PAPER: because sex rights are civil rights. » healthcare reform

Happy Valentine’s Day!

admin — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 06:38:56 +0000

Super Bowl is finally behind us, but here’s some analysis on the Tebow-Focus on the Family commercial: He’s My Timmy, who almost didn’t make it into this world… and from the link in the commercial, DON’T KILL YOUR BABY! Ah, yes, the crazy was waiting in the wings. By the way, don’t fall for the horror movie stylings of Focus on the Family’s description of abortion—try Planned Parenthood’s instead. [And for one last shot of nasty, here's what conservative pundit Erick Erickson had to say. Yet again an anti-choicer shows how considerate he is.]

Meanwhile, the dumb old trope that abortion providers are racist is getting play in Georgia. This stems from untrue accusations that Margaret Sanger, who founded Planned Parenthood, was a eugenicist. [Link is to the preservers and publishers of a new cache of Sanger's papers, which will handily dispel this rumor.]

Terrorist Scott Roeder has no regrets. Why should he, when Operation Rescue has a bounty on abortion doctors? Over in the legislative end of anti-choice bullshit, some states are moving to mandate that abortion insurance can only be purchased as a rider.

If you’re angry about all this—or optimistic!—sign up for the 2010 Southern Reproductive Justice Leadership Institute.

Men and boys can get the HPV vaccine!

If you think you’ve been exposed to HIV [or want to be prepared for that feeling], here’s a video about what to do.

Lady Gaga and Cyndi Lauper are teaming up to fight unprotected sex.

A wonderful essay on why “unnatural” sex acts aren’t just okay, butsome of the most beautiful, honorable, and deeply treasured parts of the human experience.

Dan Choi, one of the most outspoken critics of DADT, is back in active duty. Yay! And, a majority of Americans think gays should be allowed to serve openly. Those who don’t, well, see the following:

Louisvillians sound off on DADT.

Homophobes fail to repeal gay marriage rights in Iowa and New Hampshire. [For true homophobia on display, check this.]

Making a big mockery of straight-only marriage.

In the religious world, pastor Ken Eastburn advocates Christians tending to their own morality rather than America’s, the Archbishop of Canterbury wants to get progressive, and a new religious institute report advises preaching reproductive justice. And in fundie idiocy, a Michigan fundie group has filed a lawsuit against hate crimes legislation, saying it will “eradicate” their religion.

Treatment for gender identity disorder IS medical care!

Should we teach feminism in school? Yep.

Rhode Island has a sex-positivity institute!

PAPER’s winter holiday post.

admin — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 06:00:49 +0000

… and it’s a big one.

Remember how no federal dollars can go to abortion? This includes military hospitals. More here.

Takes on the [necessary for the 60th vote] abortion clause in the healthcare bill from Feministe, Planned Parenthood’s Cecile Richards, Cynthia Nixon, and a participant in the National Day of Action opposing Stupak-Pitts. Unsurprisingly on all fronts, the bill limits abortions where they are most common—red states. Speaking of red state nonsensicality, Chuck Norris thinks that if the Virgin Mary had abortion access, Jesus would have never been born. *headdesk* is about all we can say for that one. Also, what about healthcare reform’s impact on STI diagnosis?

And here’s a guide to discussing healthcare reform and reproductive rights. Updated guide here.

On the lie of “pro-life” and anti-choicers’ sensitive consciences.

Update on Oklahoma abortion rights. More here.

Hillary Clinton affirms US stance FOR reproductive health. Meanwhile, Spain is making progress. Lastly in the abortion section, something cool: a pro-choice license plate in Virginia!

Embarrassingly, Louisville’s Archbishop Kurtz is fighting hard against gay rights. Courier editorial here, letters to the editor here, and political cartoon here [all have comments, some of which are true reminders of the red state in which we live]. Meanwhile, more churches threaten to cut homeless charity to stand tall for homophobia. Disgusting.

The NY Times profiled the evangelical “big thinker”, Robert P. George. We’d feel bad for someone so sexually repressed if he weren’t working so hard to make sure everyone else is. George’s bullshit debunked here.

Happily, Mexico City is moving to legalize gay marriage, but elsewhere around the world gay rights continue to be horrifyingly nonexistent. Here’s a story about a Ugandan lesbian fighting back against the Kill the Gays Bill.

The awesome poster for season two of RuPaul’s drag race:

Did you know there’s a National Porn Sunday? We bet it was nice and sex-negative.

Dealing with porn in relationships, and from a feminist stance.

Fun: design NYC condom wrappers!

This week saw the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers. More here. Over in India, a male movement seeks to save lady sex workers by marrying them.

A provocative church-sponsored ad in New Zealand.

Is sex addiction real? We tend to think anything in life can be abused, sex included, and real treatment gets at the underlying problem. Here’s the story of a man fresh from Dr. Drew’s sex rehab show.

A new study says sexting isn’t that common, while another says casual sex won’t ruin your life. Big surprise…

Fetish art objects, and ballistic duck penises. Duck genitals are more interesting than you think!

Lastly, something optimistic: we are making progress, and we’ll probably win the war… it’s just taking longer than we’d like, is all.

Some great news, some scary news.

admin — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 23:03:53 +0000

It’s been a relatively good week for gay rights in the US: a gay marriage vote passed the DC Council, and Houston elected an openly gay mayor. In California, however, it’s big business to oppose gay rights.

Here’s an interesting piece about biology, religion, and rights.

Over in Uganda, the fundie bigot who proposed the Kill the Gays Bill promises not to back down about the death penalty. We can only hope the other Ugandan legislators will vote this travesty down. Ironically, in the midst of the controversy, they have passed a law banning female genital mutilation.

On the conflict of psychology, profits, and transgendered people.

Congress just passed a remarkably progressive and sane appropriations bill, which ends abstinence-only funding, allots money for sexual health research and teen pregnancy prevention, and improves abortion access, among other very good things. Also, the healthcare reform bill can do much good for sex ed.

Lois Capps [D-CA] responds to Stupak.

On the power of pro-choice men as allies.

Egypt is moving progressively on abortion.

Make love, not porn: a sex-positive site reminding people that porno sex isn’t all that realistic. You can email suggestions—go on, we all have our little porn gripes.

See classism, sexism, and sex-negativity intertwine here, where no one believes a prosititute would know what hypocrisy is. But, in happy sex work news, Nevada now allows male prostitutes.

A new study says casual sex doesn’t bother young people, but many young people have been left with misconceptions and ignorance after abstinence-only education. It’s worse than we feared, including widespread beliefs that birth control causes cancer.

Did you know adultery is still illegal in New Hampshire?

Unfortunate: vaginal gel does not block HIV.

Girl-bashing and its very real consequences.

Something fun indeed: Fleshbot’s top ten sex toys of 2009. I’m sure there are still some adult stores having xmas sales!

Urgent updates!

admin — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:38:40 +0000

Late in the day, the terrible Stupak-Pitts Amendment was added to the House’s healthcare bill. The amendment, supposedly in an effort to keep federal funds from going to pay for abortions [already covered by the Hyde Amendment and policy PAPER disagrees with anyway], essentially prevents insurance from covering abortions and participating in the new government insurance pool. It’s a rotten development. Barbara Boxer [D-CA] already promises the Senate can remove it, Diana DeGette [D-CO] is collecting signatures, FireDog Lake’s Jane Hamsher has words for NARAL and Planned Parenthood, and Obama doesn’t like it [video here]. Call/email your rep, write to the editor—make your disapproval heard. And when Stupak comes up for reelection, let’s pay attention to that primary.

Elsewhere in the abortion rights struggle, the Stupak nonsense has overshadowed the new notification law in Chicago. WHAS 11 profiled a Saturday morning at the EMW clinic, and here’s more about the language of feminism and abortion. And, unsurprisingly, that Planned Parenthood director’s “change of heart” continues to unravel.

A thoughtful analysis of this tale of a “toxic bachelor”.

Really horrid: virus frames computer users for child porn.

Are those predator stings locking up the innocent?

What sort of teens get pregnant? Not necessarily who you think.

Lots of LGBTQ articles this week. First, another gay marriage iniative has lost, this one in Maine. Pathetic. With this in mind, read about the difference between marriage and civil unions. And, here’s a take on gay marriage for the religious. An Obama advisor has offered sympathy for gay marriage, but this is a small comfort.

Meanwhile, here’s a profile of a NYC preacher and representative who swears he isn’t a homophobe… but rails against gay marriage. Here’s a rant deconstructing that idea. Meanwhile, our society is so gay-friendly that GLBTQ still tend to think about suicide more frequently. The good news is, as the above rant points out and this data shows, eventually we’ll have gay marriage. It’s just pitiful that it’s a matter of waiting for the old homophobes to die off.

Check out the GLAAD media guide.

Hilarious and totally unsurprising: commonly precedes amnesia. Eek! Also, many women are allergic to sperm—eek again. And yes, there is such a thing as sexsomnia.

Good news for men with unfortunate injuries: there’s progress in rebuilding erectile tissue.

Important reviews: the seven best condoms.

And a little something fun: the Fourth Annual Orgasm for Peace. While we never need an excuse to have an orgasm, may as well have one for a good cause!