The normalisation of misogyny is commonplace *

Sep 15th, 2011 | Filed by

The objectification and dehumanisation of women is such an inescapable part of popular culture that it necessarily plays a part in the daily interactions of men and women.… Read the rest



Tom Martin replies: men are too so the victims *

Sep 15th, 2011 | Filed by

“In a world which verbalises four times more sexism against men than it does against women, it’s high time gender studies set a better example.”… Read the rest



Jonathan Dean defends LSE’s Gender Institute *

Sep 15th, 2011 | Filed by

If a gender studies scholar were to put forward a crude “women good, men bad” analysis, it would never stand up to peer scrutiny.… Read the rest



Johann Hari offers a personal apology *

Sep 15th, 2011 | Filed by

Admits editing Wikipedia entries “of people I had clashed with in ways that were juvenile or malicious.”… Read the rest



Men are being silenced

Sep 14th, 2011 5:14 pm | By

A guy is suing LSE for sexism.

The man, 39-year-old Tom Martin, based in London, began pursuing an MSc degree in gender, media and culture at the LSE’s Gender Institute in October 2009. He withdrew six weeks later, citing “anti-male discrimination” in the coursework.

“Its programs actively block men’s discourse and perpetuate the men-bad, women-good dialogue,” Martin told me by phone yesterday. “I want gender studies to be more inclusive for men.”

Its programs block men’s discourse?! Oh.my.god. That’s so terrible, when men have been silenced for so long. What’s that men-bad, women-good dialogue though? I’ve never heard of that. It sounds like a hell of a boring dialogue, as well as kind of stupid.

Martin, who calls himself

Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)



Man sues LSE for “sexism” *

Sep 14th, 2011 | Filed by

“Its programs actively block men’s discourse and perpetuate the men-bad, women-good dialogue.”… Read the rest



You could tell the story in your sleep

Sep 14th, 2011 3:33 pm | By

Another familiar story. Religious men walk out of official ceremony in protest because women ___. Their bosses dismiss them. Clerics say it’s an outrage.

The details barely matter; they’re interchangeable. In this case the men were military cadets in Israel; their bosses are their superior officers; the women were singing; the clerics are rabbis.

At some point during the evening, two female soldiers got up to sing. When one
of them began singing solo, dozens of religious soldiers got up and turned to
leave the auditorium.

Pointedly sending the message that the female soldier was a harlot. That should be good for morale.

H/t Ezra Resnick.… Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)



Anointing the sick with oil

Sep 14th, 2011 3:14 pm | By

Familiar story. Couple belong to church that “preaches faith-healing and rejects modern medicine in favor of prayer and other spiritual practices such as anointing the sick with oil.” Couple lets infant die instead of getting medical help.

David Hickman, the couple’s infant son, died in 2009 from a bacterial infection in his lungs. Born two months premature, weighing only 3 pounds and 5 ounces, David only lived for an agonizing nine hours. David, slowly succumbing to the infection in the Hickman’s home, was surrounded by female church members who are considered midwives, although there is no evidence these unlicensed, supposed “midwives,” have any medical education.

Couple goes on trial. Defense is expected to argue that the infant’s death was … Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)



Couple on trial for letting their baby die *

Sep 14th, 2011 | Filed by

The Oregon medical examiner’s office estimates that in the past 30 years, more than 20 children of church members have died of preventable or curable conditions.… Read the rest



Israel: cadets protest women singing at ceremony *

Sep 14th, 2011 | Filed by

Four of the nine religious cadets who walked out of a military event as a female
soldier began singing solo will be dismissed from their officers’ course.… Read the rest



Jacques Berlinerblau says how to do secularism *

Sep 14th, 2011 | Filed by

Do it his way.… Read the rest



HPV vax will make your daughter a SLUT

Sep 14th, 2011 11:29 am | By

It’s so impressive – not in the least surprising, but so impressive – when candidates for elected office cheerfully put other people’s lives at risk in the hope of gaining an advantage over a rival.

Like Michele Bachmann.

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) is continuing to attack the 2012 frontrunner for mandating that young girls get the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine…

Social conservatives argue that the vaccine, which protects against a sexually-transmitted disease that can lead to cervical cancer, encourages promiscuity. Perry’s decision has already riled up conservative activists; it might be Bachmann’s best hope to win back those voters.

And that’s reason enough to make irresponsible attacks on a public health measure.

 … Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)



Why is US TV losing women writers? *

Sep 14th, 2011 | Filed by

Women who hear that the television industry is not welcoming to them may be less
likely to become part of it in the first place.… Read the rest



Sexism alive and well in TV land *

Sep 14th, 2011 | Filed by

Only 15% of the writers of broadcast network, prime-time programs were women in 2010-2011 season, less than half the number in 2006-2007.… Read the rest



Bachmann’s breathtaking ignorance about HPV vaccine *

Sep 14th, 2011 | Filed by

“To have innocent little 12-year old girls be forced to have a government injection through an executive order is just flat-out wrong,” she proclaimed Monday.… Read the rest



Training dominion-oriented daughters

Sep 13th, 2011 5:29 pm | By

Libby Anne spotted another deeply sinister picture of a female human being on a Vision Forum DVD.

Will you look at that?

It’s all the more sinister because it’s so effective – the colors and patterns are pretty, and they pull us in.

Libby Anne is scathing.

It appears from the cover of this DVD that daughters take dominion by doing laundry. Nice. I mean seriously, thought goes into cover images like these (we hope), and someone really truly honestly decided that the best image to represent dominion-oriented daughters is a little girl doing laundry. Because, you know, that’s how women take dominion. By doing laundry. Interesting.

This made me wonder. What pictures do they put on DVDs on raising

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(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)



Canada thinks about assisted suicide

Sep 13th, 2011 4:15 pm | By

The Globe and Mail has an editorial saying “Make the right to die legal, with protections.”

Time and again, opinion polls show a large majority of Canadians support the idea that the terminally ill should be able to decide when and how they die. They believe that competent adults in unbearable pain, suffering from an illness that will never improve, have the right to die with dignity.

And yet the Canadian government is no closer to resolving how – or if – to reform the law against euthanasia; no politician is brave enough to champion such a contentious cause, or even to launch a national debate probing public opinion.

But if that’s what the polls show, why does it take … Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)



Globe and Mail talks to Udo Schuklenk *

Sep 13th, 2011 | Filed by

“Often when people talk about end-of-life decision making, the assumption is it’s about pain. But it’s not. The concern is more about losing control over their lives, the quality of their lives.”… Read the rest



Globe and Mail editorial: make right to die legal *

Sep 13th, 2011 | Filed by

“Many people, once they know that if all else fails, this is an option, they won’t make that call. The stress is gone,” says Udo Schuklenk.… Read the rest



Mark your calendar

Sep 13th, 2011 12:58 pm | By

Speaking of Janet HeimlichThink Atheist recorded an interview with her recently and will air it next Sunday September 18 at 5PM Pacific/8PM Eastern. You can find all past and future shows here.… Read the rest

(This is a syndicated post. Read the original at FreeThoughtBlogs.)