Regular Siren readers may remember the campaign to get the UFC to enact a code of conduct to address numerous times that fighters and staff have used hate speech and instances of sexual violence (including tweeting rape jokes). And while UFC officials are loath to listen — with apologists claiming that, essentially, boys will be…
**TRIGGER WARNING** While I did write about it early on, like many survivors of sexual violence, I have been keeping a distance from the proceedings surrounding the trial of Jerry Sandusky — the former Penn State defensive coordinator who was accused of sexually abusing multiple children over a span of years. The case turns my…
Have you signed the UFC petition, yet? You only have 8 more days until it closes! Then I will be delivering it to the UFC headquarters in honor of Sexual Assault Awareness month in April. This is a chance to have your voice be heard that rape jokes and hate speech are NOT funny. Ever!…
*TRIGGER WARNING FOR SEXUAL VIOLENCE* Earlier today I participated in a tweet chat about sexual violence and the #IDidNotReport campaign with my Fem2.0 colleagues. It was a great and lively discussion that dealt with a spectrum of issues related to sexual violence — from workplace harassment to sexual abuse to rape. When you get down…
Yesterday we reached an amazing milestone with the petition calling for The UFC to enact a code of conduct! The 500th person signed on to join this campaign (thanks Nick!) to get The UFC to join the big leagues with other major sports organizations and create a clear rule book that outlines what is unacceptable…
There is no denying that in these modern times, athletes are considered heroes and icons to thousands, sometimes millions, of people. Indeed, even compared to the idols we make of celebrities and musicians, athletes remain our anointed heroes. They often come with back stories that are the stuff of movies (sometimes literally) with tales of…
After months of working on this campaign to get the UFC to enact a code of conduct, I’ve decided to set up a page on this site just for campaign updates and to keep track of all the stories and history of what’s happened. But, as you’ll see, I got a bit emotional while writing…
**TRIGGER WARNING** 2011 was a year full of intense stories about sexual violence across a wide spectrum. My hope is that some of the discussion and dialogue here on The Siren has been beneficial in shining a light on an ugly problem and, perhaps, offering hope, clarity, or insight for those struggling with this issue…
I can’t believe the news in my in-box today: UFC President Dana White made a prison rape joke in response to someone on twitter! This comes barely a week after he fired fighter Miguel Torres for making a “rape van” joke on twitter. Seriously, White? Seriously?! This makes the fourth rape joke coming from a…
**TRIGGER WARNING** In recent weeks I’ve been writing a lot about sexual violence . It’s been in the news a lot lately, from indicted football coaches to professional athletes tweeting rape jokes. For someone who is a survivor, like me and like my friend Kris Hill who contributed today’s post, it can feel like you…
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