This Week in Ladybits
The Supreme Court has exempted nonprofit religious groups from doing the paperwork that declares them nonprofit religious groups and thus exempt from the contraception mandate in the Affordable Care Act.
H.R. 7, disingenuously called the “No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act,” passed the House this week. Tax dollars, of course, already can’t be used to fund abortions because of the Hyde Amendment, which has been in place since 1977. As Representative Nancy Pelosi pointed out, “It’s just a fake front issue to talk about abortion. What they’re really talking about is contraception, family planning, the judgment of women.” But it keeps getting these goobers campaign donations and a fake moral high ground, so they’re gonna keep doing it.
So those laws that require women to purchase separate abortion riders from their insurance companies… How would they work, exactly?
In an incredibly creepy and threatening move, Indiana may start publicizing the names of doctors who provide care for women who have abortion complications. (Abortion complications are extremely rare, but, hey, why pass up an excellent opportunity for harassment?)
Want to get creepier? The upshot of Texas’s draconian laws: Doctors can’t perform abortions, so they perform “miscarriage management” instead. Which means that women cross the border or comb flea markets in search of miscarriage-inducing drugs, which they use without medical guidance.
Ever wonder why the men of the GOP can’t seem to stop calling women sluts and then can’t seem to figure out why so many women don’t care for that? This American Prospect article has some interesting insights.
And if you need something to enable you into those Girl Scout cookies, conservative groups are calling for a boycott because, well, take your pick. Either the Scouts are too close to Planned Parenthood or they tweeted something about Wendy Davis being inspiring or they’re holding sekrit meetings where they teach girls to paint their faces with their own menstrual blood and dance in front of a massive Hillary Clinton statue in the middle of the woods while invoking the Moon Goddess. One of those.
Image via Twitter
Anyway, I wish the Scouts’ cookie suppliers would be more careful with where they get their palm oil, but if you do choose to buy a box or two, you will really irritate some people who probably don’t like you. Your call.This Week in Thinky
As frustrating as it can be, I like it that progressives (and feminists) have a tendency to squabble. I think it keeps us honest and on our toes and, ideally, questioning our assumptions. Michelle Goldberg in The Nation suggested that the tendency to call each other out online goes too far. …And, yes, she got called out on that.
And Joan C. Williams wrote about gender judo in the workplace for The Washington Post. What do you think about the idea of playing on traditional feminine roles as a way of getting ahead?
This Week in Ugh
The mayor of Sochi says there are no gay people in his city, though he didn’t have much of an explanation for who’s keeping those two gay bars afloat. Which brings up an important point: Many bigots have raptor vision. If you stand very still, they cannot see you. But they still get all weird and nervous, so proceed with caution.
The Dallas Morning News produced quite the hit piece on Wendy Davis, slamming her with stunning revelations like the fact that she was divorced at 21, not 19, so how was she calling herself a single mother at 19, huh? Huh? (Spoiler: Because her divorce was only finalized when she was 21, but she was separated at 19.) The Dallas Morning News was perhaps reaching a little bit. Oh, and maybe just the tiniest bit sexist.
Among the most scurrilous attacks were the accusations that Davis is a bad mother. Her daughters squashed those thoroughly with open letters defending their mother. (Thanks to Mary for the link.)
Image Courtesy of Wendy Davis Texas via Twitter
It’s possible that the boys on the right may actually be overstepping with their Wendy Davis attacks-even Greta Van Susteren of the hard-right Fox News network took on her colleague Erick Erickson for his sexist grodiness in general and his attempts to smear Davis in particular.This Week in Entertainment
Salon took a look at how a lot of Hollywood’s sexism starts at the casting call. (Seriously-If you want a good laugh-cry with an occasional swoop into complete existential despair, get signed up to receive e-mail casting notices.)
Wednesday night Jaime Coffee became the first female PA announcer in the history of the NBA. Score! (h/t to Heather Hogan, who always uses her magic powers for good)
Image courtesy of the Sacramento Kings via Facebook
And Anita premiered at Sundance. (Via Feministing)This Week in Not Having It
Lambda Legal has taken on the case of 92-year-old transwoman Robina Asti, a World War II veteran and widow who is now being denied Social Security benefits as a surviving spouse. This short film about her is remarkable.
And Canada and the U.K. aren’t interested in taking Russia’s anti-LGBT policies lying down. The United Kingdom’s Parliament has voted to send aid to private groups that are helping Russia’s LGBT community, and Canadians in Toronto are planning a rally for LGBT rights at the Russian Consulate on February 6.
This Week in Awesome
Cheerios brought its adorable/controversial family back for their Super Bowl ad. Get ready for some serious cute and a young lady who knows how to negotiate.
And The Mary Sue had six preview pages from Gail Simone‘s Tomb Raider comic.
Image courtesy of Dark Horse comics via The Mary Sue
Have a great weekend. Get out there and pursue your own quest.
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