By Alexa Richardson Although acts of sexual assault and harassment are rooted in power, the law has failed to adequately address the issue of power imbalance.[1] Prior to major shifts in the legal conception of sexual misconduct in the seventies and eighties, such acts were also considered too “private” for state interference.[2] Not only has the recent #MeToo wave of survivors speaking out thrust formerly private acts into the public spotlight, but it has highlighted how sexual misconduct is ... continue reading...
Goop and the Legal Pitfalls of Women’s Wellness
Goop, Gwyneth Paltrow’s e-commerce empire, recently settled a consumer protection lawsuit to the tune of $145,000 in civil penalties. The suit was brought in September of 2018 by ten prosecutors from the California Food, Drug, and Medical Device (FDMD) Task Force in response to what they characterized as false medical advertising claims. Prosecutors focused on two particular Goop wellness products: a (now-infamous) vaginal egg said to “balance hormones, regulate menstrual cycles, prevent ... continue reading...
After Kavanaugh: Gender Bias on the Bench, and a Call to Diversify the Judiciary
In the months since Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the Supreme Court of the United States, popular, legal, and political discourse has continued to explore the now-Justice and his conduct[1] within the context of the current #MeToo era. Some observers have argued that the fact that Dr. Christine Blasey Ford’s allegations against him were treated as at least potentially credible and shown deference[2]—rather than dismissed outright—marked a victory for the #MeToo movement and demonstrate that ... continue reading...
The Hungarian Ban on Gender Studies and its Implications for Democratic Freedom
On October 12, 2018, the Hungarian government officially removed Gender Studies Masters and PhD degrees from the list of accredited subjects in the country. The government also issued a decree rescinding the accreditation and funding for Gender Studies programs at two Hungarian universities, Eötvös Loránd University (a state-run school) and Central European University (also known as CEU), two of the top universities in the country. Current students in such programs can complete their ... continue reading...
Why Sexuality Should Be Given the Same Legal Protections as Race
With the relatively recent decisions in Obergefell v. Hodges and Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, sexuality has of late been a hot-button issue for the Supreme Court. However, the subject is not new ground. The debate over what protections, if any, the Constitution and statutory law afford LGBT persons has carried on through the legal system for decades. I propose that sexuality and sexual orientation discrimination should be viewed as akin to race and racial ... continue reading...