Miss Teen USA Pageant Eliminates Swimsuit Competition

Though apparently not applying to mature women, the Miss Universe pageant has announced that in the Miss Teen USA pageant, the swimsuit competition will be eliminated. Instead, contestants will compete in athletic attire.

The organization hopes their decision will show their support for feminism and equality, and athleisure wear will feel less exploitative and more focused on the importance of physical fitness for its younger participants.

They also had the nerve to say that the bathing suit competition was intended to prove athleticism.

While this is a tiny step forward to end to address the gender hierarchy of the female body industry, until beauty pageants end, or we see the same type of events for men promoted the same way, we aren't convinced.

http://www.eonline.com/news/776566/miss-teen-usa-to-eliminate-the-swimsuit-competition

The World Is Changing, and Hierarchies Are Falling: London Pride

From David Mixnor on Facebook: "Who says the world doesn't change? A photograph today of a Muslim Mayor of London speaking to their Gay Pride. Wow."

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157209662240372&set=a.100582895371.185095.802800371&type=3&theater

Feminism and Antifeminism - Shaping of Clinton and Trump

Like history, politics, and the molding of Clinton and Trump? Then we suggest reading Jill Lepore's article, "The Woman Card: How feminism and anitfeminism created Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump" appearing in the New Yorker on June 27.

In the article, she traces the history of the Democratic and Republican parties as relates to their inclusion and appreciation for women, and how they went back and forth through history.

Included in the timeline, are key times of both of the current presidential candidates, and how their lives correspond to decisions made by both political parties.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/06/27/hillary-clinton-and-the-history-of-women-in-american-politics

Gun Violence - The Top Wants That Option

Is it possible that the top of the hierarchy will really be held accountable when it comes to gun violence? Is it possible that mostly white males who want to be able to use violence to keep their power will be held accountable?

Who knows, but we like this reference in the Washington Post to today's New York Daily News cover, where they refer to Rep. Paul Ryan as the NRA's Ll'l Lapdog, following his refusal to bring control bills to vote.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/paloma/daily-202/2016/06/23/daily-202-house-sit-in-guarantees-gun-control-will-be-a-top-issue-in-fall-election/576b343f981b92a22d2a951a/

Angels to Block Westboro Baptist Church at Orlando Funerals

Representatives from the Orlando Shakespeare Theater and the Orlando Arts community are coming together to block members of the Westboro Baptist Church from the funerals for victims of the Orlando Pulse night club mass shooting. The theater and arts people are dressing as angels. Good for them!! 

http://m.sfgate.com/news/article/Angels-to-block-Westboro-Baptist-Church-s-8303872.php

AMA Going After Gun Violence

The American Medical Association passed an historic resolution calling for gun violence to be called officially a public health issue. This is in contrast to the efforts by the NRA and other gun groups to have unlimited rights to possess guns as they please.

Violence or threat of violence has always been used by groups on top of the hierarchy to control others. The people who promote gun use no matter the negative effects on others are typical of those actions. Do what they want and expect no one to question.

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2016/06/15/3788662/ama-gun-violence-research/

Boys Will Be Boys on the Stanford Swim Team

A steep price to pay for 20 minutes of action’: Dad defends Stanford sex offender Brock Turner.

From the victim: “You have dragged me through this hell with you, dipped me back into that night again and again. You knocked down both our towers, I collapsed at the same time you did. Your damage was concrete; stripped of titles, degrees, enrollment. My damage was internal, unseen, I carry it with me. You took away my worth, my privacy, my energy, my time, my safety, my intimacy, my confidence, my own voice, until today.”

We can only imagine how much longer than six months in jail and three years probation sentence would have been if the assaulter would have not been a white male Stanford student, but, instead, lower on the race, gender, and private/public university/college hierarchies.  After all, the judge who gave the sentence, Aaron Persky, was once a Stanford student like the assaulter. 

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/06/06/a-steep-price-to-pay-for-20-minutes-of-action-dad-defends-stanford-sex-offender/

Trump Invents African American Support

Donald Trump decided to counteract claims of racism against him by making up a family that supports him. Turns out they don't.

This picture comes up on Google Images when putting in "black family" as a picture from a black family reunion. The Donald is truly a discredit to our election process.

       
http://www.peacock-panache.com/2016/06/trump-plagiarizes-photo-racist-23309.html