Tag: politics

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Booty Politics Politics Sex

a sigh of relief & a step forward

Since women kind of cleaned house last night in the elections and Akin and Murdock so didn’t win, I’m feeling a wave of relief I had been waiting for.

Jaded as I am, it’s time to take a minute to celebrate these victories and the small steps forward we are taking as a nation. We voted, and we said no thanks to all the men saying ridiculous horribleness about women’s bodies, rape, abortion. And I actually think young generations have some progress to look forward to. We aren’t going to outlaw gay marriage forever and ever off into the sunset. It just won’t happen. We are moving on.

We elected the first openly gay Senator! Oh Tammy Baldwin! In a lot of ways, I was more excited about that than any other aspect of the election. We are over it enough to elect a lesbian. That is a step. Seriously.

Plus, the voters all did right given the choice on gay rights:

Maine legalized gay marriage!

Washington upheld gay marriage!

Maryland upheld gay marriage!

Minnesota voted to not change the constitution to ban gay marriage.

And for a breakdown, here is my new favorite graphic for gay rights state by state. Slowly but surely!

YAY!

thanks, the guardian!
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Booty Politics Politics Sex

Birth Control!

Kathleen Sebelius, the Health and Human Services Secretary, and I haven’t always been on the best of terms. I was appalled when she overode the FDA recommendations on Emergency Contraception. I’m pretty sure a Health and Human Services secretary had never publicly overruled what the FDA suggested, and this was just bollocks. It’s great that EC is available now in the pharmacy without a prescription (what a hassle it was back when we needed to go to Planned Parenthood to get one. Lord am I glad I will never have to go that again. UGH). But given the fact that EC was found no more harmful than something like acetaminophen, and that can be found right next to the cough drops and bandaids, why can’t the EC be right there next to them!?! Bring on the access!

Anyway, I digress. Today is the day Kathleen Sebelius and I get to be on good terms. She gets to let us all know that something kick ass happened in the world of birth control. No more co-pays for birth control! Thanks, Obama! Of course it’s not all magic and sunshine (only private plans are effected, it may take a while to kick in, it won’t work if you are on medicaid, if you work for a religious organization you are still fucked – not in the good way, etc.) But it still is a great day in terms of moving towards something good. Progress is progress!

But you’ve just gotta love this photo of Kathleen Sebelius with her poster “Simply Being a Woman is No Longer a Preexisting Condition.”

photo taken from npr.org

That’s just the sort of talk that makes me feel okay about the world for a minute.

Because seriously not having babies is a key aspect to being able to enjoy sex to the fullest.

And access to birth control is crucial to not having babies. Didn’t Dan Savage once say the worst STD is an unplanned pregnancy? Did I imagine that?

Anyway, go forth and do it and get all not knocked up. Hurrah!

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Politics Sex

1 is 2 Many

I was glad to see this video this morning – a happy little PSA about not abusing the ladies in your life.

Of course it’s sad we need to be reminded, but it’s also important that politics tackles these matters on every level. The sad truth is that we need these PSA’s. Silence about abuse is the worst weapon.

I just finished reading Sister of Silence, a brutal memoir about a young girl who marries her rapist when she gets pregnant at a young age. The thing that really struck me about the book is how she didn’t even realize she was in an abusive situation until she heard someone else tell her story and think to herself “that’s just what happened to me.”

Speaking up, telling your story, Take Back the Night, PSA’s about violence against women – these can be the moments when women realize that their situation is not okay and try to get out of it.

But it’s even extra awesome that this little video is all men and they are talking to men. I am so fucking done telling women not to get abused. Time to tell men not to abuse them.

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Booty Politics Politics

Gender in Politics

This photo speaks for itself.

Too much even going on in the media today for me to absorb it all. But, people. Please.

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Booty Politics Politics

Planned Parenthood endorses Obama

Planned Parenthood rarely endorses a candidate, but they just endorsed Obama today.

With all the nonsense we have been up against in the past few months fighting to support very basic things like birth control, the idea of a Romney presidency is terrifying for sure.

Whether or not you feel jazzed about politics, think Obama has been a let down, or don’t think your vote matters, I personally think it’s important to consider the alternative. These are the moments where it actually matters who the president is. No need to go back into the dark ages on birth control, abortion, and access to basic women’s health care.

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Booty Politics Politics Sex

Jay-Z supports gay marriage.

Kudos to Jay-Z for supporting gay marriage. This is quite possibly one of the most adorable things I have seen all week.

He says “I think it’s the right thing to do, as a human being.” Which is just seriously the most adorable.

Especially in the hyper masculine, hyper hetero-normative world of hip hop, it’s nice to hear some positive news about same sex marriage.

(Much as ya’ll love saying “no homo,” it really is time to stop)

It all actually gives you a moment of hope that things are changing for the better. Yay!

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Booty Politics Politics Religion Sex

Shame on you, North Carolina.

Oh North Carolina.

You exhaust me.

I am cynical enough that I wasn’t surprised by the news that North Carolina voted for an amendment to their state constitution to ban same sex marriage. As if their law banning it wasn’t enough. Better make it double secret safe.

If you have to defend it that hard, when do you come to the realization that obviously your opinions are getting a little silly and outdated.

30 states in the nation are so afraid that they gays might ruin the sanctity of their god fearing marriages that they won’t allow consenting adults to do what they damn please.

One day we’ll get it right, but until then, le sigh…

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Politics Sex

Open Up

No matter how much you love to hate Newt Gingrich, I have one thing to say to this man. Thanks. Only in this very specific instance, but thanks nonetheless. Thanks for making Tristan Taormino’s Opening Up sell out on amazon.

The week following reports of Newt Gingrich asking his second wife, Marianne, for an open marriage gave us a spattering of fascinating articles about open relationships, from the New York Times to the BBC to the Guardian. I was so pleased to see how many articles featured people who were legit sources on the topic (Dan Savage, Jenny Block, Tristan Taormino, etc!)  The amazing thing about it all was everyone was on board saying, “Newt couldn’t have approached it more wrong, but there is actually a right way to do it.”

Obviously six years into an illicit affair is not the time to say, “hey honey, do you think we should open this marriage up?!” Not a soul who supports open relationships would say that is an appropriate tact to take.  No one would deny that Newt is a slimy, cheating, lying and downright grody man.  All I am saying is, it has opened up a dialogue about open relationships in some really fascinating ways. It could have gone disastrously and tainted the good name of loving, honest and consent based open relationships, but instead it created a space for making them acceptable. So yay.

If only every disaster that man created could end in something compelling.