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.'

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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.'

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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.'

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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.'

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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.'

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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)."

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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).'

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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.

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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.'

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Geico ordered to pay Missouri woman $5.2 million after she contracted STD in a car

Article here. Excerpt:

'A Missouri woman was awarded $5.2 million in a settlement from insurance company GEICO after contracting a sexually transmitted disease from her partner in his vehicle, which was insured by the company, court documents show. The Missouri Court of Appeals upheld that award this week.

The woman, a Jackson County resident, said she contracted Human papillomavirus (HPV) from her partner, according to court documents. On Tuesday, the Missouri Court of Appeals filed an opinion confirming the initial Jackson County Circuit Court arbitration award finding against GEICO.

In February 2021, the woman -- anonymously identified in documents as M.O. -- submitted a petition to GEICO directly. She alleged that her sexual partner negligently caused or "contributed to cause to be infected with HPV by not taking proper precautions and neglecting to inform and/or disclose his diagnosis," according to court documents, and that his "insurance policy provided coverage for her injuries and losses."'

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Trellix CEO: Cybersecurity Has Too Many 'Straight White Men'

Article here. Excerpt:

'There is a serious problem with the homogenized nature of cybersecurity professionals, Trellix CEO Bryan Palma said during his keynote at the RSA Conference.

An overwhelming majority of individuals in the cybersecurity field identify as straight, white, and male, according to a recent Trellix-commissioned survey conducted by a market research firm.

This clear lack of diversity is holding the industry back in two main ways. “First, we are turning away great people and doing our industry a significant disservice by failing to cultivate a more inclusive environment,” Palma explained. “We are all better when we benefit from the diverse perspectives of others.”

And secondly, that homogenization is bad for business. “I learned this decades ago from Indra Nooyi, the former PepsiCo CEO: we do not look like our customers. And our lack of diversity restricts our ingenuity, innovation, and ability to recruit the next generation of talent,” Palma said.'

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I Reported Sexual Harassment by My Boss. A Week Later, I Was Suspended.

Article here. Excerpt:

'Shani began sexually harassing me days after I started this job. On October 22, 2020, after learning I was bisexual, she told me I was a “unicorn” and that she found me attractive. Weeks later, on November 20, she came to my house at night, attempted to get me inebriated (I do not drink), told me she had feelings for me, and asked me to sleep with her. When I rejected her repeated advances, Shani used the power she holds over me at the PAB to punish me.

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EU agrees ‘landmark’ 40% quota for women on corporate boards

Article here. Excerpt:

'The EU has agreed that companies will face mandatory quotas to ensure women have at least 40% of seats on corporate boards.

After 10 years of stalemate over the proposals, EU lawmakers hailed a “landmark” deal for gender equality. As well as the legally binding target, companies could also be fined for failing to recruit enough women to their non-executive boards and see board appointments cancelled for non-compliance with the law.

From 30 June 2026 large companies operating in the EU will have to ensure a share of 40% of the “underrepresented sex” – usually women – among non-executive directors. The EU has also set a 33% target for women in all senior roles, including non-executive directors and directors, such as chief executive and chief operating officer.'

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Why so many young Democratic men think feminism has done more harm than good

Article here. Excerpt:

'The Southern Poverty Law Center last week released a poll with Tulchin Research in which they asked men of different age groups and party affiliations if they believe feminism has “done more harm than good.” Not surprisingly, of younger (under the age of 50) Republican men, 62% agreed. But of younger Democratic men, 46% agreed, 41% disagreed and 13% stated they didn’t know.

When asked if men should be represented and valued more in our society, a whopping 60% of younger Democratic men agreed, which was not far off from the 65% of younger Republican men.
...
The perceived feminist push toward relationship domination has in turn made many men afraid of long-term commitments. They may be scared to procreate in fear of a family-court system that could prevent a relationship with their children instead of fostering it. They’ve become pessimistically focused on a 50% divorce rate that is initiated by women 70% of the time. In the end, we have two sexes who are increasingly fearful of each other.'

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Police response to Uvalde shooting says much about masculinity — and not the toxic kind

Article here. Excerpt:

'It’s hard not to feel that our decades of eschewing gender roles and their associated characteristics in pursuit of equality have had some undesirable effects.

When the natural inclination to protect and defend, for example, has been repeatedly disparaged as dangerous and “toxic,” it becomes less difficult to imagine why a group of highly-trained armed men would still favor crowd control over pursuit of an active shooter.

The incentives just aren’t there.

But even if you don’t accept the premise that the decline in masculinity has something to do with the tepid police response, its failure is plainly apparent, and more culturally devastating, as it relates to the shooter. We know that the common thread that links so many mass shooters is the crisis of fatherlessness.'

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