Judge OKs school 'boobies' bracelets

[The Northerner]

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Breast cancer fundraising bracelets that proclaim "I (heart) boobies!" are neither lewd nor vulgar, and can't be banned by public school officials who find them offensive, a federal judge in Pennsylvania said on Tuesday in a preliminary ruling.

The ruling is a victory for two girls suspended for defying a ban on their middle school's Breast Cancer Awareness Day.

"The bracelets ... can reasonably be viewed as speech designed to raise awareness of breast cancer and to reduce stigma associated with openly discussing breast health," U.S. Judge Mary McLaughlin wrote in a 40-page ruling issued on Tuesday. She added that the school district had not shown the bracelets would be disruptive in school.

The American Civil Liberties Union, representing the girls, had sued to overturn the ban and stop the school from punishing their clients. McLaughlin issued a temporary injunction on Tuesday that bars the Easton Area School District from banning the $4 rubber bracelets until the case goes to trial.

Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf/story/apnewsbreak-judge-oks-school-boobies-bracelets/d3b7a251d50a466ca06253d0c527e73c

[Drale]

1. I never understood the "stigma" of not discussing breasts

Every women has then, ever some men have them. Just other crazy thing in society I guess.

[csziggy]

64. Heck, it is now against the rules of the Florida Legislature to say "uterus"

On the floor of the House.

'if my wife's uterus... was incorporated maybe they (GOP) would be talking about deregulating'
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x783230

[PeaceNikki]

2. This country needs to stop being so freaking uptight about body parts and sex.

And.... FYI, asshole who suspended these girls: boobies are not solely put on this planet for sexual pleasure.

Meanwhile, they have NO problem promoting violent games & movies.

[GKirk]

3. They who?

You don't mean a school board member, do you?

[PeaceNikki]

5. Never mind... misunderstood.

I dunno... I've seen plenty of assholes who are afraid of sex/body parts but promote/allow/accept violence. Haven't you?

[polmaven]

19. I've been saying that forever..

Women's breasts were meant to feed babies, not grown men. They are not meant to be sexual parts AT ALL as far as I am concerned, but because some childish male, eons ago, apparently felt the need to suckle at mommy's breast, suddenly a woman's feeding tubes became sexual organs.

[snooper2]

52. They can also be used as weapons in some cases

[polmaven]

56. Oh, good grief...

Grow up.

[snooper2]

57. Just because YOU haven't been smacked upside the head

doesn't mean other folks haven't had that experience :)

[polmaven]

60. Like I said....

[snooper2]

61. Like you wrote...

You can't hear people on message boards, yet...that feature is coming in 2014.

[Shiver]

67. If they aren't meant to be sexual, then why are they erogenous zones?

And why does my girlfriend really enjoy it when I do stuff to them? :hide:

[WinkyDink]

59. The term "boobies" is asinine, puerile, and absurd in the face of what they claim is a serious

concern of theirs (the defendents).

[Control-Z]

4. But members of the House

are not allowed to use the word uterus. Who are the adults?

[virgogal]

6. I didn't know that. Can they say womb,egg,sperm or prostate?

The world is going nuts !

[Drale]

8. So they can get in trouble for saying uterus

but theres no law against holding the country hostage over non existent abortion funding? WTF

[Dappleganger]

7. A reasonable response and very good news.

[Scuba]

9. I heard one of the students was a thespian. She was seen masticating in the school cafeteria. n/t

[COLGATE4]

18. Not only that - did you know that in that school they force the boys

and girls to use the same curriculum!!!!!?????

[eowyn_of_rohan]

10. Would it be alright to wear bracelets that say "I Love Baloney Ponies"?

just asking, because Prostate cancer is a problem, too.

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

14. I assume "Boloney Pony" means "dong"?

never heard that one before.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

16. yes - so would that be ok for girls and boys to wear to school?

[OneTenthofOnePercent]

30. Sure, but only if it's spelled correctly - "Bologna Pony"

it is an institution for learning, after all.

[EOTE]

32. You betcha.

But you wouldn't catch me wearing one. I'd just give directly to the cause.

[yawnmaster]

43. And the corelation between prostate cancer and baloney ponies is what? eom

[uppityperson]

45. Did you know that the penis and the prostate are different things? What does loving a penis have to

do with prostate cancer? That'd be like someone saying "I love collar bones" to bring awareness to breast cancer. Fail.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

47. Erectile dysfunction is a common result of prostate cancer

get it?

[eowyn_of_rohan]

11. Not lewd or vulgar but...

sexualizing breasts by using male-identified slang term.

[marions ghost]

13. it's a general slang term now

the whole thing is silly

but that's Life in Murka

[eowyn_of_rohan]

15. The operative word is "now"

because the MSM, Hollywood, MTV et al have made male identified slang terms & sexualization of the female body acceptable to the younger generations.

[marions ghost]

21. right

good point. That is how it evolved. But once 'boobies' is appropriated by everybody, doesn't it make it more neutral in the long run? Slang always morphs.

What I DON'T like about it tho--is the subconscious association with "boob" (ie. dumbfuck) --to me that is more negative than it coming from male slang. So I never say boobs or boobies* --and I don't encourage the use of it.

But you think the fact the judge said it's OK in this context is sexist of him? Is it not just that he found it silly and puritanical?

*No offense to Blue-footed Boobies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue-footed_Booby

[seabeyond]

24. i explain to boys what sexism is. i explain objectification. i tell them about

boys their age using terms to denigrate the young girls in class and how it creates an uncomfortable environment for the girls. and the boys part in that and their responsibility to not create that environment.

boys are getting these bracelets to go around yelling and taunting... i love boobies. and it has nothing to do with a disease that kills women, everything to do with the immaturity of 13 yr old boys. creating an unwelcoming environment for the girls, because it is really used in a derogatory manner.

then we give them to our girls to help the whole scenario out and stamp it with a.... puritan, get over yourself.... as a good cause foundation uses it to get $. the exact argument i have used with boys about the sexism and objectification in this culture that is out for the buck, and the problems it creates for all of us.

so now.... i have a conversation with boys when they say.... but it is the girls wearing the bracelets.

muddy up the issues for the boys and girls. ok sometimes when we women say it is, not ok other times, when we women say it is not ok.

we could not have done better than this?

[eowyn_of_rohan]

27. THANK YOU and I so respect what you are doing

I have no kids, but am grateful that my sister teaches her son as you do. He is one of my favorite people in the world, a caring, intelligent and free-thinking guy.

[marions ghost]

49. +++++

I was unaware of all this.

The ad with the guys ogling the woman in a hyped-up but retro kind of way...can this really translate into money for the organization? I am not seeing how that works. Seems like women will be put off
and men will be distracted but not moved to send money.

'Save the boobies', like 'save the whales'.... boggles the mind. I'm sure this depresses actual breast cancer survivors. Surely some of them have spoken up?

[seabeyond]

51. when i have argued it, i have always gotten the argument whatever it takes to bring awareness

i understand, but i dont agree. it is like peta using sexism/objectification in absurd manners. whatever it takes, to bring awareness. i dont see how it is any different from a WHOLE culture that uses objectification and sexism to bring them $.

they lie to themselves, too. or not even bother lying to themselves but those that argue by saying it is bring the young male into cause. the young male doesn't give a shit about the disease. it is just another opportunity to objectify and is sanctioned and approved by women.

i find it the ultimate in hypocrisy.

[marions ghost]

62. right

:thumbsup: what you said

[seabeyond]

63. you

funny.....

ahhhhhh. i planted my first flowers. lovely day in the neighborhood.

[seabeyond]

54. another point. they say, the money from these bracelets go to breast cancer orgs. it doesnt

many of the companies that produce adn sell have nothing to do with breast cancer. solely profit and marketed to kids. the one org connected to breast cancer in some obscure way has shown no money goes to breast cancer awareness. so that in and of itself is a fraud using a disease that kill women to make people money.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

26. I think he decision came from his sexist acceptance of such a term

and that such terms have become mainstreamed.

The reason I don't like to see young (or old) girls accepting male slang terms for our body parts is that many of them are derogatory in their roots - as in the case you mention - "boob" (which definition came first I don't know), or using "douche" as an insult, etc. Girls/women who find this acceptable are said to be male-identified - that is, they have come to define themselves and their value according to the standards of men in our culture. Standards for beauty, for what constitutes sexiness, etc.

I will say too that I am not as de-sensitized to these slang terms et al, because I have extrememly little to do with Hollywood movies or the MSM in general. We have satellite TV and TIVO which allows you to pre-tape the shows you want to watch, and fast forward through TV commercials, so I am out of it in that way!

I hope this makes sense. I am rushing to write because I have stayed on the computer an hour longer than I vowed already

ps - I like blue-footed boobies and tufted titmice, too ;) Cheers!

[marions ghost]

50. with the loosening of

puritanical values, we probably could use a lighter term for the clinical word "breasts" that is not male-identified -- but what that would be, dunno. "Boobs" is terrible.

Men seem not to have any probs with the slang terms for their parts, after all they invented them.

[bobbolink]

42. You have that right. It benefits women not at all.

[seabeyond]

12. a disease that kills women so to gain attention, sexualize to get a $. how is this different

from sexualizing women to gain $ thru out our culture? because it is a good cause, so much easier. we teach our girls how to participate and they fall in line

i have stopped donating to this org that i have donated to on a yearly basis for a very long time.

it wasnt necessarily the bracelet that did it for me. it was a commercial. big breasted woman, in bikini, walking around the pool, slow motion, camera zoomed on the tits bouncing along and all the males with holy shit, boobies.... expressions

but really, we just want our young men to support women with a disease that kills.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

17. i saw that sexist POS -nt

[marions ghost]

23. uh oh

I hadn't seen that one.

Yeah there's a problem with this even for a good cause.

[seabeyond]

25. after this commercial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_xEUi_OSHE&feature=related

i was done.

[adigal]

55. I thought that commercial was a parody

a really, really bad parody of someone sexualizing breast cancer. I am really pretty shocked!! No money to them this year from me,

[seabeyond]

65. i dont get

why

people think this is ok or the way to go. there was another commercial where they gave men boobs. and the men having fun bouncing them, playing with them.

[WatsonT]

20. I heart boobies

People are being silly here.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

28. Would it be alright to wear bracelets that say "I Love Baloney Ponies"?

nobody wants to answer

[WatsonT]

29. For dick cancer?

If such a thing were a real problem then I wouldn't have a problem with it.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

31. Cases of Prostate Cancer have been rising.

I know 3 men who have had it, so this isn't a joke either.

[WatsonT]

33. "Baloney poney" I assumed referenced the penis

prostate is not the penis.

Notice that they don't grab your genitals when you go in for a prostate exam.

But again, if someone felt the need to run such a campaign I'd say go for it.

A better example would be something like "save the nuts" for testicular cancer.

And I have no problem with that. They could give out jars of peanuts to raise awareness. Maybe two at a time, in a flesh colored bag.

[eowyn_of_rohan]

34. Erectile dysfunction is a common complication of prostate cancer

I certainly am aware of the location of the prostate gland and its proximity to the penis. i am asking you to think about if this were reversed onto your sex.

[WatsonT]

36. Your mootness is moot

Not sure where you're going with this.

I said I don't see any issue with any of this.

Cancer is a serious thing. Doesn't mean we have to cry every time it is mentioned. Some people use humor to deal with tragedy.

Actually a lot of people do.

Anything that helps find a cure is fine by me. I wouldn't turn down a cure for cancer if it came about the "wrong" way. Would you?

[EOTE]

38. The prostate is not the same thing as the penis, so it's not really applicable.

But if penile cancer were as big of an issue, I'd have no problem with your catchy slogan. Hell, I'd support it just to hear more utterances of "bologna pony". If you thought of that, I'd totally patent it.

[WatsonT]

41. I liked my "save the nuts" idea

I wonder if someone has already taken it?

Probably.

[Iggo]

22. Decriminalize the female breast RIGHT FUCKING NOW!

:patriot:

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

35. This thread needs a photo of boobies -

:hi:

[WatsonT]

37. First thing that came up on a GIS search

&sort=ascending

Enjoy.

[Iggo]

39. SFW?

[WatsonT]

40. I reckon

not pretty though.

[uppityperson]

46. Picture of an obese young man. Oh how funny. Not.

[WatsonT]

48. Wow

some of us are sensitive.

Like I said it was the first thing that came up when I did a google search.

[Initech]

44. Chris, that's a terrible word. Boobies.

:eyes:

[adigal]

53. I disagree with this ruling...freedom of speech is not absolute

in high school. YOu can say to someone, I am going to kill you, on the street and have no consequence. Saying that in school gets you suspended. And besides, the bracelets are made for titillation adn attention. I don't think high school girls should be wearing them, and I don't think teenage boys should be wearing them, either.

[WinkyDink]

58. This school is down the road from me. IMO, this "movement" needs to learn what slang is.

[alp227]

66. who's the principal of that school, John "Cover up justice statue breasts" Ashcroft?