Battlecries: Women's News Round-up

The California rape loophole
We learned this month that it's legal to rape someone in California, as long as you pretend to be the victim's boyfriend. No, really. A California appeals court overturned the rape conviction of Julio Morales because of a loophole in the state's law that says it's only illegal to rape someone by impersonation if she is married and you pretend to be her husband. But acting like a single girl's boyfriend is fair game, apparently. Aside from court justices dusting off this disturbingly antiquated law, in this specific case Morales allegedly assaulted the victim while she was asleep, meaning she was never even given a chance to give consent. Justices, your statement that you give this decision "reluctantly" won't help Californian women sleep any better at night.

Scantily clad footballers seek more credibility

The Lingerie Football League announced Thursday that it is re-branding and ditching the lingerie players wear in favor of some still-skimpy but less-underwear-like uniforms (follow the link to see a photo). Since the new uniforms wouldn't exactly jive with the league's moniker, that has changed to Legends Football League instead. "In order to reach the next milestone, we feel the focus has to be the sport and our amazing athletes," said founder and chairman, Mitchell S. Mortaza. In truth, the new uniforms definitely put the players' incredibly ripped abs on display (along with much of the rest of their bodies), but the uniform silhouette doesn't cover much more than the lingerie did. By my estimation it's still far from a professional athletic uniform but at least we've moved from the boudoir to poolside. Baby steps, Mortaza?

Congress drops the ball on VAWA

Also this month, after the White House threatened to veto the House republicans' stripped-down version of the Violence Against Women Act, the GOP decided to take the ball and go home, by letting the bill expire. Supporters of the bill are hoping to revive it in the next Congress, but until then domestic violence victim assistance programs are facing spending cuts and layoffs. The bill has been credited with sharply reducing the number of lives lost to domestic abuse over the past two decades, but it seems that's not enough of a motivator for the Republican-led house. The failure to renew it could leave more than 200,000 victims without support, nearly the population of Richmond, Va.

Career-killing good looks
In a widely-reported story, a dentist in Iowa fired his assistant because of his "irresistible attraction" to her. That's bad enough, but what's worse is his decision was upheld in an (all-male) Iowa Supreme Court decision. The sleaziest detail to come from this story is that he once told assistant Melissa Nelson that if she saw his pants bulging, she would know her clothing was too revealing. Ick. Blatant sexual harassment aside, the court sets a dangerous precedent by telling employers they can fire female employees at will if they find them attractive. Not to mention that it adds to the pervasive myth that men can't control their sexual urges and women must suffer the consequences. Kudos to Nelson for fighting back; she is disputing the ruling and filed a request for a rehearing this week.

Call to arms

You weren't raped. You were wearing a short skirt and had passed out from drinking too much, and at a party, no less. What were you thinking? Besides, you knew the guy. Lots of your friends said you flirted with him. You got what you deserve.

The maddening election year discussions about legitimate rape and birth control followed by news of a horrific gang rape in Delhi, India has opened my eyes to women's issues in a big way. I decided I want to do something about it. It's become pretty clear that not only are women oppressed around the world, women's rights are still under attack right here in the USA.

The question is what, exactly, do I do? I'm mostly lost and already feeling a little overwhelmed, but for now I've decided to start with reading a book titled "Half The Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide," joining the Houston Area Women's Center Young Leaders and also starting this blog.

In the past I guess I considered sexism to be something that you had to deal with on the street, when men would yell cat-calls your way. In one recent experience I was bicycling home and a man made kissing noises at me at a red light. I was too angry and humiliated to even look his way, and kept willing the green light to come so I could get away from it. But mostly I considered these incidents to be funny stories to tell later about some loser who would never get a woman that way. I downplayed how demeaning it was in the interest of self-preservation, convincing myself that it didn't really reduce me, it was just the actions of some sad man.

For the most part I assumed that my gender equality rights had already been fought for and won by brave women of the past. I can vote, and I can work in journalism alongside men, and I get a respectable wage for it. I have yet to experience sexual harassment at work, I've not been raped and haven't been discriminated against because of my gender in any obvious way so far.

But following the election brou-ha-ha, I've realized that sexism is alive and kicking in America, folks. It reaches so far and so deep, and the more I learn the more I am horrified. Do not go gently into that good night. It's time to roll up your sleeves.