Kamala Harris' Online Harassment Task Force Is a Bad Idea

Article here. Excerpt:

'The White House created a new task force on Thursday to combat online harassment, abuse, and sexual violence. The initiative was unveiled by Vice President Kamala Harris, who gave little indication that she understands the difference between preventing violence and deterring harassment, the latter of which is outside the government's purview.

"For far too many people, the internet is a place of fear," said Harris. "This affects all of us if it affects any one of us."

Online harassment is indeed a frustrating and pervasive problem; contrary to the White House's framing that harassers primarily target women and minorities, people of all backgrounds contend with it if they spend any significant time online. A Pew survey from 2017 found that 44 percent of men said they had experienced online harassment, compared with 37 percent of women.

Like0 Dislike0

"Be the Change" fighting "casual misogyny"

Article here. Excerpt:

'Over the years, the cupcake tables that sat centre-stage at International Women's Day events started to get on Jasmin Bedir's nerves.

So in 2021, the Innocean Australia CEO launched not-for-profit Fck The Cupcakes (FTC), calling on as many members of the public and corporate supporters as possible to help her in her efforts to "fight endemic misogyny" and make some tangible change.

Now, the initiative has launched a new campaign titled 'Be The Change', and this time the target is casual misogyny.

Speaking to 9Honey, Be The Change spokesperson Rod Prosser, who is also the Chief Sales Officer of Network 10, explained the focus of the campaign.

"'Be The Change' puts a spotlight on casual misogyny, which we think is one of the most important problems to correct in the fight to break the bias," says Prosser.

Like0 Dislike0

Privileges confirmed for straight white men working in STEM

Article here. Excerpt:

'A new study that considered multiple aspects including sexual identity and disabilities confirms a long-held belief: White, heterosexual men without disabilities are privileged in STEM careers.

The University of Michigan study of 25,300 professionals in science, technology, engineering and math shows that this segment experiences better treatment and rewards than members of 31 other categories by gender, race, LGBTQ+ status and disability status.

Like0 Dislike0

FACT SHEET: Presidential Memorandum Establishing the White House Task Force to Address Online Harassment and Abuse

Article here. Excerpt:

'Today, President Biden will sign a Presidential Memorandum establishing the White House Task Force to Address Online Harassment and Abuse, responding to the need for government leadership to address online harms, which disproportionately affect women, girls, people of color, and LGBTQI+ individuals. Vice President Harris will launch the Task Force by hosting a survivor and expert roundtable this afternoon. The tragic events in Buffalo and Uvalde have underscored a fact known all too well by many Americans: the internet can fuel hate, misogyny, and abuse with spillover effects that threaten our communities and safety offline.'

Like0 Dislike0

Twitter bans boost of "In His Words" article

Article here. Really, no surprise coming from Twitter. Excerpt:

'A May 4th article that addressed the demonizing of masculinity in America (Assaulting our Boys: The Campaign to Demonize Masculinity) must have struck a nerve. Within 24 hours, it had several thousand views. I decided to boost the article, that looked at the lack of attention on boys and men as an assault on masculinity, on social media to increase its visibility. Twitter did not allow the boosting of the article, asserting it violated the company’s usage policy. I appealed and asked for an explanation, receiving the following message.

[Image]

Like0 Dislike0

The Ends of Men

Article here. MRAs have been refuted by feminists and others when they have asserted that there is indeed a subset of feminism that wants to see "the Final Solution" to the "man problem": our very existence. If there is no such trend in feminism, then why are there literally dozens of books depicting men as disappeared and a "better world" arising from it? Excerpt:

'“When the men disappeared, it felt like nothing,” reflects Jane Pearson in the first line of Sandra Newman’s new novel The Men. But more than a hundred years of literary history tell us that what follows will not be nothing. The Men was the subject of online debate earlier this year when Newman announced its premise on Twitter: “everyone with a Y chromosome suddenly, mysteriously disappears.”

Like1 Dislike0

A Proclamation on World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, 2022

Article here. Excerpt:

'Elder abuse takes many forms, such as financial, emotional, physical, and sexual harm, including intimate partner violence in later life. It often comes in the form of neglect, abandonment, or exploitation. It is estimated that approximately 1 in 10 elderly Americans are abused annually. However, many of those who are abused suffer in silence, and many cases are never reported or brought to light. In the past few years, while the pandemic isolated all of us to different extents, it especially exacerbated the isolation felt by too many older adults. All of us have a role to play in preventing elder abuse and ensuring that our Nation’s seniors are able to age with dignity. With a majority of elder abuse victims being women, my Administration is focused particularly on improving our support for all women and preventing and addressing gender-based violence that impacts older adults both domestically and abroad.'

Like0 Dislike0

Research into falling sperm counts finds 'alarming' levels of chemicals in male urine samples

Article here. Excerpt:

'Scientists searching for the causes of falling sperm counts are getting a clearer picture of the role played by chemical pollutants - and it’s not a pretty one.

A study of urine samples from nearly 100 male volunteers has uncovered “alarming” levels of endocrine disruptors known to reduce human fertility.

Cocktails of chemicals such as bisphenols and dioxins, which are believed to interfere with hormones and affect sperm quality, were present at levels up to 100 times those considered safe.

The median exposure to these chemicals was 17 times the levels deemed acceptable.'

Like1 Dislike0

In major victory, Colorado court finds that accused students at private universities are entitled to fair hearings

Article here. Excerpt:

'Last month, Colorado’s intermediate court held that private universities in the state owe a duty of care to students when addressing claims of sexual misconduct. The Colorado Court of Appeals’ ruling, reversing a lower court’s judgment in favor of the University of Denver, a private university, is a welcome decision that other state courts should follow.

Highlighting DU’s deficient process, the court noted “the burden and detriment of an unfair investigation and adjudication is borne almost entirely” by the accused. As a result, the court held that DU has a duty to adopt and apply fair procedures when investigating and adjudicating claims of sexual misconduct.

This is important because a constitutional right to due process only applies at public institutions because they are state actors.'

Like0 Dislike0

This Title IX Bill Would Undermine Due Process Rights for New Jersey College Students

Article here. Excerpt:

'A bill introduced last month in the New Jersey Senate could threaten the due process rights of students who are accused of Title IX violations. S.B. 2469 would require that employees at public colleges and universities who are involved in adjudicating, receiving reports of, or providing services to victims of alleged sexual violence undergo a "victim-centered" training. This training would also be required for students employed as resident advisors, or dorm supervisors.
...
However, some of those "providing services" to victims are also meant to be impartial investigators of serious allegations, such as university employees involved in adjudicating allegations of sexual assault. Giving "victim-centered" training to those employees raises the question of whether a victim-centered approach also allows for an impartial examination of the evidence and testimony for and against a student accused of sexual assault.'

Like0 Dislike0

Google pays out $118 million to female staff who earned less than their male colleagues to settle lawsuit

Article here. Excerpt:

'Google has agreed to pay $118 million to more than 15,500 employees to settle a longstanding lawsuit over gender discrimination and equitable pay, court documents show.

The settlement covers female employees in 236 job titles in California since September 14, 2013, the plaintiffs' legal firms Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein and Altshuler Berzon said in a press release.'

Like0 Dislike0

Intact 2022: 16th Int'l Conference on Child Genital Cutting

Official Page for Registration and Reservations

"The issue of genital cutting/mutilation of newborns and children was brought to the forefront of discussion in 1989 in Anaheim, California. During the three-day event, genital cutting was addressed by experts from many disciplines including history, religion, medicine, anthropology, psychology, law, and ethics. Since then, these symposia have convened biennially (when possible)."

Like0 Dislike0

An Imagined Rebuttal to Amber Heard’s 2018 Washington Post Column

Article here. Excerpt:

'Following the ACLU’s example, and in the interest of gender equity, I have taken the liberty of ghost-writing an “imagined rebuttal” to Heard’s column with Mr. Depp as the “author”. This rebuttal deconstructs their article, paragraph by paragraph, and provides a more balanced and truthful examination for each.

Note that Mr. Depp doesn’t know me from Adam and has no prior knowledge of this effort. I’m simply doing it as a public service to him and to fair-minded men and women everywhere. Also note that in keeping with Heard’s assertion that the Post article “wasn’t about Depp because it didn’t name him”, in his rebuttal, Depp only refers to “the defendant” (wink-wink).'

Like2 Dislike0

Talking to boys about being a boy

Article here. Excerpt:

'Since my sons were born, I’ve tried to speak openly about gender. I’ve taught both of them, now ages 5 and 9, how to spot the ways the world holds girls and women back. I’ve also taught them about gender norms in toys and clothes, and why it is OK for both boys and girls to break them.

I thought I was being proactive in my approach until recently – when I realized there was a large, hiding-in-plain-sight, missing piece in everything we discussed. We never once spoke directly about masculinity or dug into what it means to be a boy or a man.

A big reason for this failure was inadequate vocabulary. Parents and caregivers to girls can rely on the word “feminism” should they want to frame girlhood as both positive and dynamic. Calling one’s daughter a “feminist” allows for change and progress without limiting girls or criticizing femininity.

Like0 Dislike0

Middle-aged white men a ‘pariah’ in television and film, says Christopher Eccleston

Article here. Excerpt:

'I am a "pariah" as a middle-aged white male, Christopher Eccleston has said, as he reveals his acting work is drying up.

The actor, best known for reviving the role of Doctor Who, starred in successful films and series earlier in his career, including Jude the Obscure and Our Friends in the North.

But the British star now feels like a “failure” for being unable to secure similar work.

Eccleston has said that his age, sex and skin colour have now made him a “pariah” in the entertainment industry, leaving his career plagued by uncertainty.

“I'm white, I'm middle-aged, I'm male, and I'm straight,” said the 58-year-old actor. “We are the new pariah in the industry.
...
Eccleston is nevertheless returning to BBC Two on Friday night in My Name Is Leon, based on the novel of the same name by Kit de Waal. The story follows the story of a mixed-race child who is separated from his younger, white half-brother in the care system.'

Like1 Dislike0

Pages

Subscribe to Mensactivism.org RSS