Too Cute Not to Post!

Sorry this will be brief, but I just really wanted to share it with everybody. This little girl is so adorable. A future feminist? I think so! (Video)
She just makes it known that she is putting herself first and won't be dependent on a man. Good for her! I think it is important for all women to be able to pursue a career at some point in their lives or to set some sort of goals for themselves and try to achieve them. That's the only way that progress of any sort can be made: with an idea and an action.

Another Federal Attack

Recently, legislation wanted to redefine rape so that federal spending on abortions for victims were minimized. Now they attacking again. Very recently, the House of Representatives voted to cut federal funding for Planned Parenthood! Planned Parenthood provides many services for women, men, and teens to prevent and get help when there's a problem with STDs/AIDS and unwanted pregnancies. Most of the work done at Planned Parenthood is preventative, and gives help to those who need it with anything dealing with their sexuality. This is such a great resource for anyone that is, was, or will be sexually active, and the government wants to throw it away!

This is another attack on women and our freedom of choice. After watching this Fox News clip, I realized that this again, a war against abortion. It is not just a war against abortion, but a war against the freedom of women to choose what's right for themselves. So basically, they don't want their tax dollars to go for women's rights. They are trying to slowly and surely take this freedom of choice away from women. I'm sorry, but isn't freedom what this country was founded upon? To me, stripping women of their freedom of choice is un-American!

There is a petition that anyone can sign that will be sent to Congress. Please sign and show support!

Snooki, What Have You Done?

Today I saw an article on CNN Health from December 2010 that caught my eye, about how women's sexuality is perceived by younger men and women now, what could be causing it and what parents can do to hopefully change views on sexuality for their children.  When it comes to sexuality, some people might think that women have gained a lot of liberation due to the fact that sex is a more open topic and women are more promiscuous than in the past, thanks to the Sexual Revolution of the 60s. And it is true that women can now more easily do what they want sexually, BUT I think, and I think that Ian Kerner Ph.D. who wrote the article would agree, that young adults and children are not being brought up in a way that their sexual liberation is always healthy. Much of the sexuality of young women and even girls is brought about to satisfy a patriarchal man's gaze; that a woman is presented to be a sexual object for men. Look at our society! Girls Gone Wild, strip clubs, porn, American Pie movies, Snooki! The other day, my friend told me, "I just love Ke$ha... she's such a dirty whore!" Really? I like Ke$ha because she has catchy music.  All these things are sending out the message that it is ok for all women and girls to expose themselves physically and sexually to the world to the advantage of the male gaze. The point of the Sexual Revolution was to make it known that it is OK for a woman to be involved with anyone of her choosing and that society shouldn't look down upon her for her sexuality. Now the world is telling women that, yes her sexuality is okay, but also that she should be sexual, because it is benefitting men.

My how the tables have turned and still patriarchy has the upper hand!

Redefining Rape

In Women's Studies class today, we talked about the things that feminists have been fighting for in the past and currently. An issue that has come up in legislation that affects women all over the country is the coverage of abortion for rape victims. Anti-choice advocates want to redefine rape so that only women suffering from "forcible" rape can have their abortions covered. But isn't all rape forced? Rape, according to dictionary.com, is the "act of sexual intercourse that is FORCED upon a person." That should mean that all abortions for victims for rape should stay covered, because all rape is forcible rape.

I found this petition posted on my friend's Facebook wall, so if you would like to sign as well, click here, it only takes a few seconds.