voting

Aside from looking at artists who happen to be feminist, or happen to be women, I also want to look at how key events in history have led to the creation of art that inspires support of feminism. One example of this is Votes for Women and the suffragettes and suffragists who wanted to achieve gender equality for the electorate.

It's a complex debate, because not all men had the vote when women began campaigning to be included, and women of color were not included at all in most of these movements. Countries around the world were routinely governed using the political beliefs of rich men, which is clearly something we can relate to today with the Occupy protests fresh in our minds. The 1% not had all of the wealth but they also had the power to change how the country was run. Although we might feel that we have it bad in 2011, we really have made much progress compared to life before electoral democracy in the Western world. I want to highlight some of the key movers and shakers in suffrage activism.

This year, an unprecedented wave of voter suppression bills hit statehouses across the country, and garnered very little media attention in response, even as voting rights activists decried the shift. In 27 states, bills that will demand voters show identification, bills that require proof of citizenship, bills that will change processing of provisional ballots, and bills that are aimed directly at students were all introduced or moved through the legislative process. GOP proponents of these bills claimed they were simply protecting elections against fraud. This seems specious at best, given that there are no reports of system-wide fraud at the polls in the 2008 or 2010 elections.

Wisconsin passed its new voting law, rescinding the ability of neighbors to vouch for each others' residency, and requiring an approved identification card be shown at the polls—and perhaps not surprisingly, a University of Wisconsin ID does not count as valid.

Hello, hello! Ready for some thought-provoking links? I knew you were!

• Today, in bad taste... anti-abortion group Life Always is comparing aborted fetuses to people killed by the earthquake in Japan. The always-astute ColorLines reports on the wrongheadedness of this tactic.
• TransGriot writes about the importance of having trans* people in US cinema, and not just as characters.
• Did you see the New York Times' claim that all of Washington D.C.'s influential pundits are young men... and Ann Friedman's response? Feministe gives us a run-down.
• Also at Feministe, Chally Kacelnik speaks of voting in Australia and the passing of fantasy author Diana Wynne Jones.
• Alvin McEwan muses on the irony of bishops denying queer people housing, and Frances Kissling talks about the life of Geraldine Ferraro, an influential pro-choice Catholic politician, both on AlterNet.
• Comic lovers, have you heard about the Black Panther's apparent change into the American Panther? Arturo at Racialicious has questions and words for Marvel.
• Some of us at Bitch HQ were unhappy to see this announcement about Mad Men's hiatus. Meanwhile at Philly, Ellen Gray explores the curious decision to include a documentary about 1960s divorce on the Season 4 DVDs. What's your take?
• The Crunk Feminist Collective ponders intimate partners' reactions to the media, asking "How can I get next to you if I can’t get next to your politics?"
  
• At the Atlantic, Sady Doyle asks what many action-film-lovin' gals have been wondering: How did we get to Sucker Punch?
• Nancy Goldstein at the American Prospect discusses the importance of "Preserving the Triangle Factory Fire's Lessons."
• Annette Bourdeau at Moviefone shares her five favorite screen adaptations of literary heroines. It's a start but is too short and limited, methinks. What are yours?
• Speaking of adaptations, AfterEllen interviews iconic lesbian author Sarah Waters about the experience of having one's novels made into TV programs.
• Are you a student? Feministing shares ideas for Sexual Assault ACTIVISM Month on your campus.
• At HuffPo, Linkins argues against the claim that political liberals are silent about invading Libya.
• Recently at a safety seminar, a Toronto cop told students that "Women can avoid sexual assault by not dressing like 'sluts.'" In protest, awesome local women are marching past police headquarters on Sunday for the Slutwalk!

What else have you been reading this week?

"Daughters and Left-Wing Voting" is the name of a recent study that shows men with more daughters vote with liberal parties more often then dads with sons. The question we should be asking is do daughters really make dads more liberal or is feminism failing to show why boys also win out?