often for 2 days: Thursday and Friday..July 10th and July 11th. Last Saturday, July 12th, I went to the doctor. He prescribed me some Ibprofren (spelling?) 800mg to help the pain. I also found out I had a UTI again. (urinary tract infection) Last Sunday through right now, It is still bothering me, but the pain isn’t as bad as it was,. Also, I started my period 4 days ago and the cyst is still bothering me. Today-Saturday, It is still bothering me. I still feel bloated, full, heavy, have dull pains, and at times…sharp pains. It was worse than that last week. I’m hoping that it quits bothering me soon. I have to sit alot, but on something soft…any hard chair makes the pain worse. I can stand and work some, even though it still hurts when I do so.

Does anyone have any advice for me? Is there anything I can do to get rid of the pain? Please share your advice with me.

Feminism Friday: My Mother’s Health

My story below might not sound like something for this blog, but the health issues: diabetes and kidney failure DO affect women. (men too)

My mom had a blood test a few weeks ago and it revealed that her kidneys were weak. They took it again last week and her kidneys were a little weaker. My mom went to her doctor this past Monday morning. He told her she needs to see a doctor that specializes in kidneys. Today, My mom went to see the kidney specialist and he told her that her kidneys were functioning just 28%. Oddly, My mom goes to the doctor quite often and they are just now finding this. (after all the blood tests she has had throughout the years) He told her it was kidney failure and that it was in stage 4. (out of 5 stages) They told her that she wouldn’t have to start dialysis until her kidneys are functioning at 15%. Either way, Kidney failure is still bad news and deadly. He also told my mom that someone in the family could give her a kidney transplant or she could be put on a waiting list for one, whenever it gets worse. My mom is only 60 years old…She just turned 60 on July 15th. My mom’s sister, also my aunt, died a couple of years ago and she had kidney failure too and took dialysis. (That’s not what my aunt died of though and she was in her late 50’s.) My mom hasn’t been in good health for about 3 years now because she can barely walk. Her legs and feet bother her/hurt her and turn color. When she goes out, She has to go out in a wheelchair because she cannot walk, unless it is a short distance. My mom has been diabetic since 1993 and she has type 2 diabetes. (not sure if that is the right year, but she has had diabetes since the early 90’s I know) I have been so sad ever since hearing the news. I just break down and cry at times as well. (so does my mom) I was hoping it wasn’t kidney failure. It’s the thought of knowing she has kidney failure that makes me sad. I know my mom could live a long time or not, but it makes me sad knowing that she has kidney failure.

Update On My Health

My story below might not relate to this blog, but the health issues DO relate to women and men, so I thought I would share it.

I had blood taken on July 16th and my doctor made me an appointment to let me know about the results of the blood test for today. My thyroid seems to be better, in fact, it is currently overactive due to the medicine I take for an underactive thyroid. The doctor decreased my thyroid medicine from 50mg to 25mg. However, There are some not so good results to my blood test. It turns out that my triglycerides (I think that is the word or something like it) are high, but my cholesterol is good. He said that I might be fixing to be diabetic, but he said I wasn’t yet because my glucose was fine according to my blood work. He said to watch the fatty foods that I eat. Also, He told me that my liver enzymes are elevated. He checked my last blood test from April or May and my liver enzymes were not elevated. (neither were the triglycerides) I already have a fatty liver, so I am worried. (I found out I had a fatty liver when I had an ultrasound done on my stomach a few months ago.) He wanted me to take blood again, so he sent me to the blood lab. This blood test should reveal if I have certain liver diseases, an iron problem, and find out more specifically about my liver and how it is functioning. He scheduled me for an ultrasound on my gallbladder for tomorrow, just in case the elevated liver enzymes are caused by a gallstone. I won’t know the results to the ultrasound or the blood test until August 8th, that is when I see my doctor again. Until then, I am nervous and worried.

Two Afghan “Prostitutes” Allegedly Murdered by Taliban

The following news story was taken from here

Two Afghan “Prostitutes” Allegedly Murdered by Taliban

Two Afghan women were killed last weekend outside Ghazni City for allegedly running a prostitution ring for US military personnel and foreign contractors. The women were allegedly killed by the Taliban. A spokesperson for the Ghazni governor described the women as “innocent local people” who were killed in an “undescribable and cruel way.” Nathan Perry, a US Military spokesperson, said that he was unaware of allegations of a prostitution ring or “anything close to that nature” BBC News reports.

The Taliban purportedly released photos on the Internet of the women’s decapitated bodies. According to Times Now, the Associated Press had a camera crew and began filming the shooting as soon as they heard gunshots. There has been speculation that the execution was meant to be a warning to women of the community.

Media Resources: BBC News, 7/13/08; Adnkronos International 7/15/08; Times Now 7/14/08

Feminists Express Outrage Over New Yorker

Feminists Express Outrage over New Yorker

7/15/2008 – Feminist groups immediately expressed outrage over the New Yorker’s cover for the July 21 issue that depicts a caricature of Michelle and Senator Barack Obama. Editor David Remnick Claims the Caricature is Satirical.

The cover features Michelle and Barack Obama in what appears to be the oval office, with a portrait of Osama bin Laden over the fireplace and a U.S. flag burning in it. The Michelle caricature has an afro, is wearing camouflage, and carries a machine gun while the Barack caricature’s attire mirrors that of bin Laden. The two caricatures are doing a fist bump that Fox News has previously described as a terrorist fist jab.

Chair of the National Congress of Black Women, Dr. E. Faye Williams’ response was that “the New Yorker cover is not satire; it’s racism and sexism at its worst! Never again, will I purchase a New Yorker. Some people understand nothing less than the ‘power of the purse’.”

The National Organization for Women (NOW) is encouraging its membership to e-mail letters to the New Yorker urging that the cover be removed.

The Feminist Majority (FM) has also sent out an action alert. FM President Eleanor Smeal remarks that “Of course some will say that feminists have no sense of humor, but there is absolutely nothing satirical or funny about it. This is a vicious attack masquerading as satire.”

The blogosphere has also lit up. Michelle Obama Watch calls the cover “reprehensible” and calls for its “immediate removal”. Feministing calls the cover “a perfect visual summary of what Fox News spews and what right-wing emails allege every day”. The Diary of an Anxious Black Woman asks “are we, as a nation, truly sophisticated enough to make these kinds of jokes?.

Media Resources: National Organization for Women 7/14/08; Feminist Majority Foundation 7/14/08; Women’s Media Center 7/13/08; Feministing; Diary of an Anxious Black Woman 7/13/08; Michelle Obama Watch 7/14/08; YouTube

Cynthia McKinney Will Be Green Party Presidential Candidate

Cynthia McKinney will be Green Party Presidential Candidate

7/14/2008 – Former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney was nominated by the Green Party to be its presidential candidate at the party’s convention in Chicago on Saturday. McKinney represented Dekalb County, Georgia’s 4th district, for six terms in the U.S. House of Representatives as a Democrat.

Journalist, activist and community organizer Rosa Clemente will be McKinney’s running mate. Clemente has remarked that “Cynthia McKinney is a hero to me and many others across this country and around the world for her courage in standing up to George Bush while the Democratic Party establishment caved.” McKinney is known for initiating legislation to impeach Bush during her last days in Congress.

Media Resources: rosaclemente.com; runcynthiarun.org; greensforgreens.org; Associated Press 12/8/06

Changing Hearts And Minds On Gay Marriage

Changing Hearts and Minds on Gay Marriage

This story comes from Alternet.
Young activists are trying to reach out to conservative voters.

A famous Chinese proverb teaches that a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step.

For Meg Sneed, a 25-year-old Arizona lesbian, journeys to change a thousand hearts begin with a single thought: There’s power in sharing personal stories.

In 2006, she and other young activists in Soulforce, a gay-rights group devoted to the kind of peaceful confrontation practiced by Gandhi and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, traveled eight weeks by bus to evangelical colleges to share what it’s like to be gay.

The next year, Sneed, who was fighting cancer, was weak from chemotherapy but walked 60 miles to help raise money for breast cancer research.

Now, with her home state set to vote on banning same-sex couples from marrying, Sneed is back on the move: Starting Aug. 8, she and other young Soulforce activists will walk 96 miles to the state capitol to share touching accounts of how the amendment would hurt real people.

She picked 96 miles for the six-day trek through egg-frying heat because that’s the number of years gay Arizonans haven’t had equal rights. (Arizona became a state in 1912.)

“Walking 96 miles,” Sneed says of her bold adventure, “is nothing compared to a gay or lesbian person being told they can’t see their partner in their dying moments at a hospital because they don’t have full marriage rights.”

Obama Reaches Out To Women With Economic Plan

Obama Reaches Out to Women with Economic Plan
July 11, 2008

Sen Barack Obama focused on women yesterday and unleashed his economic plan for women. In New York, he attended a breakfast for women with Sen. Hillary Clinton before speaking at a town hall meeting in Fairfax County, VA.

Obama’s economic plan for women includes increasing the minimum wage to $9.50 per hour by 2011, giving 8.4 million women a raise of up to $4,700 a year. He also proposes to increase retirement saving options for 45 million women by providing a new automatic workplace pension and a $500 matching tax credit for their savings.

Obama’s plan supports closing the gender wage gap. He voted in favor of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2007, which is currently stalled in the Senate following a Republican filibuster in April. If passed, this bill would correct the US Supreme Court decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire Rubber Co., Inc. that guted the ability of women workers to sue for wage discrimination..

“We won’t truly have an economy that puts the needs of the middle class first until we ensure that, when it comes to pay and benefits at work, women are treated as the equal partners that they are,” said Obama, according to the Washington Post.

The presumptive Republican nominee, Sen. John McCain, did not cast a vote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, but said, according to the Associated Press, he “thinks the Supreme Court got it right,” and “this kind of legislation … opens up to lawsuits for all kinds of problems.”

Media Resources: Associated Press 7/11/2008; Washington Post 7/10/2008, Feminist Daily News Wire 4/24/2008; Report: The Impact of the Obama Economic Plan for America’s Working Women