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Feminist Friday: Zerlina Maxwell stares down the creeps

This Week in Ladybits

The excellent Irin Carmon had a great piece in Salon on the State-level anti-choice long game.

This Week in Creeps

Rush Limbaugh took some time on International Women’s Day to explain to us all why it’s awesome that he uses the term “feminazi.” Someday let’s discuss the term “sex tourism,” Rush.

A Fox affiliate in Connecticut chose some amazing b-roll footage for Women’s Day. The station has since apologized for the mistake.”

Remember all those Republicans who opposed the Violence Against Women Act? Some of them are now taking credit for it.

If you recall, last week Zerlina Maxwell held her own on Sean Hannity‘s show, attempting to make several points that neither her host nor her fellow guess was interested in listening to or understanding. Maxwell tried to make several reasonable points: That having every woman carry a handgun doesn’t stop rape; that many women’s attackers are people they know and trust, which would make most women reluctant to shoot them; and that suggesting that women wouldn’t get raped if they all carried firearms is one more way of “solving” rape by controlling women’s behavior, like saying women shouldn’t drink or go out in public or wear skirts above the ankle or get good jobs or go outside or any of the other things we’re supposed to do or not do, otherwise we’re at fault and what did we expect?

OK, I may have added to that last point, but essentially, Maxwell was trying to make some reasonable and thoughtful points.

The right wing responded by saying that Maxwell wanted to take women’s guns away (which she never said), and by claiming that Maxwell said that simply telling stranger-rapists not to rape would prevent all rape (which, again, she didn’t say), and by threatening Maxwell with rape. Really? At what point in a disagreement with another human being is it OK to say “you should get raped”? And even those who didn’t threaten Maxwell made an astonishing bad-faith effort to spread distortions of what she said.

Fortunately, Maxwell has not backed down, and has been stating and re-stating her point with real grace.

Let’s leave this grody topic with a laugh: Science genius Mike Frey would like to explain that same-sex couples should not be able to get married because buttseks equals sperm in the bloodstream. Given his theories, shouldn’t it be extra-safe for ladies to marry each other?

This Week in Progress

Congrats to everyone in the state of Ceara, Brazil! They can now get gay married to their hearts’ content. (Thanks for the tip, Svetlana!)

Etsy increased the women on its engineering team by 500% by working to educate more female engineers.

Sir Patrick Stewart launched the Ring the Bell campaign with a call for one million men to make “concrete, actionable” promises to end violence against women.

There was a great discussion of bisexuality and women of color on the #QWOCTalk hashtag yesterday.

Feministing pointed the way to this great ad from the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault on breaking the gender stereotype box.

Well done, TAASA.

Supergirl is getting pants!

And in the midst of a bunch of famous ladies saying they aren’t feminists, Stephenie Meyer says she is one. Yay? I’ve never read or seen anything Twilight, so I have no particular reason to say I’m not glad. What do you think? Let us know in the comments.

This Week in Oh, Jesus Christ, I Can’t Even Stand It

Behold the ePad Femme.

Yes, those cooking, shopping, and weight-loss apps come pre-loaded.

This Week in Awesome

There’s a new “Ask Amy”! This episode, Amy Poehler talks about making friends in a new phase of your life.

Oh, Hell, yes! A thumb-sized Valkyrie figurine has been discovered in Denmark.

You know what Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-California) does not care for? When you condescend to her about the Constitution. Watch her put Senator Ted Cruz (R-Jerkville) firmly in his place and then stuff his tongue down his throat.

And, seriously, pro-gun folks: Disagree with her all you want, but Feinstein was the one who found her friend Harvey Milk immediately after his assassination and had to identify his and Mayor George Moscone‘s bodies and then make the announcement to the public. Maybe it’s time to stop your damn smirking about how she “doesn’t understand” guns.

On a lighter note, Mashable brought us the tale of a dad who hacked his daughter’s Donkey Kong game so Pauline could do the rescuing.

And PBS is set to air the documentary Wonder Women! The Untold Story of American Superheroines on April 15 as part of its Independent Lens series. You may also be able to find a free screening near you in March.

Seriously. In addition to all the other awesome you see in the trailer, you’re going to love how sharp and funny Lynda Carter turns out to be.

Have a great weekend. Get out there and whip up some heroics of your own.

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