Feminist Weekly July 16
News clippings and #FeministWins curated by Contributing News Editor Annie Wu Henry, The Recount, and Good Good Good Co. From feel good news to headliners keeping you on the pulse. Here is the round up for the week!
Anti-government activists in Cuba say that more than 100 people have been arrested or are missing on the island following widespread protests on Sunday. One person died during clashes with police on Monday, Cuba's Ministry of Interior said Tuesday, according to state-run Radio Rebelde. These are the largest protests on the island in decades, as Cubans spoke out about a lack of food and medicine, and a rise in police brutality. The country is undergoing a grave economic crisis aggravated by the Covid-19 pandemic, US sanctions, and failure of the Cuban government to provide aid to it’s citizens.
ICYMI
Britney Spears has been given the right to appoint her own attorney in the ongoing #FreeBritney case. Britney Spears earned a rare court victory today when a Los Angeles County judge granted her request to hire her own attorney to represent the singer in her ongoing conservatorship battle.
Haiti in Turmoil After President’s Assassination. President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in an attack at his home on Wednesday. His wife, First Lady Marine Moïse, was wounded and hospitalized. In recent months, protesters have taken to the streets of Haiti to demand the removal of President Moïse. Many — including legal experts and constitutional scholars — contended his term had ended, but he clung to power. After the assassination, the threat of further political violence escalates by the moment. President Biden described the state of Haiti as “very worrisome.” Sourced by The Recount
January 6th, Immortalized at the Smithsonian. Do you remember the image of Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ), kneeling on the floor of the Capitol, hours after the insurrection, cleaning up? He bought that blue suit off the rack at J. Crew, hoping to wear it to certify the nation’s election results and inaugurate a new president — a symbol of democracy at work. Now, six months later, Rep. Kim announced it will be added to the Smithsonian collection, forever immortalizing the story of what happened on that fateful day. (Via The Recount)
New Texas law opens up abortion bounty hunting.
An antiabortion law in Texas will soon allow any U.S. citizen to sue Texas-based abortion clinics, doctors, and anyone who aids in an abortion. If successful, the petitioner, who does not have to reside in Texas, will receive an $10,000 award and the cost for attorney’s fees. Pro-choice advocates worry that this cash prize may create a new cottage industry of aggressive antiabortion bounty hunters.
Sourced by FortuneCharlottesville removed Confederate statues that helped spark the deadly white supremacy rally. The bronze statues of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee and Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson came down Saturday. The Lee monument helped spark a violent white supremacist rally in 2017 that left one person dead. More than 90 Confederate monuments were taken down or moved from public spaces in 2020 following the murder of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police. (Via USA Today)
This week in Culture
Israel's High Court approved surrogacy for same-sex couples and single fathers.
After years of legal battles, LGBTQ+ couples and single fathers can have children through surrogacy in Israel. Within the next six months, same-sex couples and single fathers will be able to undergo the surrogacy process in Israel, after the High Court of Justice ruled on Sunday that it would fix the unconstitutional Surrogacy Law, which has excluded these fathers and couples until now. The court also ruled that the state would be required to pay NIS 30,000 to the plaintiffs for legal expenses. The ruling comes after the government asked the High Court to fix the surrogacy law itself last Tuesday, after failing again to fix the law by a set deadline. The court deemed the law unconstitutional nearly a year and a half ago for excluding single men and same-sex couples.
Queen Elizabeth II opened her lawn to picnics for the first time.
For the first time in her nearly 70-year reign, Queen Elizabeth II has opened up the palace gardens to the public for the very first time. While the Queen’s London home opens every summer for public tours of the state apartments and has been doing so since 1993, the Royal Collection Trust is now offering extended guided tours of the gardens. It will be the first time members of the public will be allowed to bring picnics into the palace (or purchase them from various food stations on site) since the Big Lunch initiative to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee in 2012. The royal palaces have suffered huge financial losses in the past year because of the pandemic-induced decline in tourists and visitors, and it is hoped that opening the splendid gardens will boost the number of visitors into the palace.
1.2 million nonbinary people live in the US, a new study says.
A new study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law found that around 1.2 million people lving in the US identify as nonbinary. Of those 1.2 million people, the majority are under 29 years old and White."Identities and terms related to gender and sexuality shift across time," said study author Ilan H. Meyer, senior scholar of public policy at the Williams Institute, in a statement. "Our study found nonbinary adults tend to be younger, but as the use and acceptance of gender nonbinary terms continue to grow, we may see changes in numbers and characteristics of LGBTQ nonbinary people."
A Heineken ad celebrating vaccines prompted anti-vaxxers to call for a #BoycottHeineken.
A Heineken advertisement featuring partying senior citizens and a pro-vaccination tagline triggered calls from some for a boycott of its beer. The minute-long video shows seniors dancing in a nightclub and racing to skinny dip at a nearby beach. It ends with the message, "The night belongs to the vaccinated. Time to join them." The hashtag #BoycottHeineken trended on Twitter Friday, and some users were so aggrieved that they filmed themselves pouring bottles of lager down the sink in protest.
Capitalism, Young Americans Just Aren’t That Into You
It’s not them, it’s you. After two recessions and a global pandemic, Millennials and Gen Zers are increasingly embracing socialism. In fact, 70% of Millennials say they would likely vote socialist. And with even young Republicans growing more skeptical of capitalism, there could be major implications for both political parties if their elected officials don’t keep up.
Naiomi Osaka is being honored as the Barbie Role Model 2021.
Mattel announced on Monday that the company has released a limited edition Naomi Osaka Barbie doll — and it almost immediately sold out. The doll is part of the Barbie Role Model collection, which launched in 2015. Previous honorees have included pioneering Olympics fencer Ibtihaj Muhammad, gymnast Gabby Douglas, Black-ish and Grown-ish star actress Yara Shahidi, historic NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson and ballet dancer Misty Copeland. The 2021 collection includes Osaka and soccer player Alex Morgan.
#FeministWins
Kataluna Enriquez will be the first transgender woman to compete in the Miss USA pageant.
Kataluna Enriquez beat out 21 other contestants to be crowned Miss Nevada USA. She will become the first openly transgender woman to compete in the Miss USA pageant. Her platform is centered on transgender awareness and mental health. “I didn’t have the easiest journey in life,” Enriquez said. “I struggled with physical and sexual abuse. I struggled with mental health. I didn’t have much growing up. I didn’t have support. But I’m still able to thrive, and I’m still able to survive and become a trailblazer for many.”
Mj Rodriguez Becomes First Trans Woman Up for Major Acting Emmy.
On Tuesday the “Pose” star became the first trans performer to earn a Primetime Emmy nomination in a lead acting category. "I would like trans women, and specifically trans women of color — especially younger girls who are trans and of color — to take away that this is more than possible. If you’re persistent, if you keep your eyes on the prize, if you never let anyone tell you otherwise, you’ll keep living and knowing that your existence is worth it, and that you have a purpose on this earth."– MJ Rodriguez to the NY Times.
14-year-old Zaila Avant-Garde became the first African-American Scripps National Spelling Bee champion.
Zaila, a 14-year-old from Harvey, La., won on the word “Murraya.” She became the first Black American to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee in almost 100 years of contests. The only Black winner before her was Jody-Anne Maxwell, representing Jamaica in 1998. Zaila will receive a $50,000 cash prize."It felt really good to win because I have been working on it for like two years. So to actually win the whole thing was like a dream come true," she told CNN's "New Day" on Friday. "I felt like in the moment I snapped out of a surreal dream."
Annie Wu Henry is a journalist, social media expert and politics + pop culture junkie. On the cusp of being a gen-z and millennial she understands the power and privilege that social media holds and chooses to use her platform to utilize these tools for good. Through sharing news in digestible, entertaining and easy to understand content, Annie seeks to promote the message that anyone can be an activist and make an impact. She believes people are important and thrives on building meaningful connections with others through sharing our stories and perspectives. As a proud adopted Asian-American, her work focuses on equality, mental health, intersectionality and education.
