Tuesday Movie Review: Live Nude Girls, Unite!

Julia Query's documentary on the unionization of San Francisco's peep show strip club, The Lusty Lady. The documentary chronicles not only the amazing struggle of the dancers to win rights such as sick days, equal hours for women of color, and guaranteed wage rights, but also the personal development of Julia Query.

Query went to San Francisco, as she stated in the documentary, to be a writer and a stand up comic. She is the daughter of Dr. Joyce Wallace, activist for prostitution rights. Query unflaggingly documents her fear of informing her mother that she stripped for a living -- through clips of her stand up show, by integrating the struggle into her account of the union struggle, and finally through a confrontation with her mother at the end of the documentary.

The documentary is an eye opener. It gives a realistic and understanding account of the problems that plague strip clubs and sex work, without either demonizing the employees of the strip clubs, or making them seem heroic in some way -- both lights seem to a problem that plague feminist interpretations of sex work. By focusing the documentary on what it set out to examine -- the working conditions and internal working problems of The Lusty Lady -- and by not making the employers and owners seem demonic or the workers seem idiotic or victims, the documentary ends up feeling more authentic.

Most enlightening were the accounts of the employment habits of strip club owners. Julia Query shows that many owners do not schedule women of color for as many shifts. In the case of her club, which is a peep show club, women of color were not scheduled at all for the private show booth. The employers said it was because women of color were not as marketable. Women with darker hair, darker skin, or anyone else who was not blond or light skin was labeled as "dark and exotic". Being labeled "dark and exotic" meant fewer scheduling hours. This makes sense, because something that is exotic won't be exotic for long if you put a large number of exotics in the same place. Another problem plaguing workers was stage fees. A stripper would be charged by the owners a certain amount to work the floor, and was made to account for their tips as they left. Women who did not make the quota of tips were in danger of losing their jobs.

Working conditions became worse and worse, and violence became more frequent in clubs. Dancers were blamed for violent acts that the customers were preforming, and management did nothing to ensure the safety of the dancers.

The documentary shows how more and more dancers are unionizing their strip clubs, mirroring the efforts made by The Lusty Lady. Rights are being won such as better hours, better wages, and sick days. But the widespread corruption and harsh treatment of the dancers chronicled in Julia Query's documentary is heartbreaking. It is a reminder that workers in the sex industry are often forgotten or written off.

War on Drugs

In the continuing wacky adventures of The Decider before he graciously steps down, MSN has decided to cover Bush's proposal of a bill that would "protecting health-care workers who object to abortion, and to birth-control methods they consider tantamount to abortion".

The Department of Health and Human Services is reviewing a draft regulation that would deny federal funding to any hospital, clinic, health plan or other entity that does not accommodate employees who want to opt out of participating in care that runs counter to their personal convictions, including providing birth-control pills, IUDs and the Plan B emergency contraceptive.

This reminds me of a story that ran in USA today last August (coincidentally enough) about a lesbian couple who had been denied access to artificial insemination because the doctor objected on moral grounds. They sued, not because the doctor rejected the mother-to-be, but because he refused refer them to a hospital where the procedure could be carried out. The article also quoted single mothers who had faced a similar challenge.

As a Christian, I can understand that there are a lot of moral conflicts that could meet any person in any work environment, and for that reason, these proposed regulations could have their pros. However, I fear this:

The regulation would apply to anyone who participates in "any activity with a logical connection to a procedure, health service or health service program, or research activity. . . . This includes referral, training and other arrangements of the procedure, health service, or research activity."
Critics argue that the broad definitions of abortion and the types of workers who could object would cover everyone from the top doctor at a hospital to the janitor.

And this:

The regulation could trump dozens of state laws that require health plans to cover birth control, pharmacists to fill prescriptions for contraceptives, and hospitals to offer emergency contraception to women who have been raped, critics said.

"You could imagine a group of people with less than honorable intentions seeking to get hired at a family planning clinic with the specific objective of obstructing access. Under this regulation, there is little you could do about it," said Jill Morrison of the National Women's Law Center.

Most importantly, this:

Others said the rule could have additional implications, including justifying discrimination against gays, single women or others seeking health care.
"As soon as you have a definition in one part of federal law, it can become the inspiration for the reinterpretation of other statutes," said R. Alta Charo, a lawyer and bioethicist at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

Because of this:

The most controversial section defines abortion as "any of the various procedures -- including the prescription, dispensing and administration of any drug or the performance of any procedure or any other action -- that results in the termination of life of a human being in utero between conception and natural birth, whether before or after implantation."
That definition would include most forms of hormonal birth control and the IUD, which most major medical groups believe do not constitute abortion because they primarily affect ovulation or fertilization and not an embryo once it has implanted in the womb.

Here's where I try to make suggestions, knowing that drafting a bill that doesn't infringe on some person's rights is problematic at best, and that this particular government has been trying for ages to negate the rulings of Roe vs. Wade without thinking about the implications to women's health (see previous post on John McCain's view on current issues).

I'd like to say that if you work in a public institution, you should know that your duty is to serve the people in the best manner possible, and if you cannot provide a service, you should refer that person to someone who can. But I know that some people probably wish to get out of the public heath care system and into a private institution.

All I can say is that restrictions on contraception, abortion, and other things that apply to planned parenting should be limited to private institutions, who can make up their own rules and owe nothing to the public or the government. Governmental institutions should serve the people.

Though military workers may disagree with the war that is currently being fought, it is generally considered their duty to follow orders as long as those orders are lawful. Lawyers are expected to make inquiries into the guilt or innocence of their clients so that no guilty men or women are set free, and no innocents detained, and they are expected to do their best to uphold the law despite personal feelings. Medical workers are expected to uphold their duties, which is to help people solve their health concerns. This does not mean they always have to go against their beliefs, but if they work in a public location they should at least be required to give the people a resource for what they choose to do. The path to contraception should not be closed off for any one party's interest. That doesn't mean that consideration for each party's feelings can't be considered in full.

Let's Do the Timewarp Again

McCain's campaign has recently released videos accusing the media of being in love with Obama, and with good reason. Very rarely in this tempestuous season have the issues that McCain stands for or against been addressed -- even in his own speeches. Often in the CNN televised speeches given by McCain, he spends at least half of his time talking about his opponent's weaknesses...and not about what he believes or will do. I believe that McCain plans to win on a scare tactic: "Obama will bring more taxes, will not solve the economic crisis, and will continue our dependence on foreign oil".

Georgia Women Vote made the comment that McCain's website even is Obama central.

So to remind myself what McCain stands for, besides back lashing, I went to his campaign website and took a look.

One of the first things that caught my eye was his plan to repeal the decisions of Roe vs. Wade and return verdict to state level. His ultimate goal in abolishing abortion is outlined, containing quips like "the fight for life will be one of courage and compassion - the courage of a pregnant mother to bring her child into the world and the compassion of civil society to meet her needs and those of her newborn baby". The way he phrases it, it makes it sound as though society has forced these women to abort their pregnancies. One of his first tactics is to relieve individuals of responsibility and make it a philosophical fight rather than what it would be if abortion were made illegal again: a medical one.

His next issue outlined is adoption. While adoption is fantastic, I love the subtle hint to abortion, yet again, in his plan to " promote adoption as a first option for women struggling with a crisis pregnancy". The next time I meet someone who plans on having an abortion, I'm going to encourage them to call it a "crisis pregnancy".

McCain seems to encourage a time warp of sorts -- back into the time when contraception was illegal, when abortion was punishable by law, and when women had to go to back alleys or endanger themselves with coat hangers. By repealing Roe vs. Wade, we put an entire generation of work in danger, and we put ourselves in danger. We are already in the middle of a food shortage globally. We cannot afford another age of baby boomers. We cannot afford to continue on our path of abstinence only education. We cannot afford an age where condoms are not available, and STDs spread more quickly because people do not know how to protect themselves.

I encourage voter's to go to each candidates website, especially the three leading: Bob Barr, John McCain, and Barack Obama. Only by understanding the issues from each candidates perspective can we vote intelligently and bring ourselves forward, rather than backtracking into the past, or (what could be considered worse) continuing on the fruitless path we're on. Everyone needs to vote in November. Rights are endanger, and policies that are negative to the health of our country are being proposed.

She's a Witch! Burn Her!

As time grows closer and closer for me to go to college, my concerns increase over whether or not I will be able to find a church that fits my needs. After all, I am in the perfect church for me right now. But Athens will be a different theological ballpark, and I wish to choose wisely.
So while leafing through an informational brochure I was given during orientation about the campus churches provided, I noticed one dedicated to Baha'ism. I had no idea what that was, so I looked it up. And while I still have more reading to do on the theological principal of Baha'ism, I was distracted by a radical "doom-and-gloom" Christian site preaching the different theological evils that threaten to rip our souls from our spinal chords. And while I was reading about how Baha'is were demonic forces, I happened to notice a link to another social heresy.
Can you guess what it was?

Feminism

On the Jeremiah Project's site, you can find out how every feminist leader has set forth an agenda to change the traditional Christian church to a New Age fellowship that worships the ancient goddess, how feminism is rooted in Satanism rather than the equality of the sexes, and how Christian women who advocate understanding and political/social equality really came from abusive homes, are equipped with weak wills/minds, and how women in the workforce are destroying American values and will eventually kill the country.
Yes. I'm a witch.
And with my Satan worshipping and magic brews, I will bring about the will of the goddess to smite the ignorance of this pseudo-Christian, who spreads hate and intolerance, rather than truth and Christ's love.
I'm sure that some of the people he has quoted, and some of the incidents he cites, have some sort of merit. I'm sure that in the Feminist movement there are radicals that wish for every woman to worship a goddess, or believe that patriarchal churches are indeed destroying women.
I also realize that, ironically, my anger over his intolerance is against the Christian doctrine. Which tells readers two things about me:
1) I am not perfect and need to continue my relationship with God.
2) I hate stupidity, which leads to number 1.

More than likely, I will be back later with more on the Jeremiah Project, right after I finish reading The Feminist Infiltration of the Church. Should be entertaining.

The Second Head Makes Up For Lack of Intelligence in the First One...

I'm not a big fan of chain letters. I can't possibly tell you why. Maybe it's the fact that no matter how many times I read a passage that assures me I will drop dead if I do not forward it in thirty seconds to fifty people, I always stand alive at the end of the prescribed time. Maybe it's because they waste my time. Maybe it's because they sometimes carry trojans and such (and worse than that, misleading information that can only fuel ignorant thought). But my sister sent me one that sparked my interest:

Dear Friend,

On Wednesday, Senate Republicans filibustered the Lilly Ledbetter Fair PayAct, a law that would have overturned an appalling Supreme Court decision that practically abolished remedies for gender-based compensation discrimination in the workplace. In opposing this legislation, Senator John McCain said that if women want better-paying jobs, they just need more "education and training." Then, he didn't even show up for the vote. Let's tell Senator McCain that should stop blocking an up or down vote on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act if he wants to ensure equal rights for women under the law. Please have a look and take action. http://act.credoaction.com/campaign/mccain_vs_ledbetter/?r_by=27-1292351-NI2TzN&rc=mailto

Thanks!

So, of course, I fact checked. This presidential race has gotten pretty ugly in the past, and damaging rumors have been spread, such as Obama being a Muslim. I still find it unreasonable that we were willing to consider a Mormon and a bigoted preacher for the nomination, but not a Muslim --who turned out to actually be Christian, no less. Who knew?

Just anyone who actually cared to check their sources. Anyways, back to the subject.

Yahoo! News provided me with the necessary proof (thank you Associated Press!). After reading the entire article, and understanding under what circumstances the statement was made, I am even more appalled than I was originally. Alex, my closest friend and surrogate sister said that things like this make the Femi-nazi in me come out blazing. Well, she-Hitler is furious. On several occasions Alex and I have had conversations about McCain, and often I have stated that he creeps me out, but I didn't know why. Well, now I know that it's more than the fact that he sounds just like Dubya unless you're facing the television.

"I am all in favor of pay equity for women, but this kind of legislation, as is
typical of what's being proposed by my friends on the other side of the
aisle, opens us up to lawsuits for all kinds of problems," the expected GOP
presidential nominee told reporters.

-Yahoo! News and AP

Translation: yeah, I understand that companies are taking advantage of women and making the pay gap an even greater divide. I understand that the actions I take against this bill is another set back against the ERA being ratified, which would guarantee that women cannot be discriminated against. To hell with the poverty and the single mothers. Why fight it?

I really don't know why, but I expected something more from McCain than this show of chauvinistic behavior. What does he mean, "women need more education"? We need more education than a man to do the same job he is doing? Why doesn't he need the extra instruction? Is he special just because God gave him two heads?

"They need the education and training, particularly since more and more women
are heads of their households, as much or more than anybody else," McCain
said. "And it's hard for them to leave their families when they don't have
somebody to take care of them.
"It's a vicious cycle that's affecting
women, particularly in a part of the country like this, where mining is the
mainstay; traditionally, women have not gone into that line of work, to say
the least," he said.
-Yahoo! News and AP

Well, that explains everything then, doesn't it?

Out of curiosity, does McCain know that the percentage of female valedictorians often outweighs the male? Does he know that more and more females are receiving distinctions and honors from college over men? In that one little blurb, I can see that he implies that physical labor such as mining is only "alternatively" taken up by women rather than "traditionally" and that women neglecting their duties to stay home and take care of their children, like any good June Cleaver mother would.

If mining is a "main-stay" in that province, then more than likely women are involved. If women need more education and training to earn the same pay that men do, then really isn't he just telling women to equip themselves to take over the country? After all, in that case their intellect would further outstrip the up-starts that make more based on their genitals rather than their degrees.

But it's okay. I'm sure the GOP will find further ways to keep the women-folk in line.