I've pasted snippets from each of the recommended posts to make it even harder for you to click on one and not another. :-)
Rape, Torture, Masculinity, Patriarchy
"Let's consider patriarchy the prison system of women's lives, in which women are held as sexual property -- denied access to birth control and abortion and rewarded and punished for how well we manage "femininity," the highly sexualized code by which women are understood and accepted in society, lest one be butch, not obviously nurturing (or childless), uninterested in the trappings of female drag and costumery, unwilling to parade one's sexual availability or passivity, or pursue non-traditional public, private, or professional goals." [via Sour Duck]
In Which I Explain the World to White Men
"And here's where the most important and insidious superstition we have comes into play. We say that we're a meritocracy, that anyone, regardless of where they start out in life, can raise themselves up in the world and "be" someone. It's important that we continue to believe this because it serves an important purpose: it camouflages the real class disparity among white people."
Too Old to Teach Us Feminism?
"Somewhere along its path, our society got all fucked up. We don’t talk about elders much. We push them off into spaces that have been especially created just for them, the old folks. They are so segregated that we send our young college kids off to live with them for a few years, to study them and their lives." [via Feministe]
For Many Poor Black Girls, Teen Pregnancy Is A Rational Choice
"Poverty is a cause of high teen pregnancy rates, rather than vice-versa. And poor black teens aren't pathological; they're rational actors, who make the best choice they can given the opportunities they have. When high rates of some population - in this case, poor girls and especially poor Blacks - get pregnant, then chances are getting pregnant is a good choice for their circumstances. If we want less pregnancy among poor black teens, then we need to reorder society so that poor black teens face a better set of circumstances."
Chris Rock, Indians, and VAWA
"What the author may or may not know is that professional fucktard James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) has added a handy discriminatory amendment that undermines VAWA's ability to address issues unique to minorities. This includes victim safety issues unique to rural women, such as lawyers-on-wheels and rides to distant shelters. . . Meanwhile, men's rights douchebags, who believe that it is "anti-man" if women catch a break, call VAWA the "Jane Crow Law."
Feminism Race Class Gender Sexuality VAWA
