from tyt.com
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Thursday, February 27, 2014
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Duke's Freshman Porn Starlet Isn't Ashamed—and She Shouldn't Be
from thedailybeast
“That a woman could be intelligent, educated and CHOOSE to be a sex worker is almost unfathomable.”
With those words in her essay last week for XOJane.com, “Lauren,” the Duke University freshman who is fast gaining notoriety outside of Durham for her porn career, caused the internet to drop its proverbial jaw.
Since coming back to Duke after her Christmas break, Lauren has been gossiped about on campus and, with greater and more threatening vitriol, online. After one of her male classmates revealed at a fraternity rush event that she had an alternative life as a porn starlet, Duke, unsurprisingly, erupted. But while male students salivated and parents blanched at the thought of a genuine sex worker being educated at pristine, prestigious Duke University, the real controversy began when Lauren told Duke's The Chronicle that acting out her porn altar-ego is “probably the most empowered I have ever felt.”
It's not so shocking that a college student strapped for cash may engage in porn—or any other number of activities—to cover her tuition and college expenses. But, to own up to her decision to do so, and take pride in her adult film career, that’s what appears to be so scandalous.
Lauren's story is a tabloid’s dream come true: a female student at an elite, preppy Southern university who voluntarily turns to the disgraceful world of pornography and (gasp!) enjoys it. “Work-study programs were never like this!” cooed the New York Daily News, which also didn't hesitate to mock Lauren for her claim that she “feels at home” in the adult film community.
Eric Owens at The Daily Caller was even more vicious, attacking not only Lauren but the The Duke Chronicle for agreeing not to use her real name or “even her adorably slutty porn name.” He seemed shocked that a woman who voluntarily participates in porn would have thought about feminism or her treatment as a human being, noting, “Lauren had much to get off her (apparently 32C) chest.” Owens also accused her of making far more than she claims to need in order to defer the costs of her $58,000 tuition. Instead, he assumes (or perhaps fantasizes) that she does a double-penetration scene every day for one week a month to make over $300,000.
Of course, nothing compares to the anonymous online comments, the kind that led Lauren to come forward in the first place. A discussion thread now over 20 pages long on the site CollegiateACB under the Duke University section began on Jan. 16 with the subject line “Freshman Pornstar” and the post “If you banged her, report in.”
What makes her story so abhorrent to people is that she is embracing her sexuality and her career in adult films.
The comments get worse from there, delving into a painfully revealing discussion of how sexual freedom is viewed within the context of feminism. The responses ranged from crude—“posting before some feminist starts shouting about 'dont slut shame!!!!!111!1! if i wanna take ten black dicks at once thats my choice and i still deserve respect!!!1!!!”— to prude—”we going to pretend like she was unaware of the social consequences of going into that business?”
But all of the negative comments share a common underlying assumption: By voluntarily pursuing a career in the porn industry, Lauren has automatically surrendered all of her rights as a feminist, a woman, and a human. From here on out, everything she has coming to her, she deserves.
Instead of just accepting her own admission, we want to hear that Lauren was tricked or coerced into her porn career or that she is ashamed and regrets her poor youthful decision. She is, after all, only 18 years old. She may grow up one day to actually wish she had done things differently, as many, many wish they had at that age. Unfortunately, while we may eventually excuse someone fordriving drunk and killing people at a similar age—or at least eventually grant them a life of anonynmity—acting in porn is a “mistake” not so easily forgiven or forgotten.
Lauren actually appears to understand that quite clearly. She doesn't want people to forget that she has a career in pornography. What makes her story so abhorrent to people is that she is embracing her sexuality and her career in adult films. She is not ashamed of the self-described “rough sex” she participates in on camera and her “many sexual quirks,” nor her decision to make money for doing so.
She is not denying her behavior, and she's unwilling to beg for the public's mercy. She writes in her essay:
I, like all other sex workers, want to be treated with dignity and respect. I want equal representation under the law and within societal institutions. I want people to acknowledge our humanity. I want people to listen to our unique narratives and dialogues.
In short, she is more than fine with the title of sex worker, but she doesn't want to give up her rights, her education, or her potential career opportunities because of the stigma associated with it. And, she shouldn't have to.
The shame that society imposes on sex workers does only one thing: hurts sex workers. To form a blanket protest against pornography and those who make it does not protect the sex workers who suffer from exploitation. Instead, she writes, “Shaming and hurling names at them, the usual treatment we give sex workers, is not the way to achieve this.”
Moreover, we should not blame Lauren for wanting to have a successful adult film career. The article in Duke's The Chronicle suggests that Lauren is not just the Norma Rae of sex workers, but, perhaps, in it for the fame. Katie Fernelius wrote that Lauren “giggled and asked, 'Do you think I’ll be on Ellen?'” and “did an interview with BroBible, wrote a monologue about her experiences, and was invited to speak to classes studying sex work.” If Lauren were granting these interviews after a homemade music video went viral on YouTube, we wouldn't begrudge her for embracing publicity. But again, we expect a girl caught making porn to be ashamed and begging for forgiveness.
Lauren's challenge against her harassment as a porn actress reveals how pointless and shameful our stigmatization of adult film performers are. It hurts sex workers who love their careers and want to enjoy full lives outside of pornography. Worse, it may further hurt the sex workers who are subjugated and are too afraid to ask for help.
Lauren's openness with her porn career raises many questions, but I fear people will only think to ask the wrong ones. We shouldn't be wondering why a smart young woman with her whole life ahead of her would choose a career in porn. Instead, we should be wondering why it should preclude her from doing anything else she so chooses.
Monday, February 24, 2014
Fullerton teacher arrested on suspicion of sex with students
from ocregister.com
Published: Feb. 22, 2014 Updated: Feb. 24, 2014 7:43 a.m.
PHOTO COURTESY OF FULLERTON POLICE DEPARTMENT
FULLERTON – A 28-year-old math teacher at Nicolas Junior High School was arrested Friday on suspicion of sexual misconduct with two male students, authorities said.
The school found out about the allegation Friday after one of the victims and his friend reported it to a counselor, Fullerton School District spokeswoman Myrna Marston said. School officials contacted the Fullerton Police Department, and detectives began an investigation.
During the investigation, they found out about a second victim, according to a police news release.
Eighth-grade teacher Melissa Lindgren was arrested on campus at about 4 p.m. Friday on six felony counts, including child molestation, child annoyance and dissemination of harmful matter to a minor, Sgt. Jeff Stuart said. She admitted to committing the crimes, Stuart said.
The arrest happened less than five hours after the school district discovered the allegations, the release stated.
Lindgren was booked at the Fullerton Police Department; she later posted a $100,000 bail and was released, according to the release. She is scheduled to be arraigned at the North Justice Center in Fullerton on April 9.
The investigation is ongoing.
The Fullerton School District – which consists of 20 schools, 14,000 students and more than 600 teachers – has placed Lindgren on unpaid administrative leave, according to its statement released Saturday. Lindgren has been working at Nicolas Junior High School for five years, Marston said.
The district has scheduled a parent meeting for 6 p.m. Monday at Nicolas Junior High School to answer questions and discuss the incident.
Contact the writer: 949-454-7347 or tshimura@ocregister.com
Thursday, February 20, 2014
Federal judge questions legality of Minnesota's sex offender program
from startribune.com
Article by: CHRIS SERRES , Star Tribune
Updated: February 20, 2014 - 9:53 PM
Judge urges legislators to find a fix for “draconian” confinement.
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A federal judge has found that Minnesota’s sex-offender treatment program may violate the Constitution, describing it as “clearly broken,” “draconian” and in need of immediate reform.
The strongly worded ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Donovan Frank brings new urgency to stalled efforts by state lawmakers and Gov. Mark Dayton to reform the Minnesota Sex Offender Program (MSOP), which has come under fire for confining people indefinitely in prisonlike treatment centers — what critics say is a de-facto life sentence.
Frank called on legislators to take immediate action or face a court-ordered remedy. “The politicians of this great state must now ask themselves if they will act to revise a system that is clearly broken, or stand idly by and do nothing, simply awaiting court intervention,” Frank wrote in a 75-page decision issued Thursday.
Frank’s ruling sets the stage for what could be a pitched battle between lawmakers who want to develop a different way of treating Minnesota’s population of sex offenders, while leaving the system largely intact, and others who believe the state’s entire system for treating sex offenders outside of prisons is too expensive and ought to be scrapped in favor of keeping them in prison longer.
The issue could come to a head when the Legislature’s 2014 session opens Tuesday.
Dayton convened a high-level meeting of state officials and legislators at his office on Jan. 23 to discuss how to address the situation. Those present included the leaders of both houses of the Legislature, as well as the heads of the Department of Human Services (DHS) and Department of Corrections.
“It was all about trying to find some common ground on this issue,” said Rep. Tina Liebling, DFL-Rochester, chair of the House Health and Human Services Policy Committee, who attended. “The governor made it clear that this is an issue that needs resolution.”
Rapid growth, high costs
The MSOP holds nearly 700 offenders — more, per capita, than any comparable program in other states. With costs far higher than prison costs, its outlays also have exploded.
But while experts and legislators have called for changes to the MSOP, actual reforms have been difficult to implement. Sex offenders remain a highly stigmatized group, and the specific actions needed to ensure that their civil rights are protected may be too unsavory for public officials to address, warn legal analysts.
“Why would any legislator touch this issue?” asked Rep. Tony Cornish, R-Vernon Center. “Are you that worried about the civil rights of sex offenders? I admit it, I don’t have the courage to have a sex offender released in my hometown.”
Legislators who had hoped that Frank would give them a detailed outline for reform may have been disappointed with the ruling Thursday.
Even though Frank had harsh words for the MSOP — warning that its “systemic problems will only worsen” in the next few years — he was measured in his recommendations, leaving the details to state officials.
“The time for legislative action is now,” Frank wrote. “Whether or not the system is constitutionally infirm, without prompt action on the part of the Legislature and DHS, MSOP’s reputation as one of the most draconian sex offender programs in existence will continue.”
Sen. Kathy Sheran, DFL-Mankato, said lawmakers are preparing legislation that would implement many of the reforms proposed earlier this year by a state task force, including a biennial review of the cases of confined sex offenders. However, she acknowledged that some lawmakers would not even want to broach the issue.
“There will be people who will still want to wash their hands of the problem and let the court decide,” she said.
But political inaction heightens the possibility that the federal courts will, at some point, rule that the MSOP is unconstitutional and order the release of hundreds of violent sex offenders.
A recent case in California has shown what can happen when the federal court intervenes. In 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that overcrowding in California’s prisons amounted to cruel and unusual punishment and ordered the state to reduce its prison population by more than 30,000 inmates.
Study alternatives
In the lawsuit before Frank, a class consisting of hundreds of sex offenders has accused the state of violating their constitutional rights by locking them away indefinitely at high-security treatment centers in Moose Lake and St. Peter.
The constitutional debate pivots on whether the MSOP provides actual treatment, or is designed to merely punish offenders who have already served their prison terms.
To explore this, Frank ordered a team of experts to review the standards of treatment for all civilly committed sex offenders, and how other states provide treatment of “lower-functioning” sex offenders in community settings.
The judge also held out the possibility of the federal court taking stronger action if the Legislature does not make necessary reforms.
“If the evidence confirms plaintiffs’ contentions, and MSOP systemically fails to provide patients with appropriate treatment … the Court, like others, will not hesitate to take strong remedial action.” He added, “The program’s systemic problems will only worsen as hundreds of additional detainees are driven into MSOP over the next few years.”
Human Services Commissioner Lucinda Jesson issued a statement after the ruling was issued, saying, “The ruling raises questions about the future of Minnesota’s civil commitment system for sex offenders, and we urge the full Legislature, on a bipartisan basis, to address this issue in the coming weeks and months.”
In 2003, after the abduction and murder of college student Dru Sjodin, the state Department of Corrections began recommending more sex offenders for civil commitment. The number of offenders held in the MSOP has more than tripled since then; only one has been successfully discharged.
Chris Serres • 612-673-4308
Husband Forgets How to Have Sex After Botched Cancer Surgery
from ABC
In 2003, as Richard Bandy prepared for cancer surgery that would bathe his abdomen in hot tumor-killing chemicals, he and his wife, writer Sonya Lea, talked about the possibility of his death, but also about potential impotence.
The couple, then in their 40s, had been sweethearts since high school and said they enjoyed a close, sexually charged relationship.
"We did the usual things everyone does with a life-threatening illness -- we got wills ready and secured all the practical business," said Lea, 54, who now lives in Seattle.
"We looked at what our dreams were for life and got our bucket list," she told ABCNews.com. "We were so optimistic. If sex doesn't work, we'll figure out other forms of sharing our erotic life. Many people who are injured or impotent have active sexual lives and we think we can do this."
Bandy even discussed allowing Lea to take another lover.
What they didn't expect was that surgery would go terribly wrong and internal bleeding would cause a brain injury. In the decade since, Bandy could physically have sex, but his personality was forever altered.
"You go into surgery, and you don't imagine you will end up with a different man at the end of it," said Lea.
In a Feb. 12 article for Salon, "How My Husband Forgot Sex," Lea writes about Bandy's loss of short- and long-term memory and his ability to initiate and recall decades of marital intimacy.
"The man who taught me to explore, has become as unknowing as a stranger in a strange land," she writes. "Three years after the brain injury, it still isn't possible for him to ask what he wants, or conduct a conversation, or remember the ways my body responds."
Bandy had a rare form of pseudomyxoma peritonei or PMP, a cancer that currently only affects about 5,000 Americans, according to Dr. Paul Sugarbaker, director of the Center for Gastrointestinal Malignancies at the Medstar Washington Hospital Center. It develops after a polyp on the appendix bursts and spreads mucus-producing tumor cells throughout the region.
"It used to be universally fatal and now we cure 80 percent of them with a new type of surgery that involves perineotomy, stripping the insides of the abdomen and pelvis," said Sugarbaker. Neither he, nor the hospital treated Bandy.
The standard of care is hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy or HIPEC, a highly concentrated, heated chemotherapy treatment that is delivered directly to the abdomen during surgery. But sometimes, a high-dose chemotherapy agent can cause serious complications that can trigger bleeding in the brain or stroke.
"We had a bad case here," said Sugarbaker, who has since declared a moratorium on the use of that chemical at his facility.
In Bandy's case, his brain was deprived of oxygen for a critical period of time after 32 ounces of blood pooled in his abdomen during surgery, according to his wife. Lea said the family settled in a malpractice suit and was not allowed to talk more specifically about the case.
Today, Lea and Bandy have been married 35 years. She writes about their decade-long journey in an as yet unpublished memoir, "Wondering Who You Are," in which she explores issues of identity through cancer, brain surgery, travel, art, food, sex, wilderness and family.
“I love her writing –- it makes me cry,” said Bandy, 56, who contributed several pieces to the book.
“But there are fairly large sections of my life I don’t remember,” he said. “Not anything before high school or college. I don’t remember my kids’ births or my wedding day. I don’t really remember what sex is like before the brain injury.”
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Porn, women and feminism: Have the Dutch finally cracked it?
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Incensed Utah mom buys all 'indecent' T-shirts in mall
from mnn.com
Upset about the racy tees at the PacSun store, Judy Cox put some citizen-enacted censorship into place.
Wed, Feb 19, 2014 at 11:29 AM
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One of the tamer tees available on the PacSun website. (PacSun)
When Orem, Utah mom Judy Cox came across a display of T-shirts she deemed indecent at a PacSun store in the mall, she did what any moral-minded assertive person would do, she complained to the manager. But when she was told that taking down the shirts – which pictured barely-clad babes in provocative poses – could not be done without an okay from the corporate office, she took matters into her own hands. She whipped out her wallet and bought every last one.
The 19 remaining T-shirts cost $567; she says she plans to return them later, right before the 60-day return period is up, reports The Associated Press.
While the T-shirts may barely garner a second glance in more liberal cities, Orem is ultraconservative. Known as "Family City USA," most inhabitants belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which urges modesty in its youth.
"These shirts clearly cross a boundary that is continually being pushed on our children in images on the Internet, television and when our families shop in the mall," Cox said. She plans to meet with Orem's city attorney to discuss whether the saucy shirts violate city code.
City code forbids the public display of explicit sexual material, which they define as "any material that appeals to a prurient interest in sex and depicts nudity, actual or simulated sexual conduct, sexual excitement, or sadomasochistic abuse."
Cox says she hopes to prompt others to take action against what she sees as inappropriate imagery.
"I hope my efforts will inspire others to speak up within their communities," Cox said. "You don't have to purchase $600 worth of T-shirts, but you can express your concerns to businesses and corporations who promote the display of pornography to children."
PacSun CEO Gary Schoenfeld said that the company takes pride in the clothes and products it offers.
"While customer feedback is important to us, we remain committed to the selection of brands and apparel available in our stores," Schoenfeld said.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Kaitlyn Hunt, Florida teen jailed for sex with underaged girlfriend, now moving on with an older woman
from nydailynews
Read more:
Hunt has reportedly found a new chance at love with her 27-year-old girlfriend Latasha Thomas, nicknamed L.T. But the new flame in Hunt’s life has a rap sheet of her own.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/kaitlyn-hunt-jailed-underaged-sex-dating-older-woman-article-1.1615514#ixzz2tWSnqvet
BY CAROL KURUVILLA / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2014, 1:01 PM
Read more:
Hunt has reportedly found a new chance at love with her 27-year-old girlfriend Latasha Thomas, nicknamed L.T. But the new flame in Hunt’s life has a rap sheet of her own.
COURTESY KELLEY HUNT
Kaitlyn Hunt, 18, was expelled from high school in Florida after having a relationship with a 14-year-old girl.
KATE'S FIGHT VIA FACEBOOK
Kaitlyn Hunt is off to a fresh new start with LaTasha Thomas, a 27-year-old woman from Vero Beach, Fla.
She found love in a hopeless place.
Kaitlyn Hunt, the woman who was arrested at 18 for having a sexual relationship with her 14-year-old girlfriend, is reportedly trying her best to move on to safer, and more legal, pastures.
Hunt confirmed that she’s opening a new chapter of her life with a much older girlfriend—a 27-year-old woman named Latasha Thomas.
The former Sebastian River High School cheerleader, has reportedly shown up to court with her new flame, nicknamed L.T.
INDIAN RIVER COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT
Latasha K. Thomas was arrested in 2006 for marijuana possession and again in 2012 for domestic battery by strangulation.
"Now I just want to put it all behind me," the 19-year-old told ABC News. "I want to stay out of trouble. I want to do the right thing, and then get it over with, so I can move on with my life."
But Thomas has had her own brushes with the law.
In 2012, the Vero Beach resident was arrested for domestic battery by strangulation and trying to hinder communication with the police. In 2006, she was arrested for marijuana possession and driving with a suspended driver’s license.
UNCREDITED/ASSOCIATED PRESS
The Stop the Hate, Free Kate campaign was organized by supporters who believed Hunt was targeted by her former girlfriend’s parents for being a lesbian.
Thomas is featured front and center in a Facebook group that Hunt's family created to support the teen's cause.
After her arrest last year, Hunt told WPTV that she “was never educated on dating laws and ages and stuff so I still was confused about everything.”
Hunt met her 14-year-old lover during basketball tryouts at their high school. When the child’s parents found out in May 2013, they immediately alerted the police. Hunt’s lawyer argued that the parents were motivated by bias towards Hunt’s sexual orientation. In August, a judge revoked Hunt’s bond after finding out the teen had exchanged 20,000 text messages with her underaged girlfriend in direct violation of court orders.
Hunt was released from a Vero Beach jail in December after serving a 120 day sentence for charges including battery, interference with child custody, and contributing to the dependency of a child, CNN reports. She has to wear an ankle bracelet during the next two years of house arrest. There will be nine more months of monitored probation after that.
The teen is studying to be a medical assistant and working to change consensual sex between teens in the same high school into a misdemeanor instead of a felony.
"As long as I'm home with my family and I get to see everybody every day, then I think I'll be okay," Hunt said.
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/kaitlyn-hunt-jailed-underaged-sex-dating-older-woman-article-1.1615514#ixzz2tWSnqvet
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