GASP!

Obama smokes!?!?!

Was this general knowledge and I just haven't been paying attention?

Hate Crimes

For those who think that gay hate crimes are a figment of the imagination:

Lesbian Woman Raped, Beaten in Anti-Gay Hate Crime

Meanwhile, in San Francisco, police say a Bay Area woman has been beaten and raped by four men in an anti-gay hate crime. The victim was attacked on December 13th as she left her car, which bore a gay pride sticker. She was struck with a blunt object, raped multiple times and left naked outside an abandoned apartment building. Gay rights advocates have warned the approval of measures like Proposition 8 could be indirectly encouraging physical attacks by reinforcing homophobic attitudes.

Keep Fighting

I occasionally hear from various women, mostly women in my generation or the one coming up behind us, how there's no longer a need for the gender equality movement and feminism has nothing to fight for. To those people I say: If nothing else, there are those around the world we can be fighting for if you aren't willing to fight for yourself:

Saudi judge refuses to annul marriage of girl, 8

A Saudi judge recently refused to annul a marriage between an 8-year-old girl and a 47-year-old man -- a union apparently arranged by the girl's father to settle his debts -- a lawyer in the case told CNN.

On Saturday, the judge, Sheikh Habib Abdallah al-Habib, dismissed a petition brought by the girl's mother because she "is not the legal guardian of the girl," the woman's lawyer Abdullah al-Jutaili said.

"Therefore, she cannot represent her daughter in these proceedings," al-Jutaili said.

Though she was allowed to seperate from her husband she wasn't allowed to retain custody of her children and how can't help save her daughter. WTF!? The concession from the court is to "ask for a pledge" that the husband not consummate the marriage until the girl is of age. Ya, like that's going to happen. Good job guys...