Article here. Excerpt:

'After weeks of prudent silence, American University’s president, Neil Kerwin, has finally spoken up about the date-rape controversy sparked by my recent column. Now, the last time anyone was interested in what was coming out of American University, it was because Kerwin’s predecessor was caught embezzling school funds — so perhaps, not used to all of the attention, the opportunity was too tantalizing for him to stay quiet. Trying — and failing — to assume a position of balance, Kerwin writes thus in his campus-wide spring semester memorandum:

I want to acknowledge the challenges our community faced in the wake of a provocative column in the March 31 Eagle on the topic of date rape. Our community exchanged views on this incident in a manner that reflects the value we place on civil discourse. Through dialogue, exchanges of opinion, and discussion forums, several principles were affirmed—among them, that sexual assault in all its forms and circumstances (including date rape) is a crime and a violation of AU’s Student Conduct Code; and that the First Amendment protects the right to share viewpoints, even when they may be hurtful or insensitive. Date rape victims/survivors were personally affected and many were deeply offended by the column’s words. The Eagle editors have acknowledged they could have made different editorial choices that would have avoided the harm without compromising First Amendment rights. The editors should be commended for acknowledging their mistakes, listening carefully to criticisms, and responding thoughtfully.

Article here. Excerpt:

'A model who accused David Copperfield of luring her to his private island in the Bahamas and raping her has dropped her lawsuit against the magician.

Lacey Carroll, 23, announced her decision just days after a U.S. judge ruled that Copperfield's lawyers would be allowed to question her under oath this week.

'It has never been about money,' Ms Carroll said in the statement. 'I just wanted him held accountable for what he did.'

I always considered that some emotions hindered some women's ability to think rationally and fairly. This study supports my observations. Apparently jealousy can cause "functional" visual impairment in some people. Of course the researchers were accused of hating women because they didn't conclude that women were either better than men or that women are victims of men. From ABC News: Feeling Jealous? It May Blind You

'Jealousy can be so powerful that it can leave a person "functionally blinded," unable to see key images in their immediate environment. That's the core finding of a study by two psychologists at the University of Delaware, who have been running for cover ever since their study was published in the journal Emotion a few days ago.
...
Why Women but Not Men?

It was juicy fodder for the Internet, leading one writer to claim the conclusions proved that "scientists hate women." Other comments, which Laurenceau labeled "venomous," cast doubt upon the scientists' credentials, intelligence, and intentions.

Story here. Excerpt:

'The Ohio mother who disappeared from her husband and year-old child for days -- sparking a national manhunt in the process -- left them with another man to "start a new life," police told ABC News.

"She left voluntarily with this fellow and drove to Miami to -- and these are her words -- start a new life," Miami Beach police Sgt. Wayne Jones told ABC News.

Tiffany Tehan, 31, who disappeared Saturday, was found alive and well in Miami Beach late Wednesday night with Tre Hutcherson, the man who police called a "person of interest" in her disappearance. Miami police were acting on an FBI tip, Jones said.
...
Tehan's husband, David Tehan, said he is not angry and wants to work on their marriage. Tehan's aunt, Peggy Tehan, told ABC News she is not convinced Tehan has done anything wrong and plans to welcome her home.

Tehan told police she intends to return to Ohio where her husband David and 1-year-old daughter Lexie are waiting, but it is unclear when, Jones said.

Story here. Excerpt:

'News that the Obama administration Tuesday will rescind a Bush-era Title IX policy known as the model survey is viewed as a step forward by women's interest groups and a step backward by men's interest groups.

"Making Title IX as strong as possible is a no-brainer," Vice President Biden said in a draft of a Department of Education news release announcing the change. "What we're doing here today will better ensure equal opportunity in athletics, and allowing women to realize their potential — so this nation can realize its potential."

Tuesday's action "responds to concerns and widespread objections that the 2005 policy and the prototype survey issued by the Department were inappropriate for assessing compliance with Title IX," Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in the draft of the news release.

Article here. Excerpt:

'The Obama administration announcement that it is stepping up enforcement of Title IX, the law that requires equal gender opportunity at any educational institution receiving federal funding, and the possible expansion of the Big Ten Conference appear to be separate stories. But soon enough, they will become one.

Story here. Excerpt:

'The Steelers quarterback will be suspended for 4-6 games due to a violation of the league's personal conduct policy, league sources told FOXSports.com.

The punishment will essentially be a conditional suspension, based both on any new information that arises surrounding Roethlisberger and also his behavior moving forward after speaking to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell last week in New York.

The suspension comes in the wake of accusations by a 20-year-old college student that the two-time Super Bowl champion sexually assaulted her in the bathroom of a Milledgeville, Ga. nightclub on March 5.

After a month-long investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, prosecutors announced April 12 that Roethlisberger, who maintained his innocence throughout, would not be charged in the case due to a lack of probable cause.'

Article here. Excerpt:

'Over the years, hundreds of women have contacted National Organization for Women chapters looking for assistance in their efforts to protect minor children in family court custody proceedings. Often these women have been accused of a phony psychiatric condition, termed Parental Alienation Disorder (PAD). The "disorder" has been proposed by so-called father's rights (men's custody) activists to be added to the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostics and Statistics Manual - V to give it more legitimacy than it currently has -- or should have -- in court.

Story here. Women's rights concerns as such include issues other than abortion rights. Yet, it seems the president and others focus on that issue in a make-or-break fashion, at the same time completely ignoring the other side of the equation: What of the right of men to have the same chance to terminate parental responsibilities? Excerpt:

'WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama, treading carefully on the explosive issue of abortion and the Supreme Court, said Wednesday he will choose a nominee who pays heed to women's rights and privacy when interpreting the Constitution.

"That's very important to me," Obama said. Yet he insisted he will not make any potential nominee pass a "litmus test" on abortion rights.

Obama consulted Senate leaders from both parties at the White House as he moved toward choosing a replacement for Justice John Paul Stevens, who turned 90 on Tuesday and is retiring.

The White House says Obama is considering about 10 people and has begun conversations with candidates. A nominee is expected within the next few weeks.

Article here. Excerpt:

'The U.S. Department of Education is repealing a Bush-era policy that some critics argue was a way to avoid complying with federal law in providing equal opportunities for female athletes.

Under the move, schools and colleges must now provide stronger evidence that they offer equal opportunities for athletic participation under the federal Title IX gender equity law.

It reverses a 2005 policy under former President George W. Bush that allowed schools to use just a survey to prove a lack of interest in starting a new women's sport and encouraged schools to consider a non-response to the questionnaire as disinterest.

"Making Title IX as strong as it possibly can be is the right thing to do," Vice President Biden said Tuesday at an event at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., announcing the change.'
...

Last month, England's Daily Mail reported that New Jersey resident Donna Simpson was determined to become the world's fattest woman.

Already 600 lbs at the age of 42, the stay-at-home mom of a three year old girl wants gain 400 lbs in the next two years, reaching her goal weight of 1000 lbs and thereby breaking the Guinness World Record for female fatness. Her husband, a 150lb "belly man," is completely supportive of her pursuit.

On March 20, 2010, an outraged Renee Martin blogged that Simpson's husband isn't just a chubby chaser, he's an abuser. "Abuse can take many forms and it often goes unremarked upon, or else wrongly labeled. The nature of the power dynamic between the feeder/feedee removes agency and therefore eliminates culpability. Just as it is highly unreasonable to blame the victim of domestic violence for their bruises, so too is it unconscionable to blame the feedee for over eating."

Article here. Excerpt:

'New legislation in Congress aims to close the pay equity gap, even as administration officials prepare to step up enforcement of the existing law.

Economists say part of the gap is because women are more likely to take time off work for child care, and an even bigger part is because of "occupational segregation": Women tend to work disproportionately in lower-paying fields. To be sure, many women's groups see this as a vestige of discrimination. (Another bill, the Fair Pay Act, seeks to address this, though that legislation is considered less likely to gain congressional passage.)
...
Critics worry the Paycheck Fairness Act would encourage a surge of unfounded class-action lawsuits. Labor and employment lawyer Jane McFetridge said small businesses would also find the new requirements cumbersome. For example, an employer who pays a man more than a woman for the same job might have to show that it's a "business necessity."

All –

Registrations are rolling in for our May 6-7 DV Spring Cleaning on Capitol Hill. We want to have as many face-to-face meetings as possible with staffers to “close the deal” on the various VAWA reforms we’re pushing for.

We’re doing advance registrations to facilitate advance orientation and team-matching. If you haven’t registered yet, please do so As Soon As Possible at http://abusegate.mensnewsdaily.com/dv-spring-cleaning-register-now/

If you register by this coming Friday, you get the early-bird discount – FREE! After that, the registration fee will be $25.

-- Abusegate Bob

Via email:

Hello -

A few months ago, Matt posted the trailer for “An Emasculating Truth” – a new film directed by the Neistat Brothers.

I wanted to let you know that the film is now complete and can be viewed at anemasculatingtruth.com.

Over the course of the past few months, new studies and articles have been published about the decline of manhood. It’s only proof that this topic is gathering attention amongst academics and the news media, from nutrition and health blogs to almost every major outlet from the New York Times to NPR.

And even with the latest swath of commercials “emasculating” the American Man, we believe our film, “An Emasculating Truth”, couldn’t have come at a better time.

Thank you for taking interest in our film and letting your readers know about it.

Hope you and your readers enjoy it.

Best,

Chris

Blog entry here. Excerpt:

'At Fathers & Families we receive many letters from divorced or separated military servicemembers with painful but preventable family law problems. California AB 2416 will help protect the loving bonds that servicemembers share with their children.

Fathers & Families has worked closely with Assemblyman Paul Cook, the American Retirees Association, and others on AB 2416, and earlier this month thousands of you responded to our Action Alert in support of the bill. We are pleased to announce that this week the bill passed the Assembly by unanimous consent. The bill will now go to the Senate.

To learn more about the bill and to read Fathers & Families’ official support letter, see our AB 2416 Campaign page here.