BUSINESS
September 1, 2012 | By Tiffany Hsu, Los Angeles Times
Lego's so-called Ladyfigs, plastic dolls with slim bodies and budding breasts, are raising the ire of feminists - and profits of the popular Danish toy maker. Though better known for its plastic building bricks, Lego in December unveiled a female-centric product line that also features play sets such as Andrea's Bunny House and Butterfly Beauty Shop. The items, part of the Lego Friends collection, have set off protests, with one feminist group accusing Lego of "selling out girls.
NEWS
February 23, 2012 | By Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times/For the Booster Shots Blog
Children whose behavior doesn't conform to gender expectations -- girls who swing swords and play with trucks, boys who tend to dolls and are drawn to high heels and frilly dresses -- are only rarely tipping their hand about their future sexual orientation. But such behavior does predict that a kid is more likely to experience psychological, physical or sexual abuse during childhood, and will go on to suffer post-traumatic stress. Behavior that defies gender stereotypes is remarkably common, reports an editorial published alongside two studies on gender-defying kids in the journal Pediatrics this week.
OPINION
April 2, 2011
Wal-Mart may or may not have a policy of discriminating against women in pay and promotion, but establishing the truth will require a trial. The Supreme Court this week wrestled with whether it should clear the way for a class-action lawsuit brought by a handful of women on behalf of as many as 1.5 million others. The case for doing so is strong. The plaintiffs insist that Wal-Mart is "rife with gender stereotypes demeaning to female employees" and link that assertion to lower pay and the fact that "while women comprise over 80% of hourly supervisors, they hold only one-third of store management jobs.
NATIONAL
November 11, 2010 | By David G. Savage, Tribune Washington Bureau
Laws that discriminate between men and women have been regularly declared unconstitutional since the 1970s, but the Supreme Court on Wednesday seemed ready to permit an exception to that rule. At issue was when children born of mixed marriages abroad can claim U.S. citizenship. Congress has made it easier for unwed American mothers than it is for unwed fathers to pass on their citizenship. The foreign-born baby of an unmarried American mother is a U.S. citizen if the mother lived in the United States for at least one year.
ENTERTAINMENT
October 10, 2008 | From the Associated Press
The woman who took care of science fiction and fantasy author Andre Norton in the final years of her life in Tennessee has been awarded the copyrights and royalties to most of her works. In an opinion published this week, the Tennessee Court of Appeals reversed a lower court's ruling that the author of the popular "Witch World" series intended that a longtime fan get those rights and royalties. Norton, who died in 2005 in Murfreesboro, Tenn., wrote more than 130 books over a 70-year writing career and defied gender stereotypes by becoming the first woman to win major science fiction awards.
ENTERTAINMENT
July 20, 2008 | Lynn Smith, Times Staff Writer
In ITS first season, "Mad Men," AMC's glossy series about a group of guys on Madison Avenue, received critical raves for its finely drawn portraits of the employees of Sterling Cooper Advertising Agency. Set in 1960, it focused on Don Draper, a glamorous up-and-comer with a double life and a secret past, and the smart, politically incorrect men around him. But watching from a different perspective, there's a whole other story going on. And it's all about the women: Peggy, Betty and Joan.