The Gender Equality Checkpoint

[DanaC]

Originally Posted by Happy Monkey

With one caveat - the pre-existing laws pre-existed.

ie, they did not perform the function this law is intended to perform. That's not to say that this one will, either, as it is also vague, but saying that the police could apply existing law in a certain way to achieve the desired result doesn't help if they don't.

The problem seems to have been that the police didn't take the issue seriously. Would the 40 training sessions have been enough to fix that, if they weren't accompanied by a law that also made the offense more serious?

(not a rhetorical question)

For the more serious cases of catcalling or sexual threat there has been a lack of enthusiasm for pursuing under the laws that are currently available - partly because it's not been taken at all seriously until fairly recently.

For most of the other stuff, what is needed is not another serious offence added to the books. If it's a particular problem in a particular town at any given time, police can go looking for that stuff and use the public order offences to discourage it, without criminalising people.

Or if someone tells them a guy on that street shouted lewd comments to them as they walked past, see if he's still there and have a word with him - point out its not acceptable behaviour in a public place. Doesn't have to be heavy. It's no different to telling someone they shouldn't be playing their music at its loudest volume late at night when they live in a small apartment block.


I think there has to be, and we are in the middle of it, a sea change in how we think about certain aspects of gendered experience and the ways in which our social structures and institutions respond to it, as well as how we navigate a world in which the gender roles have changed so quickly.

I say we're in the middle of it - perhaps I should say I think we were in the middle it when the Interwebz happened and threw everything into overdrive.

The speed everything moves now. #revolutions sweep across the twittersphere, are consumed by other movements and implode in a matter of days. A company launches a product with a questionable advertising strategy on Monday, the calls for global boycotts are in full voice by Tuesday morning, the advert is pulled on Tuesday afternoon, and a low level executive is fired on Wednesday.

That builds an expectation of rapid change and winnable battles. Which can be very alluring.

If we try to do this by criminalising more and more interaction - that is not going to help.

I think there are better ways to effect change. Slower - because it's complicated and messy and because whatever lines we draw in the sand we still have to live with each other.

Sometimes it's a good thing to march in the streets, give voice to a grievance and demand justice. Sometimes you have to find a livable solution to a complicated problem in which lots of people have a stake. And that's a much slower thing.

[xoxoxoBruce]

For the last few months the TV has been flooded with ads for replacement windows, Renewal by Anderson, in particular.
It sounds like a first class operation, it also sounds expensive, but hey you get what you pay for... or less.

Yesterday I got a hand addressed envelope the size and shape of a Valentines Day card. Silly bunny.
Inside was a letter and business card from the General Manager of Renewals by Anderson for the Philadelphia area.
Her name is Kristin Gardner. Imagine that, a woman running that whole operation.

The question that comes to mind, is she serious, or just wants to use me for a sex toy and discard me?







Kirstin, if you find this in a vanity search, it's a joke.

[Happy Monkey]

Specificity also helps (though I'm not sure from the blurb in the article how good this particular law is on this front); If they aren't considering the behavior to be breaching the peace, that's not ignoring the law; it's interpreting it. But if the new law says it is, then you would have to ignore the law.

[xoxoxoBruce]

OK, I see your point, but it's still a matter of the cop... er, bobby, interpreting the actions of the man.

[sexobon]

If she sees this, she may want to remodel the windows to your soul.

Kristin Gardner
Kristin came to RBA in 2009 as the accounting manager after having worked in the new home construction business for 7 years. After graduating from Villanova University with her MBA in 2011, she was promoted to the operations manager handling both the financial aspects of the business in addition to managing the operations. Working with the most dedicated and FUN professionals in the window business makes coming to work every day a real joy. She takes pride in helping to find solutions to any issues that arise and to making sure our customers have the best experience possible when working with RBA. A happy customer is a reminder of the job we strive to do every day and it’s great to know that the hard work and time we put in really get results. It’s the best reward! Kristin enjoys spending time with her RBA family – from family fun days at Dorney Park to company bowling tournaments and BBQs, she loves that the “Philly Family” can always have a good time together! How many people can say they love to come to work to spend the day with friends?
Personally, Kristin grew up in New Jersey and Switzerland. She loves skiing, travelling and is obsessed with Instagram! She now lives in New Jersey with her husband Matt and new baby, Grace and her four-legged child, Morgan, the dog.

[xoxoxoBruce]

A wonderful interview with Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

Well, emotions like anger, remorse, and jealousy are not productive. They will not accomplish anything, so you must keep them under control. In the days when I was a flaming feminist litigator, I never said to judges who asked improper questions, “You sexist pig.”

I’ll tell you one such incident. So I was arguing a case in Trenton, New Jersey, before a three-judge federal district court and one said, “Well, women are doing fine these days, opportunities are equal for them everywhere.” And I said, “Your honor, flight training isn’t available to women.” “Oh,” he said, “even in the military they have equal opportunity,” and I answered him with flight training is not available. His response to me was, “Oh, don’t tell me that, women have been in the air forever, I know from experience with my own wife and daughter.” So what is my comeback? “I’ve met some men who don’t have their feet planted firmly on the ground.” You don’t see that anymore, but in the 70s when judges knew it was improper to make racist jokes, women were still fair game.

[DanaC]

Very interesting.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Excellent, Dana!
We have met the enemy, and they are us.

[DanaC]

It's often the way. I know I found that out when I was a councillor. There's nothing like working with 'the enemy' on a shared goal and responsibility to make you question your certitude.

Local politics (probably national as well come to that) is funny in that way. On the one hand you have the elections and the council meetings that tend to be very party focused, while on the other hand, you find yourself on various committees where the accepted norm is you try to leave the party politics at the door as you walk in - because now it's about the nuts and bolts of providing various services and achieving various small goals - and then meta-narratives aren't really very helpful. At that point, you're really just a group of people grappling with a practical issue.

[xoxoxoBruce]

The glass ceiling..

[glatt]

According to the first chart, in 2014, 95% of US residents did not agree with the statement that men should have more rights to a job when times are tough. Up from 80% fifteen years earlier. I think that's pretty good.

And things are consistently improving everywhere except India.

Too bad the data ends in 2014. In the US, things were improving dramatically, but with the election of Trump, I bet they have slipped and gotten worse again.

[xoxoxoBruce]

The Cosmo Girl in 1967...

[sexobon]

"The Gender Equality Checkpoint"

Hmmm, what would the phonetic equivalent to Checkpoint Charlie be for this thread ... Checkpoint G-String?

[xoxoxoBruce]

Mary Bara, General Motors CEO and Chair(wo)man of the board, took a pay cut in 2017 with a total compensation of only $21.96 million. She got $22.58 million the year before. Gotta keep them bitches in line you know.

link

[sexobon]

Congratulations women, you've finally made it!

After 80 Years, The Barbershop Harmony Society Will Allow Women To Join

If you're at all familiar with the modern perception of barbershop singing, you might have guessed that one of its leading organizations, the Barbershop Harmony Society, was an all-male — and all-white — organization at the time of its founding in 1938. The organization opened to people of color in 1963, as the country was living within the crucible of the civil rights movement. For 80 years, though, it remained closed to women. Until yesterday. ...