So it turns out it’s not just my snoring that’s keeping Connie up at night. It’s noises “that sound like you’re upset,” says my mother. Allan recently told me that I cry or startle or semi-scream in my sleep on a regular basis. The incidents I think of as rare
Continue readingTag: sexual assault
wmtc: josh lueke is a rapist and why we should continue to say so
Stacey May Fowles has written a incisive, biting, and definitive piece about shaming men who rape. I can scarcely quote from it (although I will), because every word is not only necessary but perfect. Please join me in reading this stellar essay, and in cheering for Fowles and every survivor
Continue readingwmtc: cherry-picked data and undisclosed bias: the failure of freakonomics
Allan came home from one of his used-book sale sprees with copies of both Freakonomics and Super Freakonomics. I had read so many excerpts from, and reviews of, these books over the years, and their appearance was a reminder to actually read them myself. You’re probably familiar with the general
Continue readingwmtc: child sexual abuse in context: soraya chemaly asks, "are children supposed to document their abuse?"
Soraya Chemaly places Dylan Farrow’s claim in the context of rampant child sexual abuse, and the persistent myth of false rape claims. Dylan Farrow is in a situation that thousands deal with every day. In general, people want to look away, muttering some variant of “he said/she said.” But, that
Continue readingwmtc: dylan farrow and woody allen: a feminist, a rape survivor, and a woody allen fan weighs in
Wmtc friend and reader Dharma Seeker writes: Some of my discussion groups have been blowing up since Dylan Farrow’s open letter to actors in Woody Allen films. My brain is muddled trying to sort out the various issues. I’d love your thoughts and hoped you might blog about it, although
Continue readingwmtc: thoughts on "the central park five": new york city, the central park jogger, and me
We’ve just seen “The Central Park Five,” the Ken Burns film about five young men of colour who were wrongfully arrested, indicted, and convicted of rape and attempted murder, and who served seven, and in one case, thirteen years, in prison for a crime they didn’t commit. There was virtually
Continue readingwmtc: brief open letter to richard dawkins: you have no right to speak for anyone but yourself
Dear Richard Dawkins, If the sexual abuse you experienced as a child did not leave you with lasting scars, that’s very fortunate for you. However, you have no right to speak for anyone but yourself. Your insensitive remarks may cause survivors of sexual abuse great pain and they may confirm
Continue readingLeft Over: Molehill Revisited….
Manitoba deputy premier sorry for ‘white people’ remark Premier used phrase ‘do-good white people’ to describe women’s shelter in Winnipeg CBC News Posted: Aug 23, 2013 12:21 PM CT Last Updated: Aug 23, 2013 5:23 PM CT Well it does suck that a scantily-clothed group/person would be raising
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: One in five Canadians think women encourage sexual assault when drunk
by: Canadian Women’s Foundation | Press Release: National Omnibus reveals that Canadians still blame women for being sexually assaulted TORONTO, July 9, 2013 – With summer in full swing, Canadians have packed away their sweaters and are enjoying drinks on the patio. However, according to a new survey* conducted by the
Continue readingCowichan Conversations: RCMP Sexual Harassment Investigations Long Overdue
Richard Hughes-Political Blogger Canadians have been hearing about wrongdoing within the ranks if the RCMP for far too long. Now, finally a class action lawsuit commences on behalf of women who have had their careers ruined and lives and well being denied. It is disconcerting that our national police force
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Conservative Toronto Mayor Rob Ford in ‘crack cocaine’ video scandal
By: Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive: New York news blog Gawker yesterday revealed the existence of a video showing Toronto Mayor Rob Ford smoking crack cocaine. The video was taken within the last six months, allegedly by the city’s Somali drug dealers. Gawker editor John Cook reported that he received a tip from
Continue readingwmtc: why i haven’t blogged about rehtaeh parsons and how the story makes me feel
I feel some kind of obligation to write about Rehtaeh Parsons. Not because I imagine I have something important to add to the conversation, just because she is on my mind so much, and when that happens, I must write. For non-Canadian readers, this is why we know the name
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Rehtaeh Parsons: Top Liberal strategist asked Anonymous to intervene
By: Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive: On Friday, hactivist collective Anonymous announced it had a confession from one of the boys who gang-raped Rehtaeh Parsons, the 17-year old Canadian girl who committed suicide last week. Anonymous’ involvement in the case undoubtedly pressured the RCMP, politicians and other authorities to get serious about
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Rehtaeh Parsons: Anonymous Says It Has Rape Confession
By: Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive: Rehtaeh Parsons, a 17-year old Canadian teen, committed suicide last week after being gang-raped and shamed online. Anonymous says one of the three boys involved in the assault has confessed and is willing to name his alleged accomplices. The hactivist collective issued the following statement on Friday: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario: Student group launches campus toolkit to fight sexual violence
“Colleges and universities must take a holistic approach to address violence against women” By: Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive: The Ontario chapter of the Canadian Federation of Students today launched a toolkit that will help Canadian and organization to address sexual violence at the province’s colleges and universities. The toolkit, a collection of best
Continue readingwmtc: what could baseball, sexual abuse, and pitbulls possibly have in common?
It’s Opening Day! It’s always a long, cold winter for a baseball-only fan, but winters for Red Sox fans have been especially long and cold lately. When was the last time we saw a meaningful game? (Don’t answer that.) I lost interest ’round about July last season, unusual for me,
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive | News & Analysis: No More Steubenvilles: How To Raise Boys to be Kind Men
What can we do to help young men respect women, recognize consent, and have healthy sexual relationships? Teach them kindness to others—and the courage to go against the crowd. By: Kim Simon | Mama By the Bay When Max was just a few months old, I sat cross-legged on the floor with him
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive | News & Analysis: Toronto Mayor Rob Ford Has a Serious Drinking Problem
By: Obert Madondo | The Canadian Progressive: That’s right, the Mayor of Toronto has a serious drinking problem. Actually, one that calls for rehab. The Toronto Star says Rob Ford’s drinking problem is so seriously that, since he was elected in 2010, his inner circle has repeatedly urged him enter rehab “over pattern of
Continue readingwmtc: ten years on: hate mail to bush and cheney from a dying iraq war veteran and war resister
Yesterday, March 19, 2013, was the 10th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq. Looking for something to post, I sorted through about a dozen essays and stories online, but nothing reflected the anger and sadness and disgust and urgency and frustration I feel about everything connected with the ongoing
Continue readingThe Canadian Progressive: Human Rights Watch report confirms sexist and racist violence endured by Aboriginal women
By Canadian Association of Sexual Assault Centres | Feb. 18, 2013: “This (Human Rights Watch) report confirms frontline evidence of sexist and racist violence endured by Aboriginal women. Frontline centers have recorded and protested this violence over many years,” says Lee Lakeman for CASAC. Since 2001 CASAC has been focusing particular attention on
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