Free Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman's Guide to Why Feminism Matters by Jessica Valenti Page A

against the law, saying that it discriminates against men (not true—the law allows for funding for men as well). So while VAWA is doing great things, it’s still under attack.
    There are other laws—mostly state laws—that seriously screw women over when it comes to violence. The gay marriage ban in Ohio, for example, is the perfect example of how all of our rights are interconnected. If one group is fucked, we’re all fucked. It’s actually getting abusers off the hook. Since the same-sex-marriage ban prohibits legal recognition of any relationship of “unmarried individuals that intends to approximate the design, qualities, significance, or effect of marriage,” judges have been ruling that the state domestic violence law doesn’t apply to unmarried couples. Yeah. So women who are being beaten by their live-in boyfriends are basically being told that if they want to press domestic violence charges, they’ll have to marry their abuser. Sweet, huh?
    Fewer half of all rapes and sexual assauts are reported to the police.

    Other politicians are trying to make it okay for Catholic hospitals to deny rape victims emergency contraception because it goes against their principles. Apparently, the principles of a woman who doesn’t want to get pregnant by her rapist don’t count.
    In Tennessee, it’s not illegal for a man to rape his wife unless he “uses a weapon, causes her serious bodily injury, or they are separated or divorcing.” When spousal rape does qualify as a crime, it’s treated as a less serious crime than a rape of any other woman.
    You see what I’m getting at. The fight is far from over.

Taking Action
    Hearing all this stuff is really disheartening, I know. But just because culture at large isn’t doing all it can to combat violence against women, it doesn’t mean women aren’t. Women (and men) across the country work their asses off in organizations like the Family Violence Prevention Fund; the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network; INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence; and Legal Momentum. Not to mention the countless rape crisis centers and domestic violence shelters out there.
    And it’s not just women working in women’s organizations who are making a difference. Young women are getting seriously innovative in their free time.

    One New York City website called Holla Back catches street harassers in the act and publishes their pictures online. Readers are encouraged to take pictures of would-be flashers and harassers with their camera phones and send them in with their stories. (“If you can’t slap ’em, snap ’em” is their motto. Perfect.) 11
    The organization RightRides, which you learned about in Chapter 1, offers free rides home to women who are out late on the weekends.
    There are even organizations dedicated to educating men about violence against women—there aren’t a lot of them, but they’re there. Men Can Stop Rape is an organization that provides training for younger men and boys on violence and gender equality. We could use a lot more organizations like this. Remember: This is not just women’s problem!
    And these are just a few examples. Across the country, young women are thinking of new ways to take the battle against violence into their own hands. And you can too. You have to.

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    IF THESE UTERINE WALLS COULD TALK
    It’s not news that women’s reproductive rights are under attack. Shit, by the time I’m done writing this sentence, another state will probably outlaw abortion. And if there’s any issue that’s associated with feminism, it’s abortion. Because feminists eat babies. (Sorry, couldn’t help myself.)
    Feminist baby-eating aside, repro rights are about more than abortion and birth control. They’re about being able to have sex when we want to. They’re about having affordable, accessible contraception. They’re about being able to control our bodies even if we can’t drive a car or vote yet. And if we’re feeling parental, they’re also