Feminism in News and Popular Media

[Allison W]

http://feministing.com/2014/09/29/ca...e-consent-law/

By MAYA | Published: SEPTEMBER 29, 2014

We’re giving a very enthusiastic “hell yes” to this news. The so-called “yes means yes” bill passed by the California state legislature last month, which establishes a standard of affirmative consent on college campuses in the state, has been signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown.

Gov. Jerry Brown announced Sunday that he has signed a bill that makes California the first in the nation to define when “yes means yes” and adopt requirements for colleges to follow when investigating sexual assault reports.

State lawmakers last month approved SB967 by Sen. Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, as states and universities across the U.S. are under pressure to change how they handle rape allegations. Campus sexual assault victims and women’s advocacy groups delivered petitions to Brown’s office on Sept. 16 urging him to sign the bill.

De Leon has said the legislation will begin a paradigm shift in how college campuses in California prevent and investigate sexual assaults. Rather than using the refrain “no means no,” the definition of consent under the bill requires “an affirmative, conscious and voluntary agreement to engage in sexual activity.”

This paradigm shift has been a long time coming and is desperately needed. The idea that mutual desire, not the mere absence of “no,” should perhaps be the standard for an activity that’s generally agreed to be pretty fun hardly seems radical. And there’s nothing that makes me sadder about the state of our sexual culture than the fact that this bill was met by such resistance.

Hopefully the affirmative consent standard will extend to college campuses in other states and, as Alexandra suggests, eventually to civil law suits for sexual assault as well. Above all, I look forward to the day when the proposal that we should only be having sex with people who are clearly excited about having sex with us is considered so obvious it doesn’t even need to be said.

-----

Really, I think this should be the legal standard everywhere, and not just California college campuses.

[Soon]

Monday, November 3rd — Thistle Interviews Sheila Jeffreys

TUESDAY, 28 OCTOBER 2014 | ACCESS HOUR
Thistle Pettersen conducts a live interview with controversial feminist Sheila Jeffreys. 7 PM Wisconsin time, the time of the radio show, is 10 AM the next day in Melbourne, the time zone that Sheila is in.

Air Times:

US: 7pm Central, 11pm Pacific, 8pm Eastern

UK: 1am

AU: 10am Perth, 1pm Canberra

------------
From the Event Page:

“Last spring, I invited Sheila Jeffreys to engage me and the Madison community (and beyond) in an hour-long discussion of women’s liberation and transgender politics. She accepted and I have been formulating questions for our radio show ever since.

Jeffreys is Professor of Feminist Politics in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne, Australia. She recently released the book “Gender Hurts: A Feminist Analysis of the Politics of Transgenderism”

We will also be speaking with Elizabeth Hungerford, Lesbian Feminist lawyer who co-penned the infamous “Letter to the UN on the Status of Women” in 2011. She will talk about changes to current laws that are pushing back women’s rights and protections.

In addition, Blake Abney will join us with her perspective as a detransitioning woman. She was transgender until she realized the harms it was doing to her body and her mental health. She will tell some of her story and provide information for people who are considering transgendering.

Tune-in on the internet LIVE the night of the show: http://www.wortfm.org/ Just click on the right-hand side at the top of the page to the orange bar that says “Listen Live”

We will discuss the term “transphobic” and examine how it is used to shut-down and silence feminist discourse and organizing. In addition, we will talk about the harms of transgendering to those who do it and to their family and friends.

Call the station the night of the show at 608 256 2001 or toll free at 866 899 9678 to let them know you support giving lesbian feminist women a platform to talk about feminism and that you would like future programming to include lesbian feminist perspectives.”

[Allison W]

Originally Posted by Soon

Monday, November 3rd — Thistle Interviews Sheila Jeffreys

Calling it now; this is going to be a sick, sad clusterfuck.

[Kobi]

Originally Posted by Allison W

Calling it now; this is going to be a sick, sad clusterfuck.

I'm not sure what your definition of a sick, sad, clusterfuck is.

My definition of this is when trans activitists and their allies descend on radical feminist space, calling biological women derogatory names, and threatening them with bodily harm, violence and rape for having a different point of view.

By that definition, the clusterfuck began this weekend.

This is just typical entitlement and privilege behavior designed to bully and silence women who do not agree with them and have the audacity to speak their own truth. It is very threatening, for them, to have biological women who refuse to be intimidated and silenced.

[Soon]

Tune-in on the internet LIVE the night of the show: http://www.wortfm.org/ Just click on the right-hand side at the top of the page to the orange bar that says “Listen Live”

[Allison W]

Originally Posted by Kobi

I'm not sure what your definition of a sick, sad, clusterfuck is.

Sheila Jeffreys, for starters. As someone who has never descended upon TERF space or threatened a woman with death or rape--and I will say right now, I wholeheartedly condemn the threats of violence, rape, and death being alleged and would not stand for anyone I associate with, trans or ally or otherwise, sending them--and who has been pushing back against Gamergate in no small part because of its campaign of exactly that kind of behaviour--I nonetheless get upset when accused of being the second coming of Hitler, particularly when I'm already in a vulnerable population frequently under attack by the mainstream. It's not the idea that sometimes FAB-only space is important and justified. It's not even her just being angry and lashing out at trans people; if that were something she did on the spur of the moment under stress, I could understand it in the context of getting defensive and angry when under attack. It's the part where she actively attacks the identities and rights of all trans people, and where this is going to be an hour-long rant about how trans people are the Devil and the worst thing in the world today and laws need to be passed banning them right now because she's decided her politics should be put before actual medical knowledge. That is what I take exception to, and what she does that I condemn.

[Kobi]

Originally Posted by Allison W

Sheila Jeffreys, for starters. As someone who has never descended upon TERF space or threatened a woman with death or rape--and I will say right now, I wholeheartedly condemn the threats of violence, rape, and death being alleged and would not stand for anyone I associate with, trans or ally or otherwise, sending them--and who has been pushing back against Gamergate in no small part because of its campaign of exactly that kind of behaviour--I nonetheless get upset when accused of being the second coming of Hitler, particularly when I'm already in a vulnerable population frequently under attack by the mainstream. It's not the idea that sometimes FAB-only space is important and justified. It's not even her just being angry and lashing out at trans people; if that were something she did on the spur of the moment under stress, I could understand it in the context of getting defensive and angry when under attack. It's the part where she actively attacks the identities and rights of all trans people, and where this is going to be an hour-long rant about how trans people are the Devil and the worst thing in the world today and laws need to be passed banning them right now because she's decided her politics should be put before actual medical knowledge. That is what I take exception to, and what she does that I condemn.

Sometimes, I think it is a matter of perspective.

I didnt hear Jeffreys lashing out at anyone. I heard a well spoken, soft spoken, well informed academic, theorist, lesbian and feminist dealing with overall issues.

I heard someone speaking to a different point of view. I saw someone being very clear that others wish and do use questionable methods including threats of violence and rape to stop points of view from being brought to the forefront and to stop any form of debate or examination.

I found it to be very informative. And given the behavior radical lesbian feminists have to endure, I thought it was very civilized. No threats. No name calling. No calls for physical violence. No calls for rape. Just the facts and the theories.

[Gentle Tiger]

Originally Posted by Soon

Monday, November 3rd — Thistle Interviews Sheila Jeffreys

TUESDAY, 28 OCTOBER 2014 | ACCESS HOUR
Thistle Pettersen conducts a live interview with controversial feminist Sheila Jeffreys. 7 PM Wisconsin time, the time of the radio show, is 10 AM the next day in Melbourne, the time zone that Sheila is in.

Air Times:

US: 7pm Central, 11pm Pacific, 8pm Eastern

UK: 1am

AU: 10am Perth, 1pm Canberra

------------
From the Event Page:

“Last spring, I invited Sheila Jeffreys to engage me and the Madison community (and beyond) in an hour-long discussion of women’s liberation and transgender politics. She accepted and I have been formulating questions for our radio show ever since.

Jeffreys is Professor of Feminist Politics in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne, Australia. She recently released the book “Gender Hurts: A Feminist Analysis of the Politics of Transgenderism”

We will also be speaking with Elizabeth Hungerford, Lesbian Feminist lawyer who co-penned the infamous “Letter to the UN on the Status of Women” in 2011. She will talk about changes to current laws that are pushing back women’s rights and protections.

In addition, Blake Abney will join us with her perspective as a detransitioning woman. She was transgender until she realized the harms it was doing to her body and her mental health. She will tell some of her story and provide information for people who are considering transgendering.

Tune-in on the internet LIVE the night of the show: http://www.wortfm.org/ Just click on the right-hand side at the top of the page to the orange bar that says “Listen Live”

We will discuss the term “transphobic” and examine how it is used to shut-down and silence feminist discourse and organizing. In addition, we will talk about the harms of transgendering to those who do it and to their family and friends.

Call the station the night of the show at 608 256 2001 or toll free at 866 899 9678 to let them know you support giving lesbian feminist women a platform to talk about feminism and that you would like future programming to include lesbian feminist perspectives.”

As a Transman, I am having iissues with this post. While I have seen "transphobic" loosely thrown around and even misused, This part bothers me:

"In addition, we will talk about the harms of transgendering to those who do it and to their family and friends."

This to me is transphobic. I do not think folks would be ok if "transgendering" was replaced by "lesbian" or "becoming a lesbian" and referred to as being harmful.

[Kobi]

Originally Posted by Gentle Tiger

As a Transman, I am having iissues with this post. While I have seen "transphobic" loosely thrown around and even misused, This part bothers me:

"In addition, we will talk about the harms of transgendering to those who do it and to their family and friends."

This to me is transphobic. I do not think folks would be ok if "transgendering" was replaced by "lesbian" or "becoming a lesbian" and referred to as being harmful.

There are at least two different threads in the FemmeZone that address the ways in which a partner transitioning has caused different types problems for female partners. They have also addressed how they have felt silenced or unable to speak to the changes this poses for them and why.

Theo has spoken to how it is not unusual for relationships to not survive the transition.

I think it is unfair to Femmes to label the impact of transitioning on them as something transphobic.

To do so is to deny their experience, the difficulties they speak of, the internal discourse they go thru, the challenges the transition poses to their own identify, and the lack of support they feel for what THEY are going through.

Transitioning does not occur in a vacuum. It impacts partners, children, parents, siblings, friends, coworkers etc.

This is also not unique to transpersons. People coming out as homosexual also impact those around them as well. Seeing most of us started there, it is or should be something we are very familiar with.

I think to label this very human reaction to a big and perhaps unexpected and unwanted change as a "phobia" is wrong. At times like this, people are struggling, questioning, feeling very alone and very unsupported. What they need is to be able to talk and share and not have to filter what they are going thru for fear of being called some kind of phobia.

[Gentle Tiger]

Originally Posted by Kobi

There are at least two different threads in the FemmeZone that address the ways in which a partner transitioning has caused different types problems for female partners. They have also addressed how they have felt silenced or unable to speak to the changes this poses for them and why.

Theo has spoken to how it is not unusual for relationships to not survive the transition.

I think it is unfair to Femmes to label the impact of transitioning on them as something transphobic.

To do so is to deny their experience, the difficulties they speak of, the internal discourse they go thru, the challenges the transition poses to their own identify, and the lack of support they feel for what THEY are going through.

Transitioning does not occur in a vacuum. It impacts partners, children, parents, siblings, friends, coworkers etc.

This is also not unique to transpersons. People coming out as homosexual also impact those around them as well. Seeing most of us started there, it is or should be something we are very familiar with.

I think to label this very human reaction to a big and perhaps unexpected and unwanted change as a "phobia" is wrong. At times like this, people are struggling, questioning, feeling very alone and very unsupported. What they need is to be able to talk and share and not have to filter what they are going thru for fear of being called some kind of phobia.

Ok, here we go. You have swept a really broad brush and I feel the need to deal with this paint job.

1. To me, as a Transman AND a feminist, the statement that I had an issue with was transphobic. I stand by that. What post is in what thread and by whom does not change my opinion. Kobe, I of all people know what transitioning entails and the impact it can have when not handled with sensitivity to all parties involved. I also know that when handled well, while it may be difficult transitioning doesn't always lead to harm.

I prefaced my comment, with an acknowledgment that "transphobic" has been at times misused. A person, no matter how they identify has a right to express an opinion. And another has a right to agree or respectfully disagree.

2. The part that I called out struck me as coming from a negative starting point. I am keenly aware that everyone connected with the person transitioning will be affected in some way. Of course it doesn't happen in a vacuum. But to see that the focus is on the harm we do to ourselves and bring to others does not sit well at all, especially on a site that includes and welcomes us.

3. I am pretty sure it would not sit well with you if you came and saw a post dealing with the harm femist/feminism bring to themselves and their families and friends.

4. I am all for discussion. And I believe that all involved should work it through. Part of what makes the transition difficult or easier is when there is the presence or absence of honest dialogue. But please do not refer to transgendering or transitioning as if it were harmful. That is where I take issue. Therefore, I took issue with the part I called out.

5. What is unfair is when transitioning is considered harmful. Transitioning can be painful. That doesn't make it harmful. There is loss. That doesn't make it harmful. The difficulty, the struggles, the raw emotions does not mean the process is harmful or that the transgendered person brought harm. There may be individuals who handle the journey of transitioning poorly. And in those cases harm may have been done. I acknowledge that. But my issue is the broad generality of harm being equated with transitioning.

There is more I could say on this but I will stop here.

[Kobi]

Malcolm, I appreciate us having this conversation even if it is over the wording used on a public broadcast blurb which neither of us had control over. The word harmful does have negative connotations to it, thus I can understand why this might be problematical. I didnt write the blurb.

Like you, I think it is important to have these discussions, to share ideas, to clarify and address points of view, to argue language. I think it helps to look at anything from more than one point of view and to find similarities which bring us together as well as the differences which keep us apart. Learning and understanding comes in odd ways sometimes. What is important is that the dialogue continue.

In your original post, you said , " I do not think folks would be ok if "transgendering" was replaced by "lesbian" or "becoming a lesbian" and referred to as being harmful."

Honestly, I have no problem replacing transgendering with lesbian in this situation because it is opposite sides of the same coin. If I were a married hetero woman who came out 20 years later, I expect my husband would have some issues with it. The divorce and separation of property might cause issues for both of us. My kids might be taunted on the playground for have a lezzie as a mother. If I worked for a catholic school system, my lifestyle might cause me to be fired without recourse. On a personal note, my mother is still agonizing over what she did wrong to have not one but two gay kids.

Whether something is "harmful" per se is up to the person who is experiencing it. Their experience, their decision, their wording, their process, their right to speak to their experience without judgement or attempts to silence them.

Again, I didnt use the word. I spoke to the impact of life changes on us and those around us.

In spite of our best intentions and best preparations, we cant always mitigate everything and turn it into a positive experience. As you said, "There may be individuals who handle the journey of transitioning poorly. And in those cases harm may have been done. I acknowledge that."

Point taken and understood.

You also said in you latest post, "I am pretty sure it would not sit well with you if you came and saw a post dealing with the harm femist/feminism bring to themselves and their families and friends."

I actually have no qualms with this either. There is an ongoing war on women which is becoming very threatening to those of us who speak up. Thus, being a feminist, especially a radical feminist, is indeed, very harmful to oneself and to those around us.

If you look at the articles in the Misogyny thread about GamerGate, the dangers of women speaking out are very clear. Women addressing the misogyny, the sexism, the violence, the rapes in viedeo games are being threatened publicly. They are being threatened with violence to themselves and their families. They are having their names, addresses, and photos distributed almost like wanted posters. They are being forced from their homes and into hiding because of the threats. Their livelihoods are being threatened. The venues where they are to speak are being threatened with violence if they take the stage, forcing them to decide if they are going to risk the lives of those in the audience. Malcolm, this is over video games.

Sheila Jeffreys, the woman who was interviewed on this radio program is a radical feminist who speaks to the ways of the old where women organized giving their names, addresses, phone number, and holding meetings in their homes. This is no longer doable because of the threats of violence. Jeffreys cannot even have her name on the door to her office at the university because security decided it was not safe.

I know the harm that comes along with being an outspoken feminist. I know the threats come directly from males. I know the intent is to bully women into silence, so we will not rock the patriarchal boat.

What is kind of odd, to me, is the silence of men/transmen/ transgendered about these threats to women. Plato said, "Silence implies consent."

You also said, "But to see that the focus is on the harm we do to ourselves and bring to others does not sit well at all, especially on a site that includes and welcomes us."

I understand this too. The focus of the radio program was not on the “harm”. It was just one of the topics covered. The other topics were womens liberation, transgender politics, current laws pushing back womens rights and protections, a personal perspective from a detranstioning woman speaking to the harm (their words not mine) to her body and mental health, discussion of the term “transphobic” and examine how it is used to shut-down and silence feminist discourse and organizing. In addition, we will talk about the harms of transgendering to those who do it and to their family and friends.

Lesbians are also included and welcome here. You might want to visit the thread in the Red Zone entitled "Lesbian Love/Hate in our community". Just as you offered me the opportunity to substitute lesbian and feminist for trans, I invite you to substitute the word trans every time you see the word lesbian. Im curious as to how it will make you feel. Same coin, different sides.

Thank you for dialogue. My brain is appreciating being challenged and learning new stuff.

Have a good weekend.

[Allison W]

Over in the misogyny thread, I've posted a lot of bad news from the gaming world, particularly that whole "Gamergate" thing. So over here I'm going to post some good news, feminism-wise, from the gaming world. Tabletop gaming rather than video gaming in this case, but still.

First off, the Night Witches kickstarter. Description from the page itself:

"There was a night bomber regiment in World War Two composed entirely of women. Natural-born Soviet airwomen.

"These 200 women and girls, flying outdated biplanes from open fields near the front lines, attacked the invading German forces every night for 1,100 consecutive nights. When they ran out of bombs they dropped railroad ties.

"To each other they were sisters, with bonds forged in blood and terror. To the Red Army Air Force they were an infuriating feminist sideshow. To the Germans they were simply Nachthexen—Night Witches.

"Night Witches is a tabletop role-playing game about women at war. As a member of the 588th Night Bomber Regiment, you'll answer the call of your Motherland in her darkest hour. Can you do your duty and strike blow after blow against the Fascists? Can you overcome discrimination and outright sabotage and rise above your sexist comrades? Are there limits to patriotism - or endurance? Play Night Witches and find out!"

It's only open to pledges for a few more days, should you want to take a look and maybe kick in (I did, in no small part as a way to vote with my wallet for pro-woman games and against anti-woman voices in the tabletop scene like James Desborough), but it's already made several times the original goal, so it's doing quite well. It's by Bully Pulpit Games, whose previous works include such titles as Grey Ranks, which was about teenagers in the Warsaw Uprising, and which has received multiple awards and also the praise of the Warsaw Rising Museum.

Next up is an article from Go Make Me a Sandwich, which describes itself as "a (mostly) humorous look at how not to sell games to women." The article itself is about the portrayal of women and people of colour in the artwork of the 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons Player's Handbook. It includes a lot of direct reactions to particular images in the article, so most of it doesn't "quote" well, but I'll give you a taste that communicates the tone of the article and the author's feelings about the artwork fairly well:

"WUT. Fully-clothed, actively posed, heroic looking women? Brown people? Heroic looking brown women? NO BOOBPLATE??? [swoon]"