This week, we’ve read story after wrenching story of sexual assault. We’ve heard the old excuse “boys will be boys.” We’ve seen inexcusable behavior brushed off as normal teen hijinks. One thing has become clear: whatever we’re doing to teach our kids about consent—it is not enough. Creating a culture of consent doesn’t come from one awkward sex talk. It’s an ongoing process that starts earlier than you probably think. Here’s how to make consent the norm at every age.
Criminal Justice Reform Is on the Midterm Ballot | American Civil Liberties Union
This mass incarceration crisis wasn’t created by crime rates but by politics and racism. History shows us that mass incarceration went up when crime rates were low and went up when crime rates were high. It is the result of deliberate choices made by elected officials around the country, Democrats and Republicans alike, to lock up more people.
via Criminal Justice Reform Is on the Midterm Ballot | American Civil Liberties Union
Living while Black on Campus | American Civil Liberties Union
We have seen it again and again: A Black or brown person is sitting in a Starbucks, barbequing in a public park, touring a college they hope to attend, or sitting down in the college they already attend. And then someone calls the cops on them for looking like they “don’t belong” or are “out of place.”
Police departments have choices about how to react to such biased 911 calls. All too often, however, they let themselves be used to weaponize the biases of those who call them. That’s why police need to adopt better policies and training to address these calls when they come in.
via Living while Black on Campus | American Civil Liberties Union
The truth about false assault accusations by women – BBC News
According to various academic studies over the past 20 years, only 2-10% of rape accusations are fake (Prof Ford’s lawyer says she believes this was attempted rape).
Two to 10% is too many, but it is not a big proportion of the total. Fake rape accusations get a lot of attention.
Both the Duke Lacrosse team case in 2006 and the alleged University of Virginia gang rape in 2014 were widely covered by the media. They were terrible miscarriages of justice – but they were not representative.
via The truth about false assault accusations by women – BBC News
Desperate gay couple in deportation battle says judge ‘refused to recognise their legal marriage’ – i
It was 12 months before Benjamin’s mother passed away and his husband applied for an extension to his six-month visa on compassionate grounds but this was refused.
Now Benjamin’s father is battling lung cancer and Brian says he refuses to leave his husband who fell into a “deep, dark depression” after the bereavement.
Study: Women Wrote Only 21% of Reviews on 2015-17’s Top Films, POC Just 17% | Women and Hollywood
new study from Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative shows that, unfortunately, the severe underrepresentation of women critics and critics of color found in Annenberg’s recent “Critic’s Choice?” report as well as research from Dr. Martha M. Lauzen is no fluke. Those studies found that white men dominate the film criticism profession by examining reviews of the top 100 films of 2017 and films released in spring 2018, respectively. Conducted in partnership with Time’s Up, Annenberg’s latest report, “Critic’s Choice II,” examines reviews of the top 300 films from 2015-2017 and “reveals that the inequality we see among critics is not a one-time problem,” according to Smith. “These are stable patterns that demonstrate that the conversation surrounding films and their value is not an inclusive one.”
via Study: Women Wrote Only 21% of Reviews on 2015-17’s Top Films, POC Just 17% | Women and Hollywood
US Open 2018: Serena Williams’ claims of sexism backed by WTA – BBC Sport
Serena Williams’ claims of sexism in the US Open final have been backed by the governing body of women’s tennis.
WTA chief executive Steve Simon said the umpire showed Williams a different level of tolerance of Saturday’s outbursts than if she had been a man.
She got a code violation for coaching, a penalty point for racquet abuse and a game penalty for calling the umpire a “thief” in the loss to Naomi Osaka.
The American said it was “sexist” to have been penalised a game.
via US Open 2018: Serena Williams’ claims of sexism backed by WTA – BBC Sport
When a house stops being a home – BBC News
Valerie, Rachel, Nancy and Victoria all suffered abuse at the hands of their partners.
They are among the estimated 1.9 million men and women who experienced domestic abuse in England and Wales in the year ending in March 2017. Abuse in all forms – mental and physical – can come from partners, siblings, parents or children.
These four women reflect on the experience of being unsafe in their own homes.
Cécile Djunga: Belgian forecaster hits out at race insults – BBC News
Cécile Djunga has been presenting the weather on Belgian public TV for a year, and after being subjected to a stream of racist comments she has decided to fight back.
In a five-minute appeal on Facebook, Ms Djunga says one viewer rang into work to complain she was “too black and all people could see were my clothes”.
The video went viral, viewed by 700,000 people.
Her employer, RTBF, has given full backing to its presenter.
Its head, Jean-Paul Philippot, told Belgian radio on Thursday that Ms Djunga had passed on a string of messages she had received in recent months and had not reacted to them.
“There’s no place for this torrent of mud in Belgium,” he said. “Racism is a crime, punishable by law.”
via Cécile Djunga: Belgian forecaster hits out at race insults – BBC News
Transgender woman’s bank account frozen as she ‘sounded like man’ – BBC News
A transgender woman said she “felt humiliated” after a bank froze her account because she sounded like a man.
Sophia Reis, from Nottingham, was using Santander’s telephone banking service when a member of staff said she could not access her money.
The 46-year-old said a customer service adviser later told her the problem had arisen because of her voice.
Santander said it has a “duty to protect the security” of accounts but apologised for any offence caused.
via Transgender woman’s bank account frozen as she ‘sounded like man’ – BBC News