Sexism // Current

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16 hours ago

Racism, discrimination widespread inside Houston Fire Department

Just one day after racist and sexist graffiti was found written outside the women's quarters at Fire Station 54, an emotional Fire Chief Phil Boriskie addressed another racist incident. It happened just before 7 a.m. Wednesday.

The racist message, which included the "n" word, was broadcast over the firefighters’ radio system and lasted seven to eight seconds. HFD strongly believes someone from the outside is responsible. They think someone hacked into their frequency. Whether the message originated from the outside or not, several women, who either currently work for the fire department or have since retired, say they are not surprised by the recent incidents.

“I mean, let’s be real. I didn’t come in with a blind eye to where I was working. I am at a place where it is a majority of white males,” said veteran female firefighter Vantrece Williams.

Williams says she's been harassed, but nothing was ever done about it. Mainly because she says many firefighters won’t speak out when they witness something bad taking place.

“If we want to continue being on TV with the negative images, then we just continue to be quiet,” said Williams.

11 News heard allegations of women firefighters being groped by their male co-workers, and an allegation of a male firefighter masturbating over a female co-worker while she was trying to sleep in her bed.

“You see it. It gets to the point, because nothing ever happens, that you have to pick your battles,” said Williams

During a Wednesday night press conference, two more women firefighters shared their stories about incidents that have happened within the department.

"I'm risking my life to save other lives, and I have to worry about my co-workers writing 'die'," said Houston firefighter Paula Keyes.

The other woman, Jane Draycott, said she transferred to the station after her 17-year-old daughter died in a car accident. She felt she could not face another accident scene, but wanted to serve in other ways.
"They defaced my daughter's picture and wrote 'dead' on her face, and they wrote 'die' on my face. It was a 5 x7 photograph of her sitting on my lap," said Draycott. Draycott has filed two complaints since April about incidents that happened at Station 54. She says that without resolution, the problem won't stop.

"We want to be safe at work," said Keyes.Just one day after racist and sexist graffiti was found written outside the women's quarters at Fire Station 54, an... more

retro_Syl
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2 responses

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21 hours ago

Can sexist jokes lead to violence?

"A new study conducted at the University of Granada sought to find if sexist humor increased the likelihood of violence and... more

DeliaTheArtist
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3 days ago

The Only Male EX-PORN STAR speaks out against Pornography

There is no Glamour or Glory in the Porn Industry. THERE IS NO FUN. Day after day I was a witness to the constant abuse of women being slapped, choked and spit on and even tortured in the porn industry. Not to mention the amount of drug abuse that occurred. The constant cocaine snorting, marijuana smoking and pill popping that went on, was ridiculous. Now it's even worse. The use of Vicoden and Oxycontin and eventually Heroin is more predominent now more than ever. Being that the pills are far too expensive and Heroin is much cheaper. I know, I have a friend that's 19 year old son is struggling with the addiction of Heroin. That is the pattern of drug abuse that leads into Heroin addiction. I was one of the men that participated in those disgusting activities with the exception of Heroin. It was all about the money and there wasn't much to be made at all. In fact men were only being paid 100 - 150 dollars for the 45 minutes of potential abuse and the possibility of being locked up for Domestic Violence. Would you call that fun? It's quite shocking that people ask if I had fun, or if I made a-lot of money. It's a common question for me to have the answer for these days. Well here it is, cut and dry. NO! It wasn't fun. It was never fun. For some reason (morally) I knew that what I was doing was wrong in the eyes of Jesus Christ. I knew that to treat a woman with such utter disrespect was the worst thing I could be doing. People are constantly asking me if it’s really true that women like what they are doing on the porn set. The answer was made quite clear to me that when I saw certain activities going on I could tell that it was not what they had expected. Nor was it what I expected. I expected to be loved and wanted as though I always had a girlfriend and was going to be able to make money at it without the headache of being in a relationship. To watch a woman jump up and run off screaming at the top of her lungs because of mental anguish was very disturbing to all the men on the set. To watch a woman get sick and throw up on someone, go to the restroom and clean herself up and return to finish a scene. Yeah Right, she was thought to be a champion. Give me a break. To see women fighting over me and trying to establish "RULES" as to who could work with me, was just a joke. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw 2 of them beating each other up because of jealousy. It was as though it was "The Real World" before it ever exsisted on MTV.People talk about fantasies and that is the worst one I ever experienced, because it never came true and has haunted me for the past 14 years. Now is the time to put an end of allowing children to get into this industry. No matter if they are 18 or 25 they are still considered children in the eyes of God. Some people are ridiculing me and saying that I am a “Jesus Freak” and that I am a “Church Nut”. So be it. I am the one that has to live with the fact that I made terrible decisions and wrong choices in my life. I am the only one that is responsible for my actions and when I die, the last thing I want to be is judged for those choices and be turned away from the gates of heaven. You can call me what ever you want. You can tell me that I didn’t do enough porno and that there isn’t enough info on my history on the internet, all you want. The fact is simple. I did enough to know it wasn’t for me. Having been in over 30 (straight) videos, justifies the fact that I have every right to speak out against the Porn Industry and do what ever it takes to get my trash off the internet. I will fight this industry until the day I die. The most important thing to remember is that someone’s child (Straight or Gay) is in a porn video. We all know in our right minds that it is just flat out wrong. How can anyone think that it is cool to see there neighbors son or daughter in a porn?
For more on this story go to http://thepinkcross.org/There is no Glamour or Glory in the Porn Industry. THERE IS NO FUN. Day after day I was a witness to the constant abuse of women... more

ryanmillay
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10 days ago

Bacardi's new ad campaign - clever or offensive?

I'm definately on the side of 'offensive' ... Bacardi's new marketing campaign advocates a new summer... more

nazbags
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3 responses

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16 days ago

The New King of Blow Job Ads!

Burger King's has a new menu item in their Singapore area restaurants. It is called the "BK Super Seven... more

celebrityg
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4 responses

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25 days ago

A Plea for Tolerance in Tight Shorts. Or Not.

SACHA BARON COHEN recently approached Elton John through a representative. Could he use “Can You Feel the Love... more

atomiclegion
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29 days ago

Racist And Sexist Attacks Against Judge Sonia Sotomayor

Most of the attacks have been launched by white male conservatives.

Future_America
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1 month ago

Fairy Tales & Chocolate Flavored Condoms

People use fairy tales to sell just about anything... See more ads like this at http://stilettorevolt.com/?p=861

MEnglish
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9 responses

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1 month ago

Gordon Ramsay should stick to cooking

Gordon Ramsay shocked his audience in Australia with what seemed to be a homophobic and sexist tirade against a female journalist,... more

emmaboswood
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4 responses

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1 month ago

"Buy My Virginity"

A teenager just sold her virginity for £8,800. Another one sold hers for $3.7 million back in January. And they're not... more

MEnglish
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56 responses

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1 month ago

Cleaning ad cleared of sexism to men

TV campaign attracted almost 700 complaints to ASA. While the ASA agreed that some viewers might find the ad in poor taste it... more

Mr_Costello
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2 responses

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1 month ago

WTF Calorie War

In a recent MSNBC article, “Are You ‘App-Noxious’?” , one woman described her annoyance with... more

MEnglish
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1 month ago

Dell's Sexist "Site For Girls"

Dell recommends calorie counting, finding recipes and watching cooking videos as ways for women to get the most from a laptop.... more

MEnglish
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24 responses

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1 month ago

Why Dell's "Della" is Sexist BS

"TOP 5 WORST FEATURES ON THE ORIGINAL DELLA SITE 5. Detailed instructions on how to use simple online tools, including... more

DeliaTheArtist
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2 responses

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1 month ago

The virginity fetish

Why is our culture so obsessed with girls' chastity? Author Jessica Valenti talks about how purity balls and "barely... more

atomiclegion
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15 responses

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1 month ago

Why is Choreography so Male Dominated?

"The contemporary dance world has been accused of "fawning over" athletic, powerful images of masculinity as projected by artists such as Wayne McGregor and Hofesh Shechter, at the expense of promoting female choreographers.

Alistair Spalding, the artistic director of Sadler's Wells, the UK's most important venue for contemporary dance, yesterday announced a raft of commissions for the forthcoming season from, among others, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Wayne McGregor and Russell Maliphant. He also announced a major Indian music and dance festival, to be curated by choreographer Akram Khan and composer Nitin Sawhney.

But there were no commissions for women. "It is something to do with women not being as assertive in that field," said Spalding. "It's not that I don't want to commission them." He pointed to the great Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, who will tour her new work Zeitung to the theatre in September, though that is not a Sadler's Wells commission.

But voices such as Matthew Bourne, Mark Morris and Christopher Wheeldon overwhelmingly outnumber shows by women at the theatre next season.

"Choreography is still male dominated," said Spalding. "It is something I am aware of, but I can't make the programme representative for the sake of it. I have to choose the best."

Choreographer Charlotte Vincent said: "One problem is that we are not bold, muscular creatures fawned over by the women who run the dance world. I am not suggesting there is sexism but there is something that does not celebrate women in the way men are celebrated. Within the field there is an obliviousness to the problem."

Betsy Graham, artistic director of the contemporary dance festival Dance Umbrella, said: "There are loads of women making work. So why are they not progressing? … I can't offer answers, but it could be around women having other creative drives in their lives, like family."

A fundamental problem is the career trajectory of choreographers: a typical progression might be from dancing in one's 20s to choreographing in one's 30s, which usually means setting up a company and spending time on the road.

Will Tuckett of the Royal Ballet Company said: "If you are a woman having kids and trying to run a young dance company, the chances are you just can't afford childcare."

Julia Carruthers from the Akram Khan company also blames the press in an article in Dance UK News: "We all know that the press respond quite differently to men and women, particularly … dance critics and writers. Men are clever, sexy, and charismatic; women don't seem to be."""The contemporary dance world has been accused of "fawning over" athletic, powerful images of masculinity as... more

St_Alia_10191
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2 months ago

WOMEN IN FILM: Tribeca Film Fest '09

TRIBECA FEMALE DIRECTORS 2009 Watch 9 great trailers and read the mini bios of the female directors @ Tribeca this year, at... more

MEnglish
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2 months ago

Telling Pregnant Women Not to Drink is Sexist?

A British medical and legal expert, Dr. Colin Gavaghan, claims that telling pregnant women that can not have the occasional drink is both medically inaccurate and sexist. He claims there is no clear cut evidence between light to moderate drinking and damage to the fetus. Heavy drinking is still a no-no.

The article reads:

"Doctors' advice on the issue, including that of the Chief Medical Officer for England, is paternalistic and could be damaging in the long-term as the public loses faith in their expertise, he said.

Dr Gavaghan said: "The British Medical Association expresses concern anything less than a recommendation of total abstinence risks being interpreted as a 'green light' for heavier drinking.

"But the opposite possibility must also be considered, that if they are seen to be exaggerating risks that recent and well publicised studies have shown to be negligible, their advice on genuine risks will carry less authority.

"It may, in short, be important for bodies like the Department of Health and BMA to consider whether they are in danger of 'crying wolf', with the attendant risk that genuine warnings of real dangers will be treated less seriously."

In 2007 the government changed its stance and, despite the lack of new evidence, recommended total abstinence during pregnancy closely followed by similar advice from the British Medical Association. "

Well, this does imply that one gender is scrupulously monitored during the fulfillment of their biological imperative? Are pregnant women patrolled by public opinion about being a good mother for conception on? Preaching complete abstinence from alcohol during pregnancy seems to indicate that women chronically misinterprets facts and that "some drinking" would automatically be assumed to mean "all drinking". What does this say about the medical profession's opinion about a woman's decision making capabilities?

If you are pregnant, your life and behavior alters- is it fair to say that BTW... along with some new stretch marks, you can't have a glass of wine? Or is it just that alcohol use comes with a built-in set of paternalistic rules? Kids can't drink. You have to have rules about how, when and where you sell it.A British medical and legal expert, Dr. Colin Gavaghan, claims that telling pregnant women that can not have the occasional drink... more

catchiecoo
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2 months ago

Really!!! The gender pay gap does not exist

Three official surveys are used by the Office for National Statistics (ONS): a survey of employers called ASHE (the annual survey of hours and earnings), a survey of households (the Labour Force Survey) and the panel dataset of the New Earnings Survey, which provides information from 1975 to 2006.

Most people think that equal pay sounds fine, but assume that the issue at stake is the rate of pay for the same kind of work. But as the ONS said in its monthly Economic & Labour Market Review, published last year just before the Government committed itself to forcing the Equality Bill through, the gender pay gap 'does not necessarily indicate differences in rates of pay for comparable jobs'.

According to ASHE, in 2007 a gender pay gap does not open up until women reach about 30 years of age. From ages 18-29 there is hardly any difference and, according to the Labour Force Survey (LFS), women aged 22-29 are paid on average slightly more per hour than men. As the ONS concludes, having children is the decisive factor, not being a woman. Historical data confirm this conclusion. Based on the New Earnings Survey panel data, in 1975 there was a pay gap from the age of 18 onwards, but in 2006 no such gap existed until age 34. Why? In 1975 women tended to have children in their 20s and by 2006 it was more common to have them in their 30s. As the average age of child-rearing increased so too did the age at which the pay gap kicked in.

Then there are some other disparities, which are very hard to explain as the result of discrimination. Overall the hourly rate of pay is higher for men, but not when they work from 10-20 hours per week or from 20-30 hours per week, when on average women earn slightly more. If discrimination is the explanation, why would (male) employers discriminate against women who work more than 30 hours a week but not those who work fewer hours? Moreover, women who work part-time earn more than men in companies with 500 or more employees but less than men in companies with fewer then 25 employees. What must be going on in the minds of the discriminators?

The truth is that the vital difference is not between men and women but between women with dependent children and everyone else, whether male or female. The hourly rate of pay for women who are neither married nor cohabiting is slightly higher than for men in the same situation. For men and women who are married or cohabiting the hourly pay gap is 14.5% and the gap widens with the number of children. Women with one dependent child earn on average 12.3% less than men and with four or more dependent children 35.5% less.Three official surveys are used by the Office for National Statistics (ONS): a survey of employers called ASHE (the annual survey... more