Here's an article I read a few days ago that made me sick and very sad. In India, it is common to do something called the "Two Finger Test" to see if a victim of rape has become "habituated to sex." and therefore not a victim of rape. I can't imagine that something like this would still be happening, and yet I unfortunately have to. We still live in a world where a woman who is sexually active is sometimes looked down upon, and that women shouldn't enjoy sex.

I can't wait for a time when this is changed. It starts with us ladies. We are the ones who need to make a difference!!

Ashley

Here is a short article on teen pregnancy rates by region in the United States. Once again, it looks painfully obvious that abstinence-only sex education is increasing teen pregnancy rates. You can't get much more proof than the proof we've been seeing. When is it enough??

Mandy

This is great video of people asking the question of "Are people born homosexual or do people choose to be homosexual?", and then asking "When did you choose to be straight?".

I think this is a fantastic way to look at the question and it should be used in defense of people who believe that homosexuality is a choice that people consciously make at some point in their life. If a person has to choose to be homosexual, then a person has to choose to be heterosexual.

Check out the video here

Ashley

DADT was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge yesterday and the government has to do something to reinforce the old laws.

"If the government does not appeal, the injunction cannot be reversed and would remain in effect. If it does appeal, that would put the administration in the position of continuing to defend a law it opposes."

So if Obama drags his feet on the subject, then his horrible law may be gone for good!!

I can't wait to see what happens.

Here is the article, enjoy the read.

Ashley

In France, women are urged to stay at work and have many children, and there are great incentives for this. Free childcare, 4 month paid maternity leave, free post-birth therapy sessions, tax breaks on as many children you have, and others like this. Yet, women in France are still tasked with the domestic work and caring for their children. Women on average spend twice as much time daily doing "domestic work" than their husbands. They make 26% less on average than male counterparts and women weren't allowed to vote until 1945. They may have many advantages, but women in France are by no means equal.

Read the article here!

Ashley

Hey everyone!

I wanted to say that the 2010 Illinois NOW Conference went spectacularly today! I can't wait to put up pictures so everyone can see! I'm so proud of my fellow NOW members that spoke and so very grateful for the support, help, and motivation from our other NOW members.

I'd also want to let everyone know that we may be doing re-orders for our Henry the Homemaker shirts. If you want a shirt, email uiuc.now@gmail.com. If you want more information on Henry, check out his facebook page!

Thanks again everyone! I can't wait to see where this takes us during the rest of the year!

Ashley

How We're Using It, How It's Influencing Us, Internet Etiquette (or Lessons Learned the Hard Way) and What We Believe the Internet Can Do for Feminism

Blogs:

• Great space for reactions to news.
• Lots of potential to inform, persuade, and incite.
• Comment sections can be incredible!
• Downside: It can be hard to draw readers to your blog.

http://www.bust.com/

www.thefbomb.org

Facebook:

• Lots of untapped potential.
• Making connections, publicizing events, sharing articles, videos, petitions through the newsfeed which is largely unfiltered.

Twitter:

• Like facebook, you can share things instantly.
• Lots of potential for activism: you can get the attention of hundreds in hours.
• Also a way to potentially promote blogs/share interesting or important blog posts.

http://www.twitter.com/

Tumblr:

• Comparable to Twitter and to Facebook.
• Can share quotes from articles, which link back to the original article.
• Great for roping people into articles they might otherwise pass up.
• Potential to be the favorite option of young feminists.
• Also a way to get people back to your blog.

http://www.tumblr.com/

Why the Internet is Great for Feminism:

• Consciousness-raising is taking place online.
• Alienated girls can become connected.
• The option to pick and choose our media diet.

http://heyfatchick.tumblr.com/

Why it Sometimes Sucks:

• Comment-sections can also be brutal.
• Older feminists are not always welcoming.
• Sometimes, we really do make asses of ourselves (opportunity for a learning experience!!)

http://finallyfeminism101.wordpress.com/

Other Concerns:

• Does being able to hash things out online lead to complacence? A lack of real-life activism?
• Can creating your own universe of feminist-friendly media make you lose track of the way things REALLY ARE and what needs to change??

Cool Links:

www.postsecret.com

www.monthlyinfo.com

Is anyone else as horrified about Sarah Palin and Christine O'Donnell's "feminism?" Are they taking advantage of discrepancies between the ideals of (real) feminists? We need to redefine, clarify, broaden what feminism truly means! This article, How We Can Fight the Right-Wing's Absurd Hijacking of Feminism, is a very good read on this topic. It definitely gets you thinking about how absolutely necessary it is for feminists to show what we're really about!