Keep Your Boehner Out Of My Uterus

I wanted to do a bit of a longer follow up from my last post. Of course I have been thinking about the extended topic of Planned Parenthood and basic women's rights lately, mostly because of how prominent it is RIGHT NOW in this country. There is this huge debate going on surrounding this issue and I honestly don't understand why. What it mostly boils down to in my eyes is that if you don't support funding for Planned Parenthood, you are not in favor of women's rights (and keep in mind that only 3% of their organization goes towards abortions which are already NOT funded by the Government under Title X, so cutting funding for the entire thing is 100% denying health rights to women on many different levels). It's pretty astounding to me to think of how disrespectful this actually is. And it pains me to think of how far women are being set back in time by this.

I really enjoy this picture, of course because of the satire involved but mostly because it's pretty accurate. Basically someone else is trying to control what we do with our bodies - and mind you, it's someone who doesn't even HAVE a uterus. So I hope you enjoy this on a satirical level while also realizing the truth behind what the picture is actually portraying.

I had the pleasure of participating in a fundraiser for Planned Parenthood last night simply by going out to eat at a restaurant that supports the organization and was gladly donating 10% of each person's bill to the cause when they presented a ticket saying they were there to participate. I asked our waiter if he had been seeing a lot of tickets that night and he said every single table he had been given that night was participating. That kind of thing really gives me hope. Just to know that there are other people out there fighting for the cause is really something to be proud of. I sometimes feel very alone on this issue because I focus on how many people out there are on the opposite side, but I'm starting to think (last night, anyways) and hope that there are more people on the side of respect and decency than I think. And that is an empowering thought. I'll continue to fight for this for the rest of my life.

Democratic Military Wives

I just found this facebook page (Democratic Military Wives) and I really enjoy their profile picture. Mostly because of the pun, but also because I am just so glad that there's at least SOME women sticking up for our rights and not trying to set us back 70 years. Things like this give me some kind of hope. Support.

Planned Parenthood continued.

This is just a short follow up to my last post about planned parenthood funding. I think everyone needs to see this and understand exactly what it is they want to cut ALL funding for.

[via: The Daily What]

Bumper Stickers

One thing I love about living in this town is how outspokenly liberal some people are. It's really inspiring for someone like me who WANTS to be outspoken about it but is often times concerned with how it will be received (and rightfully so, after the kinds of things that have been said to me during countless political arguments and debates). But in this town it's not uncommon to see some pretty awesome liberal things that make me smile and give me hope for this generation. For example: Bumper Stickers. I have never experienced such bold forms of political stance in any of the other parts of the country I've lived in. I must say, it's awesome. Here's some of my favorites I've seen around town.

International Women's Day

Today marks the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day!

(Which you probably already know if you use Google.)

Celebrate all the wonderful women in your life today.
Moms, sisters, friends, women who inspire you, role models, teachers...
All the important women in your life.

And as always, never stop fighting for gender equality and women's rights!

Glorifying Charlie Sheen

This is going to be a rant of sorts.

I don't understand what all the hype over Charlie Sheen is about. It's interesting to me that instead of condemning him for his recent (and also not so recent) drug abuse problem and domestic violence scandals, everyone thinks he's just hilarious. And maybe it was funny for a couple days, tweeting about #tigersblood and #winning because every word that came out of his mouth was utterly ridiculous, but I've been thinking more and more about how incredibly sad it is that society is completely glorifying his actions and encouraging him to continue.

When other celebrities get involved in these types of scandals, they are subjected to the worst form of media and social scrutiny and are, more often than not, forced to get help and retreat into hiding until it passes. Think Lindsay Lohan and Chris Brown. Lindsay has been in and out of jail and rehab for her drug abuse problem, and no one lets her get away with saying bullshit like "I cured my disease with my brain." When he's had MULTIPLE instances of violence against women (including prostitutes, his ex-fiance, and his own wife) he's not sent to jail or been scrutinized by the media in the same way Chris Brown was. It's sad, but I feel like people have become so used to his scandals that people are overlooking it now.

For god's sake, he has small children who look up to him and this is the example being set? That their dad can do drugs and sleep with prostitutes and hit women and that it's ok because no one is stopping him?

It's really not ok. To be honest, it's really disappointing to me that he joins twitter and gains over a million followers in less than 24 hours (setting a record, I might add), enabling him to continue. Is this because people are interested in seeing what the next crazy thing that will come out of his mouth is, or is it because people are encouraging him to continue his actions because it's entertaining? I wont lie, I started following him because I thought it would be entertaining, but after about a week of this nonsense, I'm just becoming more and more sad at the situation. It's not funny and he seriously needs help. People need to stop acting like his craziness is a joke, because he has some serious problems and, not to be dramatic, but he's probably going to die if he continues down this road.

Society needs to stop enabling him and get him some ACTUAL help before he takes the turn that so many other celebrities before him have.

Rush Limbaugh's latest blast of ignorance.

If you haven't heard about this audio segment from Rush Limbaugh's radio show, you should really give it a listen. He is basically saying that Michelle Obama, in all her incredible efforts to fight childhood obesity, is a hypocrite because she was seen out with her daughters eating ribs. Not only does he focus on this one incident (which, by the way it is absolutely acceptable to "cheat" every now and then - don't try to tell me YOU haven't done it mister), but he goes on to say some really ignorant and disrespectful things about her.



He says:

"The problem is -- and dare I say this -- it doesn't look like Michelle Obama follows her own nutritionary, dietary advice. And then we hear that she's out eating ribs at 1,500 calories a serving with 141 grams of fat per serving, yeah it does -- what do you mean, what do I mean?

What is it - no, I'm trying to say that our First Lady does not project the image of women that you might see on the cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, or of a woman Alex Rodriguez might date every six months or what have you. I mean, women are under constant pressure to look lithe, and Michelle My Belle is out there saying if you eat the roots and tree bark and the berries and all this cardboard stuff you will live longer, be healthier and you won't be obese. Okay, fine, show us."

I take issue with this because Michelle Obama is absolutely NOT advocating for women to eat healthy so they can look like they should be on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He fails miserably to recognize the point of her mission. She is advocating for health, because we are a completely unhealthy country. Yes, she went out and had a fat meal of ribs with her daughters, but you can't honestly look me in they eye and tell me you have never cheated your health for even a second. If she was seen out having burgers and ribs and ice cream and pizza and fried chicken every single day of the week, then yes, she would be considered a hypocrite by anyone's standards. But ONE instance, Rush? One? And you're going to sit there and rag on all her efforts as a whole?

Seriously, how does he live with himself? He doesn't even realize how degrading his comments are to ALL women. She is not saying "go out and eat these roots and berries so you can look like a model." She is saying NOTHING about looks. It's about health and fixing the state of health crisis this country is currently in. However, at least now we know what is most important to him.

I mean, if you think about it, it's kind of funny that he thinks this is such a noteworthy piece of news that he just has to discuss on his radio show for all of his dear cult members to buy into. He obviously can't come up with anything interesting to say so he's going after the first lady in attempts to degrade her and her efforts, and by association ends up making degrading comments about women in general.

My advice to you, Rush? You might wanna consider her diet, because otherwise you'll never be on the cover of Playgirl. And that is just a crying shame because Lord knows, that's the only thing you should be striving for.

Planned Parenthood Funding.

The US House of Representatives has apparently voted to end all funding for Planned Parenthood - for any purpose. This is absolutely the most dangerous and horrible thing you can do to any woman you love. I'm ashamed and horrified right now that I live in a country where women are so disrespected that their basic rights and needs are being taken away because of a "moral" opinion of some.

What you people fail to recognize is that ending funding for planned parenthood cuts out more than just your unwarranted hatred for "pro-choice." It will end all help for lower class women and college students who can't afford to pay for birth control (and contrary to popular belief, some people take birth control for their health - heavy, irregular, and absolutely painful periods to hormone regulation - I, for one, started taking birth control for my health LONG before the thought of having sex even crossed my mind). Planned Parenthood helps women who don't have insurance, allows them to get tested for HIV, get breast and cervical cancer screenings, ultra sounds, STD treatment and education, helps victims of rape, and the list goes on and on. This vote is denying basic health care access and needs to women on the basis of an offensive opinion.

I'm just going to come out and say it - How could the republican party do this? They build their campaigns on "freedom" and living by the constitution and LESS government, yet they are CONSTANTLY digging into the issue of abortion by trying to take AWAY a woman's freedom to choose, and putting MORE government regulations on women's health care. How is this NOT considered hypocritical? It's none of their business what women do with their bodies, and frankly the fact that they think they can control this by taking away our freedom and access to help means that they still think women are second class citizens and shouldn't be treated with the same respect as men.

[How would men feel if we decided to take away their access to male doctors because we all found it immoral that some men get vasectomies in order to...OH, PREVENT BABIES! Sorry, you can no longer get this procedure done, because my opinion is that it's not right. And while your at it, no more getting your balls screened for prostate cancer because we're just gonna end funding for the entire thing. Sorry.]

Whether you believe one way or another, here's an easy solution: Don't take away ANYONE'S freedoms, and let your moral obligations dictate how YOU, PERSONALLY live your life. I don't care if you think abortion is the worst thing you could possibly do in the entire world, that is YOUR choice to NOT do it. However, just because YOU believe one way does not make it acceptable to force everyone to think that way or to take away people's right to choose what they do with their own body.

I'm absolutely sick of people taking their beliefs and attempting to put limits on the rest of the country based on that. You believe life should be lived one way, then go ahead and live it that way. But don't try to tell me and the rest of the country that your beliefs are the only way - because they're not and quite frankly, they're offensive.

Planned Parenthood has been helping women for a long time, giving them a place to turn to when their life is in shambles or when they can't afford to have a potentially life saving breast examination done. You can't take away all of that because you don't agree with one small fraction of the kind of help they provide women with. It's the most dangerous and disrespectful thing you can do.

Please sign this petition to help save Planned Parenthood if you haven't already.

I hate females who.....

Twitter is known to have some pretty outrageous trending topics, and only God knows where they start. Usually I just ignore them because of how ridiculous they sometimes tend to be. However, tonight I came across a trending topic called #ihatefemaleswho. Now it takes a LOT of people on twitter to get something to trend, so I'm appalled by the number of people who must be participating in this.

There's been 15 updates on this topic since I started writing.

The thing that upsets me the most about this statement is the complete lack of respect for women. I don't understand how this can seem OK to people. We wouldn't single out other groups of people by saying we hate them because it's disrespectful and wrong, right? You don't see people saying "I hate Mexican's who...." or "I hate Jewish people who..." because it's just not something you say. So, I don't see why people think that talking about women this way is no big deal.

There's been 93 updates on this topic since I started writing.

The other thing that depresses me, is that women are partaking in this blatant disrespect of their own kind. The fact that they don't recognize that it's disrespecting THEM floors me. Shouldn't we be supporting each other instead of putting each other down? Sticking up for each other instead of calling each other out on our flaws?

There's been 297 updates on this topic since I started writing.

The blatant lack of respect is mortifying to me. How is it possible that even women are partaking in this kind of rhetoric about their own kind? I'm glad some people out there are still buying into the idea that women are inferior and don't deserve the same amount of respect as anyone else. I mean, without that kind of logic towards people, we might all be....*GASP* equal?!?! Can't have that now can we.

Let's take a look at some of the things being said tonight:[Yes, because you've NEVER complained in your life, right? Oh wait....]

[Sucks that they CHOOSE to be built like that, right?]

[Because only pretty girls by YOUR standards should be allowed to sing -or even listen to that song.]

[Interesting that you're only willing to show the top of your head in your picture....]

[Hmm...I just can't think of a single good reason why someone wouldn't want to suck your obviously god-sent dick!]

[Yeah, that really is a bummer. It's just too bad that you can't get your own lazy ass up and cook something when you're hungry and instead rely on a stereotype to be fed.]

There's been 987 updates since I started writing this.

Gun Control.

For a long time I have been really indifferent on the issue of gun control. I (for the most part) really respect the US constitution and all the rights it provides citizens with. I take it very seriously when forming my views on certain issues. However, I have always been kind of indifferent about the right to bear arms. It's definitely an idea that I respect, but something about it has always made me a little wishy-washy on the subject.

Last night I watched Michael Moore's documentary, "Bowling for Columbine" and I haven't stopped thinking about it all day since. I feel like after seeing it my views on the subject have shifted. If you haven't seen it, it's really a film worth your time.

I do believe that citizens should have the right to protect themselves and if having a gun is the way they choose to do so, then I respect that. I respect the idea of having a gun for hunting purposes (even though I don't do that), and I respect the idea of having a gun for legitimate protection of yourself in harmful situations. What I don't understand is why people feel the need to own several different guns that aren't for either of those things. The problem lies with the NRA. I've concluded that the NRA has a really flawed vision of the second amendment. They take their views on the subject so far that there is no way to have any kind of gun control whatsoever. They are so protected by the constitution that they protect the selling of any kind of gun. I've been trying to figure out what someone's need for a gun like a TEC-DC9 is (which is what the boys at Columbine used). If you were looking for a gun for protection, a simple pistol would do the trick - there's no need for a military-like machine gun.

The thing that get's me is that guns are so incredibly obtainable these days. Literally anyone can go into a store that sells them and purchase one. I have a distant cousin who is very blatantly mentally ill and he was sold a gun at a gun store with no background check. One of my neighbors has told us that he has multiple guns in his home. The boys at Columbine high school got their guns at a gun show and purchased ammunition at a local K-Mart (which no longer sells ammo, thankfully) at 17 years old. How can we argue that everyone deserves the right to own a gun without some sort of formal process holding each person highly accountable for their purchase? They like to say they do, they like to say you have to have a permit to own a gun, but exactly how often is that enforced? And furthermore, just because YOU have a permit, does not mean your children who find a gun in your home do. It's surprising the number of shootings that happen by a kid with their parent's guns.

In Arizona, there is no gun control laws at all. Jared Laughner -the recent shooter of a congresswoman in Tucson, AZ, was allowed to have a gun with him. There was nothing at all stopping him from carrying that gun around town with him. It was perfectly legal for him to be there with a weapon, and frankly he was not the only person in the crowd with a gun. I don't know about you, but that doesn't make me feel safe - knowing that ANYONE can walk around with a gun at any time.

I guess what I'm getting at is an honest curiosity of WHY people feel an overwhelming need to own guns. Why does anyone need to own a machine gun? And what are we as a country going to do to lower the amount of deaths that occur each year by guns? If people refuse to even slightly change their attachment to possessing guns, then nothing will ever change. We shouldn't even be shocked when we hear about shootings, right? Because after all, we are the ones saying it's OK for anyone to have a gun, and by association shouldn't we expect people to use them? I mean, there is no written contract that you sign with your purchase that says, "I solemnly swear that I will only use this gun for protection if someone breaks into my house and tries to harm me or my family."And I am not justifying ANY shooting by any means, I'm just confused at how this logic works. To me, it doesn't make sense to be "pro-guns" yet also be upset and shocked when we hear about these tragic massacres.

Overall, I don't think my opinion is indifferent any longer. I think gun laws need to be more restricted, I think certain types of guns should not be sold to the public, and I think there needs to be stricter standards for who can own a gun in this country. It sickens me to think of the innocent people who have been killed by someone pulling a gun on them. And the age old saying, "guns don't kill people - people kill people" does not ring true to me. Yes people kill people, but they use guns to do it.

Change your profile picture to raise awareness about child abuse!

Yet another facebook chain message is going around asking everyone to change their profile pictures in support of raising awareness against child abuse. Before I go off on a rant, I'll just keep it simple by saying I think it's another silly thing that does nothing to fight a very real and serious problem. Much like the "I like it" for breast cancer chain, this is not proactive, and virtually does nothing.

If I was not up to my ears in papers, projects, and exams, I'd probably be doing a post of my own about this, however one of my dear friends posted this blog on the issue, and his words speak much better than mine possibly could. Check it out and decide for yourself whether this is a worthwhile way to support the cause.

Cartoons, child violence, and symbolic activism.

Airport TSA

In my Information Technology class I was introduced to the fairly new yet ongoing debate about the new airport security screening: X-rays. They are now asking you to walk through an X-ray machine where they scan you through your clothes, and are able to virtually see you naked. It's interesting though, they try to make this sound less heinous by giving you the option between a naked X-ray or a "pat down." So now you have the choice between someone looking at your naked body in the middle of the airport or being groped.

There are several things wrong with this. First of all, they don't tell you what they are doing. I recently went on a weekend trip and on my way home was asked to walk through the metal detector like usual (or so I thought), but instead of just walking through I was asked to stop and put my hands over my head for about 15 seconds. I had absolutely NO idea they were taking X-ray photos of me. I consider that an invasion of privacy and also health fraud. I was unaware that they were sending radiation into my body which could potentially cause cancer, or what if I had been pregnant? Not telling me or having any kind of signs hanging around security explaining what was about to happen is unacceptable.

I also think this is just completely unethical. You are asking me to give up my privacy on both levels. I either have to show someone my naked body or have someone touch me inappropriately in front of others (or, you know, I can ask to be groped in private). And it doesn't stop there, either. TSA has been repeatedly saying that the scans they take are not stored in the system and are deleted immediately after viewed. However, some 35,000 images from a scanner were saved and some were leaked to the public (see: HERE). This is absolutely mortifying. Not only does it become an invasion of privacy, but an invasion of trust. Other people are obtaining access to these scans which is completely humiliating.

When people come up with these new and improved ideas, they don't think about the big picture. They don't think about how these scans could get leaked to the media or how radiation can cause health defects. They don't consider a pregnant woman traveling and having no choice but to be groped because she can't go through radiation, or the children traveling who are in the midst of being taught that touching is inappropriate. They don't think about recovering cancer patients, or people in wheelchairs, victims of molestation or rape, or religious observances. Maybe they don't think about this, or maybe they just don't care? I don't know which is worse, but either way they are disrespecting and humiliating several groups of people.

I personally don't feel comfortable with either of the "options" they give us, and given the choice I don't know which I would choose. Airport security has gotten so tight that our privacy has been completely ripped from our grasp.

VOTE

It is extremely important as a member of a democratic society to make your voice heard through voting. Some people don't vote because they claim they aren't political or they don't think their one vote will make a difference, but it does. And not voting speaks just as loudly as voting.

People have fought endlessly for the right to vote in this country, so having that right is something we should all appreciate and take advantage of. This is our country and it is our job to exercise the right we have been given.

I voted, did you?

Clint McCance: Taking hatred to new and disgusting levels

If you haven't already heard about this on the news or the internet, I think it's something that really needs to be addressed. With all the incredibly painful things going on right now in the LGBT community, we need people who are supportive, accepting, and tolerant in our society. When people like Clint McCance, a school board member in Arkansas, start running their mouths and making ignorant and shameful comments about wishing all gay people would commit suicide, it sends a message of hatred. There is a line, and he crossed it by a mile.

Read about his hate here.

Never in my life have I been so ashamed or utterly pissed off at someone I don't even know. He thinks that people who support the LGBT community and have tolerance and love for others are "stupid," gay people should never come out and be who they are - they should keep it to themselves, "fags are ruining our lives," and he likes when gay people get aids and die. Every single stereotype he could come up with he used as an insult, he repeatedly used the words "faggot" and "queer" in his hateful messages, and even admitted to the world that if his own children were gay he would disown them (but also that there is no chance they would EVER be gay because he raised them with "Christian" values - need I mention the hypocrisy here?).

Is this the kind of person we want around our children or on a school board in our community? Is this the kind of person people listen to and agree with? It's absolutely astounding to me that someone could have that little of a brain to send those ignorant comments out into the public with the position he was in, and also that someone could be that closed minded and hateful towards other human beings.

CLINT MCCANCE IS A BULLY.

I'm glad he resigned, although I wish he had just been straight up fired. He does not deserve to have a job on the school board. My wish for him is that he never gets hired anywhere again because no one in their right mind would want a horrible, disgusting person like him working for their company or school. I also hope that people watch his interview with Anderson Cooper and can see through his fake, backhanded, shell of an apology. He is not sorry for what he said, he's only sorry he got caught and now has to suffer the backlash.

LOVE. ACCEPTANCE. TOLERANCE. SUPPORT. Those are qualities McCance is severely lacking. I hope with everything I have that he is not teaching his children to think or behave like him.

STOP TRYING TO DIVIDE US, FIGHT FOR EQUALITY INSTEAD.

Minor Change.

I've decided to change the name of this blog to "Fighting For Social Equality" because on top of feminism, I find more and more that I have so much to say about LOTS of social issues.

Mostly I just want equality for everyone. Women, minorities, LGBT's, everyone. It's really important to me to fight for us all because there's people out there who wont. There's people out there who want us to be grouped into categories and then degraded for our differences. So from now on I think I'm going to be writing about equality for everyone.

The title needs some work but you get the idea for now.

Ken Buck.

Ken Buck is one of the nominees for a US Senate seat for the state of Colorado in the upcoming November 2nd election. I must say, I don't think I have ever felt so threatened or offended by a politician in my life. This man is, to put it nicely, an asshole. Time after time I have witnessed him make degrading comments about women on TV, in speeches, in public.

I do not understand on any level whatsoever how any self respecting woman could or would ever vote for this man. Not only does he think he is "above" women, he is very outspoken about wanting to limit a woman's right to birth control, but he is also in favor of outlawing abortion. Whether you are pro-choice or pro-life, why does Ken Buck, a man who would never have to experience anything to do with abortion or birth control, think he should have any sort of say in this issue? Not to mention that being in the US Senate would mean dealing with much more serious and important issues than this, yet he has made it a platform for himself and people are buying into it.

I am tired of being degraded for being a woman. In this clip below, Ken Buck says that people should vote for him because he is not a woman. The crowd around him bursts out in laughter like this was such a great joke and silly ol' Ken Buck is such a kidder! But this is offensive and degrading. It buys into the fact that he, and others, think a man should be above a woman. There's no way a woman could do a man's job like being in the senate, right? Oh, and did I mention that his statement has no relevance because his opponent, Michael Bennett, is a MAN? (unless of course he was trying to imply that Bennet is a woman which would be a whole different issue in itself.)

Watch this video and see the man that could potentially be a representative of this country. I will be really sad if Colorado votes this man into office because it will really show the rest of America just how highly we think of women.

Social Equality

Although this blog is called "Fired Up Feminism," I strongly believe in the importance of social equality as a whole, which is why from time to time I feel the need to post things not directly related to feminism, like this message from Sarah Silverman.

Today, I saw this awesome Q&A type article from Dan Savage who writes a column called "Savage Love" and I think it is just awesome and definitely worth sharing. I've been so fed up with the hypocrisy of the Christian religion lately that it's a breath of fresh air to hear someone called out on it in relation to gay bullying, same sex marriage, and equality.

Dear Dan: I heard an interview with you about your It Gets Better campaign. I was saddened and frustrated with your comments regarding people of faith and their perpetuation of bullying. As someone who loves the Lord and does not support gay marriage, I can honestly say I was heartbroken to hear about the young man who took his own life.

If your message is that we should not judge people based on their sexual preference, how do you justify judging entire groups of people for any other reason (including their faith)? There is no part of me that took any pleasure in what happened to that young man.

To that end, to imply that I would somehow encourage my children to mock, hurt, or intimidate another person for any reason is completely unfounded and offensive. Being a follower of Christ is, above all things, a recognition that we are all imperfect, fallible, and in desperate need of a savior. We cannot believe that we are better or more worthy than other people.

Please consider your viewpoint, and please be more careful with your words in the future.
-L.R.

Savage's Response: I'm sorry your feelings were hurt by my comments.

No, wait. I'm not. Gay kids are dying. So let's try to keep things in perspective: Fuck your feelings.

A question: Do you "support" atheist marriage? Interfaith marriage? Divorce and remarriage? All are legal, all go against Christian and/or traditional ideas about marriage, and yet there's no "Christian" movement to deny marriage rights to atheists or people marrying outside their respective faiths or people divorcing and remarrying. Why the hell not?

Sorry, L.R., but so long as you support the denial of marriage rights to same-sex couples, it's clear that you do believe that some people—straight people—are "better or more worthy" than others.

And—sorry—but you are partly responsible for the bullying and physical violence being visited on vulnerable LGBT children. The kids of people who see gay people as sinful or damaged or disordered and unworthy of full civil equality—even if those people strive to express their bigotry in the politest possible way (at least when they happen to be addressing a gay person)—learn to see gay people as sinful, damaged, disordered, and unworthy. And while there may not be any gay adults or couples where you live, or at your church, or in your workplace, I promise you that there are gay and lesbian children in your schools. And while you can only attack gays and lesbians at the ballot box, nice and impersonally, your children have the option of attacking actual gays and lesbians, in person, in real time.

Real gay and lesbian children. Not political abstractions, not "sinners." Gay and lesbian children.

Try to keep up: The dehumanizing bigotries that fall from the lips of "faithful Christians," and the lies about us that vomit out from the pulpits of churches that "faithful Christians" drag their kids to on Sundays, give your children license to verbally abuse, humiliate, and condemn the gay children they encounter at school. And many of your children—having listened to Mom and Dad talk about how gay marriage is a threat to family and how gay sex makes their magic sky friend Jesus cry—feel justified in physically abusing the LGBT children they encounter in their schools. You don't have to explicitly "encourage [your] children to mock, hurt, or intimidate" queer kids. Your encouragement—along with your hatred and fear—is implicit. It's here, it's clear, and we're seeing the fruits of it: dead children.

Oh, and those same dehumanizing bigotries that fill your straight children with hate? They fill your gay children with suicidal despair. And you have the nerve to ask me to be more careful with my words?

Did that hurt to hear? Good. But it couldn't have hurt nearly as much as what was said and done to Asher Brown and Justin Aaberg and Billy Lucas and Cody Barker and Seth Walsh—day in, day out for years—at schools filled with bigoted little monsters created not in the image of a loving God, but in the image of the hateful and false "followers of Christ" they call Mom and Dad.

http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/SavageLove?oid=5135029%EF%BB%BF

Engaged?

I've been noticing a pattern lately. A pattern that I'm not entirely fond of. A bunch of girls I went to high school with are getting engaged and I can't figure out why now. In the past week alone, 4 girls I went to school with announced their engagements and before that several more, plus a few that have already tied the knot. We are 21 years old, none of us have finished college yet, and the majority of these girls have been with their boyfriends for less than a year. In all honesty I'm disturbed by it.

At first I was feeling defeated by this. Because of how many engagements I've been seeing from people my age, I was feeling like I was the one out of the norm. I was feeling like maybe I'm the outcast here, the only one NOT getting married. I don't know why I was thinking that way, it's not like I'm even CLOSE to a point in my life where marriage would be an appropriate next step or even an option, (and even if it was, I wouldn't want to yet) but for some reason I kept thinking I was the crazy one.

It wasn't until a friend calmed me down by slapping some sense into me and talking to me about how abnormal THEY are. At this point in life we are supposed to be in school, dating, focusing on getting a degree and soon a career and finding out who we are. It's only the girls who don't believe in those values that are getting married at this age. In high school people referred to these girls as "The God Squad" and it didn't click until now that it's only the girls in that group choosing to tie the knot at such a young age (and it's not that they don't have values in general, it's just that they apparently value being a wife above all else).

Now, far be it from me to say when someone is ready to get married, I have no idea what constitutes being ready for that but if you knew you had found the person you wanted to spend your life with, then what's the big rush? Is it sex? Or is it that you just don't have any reasons worth waiting for, like a career or a life?

For me personally, I know that marriage can wait until I have a stable career and have been with this person for long enough to be 100% sure that a marriage could work. There's just no way of knowing that when you haven't even been with that person for a single year yet. It really just doesn't make sense to me.

Maybe the reason I feel defeated by this is because I feel sorry for those girls. It's almost like a feeling of, "damn, lost another one to marriage." I don't want to see my friends go down a certain path because of sex or because they don't consider their future worth waiting for.

It's buying into patriarchy. It's buying into the fact that society tells us that the only future a woman has to worry about is getting married and starting a family. But that is not true. I am not going to college to get my "MRS" I'm going to college to get a degree in Communications and learn how to be the person I want to be. I'm still growing up and figuring things out.

I do want to get married someday, but that day does not have to be when I'm 21 and still in college. I'm young, I still feel like a kid sometimes. I still feel like a kid and we're talking about marriage? We're young! We're still in school for crying out loud. And I just don't understand why people absolutely cannot wait until we have at least graduated from college. Why?

Don't be too anything.

"Don't be too fat, or too thin, or too dark, or too light; don't be too sexual, or too chaste, or too smart, or too dumb. Be yourself. But make sure you fit in."
-Anna Taggaro

I enjoy this quote so much because it really sums up how I sometimes feel, and I know other women can relate. People always say, "just be yourself" which is what we should do, but society tends to tell us otherwise. Be yourself, as long as it's perfect.

Ever have those days where you don't really feel like getting out of bed and you would rather just throw on a pair of sweats and run out the door with no make-up on and just genuinely not care? I know I do. But it's hard to not care when we are told how to be perfect by magazines and models. They seem to scream how unacceptable it is to be anything less than perfect when you walk out the door.

But I have news, no one is perfect. It's an uphill battle for all women because we all have body-image issues or self esteem issues and it's hard to look past those and have confidence when everything points to us having to be this picture perfect woman who, in reality doesn't exist.

We all have things we like and don't like about ourselves, but for some reason we get so stuck focusing on the things we hate. It's really tiring to constantly compare ourselves to others or to be thinking "I hate my legs, I hate my butt, I hate the pouch on my stomach, I hate my arms" or whatever it may be. Chances are, we are the only ones who even notice or care. So, for the next week I'm going to try really hard to focus on the things I like about myself. It's probably not going to be easy but we all deserve to love and appreciate our bodies, even if they aren't "perfect."

Love Your Body.

I like it.... actually, I don't.

Right now it's supposedly "Breast Cancer Awareness Week." Last year during this week, all the women and girls of Facebook were instructed via some chain message to change their status to the color of their bra. All the men were wondering what the deal was, why all these girls had a random color as their status. Obviously they soon figured out that all the girls they knew were posting their bra color.

This year, there's another chain going around where you are supposed to put "I like it...(insert location here)," as the place where you like to keep your purse. Girls are getting really creative with this one saying things like "I like it in the bedroom," or "I like it on the kitchen counter" or "I like it up against the wall" creating a sexual innuendo for guys to interpret.

And this is all in the name of breast cancer awareness? I'm supposed to believe that girls are insinuating sexual comments all for the sake of fighting breast cancer? In my humble opinion, I think it would be much more useful and constructive to raise awareness about a serious issue in a more serious way. Add a pink ribbon to your profile picture, volunteer, donate... don't make sexual comments, there is no correlation between a sexual suggestion and breast cancer.

Frankly, it's pretty degrading to women. Acting suggestive, but using whatever justification you have on hold, just makes us all look like we can't get a man's attention without the use of sex. If this is really about breast cancer, find a more constructive way to show your support that doesn't objectify women.