ROCK also got more free press [...]]]> First off: the Kentucky House has approved an In God We Trust plate. As you might recall, ROCK’s been at it to get a vanity IGWT plate for years—should this pass, it effectively kills ROCK’s fundraising strategy, and if it doesn’t pass, we’re spared license plate theocracy. A true win-win!

ROCK also got more free press from WAVE-3 this week when their demands weren’t met by the Clarksville Town Council. Not so amusingly, half the very anti-ROCK comments were deleted, but it would seem public opinion actually isn’t so much on ROCK’s side. The WAVE-3 reporter’s email is above the text of the article and Clarksville’s Town Council can be reached at trishAtdigicoveDOTcom. Let’s make our sex-positive voices heard!

Another ROCK member got a letter in the Courier today. She writes,

When I read “A Super Bowl advertisement we can do without” by Timothy Rutten in The C-J’s Feb. 3 edition, I was already nodding my head in agreement to what I was sure was going to be a detractor of Go Daddy’s blatant use of porn culture and sexuality of women to sell its product.

Interestingly, the idea of porn culture is not strictly far right—many very liberal thinkers object to an oversexualized culture. PAPER, of course, advocates not a wholesale condemnation of pornography and sexuality, but striving toward a culture where sexuality is just one aspect of whole, healthy people. What’s more interesting, though, is the idea that sexuality of women is something objectionable. So much of porn’s titillation factor is in seeing women behave in unladylike ways; it might lose its more addicting quality if everyday women weren’t shamed for being sexual entities.

The Courier also printed an editorial on the terrorist Scott Roeder and more abortion-related letters to the editor.

Amanda Marcotte takes down “101 Reasons not to Have an Abortion” spectacularly.

A new anti-choice bill in Utah illegalizes miscarriages. Yeah, the anti-choice movement cares about women. Sure.

And more on Tebow: there are actually TWO anti-choice Tebow ads, both funded by the extremists at Focus on the Family. Unfortunately feminist reaction to the ad has not been received well.

At least there are the following touching and/or funny videos.

Planned Parenthood hired two sports notables–wisely, men, as anti-choicers aren’t going to respect women talking about why abortion is a force for good–to make the official counter-ad.

Florida’s Raging Grannies sing it like it is.

Jimmy Kimmel makes the most biting counter.

On the sad career of choice.

Meanwhile, Kentucky’s own Planned Parenthood and ACLU made a great showing in Frankfort for real sex ed. Real sex ed is getting proper funding again, thanks to Obama–Planned Parenthood’s Cecile Richards responds.

In other sex ed news, a new study said abstinence education works. Huh? Well, it’s not abstinence-only education, it’s sex ed that highlights the positives of abstinence while giving good health and contraception information. More on this here.

Sexting as kiddie porn is nothing short of absurd.

The Courier also opined on repealing Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and whew, the homophobia came rolling in. It’s not just Louisvillians: Ollie North said repealing DADT will lead to NAMBLA being in uniform, the American Family Association said gayness ought to be illegal, as did the Family Research Council. Remember, the AFA and FRC are two of ROCK and their ilk’s biggest sources of “evidence.” Neighborly, huh?

Although Obama and Hillary Clinton attended the National Prayer Breakfast, put on the theocratic group The Family, they condemned the Family’s work in hate-mongering and would-be genocide in Uganda. In the Courier, another religious GLBTQ-friendly voice was heard–come on, sane Christians, keep making noise.

A top Canadian music magazine named a transman for Canada’s sexiest man. Yay progressiveness!

Another disgusting little ploy: homophobes aren’t content with saying gays are evil, they’re ugly, too.

LA will not make condoms mandatory in porn, for a variety of reasons… link is more NSFW than most.

People always have questions about sex, most of which boil down to, “Am I normal?” Who cares?

Got a painfully curved penis? Help may be on the way.

The anatomy of sperm.

Locally, an anti-choice rally was held downtown, Kentucky’s numbskulled state Senate passed a terrible bill requiring women to have ultrasounds before getting an abortion, and Louisvillians continued [...]]]> Whew! We’ve seen the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the trial of anti-choice terrorist Scott Roeder, the Prop 8 trial, the vindication of Theatair X, and plenty more.

Locally, an anti-choice rally was held downtown, Kentucky’s numbskulled state Senate passed a terrible bill requiring women to have ultrasounds before getting an abortion, and Louisvillians continued to duke it out in the letters to the editor. The ultrasound bill is pretty atrocious—it also requires a face-to-face meeting with an abortion doctor 24 hours before the procedure and imposes stiff fines on doctors, among other things. Word has it the bill won’t pass the Kentucky House, but if you are concerned please consider attending the Reproductive Justice Project Rally in Frankfort Thursday, 2/4. The rally was scheduled to demonstrate for real sex ed for teens, but this bill demands some attention.

The Roe v. Wade anniversary prompted much writing, with NARAL declaring it Blog For Choice Day. Amanda Marcotte explains that she’s pro-choice because she loves life, the good Kentuckians over at Barefoot & Progressive weigh in, and this post collects a number of other feminists’ thoughts. Jessica Arons, director of the Women’s Health and Rights Program at American Progress, calls Democrats to action.

The Roe anniversary also marked the beginning of the trial of Scott Roeder, admitted murderer of late-term abortion provider Dr. George Tiller. [Listen to Dr. Tiller here on why he chose this career.] RH Reality Check did a day-by-day account: Days One and Two, Day Three, Day Four, and Day Five. You can watch Roeder’s testimony Roeder was today found guilty of first degree murder and sentenced to life.

Let us remember, though, that Roeder is also a terrorist, not just a murderer. More on anti-abortion violence here [and it is well-documented]. Also, will there be another generation of abortion providers? One must wonder, with the personal safety risks and lack of education.

Meanwhile, also on Roe day, the March for Life descended upon DC. Sarah Palin cooed about this on Facebook, Jezebel responded. There is a bad trend in the anti-choice sphere of appropriating pro-choice language—we’ve got to call this bullshit for what it is. Also, much was made over the youth in attendance of the rally, but that’s not really the feat anti-choicers might like to believe.

Speaking of youth and sex rights, here’s how to train youth to value reproductive justice.

An unfortunate firestorm has flared up as CBS is allowing an anti-choice ad featuring Tim Tebow and funded by Focus on the Family to air during the Super Bowl, which violated its former anti-advocacy advertising policy. In light of the controversy they’ve amended the policy. Pro-choice groups have considered how to respond, and seem to be focused on shutting the ad down. We can also mock it.

PAPER, by the way, proposes a counter-ad with a well-known successful woman or mother of a successful person detailing why her abortion was a fantastic choice. Sadly abortion is so stigmatized in this country no one would want to admit to one on TV, which is yet another problem.

The ad is also controversial since Tebow’s mother’s story sounds a little off, and because CBS is cynically using a serious social issue to get free buzz AND paints the anti-choicers as the better side.

State trends in abortion in 2009.

Reflections on the last decade in reproductive justice.

Two interesting books to look for: Dispatches from the Abortion Wars, and The Means of Reproduction.

Last in the abortion section, a good mockery of Bart Stupak.

In excellent local news… the regulations were unconstitutional. ROCK was predictably petulant, saying what goes on in Theatair X is “unimaginable,” and we enjoyed this. To tell Clarksville not to pass stupid restrictions on adult businesses, call either 812-283-1504 or email Clarksville’s town council at trishATdigicoveDOTcom.

And if you’re still unconvinced that groups like ROCK are harmless, here are some recent stories from around the world of braindead bans caused by sex-negative panic: a dictionary banned from school for containing “oral sex”. Or The Diary of Anne Frank banned in Virginia schools for being “pornographic.” Outside of school, how about banning small breasts and female ejaculation in porn? Or artists stripped of their funding for “indecency”? Such stories proliferate where sex-negativity abounds.

In Indiana, though, not all fronts are so liberated. 2009 saw more pro-GLBTQ bills passed than the last two years combined.

At the Prop 8 trial, religion was mostly absent, ex-gay therapy was discussed, and homosexuality claimed to be linked to pedophilia [by someone Prop 8's backers are distancing themselves from]. The case does seem to be leaning toward repealing Prop 8, thankfully… even Cindy McCain is for gay marriage.

This sounds like an interesting political race.

Oh yeah, despite an anti-choice ad, CBS won’t allow a gay dating site’s ad. Ugh. In other gay dating site news, eHarmony must merge its straight and gay sites. ‘Bout time.

Teen pregnancy has risen in America—thanks, abstinence-only education.

Contraception will be made more available to women in the military.

Study on education and cervial cancer risk.

Americans might soon have another emergency contraception pill, already available in Europe and maybe more effective than Plan B.

A wonderful condom ad:

Lastly, pioneering reproductive justice activist Ruth P. Smith has died. Thank you, Ruth, you will be missed.

Here’s something gleeful: check out the ROCK-mocking in this C-J article. ROCK’s radio show continues, and ROCK prez Bryan Wickens got more free press from the Southeast [...]]]> And your intrepid webmistress has news, action alerts, and adventures for you. First off, TOMORROW, 10/28, is National Comprehensive Sex Education Call-In Day. Learn more from the organizers here.

Here’s something gleeful: check out the ROCK-mocking in this C-J article. ROCK’s radio show continues, and ROCK prez Bryan Wickens got more free press from the Southeast Outlook. The radio show is essentially an hour-long advertisement for ROCK—the other “practical solution” Wickens has offered on the show is going into school libraries and asking for books to be removed. Charming. In the SECC article, Wickens reminds us that “‘liberty’ is at the heart of everything,” which is funny, since censorship doesn’t seem much like liberty. Wickens adds that without Judeo-Christian principles this country will be torn apart, and that the country’s “moral decay” is shown by “the need for greater government control.” The article does not seem to be online, but it is nothing more than the usual back-patting incoherence one expects from ROCK. Also, Thursday, 10/29, ROCK will be having an event at Kye’s. Email us at paperkyanaATgmailDOTcom if you want to be involved in counter-activities.

And on to more dumb things: SuperFreakonomics asks why all women don’t become prostitutes. While PAPER wholeheartedly supports sex workers and believes it can be a great career choice, to wonder why all women don’t wander into the field at any level smacks of bad econ, attention-grabbing, and a misogynistic undertone. More here.

About the online prostitution subculture. Rather sex-negative in tone, but a look into how the internet is affecting the world’s oldest profession.

Utter crap: a new documentary says HIV and AIDS aren’t connected.

How do we like our contraception? Well, condoms now rival the Pill.

Snarking sexist shite from Details, Jezebel style.

Excellent and informative: The Pro-Life Pretense, which debunks “pro-life” legislators. This article was heavy on my mind Saturday when I escorted at the abortion clinic; and, I’m pleased to say, your intrepid webmistress’ take on Saturday morning is an editor’s pick at Open Salon.

More abortion links: study on abortion and mental health, and anti-choice FAIL from Law and Order. Seriously, cut the shit, TV shows.

Out of state homophobes again threaten gay marriage. Maine, don’t do another Prop 8!

In better news, hate crimes against gays are now federally prohibited. About time.

Lamda Legal has a new documentary out about getting anti-sodomy laws repealed. More good legal news: ruling eases transgender name change process.

Awesome: William & Mary students have elected a transgender homecoming queen.

Lastly in news: a gallery of photos from the Loveland Park in Korea. Very interesting—we hope to see more!

Lastly: we’ve added links to the blogroll, to the feminism page, and the abortion page.

And a very happy Halloween to you all.

Daniel Radcliffe donates to the Trevor Project, which counsels GLBTQ teens.

Join the March for Equality.

Profile of the conservative who’s preparing to fight for nationwide gay marriage rights.

The evangelical solution, if you don’t want to abstain: marry early.

More damning info about abstinence-only education.

Study shows that the [...]]]> Sad but, well, inevitable: the internet is undercutting the porn business.

Daniel Radcliffe donates to the Trevor Project, which counsels GLBTQ teens.

Join the March for Equality.

Profile of the conservative who’s preparing to fight for nationwide gay marriage rights.

The evangelical solution, if you don’t want to abstain: marry early.

More damning info about abstinence-only education.

Study shows that the HPV vaccine’s benefits outweigh the risks. (PAPER does question some of the sentiments in this article, however—what’s with some doctors not wanting to stamp out HPV?)

Oral sex is a natural and beautiful thing.

Is porn changing teen sex practices? While we here think it’s probably futile to try to generalize the way this article does, a wider variety of sexual expression is probably a good and healthy thing—especially if it is empowering. We link this piece because it’s some solid food for thought.

ROCK was at Chik-fil-A Tuesday. See coverage and scroll down for the wonderful comments here and here.

One of the arguments I hear most often used in defense of pornography, prostitution, and the [...]]]> … so we’re going to commence deconstructing the newest post by Bill Womack right now. (Not going to bother commenting directly on the ROCK blog after the last little go-round.) This little gem of refusing to think critically begins thus:

One of the arguments I hear most often used in defense of pornography, prostitution, and the sex industry is, “If adults want to do or view that stuff, what’s the big deal? Nobody’s getting hurt.” For folks who really believe that, there is a very sobering article from National Review Online that is worth a read. To summarize: Rhode Island decriminalized prostitution in 1980. In the ensuing decades (and especially in recent years) the state’s sex industry has flourished, but apparently at least in part due to human trafficking. Young women, and oftentimes teenage girls, are being coerced or lured into “Asian massage parlors” or strip clubs (which often double as brothels) and are enslaved into prostitution.

First, let’s be really, really clear, once again. No decent people, which includes PLENTY of sex-positive people and sex industry advocates, are okay with exploitation. Human trafficking is a horrible, horrible thing, and it’s a horrible person that trafficks a fellow human being. All clear? Good. Now, let’s note that Rhode Island decriminalized prostitution because prostitutes lobbied for the state to do so. Interesting, huh?

The National Review article continues essentially to say that prostitution needs to be illegalized, but never addresses how that will help or harm sex workers who’ve chosen the profession. Likewise, it never addresses that human trafficking is hard to prosecute everywhere in this country, in part because it’s a fairly recently recognized issue and because victims have such difficulty coming forward. What we need are strong laws that recognize trafficking as a crime. The article says that for laws against trafficking to work, there must be anti-prostitution laws too—why? The authors cite trafficking in RI as if it were obvious proof, ignoring or dismissing other interpretations or, really, nuanced thought on the matter.

Of course, the ACLU is arguing against illegalizing prostitution. Writes Womack:

… trafficking has become a political football being tossed back and forth between those who want more enforcement, and groups like the state ACLU chapter who oppose prostitution criminalization on “ideological grounds.” I’d really like to see an ACLU elitist try to explain “sex-positive values” and “the freedom to choose” to the bleeding, 16-year-old Boston girl mentioned in the article. Or her family.

“Enforcement” is a tricky word. Let’s be clear again: the ACLU works against human trafficking. Prostitution is illegal because of prudery, plain and simple; regulate it well, and it’s just another industry. And let’s remember that the world’s oldest profession will never go away. It may go underground, and heaven help anyone caught in it then. Same phenomenon as back-alley abortions.

Oh, and calling the ACLU elitist never gets old, I suppose. This is because the ACLU is run by educated people and works on behalf of minorities. Well, just to be clear (again!), sex-positive people, and I’m pretty sure the ACLU, would be horrified by what happened to the girl. Sex-positivity is NOT about approving of any form of sexual activity, it’s about removing the stigma from sex and sexuality. “The freedom to choose,” as Womack seems to mean here, refers to the choices consenting adults make. But that’s apparently more than ROCK can understand.

Moving on:

The Rhode Island story, while profoundly disturbing, is also instructive. I look at Rhode Island and I see Louisville and southern Indiana on a slippery slope towards that future several years ago… Thankfully, a group of concerned citizens finally said, “Enough!” and started asking questions. Why are these places allowed to run rampant? Why don’t they have to conform to zoning and health code ordinances like other businesses do? What can we do to restrain the deleterious effects of these establishments, such as reduced property values, increased ancillary crime such as racketeering, drug use, and prostitution?

… notice how Womack asks for proper regulation, which is actually all I’m—and the ACLU, and prostitutes, and victims of exploitation—are asking for? What ROCK actually wanted, and continues to work toward, however, is to remove the adult industry from town. Big difference, that. One goal acknowledges certain basic realities and tries to protect everyone involved; the other establishes a backward Puritanical precedent that ignores what’ll happen if the adult industry is forced underground.

Womack then gets saucy and asks, “Why aren’t more people aware of the causal connection between pornography and trafficking, rape, and other sex crimes?” and links this idiotic article by Janice Shaw Crouse, noted antifeminist fundie from Concerned Women for America. True to form, there’s no science and really pitiful logic abounds; Womack must not have noticed how scathing most of the comments are. Yet again, let us note that genuine science has never found a causal link between porn and abuse and that genuine science actually shows that porn may reduce rape.

There’s a bunch of praise-singing for ROCK before Womack concludes,

The only people having fun are the predators who line their pockets with the profits from objectified men, women, and children, broken families and compromised communities. In Louisville and southern Indiana, our eyes are wide open. As long as places like Theatair X exist and perpetuate their lies, ROCK and concern citizens will be here to debunk them.

Well, actually, it’s pretty obvious there have been loads of happy customers, and that most porn users aren’t addicts or abusers. The adult industry and its consumers aren’t inherently predatory, though ROCK doesn’t seem capable of grasping that.

And ROCK, please, really, do debunk something about sex, sexuality, or the adult industry. We’d still love to see it. Do you understand what debunking is? It’s when you use solid evidence to prove your point. You link to studies by real scientists, not ideologues. You have to be able to understand all aspects of the issue and be able to address them clearly and coherently. You use logic and sense, not scare tactics and disingenuous conflations.

I guess a real debunking probably is too much to ask.

(X-posted from The Reverie and the Reality.)