A new peer-reviewed article provides more evidence about the lack of connection between vaccines and Autism Spectrum Disorder.
“In this large sample of privately insured children with older siblings, receipt of the MMR vaccine was not associated with increased risk of ASD, regardless of whether older siblings had ASD. These findings indicate no harmful association between MMR vaccine receipt and ASD even among children already at higher risk for ASD.”
For allies, gratitude can sometimes highlight privilege in uncomfortable ways. The Frisky Fairy offers some insight into their own process of receiving gratitude, and reminds us that “acceptable behavior” shouldn’t be a pre-requisite for allyship.
“And then I realized how f** it was. I was being thanked for doing the bare minimum. This isn’t to say that I didn’t enjoy the thank you. I truly did. It’s wonderful to be appreciated. But why was I being appreciated? I was being appreciated for being loud and yelling at other white people, because we live in a society that has made people of color afraid to speak up for themselves. How absurd is that? How ridiculous is that. That even among a number of liberal minded folks and friends, people of color are still afraid to speak up in favor of people who are behaving in a way they agree with. Because white people will no longer see them as a ‘good’ person of color who behaves in a way that is acceptable.”
Read the whole article here: No, Seriously, Tell Me I’m Racist
This article includes some data that can be used as talking points when advocating for access to reproductive rights:
“A growing body of evidence indicates that limited access to sex education and contraceptives in poor communities widens the income-fertility gap. Equalizing birth control use could reduce the ratio of unintended births by half, Reeves estimated.
‘The passage of the Affordable Care Act represents a huge advance here, by making better contraception more financially accessible,’ the study said, ‘but lack of knowledge about the efficacy of IUDs and implants and access to quality medical advice about contraception are still significant problems.’ “
Read the whole article here: The sex lives of rich and poor women are remarkably similar — until it comes to birth control – The Washington Post.
As emotional as we can get around issues related to racial injustice and disproportionate incarceration rates, It’s important to look at more objective data so we can understand and argue the facts separate from emotion (as much as we can, that is). This article has a ton of statistics that are great for helping make your case when you’re debating current events, and has a lot of helpful links to more information as well.
Excerpt from Baltimore’s Lost Generation by Derrick Clifton:
“And as information cited by the Center for American Progress highlights, black women are three times more likely than white women to be incarcerated. With black (and brown) people disproportionately targeted for police stops, searches, the use of force, or arrests, it’s virtually undeniable that the criminal justice system remains riddled with racial disparities.”
Christin Scarlett Milloy reports on the case of a black, Deaf and disabled trans woman, Kylie Brooks, who, after having successfully advocated for change to local Toronto services whose policies forced trans individuals “out” publically, then found herself the target of Facebook’s “real name” policy.
““Kylie” is a woman’s name and her account identifies her as female. However, in her profile picture, she appears as a black person who would commonly be read as masculine, with short hair, and a bearded face. Brooks is trans, and someone who works for Facebook has looked at her profile photo and decided she doesn’t look “Kylie” enough.”
The irony of an anonymous employee many thousands of miles from Kylie being empowered with the discretion to control her name and access to her community is repugnant.
Sex Workers Outreach Project USA is a growing social justice network devoted to providing outreach and advocacy for sex workers in the United States. SWOP provides Continue reading
And we need to have some long overdue dialogue about it. If you are unfamiliar with the concept of fatphobia, it is time for you familiarize yourself. Kitty Stryker does a fabulous job of explaining in this article, which she wrote in response to Continue reading
The internet, social media, and other developments in technology have become excellent tools for social justice advocates to access and disseminate information, but they can just as often serve as sources of oppression. This is especially true of video media, Continue reading
When you are aware of oppression, and especially when you are actively seeking to fight against it, it is hard not to have passionate, knee-jerk reactions when you see people perpetuating it, or denying that it exists. It is always necessary for us to step up to the plate and inform people when we see or hear them participating in oppressive behavior. But it’s equally important Continue reading
Dr. Karen McDowell 