Links - February 18, 2013

Links Roundup for February 18, 2013

Feminist Current - Girls explains the difference between porn and nudity in half an hour (nsfw)

Feminist Current - There is No Feminist War on Sex Workers

CODE RED for gender justice! - Can One Billion Rising End Violence Against Women?

Michael Laxer - No exception for Assange: Rape apologetics and the left

Candice Chung - Do men really prefer rental girlfriends?

Zoe Williams - Baby health crisis in Indonesia as formula companies push products

Michael Zhang  - Woman Photographs Herself Receiving Strange Looks in Public 

 Mike Blanchfield - Highway Of Tears: Human Rights Watch Alleges RCMP Officers Raped, Abused Aboriginals In BC

Rebecca Watson - The Privilege Delusion

Bo Winegard and Ben Winegard - The New Atheists, Political Narratives, and the Betrayal of the Enlightenment The Real Delusion: Part 1

The Delusions of MRAs and MRA Supporters

So, I woke up this morning and needlessly checked my social media website only to find that a woman had posted links to blogs of Men's Rights Activists, claiming that they are legitimate and just like a group of feminists, only for "men's rights."

Of course, the woman that posted this appeared to be unaware that MRAs are actually a  response to feminism - an anti-feminist movement. 
It shares absolutely nothing with feminism. 

As if this wasn't cringe-inducing enough, she also posted an MRA website link that supports "gender neutral custody hearings" because you know, female reproductive rights and rights to raise their children are actually unrelated to gender.

What world is this woman, and other proponents of Men's Rights Jackivist groups, living in? 

Are they unaware that the forced sterilization of mentally and physically disabled women, First Nations women, Black women and other women deemed "unsuitable" for reproduction and parenting only stopped in Canada during the 1970s? 
Are they simply ignoring the fact that 98% of rape is perpetrated by men against women? 
Are they turning a blind eye to the fact that poverty has a female face, with 70% of the world's poor being women?

But no, MRAs claim that men are actually oppressed! Here are some slogans from signs posted downtown Vancouver via Jezebel: "90 percent of divorces are initiated by women," "90 percent of homeless are men"

Furthermore, according to Women Views On News.org, an MRA group even went so far to write, "My belief is that 50 to 90 per cent of rape claims are made up, the rape statistics are inflated to make men look more rapey than they really are."

The fact that any woman would perceive MRAs to be a rational, productive and legitimate group of men who are "oppressed" is deeply troubling as is the upsurge of these hate groups. Much of the drivel featured on MRA blogs is blatantly anti-feminist, anti-woman and anti-liberation. They skew reality and misrepresent women's experiences to support their own woman-hating agenda. 

I mean, one doesn't have to put much effort into finding blatant misogyny on these sites - particularly on the MRA reddit pages. Here's a sample of the intellectually-stimulating, politically-relevant postings from the site: 

You know us women, we just go around claiming to be raped by men all the time, just for shits and giggles! We have an unwavering desire to be blamed by the cops, the courts and other male-dominated institutions because we think it's a good way to spend our free time!

However, since there is no great way to end an angry rant, I'll conclude this post by affirming this sentiment:  MRAs perpetuate woman-hating, misogyny, reproductive injustices, rape culture and rape myths.  They are a hate group, plain and simple and any woman who sympathizes with them does so at the expense of her sisters. 

Sexual Harassment and a Culture of Misogyny In the RCMP Pt. 3: Cpl. Brown's S&M Photos

Trigger Warning: Violence against women and sexualized violence

The RCMP tries to portray itself as a noble, courageous, and moral institution that upholds “the rule of law” and strives to “serve and protect” all citizens, but this is an illusion as the previous posts confirm. However, recently there has been even more controversy facing the force. When RCMP Cpl. Jim Brown’s photos were found on a bondage/sadomasochism website, many began to question his ability to appropriately oversee an investigation on murdered and missing women.

Once the images of the corporal were made public, many Canadians were disturbed to find an officer featured online in photos that fetishize violence against women. One photo shows Brown posing next to a woman bound in saranwrap and another displays him stepping on the back of a woman with his mountie boots. The narrative under the saranwrap photo was reiterated by Dr. Mike Webster, “He comes upon a woman on the street. He stalks her, he captures her, he takes her somewhere, it’s a private location, he wraps her in cellophane … he puts his feet on her, he cuts her, she bleeds.” 

Cpl. Jim Brown image found on AM980

The website even featured a photo of Cpl. Brown holding a butcher knife to a naked woman’s throat.  According to the National Post, “The narrative of the still photographs, posted on an S&M website, progresses from an apparent street scene of the woman walking past Brown sitting on a wall; he overpowers her; he hog-ties her, he imprisons her in a cage, he threatens her with a large butcher knife and he slashes her.”

Hilla Kerner, a worker at the the Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter told the Vancouver Sun “It is absurd to think that his [Cpl. Brown] personal, private behaviour has nothing to do with his professional role as a police officer.” 

But those coming to Brown’s defense believe that his private life is based on individual choice and utterly detached from his public life. Psychology professor,  Del Paulhus (I know, I know it does look a lot like phallus) affirms that folks who are sadomasochists or those who “practice” bondage in their “home” life do not neccesarily behave that way in their careers or public lives. “In particular, the S&M community seems to be a group of people who are normal in every respect, except for their interest in sadistic and/or masochistic activities.” However, many that know that this is not entirely true, as several ex-BDSM aficionados have recently spoken out about sexual assault and a lack of real consent in some S&M circles. 

But I digress

Paulhus’s public/private theory suggests that we are all to believe that Cpl. Brown’s private activities (though they were published online by Brown) have no influence whatsoever on his ability to successfully and responsibly investigate a serial murder case involving 49 women.

Feminists are familiar with this notion that the public and private spheres of one's life are disconnected and detached. We argue, however, that they are connected and very intimately so. It does not take much brain power to understand how domestic battery and marital rape are not merely "private" matters, for instance. Feminists have long argued that this notion of a public/private divide is harmful to women as a class and further perpetuates a culture of misogyny, where violence against women is considered "a family matter" or a "private affair." Nevertheless, as per-usual under patriarchy, Cpl. Brown’s job will remain secure and he will continue to inhabit a place of authority despite this blatant conflict of interest. 

Cpl. Brown’s fetishizing of violence against women when placed alongside the workplace sexual harassment, rapes, verbal abuse, “fat parades,” and porn consumption, it is suffice to suggest that the RCMP is very anti-woman work environment.

But, what now?

How can the RCMP change when the misogyny is so deeply embedded as a part of the “culture?” What hope should we have, if any, in real change when the RCMP simply blames the women reporting abuse?

Cpl. Galliford’s courage to come forward with what she endured in the RCMP has inspired many other women to come forward, but what will be next for future female officers? For the missing and murdered women all over the country? The workplace harassment coupled with the violent photos of a male corporal merely makes a joke out of violence against women. This type of behaviour in the RCMP perpetuates a culture that views misogyny and violence against women as sexy, fun, and harmless. It pushes domestic violence, rape, and femicide into the private sphere and further discourages women from reporting abuse or safely escaping male violence. 

We must ask ourselves if a mere reformation of an institution that was founded on male-supremacy, colonialism, power, punishment, and social control is enough to put an end to a culture of misogyny.

When Cops become Johns and Other Findings from The Missing Women Commission of Inquiry

The Missing Women Commission of Inquiry opened on October 11 and continues in its inquiry as to why so many women have disappeared from Vancouver’s Downtown East End and why the police took so long to find the man responsible. This man, of course, is deranged murderer Robert Pickton. 

                              Photo from EVE - Formerly Exploited Voices now Educating

The inquiry also set out to investigate how these women were treated by the police and legal system. The inquiry, despite many advocacy groups pulling out due to lack of funds, continues to reveal much about the the Vancouver Police Departments’ misconduct. ¹  

A recent finding from the inquiry has revealed that members of the Vancouver Police Department, the VPD, forced many of the women they picked up on the East End to perform “sexual favours” in order for the women to avoid arrest. In a study conducted by Kate Shannon, it was disclosed that the VPD treated these women with “apathy, indifference or outright harassment.” The study included interviews with 255 people involved in the sex industry in Vancouver’s East End. 237 of those interviewed were women and 48% of those women were First Nations women of Canada. Furthermore, Shannon found that such incidents of police harassment and abuse made the women highly unlikely to report crimes. In her study, Shannon also found that 87% of the women interviewed said that they have experienced “absolute homelessness” at least once in their lives while one and five were living with HIV. An unsettling one in four were raped and 30% experienced violence by johns – 57% of them at least once in a 19-month period. ²

Despite such alarming findings, Shannon claims she believes that the only solution to such violence committed against these women by johns (mostly men) and now by the Police (mostly men) is to decriminalize prostitution and move it indoors. Shannon told the court during the inquiry hearings that,

"The current criminalization results in enforced displacement, which as we've seen, both pushes people away from health and support services and increases the risk of coerced sex and violence." She continued, "being able to allow sex workers to work indoors and in safer indoor spaces would be really important, both for allowing sex workers to have some measure of safety, access to services and reduced exposure to violence." ³

While I agree that criminalizing those within the sex industry may restrict their access to health services and support, decriminalizing the johns and pimps will not further women's access to health services or physical safety. Moving people indoors to be purchased by predominately men will not solve anything. Also, if we know that police officers are now playing the role of the john and the cop, then who will protect these women, indoors or outdoors? How will this prevent the extensive violence committed against them by johns and pimps? Will the police suddenly begin to care and respond appropriately to the concerns of these women if they are indoors? It is doubtful and Shannon’s report suggests this. In this same report there is even a direct quote from a woman regarding her fears. She is quoted stating that she feared “police, pimps, dealers, strangers, and partners.”²  Another interviewed woman warned, “once buddy’s got you in the car, you’re fucked.” 

Moving women indoors may prevent them from getting into cars, but who will protect them while inside?  Will it be the pimps or brothel owners who protect them from violent johns? My proposition is that rather than simply relocating these women, why don’t we challenge the men who feel entitled to purchase them?  Why not challenge the racist, sexist and colonialist implications that come with nearly half of these women being First Nations women? We cannot continue to ignore the intersections of class, ethnicity, and sex when discussing prostitution. We must realize that really terrible, disgusting things are happening to women because we live in a society that thrives on exploitation, greed and male-dominance. Let us create opportunities for all, put an end to poverty and see how well prostitution survives in such a humane and compassionate climate. It wouldn’t survive in that sort of society because there would be no demand.

Prostitution has been a recent spot of interest for Canada with these inquiries as well as the hearings from supporters of decriminalizing johns. More recently there has even been several political speculators who think the recent allowed continuance of the safe-injection drug sites in Vancouver may lead to a change to Canada’s prostitution laws. However, I am unsure how women being bought like commodities are the same as providing safe needles for heroin users. Nevertheless, I stand firmly on my support for the Nordic Model regarding prostitution laws, which decriminalizes those “selling” and criminalizing those “buying.” It also provides opportunities and support services for women who want to exit safely. This whole “decriminalization of johns will prevent violence” notion is a mere mirage in that it promises those in authority, like police officers, will “protect” these women. We now see that they are not being protected by the police, in fact, they are being coerced and harassed by the police.

"Laws" created by the ruling class aside, I also support the notion of radical change to society. This change would allow a society where we would see others as valuable and worthy of respect. A society where women are not systematically raped, murdered, purchased, traded, devalued, or despised. Prostitution simply would not exist in such a world. This is because prostitution and the sex industry at large, is in and of itself , an institution. It is a product of a domination/submission paradigm that has been sustained by a laissez faire global economic system as well as a laissez faire

Notes:

1.      “B.C.'s missing women inquiry opens,” CBC News, October 11, 2011, accessed October 22, 2011. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/10/11/robert-pickton-inquiry.html

2.     Suzanna Fournier, “Vancouver cops forced prostitutes to perform sexual favours, inquiry told,” Montreal Gazette, October 19, 2011, accessed on October 22, 2011.
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Vancouver+cops+forced+prostitutes+perform+sexual+favours+inquiry+told/5570043/story.html

      3. The Canadian Press, “Pickton inquiry focus shifts to prostitution laws,” CBC News, October 19, 2011, accessed October 22, 2011. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/10/18/bc-pickton-.html

Blood Boilers for the Weekend

Some folks commenting a few posts ago argued that my discussion of violence against women is "overshadowing" the violence committed against men. 


I have done a bit of research since these clearly ignorant comments were published and found the StatsCan report from 2006 that documents in length, the rampant violence against women in this country through statistical trends. 


Here is that link


This link will lead you to the 2006 Statscan report which is a navigable PDF document.




In the mean time, here are some old vintage ads to get your blood curdling for the weekend:

Translation: Women's wisdom is viewed as a threat...

Translation: Women's bodies are akin to filth and until they are properly "sanitized," we will devalue them as human beings.

Translation: Women are weak, less valuable and only useful when confined to the home

Translation: Women are stupid and dirty. Women must use harmful chemicals in order for their bodies to be acceptable.

Translation: Women cannot physically age, if they age, they are no longer valuable or desirable. Men, however, can age only they age "gracefully" and with "distinction."

And for the most disgusting one of all...

photos found at icanhastheinternet, wipwapweb, and foundinmom'sbasement 

"Win a Wife" from Edmonton Radio Station "The Bear"

Just when you thought Alberta radio stations could not become more heinous with their blatant sexist "contests," an Edmonton radio station further lowers the bar. The Bear radio station in Edmonton, Alberta has created a contest to "win" a Russian bride. Yes, the radio station is taking part in blatant human trafficking. The woman involved in this contest clearly has no choice in who her future husband will be since, you know, she is the object being won. Contrary the Bear's perception of females at large (see their "Babe of the Day" section online) a woman is not an object to be "won" by a man through a  radio station, or anywhere else for that matter. This is why there is controversy and sheer outrage coming from all over the country. 


Much outrage is shared amongst those who are currently battling human trafficking, which includes the mail order bride industry. Andrea Burhart, with Alberta's Action Coalition on Human Trafficking asserts her disgust to CBC news, "I cringed when I saw it," she said, "The bottom line is that we don't know how these women are coming into this." Precisely! this contest also further asserts the idea that women are property - they are to be married off to someone they themselves did not choose. 


To add to the growing dissent, Employment and Immigration Minister Thomas Lukaszuk told CBC news that he was so offended by the contest that he pulled his ministry's ads from the radio station. Despite the anger directed at them, The Bear radio station, like the Calgary station who ran a sexist contest for breast implants, won't back down under pressure. Why? Probably because we live under a patriarchal capitalist system where humans are considered to be commodities and women are considered to be chattel. If women were considered fully human, we wouldn't be sold off to random dudes who call into shitty radio stations. One such dude, 27 year old Danny Lozchuk, hopes to be the "lucky man" to win a Russian woman to be his wife, "I've been trying in Canada and Edmonton and no luck, so I'll try my luck overseas and see what I can do," he tells CBC news. Danny's statement exposes the sheer abundance of entitlement that many men hold. Entitlement not only to women's bodies, but to their livelihoods as well. Danny seems to feel that since no woman in North America has so far consented to be with him, he figures he'd have a better shot at being with woman who has no choice in the partnership. I mean, what makes for a happier, sexier marriage than a lack of consent from the woman you are marrying? 


Danny, or some other dude, will "win" this woman - this human being, by the end of the month of September unless this contest is stopped. If you are as furious, offended, disgusted, and revolted by this contest as I am, tell the Bear. Contact information will be added at the end of this post. Share this blog post and spread the word so that this form of extreme disrespect for the humanity of women does not become so normalized that more radio stations hold similar contests. This contest is completely unacceptable.







To contact the Bear radio station in Edmonton:

The Bear Address #100 - 18520 Stony Plain Road Edmonton, Alberta T5S 2E2 Main Number: (780) 486-2800 To get a quick response please be sure to send your questions or comments to the correct email address.

Stewart Meyers, General Manager	smeyers@astral.com
Rob Vavrek, Brand Director	rvavrek@bear.fm
Susan Reade, General Sales Manager	sreade@astral.com
Karen Paulgaard, Promotions Director	kpaulgaard@astral.com

For questions and concerns regarding contests, prizing etc.

cjunker@astral.com

To send them a tweet (or several) on Twitter, their tag is  @1003TheBear






Notes:


- Quotes and information from CBC news
- Photograph from The Bear radio station 

Edmonton Salon Wants you to "Look Good In All you Do" with Ad of Battered Woman

Just in case you have not heard about the recent controversial ad filling the headlines - here it is. 

An Edmonton hair salon has recently released an ad that glamorizes, sexualizes and normalizes violence against women. The ad depicts a battered women sitting on a couch while a psychotic looking dude plays with a necklace. The necklace further perpetuates the ads attempts at creating class and status amidst the violence. The clothing, for instance, suggests that the couple in the photo has a lot of money and they "care" about how they look by wearing expensive garb. The text within the ad reads, "Look good in all you do" suggesting that, even if your male-partner has beaten you recently, you can still get an expensive haircut from this salon. 

To add fuel to the fierce rage that is already being experienced by many who have viewed this advertisement, the salon stands by their marketing stating, "Is it cutting edge advertising? Yes. Is it intended to be a satirical look at real-life situations that ignites conversation and debate? Of course. Is it to everyone’s taste? Probably not," says Sarah Cameron, owner of the salon. Can someone explain to me how it is "cutting edge" to depict battered women? Where is the artistic value within this advertisement? 

Janine Fraser, director of the Edmonton Women's Shelter expressed concern over the advertisement,  "This advertisement is at risk of glamorizing an issue that is of serious and life-threatening, ongoing concern to all the women and children who use our shelters." 

In response, the salon owner has taken it upon herself to "explain" the advertisement to the Edmonton Women's Shelter, "If survivors of abuse interpret this ad to make light of any abusive situation, we sincerely apologize, that was never our intent as there are people that worked on this campaign who are survivors of abuse."

Here are my questions for Sarah Cameron. I am sure these questions, or similar ones are being echoed by Canadians and by those reading Canadian news:

1) How could survivors of abuse not interpret this photograph as offensive? 

2) How does this photo not make light of violence against women? That is all it depicts. 

3) If you are so sincerely apologetic, why not take the advertisement down? The Edmonton Women's Shelter has made clear the risk being posed, so why continue to show this ad?

4) How can you be so sorry if you are still desiring to make money from this disgusting advertisement? 

4) What was your intent with this advertisement? How did you decide that violence against women was even relevant to salon services? 

5) Considering most salons are targeting a female audience, why would you use a battered woman to promote your business? How do you believe women will feel about such violent representations? Do you believe this ad will benefit your salon and its image in the long-run?

***

Feel free to leave your feelings regarding this ad and what you think should be the next action taken by the salon and by the Edmonton Women's Shelter. 

This entire ad is centered around violence against women, that is all this photograph represents; there is no notion of hair-styling or hair-cutting from this advertisement. The ad is blatantly misogynistic, violence-promoting and sexualized hatred of women. This is all done in the name of marketing and in the name of making money.

 If we continue to use the idea - the concept of maimed and battered women for profit and for fashion, we will continue to perpetuate the dangerous and unpredictable environment in which survivors of domestic violence live. As women, we must be willing to call other women out on their blatant exploitative marketing maneuvers and their attempts to make violence against women sexy.

Notes:

Quotes and photograph from CBC news

Why do these people end up on my blog?

Usually I try not to post about random shit - but this is my blog. 


So, here are some more horrifying search terms - they have been getting progressively worse with time...


"forced to have sex" searched 3 times in one day


"tight female assholes" searched 2 times in one day 


"black pins in tight vagiana" [sic] searched 2 times in one week 


"14yars sex garils" [sic] searched 2 times in one week (clearly by the same person)


"fucking hardcore porn baby" searched 2 times in one day


"girls forced to have sex" searched once today but has shown up several times in the last few weeks


"girls forced to have sex with other girls"








As a way to end this "post," here's a graphic made by a feminist prostitution-abolition group from here 

This poster is important as it brings up the issue of men's choices. 
Since so many feminists are divided on women's "choices" in prostitution, 
I think it is vital in that it society asks "why" men make the choice to buy women and how
their demand is central to the exploitation of women and girls worldwide.

Enjoy your Tuesday!

Indigenous Women Take a Stand Against Prostitution

Prostitution has been gaining more attention in the media these days, in fact, one such outlet has recently asserted that prostitution demand is on the rise. 


Despite the recent prostitution legislation talks occurring in Canada, Indigenous women are taking a stand against the racist, colonial and capitalist sex industry that they deem divisive within their communities and destructive to women and children.


I would like to share the Aboriginal Women's Action Network's declaration on prostitution - this declaration examines the roots that sustain prostitution and other forms of sexual exploitation.


According to Easilyriled, this declaration was established in Ottawa, Canada in 2011 and can be signed when visiting the Aboriginal Women's Action Network's facebook page.


Here is the declaration which is cross-posted from Easilyriled's blog

Photo found on Aboriginal Women's Action Facebook page

Photo Credit: Sue Rutchinski

As Indigenous women living on occupied territories now known as Canada, who have survived over 500 years of attempted genocide, we declare:

1. We, Indigenous women, will not allow anyone or anything to break the ties that bind us. Despite the impacts of colonialism – the racism, sexism, poverty and violence that pervade our lives and communities, working to divide us both inside and out – we are profoundly aware of our connected ness to each other as women, to our ancestors, and to our lands. No man, men, or external force will ever ultimately sever these ties.

2. Our analysis of prostitution as a form of violence against women and as a system of colonialism is the result of over five centuries of resistance stories, stories told to us by our Grandmothers, who have retold the stories of their Grandmothers, who have retold the stories of their Grandmothers. This analysis is based on our own life experiences, on the life experiences of our mothers, our sisters, and all our relations. It is based on theory and knowledge constructed collectively by Indigenous women.

3. Purposeful legal tolerance of prostitution and pornography, as with the Indian Act and the residential school system, was and is an external colonial system imposed on Indigenous women and girls in continued attempts to harm and destroy us.

4. We, Indigenous women, reject the racist assumption that prostitution was ever part of our traditional practices. We denounce the idea that we are objects to be bought and sold.

5. We, Indigenous women, reject the capitalism that has resulted in the theft and destruction of our homelands and our environment. We reject the International capitalism and greed that also drives the “sex industry”, an industry that regards Indigenous women and girls as objects to be sold at the highest price, should we survive the transaction. We reject the colonial terminology of “sex work”, as it hides the racist, sexist, and classist realities of prostitution. “Sex work” masks the violence that our sisters struggle against on a daily basis and repackages that violence as a form of freely chosen labour.

6. We, Indigenous women, reject the imposition of patriarchy, which has had devastating and deadly effects for Indigenous women and girls. We face male violence within our own families and communities, and often we are pushed out of these very communities seeking safety. We are forced to migrate into cities where we continue to face physical, emotional, and sexual violence at the hands of men, including at the hands of johns, pimps, brothel owners, and traffickers. We demand a return to our traditional values that place women and girls in high esteem.

7. The Nordic model of state policy will give Indigenous women and girls the best chance of not only survival, but life. This model includes law reform that criminalizes the male demand for paid sex and decriminalizes prostituted women, offers comprehensive social programs to all women and girls, and educates the public about prostitution as a form of male violence against women and girls. We, Indigenous women, believe this model encourages true social change that works in our interest.

8. We, Indigenous women, reject the total decriminalization and/or legalization of prostitution as an acceptable solution to sexual violence. The total decriminalization and/or legalization of prostitution only encourages the racist and deadly male demand for access to the bodies of women and girls, with Indigenous women and girls being disproportionately targeted.

9. We, Indigenous women, reject the patriarchal, colonial, and capitalist male perception that our sole worth is as sexual objects. We recognize that prostitution and pornography, incest, physical and sexual assault, and murder exist on a continuum of male violence and hatred toward Indigenous women and girls. The tragic outcome of that hatred is the over 580 documented cases of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada.

10. We, Indigenous women and girls, have survived over 500 years of attacks on our cultures, our bodies, our lands, and our lives. We refuse to abandon our future generations to the colonial sexist violence that is prostitution and we demand an immediate end to the male demand for paid sex.

*All Indigenous Women – First Nations, Inuit, Metis – who are in agreement with this Declaration are invited to sign on as individual endorsers or organizations. You can contact us at awan.bc@gmail.com to do so.*

**Update: Due to demand we are compiling a solidarity list for non native women and orgs to sign in support of the declaration**