Salon.com > Katie Mcdonough http://www.salon.com Fri, 03 May 2013 00:00:00 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Why conservatives should support immigration equality http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/why_conservatives_should_support_immigration_equality/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/why_conservatives_should_support_immigration_equality/#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 18:11:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13287785 A majority of Americans now support marriage equality, and a (slowly) growing number of Republicans have recently come around to the idea, too. Despite this, the opposition to the inclusion of gay binational couples and their families in immigration reform remains strong. Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ), of "Gang of Eight" fame, told the New York Times on Wednesday that "there’s a reason this language wasn’t included in the Gang of Eight’s bill: It’s a deal-breaker for most Republicans... Finding consensus on immigration legislation is tough enough without opening the bill up to social issues [like gay marriage].”

On Thursday in the Daily Beast, writer Jonathan Rauch called Flake's "deal-breaker" misguided -- and a GOP "suicide mission" (emphasis mine):

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/why_conservatives_should_support_immigration_equality/feed/ 5 What anti-LGBT activists say “off the record” http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/what_anti_lgbt_activists_say_off_the_record/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/what_anti_lgbt_activists_say_off_the_record/#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 16:12:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13287682 Anti-gay rights organizations like the National Organization for Marriage tend to rely on prepared statements about "family values" and "traditional marriage" to justify their opposition to full LGBT equality, but a recent look at a listserv for Christian activists in the "ex-gay" movement reveals how candid they become once off the record.

Alan Chambers of Exodus International is trying to sanitize his organization's reputation by softening its rhetoric about "curing" gay people, and wants to see others in the movement do the same. Chambers recently invited writer and gay rights activist Jeremy Hooper to join a listserv of 70 socially conservative activists in an effort to expose the violent rhetoric circulating among others in the anti-LGBT equality movement.

As reported by Hooper and ThinkProgress, Laurie Higgins of the Illinois Family Institute didn't react well to Hooper's presence on the list:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/what_anti_lgbt_activists_say_off_the_record/feed/ 32 Obama administration to defend age restrictions on emergency contraception http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/obama_administration_to_defend_age_restrictions_on_emergency_contraception/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/obama_administration_to_defend_age_restrictions_on_emergency_contraception/#comments Thu, 02 May 2013 12:49:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13287534 The Justice Department filed a notice on Wednesday to appeal a court order to remove restrictions on the morning-after pill and provide over-the-counter access to emergency contraception for women and girls of all ages.

The Obama administration's decision to appeal comes despite a recommendation from the Food and Drug Administration to lift age restrictions and other scientific research saying the drug is safe and effective for all ages.

As the New York Times reports:

The appeal reaffirms an election-year decision by Mr. Obama’s administration to block the drug’s maker from selling it without a prescription or consideration of age, and puts the White House back into the politically charged issue of access to emergency contraception...

By appealing the judge’s ruling, Mr. Obama’s Justice Department is essentially renewing the objections that [secretary of health and human services Kathleen Sebelius] — backed by the president — had more than a year ago. In recent weeks, conservative groups had urged the Justice Department to appeal the judge’s ruling so that the contraception would not be available to very young girls.

On Wednesday, a Justice Department official said the appeal would concentrate on the two areas where the department believes the judge overstepped his legal authority. The official also said the White House had not been involved in the decision of whether to appeal Judge Korman’s ruling.

Reproductive rights advocates have criticized the administration's position on emergency contraception as overtly political and having little to do with science or women's health.

“Age barriers to emergency contraception are not supported by science, and they should be eliminated,” Cecile Richards, the president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said in a statement on Wednesday.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/02/obama_administration_to_defend_age_restrictions_on_emergency_contraception/feed/ 9 Alex Jones takes break from Boston Marathon bombing conspiracies to go on transphobic rant http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/alex_jones_takes_break_from_boston_marathon_bombing_conspiracies_to_go_on_transphobic_rant/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/alex_jones_takes_break_from_boston_marathon_bombing_conspiracies_to_go_on_transphobic_rant/#comments Wed, 01 May 2013 21:13:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13287101 Alex Jones took a break on Tuesday from the exhausting work of spouting conspiracy theories about  the Boston Marathon bombing (among other favored topics) to launch into a transphobic rant.

Jones blasted the "globalist mafia" behind recent LGBT anti-discrimination measures, and called transgender rights "fake rights." He went on to preemptively defend himself against allegations of transphobia by clarifying: " It's not that I'm against people that think they're a woman or a man or whatever."

More from Jones:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/alex_jones_takes_break_from_boston_marathon_bombing_conspiracies_to_go_on_transphobic_rant/feed/ 24 Ireland introduces proposal to clarify the legality of emergency abortions http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/ireland_introduces_proposal_to_clarify_the_legality_of_emergency_abortions/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/ireland_introduces_proposal_to_clarify_the_legality_of_emergency_abortions/#comments Wed, 01 May 2013 20:09:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13287023 The tragic, preventable death of Savita Halappanavar in October 2012 stirred international outrage over Ireland's restrictive abortion law, and spurred the country to revisit its ban on the procedure in all cases except when a woman's life is in danger. On Wednesday, the Irish government released a proposal that would maintain the current ban on the procedure, but "clarify" when it is legally permissible to perform an emergency, lifesaving abortion.

According to the bill, abortions would be legally allowable when:

Two medical practitioners, have, in accordance with this head, jointly certified in good faith that there is a real and substantial risk of loss of the pregnant woman’s life other than by way of self-destruction and in their reasonable opinion this risk can be averted only by that medical procedure.

The measure also makes clear that an abortion may be performed in situations in which there is an "immediate risk of loss of the pregnant woman's life" and the procedure is deemed "immediately necessary."

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/ireland_introduces_proposal_to_clarify_the_legality_of_emergency_abortions/feed/ 0 Three suspects charged in connection with Boston Marathon bombing case http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/boston_police_three_additional_suspects_from_marathon_bombing_taken_into_custody/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/boston_police_three_additional_suspects_from_marathon_bombing_taken_into_custody/#comments Wed, 01 May 2013 19:48:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13286726 Updated: 2:35 p.m.

All three suspects have been charged, according to Federal court documents.

The first two suspects, Dias Kadyrbayev and Azamat Tazhayakov, have been charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice for "destroying, concealing, and covering up objects" belonging to Dzhokhar Tsarnaev. The full complaint can be read here.

The third suspect, Robel Phillipos, was charged with making false statements in a terrorism investigation. The full complaint can be read here.

Updated: 12:12 p.m.

NBC News' Pete Williams is reporting that the three suspects currently in custody have been under FBI surveillance for more than a week, and while "there was no indication they had any prior knowledge of the bombing" sources told NBC News that "the FBI had been investigating [the suspects] for about 10 days."

More from NBC:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/boston_police_three_additional_suspects_from_marathon_bombing_taken_into_custody/feed/ 104 Paul Ryan has change of heart, now supports gay adoption http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/paul_ryan_has_change_of_heart_now_supports_gay_adoption/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/paul_ryan_has_change_of_heart_now_supports_gay_adoption/#comments Wed, 01 May 2013 17:24:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13286846 Wisconsin Rep. and former vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan has had a change of heart about gay couples adopting, and now believes that gay people can provide loving homes to children who need families. But the House Republican still adamantly opposes equal marriage, reproductive rights and safe access to abortion care, Medicare and vital services for low-income families, among other things.

So, in effect, Ryan has made himself .001 percent less awful than he was before.

In response to a question about gay rights, Ryan chalked his 1999 vote to ban gay adoption in the District of Columbia to a freshman foible during his first term in Congress:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/paul_ryan_has_change_of_heart_now_supports_gay_adoption/feed/ 9 Wisconsin church bans NFL star over tweet supporting Jason Collins http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/wisconsin_church_bans_nfl_star_over_tweet_supporting_jason_collins/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/wisconsin_church_bans_nfl_star_over_tweet_supporting_jason_collins/#comments Wed, 01 May 2013 16:58:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13286827 Former Green Bay Packer Leroy Butler is reporting that he had a speaking appearance at a Wisconsin church canceled over his tweet in support of openly gay NBA player Jason Collins.

The offending tweet? (Get ready to be scandalized): "Congrats to Jason Collins."

Butler says he was contacted by a member of the church and told that he was in violation of his contract's "moral clause," and was no longer welcome to speak at the church. But, Butler went on to say, the member told him he would be welcomed back to speak if he would delete his pro-Collins tweet and "ask God for forgiveness." An offer that Butler, thankfully, declined.

More here:

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h/t Raw Story

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/wisconsin_church_bans_nfl_star_over_tweet_supporting_jason_collins/feed/ 42 “Gang of Eight” freezes out gay immigrants in reform bill http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/gang_of_eight_freezes_out_gay_immigrants_in_reform_bill/ http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/gang_of_eight_freezes_out_gay_immigrants_in_reform_bill/#comments Wed, 01 May 2013 13:09:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13286505 Much has been said about the 844-page bipartisan immigration reform package introduced in April. Some Republicans have called it "amnesty," while many immigrant rights groups view it as unnecessarily punitive. But no one on either side of the debate has called it "gay friendly" -- because it isn't.

The measure excludes a provision to allow American citizens to sponsor their same-sex partners for legal permanent residency. To do so, Republicans among the "Gang of Eight" allege, would be legislative suicide.

“There’s a reason this language wasn’t included in the Gang of Eight’s bill: It’s a deal-breaker for most Republicans,” Senator Jeff Flake (R-AZ) told the New York Times. “Finding consensus on immigration legislation is tough enough without opening the bill up to social issues.”

Flake's "social issues" refer, more directly, to the very existence of gay immigrants and their families, a reality that many Republicans and Democrats seem eager to overlook in the name of political expedience.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/05/01/gang_of_eight_freezes_out_gay_immigrants_in_reform_bill/feed/ 27 Matthew Shepard’s family responds to Jason Collins’ moving tribute http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/matthew_shepards_family_responds_to_jason_collins_moving_tribute/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/matthew_shepards_family_responds_to_jason_collins_moving_tribute/#comments Tue, 30 Apr 2013 21:31:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13286039 On Monday, Jason Collins made history as the first openly gay, active male athlete on a major sports team. In his coming-out piece for Sports Illustrated, Collins acknowledged that he wore the number 98 while playing for the Boston Celtics as a tribute to Matthew Shepard, the 21-year-old University of Wyoming student who was murdered for being gay in October 1998.

In an interview with Fox Sports, Shepard's parents, Dennis and Judy, revealed that they were moved to tears by the news of Collins' tribute:

“It made me cry,” Judy Shepard told FOXSports.com during an interview Monday afternoon. “It was really quite a tribute, and I was very honored. And I know Matt would be thrilled..."

"I would really love to speak to him, because I know Judy and I would just like to thank him,” Dennis Shepard said. “Because, No. 1, he had the courage to come out, period, and No. 2 that he wore 98 in honor of Matt, the year that he died.

“(Collins) couldn’t have been that old (when it happened), so it must have had a tremendous impact on him, the story behind Matt, for him to want to do that. And then to wear it all this time without telling people why until today, that’s incredible.”

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/matthew_shepards_family_responds_to_jason_collins_moving_tribute/feed/ 2 Michelle Rhee’s group stands by anti-gay honoree http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/michelle_rhees_group_stands_by_anti_gay_honoree/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/michelle_rhees_group_stands_by_anti_gay_honoree/#comments Tue, 30 Apr 2013 20:59:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13285849 In response to a recent report that Michelle Rhee's controversial nonprofit StudentsFirst named anti-gay Tennessee state Rep. John Ragan "reformer of the year," the group is standing by him -- responding with dubious claims about his record and scrubbing its website of a blog post hailing him for always voting "to do right by kids when it comes to education.”

Salon wrote on Monday that, per a report by Scott Wooledge at Daily Kos, despite receiving the award from StudentsFirst, Ragan has a notorious (and searchable) track record of legislation that specifically targets queer students for harassment by teachers, school counselors and their peers. He was the co-sponsor of the notorious "Don't Say Gay" bill, a measure that would have banned teachers from discussing sexuality that is not “related to natural human reproduction” in the classroom -- and would have forced educators and school therapists to “out” students they suspected of being gay to parents or guardians.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/michelle_rhees_group_stands_by_anti_gay_honoree/feed/ 73 Saudi Arabia launches first anti-domestic violence campaign http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/saudi_arabia_launches_first_anti_domestic_violence_campaign/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/saudi_arabia_launches_first_anti_domestic_violence_campaign/#comments Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:46:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13285785 According to the World Economic Forum, Saudi Arabia ranks 131st out of 135 countries on gender parity and opportunities for women. Progress in the country has been slow, but local feminists and other women's rights groups have continued to agitate for more representation in the Saudi government, increased mobility in their day-to-day lives and other egalitarian gains in a country where women are still legally considered minors and require permission from male guardians for simple things like travel and work.

But the culture is changing, albeit slowly. Close on the heels of a law allowing women to ride bicycles in "enclosed areas" for "recreational purposes," two female Saudi Olympians competing in London and the swearing-in of 30 female members of the Shura Council comes a new anti-domestic violence campaign. The very first of its kind in Saudi Arabia.

The "No More Abuse" campaign is sponsored by the nonprofit King Khalid Foundation, and is intended to raise awareness about available resources for women and children experiencing violence in their homes and families. The ads depict a woman wearing a hijab but with a clearly visible black eye, and the Arabic text roughly translates to "The tip of the iceberg." An English language version reads: "Some things can't be covered."

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/saudi_arabia_launches_first_anti_domestic_violence_campaign/feed/ 15 Obama says Gitmo should be closed http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/update_at_100_days_obama_talks_syria_boston_and_congressional_gridlock/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/update_at_100_days_obama_talks_syria_boston_and_congressional_gridlock/#comments Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:48:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13285586 In a press conference on the 100th day of his second term (though his administration dismissed the symbolic nature of the date), President Obama said he would work with Congress to stop the detention of prisoners at Guantánamo Bay, also answering questions on his "red line" in Syria, the sequester and endless congressional gridlock.

On Guantánamo  

Facing questions about the ongoing hunger strike at Guantánamo, Obama said he was "not surprised there are problems," saying that he continues to believe the U.S. should prioritize closing Guantánamo, as it is "not necessary to keep America safe, is expensive, hurts our relationships with allies and is a recruitment tool for extremists."

Obama said he planned to "go back to" his efforts in 2008 to close Guantánamo, saying: "I am going to reengage with Congress to make the case that this is not in the best interest of the American people," calling the detention facility and the indefinite detention of people who have not been tried or charged "contrary to who we are, contrary to our interests, and it needs to stop."

On Syria

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/update_at_100_days_obama_talks_syria_boston_and_congressional_gridlock/feed/ 21 Jason Collins calls coming out “mind-boggling” experience http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/jason_collins_calls_coming_out_mind_boggling_experience/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/jason_collins_calls_coming_out_mind_boggling_experience/#comments Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:48:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13285472 With the Monday announcement that he is gay, NBA free agent Jason Collins broke a historic barrier in men's professional sports. And the experience of being the first active out player in major team sports has been "mind-boggling," he told George Stephanopoulos on ABC News.

"That's kind of mind-boggling. I think I talk about that. That, you know, I never set out to be the first," he said.

"You're sort of waiting around for somebody else to … raise their hand," Collins went on to explain. "I'm ready to raise my hand but, you know, you still look around like, 'OK, come on, guys.' It's time for someone else in the room to raise their hand and say, 'You know what? Yeah, so big deal. I can still play basketball. I can still help the team win, and that's what's most important.'"

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/30/jason_collins_calls_coming_out_mind_boggling_experience/feed/ 4 StudentsFirst dubs “Don’t Say Gay” bill sponsor “reformer of the year” http://www.salon.com/2013/04/29/studentsfirst_dubs_dont_say_gay_bill_co_sponsor_education_reformer_of_the_year/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/29/studentsfirst_dubs_dont_say_gay_bill_co_sponsor_education_reformer_of_the_year/#comments Mon, 29 Apr 2013 21:19:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13284927 Michelle Rhee's controversial education reform nonprofit StudentsFirst recently selected a virulently anti-gay lawmaker as the organization's "reformer of the year."

StudentsFirst's honoree, Tennessee state Rep. John Ragan, is the co-sponsor of the state's shameful (and, thankfully, failed) "Don't Say Gay" legislation, a measure that would have banned teachers from discussing sexuality that is not "related to natural human reproduction" in the classroom. The bill was a barely-concealed attempt to prevent teachers from talking about the existence of gays and lesbians with their students, and would have enshrined anti-gay discrimination in Tennessee law and educational policy. Additional language in Ragan's measure would have compelled educators and school therapists to "out" students they suspected of being gay to parents or guardians.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/29/studentsfirst_dubs_dont_say_gay_bill_co_sponsor_education_reformer_of_the_year/feed/ 16 ESPN sportswriter Chris Broussard: Jason Collins is “walking in open rebellion to God” http://www.salon.com/2013/04/29/espn_sportswriter_chris_broussard_jason_collins_is_walking_in_open_rebellion_to_god/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/29/espn_sportswriter_chris_broussard_jason_collins_is_walking_in_open_rebellion_to_god/#comments Mon, 29 Apr 2013 20:37:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13284947 During a Monday segment on ESPN's "Outside the Lines," sportswriter Chris Broussard denounced Jason Collins, the first openly gay male athlete in the history of major team sports, for "living in unrepentant sin."

Broussard went on to accuse Collins of not being Christian and "walking in open rebellion to God":

Personally, I don’t believe that you can live an openly homosexual lifestyle or an openly, like premarital sex between heterosexuals. If you’re openly living that type of lifestyle, then the Bible says you know them by their fruits. It says that, you know, that’s a sin. If you’re openly living in unrepentant sin, whatever it may be, not just homosexuality, whatever it maybe, I believe that’s walking in open rebellion to God and to Jesus Christ. So I would not characterize that person as a Christian because I don’t think the bible would characterize them as a Christian.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/29/espn_sportswriter_chris_broussard_jason_collins_is_walking_in_open_rebellion_to_god/feed/ 109 NBA player Jason Collins comes out, Twitter reacts http://www.salon.com/2013/04/29/nba_player_jason_collins_comes_out_twitter_reacts/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/29/nba_player_jason_collins_comes_out_twitter_reacts/#comments Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:36:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13284735 NBA free agent Jason Collins is the first active male athlete to come out as gay in the history of professional sports. Many on Twitter viewed this very big news as, appropriately enough, very big news.

A sampling of the cheers for Collins and questions about what's next for gay athletes in professional sports:

[embedtweet id="328902203379175425"]

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/29/nba_player_jason_collins_comes_out_twitter_reacts/feed/ 34 Jason Collins becomes first openly gay male professional athlete http://www.salon.com/2013/04/29/jason_collins_becomes_first_openly_gay_male_professional_athlete/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/29/jason_collins_becomes_first_openly_gay_male_professional_athlete/#comments Mon, 29 Apr 2013 15:45:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13284700 Jason Collins, NBA center and league free agent, came out as gay on the cover of the May 6 issue of Sports Illustrated. He is the first active male professional athlete to do so, making this pretty big news.

In the piece, which begins "I'm a 34-year-old NBA center. I'm black. And I'm gay," Collins goes on to explain that he used downtime during the 2011 player lockout to "confront who I really am and what I really want." He reflected on his family, his teammates and what role he could play in advancing equality for others before finally making the decision to come out, he writes:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/29/jason_collins_becomes_first_openly_gay_male_professional_athlete/feed/ 22 Senate takes steps to reduce sexual violence in the military http://www.salon.com/2013/04/29/senate_takes_steps_to_reduce_sexual_violence_in_the_military/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/29/senate_takes_steps_to_reduce_sexual_violence_in_the_military/#comments Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:03:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13284537 According to a survey of active-duty service members released last week, one in five women reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact since they enlisted in the military. Other statistics reveal that there were 3,192 reported cases of military sexual trauma in 2011, but as many as 19,000 incidents likely went unreported.

The sobering prevalence of sexual assault in the armed services and the failures of military leadership to hold responsible parties accountable (only 10 percent of sexual assaults reported in 2011 went to trial) have created a military culture that is increasingly dangerous for female service members.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) has offered two Senate proposals to begin the process of reform in American military culture. The first measure, introduced last week, will provide increased access to reproductive health care to female service members. The second, set to be introduced next month, intends to reform the way the military handles sexual assault cases.

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/29/senate_takes_steps_to_reduce_sexual_violence_in_the_military/feed/ 4 The Blaze seeks Congressional support for Boston Marathon bombing conspiracy http://www.salon.com/2013/04/26/the_blaze_seeks_congressional_support_for_boston_marathon_bombing_conspiracy/ http://www.salon.com/2013/04/26/the_blaze_seeks_congressional_support_for_boston_marathon_bombing_conspiracy/#comments Fri, 26 Apr 2013 22:04:00 +0000 http://www.railrode.net/?p=13283318 Glenn Beck's right wing news site The Blaze has petitioned Congress to help promote a debunked claim about Saudi national ties to the Boston Marathon bombing. The email, sent by a Blaze producer Virginia Grace, asks members of Congress to raise the issue to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and FBI director Robert Mueller.

The email was obtained by Media Matters and can be found in full below:

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]]> http://www.salon.com/2013/04/26/the_blaze_seeks_congressional_support_for_boston_marathon_bombing_conspiracy/feed/ 44