The Green State

toocooltobehipster: instead of telling same sex parents not to adopt because the kid will get...

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 23:44:33 +0100

instead of telling same sex parents not to adopt because the kid will get bullied, we should tell straight parents to teach their kids not to bully

"Education about consent can start before education about sex. If we teach our children to respect..."

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 23:44:33 +0100

“Education about consent can start before education about sex. If we teach our children to respect others, they’ll grow into respectful adults.”

- webelieveyou.tumblr.com (in relation to this post)

YES THANK YOU

(via our-lady-of-misandry)

"The United States, upholding to our beautiful Bill of Rights, has survived (albeit on a sometimes..."

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 17:41:32 +0100

“

The United States, upholding to our beautiful Bill of Rights, has survived (albeit on a sometimes bumpy road) two world wars, the Cold War and innumerable challenges without a massive, all-inclusive destruction of our civil rights. Keep in mind that the Founders created the Bill of Rights, point-by-point, specifically to address the abuses of power (look up the never-heard-from-again Third Amendment) they experienced under an oppressive British government. A bunch of angry jihadis, real and imagined, seems a poor reason to change that system. Prior to 9/11 we did not have a mass-scale terror act (by foreigners; American Citizen Timothy McVeigh pulled one off.) Since 9/11 we have not had a mass-scale terror attack. We can say 9/11 was a one-off, an aberration, and cannot be a justification for everything the government wishes to do.

[…]

…despite all this intrusion into our lives and violations of the Fourth Amendment, the system completely missed the Boston bombers, two of the dumbest, least sophisticated bro’ terrorists in the world.

”

- A Child’s Guide to Why NSA Surveillance is Bad (via wilwheaton)

Photo

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 12:10:13 +0100

tvvink: dominantalpha: Role Play Sneak up on your girlfriend or wife wearing a ski mask whenever...

Sun, 09 Jun 2013 10:37:44 +0100

tvvink:

dominantalpha:

Role Play

Sneak up on your girlfriend or wife wearing a ski mask whenever she expects you to be gone. Just overpower her, rip her clothes off, restrain her and fuck her. After its all over and she’s upset because she thinks she has just been raped. Lift the mask up and say something along the line of “It’s ok baby, it’s just me.”

that’s rape. that’s actual rape. you just planned a rape.

this is not ‘role play’ because role play is between two consenting adults who have agreed to role play. this is rape.

How to block Sponsored Posts on your Dashboard

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 01:57:35 +0100

nekomimiclay:

ookiepigster:

Tumblr has recently introduced Sponsored Posts. These posts can come from anyone, regardless of whether or not you follow them, and are primarily for advertising. If you want to block them, simply install Tumblr Savior and blacklist “sponsored_badge_icon” (without the quotes).

Oh wow OK let’s please signal boost this because some recent ones have been GIFs of horror and so on, and that makes Tumblr incredibly unsafe for a good amount of people. S:

i was just thinking, “man, it’s been a couple of minutes since the last terrible thing...

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 01:56:13 +0100

i was just thinking, “man, it’s been a couple of minutes since the last terrible thing happened…”

you read my mind, america.

Santa Monica College Shooting Leaves At Least Seven Dead, Several Others Wounded (UPDATES)

Sat, 08 Jun 2013 01:53:16 +0100

Santa Monica College Shooting Leaves At Least Seven Dead, Several Others Wounded (UPDATES)

This dude is a bag of dicks.

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 10:41:39 +0100

This dude is a bag of dicks.

azspot: Clay Bennett

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 21:46:25 +0100

azspot:

Clay Bennett

"No means no if you’re drunk or if you’re sober. No means no if you’re in bed or in a dorm or on the..."

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 21:46:21 +0100

“No means no if you’re drunk or if you’re sober. No means no if you’re in bed or in a dorm or on the street. No means no even if you said yes at first and you changed your mind.”

- Joe Biden speaking today about sexual violence against women. (via poshspots)

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again…how I love Joe Biden.

(via mommapolitico)

goodreasonnews: Israeli Judge says ‘Some Girls Enjoy Being Raped’ in case of...

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 21:44:59 +0100

goodreasonnews:

Israeli Judge says ‘Some Girls Enjoy Being Raped’ in case of 13-year-old rape victim.

By Linda Gradstein/The Media Line

An Israeli judge sparked an outcry during the hearing of a 19-year-old Israeli woman who was raped by four Palestinians when she was 13. The woman was petitioning the court for the rape to be considered an act of terror which would make her eligible for government compensation.

School Bus Driver Fired for Facebook Post About Hungry Student

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 21:42:17 +0100

School Bus Driver Fired for Facebook Post About Hungry Student:

socialismartnature:

The actual people who work with our children care a lot more about them than the superintendents and city officials too busy firing people and closing schools to even notice them.

===

Bus driver Johnny Cook believed he was doing the right thing when he took to his personal Facebook page to recount the story of a middle school student who approached him to complain about having to go without lunch because he was 40 cents short on his pre-paid cafeteria account.

“This child is already on reduced lunch and we can’t let him eat. Are you kidding me?” Cook wrote in the post. “I’m certain there was leftover food thrown away today.”

Many agreed with Cook’s position, sharing his words tens thousands of times.

But his message also struck a negative chord with officials at Georgia’s Haralson County Middle School, who promptly let him go after he refused to take down the post and apologize.

… Meanwhile, Cook says he’s been receiving messages of support from parents all around the country who say the same thing happened to their child.

165 kidnapped migrants freed in Mexico

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 21:36:03 +0100

165 kidnapped migrants freed in Mexico:

Mexican authorities say they’ve rescued 165 migrants who were apparently kidnapped as they tried to cross into the United States.

if you see a feather on the ground, consider picking it up, putting it in an envelope, and sending it to me.

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 11:59:15 +0100

i am collecting feathers that have been found for a piece i am making for an exhibition i have in july.

if you are interested in helping me with this, send me a message and i will give you the address of where to send them!

shortformblog: breakingnews: Oklahoma tornado widest on record...

Tue, 04 Jun 2013 17:47:24 +0100

shortformblog:

breakingnews:

Oklahoma tornado widest on record at 2.6 miles

KFOR: The National Weather Service upgraded the El Reno, Okla., tornado that hit on Friday to an EF-5 with a width of 2.6 miles, making it the widest tornado ever recorded.

The EF-5 rating is the most powerful rating that can be given to a tornado. 296 mph winds were recorded during the storm in El Reno. Friday’s tornado was double the width of a tornado that hit just more than a week earlier in Moore, Okla.

Photo: A large storm cell, which produced a multiple-vortex tornado, passes south of El Reno, Okla., on Friday. (Bill Waugh/Reuters)

Some perspective on this: The White House is a little less than two miles away from the U.S. Capitol building. If this storm had hit D.C., both would have been hit, along with everything in-between.

songbytoad: If this doesn’t violate Facebook’s community...

Tue, 28 May 2013 11:17:19 +0100

songbytoad:

If this doesn’t violate Facebook’s community standards, then their standards really aren’t worth shit, are they.

truly horrifying.

Woman: I'm smart.

Sat, 04 May 2013 21:30:56 +0100

Woman: I'm smart.
Patriarchy: Well you're probably ugly then.
Woman: I'm creative.
Patriarchy: You mean unattractive right?
Woman: I have all these incredible accomplishments.
Patriarchy: Yeah but look how ugly you looked doing them.
Woman: I have value.
Patriarchy: Not if you're ugly lol.
Woman: I'm conventionally-attractive & posted selfies on my blog.
Patriarchy: I'm so sick of these empty-headed chicks only caring about their looks. Just because you are attractive and get attention from men doesn't mean you are special or deserve respect. Why don't you read a book or do something productive with your life you dumb slut.

Meg Lanker-Simons Cited For Making UW Crushes Post

Thu, 02 May 2013 20:11:07 +0100

Meg Lanker-Simons Cited For Making UW Crushes Post:

reallyfoxnews:

shortformblog:

prettayprettaygood:

University of Wyoming Police have issued a citation to Meg Lanker-Simons for a charge of interference. According to the citation “Subject admitted to making a controversial post on UW Crushes webpage and then lied about not doing it.”

An anonymous statement posted to the UW Crushes Facebook page last week caused a controversy. The post stated that the author would like to copulate with Lanker-Simons in an angry manner. At the time, Lanker-Simons came out publicly against the post saying that she had felt threatened by it and perceived the post as a rape-threat.

University of Wyoming spokesperson Chad Baldwin said that the citation was the result of UW Police Department’s investigation into the UW Crushes Facbook incident, but could not comment further.

Wow.

Update: More information is available here.

Um, not sure what happened, but based on a search, Meg (who runs the popular Cognitive Dissonance Tumblr) ended up having to take down her site temporarily. But Fox Nation picked this up, so now it’s going crazy. *whew*

Woah.

WOAH.

GIRL, WHAT?!

Steubenville, Rape Culture, and Male Responsibility

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 18:17:00 +0100

Steubenville, Rape Culture, and Male Responsibility:

This post is part of a series celebrating Choice USA’s Bro-Choice Week of Action.

In the aftermath of Steubenville, pundits and reporters have been discussing the different factors that drove the perpetrators to commit such a terrible crime. Some have suggested that it was a lack of parental involvement. Others have wondered if teen drinking is to blame. One factor that has not been discussed in great detail – and one that our society is reluctant to ponder – is our cultural definition of masculinity. One of the ways privilege functions is that we don’t question the socialization of those with power. For instance, when white men commit violent acts of terrorism the news media classifies them as “lone gunmen” who are mentally ill. Compare that to a person of color who commits a crime – that person’s race or religion is almost always the first topic discussed. Or, when women commit violence, gender is the topic of conversation.

In order to understand why some men choose to perpetrate sexual violence, it’s imperative we examine what we’re teaching our boys about what it takes to be “real men.” Looking at media depictions of masculinity, it isn’t difficult to see that we’re teaching boys, from an early age, that being a man is about being strong, tough, and never displaying vulnerability. The only culturally sanctioned emotions for men to display are anger and rage. Think about the words we use to describe men who show their sadness, their frustration, or their fears – all of the words one can think of are either homophobic or sexist. This teaches boys that the worst thing you can be is either gay or a woman, and more importantly, that gay people and women are deserving of hate.

Naturally, this behavior encourages men to be violent towards gay men, women, and trans* people. And any straight-identified, cis-gendered man who doesn’t fit inside the “box of masculinity” is at risk of being ostracized. Make no mistake, this is not saying that men are oppressed because of their status as men, nor is this saying that men can experience sexism (we can’t). Rather, this is to say that men are constrained by gender straitjackets and in order to prevent rape, as well as support male survivors of sexual violence, we need to begin addressing the way men and boys are socialized.

Some of the most troubling responses to Steubenville were posted on Twitter, by men, who suggested that any man given the “opportunity” the perpetrators were given would have done the same thing. As disgusting (and hopefully untrue) as these statements are, they show how important it is to change the conversation about masculinity and what it truly means to “be a man.” We would all like to think that the vast majority of men, upon seeing a woman passed out, would aid her in getting home, or to a hospital, or somewhere she would be safe. This victim-blaming behavior assumes that all men are potential rapists – and frankly, I think men are better than that. Until men stop making excuses for other men who perpetrate violence – whether it’s street harassment or sexual assault – we will not fully begin to see change.

Women have been doing anti-violence work for years. All aspiring male allies owe a debt of gratitude to the founders of the rape crisis and domestic violence movement, as well as the women who overwhelmingly run it. Without their hard work and consciousness-raising, men would not be aware of the ways that gender socialization impacts us and our relationships with the women and men in our lives. It’s important to always remain accountable. Unfortunately, too often women’s demanding of male accountability – and demanding men be better – are met with resistance. When men decide to remain silent to victim-blaming language, or remain inactive when they see violence taking place, other men begin to think that this abhorrent behavior is acceptable. In order to change the culture of violent masculinity, men must change themselves.

What do men gain from challenging sexism and rape culture? For one, it allows us the freedom to display a wide range of emotions. It encourages healthier, kinder relationships with our female counterparts. Challenging traditional masculine constructs allows us to be better fathers, partners, and friends. When we take responsibility for our gender and are honest with ourselves about our role in upholding rape culture, we are able to move forward. Here are ten ways we can challenge ourselves, our culture, and other men to be better:

1. Watch how much space you take up. Often when we are sitting on the train or bus, men tend to take up more space than women. In some cases, it may be because we are physically bigger than women, but in others it is an unearned (and unnoticed) sense of entitlement. When you ride the train, compare and contrast how much space men take up versus women. Remember that your size can be intimidating.

2. Learn to step back… From an early age, boys are encouraged to voice our opinions and to speak when we feel something needs to be said. However, that can lead us to dominate a conversation or meeting. Instead, practice not talking. Let others, particularly female-identified people, speak first. If they have said something you thought about saying, you don’t need to echo it.

3. …and to step up! Use your voice for good – when you hear other men telling a sexist joke, or statements that support rape myths, or words that belittle survivors of domestic and sexual violence, interject! You’ll be surprised at how effective (and appreciated!) a statement such as “I really don’t think that (joke/comment/remark) is funny” really is.

4. Attend feminist events. If male-identified people are welcomed at the space, show your support by attending talks by feminist authors, film screenings by female filmmakers, and concerts with feminist performers.

5. Support feminist media. Go one step further – if we want to put a stop to rape culture, we need to work on dismantling it. Supporting alternatives to mainstream, corporate-owned media is imperative. Get a subscription to Bitch magazine, buy albums of feminist performers and buy tickets to movies that feature strong female leads and/or positive depictions of gender non-conforming folks. As the old saying goes, “money talks”- if companies see these movies doing well they are more likely to continue making them!

6. Volunteer! If you have the time, volunteer for a rape crisis or domestic violence center. Men NEED to be doing this work. Most of the time violence is perpetrated, a man is the perpetrator. This is not being anti-male, it’s just being honest. Call your local rape crisis or domestic violence center and find out how you can help. You may not be able to work directly with survivors, but you can do prevention work – which involves talking to other men – and that is equally important.

7. Make your space feminist. We don’t want to take up more space than necessary, but rather, to make the space we do take up feminist. If you work in an office, push for a sexual assault 101 training. Hang up posters in your cubicle that are supportive of gender-equality. If you’re a member of a fraternity, do a service project that benefits a local rape crisis or DV center. It’s possible to do this in any space – not just the social work field!

8. Be an active bystander. Obviously if we see a sexual assault taking place we should intervene, as anyone would do. However, sexual violence exists on a continuum. Verbal street harassment and groping are also forms of sexual violence, though they are commonly accepted. If you see a man talking to a woman on the train, ask the woman if the man is bothering her. When you see a man taking upskirt pictures on his iPhone, tell him that is not only illegal but wrong. If a man grabs a woman, tell him, in your own words, to leave her alone. Most of these behaviors continue because the men who perpetrate the actions feel justified since they have never had another man call them out on it. Equally important, we want to think of our own safety – intervene if you feel comfortable, but we’re not superheroes, nor do we want to feel that just because we are men we need to be “strong” enough to fix everything. Taking your own safety account is imperative!

9. Reflect the type of masculinity you want to see in the world. If we want to break the association of masculinity and violence, we need to portray the type of masculinity we want to see. This means allowing ourselves to be vulnerable, being nurturing and supportive of children, taking responsibility for our actions, and apologizing when we’ve hurt someone’s feelings. It also means supporting men who are “outside the gender box,” as well as supporting women and gender non-conforming folks. If we continue to harbor the negative qualities of masculinity, we can’t effectively change it.

10. Be accountable. Finally, recognize the ways that you are being oppressive. Always keep yourself in check. Being an ally means being accountable to feminists and to female-identified and gender non-conforming people. Though we may have the best of intentions, it is common to make mistakes. That’s how privilege works, after all – we will always be unlearning sexism. Being an ally is a lifelong process, and you’ve started on the road to making the world a safer place for women and girls (as well as boys and men!). That should be commended. However, we do not deserve praise for doing the work we should be doing; for taking responsibility. Make sure you are self-critical, self-aware, and knowledgeable about your words and actions.