WrongCards Aren’t Only Wrong, They’re Disgusting

May 7, 2008 · Filed Under Violence Against Women ·

I came across this site a few days ago and while the website name alone should have tipped me off to the type of content I would find there, I was pretty disturbed by a few of the images that I saw.

With a name like WrongCards, sure, you can suspect that the content is going to be pretty far from politically correct, but what I found completely crossed the line from wrong to sick and disgusting.

Apparently we can add date rape to the list of things people find funny right alongside of sex criminals and being kicked in the stomach while pregnant.

However, WrongCards doesn’t stop there; they also have another card that reads “I’m still waiting to be sexually harassed.“

Tags: date rape, harassment, misogyny, rape, sexual assault

The Fine Line Between Free Speech and Harassment

March 1, 2008 · Filed Under Reproductive Rights ·

Anti-abortion extremists in Massachusetts filed a lawsuit challenging the state’s health clinic buffer zone laws.

Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick signed a bill to put a 35-foot buffer zone between reproductive health and family planning clinics and anti-choice protesters last November. The reason behind this law is to ensure the safety of the clinic patients, as well as their staff as they enter and exit the clinics. There have been many cases of anti-abortion extremists protesting outside of these clinics across the country and by doing so, they are clutching their free speech cards and claiming that they are doing nothing wrong. This is true since the people of this country are able to voice their personal opinions and beliefs and there is, of course, nothing wrong with that. However, blatant harassment is not free speech.

You are not practicing free speech when you are screaming in the faces of the staff and patients of these clinics. You are not practicing free speech when you are screaming at the women walking into these health clinics and calling them murderers when you simply assume that is the reason why they must pay a visit to the clinic. You are not practicing free speech when you are telling women that their fetuses have a right to life when they may be visiting the clinic simply to get birth control or for their annual pap smears.

“For too long, patients and staff had to endure in-your-face screaming and harassment just to get to doctor’s appointments,” Angus McQuilken, vice president of public affairs for the Planned Parenthood League of Massachusetts, told the Boston Globe. “This 35-foot zone is more than reasonable.”

Between the hostility, billboard-sized pictures of fetuses, flyers that tell women that they are murderers and attempting to invoke guilt and the process of attempting to criminalize women for seeking a medical procedure that is legal, not only do I feel that the 35-foot buffer zone is “more than reasonable,” I feel as if there should be a much greater distance that these people must keep away from the Planned Parenthood health clinics. How dare they attempt to file a lawsuit saying that they are being denied the right to free speech. Women are being denied the right to safely and securely enter a health clinic based on other people’s moral opinions.

Tags: anti-abortion extremism, anti-choice, free speech, harassment, Planned Parenthood

Carnival of Radical Feminists

February 27, 2008 · Filed Under Activism ·

I am extremely honored to be hosting the Carnival of Radical Feminists this month. Thanks to everyone who submitted their posts.

Allecto presents The Blood of Women, a story posted at Spinning Spinsters.

Anji presents The War On Women posted at Shut Up, Sit Down.

Cheryl Lindsey Seelhoff presents La! I’m back. And with an essay. Don’t worry, hon, it’s under 1000 words. posted at Demonista.

Cheryl Lindsey Seelhoff also presents Pornography, stripping and violence in contemporary ‘lesbian’ culture and Erasure of lesbian/female-centred sexuality/ancient representations of female erotic autonomy posted at Gorgon Poisons.

Cheryl Lindsey Seelhoff also presents In the Tradition of the Wickedary by Dissenter posted at Spinning Spinsters

Christine presents High School, Hair Color and Choices posted at Me, My Kid and Life: An American Single Mom Living in France. She says:

“Conformity does not breed brilliance! Allowing a child the dignity to express herself as long as her choices do not hurt herself or others.”

Christine also presents Is Moving Abroad Right for You? posted at Me, My Kid and Life: An American Single Mom Living in France.

Debs presents I hate men who hate women, as well as Rape and Street Harassment, Privilege, and Lies, posted at Feminist Fire.

Lauredhel presents Gestation Anxiety: the othering of intentional single motherhood posted at Hoyden About Town.

Maggie Jochild presents Blog for Choice 2008: On the 35th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade, SUPER BULLSHIT and Ten Letters Toward an Alphabet of Presidential Choice posted at Meta Watershed.

Phemisaurus presents They thought we were extinct posted at They thought we were extinct.

Sam presents The Secret Ballot posted at Reclusive Leftist. Saying:

“woman-centered woman, even if it isn’t acceptable to publicly be so”

Tali presents Who Cares if a Few Dykes Get Banned from Digg? posted at BlogHer. She says:

“Is the right to free speech irrelevant, at Digg?”

Tracee Sioux presents Caroline’s Name posted at So Sioux Me. She says:

“I’m regretting not passing my name to my daughter. She’s my only daughter so there’s a feeling of lost opportunity. I attempted to bring up the subject of changing her name to incorporate my sur name . . . but, it didn’t exactly go like I had imagined.”

And that’s it for this month! Be sure to submit your Radical Feminist posts for the next carnival!

Tags: 2008 election, blog carnival, carnival of radical feminists, harassment, lesbianism, porn, rape, Roe v Wade, sexual assault