Maybe Focus on the Family should have thought of this instead...

Could this have been a better use of the organization's money, perhaps?

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formspring.me: "Do you think it is healthy for teenagers to view pornography? Why or why not?"

Do you think it is healthy for teenagers to view pornography? Why or why not?

Ooh... that's a tough one.

I think we need to remove the taboo from sex and sexuality, definitely. Teenagers are having sex and doing things their parents are ashamed to even think of, so we need to talk about these things, without shame or blame or fear or judgement, and provide teenagers (and adults) with the tools they need to particiapte in that behavior safely if that is what they choose to do, and the tools to know how to decline participation if that's what they choose to do.

We need to have this information out there.

Now, as to pornography... hmm. I'm a prude at heart, really. Also, from what I understand (I have viewed pornography, I'm not going to pretend I've never seen a magazine or a movie, but I also know there is tons of stuff, and genres and styles, out there that I have not seen) "most" or much of what's out there does not send positive or healthy messages to the role of the cis female in sex (I won't try to speak for trans or intersex people since I am wholly ignorant as to how they are represented in pornography, though I am willing to wager they are seen as a source of fetishes and not treated as real people/being with sexual desires of their own).

I guess before I could say yes, it is healthy for teenagers to view pornography, we'd have to change the industry and the material. I would want to make sure that lesbianism is not portrayed as a sexual fantasy for cis het men, and that women are not perpetually in the submissive role, only there to fulfill the fantasies of the males.

I do think porn has a place and a value, since, given our puritan, prudish society, teens can't get information about sex and sexuality and "alternative lifestyles" and non-cis, non-hetero sexuality any other way.

Ask me anything

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Duty Calls (stolen from xkcd)

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Thankful Thursday: Planned Parenthood edition

I'm thankful for Planned Parenthood.

They were there for me when I was a starving college student with no money and no insurance. I hope they can continue to be there for the women and men who need them.

Did you know that...

• over the past 75 years, Planned Parenthood of North Texas has provided healthcare to more than 2.2 million patients?
• PPNT serves men as well as women, in 29 health centers service 57 counties across North Texas?
• the majority of PPNT's patients are 20-29 years old, earn less than $300 a week, and have no health insurance?
• PPNT is the only nonprofit family planning provider in Tarrant County?
• PPNT provides vital preventative healthcare, including:
• birth control options,
• well-woman exams,
• screenings for blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes,
• even flu shots?
• PPNT does more cervical cancer screenings than any other healthcare provider in Texas?
• PPNT educates parents, teens, educators, medical professionals, and civic and religious leaders?
• PPNT advocates for
• healthcare access and availability,
• comprehensive and confidential care,
• and accurate information about sexual health?

Well, now you do.

Feel free to do something to help.

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Stolen Words Wednesday: Christine Todd Whitman

Today I attended Planned Parenthood of North Texas's Annual Luncheon. The keynote speaker was Christine Todd Whitman, former New Jersey Governor (first female governor in NJ) and co-chair of the Republican Leadership Council, among other things. These are quotes I scribbled during her speech. (These are all her words; the stuff in quotations marks is word-for-word, the non-quoted text is my paraphrasing because I didn't get the exact words and I don't want to misquote her.)

On people protesting Roe v. Wade 37 years after the Supreme Court's decision: "It's as if people were still protesting Brown v. Board of Education in 1991."

"I am a pro-choice Republican. Contrary to what some people may say, we are not an endangered species!"

"[As Governor of NJ, was appointing women to different positions; people were saying] I was appointing 'so many women' -- something I had never heard when my male counterparts were appointing 'so many men'!"

"We need to be much more intentional in electing and appointing women to political office."

"Women do bring a different perspective to the table... We set a different tone." The atmosphere in her office/in her cabinets was one of collaboration; people were not fighting to pin the blame when something went wrong or to claim the credit when something went well, which happened often in male-dominated offices.

"Women have something unique to offer in politics."

[Talking about her daughter running for office... sorry, didn't get all the details] "As women we hold other women to a higher standard than we do their male counterparts." Her daughter had experience in politics, and children. She was asked, "Who's going to take care of the children?" and was told she didn't have enough experience. The man she was running against had been a substitute teacher before being elected.

"I'd never say support a woman just because she is a woman [but if two candidates are equal in their issues/stands] then yes, it's okay to choose the woman because she is a woman." We need a variety of opinions, women, people of color, etc.

Quoted Maureen Reagan: "Women will have reached equality when we can elect women who are as unqualified as some of the men we elect."

Spoke of the Terry Schiavo case: in four days, due to calls and letters to Congress, legislators wrote legislation and Bush returned from a vacation early to sign it. The next day polls showed 70-80% of the USians said the government had no business getting involved in that case. This means that 20-30% of the people were the ones who called and wrote their legislators to act on this. Congress got involved and took action in FOUR DAYS because of that small percentage being active and vocal. Be that active and vocal population -- never underestimate its power.

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