links for 2010-10-09

"Sexual healing, indeed: yes yes y’all!

"See — this is why stereotypes are tired. Time reports a new study has found:

"Racial differences were also noteworthy: 33% of black men and 37% of Hispanic men reported using condoms the last time they had sex, compared with 22% of white men. Black women also reported relatively higher rates of condom use: 36% of black women used a condom the last time they had sex, compared with 20% of white women."

"This level of ongoing cultural investment has raised serious questions about the commitment of U.S. civil society to the safety and protection of all women, regardless of their racial or ethnic background. For years, Asian American and immigrants rights activists worked to bring attention to issues of exploitation among domestic workers and women in servile marriages, two areas in which trafficking in persons can flourish. There is a perception among some advocates that policymakers and media did not pay attention to these concerns until it became clear that women who were Eastern European immigrants were suffering similar levels of abuse. These perceptions fit into the existing concern that the experiences of all women in abusive situations are not valued in the same way—with a valuation often tied to the racial background of the woman who may have experienced abuse."