Women's Rights Organisations Speak Out in Defence of Sexual Assault Survivors

#WhyIDidntReport

The following is a press release from Equality Now:

"International women's rights organization Equality Now has joined forces with 80 leading women and human's right groups* to place a full page advert in The Washington Post expressing collective concern about attacks on Dr. Christine Blasey Ford since her story of sexual assault was shared.

It takes great courage for survivors of sexual assault to come forward, especially in public circumstances, and we must recognize the high cost that women pay for speaking out about their experiences.

As an organization working for women's and girls' rights in the US and globally, Equality Now understands how difficult it is for victims, given that they are often shamed and blamedby society and sometimes by the legal system itself.

Such difficulties have been highlighted by the many thousands who have given their own deeply personal accounts using the hashtag #WhyIDidntReport.

There are numerous reasons why someone doesn't report a sexual assault, including fear of not being believed, of retaliation, or mistrust of authority. Victims frequently face blame and interrogation for what they were wearing, what they were drinking, or how they did or didn't behave.

All too often, when a victim does find the strength to confide in someone they are told not to pursue things any further.

And then there is the knowledge that justice is rarely served as the vast majority of perpetrators do not go to prison.
In the wake of #MeToo, this is a landmark moment for how accusations of sexual assault are handled.

There can never be equality in a culture that normalizes or trivializes sexual assault and sexual harassment.

Dr. Blasey Ford is sharing the experience of a 15-year-old adolescent girl that was subjected to a sexual assault. We must think about what message we are sending to girls and boys across the country about whether or not they too would be heard or believed.

This is not a partisan issue. We all have a responsibility not to silence survivors, to guarantee that laws and legal systems are based on equality, and that victims have access to justice.

In addition, we need to ensure that schools, communities and organizations do not promote or tolerate a culture where such behaviour is normalized or trivialized.

By giving survivors the space to be heard we can change the status quo. We remain committed to achieving equality in laws, policies and legal processes and to supporting survivors of sexual assault and harassment.

Shelby Quast, Equality Now's Americas Director, says: "We all have to work together to ensure those who have experience sexual assault and harassment are supported, protected and given access to fair legal process. Never should they be subjected to further attack, irrespective of whether or not the perpetrator is a public figure or in a position of power."

Now more than ever we must all work together to build a more equal world in which women and girls can be safe, fearless and free."

*Click here for details of signatories

Sexual violence takes many forms (Via Equality Now)

Imagine Exhibitions Unleashes Dinosaurs Around The World

The exhibition features 13 advanced animatronic dinosaurs, educational activities, a touchable fossil, authentic casts and more...

From Dresden, Germany to West Palm Beach, Florida, dinosaurs will once again be roaming the planet this fall, thanks to Imagine Exhibitions...

Having already broken attendance records at several venues in the U.S., Dinosaurs Around the World will soon be entertaining and educating visitors to museums, science centers and non-traditional venues in Europe.  

Dinosaurs Around the World: XTREME (showing as DINO WORLD) opens this weekend at ZEITENSTRÖMUNG in Dresden, Germany, and features 13 animatronic dinosaurs, educational activities, a touchable fossil, authentic casts and more.

Dinosaurs Around the World: The Great Outdoors (showing as Dinosaur Invasion) opens at the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium on Saturday, Oct. 13th. It will be the largest exhibition ever hosted by the venue, encompassing both indoor and outdoor space. 

With a scale unmatched in animatronic dinosaur exhibitions, this show features some of the world's most unique and recently discovered dinosaurs. 

Guests will visit every continent in order to discover what dinosaurs lived there and for how long.  

Visitors will also be able to see how they measure up against the life-sized animatronic Triceratops, Velociraptor, Tyrannosaurus Rex, and even the giant Spinosaurus.

Dynamic, Real-life Exhibitions Take Visitors on A Trip Through Time (Image via Imagine Exhibitions)

"Faces light up as soon as visitors come through the doors of our dinosaur exhibitions," said Tom Zaller, CEO of Imagine Exhibitions. "I've yet to see a child or an adult who isn't mesmerized as soon as they see the life-like creatures in motion. It's a really special experience," said Zaller. 

"This will be our second dinosaur collaboration with Imagine Exhibitions," said Kate Arrizza, Chief Executive Officer of South Florida Science Center and Aquarium. "The first show set an all-time attendance record and we think it's going to be a very busy season here in South Florida thanks to Dinosaur Invasion."

⏩ Imagine Exhibitions will be showcasing its dinosaur exhibitions at the ASTC Annual Conference starting September 29th in Hartford, CT and already has confirmed bookings for its dinosaur shows into 2021.

SOURCE: Imagine Exhibitions, Inc.

PORTER Magazine's Fourth Annual Incredible Women List Celebrates The Women Who Have Empowered And Inspired Us This Year

Meryl Streep (photographed by Nicolas Guerin)

The starting point for the 2018 Incredible Women list was the #MeToo movement that erupted last October, when sexual-misconduct revelations in the film, fashion and other industries broke. This was an extraordinary catalyst for change. 

"We are looking at a fast-changing world, where women are not only less afraid to speak out and challenge the status quo, but are also effecting real change both in the workplace and society as a whole," says PORTER Magazine editor-in-chief Lucy Yeomans.

Protestors at the Women’s March in Washington, D.C. (Via PORTER Magazine)

This sense of bravery, strength and purpose inspired this list's theme "One Year Stronger", which champions the women who have taken action and spoken out – whether about sexual abuse, gender equality, gun control or equal pay – in an unprecedented show of force and intent.  

The list opens with a special nod to the 300 women behind Time's Up, including Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Chastain and Ashley Judd. Other leading global heroines featured include: Michelle Obama, Meghan Markle, Frances McDormand, Oprah Winfrey and journalists Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor, who broke the Harvey Weinstein story in The New York Times.

PORTER Magazine also commissioned four Incredible Women to write open letters, including Meryl Streep, who pens why we need journalists now more than ever: 

"We need to protect, defend and thank the current crop of journalists around the world, because they, their scruples and their principles are the front-line defense of free and informed people.

Speaking up, with your name and face on your words, is a daunting prospect. A famous study found that, for a quarter of the American population, fear of public speaking beat their fear of drowning, needles, snakes, heights or clowns. Scarier than clowns!? The study was conducted before the advent of the internet; now, anonymity allows the timid to hurl falsehood and invective as if they were swinging nunchucks, hitting and hurting without fear of attribution (or retribution)… Death threats are the new normal. Armed escorts for the press could be the next new thing..."

⏩ Click here to read the full letter ⏪

SOURCE: PORTER Magazine

Are Millennials Interested in Art? Yes, New Park West Gallery Study Finds

Millennials almost twice as likely to say they know something about or appreciate art as Baby Boomer generation

Millennials are much more interested in art than previous generations, and social media may be driving their attraction to it, according to a new study conducted by Park West Gallery, one of the world's largest private art galleries.

Millennials are almost twice as likely as Baby Boomers to say they both know something about art (63% to 34%), and almost universally agree that they appreciate art, the research found. In fact, four out of five Millennials said that art was important to them, the highest percentage of any age group.

"Some people believe that Millennials are tied to their smartphones, and therefore might be less interested in the fine arts. In fact, just the opposite appears to be true: there's a generational shift in which younger people are more attracted to art than older generations," said Albert Scaglione, founder and CEO of Park West Gallery. "During the auctions we hold around the world, we see more young people every day, and we witness the personal connection that people of all ages have to art. Art was always created to inspire, and people today are craving that inspiration as much as ever."

The study also found that social media is driving additional interest in art among all demographics, especially Millennials, allowing people to find and interact with art in new ways. 

⏩ Some of the other key findings include:

• 53% of people say they have interacted with art on social media
• 55% say that social media plays an important role in discovering new art
• 54% say social media enhances the way they experience art
• 79% of Millennials say social media allows them to interact with art in new and interesting ways, versus 61% and 37% of Gen X and Baby Boomers, respectively
• 65% of Millennials say they buy artwork with the intention of sharing it with others on social media, versus 45% and 25% of Gen X and Baby Boomers, respectively.

The Internet and social media have become powerful tools to learn about and discover art, but when it comes to buying, most Americans (87%) still want to see it in person before purchase. 

While the internet is the most popular method to learn about art, retails stores (33%), street fairs (29%) and art auctions (12%) are still the most popular ways to buy it.

"New tools are giving people exciting new ways to learn about and experience art – collections are no longer just on our walls but in our pockets," said Jason Betteridge, an auctioneer at Park West Gallery. "But while social media is a part of our future, we can't lose the in-person connection."

While the vast majority of Americans (91%) like art, most still view it as a luxury, and economic concerns still prevent some from purchasing. Although most Americans have purchased at least one piece of art, the majority (57%) of Americans would not consider buying artwork that costs more than $500.

79% of Millennials say social media allows them to interact with art in new and interesting ways, versus 61% and 37% of Gen X and Baby Boomers, respectively (PRNewsfoto/Park West Gallery)

Park West Gallery commissioned the survey to understand the state of art among average Americans in our digital age, speaking with 1,000 people from a diverse array of socio-economic backgrounds.

SOURCE: Park West Gallery

President Donald Trump And Attorney General Sessions Lack Support For Breaking Up Tech, New NetChoice Survey Finds

Americans Prefer Ad-Supported Online Services Instead of Paying for Them (Infographic via NetChoice)

Americans overwhelmingly value the contributions of the technology industry and do not support antitrust enforcement, despite aggressive rhetoric from President Trump, a new NetChoice survey of 1,200 U.S. consumers found.

President Trump's draft Executive Order would put tech in the crosshairs of U.S. antitrust authorities. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is also holding a meeting with several State Attorneys General today to discuss accusations of social media bias. 

⏩ But Americans don't support an antitrust crack down on America's most innovative businesses.

New polling shows that only about 5% of Americans (on both sides of the political aisles) say the federal government should focus anti-competitive enforcement on the tech industry. 

Further, just 1 in 5 Americans say the break-up of big tech would most benefit consumers.

No Support for Heavy-Handed Government Intervention on Tech Platforms (Infographic via NetChoice)

The value of tech to consumers and businesses is clear.

Over 70% of Americans say that digital advertising platforms like Google and Facebook are valuable to both small businesses and the national economy. 

Just 13% say that they have had a negative experience with large Internet platforms and 72% say that services like Facebook, Google, and Amazon make it easier for them to connect with people in their community.

Consumers Are Empowered with Social Media Choices (Infographic via NetChoice)

"President Trump's fixation on breaking up tech platforms lacks support from Americans," said Steve DelBianco, president of NetChoice. "Antitrust policy needs to be guided by facts, not emotional outbursts. The government cannot violate the First Amendment by forcing Internet platforms to suppress negative news. Internet platforms are a boon for American consumers, businesses, and, in turn, the U.S. economy. The President should listen to regular Americans and allow U.S. tech companies to continue to thrive and innovate."

Americans Believe Online Platforms Empower Business Advertising and Community Engagement (Infographic via NetChoice)

About the Survey:

From August 6-8, 2018 Zogby Analytics conducted an interactive survey of 1,222 adults focused on consumer attitudes toward Internet platforms and government regulation. 

⏩ The survey, commissioned by NetChoice, has a margin of error of +/- 2.8%.  It is available at NetChoice.org/TechlashPoll

SOURCE: NetChoice

Beauty and the Wheelchair: Mary Settle Releases New Book "The Mansion," A Story of Acceptance

Mary Settle

How many times have you seen somebody who was different and felt afraid?  Maybe he walked different.  Maybe he talked different.  Maybe he could not talk at all.  

In her new book, The Mansion, Mary Settle takes the classic tale of beauty and the Beast, and turns it into a lesson on accepting people with disabilities.

The story starts with a high school student who was assigned to tutor a boy in a wheelchair.  Afraid that the rumors about him being an angry and mean boy are true, she dreads meeting the awful boy in the wheelchair.  

As she gets to know him better, she learns that he is just like everybody else.  

This is an issue that is particularly close to Settle's heart.  She was born with Cerebral Palsy which affects her entire body.  She describes herself as having "a handicap and a disability.   A handicap is something that creates obstacles designed to overcome.  A disability means you're not abled.  My handicap is Cerebral Palsy.  My disability is people who treat me like I'm not abled."

The Mansion - Front Cover (via Amazon)

Her Cerebral Palsy was caused by the umbilical cord getting wrapped around her neck during birth.  

Despite doctors' predictions that she would be a vegetable, unable to think, dream, or feel, she has graduated high school, went to college, and is raising three beautiful daughters.

⏩ The Mansion can be purchased on Amazon 

SOURCE: Mary Settle