“Feminism isn’t about making women stronger. Women are already strong. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.”
– G.D Anderson
All posts by Tiffany Makovic
Your Editors Say Hello!
Hello from Hoochie Woman, feminist thought from Boston University. We, your editors Madeline (lexicontra) and Dana (aboleyns), welcome you to the latest incarnation of this site.
Our goal is to make Hoochie BU’s go-to site for a feminist perspective on current events affecting BU and the greater Boston area, as well as provide a platform for student voice concerning all issues feminist. In doing so, we wish to do our part in improving the female student body’s experience, on both an individual and collective level.
If you are interested in participating in our effort, by writing for us, sharing an experience, or suggesting a topic you would like us to cover, please do not hesitate to send us an email at buhoochiewoman@gmail.com.
The Daily Free Press controversy regarding its coverage of sexual assault and other crimes
Two days ago, this article was published on xoJane.
A Boston University student relates her account of how the student newspaper, The Daily Free Press, reported the incident of her sexual assault using “a pun involving a popular rap song that describes the sexual appeal of a woman’s body” in the crime logs section.
Shockingly, this was not the first time that the DFP had trivialized a crime with a catchy pun or phrase. The author of the article gives several other examples of this practice. She goes on to say that when she brought it up to one of the student managing editors, she was told “that’s just what they’re like.”
The author’s words:
I felt less-than-human. The day in my life that I was sexually assaulted marked a before-and-after divider in how I felt about myself as a human being and as a woman, and this thoughtless, demeaning description of it by somebody who is a fellow student and supposed “journalist” minimized it to a fucking RAP PUN. This was over a year and a half ago, and I am still livid.
The DFP issued an apology, declaring that they would put an end to this practice of satirizing crimes by updating the past headlines as well as only using serious ones in the future. They also “plan to begin mandatory sensitivity training for new editors at the start of each semester.”
However, the issue doesn’t seem solved to us or the author of the xoJane post, who stated that “the apology did not come off as very sincere and I remain unhappy with them and their conduct.”
What exactly will this sensitivity training consist of? As aptly put by one of the comments on the DFP’s apology: “I’m not sure how sensitivity training will help anyone who finds humor in rape, hate crimes & violence.” And it seems that the real issue is with the current editors who were the ones who actually wrote the offensive tag-lines.
As a BU student, I want my school to be the type of community where things like this wouldn’t fly in the first place. Why have issues as serious as sexual assault been insensitively trivialized by the DFP on multiple occasions? Let alone, once?
The DFP is a student newspaper. It should be the voice of the student body – it shouldn’t alienate students with such blatantly offensive and distasteful content.
We at Hoochie will endeavor to hold the DFP to its promise to “improve its coverage of student affairs, its reputation and credibility and its sensitivity to crimes that continue to plague our campus.”
Please do not hesitate to contact us at BUHoochieWoman@gmail.com if you wish to be a part of our effort to improve the BU community.
Domestic homicide and what the state of Massachusetts is doing to stop it
Unsurprisingly, it is pretty difficult to stop a man intent on murdering his wife.
Though such men show warning signs by physically abusing, stalking, and raping their victims before actually killing them, it isn’t always as easy as it would seem to differentiate between the true killers and the domestic abusers.
Massachusetts has devised an effective system to determine just that, as well as manage the individual situations so that fewer women are harmed.
They do it by first assessing and rating each man based on how aggressive and dominating he is. The men who score high on this scale are monitored more closely, and their victims receive additional resources.
Domestic abuse is so nasty because abusers intend to make their victims feel as though they will never escape from the abusers’ control. If the victim attempts to move on from the relationship, she faces being stalked by the abuser as well as violence toward herself or her children.
The Massachusetts system takes the power back from the abusive men and flips the situation. If an abuser is acting up, Massachusetts can restrict his ability to see his children, monitor and limit his freedom with a tracking device, and if his abuse continues, jail him or put him into a psychiatric hospital.
Massachusetts does to abusive men what they have been doing to their victims. Like their victims once did, the abusers must now monitor their behavior because someone more powerful is watching.
It seems one would be hard-pressed to come up with a more effective and poignant way to combat domestic abuse and homicide. Nicely done, Mass!
From the XX Factor: Massachusetts’ Simple Solution for Preventing Domestic Homicide
Terms You Should Know #1: Street Harassment
Here is a definition of Street Harassment, courtesy of StopStreetHarassment.org:
Unwelcome words and actions by unknown persons in public places which are motivated by gender and invade a person’s physical and emotional space in a disrespectful, creepy, startling, scary, or insulting way.
There are various definitions of street harassment, but all of them specify that street harassment occurs in public, between people who do not know each other, and is a physical or emotional intrusion. The harasser usually makes reference to the victim’s appearance or gender.
Why this term it is relevant:
According to a nationally-representative poll,
87 percent of American women have experienced street harassment, and over one half of these women have experienced “extreme” harassment including being touched, grabbed, rubbed, brushed or followed by a strange man on the street or other public place.
Street harassment is not a compliment. It is, in fact, harassment, and should be treated as such. Let’s lower the numbers!
See Hollaback, The Everyday Sexism Project, and Can I Get a Smile? to start.
Wicked Clothes you really should buy
Because you always need to buy new shirts (well at least that’s what I tell myself)….
‘Feminism is the Radical Notion’ Charity Tank Top
![Image of [PREORDER] 'Feminism is the Radical Notion' Charity Tank Top](https://i2.wp.com/cache1.bigcartel.com/product_images/116929539/300.jpg)
Let’s talk about that dirty F-word that people like to avoid: “feminism”. But why? There’s nothing wrong with being a feminist! Feminism is founded on a belief of equality, it’s as easy as that. Why run from it? Show off your feminist pride!
$5.00 from the sale of each sweater will be donated to Planned Parenthood. – Wicked Clothes
![Image of [PREORDER] Tri-Blend 'A Woman's Place' Tank Top](https://i0.wp.com/cache0.bigcartel.com/product_images/113509662/300.jpg)
A woman’s place is in the House and the Senate.
Despite being half of the population, women only make up 18.3% of the United States Congress. That’s a number that certainly needs to increase. Sport this sweater to show your support for current and aspiring women in politics. – Wicked Clothes
She wears short…
Wendy Davis vs. Texas Abortion Bill
Unless you’ve been avoiding the news for the past twenty-four hours, you’ve heard the name Wendy Davis mentioned. On Tuesday, Davis stood up to the senate in an effort to filibuster a Texas bill on abortion that would provide even more limitations on a woman’s right to control her own body.
The bill would add further restrictions on abortion clinics around the state, including banning any abortion after the twenty-week marker and require all but five abortion clinics in Texas to be closed. The women who so badly need access to abortion to clinics would no longer be able to get to them.
Ms. Davis was nineteen when she had her first child, but managed to get herself from a trailer park all the way through Harvard Law School and eventually to the Texas Senate. “She’s carrying every woman in the state of Texas, if you will, on her shoulder,” said Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood.
If Davis’ filibuster successfully continued till midnight, the legislature would be unable to take a final vote and thus successfully block the bill.
The rules regarding filibusters in the state degree that Davis had to remain on topic the entire time, was unable to lean on any additional support (including a desk or a chair), and could not pause for a bathroom break, food or water. After three strikes the filibuster could be called off.
Davis’ first strike came when she discussed Planned Parenthood’s budget, which according to the legislature did not pertain to the bill being discussed. The second when after standing for almost seven hours, Davis had a colleague help her adjust a back brace. Davis received her final strike when she discussed the current laws requiring a woman to have a sonogram before a doctor will perform an abortion.
When the Senate called an end to the Davis’ filibuster, state Senator Leticia Van De Putte spoke up saying “at what point must a female senator raise her hand or her voice to be recognized over her male colleagues?” resulting in shouts of support throughout the chamber.
Despite the senate’s attempt to silence Davis, her efforts resulted in the bills final votes being taken at 12:03, three minutes too late for SB 5 to be passed as a law.
Throughout this ordeal Wendy Davis got countless supporters. Tweets vary from actor Mark Ruffalo to president Barack Obama showing their support of Davis with hashtags such as #StandWithWendy. Her salmon colored sneakers that she apparently threw on as she ran out the door have become a symbol of her stand.
So deeply moved. What an amazing and satisfying display of humanity in the face of oppression. #standwithwendy
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) June 26, 2013
And then to add to this, the protestors supporting a woman’s right to control her own body were called terrorists by Texas Republican legislator Bill Zedler.
The fight isn’t over, but at least people are listening.
See other articles on Wendy Davis and the Texas filibuster at The New York Times, The Washington Post, and National Public Radio.
Three easy ways to challenge rape culture
- Add http://www.ihollaback.org to your bookmarks, and share it on social media.
- #tellafeministthankyou (and learn more about networked feminism)
- Find feminist groups in your area on Meetup.com and join one of them!
NPR highlights the story of an artist inviting social change
Sick of street harassment in her neighborhood, Tatayana Fazlalizadeh has been plastering an important message around the city of Brooklyn: Stop harassing women on the streets. We don’t want it. It is offensive. We are not obligated to give men our time or attention
Some men, of course, still don’t believe street harassment is an issue.
Anthony Williams, a featured interviewee, believes street harassment is what he is “supposed” to do. It is his right to try to “acquire” an attractive woman he sees. He can say what he pleases to her in hopes of her reciprocation.
These are the men Tatayana Fazlalizadeh is targeting with her socially conscious art.
Interestingly though, one of the most upvoted comments on this article, by a man, asserts that all men are not like Anthony Williams. But Tatayana isn’t targeting the “good guys” out there. So why is such a comment relevant?
Of course, not all men think they are supposed to harass women about their appearances. And not all men believe women are objects to be acquired.
To those men who wouldn’t think of partaking in street harassment, we sincerely appreciate it. We are glad that you are disgusted that others of your gender would be so inconsiderate and offensive. But this article isn’t directed at you.
Men shouldn’t feel the need to rally in defense of their gender when issues such as street harassment arise. Those who do so make this mistake are diverting attention from the issue at hand.
It is easy to dismiss a social concern by claiming that it isn’t ubiquitous enough to merit the attention of the general population. But the facts are that street harassment is incredibly prevalent all over the world.
So no, not ALL men harass women on the street, but a great many do. Progress occurs when the “good guys” stop worrying about defending themselves and commit to reprimanding the guy who shouts “nice tits” at a girl walking down the street.