Olympics

When the Olympics took place in Berlin Germany one of the races had more controversy than the rest. When Caster Semenya won the gold medal in the 800 meter women's race there was much talk as to if she was actually femal or not. Many people attributed her deep voice and "facial hair" as reasons why she should be tested to in fact assure if she was female or not.
I thought that this had to be extremely humiliating for her to have to go through, especially with it being a nation wide debate. I believe that it should have been discussed more privately before have tons of rumors spread. I understand why in this case it would be significant as to what her gender really is, but should have been handeled in a more professional manor.

-rachel wynn

Stay at home dad

http://justjared.buzznet.com/2007/10/14/ben-affleck-stay-at-home-dad/

After we talked about being a stay at home dad i saw that Ben Affleck is one.  He enjoys it. There is nothing wrong with being a stay at home dad. 

Celebrity Dad

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/family/celebrity/joel-mchale-interview-about-family  
I liked this article becasue you got to see how a celebrity father thinks.  He does put his family first


Marc Sternberg

Transgender Basketball Player

I found this article on ESPN.  He is the first transder basketball player ever to come out as a D 1 athlete.  He plays for the womens team. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncw/news/story?id=5758450

Oprah aired a show last friday that was a follow up show from a story that appeared on her show years ago. A few decades ago, a man who was HIV postive and gay jumped into a public pool in a small town in Virgina. This created an uproar from the town`s members. Th public pool was shut down for sanitation. Oprah assembled the towns people together so they could voice their opinions on the matter. At the gathering on Oprah`s show, they ostraziced this man by using harsh and hateful words towards homosexuals and AIDS victims. They expressed strong animosity and contempt for what he had done. The man died a couple years later from AIDS. The follow up episode featured some of the most outspoken citizens and asked what they had thought about themselves and what they had said after watching the tape again. The man`s sisters appeared on the show on behalf of their deceased brother. The citizens said the tape was dificult to watch yet they seemed to defend what they had said in it.

This show was very difficult to watch. My heart broke for the man who experienced such cruel discrimination and for his family.


Did anyone else watch this show? What were your feelings/comments?

-Shannon Reilly

The article from the Forbes website was a little disturbing, especially the one written from the point of view of Michael Noer, who advised men to not marrying a woman with a career because "If a host of studies are to be believed, marrying these women is asking for trouble." He then goes on to talk about the downsides of marrying a woman who has a job, including "you'll be unhappy if she makes more money than you do". First of all, he needs to get over his male ego. If the biggest issue here is who's bringing home the bigger paycheck, than men need to take a step back and reexamine their argument. The author writes that women who work have a higher chance of meeting a coworker they like more than you. Well if you're so worried about you're spouse leaving you that you don't want him or her to work, try being NICE to him or her! You can't keep women from working just because you're afraid that they'll leave you for a coworker.

Julia Smoot

Chelsea Lately

I just finished watching Chelsea Lately and her special guest was Nicki Minaj. I thought Nicki had a great interview and she brought up a women's studies topic. She said that it is hard to be a successful woman because you are expected to fill so many different roles in your life. She commented on how she wants a man who can be somewhat aggressive, but if she were to be aggressive in the relationship then she would be a "bitch". She also said how a double standard exists between successful men and women. A woman is expected to be the cheerleader for her kids, and a support system for everyone in her life; but she can't be too aggressive in her intimate relationship. Nicki says it's not fair. And I agree. Women are strong, but shouldn't be expected to please everyone. We also shouldn't have to fear expressing ourselves to other for fear of being judged.

-Katherine Henry

Craigslist & Sex Workers?

http://womensrights.change.org/blog/view/a_sex_workers_solution_for_solicitation

I found this article to have completely thrown me off. I never realized that people have relied on craigslist for incomes, and the issue whether of not the safety and well being of the individuals are enough to remove the erotic services on craigslist. Although a verified section in a newspaper or magazine would help make the services safer for both parties, I feel like that the main issue is the impact that would have on the reputation of the company itself. Would having these ads in the smaller magazines have any impact on the safety of both parties?

-Kevin Ung

The Root Interview: Beverly Guy-Sheftall on Black Feminism

Before this interview, i can honestly say that i have never heard of Beverly Guy-Sheftall a day in my life and this is upsetting to me as a young African-American man. I have always wondered if there was a voice to the black women alone in feminism and here she is. Quite frankly i personally felt the only big influence on black feminism was Nikki Giovanni I'm not forgetting about the White, Asian, Indian or any other group of women from another race but i feel that there should be a voice for each race though feminism is a issue for all women. Each individual culture or discourse community needs to be extinguished alone before adding in others to create a bigger solution. Like Guy-Shelftall said, black feminism is something that is needed not only for the black community but also black culture. How many times do we all hear the term "Baby Mama Drama" and instantly think of a black women? Single parents, mostly mothers are a feminist issue first and a community issue second and then a build up to greater things.

Though it should be on wanting to create a better future for man kind alone, it sometimes has to get racial in order to get the amount of help that is needed in some situations. There was a part in the article where Sheftall referred to For Colored Girls, a book that Tyler Perry recently released as a movie that is currently still in theaters. I will never forget how a bunch of African-American men on facebook said in there statuses and still some to this day on how much they have a great respect for black women and appreciate all women. Now I'm not saying that a male feminist population is vastly building, but everything starts with awareness and hopefully the movie did reach as many as it claims.

Guy-Sheftall also stated that we should each ask ourselves, "What kind of life do i want to live?" because that constitutes our liberation, by defining our life for our self. I know that i want to live a prosperous one where there is respect for every living thing. I don't plan on asking for everything to be liked or loved and no prejudice because its impossible. Not because i feel the people can't do it, but simply because opinions is what makes each and every living thing unique.
So the question the question of the night, What kind of life do i want to live for?

Tyrone Brown

"Training Rules" Response

I just watched the documentary "Training Rules" about Penn State's women's basketball team and their coach Rene Portland. I was so shocked by this documentary because I had never heard of these happenings before. For the coach to have such outward hatred toward lesbians is such a shame, and it's a shame that it was allowed to last for so long. Throughout the documentary they followed several basketball stars on the PSU team during Portland's coaching years. The Gulas twins were captured on film and discussed their stories. I found it so inspirational that at the age of 19 when they were told to either life a secret life in the closet and play basketball, or quit the team, they chose to quit the team. They didn't want to live a different life- they were happy with who they are.

I don't know how this woman could have ever thought she was doing a good thing. She was sexist and created fear in these women who were gay.

An interesting part of the documentary occurred when they began to discuss money. Money seems to be a common evil in sporting debates. The PSU alumni have such love for their alma mater and at one point began supporting the women's basketball team through generous donations. Once this happened, PSU lost some of their ability to rule over the coaches because the school no longer had the power (aka the money in this case).

I was pleased when the documentary said that PSU added sexual orientation to their anti-discriminatory laws in 1992. However, the implementation of these new rules proved to be quite the challenge. Even after all of these accusations from former players and other PSU coaches, I was so alarmed that Portland was still winning awards for coach of the year. And the fact that she still had a job! PSU only fined her 10,000 dollars, which like one woman said was a slap on the wrist to Portland.

At the end of the documentary there did seem to be hope. The WBCA created their code of ethics which mandated training for coaches. Also, the NCAA hosted a "Think Tank" in 2006 to help generate ideas toward eliminating negative recruitment in college athletics.

-Katherine Henry

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8xPZydoBj0&feature=player_embedded#!
Marriage Equality USA did some Christmas caroling on the streets of San Francisco to spread some holiday cheer and speak out against Prop 8 in a cute, different way. :) I saw this on Perez (my guilty pleasure) and thought I would share.

-Lainey Boyce

Masculinity

http://feministing.com/2010/12/04/the-feministing-five-cj-pascoe/#more-27660

Read and Discuss

Careers and Marriage

http://www.forbes.com/2006/08/23/Marriage-Careers-Divorce_cx_mn_land.html

Read and Discuss!

White Student Union

http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=7822288
 West Chester University was on the news because of the recent incident about a white student union meeting on campus.  I was shocked when I heard about this!! Students (myself included) received an email from the campus climate intervention team that there was no such thing as a white student union and as stated in the email that "in investigating the situation, we have learned that the meeting was, in fact, designed to draw anti-racist allies together." I still can't believe people would do this! It left me with a bad feeling in my stomach, I'm happy I did not see any of the fliers around campus. It's a shame that this is the kind of publicity our university is getting. Thankfully it was stopped and we can hopefully move past this. It seems as if every time we make progress something pops up to make you realize how much farther we need to come. I'm curious how other students felt about this...

-Lainey Boyce

Sexual Harassment for Undocumented Women

http://www.splcenter.org/get-informed/publications/injustice-on-our-plates#

I found this article and it completely relates to the topics we are discussing in class right now.  Apparently there has been research on the working conditions of undocumented immigrant women working in the food industry, and they are finding that these women are subjected to sexual harassment, ridiculously low wages, and even stolen wages.  For example, they "surveyed 51 poultry processing plants and found 100% had violated labor laws by not paying employees for all hours worked. Also, one-third took impermissible deductions from workers’ pay". In regards to the sexual harassment, they found that “hundreds, if not thousands, of women had to have sex with supervisors to get or keep jobs and/or put up with a constant barrage of grabbing and touching and propositions for sex by supervisors."  This is also a really prominent example of intersectionality.  The sexual harassment that most of us probably think of is much less severe. I know that I thought these problems were an issue of the past that we have grown beyond but clearly I was wrong if these women are facing this reality everyday.  This is also a good article to make us aware of the privileges and responsibilities we have to try and stop the spread of negative opinions about immigrants and to help these women fight sexual abuse in the workplace just as we are combating it in our own lives. Read it, you might be surprised what you find.

Shannon Kearns

http://www.mtv.com/videos/movies/600786/nicki-minaj-will-not-drink-pickle-juice.jhtml#id=1652275

I watched this documentary on the fabulous Nicki Minaj on Mtv the other night, and when this part of the interview came on I immediately thought of this class and the first article we read. This video clip is the modern day (especially in the music industry) example of Frye's article on how women are expected to act. I love Nicki Minaj, she makes a GREAT example of how women are binded!

Everyone take a look especially if you like her music, it's funny!!!


Jacqueline Beley

Article about Transgender and LPGA

So I found this really cool article about how the LPGA tour is removing wording that restricted Transgender people from participating! A great step forward I believe.  Read and comment if you'd like!
-Frank S.

http://sports.yahoo.com/golf/pga/news?slug=ap-lpga-transgender

In response to Chelsey: And what about that little black girl in philly? Her *Name* is Erica Pratt

Jet Magazine August 12,2002

http://books.google.com/books?id=LbYDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA30&lpg=PA30&dq=philadelphia+girl+chews+through+duct+tape&source=bl&ots=CBC1AHa70d&sig=wheM2Vofc7WKjdWPO7ziQTLyifk&hl=en&ei=qLT3TNrvDoL6lweRwLiVAg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBcQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

What Gays and Straights Both Seek to Affirm in the Military

Read and comment!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/30/AR2010113005693.html

Racism

Everyone cringes when something that appears racist is spoken or written, but I do not understand why. We know or at least, I know racism is still present in society.  It’s not a subject of the past, but it just strange that some people are culturally ignorant regardless of advances we have made. There was an email sent out to alert everyone that there is no “white student union.”  Think about how you felt when you read the email. Did you cringe? Our reaction to racist-like things displays our awareness of racism.

                 Racism is something that should be taken very seriously, but I wonder if it’s better to hide it or make it known. Awareness of racism is better than the hidden reality. I would rather know that a person hates a particular race, so that I know how to approach them. I want to know their ignorance so that I may be able to educate them. Most racist ideals come from a misunderstanding or overgeneralization of something.  Some people are racism without ever having contact with the hated race. This is simple ignorance. Lack of understanding between cultures creates space for racism to develop. Cultural sensitivity and competence breaks down the wall of ignorance that supports racism. If my color was different would my actions still be interpreted the same way or might they say I’m acting like a black girl?

Safi Parker

Elizabeth Smart

here is a link to an article about Elizabeth Smart that i found during class
Elizabeth Smart

*Chelsey Sipe

The Root

I found this article very insightful and brought up some very important issues.  I thought the part in the end where she talks about how she wishes Oprah addressed the women who opt not to have children and get married because of certain reasons and it was the best decision of their life is a good point.  You always hear about the opposite like she said many think motherhood is the best time but that is personal opinion.  There are many women out there who chose to not have children or get married and are perfectly happy.  I understand why these types of women do not get portrayed; some people today do not want to hear this because like Sheftall said we still have a lot more work to do when it comes to sexism especially racialized sexism.  I also found it very interesting and kind of stereotypical when she said all the males she considers to be feminist are between the ages of 30 and 45.  What about the men who do not fall into that age range?  She automatically assumes they could not be feminists.  Sheftall's books have touched many lives and the work she has done over the years to make black feminism equal has done wonders for racial sexism in the U.S.

Caitlin McGourty

The Root Interview: Beverly Guy-Sheftall on Black Feminism

I agree with Andrea that this was a very interesting article. I found it strange when Beverly Guy - Sheftall stated that at all - black gatherings, people were asking her whether or not she was a lesbian, because being pro - female translated into a hate for men. This is crazy because this could mean that she wanted and stood for equal rights for women. This does not necessarily mean that she hates men! I also learned that black males who are considered feminists are between the ages of 30 and 45. Yes, I agree with BGS that we still live in a white-supremacist, sexist, and homophobic culture. Overall, Beverly Guy - Sheftall is an example of being a phenomenal woman who knows what she is doing and stands up for what she wants regarding Black Feminism. She should be mentioned in all Women Studies classes because I could see her as a role model for African American women.

Aliyah Drake

"The Root" Response

I found several things very interesting about this article...

1.) I find it interesting that Beverly Guy-Sheftall credits several books for cementing black feminism in scholarship. The book she references is All the Women Are White, All the Men Are Black, but Some of Us Are Brave which was published in the '90s. It seems so strange that black feminism was only articulated in this book (and several others) about a decade ago. When I first think of feminism, I tend to think of it as a whole, versus in sections of racism and sexism. But this article proves otherwise. The first feminist movement started much earlier in history. However, Guy-Sheftall writes that black feminism is still young and making new strides. On a positive note, the books mentioned in this interview help create awareness. As Guy-Shrftall mentioned, the issues of black feminism can no longer be ignored thanks to such literature.


2.) Beverly Guy-Sheftall also mentions how pleased she is with the shift in age. The age of young participants at the 2010 National Women's Studies Association has increased from previous years. Guy-Sheftall is impressed with this change because she no longer has to worry about filling her position at the conference. The youth interest is increasing and eliminates this problem. I find it hopeful for issues such as black feminism. I'm glad that youth participation is increasing and becoming popular. It's about time we start taking interest in today's issues that affect us.


3.) I also think it's great that young, black college men are taking a stance on black feminism. Through women's studies classes and other educational reports, men are able to take on an active role in igniting a change. Guy-Sheftall says that majority of black males she considers feminists are between the ages of 30 and 45, which can be attributed to the education from their mothers and leaders of a new, feminist generation. This piece of information is hopeful as well, because the number of black, educated men is increasing, also being influenced by a larger number of black women and men feminists. 


With all these things to consider (the shift of age, the education of black men and women, and feminist literature) black feminism will continue to spread awareness and knowledge. However, we do have reality checks every now and then that prove America is still a homophobic, sexist, and racist society. For example, when Barack Obama was elected president, his wife, Michelle Obama was continuously criticized for her fashion and life choices. The one main example was the gold dress she wore to the inauguration that people tore apart. It doesn't matter that she is a strong, educated black women, people still made ruthless comments regarding her fashion choices that night. Until these situation change, America is still behind in the black feminist movement. At least influential people, such as Beverly Guy-Shaftall, create an image and positive direction for such movements.  

The Root Interview: Beverly Guy-Sheftall on Black Feminism

I thought this interview was very interesting. It was an interview with Guy-Sheftall, who has been a pioneer for black feminism since the 1960's. She stated how the feminism movement was pro-white, which I always thought was odd considering that feminism is about fighting for equality. It is unfortunate that there has always been a separation between white feminism and black feminism. On a more positive note, it is stated that there are many young advocates for black feminism which is very promising for the future. Black males are also participating in the movement. Black males who Guy-Sheftall considered feminists are between the ages of 30 and 45 because they have had experience with black feminism. I didn't know that Barack Obama was raised by a feminist motherm, which is why he understands politic around gender and sexuality. It's good that we have a president with a background like this because our society is still a white-supremacist, sexist, and homphobic culture. For example, there are no black women on senate. Another topic I liked in this article is how she said that women shouldn't be concerned if they don't have a partner. The media puts a huge pressure on women to have a partner and to have babies. Guy-Sheftall also states how Christianity keeps people trapped in this ideology. Her closing statement is,  "Define your life for yourself." I really like that quote and plan on doing so!

-Andrea Avery

My RAPE story

Rape is never something you want to share with someone. Rape is never something that a person should have to experience in order to learn. Rape should never be tolerated or encouraged. There are no valid excuses for rape. There is no reason a woman or man should be violated by another person. As a young girl, 12 years old, I was raped by 2 men that were family friends. My grandmother asked them to take me home because she wasn’t feeling well and no one could pick me up. I felt strange, but I was so young. I had never been alone with men who were not my brothers or uncles, but I trusted them because my grandmother trusted them. They told me that we would be making a quick stop to their house because my house was in the direction which they had to go and they needed a few things. I reluctantly went in because my grandmother had left them in charge. It’s a bit blurry what happen before they began the rape because I’ve spent so many years trying to forget. At this time, they were about 33 and 29 years of age. I was alone in a strange place with 2 men. I thought if I screamed, I would not be able to make it home, so I stayed quiet. They asked if I was a virgin and my body went numb. I could not speak. I could not move a limb. I laid there, limp and in shock. You can stop reading if this is too much detail, but this is going to help me. One person held my hands pinned into his bed while the older man pulled my clothes off and forced my tiny untouched legs open. He said to his friend, “oh my God, do you think I should since she’s still a virgin.” I began to cry. I almost choked on my own bodily fluids. I never told anyone till this day and I do not think I ever will. I still see these men on occasions. I know I wasn’t the first or the last, but I didn’t know how to explain this at that age. I missed out on most of my childhood days, but I’ve moved on with my life. There are so many children being violated in silence, therefore, as women we have to educate ourselves and our children that it’s never their fault. They need to speak out to someone they trust as soon as possible, so something can be done. I think it took me long enough to get over this, so I do not want to reopen healed wounds by discussing this openly. I pray that people begin to understand that it is sometimes easier to suffer alone than to be labeled as a survivor or victim of rape.

Courtney Brigman

After the discussion held in class Wednesday, I couldn't help but to post something. The whole issue of "she asks for it" really bothers me. No one, regardless of what they're wearing, how they look, how loud they are at a party, or how many drinks they had, asks to be raped.  I believe a person should be able to do whatever they want and shouldn't have to be worried about someone thinking they deserve to be raped. Granted at a party, it may not be  appropriate for a woman to act irresponsible because a woman, or everybody for that matter, should act in a manner which shows they have respect for themselves. That said, no one deserves to be raped, and it makes me cringe that so many people believe that. No one "asks for it". Point blank period.

Rape

I would like to politely disagree with parts of the post below mine. As a criminal justice student, who's taken many courses that involve both sex crimes and police behavior, I was a little offended to read that police do not take rape seriously. Both men and women police officers have been well trained to handle rapes and rape cases. While it may seem a bit insensitive to question someone immediately after something as traumatic as rape happens, it is necessary to catch whomever did this. It is really hard to gather facts after the first twenty four hours after a crime occurs has passed. While there are rape kits (and anyone who has suffered from sexual assault should NOT shower or change clothes but get help, go to the hospital and get a rape kit to help preserve evidence) and while you can give your testimony, it is best to be able to answer officer's questions and to help them catch the rapist.

Maybe there was an unfortunate experience, and I obviously can't speak for every single cop in the entire United States, but I can say that in my experience, police officers have been well trained, and taken many sensitivity courses to help themselves help a victim after a rape occurs.

Please, do NOT let one bad story discourage you from going to the police after something happens. The only way to keep whoever raped you from raping someone else is to seek out justice.

Julia Smoot

Rape: Myths and Facts

Rape was the main topic in our class today, Wednesday November 10,2010. I feel very strongly about this topic and i feel like about of interesting points came up. Some people brought up the objective if women dress a certain way then they are somewhat asking to be raped. That is ridiculous, i feel as though women should be able to dress however they want. Men was not once mentioned in class. It was brought up that anyone can get raped no matter who you are or what you look like, which is true. But the situation about men and how they dress wasn't an issue.

I feel as though this has to be changed, and something should be done about it. I think that cops, and the legal system doesn't make anything easier. Towards the end of the class we touched briefly on how young girls may not want to tell they were raped when alcohol was involved because they are afraid they will receive an under age. I felt this was very necessary to the topic.

Police officers don't make it easy for someone to report a rape. Almost as if they are denying to them they've been raped. Like they are lying about the whole situation. I feel as though they should be more careful at what they say and try to comfort the victim. They make it seem as though it is the victims fault, when that is never the case. This is a reason why society will never stop doing what is being done and a change will not be made.

Something has to stop it, a change has to be made. Many people are truly affected and influenced by being raped and try to blame it on their selves, they aren't educated enough to know that it has nothing to do with it being their fault. IT IS NEVER THE VICTIMS FAULT.

Nikole Smith

Contemporary oppression Amanda Geary

Earlier I posted a blog about how Muslim women were oppressed, but never posted any details about about it.  The major issue with Muslim women, is that they are not allowed to show their face.  They must wear a veil that covers their entire face to symbolize their subservience to men.  They must also ride in the backseat of a car.  They cannot change their name when they get married, they must keep their father's name to show identity.  Muslim women are forbidden to go into the community, work, visit family or friends; they are only allowed if their husbands say they are.  While out they must obey the Islamic rules and behave in their best way.  These women are treated like kids.  If the women have the same job as a male, they get paid less.  If the women broke any of these rules, then there were would be severe punishments.  If women were not clothed properly, she would be whipped or verbally abused.  If they were caught having sex outside of  marriage she would be stoned to death.  If her ankles were showing, she would be whipped.  If her fingernails were painted, then they would be chopped off.  These are just some of the reasons why Muslim women represent contemporary oppression.  They have such limited freedom and if they go beyond that freedom, they are punished.  Can you imagine having to follow by all those rules?  I know that I take many of my freedoms for granted.  I don't think that I would be able to last in a country with so many rules and harsh punishments.

"It Gets Better" Campaign

This links you to the most moving message I have found from the recent "It Gets Better" campaign designed to help all youth endure bullying that happens to anyone perceived as gay or as Joel says "different". Please view and post your reactions in the form of a comment. You can earn a point extra credit for your comment.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ax96cghOnY4&feature=player_embedded

This is a link to the message from the whitehouse.
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2010/10/09/it-gets-better

~Lisa Ruchti

Rutgers Student Believed To Have Committed Suicide After Classmates Allegedly Recorded Him In Gay Sexual Encounter

[from the Huffington Post; article updated 5:46pm 9/30/10]


The Clementi family's lawyer, Paul Minardi, has released a statement confirming that Tyler committed suicide:

"Tyler was a fine young man, and a distinguished musician. The family is heartbroken beyond words. They respectfully request that they be given time to grieve their great loss and that their privacy at this painful time be respected by all," he said, according to ABC

ABC also reports that Clementi posted an update to his Facebook page on Sept. 22 at 8:42 p.m. that read "Jumping off the gw bridge sorry."

A Facebook page in memory of Clementi has more than 450 supporters as of this update.

A Rutgers University freshman is believed to have taken his own life last week shortly after he was broadcast engaging in sexual activity with another man.

According to WPIX, officials believe the student, who the New York Daily News has identified as 18-year-old Tyler Clementi, jumped from the George Washington Bridge last week. His car was found nearby with his computer and cell phone inside.

WPIX eports that the Clementi's alleged roommate, Dharun Ravi, and another first-year student, Molly Wei, were charged with invasion of privacy for secretly leaving a camera in his bedroom on Sept. 19 and posting footage of an ensuing sexual encounter on the internet.

In New Jersey, it is a fourth-degree crime to collect images showing sexual content or nudity without the subject's consent, and it is a third-degree crime to transmit the relevant content.

Ravi and Wei, both 18, have been charged with two counts of invasion of privacy for the events that transpired on Sept. 19; Ravi received two more for attempting to record another of the Clementi's encounters on Sept. 21.

According to Student Activism, Ravi allegedly posted to Twitter about taping Clementi's sexual encounter: "Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into molly's room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay." Two days later, Ravi tweeted: "Anyone with iChat, I dare you to video chat me between the hours of 9:30 and 12. Yes it's happening again."(Gawker has the screenshots of Ravi's Twitter feed, which has since been deleted.)

Ravi and Wei have both been released from police custody, Ravi on $25,000 bail and Wei on her own recognizance. According to the Star-Ledger, Rutgers officials are likely to take disciplinary action against the students. As Rutgers spokeswoman Sandra Lanman said, "The university takes these matters seriously and has policies to deal with student behavior."

If convicted for third degree offenses, the Ravi and Wei could face up to five years in prison. Neither gave comment to news sources who contacted them.

50 Cent Encourages Gay Suicide

By Advocate.com Editors

No stranger to antigay tweets, 50 Cent has posted an ill timed message on his Twitter page, suggesting that any man who isn’t into women should kill himself right now.

“If you a man and your over 25 and you don’t eat pu**y just kill your self damn it. The world will be a better place. Lol.”

Earlier this month, the rapper tweeted, "Perez Hilton called me douchebag, so I had my homie shoot up a gay wedding. wasnt his, but made me feel better."

I think this is absolutely crazy. honestly, i hope a bunch of gay rights advocates stand outside his home and beat the hell outta him

Just in the news the other day

I was actually browsing yahoo.com's homepage and noticed a story that caught my eye. It was about a student at Rutgers University. Two guys were roommates. One asked to use the room for a certain time span and I guess his roommate became suspicious for some reason so he set up a webcam without the roommate knowing. The next time the roommate asked to use the room the roommate left and went to a friends dorm. He asked to use her computer and went to his webcam. On it was his roommate and another male having sexual relations. He than posted it! He also made comments on twitter about his roommate and the reasoning behind him using the website which is absolutely ridiculous. Yes his roommate was gay and because of what he did his gay roommate jumped off the George Washington bridge killing himself. As I was reading this article I was honestly disgusted that a person would do this. Make that big of an issue. I'm sure he never thought that he may kill himself but still he did it to get some type of reaction out of the students, or whoever could see the video! The roommate and the girl whose room he went to to pull up the video are now facing up to 5 years in jail. So I did some more digging and found a facebook page titled "Molly is innocent" so I clicked on it because I wanted to see what people were saying about the girl whose computer was used to put the video out there and there was a lady commenting on peoples comments saying things such as "gays should just come out" and how the kid who killed himself was a "coward!" So I posted a status on my facebook stating what happened and how it shouldn't matter who you are attracted to, but I can tell that it does in many places. Ive seen people say mean things to homosexuals and it hurts to see people act that way towards others but this was so heinous it made me sick. I was glad to see students on campus gather and all lay down and say "were here were queer and were not leaving." The kid should have never died. He should still be living him college days out, people don't think how their actions could/can effect others and they really need to start. I wanted to post this because I believe everyone should know about this story and learn from it.

Sharing Bathroom's

I thought of this after class today. A lot of the discussion was very insightful and it was interesting to hear other views on the idea of having a gender neutral bathroom. Two things did come to my mind, oddly, on my hour drive home! One thing I thought about is how I have a few guy friends that I KNOW would oppose the idea.. they are they type of people that say women do not shit, burp, fart or doing anything of the sort. I always mess around with them and say things about how I really have to go and they honestly get mad! Another thing that I thought about that would bother me about sharing a bathroom, that is kind of a pet peeve of mine, is the fact that I know the toilet seat will be left up alot!.. honestly though and I know this is a little to much info but there have been times growing up where it was either late or I was in a rush and sat down on the toilet only to my surprise I nearly hit the water because my dad or brother forgot to put the toilet seat down... I live with my boyfriend and we have this one friend who never puts the toilet seat down and it drives me NUTS! Just something to think about!
-Theresa Kaufmann

Gendered Parenting Ads

http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2010/09/21/a-round-up-of-gendered-parenting-in-ads/

A veiw on Lady Gaga-Christina Klaproth

Hi, I just wanted to rant a little bit about Lady Gaga. From a fashionista perspective, I love what Lady Gaga is doing by making high fashion (pieces typically only seen on the runway) wearable by wearing these high couture pieces publicly, daily. As I (and most designers) view fashion as wearable art, it is wonderful to see someone publicly wearing these pieces of art that are typically seen exclusively on the runway (which is basically their art gallery). When we discussed Lady Gaga in class, I realized that she was not just making an artistic statement by wearing these pieces but challenging societies perception of what is beautiful, accepted, and normal. The pieces she choses to wear do not always enhance her or make her look beautiful. They are not something we would normally chose to wear everyday or ever. But I believe she is using her "power" as a celebrity to challenge our ideas of what is accepted in society and change that. One way she is challenging societies idea of what is accepted as beautiful is by wearing whatever she wants to (and with the money she has, she has a lot of options). She may still be showing off her curves but as opposed to other female artists who objectify their own bodies, Gaga is rejecting opression. She is accepting the naturalness of her body and showing it off. She is wearing whatever she wants to, reguardless of whether it is flattering or not because she is making the point that it shouldn't have to fit societies standards. She is making make up choices that, in the mainstream view, do not make her face look "pretty". 'But what does it matter if it's pretty?' is the point I think Gaga may be trying to make. We put way to much emphasise on trying to fit one mold when there are millions of other molds to be made (which are much more interesting!). Although clothing and make up are superficial, they are a starting point. Women have to realize that they should not have to put their make up on a certain way and dress a certain way to attract men (especially if they don't even like the way they are dressing but do it because they are at a loss about what else to do). I think as a public figure, Gaga is a great representation of self-expression and why it is so important that we all have our own identities.

Contemporary Feminism - Amanda Barr

When I thought about the world “feminism” and recent examples that I have seen or heard of, I thought of certain TV shows or movies I have seen that have portrayed women as strong characters and equal to the male character’s role.   Many movies came to mind, such as Kill Bill, A League of Their Own, and The First Wives’ Club, but I think the best example would be Disney’s movie Mulan.  In the beginning of the movie, Mulan admits that she does not think that she is capable of meeting up to her family’s and society’s expectations of being the “average woman”.  She then joins the army but was disguised as a man.  Although being a woman soldier was as at first tough for Mulan, she portrayed a female character who performed equally, if not better, than the male soldiers.  Throughout the entire movie, she was outspoken and proved her intelligence and strength.  In the end, it was the woman soldier, Mulan, who saved the nation and other’s life because of this strength and intelligence.  I think this movie is a great example of feminism because it shows that women’s capabilities and strengths are not inferior to men’s as commonly thought. Mulan proved herself to be as capable of fighting and winning the war just as any other man could.

Contemporary feminism today_ NSmith

Nikole Smith  

                An example of contemporary feminism today would be the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes that is also being hosted at West Chester worldwide. It is also an international thing. The walk in West Chester is a mile walk to help rape victims, also to help stop domestic and dating violence.  It is also to see if men are women enough to walk a mile in heels. It is leaned towards women and to help them out. Men are involved to and they wear heels and dress up type of thing. It uplifts women and embraces their morals. There is a lot of feminine people who enjoy this walk and are a part of it. I think it is a great chance to promote feminism, for all people to come together and realize how important it is and to gain equality stated that men aren’t better than women and that it is hard to fulfill a woman’s role being expected.  This is a great opportunity and example of contemporary feminism today being demonstrated worldwide and at West Chester University’s campus.

 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/walkamileinhershoesinternational/page76/

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=49645989773

http://events.linkedin.com/Walk-Mile-Her-Shoes-R/pub/394076

Margaret Sanger....Racist Feminist

As a nursing major, we learned briefly about Margaret Sanger as a women’s rights activist and founder of Planned Parenthood. However, it’s interesting that her racist beliefs leading to the finding of Planned Parenthood is not mentioned. Margaret Sanger wanted to advocate for abortions on African-Americans in order to obliterate “socially undesirable people” as she stated. Margaret did not want to create choices for all women. She wanted to “exterminate the negro population”. How can feminist expect for blacks to feel welcomed and associated with such movement with a dark history of racism? There are feminist women who still have this deep seated racist feeling that makes racial identity more essential to every encounter with a minority race.

Safi Parker

Girl Power

This past weekend, I got a flat tire. I was with a few girls without any guys insight. Normally, when I have a flat or anything is wrong I pick up the phone and call my brothers or my boyfriend. However, I did not want to bother anyone, so I decided to step up and change my own tire. One of my girlfriends told she knew how and we would be fine. We were having some difficulty, but eventually we were able to get the spare tire on. Thank God for all that girl power.
I know very well that women are capable to do whatsoever men can, but I know my strengths and weaknesses. It may have been second nature for another female to change their tire, but that is not something I have ever tried. There are many women who know more about cars than another man, but I would not think of myself as one of them. I choose not to be knowledgeable about cars because they are not of an interest of mines. It is not because I am frail or stupid. For instance, I have a high interest in the drums and I could probable play better than some guys. This is not something that would be expected of a girl, but this is who I am.
These days there are many occupations which women enter into that are not common; however, that’s where their interest lies. As for the tire incident with my friends, I’m glad I knew some girls who had an interest in cars similar to my brothers and boyfriend. Women are not being limited by the normal nursing and mothering roles set forth by society. Women are leading by what interest them. I just want to acknowledge women with wrenches who are empowering women kind everywhere.

Safi Parker

Contemporary Feminism- Amanda Geary

One example of contemporary feminism I found was Muslim women. They have many rules that go against them that the men make. The men do this because they claim that the women are not as important as them. As a result to this, women must wear attire that shows nothing but their eyes, they must also always listen to the men. They are not allowed to drive in the front seat of the car, when they go out in public they must act a certain way. These rules are absurd. No women should have to follow these rules just because of their gender.

Johnson Reagon

The speech by Johnson Reagon for me was a little confusing. She talks about coalitions and coming together in unity instead of being separated by the "X's" or staying inside of "barred rooms". It seems as she was saying that we live in a time where we try to find and separate people who are like us or similar to us. But it's not good to do that, and instead we must break down and live outside of the barred doors, or to live outside of the box. I think she's attempting to say that the century is turning and times are changing, therefore, calling for us a s a people to change. There's a portion where she talks about killing and babies and putting them in the forest to die. What does that have to do with anything? It seems she using it metaphorically, but what exactly she's trying to compare it with is a unclear.

Contemporary Feminism in Politics - Melanie Molnar

An example that I think shows contemporary feminism is when Hilary Clinton ran as a candidate for the Democratic party in the 2008 Election. This is not the first woman to run for the United States Presidency, however, she has come the closest than any other woman in winning the nomination of any major political party in the United States. This example is feminist because there has always been a major effort to get women involved in politics, especially at such a high level as running for U.S presidency, and Hilary Clinton has made it all the way to primary elections. This has inspired other women to pursue higher positions in their own jobs because they see all the progress that Clinton made. This has caused more and more women to reach top spots in major fortune five hundred companies. This has also effected the amount of women on election ballots. The number of women on these ballots has increased greatly.

http://womenshistory.about.com/od/publicofficials/tp/ran_for_president.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party_%28United_States%29_presidential_candidates,_2008

Melanie Molnar

"Sister Outsider" by Audre Lorde

My first impression of this speech was it was a little much. She seemed to overstate her point by talking a little much and drawing out her point. She talks about the differences of white women and lesbian black women and Third World Women. I was a little unsure about what or who 3rd world women were. Were they women who weren't considered 'upper class or wealthy"? I'm not exactly sure however as I continued to read, I began to understand her point. She began talking about women and how it has been always been taught to ignore differences but how it's important not to shed or ignore those differences. What I interpreted from this is that there is a difference black ad white women and while we educate and try to fight off oppression of men, we need to do the same and look at the differences between white and black women. The fear needs to stop and as a community, people need to look inside themselves and see that there needs to not be a difference between black and white women, or straight and lesbian black women. Instead of differences there needs to be unity and as Lorde says " See whose face it wears", see exactly just how many differences there are.

Example of contemporary feminism today

An example of contemporary feminism today would be West Chester University's Women Center. The center is filled with females, but even some males attend the center. The center purpose is to empower and embrace women, uplifting them, and giving them the knowledge of women trials in the past and present. The center is a feminist place with many feminine people. It is a great example of feminist today coming together for a good cause to push feminism and gain equality and rights.

http://www.wcupa.edu/_SERVICES/STU.WCE/

Tyler Guy

Aliyah Drake: Example of Contemporary Feminism

Contemporary Feminism

The pay gap between women and men range from 13 % to 23 %. A report shows that “Higher education of women does not lead to a smaller pay gap (ask.com/wiki/Equal_pay_for_women). A women’s income is lower than that of a man for many reasons. For example: women work less, leave the labor force for long periods of time and they hold jobs that pay less (http://www.usatoday.com/money/jobcenter/2003-11-20-pay-gap_x.htm ) I don't believe this is fair because we as women are capable of doing any job that a man can do. However, I learned that in 1973, Billie King scores a victory for women atheletes when she beats Bobby Riggs. I know for a fact that many people were angry because they didn't think that a women could do this. We have already been through enough such as getting the right to vote and now we don't get the same pay as men ! This is crazy!!!

Men and Women doing the same job, but men get paid more.

Coming off of what someone said about Kim Kardashian, it reminded me of something that she has done that I feel has made her in a double bind. Recently, Kim did a photo-shoot with the ever-so-popular Justin Beiber. The photo-shoot was based on the movie "The Graduate". In case you don't know the movie is about a younger man falling in love with an older woman (inspired with the song "Mrs. Robinson"). After the shoot was published, Kim got a lot of flack for being a 30 year old woman, posing innocently with a 16 year old pop singer. This makes me think of the double-bind that sometimes comes up between men and women, having to do with what age group they date. How many girlfriends has Hugh Hefner had that all start at age 18? If Hef was to pose with one of his playboy models, no one would think twice about it. And he isn't just posing with them, he's having relations with them as well. All Kim did was pose with Justin. She is not dating him, that is illegal. Still though, what if he was 18, and what if she was having relations with him? Would she be criticized? I am almost positively that she would. She would be considered trying to be a cougar, even though she is only 30. If a girl can get a younger man (who is legal) more power to them! My mom is a 53 year old woman with a 37 year old husband. It was total shock when I found out they were together, and my mom's traditional parents did not approve. When anyone I know finds out the age difference in my mom and step-dad they gasp, and automatically ask if she is a M.I.L.F (mom i'd like to....ya know) I say no she is my mom...she looks her age and acts it too....It seems the only way people believe a younger man could be with a woman 20 years older is if she is a perfect 10. I dont believe Kim Kardashian, or my mom for that point, should be judged by what they do whether it be posing for fun for a photo-shoot, or being married to someone of a younger or older age.

http://www.thesuperficial.com/that-justin-bieberkim-kardashian-photo-shoot-was-for-elle-wait-what-08-2010/0810-bieber-kardashian-elle-04

^^^ photoshoot gallery of kim and justin



-Jacqueline Beley

"Breaching the Concrete Ceiling"

Today, feminists are still fighting to make any underlying issues dealing with gender, race, and the oppression that follows those identities become more visible to society. The fight for women rights becomes even more difficult when the very same government you abide by can also be labeled as the oppressors. The economy has a barrier placed not only on women but also women of color. The National Council for Research on Women is currently finding ways to help women of color gain acknowledgment in the business field. The ideal image of a corporate manager, CEO, or member of a board is a white male. This ideal that society has about people in the workforce is creating the gap between women and women of color from furthering themselves in the labor field. The National Council for Research on Women are working towards the advancement of colored women being able to uphold a higher position. The women being oppressed by males, people of color, and society deserve to allow themselves to the same entitlement everyone else is given in the workforce. By mid-century, people of color are expected to make up fifty percent of society also making it more necessary to allow people of diversity to be given the same advantages. This problem  revolves around diversity and the only way to solve it is through the change of personal opinions and acknowledging what women of color can and have already accomplished.

-Courtney Mosley

Example of Feminism- Janine Allan

When i was researching examples of feminism i came across a music video by eminem called "We Made You."  In this music video he has actors (or himself) play women like Jessica Simpson, Kim Kardashian, and even Sarah Palin.  While acting out these characters he shows how they portray themselves by showing that Kim only wears clothes that are tight and show her "big butt" and how women sometimes portray themselves as "sluts."  I thought it was interesting how he uses the quote "were the ones that made you."  it made me question if he was speaking to Americans as a whole or the music industry itself or even speaking about himself.  I thought this example was very interesting and up for discussion because Eminem himself is seen as such a negative figure because of his vulgarity but really it might have an underlying meaning that is actual good.

Link to the video    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSdKmX2BH7o&ob=av2e

bell hooks

A whole conversation about bell hooks. Check it out!

http://msmagazine.com/blog/blog/2010/08/02/why-i-miss-bell-hooks/#respond