Sharia law and tweens getting married

To me, the most astounding part of this story about a mother trying to arrange an annulment for her eight-year old daughter is the quote from the grand mufti of Saudi Arabia: "A girl aged 10 or 12 can be married. Those who think she's too young are wrong and they are being unfair to her." I would hate to knock someone for having crazy, paternalistic, misogynistic, pedophiliac views when they are based on religious doctrine. Oh right, no I wouldn't mind at all. Wingnut!

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Mother-Daughter Schism

In case you haven't heard, the latest buzz in feminist circles is about an ongoing spat.. or shall we say war -- between Rebecca Walker and her famous mom, Alice.

Read about it here.
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Portland Shout-Out

I just returned from a long weekend in Portland, Ore., aka the left coast feminist Mecca. Portland has a rich history of progressive politics. Recent years have seen an influx of feminist artists, activists, musicians, writers, and small business owners blossoming in the City of Roses. Here's just a brief list:

Bitch Magazine
Ariel Gore and Hip Mama Magazine
In Other Words Womens Books & Resources
Sarah Dougher
The Blow
Rock n Roll Camp for Girls
2 Grlz Quarterly
Portland State University Women's Studies
Soapstone Women Writers Retreat

And that's just to name a mere few of the fabulous and interesting women's community highlights in PDX. If only it wasn't so damn rainy soggy cloudy and gloomy there! You think it's been bad around the Jackson area lately? Yikes. The way the clouds and the barometric pressure pressed down on my eyelids, cheeks, and mood was nearly unbearable. No wonder the coffee shop per resident ratio is nearing 1:1! No wonder I moved out of there a few years ago!

I welcome any additional feminist tips about Portland, as well as any tips on how the hell to survive a grey-sky visit there.
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Go Mama, Go!

My friend Amy just published a new book. She's so cool! I'm sure they'd love to order it for you at the Valley Bookstore.

Click on the graphic below to read a great interview with Amy at Salon.com.

Boys will be boys. Still?

If you pay any attention to the world of sports, you've probably heard about the dust-up surrounding the Chicago White Sox and their creation of a weird shrine involving blow up dolls and strategically placed baseball bats in a misguided attempt to change their clubhouse juju. Let's just say they're doing pretty poorly so far this season and have lost six in a row. A lot of people are defending their behavior, even though it was in an area of the clubhouse open to reporters, with the usual "boys will be boys" banality. Mike and Mike of ESPN Radio however, took the much more enlightened view that defending this behavior clearly discriminates against reporters of any gender that would be made uncomfortable by this inappropriate display. In response to listeners' comments that people were being "too politically correct", Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg argued that this was purely a matter of basic decency. If you want to argue, as some did, that female reporters should just "suck it up" or find a new job, clearly you're willing to accept a certain level of discrimination in sports reporting or that female reporters should be willing to deal with what would amount to actionable sexual harassment in any other workplace. Should we be telling young girls that they can be anything they want to be - except sports reporters, unless they're willing to quietly accept offensive behavior? Would you tell your daughter, niece, etc., that?

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Sex Work and Feminism

There's been lots of discussion of prostitution lately given the Spitzer scandal in New York. I highly recommend reading Feministe's interview with the Sex Workers Project. It highlights the philosophical struggle in feminism regarding sex work. Leaving human trafficking and forced prostitution out of the issue, it may be true that women would not choose to be sex workers if they had access to better education and job opportunities. Then again, if there are fewer sex workers wouldn't the law of supply and demand state that johns would pay more to obtain sex thus making sex work more attractive? Men have been paying for sex for thousands of years. Are we kidding ourselves to think eliminating the supply will eliminate the demand? Is all sex work dehumanizing? If the worker sets the price, establishes the boundaries, and controls the situation, is having sex for money still somehow inherently different from other kinds of labor? If you are unable to obtain sex through more "traditional" methods is it so wrong that there is someone out there willing to fulfill your need for a price? Many feminists deny that prostitution is ever a victim-less crime and deny that any woman would freely choose to be a prostitute. The Sex Workers Project at least listens to actual sex workers to get their input.

Race is a feminist issue

The feminist community is understandably divided in their support for Democratic presidential candidates Obama and Clinton. I respect the many perspectives and passionate reasons behind support for each candidate.

Myself, I’m an Obama fan. This was confirmed for me again listening to his speech about race in America yesterday in Philadelphia. As Nation writer John Nichols notes, Obama took the more difficult and ultimately high road of using controversy over Obama’s pastor’s inflammatory remarks as a “teachable moment.”

Because Obama challenges us to come together – men and women of all races and ages – to discuss who we are as Americans and how we are knit together, because of this he is my feminist candidate. Because ultimately, feminism shares the same mission, holds high the same goals: to bring about justice and peace in our country and in the world.

Barack Obama recognizes that true justice, true peace, will come ONLY if we engage in dialogue, a dialogue that requires us to listen deeply to one another and not get caught up in reactionary bias. What I hear consistently in Obama’s speeches is the message that ending injustice is a journey. Similarly feminism is a journey, not a static doctrine nor a fixed identity. Unlearning racism is also a journey, and that is where hope lies. Because we can learn from speeches like Obama’s Philadelphia, because, as he says, “we have seen that America can change,” we too can join the journey of becoming better, more just, more fully realized human beings.

If that’s not a feminist goal, I don’t know what is.

Only in Jackson Hole

We received a funny, confusing comment to one of our posts.
The author seems  to be some sort of quasi "enlightened"
mudslinging Republican Buddhist. Only in Jackson Hole, Wyo,
we tell you!

"You are more militant and close minded than the 'right wing
conservatives' you oppose!" writes our anonymous commenter.
Hmm, that's funny because we haven't been actively lobbying
to limit anybody's human rights lately. Then again, our minds
are closed off to proselytising hate and bombing health clinics.

"Be the change you would like to see in the World!"
Our response: Exactly.

"If you maintain this attitude in your blog you will only fuel
the other side to be as Close minded, Bias, Militant,
Narcissistic, and Shallow as you are portraying yourselves.
~Namaste~ my Sisters."

Okay, that's just weird. Can you just imagine some yogi bowing
to us saying "namaste" out of one side of his/her mouth and
telling us we're militant jerks out of the other? We think this
person may be suffering from some internal conflicts and we wish
her/him further enlightenment so as to make her/his story
consistent. In the meantime, we know the "other side" doesn't
need our help being close-minded, militant, narcissistic, or
shallow.

As for bias, it's true, dear reader, we have a point-of-view!
Of it, we are proud!

Anne, Mary, Emma

Race, gender, and elections

This made my day.