Sexism Has Long Been Part of the Culture of Southern Baptists

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Sexism Has Long Been Part of the Culture of Southern Baptists

Sexism Has Long Been Part of the Culture of Southern Baptists

By Susan M. Shaw, Professor of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Oregon State University. First published on The Conversation

Recent media reports have revealed decades of abuse by Southern Baptist pastors.

Denominational leaders are offering apologies and calling the sexual abuse “evil,” “unjust” and a “barbarity of unrestrained sinful patterns.” Many Southern Baptist leaders are considering action.

As a scholar who has written a book on Southern Baptist women and the church, I’d argue that this scandal has its origins in how Southern Baptists have long and purposefully pushed back against women’s progress.

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November 1 Google Global Walkout Demands End To Sexual Harassment and Systemic Racism In 'Destructive' Corporate Culture

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November 1 Google Global Walkout Demands End To Sexual Harassment and Systemic Racism In 'Destructive' Corporate Culture

At 11:10 am, Thursday morning November 1, thousands of Google employes worldwide stood up and walked out of their offices as participants in the Google Walkout. The global demonstration was triggered over their employer’s mishandling of sexual-misconduct allegations that surrounded Android creator Andy Rubin.

The Rubin case is not new. On October 25, the New York Times publishing a damning exposé that revealed Google had paid a shocking $90 million to Android creator Andy Rubin, who resigned in 2014 following a sexual-misconduct investigation. Per the report, Rubin “coerced [a female co-worker] into performing oral sex in a hotel room” in 2013 — allegations she reported a year later, which Google investigated and found credible.

Beyond the $90 million payout, Google’s then chief executive Larry Page celebrated Rubin’s career, without making public the reason for his departure. Page demanded Rubin’s resignation, after details of the situation between two Google execs was revealed. Rubin’s case is one of three high-profile Google executives accused of sexual misconduct charges.

Level Up Inspires Men To Send Snaps To London Sun's Annual Best 'Bust In Britain' Competition

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Level Up Inspires Men To Send Snaps To London Sun's Annual Best 'Bust In Britain' Competition

Level Up, a feminist organization in Great Britain created in 2017 and led by Carys Afoko, has a clever response to the Sun's annual 'Bust in Britain' competition: no marches; no rants; no lectures. Reading the Sun ground rules and realizing there are no gender restrictions, Afoko had a light bulb moment. 

“It is such an old-fashioned idea of beauty they are promoting. They say they are looking for the best breasts. But actually what they mean is - if you’re skinny, if you’re white, if you’re young and if you’ve got big boobs. Then you’re beautiful,” says Afoko. “Let’s bring the Sun’s competition into the 21st century.”

By encouraging men and non-binary people to take snaps for the competition and getting worldwide press in the process, Afoko hopes that a man might actually win in 2018. It is interesting that many of the men struggled with taking a “sexy” selfie, Afoko says. “They got very self conscious and felt exposed. It took a few conversations to get them to do it. We were seeing men feel like they are an object, like women do.” 

White Male Google Engineer Writes 8-Pg Manifesto, Saying Women's Genetic Differences, Not Sexism, Is Their Problem

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White Male Google Engineer Writes 8-Pg Manifesto, Saying Women's Genetic Differences, Not Sexism, Is Their Problem

A white male engineer at Google's Mountain View office made big news this weekend, publishing an essay that blasted the company's efforts to recruit women, people of color and other minorities into its ranks and leadership positions. 

The backlash has been ferocious, but many believe that the engineer's words reflect the widespread mentality among white men -- a totally dominant hierarchy in tech -- that women and other minorities do not have the mental capacity to meet the standards set by their superior white male minds and competencies.

Handmaids News: Handmaids Trump Style | Emma Watson Drops 'The Handmaid Tale' Around Paris | Weak Men Like Trump Fear Menstruation

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Handmaids News: Handmaids Trump Style | Emma Watson Drops 'The Handmaid Tale' Around Paris | Weak Men Like Trump Fear Menstruation

Many American high schools have also banned the book from its libraries, claiming the content is too sexually graphic. The American Library Association ranked it No. 88 on its list of most frequently challenged books from 2000 to 2009. The association maintains the list to keep track of books that are subject of attempted bans or censorship.