Women // Current

^#1

International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women

November 25, is the UN-designated International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. This Day was declared by the... more

TravG73
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Sarah Haskins in Target Women: Broadview Security

Dear Women: You are never safe. Seriously. We mean it. Hugs n' kisses, Broadview Security For more Sarah Haskins... more

Sarah_Haskins
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Nervous young men ‘being forced’ to take Viagra

Predatory women are destroying the sexual confidence of young men in Ireland - with some men as young as 20 now turning to Viagra to prop up their flagging libido.
A growing 'ladette' culture of women who prefer instant action is proving so intimidating that more and more young men are taking the blue pill to cope.
The claim comes from Ireland's leading psychosexual therapist, who says that in the past year she has met a growing number of anxious young males who complain they are expected to "perform at will".
Mary O'Conor says the rising number of women who want instant gratification within hours of meeting a man is leading to immense pressure to perform between the sheets.
"There is a certain group of women who are ladettes and they are just out to have a good time," says Ms O'Conor. "They want to have sex and they don't want any strings attached.
"They say that they give guys the wrong number or that they don't give them a number at all. It's a bit like what would have been traditionally viewed as 'the stereotypical lad'."
The Dublin-based sex therapist says women are now more vocal than ever about their demands and that this pressure is forcing some young men to turn to the erection-enhancing drug for help.
"For guys who are not very confident, they find it difficult when they are expected to perform at will on the first night, which can lead to problems.
"They can become very anxious and this in turn can lead to a situation where they are again apprehensive the next time they're with a girl. So it's a whole other aspect of erectile dysfunction that we're seeing now."
However, men as young as their late teens are now plucking up the courage to seek professional help.
"I am seeing men who are as young as 19," says Ms O'Conor. "Certainly 20 and 21-year-old guys [who are coming to see me] would be taking Viagra or Cialis.
"These guys sometimes feel that they should be able to perform at will and I'm trying to reassure them that they shouldn't.
"There should be some element of the chase and there certainly should be some element that they fancy the girl and they should certainly know her. But unfortunately the natural order of things is being side-tracked."
A recent survey carried out by the Erectile Dysfunction Information Bureau revealed that men consider impotence to be the most embarrassing medical problem to discuss with a doctor.
The study found that only 10 per cent of men who experience impotence ever seek medical help.Predatory women are destroying the sexual confidence of young men in Ireland - with some men as young as 20 now turning to Viagra... more

MotherForTruth
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67 comments

4 days ago

^#4

10 Yr Old Wants Rights For Gays & Lesbians or He Won't Pledge Alliegance to the Flag

Is it me or are kids a lot more well spoken these day?

Jenime
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57 comments

9 days ago

^#5

Woman Accused Of Raping Man Takes Plea

DENVER -- A Longmont woman accused of drugging and raping a male friend pleaded guilty to charges Friday afternoon. Janice... more

MotherForTruth
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26 comments

3 days ago

^#6

15-year-old girl gang rape victim is attacked for drinking

It was only a matter of time before the victim-blaming began in the Richmond High School gang rape case. You might think the brutality of the assault would pacify rape apologists -- after all, a 15-year-old was attacked after the homecoming dance at her high school in Richmond, Calif., for more than two hours by several males while two-dozen bystanders looked on, some laughing and taking pictures; she was so severely beaten she had to be airlifted to the hospital in critical condition. But people always find ways to scold sexual assault victims -- perhaps especially when the details of the case are so grisly and difficult to comprehend.

The blog Helpful Comments (via the Sexist) compiles a list of nauseating examples of comments posted in response to an AOL article about the attack. The are several despicable racist comments directed toward the alleged attackers and that blame the victim for hanging out with a non-white crowd. One commenter wants to know whether the victim is "hot" -- as though that would rationalize the rape. And, finally, there is the "blame it on the alcohol" school of thought.

click link if to read the sexist hateful comments

In summary: She asked for it, because girls and women aren't supposed to wear dresses (apparently not even to their high school homecoming dance); they aren't supposed to hang out in all-male groups; they aren't supposed to go outside at night; and they aren't supposed to get drunk. Some see a violation of any one of these rules -- or the many others imposed on women -- as bestowing some responsibility on the part of the victim; she's guilty by virtue of being incautious. Most folks, however, will take the same approach but insist on a semantic difference: They aren't blaming the victim, they're blaming the violence on her violations. In other words: She didn't deserve to be raped, but she was raped because she made some stupid mistakes.

It's such a convenient response, because every single day women do all sorts of things that seem reckless, especially after the fact of a crime against them. We leave our houses alone. We use underground parking garages and ride in elevators. We answer the door while we're home alone. We wear makeup. We wear clothing that doesn't hide our breasts and hips. We allow men in our lives, as family, lovers, friends and casual acquaintances. The list goes on and on. For women, it can provide reassurance that we won't be so viciously attacked so long as we follow the rules; for men, it can offer the comfort that their female loved ones are safe from such an assault. It's how so many try to make sense of senseless violence, and try to regain some feeling of power in the face of such brutality.

How about empowering yourself without lying to yourself? Make a donation to the victim of the crime (or organizations that support rape victims), [www.rainn.org] take a self-defense class or offer to pay for one for a lady in your life, speak out against sexual violence of all stripes, talk to kids about how to respond as a witness to a crime and hammer home to teens the concept of enthusiastic consent. You know, this list goes on and on, too.

http://www.salon.com/life/broadsheet/feature/2009/10/30/richmond_rape/index.htmlIt was only a matter of time before the victim-blaming began in the Richmond High School gang rape case. You might think the... more