Co-Authored by: swedishfish4 and thejoggerblogger101

LOCAL

On September 6^th, JMU Board of Visitors member, Kay Coles James, held a discussion regarding partisan conflict, one of many presentations to kick off JMU’s inclusive community series. James has held positions on both state and national levels, with one of her positions being director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management during the Bush administration. Using her experience with public policy and bipartisan communication, she has focused her efforts on navigating the youth through how to communicate effectively during our current political climate. James recognizes how polarized our society has become and expresses why it is critical to have a growth mindset. We felt it was important to address this event in our newsroom discussion because this platform revolves around discourse and what James’s discussion offers up are ways to have effective political discourse. We as individuals not only have varying political identities but we also are affected by a spectrum of advantages and disadvantages over the course of our lives. We can attribute these advantages and disadvantages to privilege or lack of, marginalization, race, class, gender, and a plethora of other economic and societal components. The overarching message of James’ presentation is that maintaining awareness of intersectionality while participating in discussion not only results in efficient communication but also creates room for individuals to find common ground. 

NATIONAL

During our newsroom presentation, we discussed an article regarding Maine’s Governor, Janet Mills, signing a bill to partially decriminalize prostitution. This bill was sponsored by Representative Louis Reckitt, to protect sex workers in the state of Maine, while also elevating the punishments for those who try to exploit it.  Many believe this bill will protect the women in this profession by lowering the abuse rate, while also lowering the trafficking rate. The reason we deemed this article relevant to the discussion is that it ties into the “My Body My Choice” movement. This legislation will also decrease the re-victimizing of women for their own exploitation. Holding the individuals accountable who abuse these women is a step in the right direction. 

“We are long overdue to better protect and decriminalize sellers engaged in prostitution without legalizing pimping and sex buying,” -Louis Reckitt said in a statement at the event .

GLOBAL

On September 14^th, a mausoleum for transgender women was inaugurated in Mexico City, following the spike in incidents of fatal violence against transgender women. NBC News interviewed Mexican transgender rights activists Kenya Cuevas and Andrea Luna, who witnessed their friend and fellow sex worker, Paola Buenrostro’s murder in 2016. Buenrostro will be the first woman to be moved to a mausoleum entirely dedicated to transgender women. It is not solely transgender women who fall victim to targeted violence in Mexico City, it is many members of the LGBTQ community there who endure verbal abuse as well as physical violence.  Cuevas became an activist following Buenrostro’s death, despite the risks she faces by publicly identifying as a transgender rights activist in the second deadliest country for people who identify as transgender. Cuevas’s efforts are focused on reforming the penal code in Mexico to recognize trans-femicide as a hate crime. Through campaigns, she has achieved greater visibility for the trans community, educating individuals about the marginalization they face. This subject is important for us to bring up in our newsroom discussion because it sheds light on ideas such as systemic inequality and how trans activism and feminism share similar roots in the realm of discrimination. More specifically, in Buenrostro’s case, her transgressor was released from jail despite there being witnesses of her murder because people overlooked the crime itself and blamed Buenrostro for being a sex worker and exploiting herself. Transgender rights activists and feminists are both continuing to fight for the right to bodily autonomy with the understanding that this common goal is derived from separate and unique experiences.

The last article we talked about during the presentation discussed the return of women’s tennis to China after the Peng Shuai Boycott. If you’re not already familiar, Peng Shuai is one of China’s most prominent female athletes. She is a three-time Olympian and Grand Slam doubles champion in the sport of Tennis. A few years ago, Peng mentioned the Premier of the World Tennis Association tried Coercing her into having sex with him. Following the accusation Peng disappeared from the public eye for two weeks.  This prompted athletes, and the United Nations, to ask where she might have gone and why. The Chairman and CEO of the WTA decided to cancel all tournaments in China until there was a full investigation into this issue.  The investigation was brief and in just two short years later Tennis resumed in China, leaving a lot of individuals unsatisfied. The reason this article is relevant to our newsroom discussions is that women are being mistreated, ignored, and threatened with their careers when it comes to speaking up. We believe there should be a call to action, or better yet more focus directed at calling out those who get away with abusing power.