Often, when a major corporation, like a tobacco company or a commercial bank, wants to make a lawsuit go away, it pays the plaintiff to keep quiet. The company then walks away without having to claim any liability or fault, and the plaintiff is compensated with a monetary settlement.
Author Archives: Alexandra Tashman
Alexandra Tashman: Students must be muscle in push for equality for LGBT community
With marriage equality finally achieved in California, students across the University of California system, and indeed here at UCLA, must continue to pursue and advocate for incremental steps toward full LGBT rights.
Alexandra Tashman: UCLA’s CAPS needs steady funding to provide support
I’ve struggled on and off with depression and often debilitating anxiety since my freshman year of high school. At times, these issues have completely limited my ability to succeed academically. I am not alone. I am not even uncommon. In fact, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 25 percent of people between the […]
Alexandra Tashman: UCLA needs more gender-neutral spaces for inclusivity
For most of us, picking which bathroom to use requires no thought. But for members of the transgender community, choosing a bathroom can put them at risk of harassment or embarrassment. As the majority of UCLA students are not transgender, many may be uneducated about a transgender student’s experiences – the ways that our transgender […]
Alexandra Tashman: Rape culture produces harmful discussion of sexual assault cases
Callous approaches to discussions about rape and sexual assault are nothing new. Too often, we see instances in which the conversation surrounding these crimes does not take into account the gravity and implications of these acts for all parties involved. The prevailing attitude which allows such crimes to be taken lightly is commonly known as […]
Alexandra Tashman: Change in Plan B policy reaffirms women’s rights
In a decision lauded by advocates of reproductive rights nationwide, federal Judge Edward R. Korman ordered the Food and Drug Administration to make emergency contraceptives available to anyone, regardless of age, as an over-the-counter prescription – a policy change that will take place within the next couple weeks.
Alexandra Tashman: LGBT issues not limited to marriage equality
Approximately 2.7 million Americans changed their profile pictures last week to some variation of the Human Rights Campaign’s red equal sign in support of same-sex marriage, according to estimates from Facebook.