A trans-identified male set a Canadian women's powerlifting record at a championship in Manitoba. Anne Andres, lifted a total of 210kg more than than his female competitors... and more news.
Regarding the hijab in Iran, although I am sympathetic to the author's stance, I lived in Iran before the Revolution as a young girl and did not wear a chador because I was so obviously a Westerner in one and looked ridiculous. But the chador was useful; you could wear anything (or nothing) underneath. Now the chador in Iran is a symbol of something besides women's oppression. In attempt at "modernization" the Shah's father, Reza Shah, outlawed wearing the chador and many refused to follow the new law because they felt naked without one. In the days of discos and very fashionably (by Western standards) dressed and coiffed and made up women, unless you went about town only in a family-owned chauffeured limousine wearing Western clothing, you were subjected to a lot of sexual harassment in the streets. I estimated then, as a young teen, that I was sexual molested as I walked down the street three times every block. This did not keep me inside. But it did make me wonder how so many men could hang out on the streets with nothing else to do. Turns out the U.S. presence in Iran caused a huge change in the economics of a previously self-sufficient country. And 30% of the adult male population was suddenly unemployed when traditional farming towns became monoculture agri-businesses producing mono-crops for export to the West (resulting in frequent food shortages of various basic items in Iran). These men gravitated to Tehran for employment and, lacking relevant skills, were unemployed. They took their anger and resentment out on women who appeared to be doing better than they were. Sexist? Yes. Understandable, given the economic, political, and cultural rape the country was experiencing at the hands of Westerners? Also a resounding yes. Indeed, the Revolution of 1979 occurred in large part because of what I call the cultural rape of Iran by a country which was, in comparison, very ignorant and adolescent (the U.S.). This young author was not alive then, and her parents apparently have not educated her to how inferior Iranians were made to feel by the invading Americans and Europeans. I found it offensive and I'm not Iranian. The racism towards Iranians in their own country was intense. And this is why after the Revolution the ayatollahs tried to re-establish cultural norms pre-colonialism. Do I like it? No. Do I think rejecting Western cultural norms was healthy? I do. I think it was necessary and long over-due. In the West I know of a lot of Iranians who were in psychotherapy because they were convinced being culturally Persian was akin to a mental illness and made them inferior to their Western counterparts. That is incredibly sad. I made a full-length cape with cowl to cover myself just to move around freely in Tehran and I would do it again. (I also wore riding boots with which to kick offenders, and carried a sturdy old man's walking stick to clear the sidewalk of offenders; I was not a passive female teen in all this. I had no problem fighting physically with offenders.) A chador would have been more comfortable in summer desert heat. As a young woman in the West, I often wished I could cover myself similarly without drawing excessive attention to myself because the male gaze is so invasive and draws me out of my consciousness and into male strangers' consciousness--a place I never wish to be. The chador and burkha are not the same thing. The hijab is not a burkha. At this point in Iran the chador or hijab represent a whole range of social expectations not necessarily related to women but to everyone in general, and that is why the recent rebellion has been so successful. Don't kid yourself that Iranian men care that much about women's issues. Things have changed a lot in Iran since 1979 but not that much. The society definitely needs a correction but be quite clear that Western women wear their chador in their minds. They are just as veiled and in many ways much more so than their Middle Eastern counterparts. And American women are harassed in their own homes. I never felt vulnerable sleeping in my own home until I came to the U.S. That's why I have several large dogs (besides the fact I love animals).
As for the male powerlifter, men have 165% upper body strength that women do without training. Of course a male is going to win. I would like to know how this guy did competing against men. In any case, men who compete in women-only sports are losers. Total losers. Even if they do "win".
thank you for this. i don't really know anything about iran bar snippets from mainstream media over the years and it's fascinating to hear your fresh, personal perspective.
Western media didn't know diddly-squat; nor did the CIA. They didn't speak the language and paid for information. Dan Rather interviewed my cousin and his wife repeatedly during the Iran Hostage Crisis and not once did he pass on anything positive they had to say about Iran. And they were very sympathetic towards the Iranian point of view and always told him Iranians had good reason to be angry with the Americans. He edited those comments out so that his coverage was always racist and horrifically biased. The only thing Americans know about Iran is what Israel wants them to "know". The U.S. policy towards Iran is directed by the Israelis although they haven't nuked them yet and that's what the Israelis really want. The Iran-Iraq War that lasted eight long years and decimated both countries was a conspiracy hatched up by Israel and effected by Israel and the U.S. Israel supported the Iranians to keep the war going as long as possible. And the U.S. supported Iraq. And then they turned coat and attacked Iraq. But I do digress. Always I digress. There is so much to digress about.
The whole lot of these men are repulsive and loathsome. In short, they are vermin, a pox on civilization and humanity.
Sounds like the UK believes any man who claims to be misgendered, but still requires extensive evidence to charge men with rape?
Here's the NYC video. Comments are worth reading....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q4B4hivy_Qs
Regarding the hijab in Iran, although I am sympathetic to the author's stance, I lived in Iran before the Revolution as a young girl and did not wear a chador because I was so obviously a Westerner in one and looked ridiculous. But the chador was useful; you could wear anything (or nothing) underneath. Now the chador in Iran is a symbol of something besides women's oppression. In attempt at "modernization" the Shah's father, Reza Shah, outlawed wearing the chador and many refused to follow the new law because they felt naked without one. In the days of discos and very fashionably (by Western standards) dressed and coiffed and made up women, unless you went about town only in a family-owned chauffeured limousine wearing Western clothing, you were subjected to a lot of sexual harassment in the streets. I estimated then, as a young teen, that I was sexual molested as I walked down the street three times every block. This did not keep me inside. But it did make me wonder how so many men could hang out on the streets with nothing else to do. Turns out the U.S. presence in Iran caused a huge change in the economics of a previously self-sufficient country. And 30% of the adult male population was suddenly unemployed when traditional farming towns became monoculture agri-businesses producing mono-crops for export to the West (resulting in frequent food shortages of various basic items in Iran). These men gravitated to Tehran for employment and, lacking relevant skills, were unemployed. They took their anger and resentment out on women who appeared to be doing better than they were. Sexist? Yes. Understandable, given the economic, political, and cultural rape the country was experiencing at the hands of Westerners? Also a resounding yes. Indeed, the Revolution of 1979 occurred in large part because of what I call the cultural rape of Iran by a country which was, in comparison, very ignorant and adolescent (the U.S.). This young author was not alive then, and her parents apparently have not educated her to how inferior Iranians were made to feel by the invading Americans and Europeans. I found it offensive and I'm not Iranian. The racism towards Iranians in their own country was intense. And this is why after the Revolution the ayatollahs tried to re-establish cultural norms pre-colonialism. Do I like it? No. Do I think rejecting Western cultural norms was healthy? I do. I think it was necessary and long over-due. In the West I know of a lot of Iranians who were in psychotherapy because they were convinced being culturally Persian was akin to a mental illness and made them inferior to their Western counterparts. That is incredibly sad. I made a full-length cape with cowl to cover myself just to move around freely in Tehran and I would do it again. (I also wore riding boots with which to kick offenders, and carried a sturdy old man's walking stick to clear the sidewalk of offenders; I was not a passive female teen in all this. I had no problem fighting physically with offenders.) A chador would have been more comfortable in summer desert heat. As a young woman in the West, I often wished I could cover myself similarly without drawing excessive attention to myself because the male gaze is so invasive and draws me out of my consciousness and into male strangers' consciousness--a place I never wish to be. The chador and burkha are not the same thing. The hijab is not a burkha. At this point in Iran the chador or hijab represent a whole range of social expectations not necessarily related to women but to everyone in general, and that is why the recent rebellion has been so successful. Don't kid yourself that Iranian men care that much about women's issues. Things have changed a lot in Iran since 1979 but not that much. The society definitely needs a correction but be quite clear that Western women wear their chador in their minds. They are just as veiled and in many ways much more so than their Middle Eastern counterparts. And American women are harassed in their own homes. I never felt vulnerable sleeping in my own home until I came to the U.S. That's why I have several large dogs (besides the fact I love animals).
As for the male powerlifter, men have 165% upper body strength that women do without training. Of course a male is going to win. I would like to know how this guy did competing against men. In any case, men who compete in women-only sports are losers. Total losers. Even if they do "win".
thank you for this. i don't really know anything about iran bar snippets from mainstream media over the years and it's fascinating to hear your fresh, personal perspective.
Western media didn't know diddly-squat; nor did the CIA. They didn't speak the language and paid for information. Dan Rather interviewed my cousin and his wife repeatedly during the Iran Hostage Crisis and not once did he pass on anything positive they had to say about Iran. And they were very sympathetic towards the Iranian point of view and always told him Iranians had good reason to be angry with the Americans. He edited those comments out so that his coverage was always racist and horrifically biased. The only thing Americans know about Iran is what Israel wants them to "know". The U.S. policy towards Iran is directed by the Israelis although they haven't nuked them yet and that's what the Israelis really want. The Iran-Iraq War that lasted eight long years and decimated both countries was a conspiracy hatched up by Israel and effected by Israel and the U.S. Israel supported the Iranians to keep the war going as long as possible. And the U.S. supported Iraq. And then they turned coat and attacked Iraq. But I do digress. Always I digress. There is so much to digress about.
i am in new zealand so dan rather is a mystery. it's good to digress and interesting. thank you.
Hey, Gals - technical concern, here.
In my Google Chrome browser, I can "follow" websites, and new posts/articles show up in my "following feed".
I followed Reduxx, of course!
It worked fine until about a month ago?
Now I only see a couple of stories from a year ago, and it never updates.
I have unfollowed/refollowed, and looked for settings, but nothing helps.
I hope I can have Reduxx news show up in my Google Browser once more!
I click more often, share more often, and just generally enjoy having Reduxx in my life.