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Welcome, 2010. Friends, in this new and frightening decade, you may want to go ahead and purchase robot insurance.
OH MY GOD, A THREAT TO THE GENDER BINARY!
From Politics Daily:
Late on Wednesday, the Supreme Court in Pakistan ordered that the government officially recognize a separate gender for Pakistan’s hijra community, which includes transgendered people, transvestites, and eunuchs. The court told the federal government to begin allowing people to identify as hijras when registering for a national identity card.
From Reuters India:
“It’s the first time in the 62-year history of Pakistan that such steps are being taken for our welfare,” the [hijra] association’s president, Almas Bobby, told Reuters. It’s a major step toward giving us respect and identity in society. We are slowly getting respect in society. Now people recognize that we are also human beings.”
Apparently, India also allows limited opportunities for people to identify as a third gender.
There are several ways that allowing another gender identification on forms of ID will help hijras and others participate more fully in Pakistani society. The official recognition legitimizes them in the eyes of some. It will allow them to appear in census data. It will be easier to get jobs, find housing, and enroll in school. They can vote.
I find this policy solution an interesting alternative approach to queer rights as opposed to the western one of maintaining a strict gender binary and trying to fit queer people into it no matter how ill-suited. Instead of the “we’re just like you!” approach of mainstream LGBT organizations, this seems to be an approach of carving space for an identity irreconcilably different from the options offered by the binary. Though simply creating a catch-all “other” gender category is somewhat simplistic a solution, I am heartened that it is at least an official state recognition that gender is non-binary, that the binary is not all-emcompassing of human gender experience and expression.
Could an official recognition of such a thing even be thinkable in the West, or in America specifically? I think we hold so tightly to our tradition of gender binary thinking that there is no intellectual room yet to move policy in this direction. I’m having fun though imagining how groups such as Focus on the Family would react to a campaign to add an official third gender category.
I wonder what real life effects this offical recognition will bring to Pakistani hijras and other non-binary individuals. Net good effects, net bad? I hope to follow up in the future.
Well, to many of us, treating Americans equally whether straight or non-straight seemed like a good idea.
Seemed.
Because we didn’t think about the pricetag of equality. Silly liberals. Well, economically-minded opponents of marriage equality have helpfully pointed out that if we end this form of discrimination, it will COST THE TAXPAYERS! OH MY DEAR LORD!
Extending federal benefits to same-sex couples will cost taxpayers $898 million over the next nine years, according to an analysis of “domestic partnership” legislation released last by the Congressional Budget Office.
…The 2004 report was written at the request of then-Rep. Steve Chabot, R-Ohio, an opponent of same sex marriage.
Hey, how about a similar report on the cost to taxpayers of het spousal benefits? Because if the above cost of extending basic benefits to this very small minority of Americans is so hefty, it must be 50 times greater at least for straight couple benefits. Just saying. If we’re going to offer a right to society, it’s either all or none. How is it that we can afford spousal benefits for the 90%-98% of couples who are straight, but when it comes down to that last 2%-10%, suddenly we run out of money? I mean, if we’re trying to save money by selectively denying marriage, why not pick other minorities, like Shinto practitioners, or American Indians, and deny them marriage? Heck, why not just stop offering spousal benefits at all? Think of the savings!
I’m going to just say that it’s stupid to subject the human rights of oppressed groups to an economic evaluation as a means of determining whether it is “worth it” for the oppressed group to have rights. Insulting, prejudicial, small-minded, and smacking of straight privilege. People have human rights because they are human. They come automatically at birth. It doesn’t matter how much they cost, because they are a greater good than the bottom line. As a matter of fact, most human rights would be free if the privileged didn’t put so many obstacles in the way of achieving them.
Boo.
Can this same steely-eyed, nothing-but-the-facts economic analysis be also applied to government contracts, or the defense budget (which cost the taxpayers far, far more than anybody’s partner benefits), or is it reserved only for times when bigots are scrambling for reasons to perpetuate inequality? What are the values of this dang nation anyway?
This is the awesomest news graphic I have seen in a long time:
But, really, this is a Christmas Miracle: Top U.S. General in Iraq, Countermanding Subordinate, Rescinds Order to Punish Pregnant Soldiers
The top U.S. commander in Iraq rescinded a controversial order by a subordinate general intended to punish soldiers who became pregnant while serving in a war zone.
Gen. Raymond Odierno has drafted a broad new policy for the U.S. forces in Iraq that will take effect Jan. 1, but which does not include a provision issued last month by Maj. Gen. Anthony Cucolo that disciplined both soldiers who became pregnant and their military sex partners.
The “discipline” would include court-martialling and possible jail time. For being pregnant in a military rife with rape and very supportive of rape culture and rapists.
But Cucolo is unrepentant:
“Anyone who leaves this fight early because they made a personal choice that changed their medical status — or contributes to doing that to another — is not in keeping with a key element of our ethos, ‘I will always place the mission first,’ or three of our seven core values: loyalty, duty and selfless service,” he continued. “And I believe there should be negative consequences for making that personal choice. “
I don’t know about you, but personally, I love the “punish the sluts with a baby” school of thought.
Senators spoke out in a letter to Cucolo:
“We can think of no greater deterrent to women contemplating a military career than the image of a pregnant woman being severely punished simply for conceiving a child. This defies comprehension. As such, we urge you to immediately rescind this policy.”
The letter was signed by Sens. Barbara Boxer of California, Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, and Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.
Oh, and in case you were wondering:
Cucolo said the Army does not provide emergency contraception or abortive services and does not intend to start.
There’s “only discussion about appropriate behavior and consideration of the impact of getting pregnant, of getting someone pregnant,” he said. “That’s the only discussion that’s taken place. Nothing about pills.”
So, if his only concern is keeping troops on the ground, as he claims, why not provide EC? Oh, right, because his real concern is shaming women, not “supporting the troops.” Huh.
Asshole.
Last year I noticed lots of people coming to my blog looking for how to say “Merry Christmas” in Czech. I too have had to refresh my memory by a little visit to my local Czech store.
So here it is:
Veselé Vánoce!
Get the pronunciation at Czech Phrases.
And this year, as an added bonus, here’s “And A Happy New Year”:
A šťastný nový rok!
What’s not to hate about South Carolina’s black people? They’re poor, they’re unemployed, they’re really dragging the whole state down, and, you know, they’re black.
Shocking? No, just the reality that poor, pitiable South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham lives in.
In arguing why he was against health care reform, he recently stated: “I have 12 percent unemployment in South Carolina. My state’s on its knees. I have 31 percent African-American population in South Carolina.”
And everyone knows blacks don’t need health care! Or… something.
Here’s Rachel Maddow:
True colors: shown.
A state that is one third black is AWESOME and full of amazing potential. People of color know what they need from the South Carolina government. Maybe Senator Graham could listen to their voices and take their advice instead of cite them as a liability to his state’s standing.
I liked this cute little piece of propaganda stuck into a Fox News story about David Goldman’s reunion with his Brazilian son after a difficult custody battle:
Goldman’s fight was against a powerful family of Rio de Janeiro lawyers in a nation where the wealthy are used to coming out on top.
TOTALLY UNLIKE IN THE UNITED STATES. Where we have a meritocracy, a level playing field, total equality, and a classless society where money could never buy justice. Where the rich DEFINITELY do not have access to additional levers of power to turn events like court cases in their favor or in other ways flex extraordinary power that the underclasses will never have. In Brazil, perhaps, there are shameless privileges visited upon the wealthy due to their inferior government, natural penchant for corruption, and their non-Americanness. Perhaps in Brazil it is possible for the rich to buy justice.
But NEVER in the United States. Heavens no.
Does Fox News submit their stories to a panel of aging white capitalists to see that every story, no matter how unrelated, sings the praises of American-style capitalistic democracy?
Um, well basically. Who else would be on their editorial board?
Misogynist wife-abuser James Kraig Kahler went to Topeka and tried to kill all the women on his ex-wife’s side of the family. No hate crime here! The gender of the victims has absolutely nothing to do with their killer’s choice to murder them. Except that Kahler did love his son and managed not to kill him. What a thoughtful dad. The dead are ex-wife Karen Kahler, and teen daughters Emily and Lauren. Wounded is Karen’s 89-year-old grandmother.
Ah, celebrities, fashionistas, and socialites. They would have us believe they cared about social justice, what with their charity balls and celebrity causes.
But the acceptence and apparent popularity of Lola Karimova, heir to the dictatorship of Uzbekistan, seems to belie their otherwise carefully constructed social conscienceness. Oh, but Lola does charity work too! So it’s okay that her dad pays for people to go to her parties to draw attention away from his multitude of human rights abuses.
Does love of fashion excuse one from the common courtesy of not condoning torture? The answer is clear: Yes.
Lisa Gray-Garcia has written a superb article for Poor People Magazine about a new phenomena of “Gang Tours” in LA, where tourists can pay to see REAL! graffiti, the Skid Row, “all-black” public housing, and even The World’s Largest Jail! Now white people too can enjoy Compton and South Central Los Angeles, after purchasing the $65 ticket and then riding in air-conditioned (bullet-proof?) buses on this “customized high-end specialty tour”.
LA Gang Tours is a non-profit run by LA activists, which says the profits will be funneled back into the community.
Lisa Gray-Garcia says the tours “zoo-ify” poor people and people of color, who will clearly not be paying $65 to drive around looking at projects, tags and bullet holes.
Some evidence makes the zoo-ification more than speculative:
From the LA Times:
But one backer said he also hopes to stage dance-offs between locals; tourists would pick a winner and fork over a cash prize. It wasn’t long ago that organizers decided against a plan to have kids shoot tourists with water pistols, followed by the sale of T-shirts that read: “I Got Shot in South-Central.”
Come see how they live! In their natural environment! We’ll even make the natives dance!
Commenter ipastor01 at the Huffington Post wrote:
OJ’s house, Brentwood
Manson Moorders, Beverly Hills
Neverland Ranch, Santa Barbara
Polanski case, Hollywood Hills
Do come down to my neighborhood to get away form those crime ridden cities running wild with thugs.
Take it away Lisa:
One of the many oxymoronic aspects of this concept is the notion… that our neighborhoods, our communities, our corners, our schools, and our homes, are crazy, dirty, sick, disgusting and must be cleaned up, cleaned out and eradicated, hygienic metaphors about humans scattered about with impunity. And the complete and utter disregard for the fact that in everyone of these so-called, blighted neighborhoods, filthy apartment buildings and poor people schools, homes and communities, there are families and elders and children of color who are living, thriving, learning, and resisting. There are heroes, and leaders, and lecturers and healers, and dreamers and teachers, and poets and artists, revolutionaries and scholars…
I started this piece by saying I had terror in my heart about the gang tours, but be clear its not terror for the poor, unsuspecting tourist, default colonizers and 21st century missionaries, stumbling and trampling over our communities and cultures as the well-meaning gang tours commence, rather, its terror for the residents of the proposed tour sites, and so I caution all of the community members, families and young people to hold on carefully to their purses, wallets, belongings, poetry, art and scholarship, cause, well, you know how dangerous those tourists can be.
Please read her whole article at Poor Magazine.
The United Nations Human Rights Council sent respected human rights experts to investigate the state of human rights vis-a-vis the Gaza conflict.
Surprise! They discovered Israeli war crimes and human rights abuses:
The Goldstone mission report — totaling 575 pages — contains detailed accounts of deadly Israeli attacks against schools, mosques, private homes, and businesses nowhere near legitimate military targets, which they accurately described as “a deliberately disproportionate attack designed to punish humiliate and terrorize a civilian population.”
This scary, scary statement of facts by a commission of respected officials Will. Not. Stand. in the United States, where our patriotism is predicated on the believe our ally Israel is incapable of making any false step. Outrage at a report, based on research (the nerve!), burned so hot in the hearts of the United States House of Representatives that they were compelled, nay, mandated by love of god and country, to “overwhelmingly approve” a resolution condemning it.
The resolution resolves that the report is “irredeemably biased” against Israel, an ironic charge given that Justice Goldstone, the report’s principal author and defender, is Jewish, a longtime supporter of Israel, chair of Friends of Hebrew University, president emeritus of the World ORT Jewish school system, and the father of an Israeli citizen.
The resolution also expresses outrage that the “culpability” of Iran and Syria weren’t condemned in this report on Gaza and Israel. Because, you know, Syria and Iran support Palestine, which is run by terrorists, thereby making them State Sponsors of Terrorism upon Israel. Personal vendetta anyone?
Because this resolution was “overwhelmingly” approved in a House that is dominated by Democrats, we are once again reminded to ask ourselves the question: “Exactly how different are Democrats and Republicans?”
Having 80% of the U.S. House of Representatives go on record attacking the integrity of one of the world’s most respected and principled defenders of human rights is indicative of just how far to the right the U.S. Congress has now become, even under Democratic leadership.
Sigh. Read the whole bullshit enchilada here.
Seattle’s Team Gina with Butch/Femme:
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