Daylight Atheism » Feminism

Escaping Christian Patriarchy

Ebonmuse — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 10:39:18 +0000

Ophelia of Butterflies and Wheels has been writing some excellent posts lately about the abuse and oppression of women in Christian communities. One of them led me to an outstanding blog titled Love, Joy, Feminism. Its author, Libby Anne, grew up in an ... [visit site to read more]

A Not At All Relevant to Elevatorgate Post

Ebonmuse — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 10:34:55 +0000

I first saw this on Google+ and, given the flame wars that have roiled atheism lately, I thought it was worth sharing. Who knows but that it may help some people to see these issues presented in a different context.

You may have heard of Wil Wheaton (and if you don't, and you consider yourself a geek, you have some explaining to do). Well, the other day, he posted this:

When I was ... [visit site to read more]

Islamic Sexism and the Sense of Entitlement

Ebonmuse — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 10:49:44 +0000

Does this remind anyone of anything?

On Jan. 16, Warda was nearly raped. It happened in early afternoon, in the heart of central Cairo, in an elevator.

A man with short black hair entered, Warda recalled. "We didn't really look at each other; I was reading some messages on my phone," she said. The elevator, big enough for four people, stopped suddenly, and the lights went out. The electricity ... [visit site to read more]

The Last Thing I'll Ever Say About Elevatorgate

Ebonmuse — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 15:15:25 +0000

Or rather, the last thing I'll quote, because there were two comments on Friendly Atheist that sum up the matter perfectly:

First:

Misogyny shows not because of a guy being unaware that the circumstances in which he is asking people out are creepy. But the misogyny shows when people quickly jump into trying to make it look like doing that is fine. The correct non-misogynist reaction ... [visit site to read more]

Atheists, Don't Be That Guy

Ebonmuse — Sat, 02 Jul 2011 17:46:50 +0000

When it comes to demolishing irrational beliefs, the atheist community has done a brilliant job. But when it comes to rooting out sexism in our own ranks, we have a long way left to go.

Witness the blowup that took place at a conference in Dublin last month, where Rebecca Watson of Skepchick gave a talk about the religious right's war on women... and then, that same night, was propositioned by a ... [visit site to read more]

Religion Is Dangerous to Women

Ebonmuse — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 10:53:40 +0000

Last week, the legal news service TrustLaw released a poll of the most dangerous countries for women. Based on a survey of 213 experts on women's issues from around the world, the poll ranked countries on the basis of six categories: health threats, sexual violence, non-sexual violence, cultural or religious factors, lack of access to health care and other resources, and human ... [visit site to read more]

Saudi Arabian Women Hit the Road

Ebonmuse — Mon, 16 May 2011 17:42:53 +0000

The kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ruled by an absolute monarchy in cooperation with the vicious and medieval Wahhabist clerics, has some of the most oppressive and primitive laws in the world when it comes to the rights of women. Saudi women are forbidden to appear in public without a face-covering veil and a full-body shroud; they're forbidden to travel, get an education or even leave their house without the permission of a male guardian; and they're forbidden to mingle with unrelated men in public ... [visit site to read more]

India's Daughters Are Missing

Ebonmuse — Mon, 09 May 2011 18:31:13 +0000

I feel bad writing about so much terrible news for women so close to Mother's Day. On the other hand, what better time is there to emphasize just how much still has to be done in the global fight for women's rights?

Despite all the outrages against women committed by the religious right in America, at least here there's a baseline belief in women's equality (even if our society often falls far ... [visit site to read more]

Words Worth Reading: The Mother's Day Proclamation

Ebonmuse — Sun, 08 May 2011 18:39:45 +0000

As you probably already know, today is Mother's Day. But I learned something very interesting about the holiday from a sermon today at the Unitarian Universalist church my wife and I attend, and I'd like to share it with you.

Given how rampantly commercial Mother's Day has become, you might be forgiven for assuming, as I did, that it was dreamed up by the jewelry and greeting-card companies. But that couldn't be further from the truth. Although the holiday did become commercialized soon ... [visit site to read more]

The Republican Party Still Hates Women

Ebonmuse — Fri, 06 May 2011 11:01:48 +0000

This week, the House of Representatives voted for HR 3, one of the most vicious and horrendous anti-choice bills ever conceived. This bill revokes all federal tax credits for any health insurance plan that includes abortion coverage - in effect, it raises taxes on private employers who offer insurance to their employees that covers abortion, and even on ... [visit site to read more]

Marching for Oppression

Ebonmuse — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 11:35:08 +0000

Over the past few months, we've seen amazing and inspiring demonstrations of people power erupting across the Middle East, toppling dictatorships that have been in place for decades. It's far too soon to say what form of government will emerge from these movements - whether they'll give rise to true democracies, or whether new dictatorships will replace the old - and the unwelcome news that Egypt's ... [visit site to read more]

Weekly Link Roundup

Ebonmuse — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:01:57 +0000

• Greta Christina posts her completed list of atheists of color.

• In early 1981, Carl Sagan sent this letter to the Explorers' Club - an international society dedicated to scientific exploration - regarding their men-only admission policy. Several months later, the first female members ... [visit site to read more]