“Restrictive welfare provisions deter abused women from leaving abusive relationships by increasing their financial dependency or by making it harder for them to move. Coupled with cuts to refuges and domestic violence prevention programmes in countries across the globe, there is an increasing likelihood that austerity measures may result in danger to women’s lives.”
—The feminisation of poverty and the myth of the ‘welfare queen’ | openDemocracy (via sociolab)
March 2012
25 posts
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The following day, I attended a workshop about preventing gender violence, facilitated by Katz. There, he posed a question to all of the men in the room: “Men, what things do you do to protect yourself from being raped or sexually assaulted?”
Not one man, including myself, could quickly answer the question. Finally, one man raised his hand and said, “Nothing.” Then Katz asked the women, “What things do you do to protect yourself from being raped or sexually assaulted?” Nearly all of the women in the room raised their hand. One by one, each woman testified:
“I don’t make eye contact with men when I walk down the street,” said one.
“I don’t put my drink down at parties,” said another.
“I use the buddy system when I go to parties.”
“I cross the street when I see a group of guys walking in my direction.”
“I use my keys as a potential weapon.”
The women went on for several minutes, until their side of the blackboard was completely filled with responses. The men’s side of the blackboard was blank. I was stunned. I had never heard a group of women say these things before. I thought about all of the women in my life — including my mother, sister and girlfriend — and realized that I had a lot to learn about gender.
” —Why I Am A Male Feminist (via newwavefeminism)- Woman: Can I have birth control?
- Government: No.
- Woman: I got pregnant because I didn't have birth control and I don't want the fetus. Can I have an abortion?
- Government: No.
- Woman: I gave birth to my child but since I wasn't expecting it, I can't afford daycare. Can I have help paying for it?
- Government: No.
- Woman: Well, why can't I have birth control?
- Government: Because. Sex isn't for recreation.
- Woman: It can help regulate my period and benefit me in other ways.
- Government: Too bad.
- Man: For no reason other than for recreational sex, may I have birth control?
- Government: Do you have a penis?
- Man: YES, YES I DO!!
- Government: WELL HOWDY, VALID CITIZEN. You can buy condoms by the dozens. Here, here's a pack of special condom for "His Pleasure." Oooh, these come in different colours and flavours. Here, try these. They have ribs on them. And this one glows in the dark!! LOL OMG DICK LIGHTSABER!!
- Government: But seriously, you're a man. You can do what ever you want.
- Woman: But-
- Government: Shut up, you sinning, freeloading hussy.
“Even if programs such as Homeless Hotspot do some good and “have their heart in the right place,” we must evaluate them in the broader context of the neoliberal economic system they both reflex and reinforce. We should spend more time thinking about how to fix the structural problems that create homelessness and less time thinking about we can use homelessness to improve our own situation and to make ourselves feel good.”
—Homeless Hotspots: Exploitation Masquerading as Charity (via sociolab)
“Religious freedom means I get to chose whether or not to be religious and if so, how. It does not mean that I get to impose my religion on others.”
—Soraya Chemaly (via wilwheaton)
Elcor Pop Music
Boastful smugness, My blended dairy confection brings all the sex-determining genders to the enclosure, and they comment—
Imitation of potential suitors, ‘Its superior to yours.’
Further self-satisfaction and smugness, ‘Vulgar intensifier, it is superior to yours.
Condescending mockery, I could educate, but payment is required.Then the elcor parents look at each other and say: ‘Mournful lament, the future of our youth is of great concern to me.’
Endless laughter.
Why Don’t We Pay People Enough? 8 Facts About America’s Struggling Working People →
truthdig.com
Seven. What is a living wage in the US?
Dr. Amy Glasmeier of Penn State University has created a Living Wage Calculator that estimates the hourly wage needed to pay the cost of living for low wage families in the US. It breaks down the cost of living by state and locality across the nation. In New Orleans, a mom with one child needs to earn $17.52 to make ends meet. In New York, the mom with one child should earn $19.66 to make it. If we now realistically calculate the number of people who work and do not earn a living wage, the numbers of working poor in the US skyrocket to several tens of millions.
Sometimes I like humanity. Then other times I don’t.
WTF: Beginning in July, ISP's will start monitoring and policing user activity
The entertainment industry are some sneaky bastards - yeah, I am looking at you RIAA. So, remember the whole SOPA thing where we came together as one Internet to stop the evils of Hollywood bribing lawmakers to track our online activities and shut down sites like Tumblr, Reddit and YouTube?
DOUCHES WILD
WHY. Just… WHY.
“What seems to most people to be “reasonable” and “natural” nearly always turns out to be that which is socially approved. If something is condemned as “irresponsible” or “unnatural,” this can usually be translated as “potentially disruptive of existing social arrangements and privileges.”
—Erich Goode, Professor of Sociology at SUNY Stony Brook
I love this.
(via wordspowerdrugs)