What is New on the News?

The ovaries are here reporting for duty.

1. Chile & Trans Rights

Before discussing the “Gender-identity” law that Chile has passed, some background on Latin America and LGBTQIQAP+ rights. On January 9^th, 2018, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights came out with a statement requiring same-sex couples to access civil marriage as well as allow people to change their norm and gender marker on official documents. But, even with this passing only Argentina, Columbia, Brazil and Uruguay out of the 20 countries part of the Inter-American Court recognize same-sex marriage. Regarding changes in their gender marker on legal documents, only Argentina, Columbia and Mexico City allow it, with an easy process. Those who allow it, but with a much intricate and complex process includes:

• Peru: Involving court appearances
• Bolivia: Having a psychological evaluation done
• Uruguay: Interfering with an outside inter-disciplinary committee
• Ecuador: Where one can change their gender, but the change stays on public record that the change occurred

Which leads us to Chile. As of September 12, 2018, a new “Gender-identity law” was passed stating that:

• Transgender individuals over the age of 14 in Chile can now change their name and gender, without surgery
• Individuals ages 14-18 still need consent from their parents to get their documents legally changed

Progress, right?

2. Fat shaming/ Fashion

Revolve released a $168 sweatshirt featuring a quote said to Paloma Elsesser, a plus-size model of: “Being Fat is Not Beautiful, It’s an Excuse.” Which has received A LOT of backlashes and has since been removed and canceled from the market. According to Revolve, their intention for their new collection is to “shed light on the modern-day normality of cyberbullying and create a safe community for those affected to share their stories.” To which they also add that 20% of each purchase is donated to the organization ‘Girl’s Now’, a charity which mentors underserved young women to help find their voices through the power of writing.

https://www.cosmo.ph/style/revolve-fat-shaming-sweatshirt-controversy-src-intl-a574-20180916

Nice try Revolve, nice try but stop capitalizing on women’s pain.

3. And the Lord Said, Let the Truth Come out

There have been countless stories of religious institutions like the Catholic Church regarding child abuse and sexual assault cases:

• From Pennsylvania
• To Australia
• To the Vatican in Italy
• To Chile
• To Germany
• To now the Netherlands

And every day new cases pop up…

It is quite appalling really.

4. Gender Reveal Craze

Recently all-over social media there has been a significant increase in the gender reveal parties. Which are our generations “promposals”. It reinforces traditional heteronormative ideology and implements the gender performance of authority, in this case, parents, dictating a child’s gender identity before they are even born. Click for an example.

No thank you.

5. Botham Jean

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/botham-jeans-family-to-dallas-officer-who-shot-son-come-clean-about-night-of-deadly-shooting/

On September 6, 2018, Dallas police Officer Amber Guyger shot 26-year old African American male, Botham Jean, whose apartment she mistook for her own. A search warrant of his house later that week indicated that officers went inside his apartment looking for drugs, alleging that 10.4 grams of marijuana were found.

Instead of searching his apartment, why don’t they search through Guyger’s past? Why defame Botham Jean who was innocently killed in his own home? Media, Texas Rangers, you’re asking the wrong questions and looking in the wrong places.

That is all.

The ovaries have spoken.

*All pictures have embedded links to them and thanks to Elijah O’Donell from Unsplash for my featured image