Friday, December 24, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Female U.S. Soldiers Need Your Help To Defend Their Abortion Rights
Click here to sign the petition.
To find your state Rep click here.
For a reading of the petition you can watch the video.
Petition Text:
THANK YOU
To find your state Rep click here.
For a reading of the petition you can watch the video.
Petition Text:
Recently Senator Roland Burris (D-Il) introduced an amendment to the Senate Armed Services Committee that was approved to be introduced as a part of the National Defense Authorization Act. This amendment would repeal the current ban that bars women in uniform and dependent women from seeking abortion services in military facilities world wide, except in the case of rape or incest, even if they use their own money.
Currently, if a woman is stationed in a country, or is assigned with a sponsor who is stationed in a country where abortion is not legal, then that woman must obtain leave and funding to find a location where she may obtain such services. This restricts access to women who are living on military budgets, and possibly forces her to divulge private medical information in order to procure that leave. It also means longer absences for women from zones where manning is already low.
Currently, a woman must prove that her pregnancy was the result of rape or incest, stripping the woman of the right to Restricted Reporting options (if she is uniformed) and/or her privacy even if she is civilian. No woman should be forced to report a rape before she is ready to procure a safe, legal procedure. No one should have to trade one privacy for another. Women must pay for these abortions out of pocket on top of this humiliation.
Currently, a doctor or other medical professional must determine if a woman's life is in danger before determining if she may have an abortion, and this is far too subjective to be left to anyone but the woman, especially if current law is going to force the woman to pay for it with her own money. Even if a fetus is determined to be non-viable it will not be induced unless the woman's life is in imminent danger, irrespective of how that might impact her emotional health, because this might be considered an abortive service. This is inhumane and unacceptable treatment.
Opponents of this measure will tell you that it will require additional equipment and staff or force doctors to do procedures they don't want to do. I can tell you that our facilities already have this equipment and staff, and that our medical professionals are already learning how and performing these procedures. Because these are sometimes life-saving procedures they are already prepared to perform these as a part of routine medical care that they have learned.
It is unconscionable to withhold medical procedures that are safe and legal from a woman, especially when she is paying for them with her own money, and I would argue ever, but current regulation allows that to happen to our women in uniform and military dependents. Repealing the ban on abortions in military facilities puts the decision to obtain safe, legal medical procedures back in the hands of the patient, the woman, the ones who are putting on uniforms and defending our country or who are supporting others who do the same.
I implore you to support this repeal when it comes to the Senate for full vote. Do the right thing and give these rights back to the women who fight for them.
THANK YOU
Labels:
abortion,
military,
reproductive rights,
United States
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
United Nations - Supporting Homophobia & The Murdering of LGBT Citizens
According to a report from The New Civil Rights Movement entitled UN General Assembly Votes To Allow Gays To Be Executed Without Cause:
Want to know what countries voted in favor of making it legal to exicute LGBT citizens based on nothing more then their sexual orientation? Here you go:
Two things come to mind when I found this out.
One, FOR FUCK SAKE! You have got to be kidding me! Where was everybody else? Yea, let's just hold a vote on the basic human rights of LGBT people around the world & include MOSTLY African and Middle Eastern countries in the vote!
Two, I would like to see the U.S. make a HUGE stink about this but we can't even repeal Don't ask don't tell! In order to fight bigotry and homophobia around the world we must lead by example!
I feel it people. Do you feel it? With this shit with the TSA, women being sentenced to death under Sharia Law every day and now this. There is a push to attack the human rights of every human being AND WE HAVE TO PUSH BACK!
ARE YOU PISSED YET? YOU'D BETTER GET PISSED! BECAUSE WHAT'S NEXT? AND WILL INVOLVE YOUR KID? I CAN'T SAY IT ANY CLEARER...
For a little more background on this YouTuber PhysicalConstervative has some for you.
To close this post I want to include a poem by respected YouTuber and poet Nessrriinn entitled
"Gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people were once again subject to the whims of homophobia and religious and cultural extremism this week, thanks to a United Nations vote that removed “sexual orientation” from a resolution that protects people from arbitrary executions. In other words, the UN General Assembly this week voted to allow LGBT people to be executed without cause."
Want to know what countries voted in favor of making it legal to exicute LGBT citizens based on nothing more then their sexual orientation? Here you go:
Afghanistan, Algeria, Angola, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Belize, Benin, Botswana, Brunei Dar-Sala, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, China, Comoros, Congo, Cote d'Ivoire, Cuba, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Jamaica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kuwait, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Russian Federation, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and Grenadines, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Suriname, Swaziland, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Uganda, United Arab Emirates, United Republic of Tanzania, Uzbekistan, Viet Nam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Two things come to mind when I found this out.
One, FOR FUCK SAKE! You have got to be kidding me! Where was everybody else? Yea, let's just hold a vote on the basic human rights of LGBT people around the world & include MOSTLY African and Middle Eastern countries in the vote!
Two, I would like to see the U.S. make a HUGE stink about this but we can't even repeal Don't ask don't tell! In order to fight bigotry and homophobia around the world we must lead by example!
I feel it people. Do you feel it? With this shit with the TSA, women being sentenced to death under Sharia Law every day and now this. There is a push to attack the human rights of every human being AND WE HAVE TO PUSH BACK!
ARE YOU PISSED YET? YOU'D BETTER GET PISSED! BECAUSE WHAT'S NEXT? AND WILL INVOLVE YOUR KID? I CAN'T SAY IT ANY CLEARER...
GET PISSED!
For a little more background on this YouTuber PhysicalConstervative has some for you.
To close this post I want to include a poem by respected YouTuber and poet Nessrriinn entitled
sharia law... again....
Labels:
Homophobia,
human rights,
LGBT,
murder,
United Nations
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Video Poem: oppression
I was inspired to write this by all the "victim feminists" on YouTube I've had to do battle with for the integrity of feminism. Enjoy
Labels:
feminism,
oppression,
poem,
victim feminism
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Transgendered Women & Sex Work
Below is a transcript of the above video:
If you've been paying attention to the sex industry debates going on within the feminist and sex workers’ rights communities, you've probably heard the argument,
“women go into the sex industry due to lack of choices”made in defense of each side’s position.
Those who oppose prostitution use this talking point to prove that prostitution is rarely a choice and should be abolished. Even those who claim not to seek abolition speak in support of the Swedish model, conveniently ignoring the fact that the Swedish government itself has admitted the model is about a ban on prostitution.
A: We don’t work with harm reduction in Sweden.
Q: Why not?
A: Because that’s not the way Sweden looks upon this. We look upon it, that this
is a ban on prostitution: that there should be no prostitution. And what we work
with is to try and make people who do this not do it any more. [emphasis mine]
– Anna Skarhed, Swedish Chancellor of Justice, Press Conference, July 2, 2010
(@23:07)
Then there are those who seek decriminalization, because only under
a system where sex work is treated as a legitimate form of work can
harm reduction measures -proven effective- be implemented to their
fullest possible effectiveness.
So what does it mean to me to say,
“women go into the sex industry due to lack ofThis means many things, really. It means that we live in a highly unbalanced global economy where countries that have, have enough to waste and countries that don't are home to thousands – tens of thousands, and more – who do what they can, because the ideologies and ambitions of those who claim to know what is best for them will not feed them. Many of these people turn to sex work rather than starvation, while abolitionists who believe that sex work contributes to the oppression of women as a collective look down their noses at them and offer them little practical support.
choices?”
This video is about ONE subgroup of those people. A subgroup
that is one of the most stigmatized, feared, hated, and
misunderstood in just about every society in the world. The
people who walk on both sides of the gender binary that is the
accepted standard in most societies.
If I had to choose which group of people I thought was the most
consistently discriminated against globally, I would have to say it
wouldbe transgendered people. There are some countries where
they are making progress like New Zealand, where the first transgendered member of any Parliament ever was elected in 2005.
But this is unquestionably an exception to the rule and trans
people still have a long way to go to find equality
in the world.
Trans people are called deranged and dangerous. If they appear in movies or in media at all it's usually to mock them or create an extra-disturbing villain in a movie about serial killers. They are portrayed as over the top, extra dramatic, and of lesser intelligence then any “normal” human being who has the good sense to at least know what gender they are.
Is it any wonder that so many transgendered citizens turn to sex work to make a living while still being true to who they really are? How feasible is it that you might walk into a bank one day and find a transgendered teller taking your money or that the nurse checking your blood pressure might tell you that “his” name is Lisa? Often any “normal” job a transgendered sister would find would be low paying, or hire them only under the condition that they come to work dressed in a way that in and of itself feels highly oppressive to them, as if they are going through life half way. Sometimes they turn to sex work just to earn extra money to save up for a gender reassignment surgery that almost no insurance company will pay for, just so they can be who they are, just like you and me.
LGBT rights organizations sometimes acknowledge the “T” at the end only as a footnote, and many of the prominent radical abolitionist feminist leaders do their best to keep them out, sometimes not even attempting to hide their disdain.
In “Transgender Activism: A Lesbian Feminist Perspective”, Sheila Jeffreys argues that, “transgenderism might more reasonably be seen as a violation of human rights and should certainly not be uncritically accepted as a socially transformative force equivalent to gay liberation.” She said that, “Transsexualism opposes feminism by maintaining and reinforcing false and constructed notions of correct femininity and masculinity.” And like many other radical abolitionist feminists she calls sexual reassignment surgery “self-mutilation”, not unlike piercings, tattoos, branding, and many of the other practices of sadomasochism.
In “The Transsexual Empire: The Making of the She-Male”, Janice Raymond put it plainly when she said:
“All transsexuals rape women’s bodies by reducing the real female form to an artifact, and appropriating this body for themselves. [...] Transsexuals merely cut off the most obvious means of invading women, so that they seem non-invasive. The transsexually constructed lesbian-feminist feeds off woman’s true energy source, i.e., her woman-identified self. It is he who recognizes that if female spirit, mind, creativity and sexuality exist anywhere in a powerful way it is here, among lesbian-feminists. I contend that the problem with transsexualism would best be served by morally mandating it out of existence.”
And Radical feminist philosopher, academic, and theologian Mary Daly made
this comparison:
“Today the Frankenstein phenomenon is omnipresent not only in religious myth, but in its offspring, phallocratic technology. The insane desire for power, the madness of boundary violation, is the mark of necrophiliacs who sense the lack of soul/spirit/life-loving principle with themselves and therefore try to invade and kill off all spirit, substituting conglomerates of corpses. This necrophiliac invasion/elimination takes a variety of forms. Transsexualism is an example of male surgical siring which invades the female world with substitutes.”
– from: Gyn/Ecology: The Metaethics of Radical Feminism
This transphobic streak still persists today in the radical faction of feminism and shows itself in some women’s festivals, in heated comments, and the absolute REFUSAL to recognize and embrace our transgendered sisters and their issues as part of the women's movement.
So, with few employment choices and even fewer organizations that will speak strongly on behalf of their issues, many transgendered women turn to sex work. There they find company in their fellow outcasts – the whores of the world. And in return they give back just as much as they receive. They not only play leading roles in the advocacy for the rights of sex workers, but help keep them safe while on the job as well. A cisgendered, female, former street sex worker told me once that she would always work the areas where the transgendered women worked. She said that pimps were less likely to try and harass her there because the trans women were less likely to take their ill treatment and had a tendency to protect their cisgendered associates.
This is just one example of how the radical faction of the women's movement has left some women behind. They can easily pass judgment on some for not recognizing the significance of the collective, but when that collective does not recognize you, what are you to do? Herein lies the nature of the conflict between feminists with the power to influence policy and those who fight to be heard. Sex work is a hub of intersectionality that radical feminists would sooner silence then risk the unique issues facing the women within it distracting the focus of that collective. A collective guided by a small group of the most privileged among us.
In Audre Lorde's “An Open Letter to Mary Daly”, she summed it up nicely when she said this:
“This dismissal stands as a real block to communication between us. This block makes it far easier to turn away from you completely then to attempt to understand the thinking behind your choices. Should the next step be war between us, or separation?”
Extra info on Trans-misogyny
For anyone curious about how female to male transgendered citizens are viewed by abolitionists, see Sheila Jeffreys, “FTM Transsexualism and Grief”
Also, I want to thank Iamcuriousblue for helping me find some cool links and proof reading my writing.
Don't be shy people. I love feedback. COMMENT
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Rap That Doesn't Suck-Tombstone Da Deadman
I was born in 1972 and I have seen music in the United States go through many phases. I have always had diverse musical taste and have loved heavy metal, glam rock, new wave, rave & folksy stuff that makes me wanna belly dance just to name a few. Rap seems to be what it's all about now and though I loved it when it first hit I have seen it take what I think is a turn for the worse.
What was once a music of the celebration of youth or a testimony to the truth of class discrimination in our “land of equality” has become; in my opinion, the hymns of modern day consumerism. It seems to me like what was once a vehicle for challenging the “haves” has been transformed into just another tool to sell something to the “have nots.”
Or how about this:
ENOUGH ALREADY!
I HATE RAP!
But wait...What it this?
From the ashes of this once great music that DARED us not to care there emerges a new voice. A voice of reason and logic. A voice that will NOT sing the praises of the all mighty material thing or be distracted by the LIES the mass media perpetuates with its repetition and corporate funding.
That more CRAP = more success.
That conquest of the opposite sex is a healthy substitute for making waves that might effect a real change.
And most of all...
YouTube handle = rationalwarrior
To download some of his art for free with his consent click HERE.
What was once a music of the celebration of youth or a testimony to the truth of class discrimination in our “land of equality” has become; in my opinion, the hymns of modern day consumerism. It seems to me like what was once a vehicle for challenging the “haves” has been transformed into just another tool to sell something to the “have nots.”
“Your life sucks? You need a Bentley! You to can be seen as powerful by your peers by just allowing yourself to become another debt machine, work horse like Mr. & Mrs. Suburbia.” We are all equal when we are equally in debt.
Or how about this:
“What you need or what you need to be is a “HO!” Come one come all! Let the conquest of women lulled to sleep by the same commercialized, ambition numbing, junk food for the ears that you are give your life meaning!”
Hate the system? SLAP A HO!
Can't get a decent job in this joke of an economy we are all subject to? FUCK A HO!
Can't go to school & let your guard down long enough to actually learn something because inner city schools have been left behind by those who see children elsewhere as a wiser investment? That's right...A “HO” can fix all your problems. HOW? By distracting you with other problems like child support because they don't teach comprehensive sex education in the school where you met her!
HOS HOS HOS HOS HOS!
I have one...you have one...and that “playa” over there has a few. How successful he must be.
ENOUGH ALREADY!
I HATE RAP!
But wait...What it this?
From the ashes of this once great music that DARED us not to care there emerges a new voice. A voice of reason and logic. A voice that will NOT sing the praises of the all mighty material thing or be distracted by the LIES the mass media perpetuates with its repetition and corporate funding.
That more CRAP = more success.
That conquest of the opposite sex is a healthy substitute for making waves that might effect a real change.
And most of all...
THAT GOD WILL MAKE IT ALL BETTER!
Tombstone Da Deadman
YouTube handle = rationalwarrior
To download some of his art for free with his consent click HERE.
Labels:
art,
Atheist,
music,
rap,
rationalwarrior,
tombstone da deadman
PornHarm...according to who?
Some of you may be familiar with the Anti-porn organization PornHarms run by former Bush-era Obscenity Task Force Prosecutor & staunch Right Wing, Christian Fundamentalist Patrick Trueman. Printed right under the header of this site are the words,
Now, don't get me wrong. I have no problem with religion itself. I am; however, a staunch secularist and when I see religious organizations trying to use their pseudo-science & fear mongering to influence the government that governs ME I have a big problem with that!
There are two things I noticed about this “peer reviewed” research they claim to have.
So,“the most accurate peer-reviewed research,” really? Below is a two part video done by my good friend and sex workers rights mentor FeministWhore that I believe proves other wise. Enjoy...
“This site is dedicated to providing the most accurate peer-reviewed research on the harm from pornography, along with relevant news and opinion.”
Now, don't get me wrong. I have no problem with religion itself. I am; however, a staunch secularist and when I see religious organizations trying to use their pseudo-science & fear mongering to influence the government that governs ME I have a big problem with that!
There are two things I noticed about this “peer reviewed” research they claim to have.
1. Most of the peers seem to be in someway linked to each other & to strongly religious organizations.
2. A lot of them also happen to work in practices than not only use that pseudo-science to cure “porn addiction” but another “disorder” plaguing our country today. That's right! If you guessed “same sex attraction” you would be correct.
So,“the most accurate peer-reviewed research,” really? Below is a two part video done by my good friend and sex workers rights mentor FeministWhore that I believe proves other wise. Enjoy...
I'm A Whore...
Don't approve of me...I must be a whore
Don't agree with me...I must be a whore
Can't have me...I must be a whore
Or maybe you can...then I'm definitely a whore
You're smarter then me...I'm a dumb whore
But I proved that you're not...”Whatever whore!”
And men like me...unquestionably a whore
And to the ones that don't...I am always a whore.
“Whore”
to put me at odds with myself.
“Whore”
to make me hate myself.
“Whore”
the only weapon of a world who's control over me is slipping away.
Men calls me a whore
when they can not control or enjoy my pleasures for free.
Woman call me a whore
when I will not bow the the agenda she has for me.
Whore.....Whore.....Whore.....Whore
.....Whore................Whore
...becomes just a strange sound with no meaning.
Call me what you will.
Your words have no power over me.
I refuse to live in fear of the judgments you pass on me.
And I'm not going to fear your words anymore.
Don't agree with me...I must be a whore
Can't have me...I must be a whore
Or maybe you can...then I'm definitely a whore
You're smarter then me...I'm a dumb whore
But I proved that you're not...”Whatever whore!”
And men like me...unquestionably a whore
And to the ones that don't...I am always a whore.
“Whore”
to put me at odds with myself.
“Whore”
to make me hate myself.
“Whore”
the only weapon of a world who's control over me is slipping away.
A weapon to shame.
to blame.
A weapon to silence
& stigmatize.
Men calls me a whore
when they can not control or enjoy my pleasures for free.
Woman call me a whore
when I will not bow the the agenda she has for me.
“Whore” gets its power only from my fear.
Whore.....Whore.....Whore.....Whore
.....Whore................Whore
...becomes just a strange sound with no meaning.
Call me what you will.
Your words have no power over me.
I refuse to live in fear of the judgments you pass on me.
I AM A WHORE
I AM A WHORE
I AM A WHORE
And I'm not going to fear your words anymore.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
MacKinnon And The Swedish Model
While searching for info and documentation on Radical Feminism and Trans-misogyny I happened across an audio of Catharine MacKinnon speaking at Washington and Lee University called "Gender: The Future." This audio didn't talk about transgendered people directly but rather addressed Ms. MacKinnon,s ideas on the Social Construction of gender itself which she calls oppressive in of itself.
In this audio she claims that:
and ends off with a long diatribe promoting the Swedish Model.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Though it's obvious by my commentary in text form over the video that I am not a fan of MacKinnon or of the Swedish Model she seems to be pushing, there is truth to some of what she says. I just happen to find her conclusions based on those truths to be ripe with sweeping generalizations and her idea that femininity is the symptom of some sort of past sexual abuse is frankly misogynistic.
She doesn't seem to have ANYTHING good to say about any gender at all. Her ideal world is one of complete androgyny and while I do find androgyny beautiful it is by no means the only form of beauty there is or should be.
As for the Swedish model my position is clear. According to the Swedish government the Swedish Model does NOT support harm reduction measures so I do not support it. How do I know this? Watch the video below to hear it straight from the horses mouth.
So, as for Ms. MacKinnons Utopian vision of androgyny, who is to say if she is right? I am not a fortune teller and neither is she. I do know that we live in the real world right now where sex workers are subject to unfair treatment & Radical Feminist Abolitionists do nothing to make their working conditions better. They don't even think twice about what sex workers say they want for themselves.
We are continually treated like children with no agency and no right to define the nature of our own experiences. We are told we are brainwashed, uneducated, patriarchy enablers, whores, cunts and NEVER feminists. We wouldn't want to soil the movement now would we?
As a sex workers rights advocate I will continue to do my part to debunk the lies told about us and help fight for our place within feminism because sex work is predominantly a woman's issue. It is a main hub of intersectionality and the continued stifling of the voices within it is nothing short of bigoted.
In this audio she claims that:
-femininity is a side effect of childhood sexual abuse
-just about everyone that goes into the sex industry was abused sexually as children for which she offers NO sources
-pornography and prostitution are not only the result of this but the cause as well
and ends off with a long diatribe promoting the Swedish Model.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Though it's obvious by my commentary in text form over the video that I am not a fan of MacKinnon or of the Swedish Model she seems to be pushing, there is truth to some of what she says. I just happen to find her conclusions based on those truths to be ripe with sweeping generalizations and her idea that femininity is the symptom of some sort of past sexual abuse is frankly misogynistic.
She doesn't seem to have ANYTHING good to say about any gender at all. Her ideal world is one of complete androgyny and while I do find androgyny beautiful it is by no means the only form of beauty there is or should be.
As for the Swedish model my position is clear. According to the Swedish government the Swedish Model does NOT support harm reduction measures so I do not support it. How do I know this? Watch the video below to hear it straight from the horses mouth.
So, as for Ms. MacKinnons Utopian vision of androgyny, who is to say if she is right? I am not a fortune teller and neither is she. I do know that we live in the real world right now where sex workers are subject to unfair treatment & Radical Feminist Abolitionists do nothing to make their working conditions better. They don't even think twice about what sex workers say they want for themselves.
We are continually treated like children with no agency and no right to define the nature of our own experiences. We are told we are brainwashed, uneducated, patriarchy enablers, whores, cunts and NEVER feminists. We wouldn't want to soil the movement now would we?
As a sex workers rights advocate I will continue to do my part to debunk the lies told about us and help fight for our place within feminism because sex work is predominantly a woman's issue. It is a main hub of intersectionality and the continued stifling of the voices within it is nothing short of bigoted.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Stigma This...Stigma That
Stigma (noun) 1. a mark of disgrace or infamy; a stain or reproach, as on one's reputation.
With elections soon underway there are the usual dirty tactics, attack adds & using various forms of stigma against political opponents. This I'm sure comes as no surprise to anyone reading this but two cases of stigma shaming have stood out to me in particular.
First, 28-year-old, Democratic Congressional hopeful Krystal Ball of Virginia has been experiencing a great deal of "slut shaming" lately. Pictures were released on the internet of her sucking on a reindeer dildo that was on her then husbands face at a Christmas party as well as leading him around on a leash.
These pictures are not explicit, just a young married couple being flirtatious and playful the way young couples do. Yet, such a big deal has been made about them by conservative pundits and her opposition alike you'd thing she was blowing the football team! "The stigma of Whore" I call this. Making a woman out to be lustful and over sexualizing her in order to discredit anything she does or stands for.
Then there is Rand Paul. Don't get it twisted! I do NOT support Rand Paul's politics but I do support him in this. An attack add came out trying to paint him as a (better have your kids leave the room)
Which horrible tool of the religious right would do such a thing you ask? Well, shamefully it's Democrat, Jack Conway. I couldn't be more disappointed & neither could Claire McCaskill. She said
Anybody ever think of THAT? I'm thoroughly disappointed with the supposed "Liberal Media" for failing to take that position. It seems like everyone is so busy trying to get elected and not alienate the religious masses that they are afraid to call this what it is.
2. marks resembling the wounds of the crucified body of Christ, said to be supernaturally impressed on the bodies of certain persons, esp. nuns, tertiaries, and monastics.
With elections soon underway there are the usual dirty tactics, attack adds & using various forms of stigma against political opponents. This I'm sure comes as no surprise to anyone reading this but two cases of stigma shaming have stood out to me in particular.
First, 28-year-old, Democratic Congressional hopeful Krystal Ball of Virginia has been experiencing a great deal of "slut shaming" lately. Pictures were released on the internet of her sucking on a reindeer dildo that was on her then husbands face at a Christmas party as well as leading him around on a leash.
These pictures are not explicit, just a young married couple being flirtatious and playful the way young couples do. Yet, such a big deal has been made about them by conservative pundits and her opposition alike you'd thing she was blowing the football team! "The stigma of Whore" I call this. Making a woman out to be lustful and over sexualizing her in order to discredit anything she does or stands for.
Then there is Rand Paul. Don't get it twisted! I do NOT support Rand Paul's politics but I do support him in this. An attack add came out trying to paint him as a (better have your kids leave the room)
GODLESS ATHEIST!
Which horrible tool of the religious right would do such a thing you ask? Well, shamefully it's Democrat, Jack Conway. I couldn't be more disappointed & neither could Claire McCaskill. She said
"This ad is a very dangerous ad because it reaches back to college."You know what I HAVEN'T seen? I have yet to find a popular publication that stated what I'm sure anyone reading this who is an Atheist is thinking...
So what if he WAS an Atheist?!?
Anybody ever think of THAT? I'm thoroughly disappointed with the supposed "Liberal Media" for failing to take that position. It seems like everyone is so busy trying to get elected and not alienate the religious masses that they are afraid to call this what it is.
Stigmatization of "Godless" people.Which is why it is so fitting that another definition for stigma is
2. marks resembling the wounds of the crucified body of Christ, said to be supernaturally impressed on the bodies of certain persons, esp. nuns, tertiaries, and monastics.
Labels:
Atheist,
Congress,
elections prejudice,
fear,
Jack Conway,
Krystal Ball,
Media,
politics,
Rand Paul,
smear,
Stigma,
Whore
Friday, October 1, 2010
Man Up...Woman Lie
I had the pleasure of sharing a video exchange with one of my YouTube friends johntheother in which we discussed horrible dating rules men and women are expected to follow.
In johns video he explains that in all his online research he really found two sets of rules.
These rules tend to be self deprecating like,"Whenever possible say what you have to say during commercials" and "Christopher Columbus did not need directions and neither do we." John states that the point of these rules is that "men are boorish idiots."
So that's where that comes from!
My question is...what came first the rules or the lack of depth? I have to admit it's been a while since I've dated and it's mostly because just about every guy I meet seems to care more about his car or biceps then about current events or politics.
Oh wait, didn't I hear a rule somewhere that you shouldn't discuss politics on the first date?
I can't share my body with a man whose mind I don't respect even if I don't plan on keeping him around. If you're one of the guys that actually thinks this way and you're reading this (which you probably won't be since this has nothing to do with cars or biceps) you're ruining my sex life with your blank stares. Good looks only get you so far honey so do a little reading!
These rules usually come off very demanding like, "you better do this or your toast" or "YOU'RE WRONG."
I'm beginning to see a theme with both these sets of rules and it sounds like "men are not supposed to be too deep or think too much." *Sigh...I'm never getting laid :-(
Ultimately john states that he has one rule and it sounds good to me, "Treat women like adults."
I guess it best to let john speak for himself. Enjoy
As soon as I saw Johns video I was inspired and being that my content has been a little heavy lately I thought it would be something I could have a little fun with.
This video is my book review of
This book is filled with the stupidest dating advice I have ever heard in my entire life. It is full of just as much shallowness as the rules for men but with a healthy dose of slut shaming to wash it down. Some of the rules are:
Most of this womans advice comes down to one rule...LIE!
ARG!!!!! Just watch the video:
Well, I'm sorry Mrs. Rancic (Formerly known as Ms. DePandi). As a sex positive feminist I refuse to lie about my sexual history to someone I may be intimate with. I don't kiss and tell but when I know I'm gonna kiss...I do tell.
Why? We sex positives are trying to change the puritanical and judgmental attitudes this society has concerning sex. I refuse to be ashamed of my sexuality and I refuse to pretend that I'm not but then lie as if I am.
I am a beautiful, responsible, sexual being and there's nothing wrong with that. I am not defined by what I do with my vagina and any man that judges me as such does not need the pleasure of my company.
Say what you like but sexual responsibility starts with honesty; with yourself and with your partner. We should not only be discussing our history's but what kind of contraception we will be using and our sexual boundaries as well. It is the safe, sane and responsible thing to do...
In johns video he explains that in all his online research he really found two sets of rules.
1. Rules for women that men wish women knew.
These rules tend to be self deprecating like,"Whenever possible say what you have to say during commercials" and "Christopher Columbus did not need directions and neither do we." John states that the point of these rules is that "men are boorish idiots."
So that's where that comes from!
My question is...what came first the rules or the lack of depth? I have to admit it's been a while since I've dated and it's mostly because just about every guy I meet seems to care more about his car or biceps then about current events or politics.
Oh wait, didn't I hear a rule somewhere that you shouldn't discuss politics on the first date?
I can't share my body with a man whose mind I don't respect even if I don't plan on keeping him around. If you're one of the guys that actually thinks this way and you're reading this (which you probably won't be since this has nothing to do with cars or biceps) you're ruining my sex life with your blank stares. Good looks only get you so far honey so do a little reading!
2. Womens rules for men.
These rules usually come off very demanding like, "you better do this or your toast" or "YOU'RE WRONG."
I'm beginning to see a theme with both these sets of rules and it sounds like "men are not supposed to be too deep or think too much." *Sigh...I'm never getting laid :-(
Ultimately john states that he has one rule and it sounds good to me, "Treat women like adults."
I guess it best to let john speak for himself. Enjoy
As soon as I saw Johns video I was inspired and being that my content has been a little heavy lately I thought it would be something I could have a little fun with.
This video is my book review of
Think Like A Guy by Giuliana Rancic.
This book is filled with the stupidest dating advice I have ever heard in my entire life. It is full of just as much shallowness as the rules for men but with a healthy dose of slut shaming to wash it down. Some of the rules are:
Tip #38 Never wear a costume that requires a mustache. (Hey baby...ya wanna mustache ride?)
Tip #46 Don't own a dog that fits in your purse. (Sorry, Fifi.)
Most of this womans advice comes down to one rule...LIE!
Tip #13 Don't admit you were a bad student. (Did you know Albert Einstein didn't get very good grades?)This one she just goes on and on about even into the next tip. Laughably she ends up saying you shouldn't be ashamed if you've been "around the block a few times" to which I say
Tip #23 Never admit you've slept with more then five guys.
WHY SHOULD YOU LIE ABOUT SOMETHING YOU'RE NOT ASHAMED OF?She swears a man is going to dwell on it until his dying day. She even says he will think you're "nasty!"
ARG!!!!! Just watch the video:
Well, I'm sorry Mrs. Rancic (Formerly known as Ms. DePandi). As a sex positive feminist I refuse to lie about my sexual history to someone I may be intimate with. I don't kiss and tell but when I know I'm gonna kiss...I do tell.
Why? We sex positives are trying to change the puritanical and judgmental attitudes this society has concerning sex. I refuse to be ashamed of my sexuality and I refuse to pretend that I'm not but then lie as if I am.
I am a beautiful, responsible, sexual being and there's nothing wrong with that. I am not defined by what I do with my vagina and any man that judges me as such does not need the pleasure of my company.
Say what you like but sexual responsibility starts with honesty; with yourself and with your partner. We should not only be discussing our history's but what kind of contraception we will be using and our sexual boundaries as well. It is the safe, sane and responsible thing to do...
And do it I will!
Labels:
communication,
dating,
Giuliana DePandi,
Giuliana Rancic,
honesty,
johntheother,
love,
relationships,
sex
Monday, September 27, 2010
Dear Senator
This is the letter I sent to Senators John Cornyn and Kay Bailey Hutchison on September 27, 2010:
Dear Senator,
If you would like to write to yours you can find them here:
Dear Senator,
I am disappointed in the filibustering of the Defense Authorization Bill on the 21st of September 2010. I know excuses given by Senate Republicans are just that, excuses. It is shameful that we live in a country that treats certain soldiers as if their willingness to sacrifice their lives for us means less just because they love differently. When a soldier dies it is not their sexual orientation that is printed on their headstone but their name and their rank and that is all that should matter. The Republican Party has long claimed to be the party that most strongly supports our brave soldiers so playing politics with their Civil Liberties is NOT acceptable.
I ask that you demand that Don't Ask Don't Tell be repealed! It has already been ruled unconstitutional by two U.S. Judges. We are a country that expresses so much pride in our liberty that it's existence makes us seem hypocritical. The integrity of our country rests in the hand of you and your fellow Senators. Do not disappoint your people. If it is not repealed I will hold the Republican leadership in this country responsible as will many others.
Your country is watching you.
If you would like to write to yours you can find them here:
Senate Directory
Labels:
Civil Rights,
DADT,
Don't Ask Don't Tell,
equality,
John Cornyn,
Kay Bailey Hutchison,
LGBT,
Senate
A Victory and A Setback in Don't Ask Don't Tell: What Will YOU Do?
On September 21, 2010 Senate Republicans and two Democrats filibustered the Defense Authorization Bill. This Bill has passed the last 48 years in a row. It just passes. As I state in the video below
In this video I express in no uncertain terms my disgust for the way these members of Congress have played politics with so many peoples lives...with so many peoples Civil Rights.
If this Bill had passed all it would have done is give the Military leadership the authority to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell. Not a complete victory but I would rather have that authority in the hands of the Joint Chiefs of Staff then in the politicians who just want to move the goal post on this for political leverage.
This is peoples live we're talking about here. It's about time we honor their sacrifices and hard work and treat them like they are just as good as every other American in this country.
After a little passionate but friendly back and forth with a fellow YouTuber I was inspired to upload this brilliant Spoken Word by Poet StaceyAnn Chin called Equality.
You can also follow Staceyann on Twitter.
Closing out this series I chose to do a video on Major Margaret Witt. Here I read an exert from an article in the Huffington Post that tells of the latest victory in the struggle against DADT in which U.S. District Judge Ronald Leighton ruled it unconstitutional.
Congratulations Major Witt. Success and happiness to you and your partner going forward. I hope we will all celebrate the day this embarrassing law is finally laid to rest...for good.
I ask that if you are inspired by the victory of Major Witt or just sick and tired of the bigotry and homophobia that seems to plague our Country then please PLEASE write to your congressman and make your feelings known. I do believe that it helps and that we have enough momentum after this ruling that every letter matters.
Find your Senator Here:
Thank you
"Defense...is something that the American Government tends to not fuck with."So why now? I'll give you one guess and IF you guess because they were going to try and repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell you would be correct.
In this video I express in no uncertain terms my disgust for the way these members of Congress have played politics with so many peoples lives...with so many peoples Civil Rights.
If this Bill had passed all it would have done is give the Military leadership the authority to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell. Not a complete victory but I would rather have that authority in the hands of the Joint Chiefs of Staff then in the politicians who just want to move the goal post on this for political leverage.
This is peoples live we're talking about here. It's about time we honor their sacrifices and hard work and treat them like they are just as good as every other American in this country.
After a little passionate but friendly back and forth with a fellow YouTuber I was inspired to upload this brilliant Spoken Word by Poet StaceyAnn Chin called Equality.
You can also follow Staceyann on Twitter.
Closing out this series I chose to do a video on Major Margaret Witt. Here I read an exert from an article in the Huffington Post that tells of the latest victory in the struggle against DADT in which U.S. District Judge Ronald Leighton ruled it unconstitutional.
Congratulations Major Witt. Success and happiness to you and your partner going forward. I hope we will all celebrate the day this embarrassing law is finally laid to rest...for good.
I ask that if you are inspired by the victory of Major Witt or just sick and tired of the bigotry and homophobia that seems to plague our Country then please PLEASE write to your congressman and make your feelings known. I do believe that it helps and that we have enough momentum after this ruling that every letter matters.
Find your Senator Here:
Senate Directory
Thank you
Labels:
Civil Rights,
DADT,
Don't Ask Don't Tell,
equality,
filibuster,
John McCain,
Margaret Witt,
politics
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Craigslist Petition-It's ABSOLUTELY About Freedom of Speech
Want to get proactive about this Craigslist thing? Watch this video to learn how.
The Petition Reads:
End Human Trafficking- Support Sexworker Self-Efficacy
Below you will find three links.
The first is to the supposed “scientific study” on which the push to close the adult services section of craigslist was built. This study is full of misleading information. Please examine it for yourself.
The second is to the petition.
You may not believe this issue effects you but freedom of speech effects everyone. If it can be successfully taken away based on faulty unscientific research this sets a dangerous president that could someday directly effect you or those you care about.
The last is a Directory of the United States Representatives for your convenience.
Please support freedom of speech.
Please sign this petition.
Thank you.
1. The "Scientific" Study
2. The Petition
3. Directory to Your Local Representatives
The Petition Reads:
End Human Trafficking- Support Sexworker Self-Efficacy
We support self-efficacy and harm reduction by sex workers, and oppose the scapegoating of Craigslist for posting "Adult Services" ads. We share the goals of the craigslist opponents to end human trafficking, forced prostitution, and child exploitation, but know that driving the sex trade more underground accomplishes just the opposite.
"Adult services" encompasses a range of activity. Advertising those services is not illegal, and indeed, if there was legal cause, it would have been forced to close long ago. The reason there is not legal cause is that such a broad ban would limit constitutional rights.
The paternalism of some of the groups opposed to Adult Services ads is sadly over-generalized to fully-empowered women and men who choose to independently market erotic services. Those who exploit children and traffic in human lives merely win competitive advantage when independent providers are driven into the shadows.
Let us work together to end violence towards sex workers and let them speak for themselves.
Below you will find three links.
The first is to the supposed “scientific study” on which the push to close the adult services section of craigslist was built. This study is full of misleading information. Please examine it for yourself.
The second is to the petition.
You may not believe this issue effects you but freedom of speech effects everyone. If it can be successfully taken away based on faulty unscientific research this sets a dangerous president that could someday directly effect you or those you care about.
The last is a Directory of the United States Representatives for your convenience.
Please support freedom of speech.
Please sign this petition.
Thank you.
1. The "Scientific" Study
2. The Petition
3. Directory to Your Local Representatives
Labels:
change.org,
Craigslist,
freedom of speech,
petition,
sex workers rights
Monday, September 20, 2010
Amber Lyon and Her BIG Moment.
The layers upon layers of BULLSHIT surrounding this Craigslist thing are so thick and SOOO enraging I thought I knew where to begin but I was wrong!
This blog post is a deconstruction of the followup story Amber Lyon did after Craigslist had been effectively shut down called
The story begins with Amber following a mother up a flight of stairs to the bedroom of her 12-year-old daughter that has been kidnapped by a pimp. Only someone with a heart of stone could resist feeling for this woman which is what makes this such an effective opening. As friend and fellow blogger Julie Meadows stated in a recent blog post she did about Shelly Lubben
-@34 seconds:
The mother explains how a friend of hers told her to look on Criagslist for the missing girl and low-and-behold she was there.
Of COURSE Miss Amber doesn't acknowledge that this validates every Sex Workers Advocates position that though craiglist can be used to find johns for missing children it can ALSO be used by police and family members to find those missing children as is proven later in the story.
-@58 seconds
Ernie Allen, President and CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children states:
-@1:45
Here Amber discusses 52 missing persons posters of children that are all being sold for sex. On all these posters read the words
Amber honey...if those children are missing how exactly do you know what all of them are doing? AND How do you know that the men they are with are pimps?
I have NO love for pimps but I think making this blanket assumption is a bit of a stretch. It is not unheard of for a father who is denied visitation rights with his child do something desperate. I am just speculating of course, but then again sweetie...so are you.
-@3:20
She admits craigslist DID report 132 children to The Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 15 months. But earlier that Centers CEO said they only rescued 52.
It seems to me that if craigslist is reporting MORE missing children then are being rescued that the fault is not with craigslist.
-@3:40
Amber's BIG FINISH!
ALMOST NONE!
(play clip below for effect)
-@2:28 The Pièce de résistance
A group out of Georgia called A Future Not a Past commissioned a "scientific study" from The Schapiro Group on which this witch hunt was waged. Now, I'll be the first to admit that numbers are not my friend. That said, even I can see that this thing is just riddled with holes and misrepresentations of their "findings." I suspect this to be a group that is in the business of producing "findings" that best suit their clients. Of course, I am only speculating again but that seems to be what everyone is doing nowadays.
I challenge ANYONE who is capable of being objective about this issue to read this study and tell me it is not full of shit.
I am in the process of doing some deconstructing of this skientifakical study myself but so far some of my favorite parts of it are:
-Under methodology:
Figure 5: How Men Who Respond to Advertisements for Sex with Young Females Refer to Preferred Age (with my small commentary at the end...hey if they can do it so can I)
-Oh but it gets better. Under the obviously objective part of this unbiased "scientific study" titled "How men buy sex with adolescent females you'll find this:
So, they went from saying "young" to "really, REALLY young?" Ok, fair enough. But what they purposely UNDERemphasis is that MOST of the men became disinterested in the interaction after these warnings; 65% to be as exact as I can given the skewed stats that proceed this figure.
Figure 6 with ending commentary again: Results of the “Escalated Warning” Mini-Experiment
MY conclusions:
1. Amber Lyon is an opportunistic disinformationist who cares nothing about journalistic integrity OR the lives & safety of the many sex workers who will now have to chance the dangerous streets for work. She also cares nothing for the children that could have been found because of craigslist because she is a blood sucking famepire devouring whatever she needs to to get what she craves...celebrity status!
2. CNN was once my favorite 24 hour news channel but if they are going to let the likes of Amber Lying exploit a families pain so she can make a name for herself on their station I think they may as well buy the rights to "The Bad Girls Club" and call it a day.
3. The Schapiro Group are in business...that's that. You pay them enough and they will fabricate what you need with no concern for the truth and that's all their is to it. What pisses me off is that nobody without a vested interest will probably look closely at that study because people are usually lazy and only care about what directly effects them in the here and now IF THEY CARE AT ALL! The Schapiro Group knows this. The Schapiro Group exploits this for a buck and don't give a fuck who it hurts.
This blog post is a deconstruction of the followup story Amber Lyon did after Craigslist had been effectively shut down called
"Underage Sex for Sale on the Internet."I may embed this video here as it becomes available later.
The story begins with Amber following a mother up a flight of stairs to the bedroom of her 12-year-old daughter that has been kidnapped by a pimp. Only someone with a heart of stone could resist feeling for this woman which is what makes this such an effective opening. As friend and fellow blogger Julie Meadows stated in a recent blog post she did about Shelly Lubben
"A good clue towards identifying someone who’s performing magic tricks with your mind is how quickly they are to engage your emotions. Emotions are the easiest of human faculties to engage because they are closer to our baser nature than the intellect."What betrays the disingenuous nature of Ms. Lyon is the constant Paris Hilton semi-smile she wears as the mother explains why she sleeps in the little girls be at night.
-@34 seconds:
The mother explains how a friend of hers told her to look on Criagslist for the missing girl and low-and-behold she was there.
Of COURSE Miss Amber doesn't acknowledge that this validates every Sex Workers Advocates position that though craiglist can be used to find johns for missing children it can ALSO be used by police and family members to find those missing children as is proven later in the story.
-@58 seconds
Ernie Allen, President and CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children states:
"Nobody knows what the real numbers are."Then he says:
"We have been able to find, locate and return home 54 missing kids on craigslist. Now that is a tiny fraction of what the total scope of the problem is."My question for Mr. Allen is "If nobody knows what the real numbers are then how do you know that saving 54 kids that were found on craigslist is a tiny fraction of what the problem is?" I'll hold my breath for the answer but I suspect it has to do with a little "scientific study" I will discus at the end of this post. Just a side note, they also located 12 children due to backpage.
-@1:45
Here Amber discusses 52 missing persons posters of children that are all being sold for sex. On all these posters read the words
"MAY be in the company of an adult male"obviously a pimp, right?
Amber honey...if those children are missing how exactly do you know what all of them are doing? AND How do you know that the men they are with are pimps?
I have NO love for pimps but I think making this blanket assumption is a bit of a stretch. It is not unheard of for a father who is denied visitation rights with his child do something desperate. I am just speculating of course, but then again sweetie...so are you.
-@3:20
She admits craigslist DID report 132 children to The Center for Missing and Exploited Children in 15 months. But earlier that Centers CEO said they only rescued 52.
It seems to me that if craigslist is reporting MORE missing children then are being rescued that the fault is not with craigslist.
-@3:40
Amber's BIG FINISH!
"And that 12-year-old girl we told you about at the beginning...By CHANCE, she called home just as we were speaking with her mother."OK, maybe I'm just nitpicking here but I don't buy this for one instant! Not only did they have a lead as to her whereabouts because of craigslist but (keeping that in mind) what are the chances of the daughter calling home just as all the cameras from the big, well funded news station are on her?
ALMOST NONE!
(play clip below for effect)
-@2:28 The Pièce de résistance
A group out of Georgia called A Future Not a Past commissioned a "scientific study" from The Schapiro Group on which this witch hunt was waged. Now, I'll be the first to admit that numbers are not my friend. That said, even I can see that this thing is just riddled with holes and misrepresentations of their "findings." I suspect this to be a group that is in the business of producing "findings" that best suit their clients. Of course, I am only speculating again but that seems to be what everyone is doing nowadays.
I challenge ANYONE who is capable of being objective about this issue to read this study and tell me it is not full of shit.
I am in the process of doing some deconstructing of this skientifakical study myself but so far some of my favorite parts of it are:
-Under methodology:
"...we decided to develop a methodological approach where participants would voluntarily contact us without suspecting that they are participating in a research study. To do this, we placed advertisements on Craigslist.com, Backpage.com, and other Internet sites commonly used forSo...what they're saying is the whole study hinges on these uninformed mens subjective understanding of the word "YOUNG" as it relates to sexual activity! Not only that but @2:48 Amber states that
advertising paid sex services. Our advertisements mimicked other ads on these sites; the text content crudely described paid sex services with a young female for anyone who called the advertised phone number. In addition, we included a picture of a young female in the advertisement — just as nearly all other internet advertisements do.
Why “young” instead of underage? Any advertisement that explicitly mentions paid sex with an adolescent is removed by these internet sites instantly and/or automatically. Advertisements featuring adolescents are rarely labeled in text as such. Instead, advertisement creators rely on pictures of the females and young text descriptors to convey her approximate age to prospective customers."
"There's no legal obligation for websites to report ads that might involve underage prostitution."so the fact is that craigslist DID NOT BREAK THE LAW! If there is a problem why not put all that money and effort into changing the law instead of going on witch hunts to make yourselves look during election time?
Figure 5: How Men Who Respond to Advertisements for Sex with Young Females Refer to Preferred Age (with my small commentary at the end...hey if they can do it so can I)
-Oh but it gets better. Under the obviously objective part of this unbiased "scientific study" titled "How men buy sex with adolescent females you'll find this:
"...we devised a 3-step “escalated warning” procedure that we initiated at the end of the phone call (so that it did not interfere with any other data collected from the participant). The three warnings issued by the operator, in order, are as follows:
1. We’re talking about the really young girl, right?
2. She doesn’t look like she’s 18.
3. I don’t believe this girl is actually 18, and I have no reason to believe she is.
So, they went from saying "young" to "really, REALLY young?" Ok, fair enough. But what they purposely UNDERemphasis is that MOST of the men became disinterested in the interaction after these warnings; 65% to be as exact as I can given the skewed stats that proceed this figure.
Figure 6 with ending commentary again: Results of the “Escalated Warning” Mini-Experiment
MY conclusions:
1. Amber Lyon is an opportunistic disinformationist who cares nothing about journalistic integrity OR the lives & safety of the many sex workers who will now have to chance the dangerous streets for work. She also cares nothing for the children that could have been found because of craigslist because she is a blood sucking famepire devouring whatever she needs to to get what she craves...celebrity status!
2. CNN was once my favorite 24 hour news channel but if they are going to let the likes of Amber Lying exploit a families pain so she can make a name for herself on their station I think they may as well buy the rights to "The Bad Girls Club" and call it a day.
3. The Schapiro Group are in business...that's that. You pay them enough and they will fabricate what you need with no concern for the truth and that's all their is to it. What pisses me off is that nobody without a vested interest will probably look closely at that study because people are usually lazy and only care about what directly effects them in the here and now IF THEY CARE AT ALL! The Schapiro Group knows this. The Schapiro Group exploits this for a buck and don't give a fuck who it hurts.
FUCK THEM!
FUCK AMBER LYING!
AND FUCK CNN!
Monday, September 13, 2010
A Great Place to Start : Trafficking & Prostitution Reconsidered by Kamala Kempadoo
A few months ago I made one of the best decisions as a Sex Workers Right's Advocate I could have made. I took the advice of friend and blogger iamcuriousblue and bought a book called Trafficking and Prostitution Reconsidered by Kamala Kempadoo from Amazon.com.
Book Summery
This is an A-MAZ-IN book and anyone who wants a better perspective on Prostitution and Human Trafficking then the propaganda the media, politicians, and the abolitionist feminists have to offer should definitely invest in it.
I have found it not only informative but following the work of the people who contributed to this book has lead me to many great resources. The other night I picked a name at random-Jyoti Sanghera-from the book and just googled it. Low and behold I was lead to a gold mine of corroboration for the views I and my fellow Sex Workers Rights Advocates have been presenting on YouTube in the form of transcripts and Audio from the Symposium on Human Trafficking by the Council on Foreign Relations.
I then made the following video proving that anyone telling you they know the whole story when it comes to human trafficking is a liar.
Thanks iamcuriousblue.
May the force be with you...always.
(nerd laugh fades to silence)
Book Summery
Trafficking and prostitution are widely believed to be synonymous, and to be leading international crimes. This collection argues against such sensationalism and advances carefully considered and grounded alternatives for understanding transnational migrations, forced labor, sex work, and livelihood strategies under new forms of globalization. From their long-term engagements as anti-trafficking advocates, the authors unpack the contemporary international debate on trafficking. They maintain that rather than a new 'white slave trade,' we are witnessing today, more broadly, an increase in the violation of the rights of freedom of movement, decent employment, and social and economic security. Critical examinations of state anti-trafficking interventions, including the US-led War on Trafficking, also reveal links to a broader attack on undocumented migrants, tribal and aboriginal peoples, poor women, men and children, and sex workers. The book sheds new light on everyday circumstances, popular discourses, and strategies for survival under twenty-first century economic and political conditions, with a focus on Asia, but with lessons globally.From the Publisher
Contributors: Natasha Ahmed, Vachararutai Boontinand, Lin Chew, Melissa Ditmore, John Frederick, Matthew S. Friedman, Josephine Ho, Jagori, Ratna Kapur, Phil Marshall, Jyoti Sanghera, Susu Thatun
This is an A-MAZ-IN book and anyone who wants a better perspective on Prostitution and Human Trafficking then the propaganda the media, politicians, and the abolitionist feminists have to offer should definitely invest in it.
I have found it not only informative but following the work of the people who contributed to this book has lead me to many great resources. The other night I picked a name at random-Jyoti Sanghera-from the book and just googled it. Low and behold I was lead to a gold mine of corroboration for the views I and my fellow Sex Workers Rights Advocates have been presenting on YouTube in the form of transcripts and Audio from the Symposium on Human Trafficking by the Council on Foreign Relations.
I then made the following video proving that anyone telling you they know the whole story when it comes to human trafficking is a liar.
Thanks iamcuriousblue.
May the force be with you...always.
(nerd laugh fades to silence)
Thursday, September 9, 2010
How to Degrade a Sex Worker
On Sept. 2, 2010 Monica Shores of Spread Magazine did a very even tempered blog post for the Ms.Blog entitled How to Respect Sex Workers.
In this post she makes and elaberates on the following suggestions for having a healthy dialogue with Sex Workers Right's Advocates/Activists.
Being that I have heard more than one Anti-Porn feminist express a desire for "a healthy dialogue" you would expect this blog post and my efforts to reach out respectfully to be received with a modicum of consideration...and you would be wrong!
In this video made by the commonly know Anti-Porn YouTube feminist iremythpurr not only does she reference me by name but she proceeds to mock my comments on this blog post and many things about me that have no relevance what so ever.
This is just one example of how the "antis" take every well meaning gesture and twist it to not only sow more division within the feminist community but to character assassinate as well.
If you watch it on YouTube you will notice the comment section is full of unwarranted personal attacks and misrepresentations of my positions. One commenter even said:
In this post she makes and elaberates on the following suggestions for having a healthy dialogue with Sex Workers Right's Advocates/Activists.
1-Don’t diminish or mock sex workers’ agency.Inspired by the polite tone of this blog and a hope for peace with the Anti-Porn feminists I happen to share space with on YouTube I made the following video...
2-Don’t assume your problems with the sex industry are the industry’s only problems.
3-Use language with care.
4-Educate yourself.
Being that I have heard more than one Anti-Porn feminist express a desire for "a healthy dialogue" you would expect this blog post and my efforts to reach out respectfully to be received with a modicum of consideration...and you would be wrong!
In this video made by the commonly know Anti-Porn YouTube feminist iremythpurr not only does she reference me by name but she proceeds to mock my comments on this blog post and many things about me that have no relevance what so ever.
This is just one example of how the "antis" take every well meaning gesture and twist it to not only sow more division within the feminist community but to character assassinate as well.
If you watch it on YouTube you will notice the comment section is full of unwarranted personal attacks and misrepresentations of my positions. One commenter even said:
"That woman has ZERO class. She's a bull in a feminist china shoppe."another said:
"dick in ya ear is agency! i'm not a "victim" feminist but I am a victim. gawd. i'm going to become an manger of a strip club and then become a "sex workers rights advocate" ie industry rights, not worker rights. muney muneeehhh munns."Mocking the fact that I used to be a stripper and have since embrace a position of authority in hopes of making the bar more sex worker considerate. But of course, it's easy to mock when you have nothing personally invested in the well being of women you don't even respect.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Why Medusa's Arrow?
The Legend
Medusa was one of three sisters born to Phorcys and Ceto. Though she was born mortal, her sisters Stheno & Euryale were not. Medusa was originally very beautiful. Her crowning glory was her magnificent, long hair and she was courted my many quality suitors. Before she could be betrothed to a husband, Poseidon/Neptune found her worshiping in the temple of Athena/Minerva and ravished her. Athena was outraged at her sacred temple being violated, and punished Medusa by turning her beautiful tresses into snakes and giving her the destructive power to turn anyone who looked directly at her into stone.
The Meaning
As a Sex Workers Right's Advocate I see a lot of symbolism in this legend that parallels the lives and experiences of the Sex Workers I speak out for.
1-As someone who has casually studied archetypes in my spare time I have come to understand Athena in a certain way. Though I have a great deal of respect for her in other ways, her archetype is one of a Goddess in service of and empowered by men. She is the protectress of the patriarchy. She was born of Zeus and Zeus alone and though one might expect her to come to the defense of a woman in need she had a tendency to look down on what she perceived as weakness.
2-Medusa was worshiping at the temple of Athena at the time she was "ravished."
3-Poseidon/Neptune raped Medusa in the temple of Athena but rather then Athena getting mad at him she punished Medusa and turned her into a snake headed Gorgon for the rest of her days.
4-Medusa's gaze can turn anyone to stone instantly.
5-Know as an archer Medusa's Arrows were sharp and deadly accurate. Once she set her sights on her target their was little that could be done to distract her. As she was an underworld creature sunlight was not a friend to her but if you think you had escaped her once it found you might be mistaken. She may not peruse you but her arrow might follow you into that light and bring you back into the underworld she called home...the hard way.
Using our voices to spread this awareness is not only a way to heal but also a way to make a difference. Sadly, sometimes the greatest wounds are caused not by sex work itself but the stigma that goes along with it and the betrayal of those who claim to care.
I have found a solid support system in the Sex Workers Advocates on YouTube I have come to know and am grateful for it.
FeministWhore has been a mentor to me and I have learned so much since I met her.
YeOldeHeretic has been there for me in ways I can't go into but her friendship has given me strength when I wanted to quite and I thank her.
xxxild has taken me under her wing and guided me threw the underworld and for this reason I call her Kore.
And dynamiteruby is always ready to cheer me up...even when I don't wanna be cheered up!
Thanks Ladies!
Together we will shoot those arrows straight and hit those disinformationists...
For a little extra insight into why Medusa means a lot to me (hint-it has something to do with my childhood) watch this video. It also features a great song by Solace called Journey's end.
Medusa was one of three sisters born to Phorcys and Ceto. Though she was born mortal, her sisters Stheno & Euryale were not. Medusa was originally very beautiful. Her crowning glory was her magnificent, long hair and she was courted my many quality suitors. Before she could be betrothed to a husband, Poseidon/Neptune found her worshiping in the temple of Athena/Minerva and ravished her. Athena was outraged at her sacred temple being violated, and punished Medusa by turning her beautiful tresses into snakes and giving her the destructive power to turn anyone who looked directly at her into stone.
The Meaning
As a Sex Workers Right's Advocate I see a lot of symbolism in this legend that parallels the lives and experiences of the Sex Workers I speak out for.
1-As someone who has casually studied archetypes in my spare time I have come to understand Athena in a certain way. Though I have a great deal of respect for her in other ways, her archetype is one of a Goddess in service of and empowered by men. She is the protectress of the patriarchy. She was born of Zeus and Zeus alone and though one might expect her to come to the defense of a woman in need she had a tendency to look down on what she perceived as weakness.
I hear many Anti-porn and Radical Feminists talk about "overthrowing the patriarchy" but if you look closely at the companies that publish their books and the people on the Religious Right they tend to join forces with you will see that they doth protest too much! Much of the outward contempt they express for "the patriarchy" is a pathetic attempt at hiding the true nature of their connection to it.
2-Medusa was worshiping at the temple of Athena at the time she was "ravished."
The temple to me represents the feminism we think we all know and believe in when we are naive to the true nature of feminist politics today.
3-Poseidon/Neptune raped Medusa in the temple of Athena but rather then Athena getting mad at him she punished Medusa and turned her into a snake headed Gorgon for the rest of her days.
Poseidon obviously represents what we typically think of when we think of Patriarchy. He is powerful and he takes what (or who) he wants when he wants it. I hear many antis go on and on about how the Patriarchy puts women in the position to go into sex work by limiting their choices. I have noticed; however, that once a woman does go into that line of work they are quick to demonize her and accuse her of "Kowtowing to the Dick."
4-Medusa's gaze can turn anyone to stone instantly.
Marginalized by a society that sets many up for failure many women turn to sex work to make ends meet. You would think most human beings would have a great deal of compassion for them and you would be wrong. Once in "the lifestyle" many women find themselves so Stigmatized by the nature of the work they do you would think the hearts of everyone around them had turned to stone.
5-Know as an archer Medusa's Arrows were sharp and deadly accurate. Once she set her sights on her target their was little that could be done to distract her. As she was an underworld creature sunlight was not a friend to her but if you think you had escaped her once it found you might be mistaken. She may not peruse you but her arrow might follow you into that light and bring you back into the underworld she called home...the hard way.
Once marginalized and stigmatized by society a woman has little choice but to adapt to her new state of being or shrivel away in defeat. Taking up the cause of Advocacy is not only a way to heal but one might find that their words are capable of reaching those who would otherwise exist in a state of blissful ignorance.
Using our voices to spread this awareness is not only a way to heal but also a way to make a difference. Sadly, sometimes the greatest wounds are caused not by sex work itself but the stigma that goes along with it and the betrayal of those who claim to care.
I have found a solid support system in the Sex Workers Advocates on YouTube I have come to know and am grateful for it.
FeministWhore has been a mentor to me and I have learned so much since I met her.
YeOldeHeretic has been there for me in ways I can't go into but her friendship has given me strength when I wanted to quite and I thank her.
xxxild has taken me under her wing and guided me threw the underworld and for this reason I call her Kore.
And dynamiteruby is always ready to cheer me up...even when I don't wanna be cheered up!
Thanks Ladies!
Together we will shoot those arrows straight and hit those disinformationists...
RIGHT IN THE ASS!
For a little extra insight into why Medusa means a lot to me (hint-it has something to do with my childhood) watch this video. It also features a great song by Solace called Journey's end.
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Sunday, September 5, 2010
Craigslist: A Poorly Thought Out Solution
The Sexual Services Section of Craigslist has been closed. All is right in the world...right. Or is it?
Those who made the push to have it removed claimed that Craigslist was a catalog where anyone could find underage prostitutes and trafficked persons being exploited sexually. But do they not realize that worked in favor of those people trying to find and help them just as much as anyone else? In the following video you see how police use these online websites like Craigslist to find girls that need their help:
Another problem I have with this is that prostitutes that once used the site to conduct their business in a way that is safer for them now have to face having to go back into street prostitution which is 10 times more dangerous. In my video "Craigslist" below I make my concerns known.
Already I have received many comments from people who feel the same way I do and even a very provocative video response from johntheother entitled "Damage Keeps The Money Flowing" where he discusses his theory on what he calls the "Victim Industrial Complex."
I'm willing to bet money that NO ONE involved in making this decision consulted a Sex Worker Advocate of any kind. Everyday it becomes clearer and clearer to me that those of us who believe in this cause must band together and fight for our voices to be heard. It is obvious to me now that those fighting against the sex industry care nothing for the safety of those they claim to care about and must be exposed for who and what they are! We must not allow our stories to be exploited by those who just want to use us to further their agenda!
There are only three very active Sex Workers Right's on YouTube:
Divinity33372 (me)
FeministWhore
YeOldeHeretic
and two that chime in once in a while
dynamiteruby
xxxild
But we need more! More advocates...more supporters...more ears hearing our message! But our voices are getting louder. Our resolve STRONGER!
Update 4-1-11 dynamiteruby is now at thecryptqueen
Those who made the push to have it removed claimed that Craigslist was a catalog where anyone could find underage prostitutes and trafficked persons being exploited sexually. But do they not realize that worked in favor of those people trying to find and help them just as much as anyone else? In the following video you see how police use these online websites like Craigslist to find girls that need their help:
Another problem I have with this is that prostitutes that once used the site to conduct their business in a way that is safer for them now have to face having to go back into street prostitution which is 10 times more dangerous. In my video "Craigslist" below I make my concerns known.
Already I have received many comments from people who feel the same way I do and even a very provocative video response from johntheother entitled "Damage Keeps The Money Flowing" where he discusses his theory on what he calls the "Victim Industrial Complex."
I'm willing to bet money that NO ONE involved in making this decision consulted a Sex Worker Advocate of any kind. Everyday it becomes clearer and clearer to me that those of us who believe in this cause must band together and fight for our voices to be heard. It is obvious to me now that those fighting against the sex industry care nothing for the safety of those they claim to care about and must be exposed for who and what they are! We must not allow our stories to be exploited by those who just want to use us to further their agenda!
There are only three very active Sex Workers Right's on YouTube:
Divinity33372 (me)
FeministWhore
YeOldeHeretic
and two that chime in once in a while
dynamiteruby
xxxild
But we need more! More advocates...more supporters...more ears hearing our message! But our voices are getting louder. Our resolve STRONGER!
AND WE ARE NOT GOING AWAY!
Update 4-1-11 dynamiteruby is now at thecryptqueen
Silencing Spitzer
Just about anyone who hasn't been living under a rock for the past 3 years is familiar with Eliot Spitzer and his discrepancies. But how much of the story do you really know? Did you know; for instance, that Spitzers career was ruined not even a month after he published an article in the Washington Post entitled
In this article he made a bold accusation that the Bush administration not only turned a blind eye to the predatory lending practices that were bringing our countries economy closer and closer to peril...but enabled it! He laid bare the connection between what the Attorneys General of all 50 states had been doing to try and combat predatory lending practices and what The Bush Administration did to stop them. And then his career was destroyed!
Ironically, the tool used against him was the very anti-prostitution laws he helped to pass. For more just watch the video:
Predatory Lenders' Partner in Crime:
How the Bush Administration Stopped the States From Stepping In to Help Consumers
In this article he made a bold accusation that the Bush administration not only turned a blind eye to the predatory lending practices that were bringing our countries economy closer and closer to peril...but enabled it! He laid bare the connection between what the Attorneys General of all 50 states had been doing to try and combat predatory lending practices and what The Bush Administration did to stop them. And then his career was destroyed!
Ironically, the tool used against him was the very anti-prostitution laws he helped to pass. For more just watch the video:
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Sex Trafficking Definitions & Disinformationists
How many times has this happened to you? You're talking about sex workers rights and someone who supports the Swedish Model decides to offer their two cents. After talking to them for about 2 minutes you get the distinct feeling you're dealing with someone who doesn't know SHIT other than the propaganda they are spoon fed by the media.
Try this. Ask them:
If you're lucky enough to get a straight answer at all it will probably be something to the effect of:
Sounds about right...right?
According to the U.S. code; as stated by the Cornell University website, the definitions for Sex Trafficking/Human Trafficking are as follows:
(8) Severe forms of trafficking in persons
The term “severe forms of trafficking in persons” means—
(9) Sex trafficking
So I've chosen to write an entire blog post about something so basic WHY? I wish I had a nickle for ever ANTI
Rad-Fems and the Religious Right fought for YEARS to get these definitions made official and now that the ugly true colors of the consequences of the ambiguous wording of these laws is coming to light many of their supporters are simply seeing fit to deny them.
It's funny (in an unfunny way) to me the position I have found myself in with these people over and over again. The last thing I want to have to do is explain to my opposition what they're positions really are. I suspect many already know. It seems to me that some feel content to distract an S.W.R.A. (Sex Workers Right's Advocate) by playing dumb
If you find your self in this tiresome position feel free to direct them to this blog post or simply ignore the pest as my latest video advises.
Try this. Ask them:
"What is the official U.S. definition of Sex Trafficking?"
If you're lucky enough to get a straight answer at all it will probably be something to the effect of:
"Sex trafficking is modern day sex slavery"
Sounds about right...right?
WRONG!
According to the U.S. code; as stated by the Cornell University website, the definitions for Sex Trafficking/Human Trafficking are as follows:
(8) Severe forms of trafficking in persons
The term “severe forms of trafficking in persons” means—
(A) sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age; or
(B) the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery.
(9) Sex trafficking
The term “sex trafficking” means the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for the purpose of a commercial sex act.
(notice there is nothing in this definition about being forced AT ALL!)
So I've chosen to write an entire blog post about something so basic WHY? I wish I had a nickle for ever ANTI
("Antis" is what we on YouTube call the pro-Swedish Model, Anti-porn, Anti-prostitution, Anti-choice, Anti-HARM REDUCTION supporters)that wanted to engage me in "debate" that didn't even know the basics of what their abolitionist leaders have been fighting for.
Rad-Fems and the Religious Right fought for YEARS to get these definitions made official and now that the ugly true colors of the consequences of the ambiguous wording of these laws is coming to light many of their supporters are simply seeing fit to deny them.
It's funny (in an unfunny way) to me the position I have found myself in with these people over and over again. The last thing I want to have to do is explain to my opposition what they're positions really are. I suspect many already know. It seems to me that some feel content to distract an S.W.R.A. (Sex Workers Right's Advocate) by playing dumb
AND OTHERS ARE NOT PLAYING!
If you find your self in this tiresome position feel free to direct them to this blog post or simply ignore the pest as my latest video advises.
Human Trafficking You DON'T Hear About: Tom Delay and the Northern Marianas
Being a Sex Workers Right's Advocate is not just about asserting that: women can and DO choose to be in the sex industry, they're right to say yes is just as important as they're right to say no and that they should NOT be punished if they do. It's also about calling attention to the kind of human trafficking you DON'T hear about...Labor Trafficking!
WHY DO WE NEVER HEAR ABOUT LABOR TRAFFICKING?
I'm only venturing a guess but I think it could be for the same reason many S.W.R.A.'s (Sex Worker's Rights Advocates) grumble about radical, abolitionist, feminists working with the religious right. Corporate greed prettied up with righteous, religious language!
In this video uploaded to YouTube by FeministWhore called "Delay and the Northern Marianas," proof is given to support this assertion.
I am doing a piece on this now because when she uploaded it we were both pretty new to YouTube and it didn't get as much exposure as it deserves.
FeministWhore has been my mentor in all of this and just about everything I know and any exposure I get is because she has VERY patiently guided me. I can't count the number of times I have said the words
Anyone who follows my work needs to be following hers. If they do they will see...I am the peas and she is the steak. Her blog is filled with information I haven't even begun to learn yet...but I'm workin on it.
Thanks F.W.
Keep up the good work!
WHY DO WE NEVER HEAR ABOUT LABOR TRAFFICKING?
I'm only venturing a guess but I think it could be for the same reason many S.W.R.A.'s (Sex Worker's Rights Advocates) grumble about radical, abolitionist, feminists working with the religious right. Corporate greed prettied up with righteous, religious language!
In this video uploaded to YouTube by FeministWhore called "Delay and the Northern Marianas," proof is given to support this assertion.
I am doing a piece on this now because when she uploaded it we were both pretty new to YouTube and it didn't get as much exposure as it deserves.
FeministWhore has been my mentor in all of this and just about everything I know and any exposure I get is because she has VERY patiently guided me. I can't count the number of times I have said the words
"F.W. how do I...?" or "F.W. where do I find...?"& sat there on "the skype" giggling (sometimes not so secretly) listening to her try to explain something to me while she chants her mantra
"CAT! I WILL KILL YOU!"
Anyone who follows my work needs to be following hers. If they do they will see...I am the peas and she is the steak. Her blog is filled with information I haven't even begun to learn yet...but I'm workin on it.
Thanks F.W.
Keep up the good work!
Saturday, August 28, 2010
STRAIGHT FROM THE HORSES MOUTH: Sweden Does NOT Support Harm Reduction
A Swedish Radio interview of various Swedish political leaders revealed a truth about the Swedish Government that Sex worker right's advocates and organizations have know all along. The "Swedish Model" is about abolition and cares NOTHING about harm reduction!
Some of the outrageous positions the Swedish Government holds are:
When asked about what plans there were for social measures to improve the conditions for sex workers Sweden's chancellor of justice Anna Scarhead stated:
This is backed up by most out reach centers offering only counseling and encouragement to get out of prostitution. Most sex workers that refuse are denied access to condoms as well as advice on health and safety. One Radical Feminist on youtube made her position on this clear when she left this comment:
So Sweden claims the moral high ground by not officially punishing prostitutes because they claim they see them as victims but what of the sex workers who are NOT victims? By denying them access to condoms they not only put these sex workers at a higher risk for STI's but their clients as well. In turn these clients could go home and infect their spouses. If a husband infects his wife with HIV/AIDS; for instance, and that woman gets pregnant before either of them know they have it...what of that child?
HOW MANY PEOPLE IS SWEDEN WILLING TO MAKE SUFFER JUST TO PUNISH A CERTAIN TYPE OF WOMAN FOR HER CHOICES?
This to me seems a barbaric way to run a Government.
I have heard so many Radical Feminists go on and on about how the Swedish Model Report (put out by the bias Swedish Government) was supposedly a "success." Given how openly they declare their complete disregard for the safety and opinions of sex workers who choose the work freely, I have to ask:
-What does this "success" mean?
-Successful for WHO?
-And successful at what cost?
If it doesn't make you wonder...you are not thinking.
Some of the outrageous positions the Swedish Government holds are:
"...it's totally strange to think about harm reduction because that would be accepting prostitution and that would be as crazy as accepting rape."
When asked about what plans there were for social measures to improve the conditions for sex workers Sweden's chancellor of justice Anna Scarhead stated:
Scarhead: "We don't work with harm reduction in Sweden...because that's not the way Sweden looks at this. We look upon it that this is a BAN on prostitution. There should be no prostitution and what we work with is to try and MAKE people who do this...not do it anymore."
This is backed up by most out reach centers offering only counseling and encouragement to get out of prostitution. Most sex workers that refuse are denied access to condoms as well as advice on health and safety. One Radical Feminist on youtube made her position on this clear when she left this comment:
"Giving out condoms only promotes prostitution. As the Swedish Chancellor of Justice said, the purpose is not harm reduction but to make people stop. And any harms to prostitutes will help encourage them to stop aiding and abetting the patriarchy.
The target isn't the wimmin. The target is MEN and the patriarchy they impose on disadvantaged wimmin. What's needed in Sweden and everywhere is putting men in JAIL long-term for turning wimmin's bodies to consumer commodities"
So Sweden claims the moral high ground by not officially punishing prostitutes because they claim they see them as victims but what of the sex workers who are NOT victims? By denying them access to condoms they not only put these sex workers at a higher risk for STI's but their clients as well. In turn these clients could go home and infect their spouses. If a husband infects his wife with HIV/AIDS; for instance, and that woman gets pregnant before either of them know they have it...what of that child?
HOW MANY PEOPLE IS SWEDEN WILLING TO MAKE SUFFER JUST TO PUNISH A CERTAIN TYPE OF WOMAN FOR HER CHOICES?
This to me seems a barbaric way to run a Government.
I have heard so many Radical Feminists go on and on about how the Swedish Model Report (put out by the bias Swedish Government) was supposedly a "success." Given how openly they declare their complete disregard for the safety and opinions of sex workers who choose the work freely, I have to ask:
-What does this "success" mean?
-Successful for WHO?
-And successful at what cost?
If it doesn't make you wonder...you are not thinking.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Donna M Hughes the WHOLE Truth
Donna M Hughes is a prominent abolitionist feminist who has spent many years on the forefront of the anti-prostitution movement. In the first part of this video I show the connection between Donna M. Hughes and The United Nations using a UN report entitled UNITED NATIONS EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON INTERNATIONAL MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT. I then discuss the inconsistencies in the claims of human trafficking and the actual findings in the UK by sharing a blog post by Stephen Paterson called UK human trafficking claims are false in 68% of cases, says UKHTC report. I finish it off with a reading from a book entitled Trafficking and Prostitution Reconsidered by Kamala Kempadoo. The introduction to the book states:
This book is very powerful and informative and I suggest anyone wanting a well rounded understanding of human trafficking look into it. I got mine on Amazon.com It was so marked up with highlighter (I bought it used) that I could tell the person who had it before me loved it as much as I do.
This book documents trafficking not as the enslavement of women, but as the trade and exploitation of labor under conditions of coercion and force, analyzed from the lives, agency, and rights of women and men who are involved in a variety of activities in a transnationalized world. The writings-all by intellectuals who have worked closely with trafficked persons, sex workers, and women's empowerment groups-shed light on everyday circumstances, popular discourses, national ploicies, and grassroots struggles for change.
This book is very powerful and informative and I suggest anyone wanting a well rounded understanding of human trafficking look into it. I got mine on Amazon.com It was so marked up with highlighter (I bought it used) that I could tell the person who had it before me loved it as much as I do.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Don't like it...DON'T WATCH!
I have gotten the criticism more than once from a certain youtuber along the lines of "all you ever talk about on your channel is feminism and sex work." I have to admit I was a little offended by this. Not only is it factually untrue as proven by the videos I've made on Shirley Sherrod, The Penal System and Discrimination, an advice video I made to a girl with severe shyness A Bit About Shyness, and the myriad of silly videos I did just for shits and giggles but even if it was true...SO FUCKING WHAT! As if sex workers right's advocates weren't the minority in this fight for true equality for women in the world! I would probably have to upload 100 videos for every one piece of disinformation put out by the ANTI-harm reduction feminists to balance it out and even at that I'm reaching.
I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS!
I AM FOCUSED IN A WAY I HAVE NEVER BEEN BEFORE!
AND I DON'T APOLOGIZE FOR IT!
Most of my life I have been searching for something worth believing in! Any relationship I've gotten into has made me unfocused and took me further away from myself. My family; though they love me and I them, just doesn't understand the way I think as they are very religious. And just about everyone I am surrounded by in real life is too busy chasing after the latest material thing to give a shit about much else. Am I to be judged and shamed for my devotion to a cause greater than myself? I DON'T THINK SO! My channel is mostly all feminist content...mostly all about sex workers right's and if anyone doesn't like it then DON'T WATCH! I don't want to bore you for fuck sake!
For everyone who does watch...Thank you! I appreciate that you appreciate my content and I hope I can continue to bring you a different perspective.
I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS!
I AM FOCUSED IN A WAY I HAVE NEVER BEEN BEFORE!
AND I DON'T APOLOGIZE FOR IT!
Most of my life I have been searching for something worth believing in! Any relationship I've gotten into has made me unfocused and took me further away from myself. My family; though they love me and I them, just doesn't understand the way I think as they are very religious. And just about everyone I am surrounded by in real life is too busy chasing after the latest material thing to give a shit about much else. Am I to be judged and shamed for my devotion to a cause greater than myself? I DON'T THINK SO! My channel is mostly all feminist content...mostly all about sex workers right's and if anyone doesn't like it then DON'T WATCH! I don't want to bore you for fuck sake!
For everyone who does watch...Thank you! I appreciate that you appreciate my content and I hope I can continue to bring you a different perspective.
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