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More and more cases are popping up where men are being acquitted of rape with the defense that they were sleepwalking so they didn't realize they were raping someone. Common sense-wise, this holds almost no water, yet it seems to be a viable defense for some courts.

Jason Jeal, a 37-year-old roofer with no medical history of sleepwalking, admitted sex had taken place. But he was cleared of rape after he insisted he had been asleep and had no idea what he was doing.
Mrs McKenna, a middle-class mother of one whose husband holds a respectable full-time position, said the acquittal in June had left her feeling 'shocked and degraded'.

Last night, she waived her right to anonymity to highlight her concern that attackers will increasingly use the defence that they were asleep. She has already gained the support of MPs and campaigners who argue the sleepwalking defence 'defies common sense'.

Apparently, carrying out sexually violent acts in your sleep is called 'sexsomnia' and is condition where you carry out "indecent" acts in your sleep. I think it should probably be more aptly titled "rapesomnia" since sex assumes consent.

I find this story and the other examples of the sleepwalking defense to be extremely troubling. Thoughts?

EVENT CANCELED: Marilyn French at the Tenement MuseumYesterday

I'm sorry to say that the event I publicized this week, an interview I was doing with writer Marilyn French at NYC's Tenement Museum, has been canceled. So sorry for any inconvenience this may cause folks who were planning on coming!

Oh Henry!Yesterday

My crush on Henry Rollins is no secret. As I have said before, he may be a complicated man, but I can appreciate that. Moreover, seeing that he not only reads, but recommends Feministing, well that just makes him my destiny.

*swoon*

Anti-choicers switching up strategy?Yesterday

The Washington Post has a piece up about the anti-choice movement's next moves now that Obama has been elected. Some movement leaders are abandoning their strategy to overturn Roe, instead focusing on ways to reduce the number of abortions. (Well, not really - but I'll get at that in a minute.)

Some of the activists are actually working with abortion rights advocates to push for legislation in Congress that would provide pregnant women with health care, child care and money for education -- services that could encourage them to continue their pregnancies.
...Although the activists insist that they are not retreating from their belief that abortion is immoral and should be outlawed, they argue that a more practical alternative is to try to reduce abortions through other means.

And yet, contraception is not mentioned once. I think that increased health and child care opportunities for women are a great thing - and frankly, it's about time the folks who blather on about fetuses start supporting social programs that actually help people - but the best way to reduce the number of abortions is to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies. That means birth control.

Despite efforts from pro-choice groups like NARAL Pro-Choice America - who launched their

Quick Hit: I heart funny feministsYesterday

I have a piece up at The Guardian that takes a look at some of the fab feminist comedians out there and how they're debunking the whole "women aren't funny" myth.

So who is your favorite funny feminist?