‘Corrective rape’: a disgusting notion

The guardian reports on the appaling violence, including rape and murder, perpetrated against lesbians in South Africa, the threat of which is a daily presence for many of the women interviewed by Triangle, a South African gay rights group.

The disturbing video (from the guardian report) shows some expressions of the terrible attitudes, including the endorsement of ‘corrective rape’. And the reported inactivity of police following reports of such crimes no doubt does nothing to remedy these views.
Triangle (linked above) and 777 are campaigning for justice for these women.

Equal treatment for women: Still controversial in the US

The US (along with just Sudan, Somalia, Qatar, Iran, Nauru, Palau and Tonga) has still not ratified CEDAW, the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women. There is now a push on to try to get it ratified by the Senate. Last time this was tried, various riders were stipulating such things as that CEDAW could not compel U.S. women to serve in military combat units, could not be used to interfere with private conduct, and could not force the United States to provide paid maternity leave, and that nothing in CEDAW should be interpreted as creating a right to abortion. These are likely to be attached again. So there are two disappointments: that we’re still having to fight for ratification; and that ratification, if it comes, is likely to be so watered-down. (Actually, make that three disappointments: the fact that we couldn’t even get it ratified with all of those qualifications is appalling.) For more, see here. Thanks, Jender-Parents.

Be still my heart

The news is out:  Chuck Norris could be  our president.  Not by being president of the US, by the way.  Rather, by my state leaving the union and electing him to head what  would be the resulting country.

Wow!  A real grown up version of grabbing one’s toys and going home.   And right now it is rodeo time, so it is all coming together.

It’s apparently what is called independent thinking.  After all, Bush I and II both live in the state,  which has got to make the  separation easier still.

And it could be worse.  Not everyone in Texas is crazy.  At least the University of Texas Board of Regents has agreed to leave  its major minority-serving hospital and world-class medical school in Galveston – after, it has to be said, trying to get the issue debated in El Paso, Texas, which is like at the other end of a state far bigger than some European countries.   Would some other places, at least as worthy, be so lucky.