Not Your Average Feminist

2012-01-31T16:04:00.001-08:00

A loving husband kills his wife for having a baby girl and his mother, the wife's mother in law, assisted in this horrific act. In the country of Afghanistan being a woman is one of the hardest and most disgraceful things. According to Zainab Salbi, Founder and CEO of Women for Women International, since the Taliban times of violence women have gained rights against such acts and have gained a sense of identity, but because they are "women" according to some people's cultures women are the inferior gender and due to this belief practices are conducted against women degrading, assaulting and abusing them. What was the point of the rights and laws enacted for them? Who is responsible for not taking charge? What can they do to increase the likelihood of a CHANGE happening? What would be classified as formal equality in this situation? What would we consider the baseline of equality as in the baseline for women in Afghanistan?

Women and girls have no one to turn to because although rights have been implemented men in the country are still superior and believed over women. The government has played no real role in authorizing that women are treated with respect or alone as human beings. Moral equality has no relevance in this country, human rights are not of importance unless it pertains to the men. Women's rights are human rights, these traditions should not be seen as only a crime against women but as a flaw of the country as a whole. I believe not only as women should they have the right to safety, security, and life but they shouldn't fear that they are always at risk of harm. Having a society full of men would be useless in a sense of procreation and pointless in a sense of the household life, which is believed to be taken care of by women. It is contradictory for them to believe men are superior and that when their wives have girls it is a doom to their family, but then they need women to create more lives and form a stable home. How in any situation could a women control the sex of her child, as well how does this constitute as a reasoning to be murdered? Who places the pricing of a male-identified baby having a more successful or productive life than a female? This is absolutely unacceptable and an extreme call for justice and speaking out.

Creating Change: Day One #CC12

2012-01-25T21:13:00.001-08:00

If you follow us on twitter than you know we've been experiencing tons of fun and growth here at Creating Change. The goal of live-blogging, at least in my opinion, is to get resources and tools to folks who are unable to attend. If you're all up in our twitter, you also know that we attended the racial justice institutes.

And we have some questions to pose to you all:

1. How do you show up in spaces?
2. Have you thought about your race story?
3. How do you process your own racial privilege/marginalization?
4. Do you assume peoples' ethnicity and culture based on the color of their skin?
5. Have you thought about the racial make-up of your close friends?
6. Who do you date? What are some of the reasons, outside of sexual orientation, that your family not approve of someone your dating?
7. How do you understand the concept of intersectionality?
8. What does it mean to be your whole self?

We're going to leave you with questions as opposed to answers because finding out the answers for yourself is half the fun. By asking these questions of yourself and those around you, you will learn so much more than if we gave you our understanding of these experiences. Ask yourself these questions, and let us know if the answers surprise you!

Not Your Average Feminist & Creating Change 2012 #CC12

2012-01-24T03:08:00.000-08:00

The 24th annual Creating Change is happening this week and I will be there keeping you updated on all of the amazingness!

"What’s Creating Change? Only the premier annual organizing and skills-building event for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and their allies.

The conference is run by the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and attracts more than 2,500 people from all over the country every year. Presenters and participants come from all walks of life and include members of the business community, elected officials, students, faith leaders and staff and volunteers of non-profit organizations.

Our five-day program features over 250 workshops and training sessions, four plenary sessions, and tons of networking opportunities.” –Creating Change Website

I will be cross-posting on another project I've been working on, Born Like This, and will be delivering you nightly recaps as well as live tweets throughout the day! If you are on twitter be sure to chat with us @NYAFeminist. Keep up on the trending topics with #CC12 and #LGBT. And if you aren’t following us on Twitter, what in the world are you waiting for?

And remember “Power is Sexy”

Plan B still not eligible for ALL

2011-12-08T13:47:00.000-08:00

In direct contradiction to all of the recent recommendtions from the FDA, Kathleen Sebelius the secretary of Health and Human Serives decided that the emergency contraception Plan B will not be allowed to be sold without a prescription to children under the age of 17.

A letter written by FDA commissioner Margaret Hamburg states, "I reviewed and thoughtfully considered the data, clinical information, and analysis provided by CDER, and I agree with the Center for Drug Evaluation and Research that there is adequate and reasonable, well-supported, and science-based evidence that Plan B One-Step is safe and effective and should be approved for nonprescription use for all females of child-bearing potential." The possibility for all women to have access to Plan B was one step away from being instituted and the secretary believed otherwise and due to FDA having to respond they sent the complete response letter to Teva today. Plan B One-Step will remain on the market and will remain available for all ages, but a prescription will continue to be required for females under the age of 17.

This misconception that having Plan B over the counter will somehow make young girls all of a sudden more interested in sex is a ignorant view on the issue at hand and seems to be the true motive in why the secrertary believes younger women shouldn't have the opportunity to the emergency contraceptive. The view of society to believe that just because someone young is requesting Plan B means this girl is promiscuous is not appropriate. You never understand why this person may have felt the need to select this type of contraception. It takes a lot of confidence and strength sometimes for men and woman to even buy these barrier methods and then to be judged when they build up this courage is not acceptable. When condoms are for sale for all ages why cant Plan B be? It is just as safe and effective as other barrier methods, additionally an important saftey net for when "Plan A" methods (like condoms or the pill) fail. Contrary to popular belief it is not our place to justify why someone should be denied access, whether we fear they may begin to abuse the pill or not.

Tylenol, Advil, Benadryl, and Robitussin are all more dangerous than Plan B and yet they are on the market for all ages, over the counter. With this in mind, what is the point in denying access to Plan B? I am totally astonished by the act of denying this access without any legitimate reasoning. There is a clear double standard in place here: women have rights and limited access to reproductive health services but still are hindered by the misconception that young women shouldn't have access to these pills because being a sexually active young woman is still looked down upon. It saddens me that this still occurs but I write this post in hopes that things will change.

OCCUPY L.A. -NO MORE EVICTIONS

2011-11-29T15:28:00.000-08:00

Los Angeles protesters are asking the courts to address the reason they are being deprived of public forum. On Monday, November 28th a complaint sent that protesters felt they were unconstitutionally being deprived and wanted their access granted.

According to CNN Wire Staff, the city police are forming an anti-camping provision for the protesters due to all the chaos the protest is causing. At the opening of Twilight there were so many people on the sidewalk camping out the street had to be closed. A city council member stated, "Each of these 'camping' events is highly publicized in the media, takes place in highly-trafficked areas and could not possibly be an unnoticed and unintentional exception to enforcement of the municipal code." With all the protesters outside of Occupy Wall Street getting their stories out why would the actions of these people against the system be denied the same right to get noticed. These protesters are not only demonstrating within their first amendment rights, but they feel they have been forced to do so. Authority telling these protesters they cannot perform such acts, or that they are being outrageous, is their opinion, and doesn't matter. They aren't taking into consideration the pain these people are going through and the detrimental effects this denial of access has been to them.

With all the other problems that L.A. has going on the only one they care about is the fact that people are being peacefully disobedient to unjust laws. They are portraying these actions for a response which authority is giving them. However they are attending to the issues that are not at hand as in how dirty the parks have become or how many people are in the way instead of thinking WOW that is a lot of people out there maybe we should do something. The primary concern is not about the people as it should be, but instead they are worried about just getting the people out of the way. They are not protesting so that you say let's move them but so that you say let's help them. With anybody being subject to getting arrested, the allegations of health and safety issues and the police rallying to get rid of these people soon cities will have to get further involved, what would you do to make history when they come for you? This movement is outstanding and for so many great reasons they deserve to get what they wish and if it ends we are all in danger injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere- Martin Luther King Jr.

Enslaved Refugees FREED!

2011-11-17T13:59:00.001-08:00

Fred Pleitgen and Mohamed Fadel Fahmy, CNN states that hundreds of African refugees have been released from captivity in the Sinai Peninsula and allowed to cross from Egypt into Israel, shortly after the CNN documentary Death in the Desert aired detailing the horrendous conditions the migrants face.

The documentary exposed human trafficking in Sinai of people from Sudan and Eritrea. Their were women being raped, servants being abused and organs being extracted, something known as organ harvesting. These horrible traffickers were enslaving these people and if they did not abide by their rules were killing them in an abundant amount. There was a graveyard formed to hold these deceased slaves and after CNN released this film speaking of such issues surrounding these countries over 600 slaves were freed. It is sad that it took them to see what they were doing as wrong until the public got involved. African refugees have had human rights activist fight for their freedom for years in groups like New Generation Foundation for Human Rights and EveryOne Group, an Italian non-profit organization. Some have died dedicating their lives, reaching out for help and now their is finally a film to express the pain.

As a community, society, a nation we should act as CNN did and expose situations like these not only when it comes to sexual violence and abuse but to all injustice. Serve your community and make others aware. Unfortunately had it not been for a big name as CNN these odious events would not have been discovered. However, if we make the efforts we can raise awareness about issues like these in our everyday lives. One voice can lead a nation, one action can save a life, one person you reach can lead to a movement. Take a stance and stop oppression everywhere.

THE OTHER 99%

2011-10-26T15:46:00.000-07:00

"Over the past three decades, the distribution of income in the United States has become increasingly dispersed in particular, the share of income to high-income households has increased, whereas the share accruing to other households has declined," the Congregational Budget Office said. While those at the top have seen their incomes soar over the past three decades, middle-class and lower incomes have stagnated. As told by the CNN, "For the top 1% of the population, average inflation-adjusted household income grew by 275%. The rest of wealthiest fifth of the population, not including the top 1%, saw household income grow by 65%". The middle class had a different story from that and the poorest fifth of the population saw their incomes rise a mere 18% in a little less than 30 years, according to the study, which was based on IRS and Census data.

As we seen with the recent Occupy Wall Street movement, it can be seen that it is in part a revolutionary act being put to use based on the culmination of all these discrepancies. Shifts in government transfers and federal taxes also contributed to that increase in inequality not only between the class system but the society as well. Protesters refer to themselves as "the other 99%," which suggests that they represent a broad segment of the U.S. demographic, excluding the wealthiest 1% of Americans. Occupy Wall Street began on Sept. 17 in Manhattan's Financial District and has grown into a global movement since then.

I speak on this issue as a representative of equal opportunity and the dismantling of oppression in any form including class and equitable opportunities, I see this as a big issue that is rising once again and will cause more than occupy wall street acts. I wanted to raise awareness about this to you fellow readers because it is a serious issue and something not only America is dealing with, if the middle class alone is having such difficulty imagine how hard it is for the lower class and poorest populations. So take a stand and raise your because we have been divided and conquered and it is up to us to once again be united as we stand.

It's time to have a (feminist) house meeting y'all...

2011-10-06T23:11:00.000-07:00

I apologize for not posting in such a long time but grad school is no joke friends. I want to do something a little different with this post. I want to have a very honest/raw/unfiltered/respectful conversation about this:

For those of you who don't know, this picture was taken during the NYC SlutWalk, although the person holding the sign was not the original creator of the sign. Now I could very easily write a whole analysis on this, but I think there are plenty of great ones already written out there. Check out this AMAZING post on Racialicious if you're in the mood for a breakdown of some key issues around this sign.

But I want to hear from you. What are your reactions to this? Let's have a real conversation about our feelings, our struggles with this, our reactions to all of the other dialogue out there about this, how we can begin to heal...All that jazz.

Ready? GO! Let's have the convo in the comments section.

Cruelty in Syria

2011-09-28T14:32:00.000-07:00

Zainab Alhusni was only 18 years old when she was brutally dismembered and mutilated by Syrian security forces. She had left her home early last month to buy groceries and her family never again saw her alive. She was whisked away to coax the surrender of her activist brother, and ended up beheaded and dismembered, a neighbor, activists and human rights groups say. As said by CNN, reporter Her older brother, Mohammed, became a well-known activist in the family's hometown of Homs in western Syria, often leading the demonstrations against embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and treating the wounded. "Protesters would carry Mohammed on their shoulders so he could lead the chants," Fares said. "He was very loved by everyone. The protesters even had a chant they would say for him, using his nickname: 'Abu Ahmed, may Allah protect you!'"

Due to her bothers disobedient behavior in the eyes of the officials she was had the wrath taken out on her. In what way did she deserve such dehumanizing acts to occur to her. why was she the victim of a hate crime. They were demonstrating on her the things they hated about her brother and all who rose up against the government. Several days after Zainab disappeared, security forces called the family and offered to meet them in a pro-Assad neighborhood where they would trade Zainab for her activist brother. On September 10, the family says, Mohammed was wounded in a demonstration. He came back to his loved ones a corpse. The family believes he was tortured to death. The ferocious Syrian government crackdown against dissenters began in mid-March when anti-government protests unfolded. The number of people killed over the past six months has reached at least 2,700, according to the U.N. human rights office. Some activist groups put the toll at around 3,000.

Zainab dreamed of owning her own tailor shop, so she could support her impoverished family, he said. But she never had a chance to fulfill that dream. Authorities forced Zainab's mother to sign a document saying both her daughter and her son had been kidnapped and killed by an armed gang, Amnesty International said in an online statement. The acts being demonstrated to people of Syria is demonizing and barbaric and should not be tolerated, how could we sit back and watch as such horrid acts occur whether they be here or there it doesn't matter. I blog about instances as these because it infuriates me to know such evil is still acceptable. I understand somethings are apart of people traditions and who am I to say what they believe in but when you are removing the rights of the people and treating them as tools, and property to be treated as you wish I must not hold my tongue. As Waleed Fares, a neighbor and family friend of Zainab said, "The case of Zainab Alhusni is not just for our town, or province, or even for the country of Syria. It is a human rights issue that should bring the attention of the world."

To Slut Walk, or not to Slut Walk?...That is the question.

2011-09-14T20:17:00.000-07:00

My answer? I have no freaking clue. This is going to be a really honest, not based on anything but emotion/instinct, blog post.

Look, I've seen all of the dialogue about where the SlutWalk began, what it's become, what they're accomplishing, and what they could be doing better. But to be frank, I still don't know if I am personally all that comfortable with it. I love that feminism is catching on again, but I sometimes feel like you've got to be hip to enter some feminists spaces today...and I'm just not all that hip.

Exhibit A:

"We can't fight the patriarchy if we're busy fighting each other." So true. And I am not one to constantly "police" the spaces that I'm in...but I'm also not one who has the energy to "insert myself" into feminist spaces because of the invisibility/silencing of my various social identities. There's something off about the SlutWalks to me, something feels disingenuous...I really can't put my finger on it.

How do you feel about SlutWalks?

The SlutWalk in NYC is happening on October 1st, and I encourage you all to check it out and decide for yourselves.

Dark Girls: A Preview

2011-09-12T21:05:00.000-07:00

I came across a really powerful preview to a film called "Dark Girls" that looks at issues around skin color, specifically darker skin tones, in the black community.

Dark Girls: Preview from Bradinn French on Vimeo.

The film seems to take a multidimensional approach to understanding why people feel the way they do about dark skin, using examples from popular culture, psychology studies, personal testimonies of internalized, intra/interpersonal, institutional and ideological oppressions, and others.

Please share with people you think would be interested because I feel that this film has the potential to have a strong impact on its viewers!

Burning Nanny

2011-09-07T15:33:00.000-07:00

Shweyga Mullah worked as a nanny for two of former Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi's grandchildren. When she couldn't keep one from crying, Aline, the wife of Gadhafi's son Hannibal, poured boiling water on her head. When Mullah was found her attacker and husband had fled the scene and she was left with bruises, scars and much patchwork to be done. Even though the burns were inflicted three months ago, she was still in considerable pain. The wounds and pain she feel can never be erased, but she rejoices at the fact that she is loved by god and have been blessed to have people support and help her. The Libyan health Minister, Naji Barakat stated "I think it's a crime against humanity," which indeed is true, this is absolutely disrespectful, immoral and completely degrading to any human to disregard them in such a way. She is only human and she cannot control the emotion of a child at all times. Sometimes children cry and if you cannot stop it does it mean we go around burning those who help us when we are in need. This act of dehumanization completely aggravates me and I refuse to see this SURVIVOR not see JUSTICE.

This was not only a horrific act to put someone through, but as well not the only time that this Aline had portrayed such hateful behavior towards servant of the Gadhafi household. As said by CNN, A man too frightened to reveal his name led CNN reporters to another one of Hannibal Gadhafi's properties, a gated, high-walled villa-like house, where the man said more abuse was meted out to staffers. This masked man stated, "Shweyga is not the only one," describing a Sudanese man who was also scalded with water after he burned an undershirt he was ironing, "Foreign staffers bore the brunt of the abuse." Another woman describes basically a prison cell that she had stayed in as a care giver to the family. This behavior is a form of discrimination, hatred, racism, and enslavement. These people were not given proper meals, dormitory or respect and that is the worst thing you can do is disrespect someone. I feel the most sympathetic to all these beings and wish nothing more than happiness for all of them.

Back at the burn hospital, Mullah faces months of recuperation and surgery. Her story generated enormous public response. So far, people have donated more than $16,000 dollars for her care. CNN is making sure that she receives proper care to be eligible to return home to her family. This relates primarily to the Women's Center because not only is it an act of violence against a woman, but against multiple workers because of their race and against servants in general because of the stigma attached to how people treat lower level classed workers. As an activist and advocate for the Women's Center this relates extremely to our mission of advocating for a violence, harassment free environment, as well creating an anti-racist, non-sexist queer-affirmative space for all to feel free, but I cannot ever truly feel free knowing in the world such acts are still occurring. I pray that all the places in the world like us fight as diligently to stop these acts.

"Spirit Day" of Action!

2011-09-02T09:39:00.000-07:00

RSVP on Facebook and invite all of your friends!

Let's wear purple again for Spirit Day on October 20th, but this year let's take it a step further!

In response to last year’s high profile anti-LGBTQ-related suicides, thousands of people across the country wore purple on October 20th as a way to show solidarity with those in the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer community struggling with bullying, violence, and harassment. Let’s make “Spirit Day” an annual day of both solidarity and ACTION.

Wearing purple as a way to show unity and support for those in the LGBTQ community is just the first step! If you are on a college campus, create an event or bring in a speaker that focuses on ways to counteract bullying. Recruit a bunch of friends to volunteer with a local non-profit or organization doing LGBTQ advocacy work. If you already work for a great organization, organize an event for October 20th! If you don’t have any organizations around you, create a community project of your own! (A mentoring project, community art piece, etc...) Help to organize a “Spirit Day” event at your school or in your community that focuses on bullying and how LGBTQ youth (or those who are perceived to be LGBTQ) are often at risk of being on the receiving end. And don’t forget to actively challenge bullying whenever you witness it!

Submit and share your stories/projects/reflections on

Tumblr: http://spiritdayofaction.tumblr.com/

Twitter: Follow us @SpiritDayAction | Tweet using the hashtag #SpiritDayofAction

And of course if you are unable to do any of the above, you can always WEAR PURPLE and spread the word!

This is GENIUS!

2011-08-30T19:57:00.000-07:00

I love The Crunk Feminist Collective. Their writing inspires me to write more, even when I feel like no one is reading. Their work keeps me grounded as I work through my love/hate relationship with feminism and feminist spaces. Their words are a constant reminder that there other people like me who experience the complexities of feminism today, rather than just surface, non-intersectional, second-wave notions of feminism.

And I also love that they write awesome Back-to-School Survival Guides! Follow the link to read in its entirety, but I just had to highlight a few of my favorite tips:

"Be your own best advocate. Prioritize your own professional needs/goals.

You have not because you ask not. You have to be willing to ask for what you need. You deserve transparency about the rules and procedures of your program, cordial treatment from faculty, staff and students, and a program that prepares you not only for the rigors of grad school but also for the job market (should you desire a career in academia). But folks won’t hand it to you on a silver platter. You have to build relationships, ask questions, and make demands.
Figure out your writing process (the place [home, coffee shop, library], time [morning, afternoon, night], and conditions [background noise, total silence, cooler or warmer] under which you work best and try to create those conditions as frequently as possible during finals, qualifying exams, and dissertation.

Be proactive about self-care.

Figure out your non-negotiables. For me, sleep is non-negotiable. I must have it. I don’t do all nighters. I also generally don’t do weekends, so I adjust my schedule accordingly. What are your non-negotiables?

Take advantage of on-campus therapy services. My last two institutions have had women-of-color thesis and dissertation support groups. Consider joining.

Cultivate a spirit-affirming practice. Grad school/the academy is a mind-body-spirit endeavor. So meditate, pray, exercise, do yoga, go to church, cook a good healthy meal. Do whatever you need to do to keep your mind, body, and spirit in balance.

Be willing to get CRUNK!

If the environment is hostile, it is most probably characterized bymicroaggressions of various sorts. Racial microaggressions –“brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative racial slights and insults toward people of color– are quite common for women of color, but microaggressions can be used in sexist, heterosexist, or ableist ways as well. A microaggressive environment demands resistance of various sorts. So do you and be you. Unapologetically. Keep a copy of Sister Audre near by so you can make sure you’re channeling your legitimate anger productively, and then, get crunk if necessary."

Working in Higher Education while earning a Masters in Higher Education Administration feels like double the pressure at times. It's like I'm learning about issues of retention, diversity, intercultural communication, access and inequalities, then sitting (somewhat) idly by as they play out on campus. Ok ok...I suppose working in an LGBTQ Student Center that approaches campus diversity from an intersectional approach isn't all that idle...but issues and incidences of microaggressions on campus feel overwhelmingly much deeper and larger than my work sometimes.

But that's my story...and I'll work it out! Either way...check out the guide, and thank you to THE CRUNK FEMINIST COLLECTIVE!

Bad-Ass Folk!

2011-08-23T06:36:00.001-07:00

This month's Bad Asses are....MY AMAZING BOSSES for making the NYU LGBTQ Student Center a totally amazing place to work! I know you may be asking yourself why is this person trying to suck up to her bosses? Well that is a silly question because they probably won't read this, so there.

But in all seriousness, New York University was recently named the most LGBTQ-Friendly Institution in the US! The Princeton Review released it's annual ranking and once again NYU placed first, followed by Standford. Honestly, I'm not sure what criteria was used to earn NYU this ranking, but I know that my supervisors have definitely contributed greatly to campus climate. I love this work! Check out all the schools on HuffPo!

Post Racial? Yeah Right!

2011-08-09T16:59:00.001-07:00

**Trigger Warning**

Click here to read more about this sad, sad story.

I'm saying you should settle...

2011-08-08T16:51:00.000-07:00

This upcoming presidential election is becoming more frightening every day. The Tea-baggers are strengthening, the Republicans are becoming more and more radical, and the Democrats seem to be giving in on major issues. I get that Obama has absolutely fell short of my expectations as queer, as a woman, as a person of color, as poor, as a student...well as a lot of things. And it's easy to say that we need to teach him a lesson by not voting for him, but politics are not so black and white.

Let's say that Obama isn't re-elected...who then will speak for the issues you care about? Will this person have enough pull to actually win a primary or an election? What if we are so divided that an uber-conservative is elected? I know what a lot of queer folks are waiting for: inclusive federal Employee Non-Discrimination Act, and marriage. But where should we place our efforts, in a Republican, an incumbent, or a president who has kept a small percentage of his promise. As much as the tides have seemed to turn in this country, if Obama wants a second term, there is no way he will legalize federal civil unions or ENDA.

Obama isn't perfect. No politician is. But I'm hoping that the change I was promised will come in his second term. And if he doesn't do it on his own, you bet your ass I'll be there rallying and protesting and causing a ruckus... because he'll have no excuse. No second term to worry about. It'll be his chance to be the president I voted for.

I have hope, do you?

Queer Without Borders

2011-07-28T16:43:00.000-07:00

It's only now occurred to me that I have yet to write about my final project, and the places I have gone and beautiful people I have met because of it.

When I was Queer Peer Services Coordinator at the Ramapo College of New Jersey, I organized what we called Queer 101 Panels for various social issues classes. These panels basically consisted of 3-5 students with some sort of LGBTQ identity that would answer whatever inquiries their audience had. Having served on at least 50 of these panels myself, I learned rather quickly what kinds of questions non-queer people had for me and my community. I've answered anywhere from "How old were you when you knew you were LGBTQ?" to "How do lesbians have sex?" Upon panel after panel, I realized that everyone had a unique story, and that I never grew tired of hearing them.

I decided to conduct and record my own Queer 101 Panels in South Africa! I began with hotel staff, moved onto queer peer educators at the local LGBTI community center, and finally ended with a group of university students. I thought I would hear some radically different stories, but in truth all of their stories sounded so familiar. Aside from the obvious difference Apartheid tended to cause such as understandings of race, many of their narratives seemed as though they were slightly different versions of stories I heard many times before.

Their voices seemed to play on repeat. The struggle to identify their own sexuality. The anxiety around coming out to the family. The physical, sexual, and emotional abuse that seems to occur far too often in the LGBTQ community. Their many struggles with religion and spirituality. Their difficulty to find a safe and welcoming space to call home.

Their experiences have touched me deeply, and all I've wanted to do the past couple of days is to find more and more people to tell me their stories. But alas this South African journey is coming to a bittersweet end. What I take with me is that no matter how different a place may seem, we are all inevitably connected through basic human experience. Perhaps this experience is connected even more so when queerness is taken into consideration. Perhaps queerness occurs without borders! I consider everyone I've met a member of my queer community, and I'm so touched to have found a home here in South Africa. I'm incredibly honored to have been able to meet so many wonderful, courageous people, and I know this journey is only the beginning!

P.S. I am not able to post my final documentary on youtube because of the safety and security of the people I interviewed, but if you are my facebook friend expect to see the final film soon! See everyone in the States!

Education as a Tool to Reconcile Racism

2011-07-25T07:34:00.000-07:00

The question came up in class as to whether or not education can be used as a tool to help mend the racial divisions of Apartheid. While I think education is a good start, there are problems with the current education system that keep it from being as powerful a tool as it could be.

Racial interaction happens on two important levels in schools:

1. Student to student
2. Staff to student

While many schools have changed drastically in terms of racial demographics, many schools still contain a majority. The schools in the townships that we have learned about have been primarily Black, while more expensive less accessible schools schools in more suburban areas continue to educate primarily White students. I'm curious as to how students make sense of their identities and interactions with those of other races when placed in a school where there are only a handful of people who look like them in their peer group. Unless the teachers are comfortable facilitating difficult conversations around race and reconciliation, will Apartheid simply become a history lesson rather than a recent system that affects current systems like education and the economy?

I use the word "staff" as opposed to educators in the second category of interactions for a reason. Race matters for educators and support staff. We visited the Oprah Winfrey school (no we didn't see Oprah despite my prayers), and I couldn't help but notice that while a majority of students were Black, there were very few Black teachers or administrators. In fact, the staff that was painting one of the dormitories were entirely Black. One of the tour guides of another group was commenting on how she preferred White teachers because Black people in South Africa weren't as educated or talented. She was Black.

My tour guide expressed that she wished she has more White students in her peer group because she was told by a few White students that she had met from a different school that the Black Economic Empowerment Act was reverse discrimination. Oprah's school is technically for those from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, so there were only a few White students. This does somewhat fit the national populations considering there are far more Black people living in poverty than White. My tour guide didn't really understand that the school she was attending, and other programs like it, are more so to rewrite the systematic wrongs of Apartheid policy. Even though those policies went away, it will take decades for the system to function more equally. To call Oprah's school or the Economic Empowerment Act reverse discrimination is to completely ignore historical wrongs.

I couldn't help but wonder how students at Oprah's school found mentors. Personally, I tend to seek out mentors that I have similarities with. Aside from Oprah herself, I was having a lot of trouble finding successful Black women with whom the students could look to for guidance. How many of those teachers and counselors really understand the students' struggles? And is success being defined as being more acceptable in White spheres? I wonder if that one tour guide would feel the same way about teachers in South Africa if she had more experiences with Black teachers in Oprah's school.

I have a lot more about staff-student interactions, but I need a little more time to process a recent experience. Until next week, but in the meantime please posts reactions and thoughts in the comment section!

Running Parallel

2011-07-23T06:38:00.000-07:00

After interacting with schools, organizations, and folks from South Africa for three weeks, I can't help but to find similarities with the States.

Even though slavery and Jim Crow segregation laws ended several decades ago and Apartheid ended only two decades ago, they both have had long lasting impacts. These impacts can be seen both on interpersonal and institutional level. Institutionally, schools are still incredibly unequal in terms of resources and quality of education. Schools with majority Black learners in the townships produce significantly less matriculating students than those with primarily White/Afrikaans learners. The one university program we visited in Soweto had a fairly diverse mix of students at the BA level, but diversity was lacking when I looked at the racial makeup of the MA students and professorial staff.

The poverty disparity in terms of race is also incredibly visible in almost every area we've been in. To be fair I haven't seen every part of South Africa, but after having visited Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, and several townships I feel as though I've observed a fair amount of the major areas. But I didn't realize just how unequally wealth is distributed here until I found myself shocked in Durban to see White people asking for spare change. For the entire trip, up until this past weekend, I had only seen Black faces on the streets asking for food or money. I didn't realize how desensitized I was to the racial background of , to a certain extent, until I was in a more urban area where the population wasn't as homogeneous as the townships.

In many communities, there is also a distrust and lack of emphasis on the importance of education. The affects of an inoperable government and education system are still evident. Even though in theory everyone has access to some form of education now and the system is compulsory until grade ten, our observations show that students are held to the same expectations nor are they provided with the same affirmations. A course called Life Orientation is offered at many secondary schools, and is meant to provide practical life skills. It was discussed in my class that many White students are taught how to be good bosses/employers, while many Black students are taught how to be good employees. Expectations definitely affect performance and aspirations. If those who educate you tell you, either implicitly or explicitly, that you can only amount to subservient professions, you may begin to believe it.

Some of this may sound a bit bleak, but I have to ask myself, is it really all that unfamiliar?

I grew up in urban areas where the faces of those living in poverty were almost entirely the same color. The school districts New Jersey are also segregated along the lines of class with large implications of race. School districts had unequal resources and student achievement suffered greatly. the majority of students in colleges are White, especially for upper-level degrees. Granted, the disparities are more striking in South Africa because the majority of the population is Black and not White, but both countries suffer from distorted representations in higher education.

Of course the countries are different, especially in terms of recent past versus distance past of government-sanctioned racism, but as I spend more time here I become more and more shocked by just how similar our current systems are.

Colored Like Me

2011-07-19T06:06:00.000-07:00

The concept of “race” is something I've found myself reflecting on quite a bit while in South Africa. I mean, how could I not? “Race”-based segregation that seperated Blacks, Whites, Asians, Indians, and Coloreds (people of mixed-heritage) ended less than twenty years ago. I keep putting “race” in quotation marks because the simple notion that there is more than one race in itself perpetuates the same type of thinking that has been responsible for many atrocities throughout human history.When I was younger, my education told me that racial categories were concrete, and that those categories carried with them languages, customs, and traditions. But in terms of how race is usually utilized, the only thing people infer from one's racial identity are ability, intelligence, and 'civility' of different groups.

I've heard the word “Caucasian” used a few times on this trip to describe White people, and it triggers me. According to 19^th century anthropologist Blumenbach, White people originated in the Caucus region and are considered the most beautiful, intelligent, and superior race. The Caucus region was also fabled to be the birthplace of mankind even though we know that the human race originated in Africa. There were also sub-racial groups within each of these categories. In fact, according to Blumenbach, the white race included Egyptians and other north Africans, known as the Hamitic race. You may be saying to yourself "why is this a bad thing, he's saying that some Africans were as superior as whites?" Well, the Hamitic race was added as a sub-group mostly to explain the great historical civilizations of Arabia and Egypt. Blumenbach needed a way to separate "good and intelligent" Black people(Hamitics) from he viewed as the animalistic Black people of southern Africa(Negroids).

How has this way of thinking impacted our lives? Colonialism, slavery, the holocaust, Apartheid all seem to come to mind. Blumenbach's work still echoes today. Genocides, racial purity, race wars, racism, and the imaginary notion of reverse racism are especially prevalent amongst the current debate about the Black Economic Empowerment Act in South Africa and immigration in the States. And while the race may not be a scientific or medical truth, discrimination based on race is a very real truth.

All of this emphasis on race makes me reflect on my own racial identity. My ethnic identity is Italian, Jamaican, and Indian, but I've always called myself brown in terms of race. Jamaica is made up several different ethnic groups. While 90% of the population is Black (African in origin resulting from the slave trade), there are also substantial White, Indian, Chinese, and Arawak populations on the island. After slavery was abolished on the British island, there were huge amounts of indentured servants brought over from the other British colonies and protectorates. Chinese and Indian workers would finish their mandatory years of servitude and then set up families and communities of their own. These lines and separated communities have continued over the decades resulting in only 7% of Jamaica being multi-ethnic. So apparently my father's mother was black but his father was Indian.

Why does any of this matter? Well as someone who has constantly felt lost in their ethnic identity and having very few mirrors in my family to identify with, I have always found some refuge in being knowledgeable about why I look the way I look. Why my skin is an ambiguous brown instead of a clearer shade of definitely this or that. Why people will forever ask me "what are you?" Why the texture of my hair comes as a surprise. Being in mono-racial spaces makes me uneasy at times. With the participants on this trip seem somewhat segregated by race, and I feel forced to be two different people in one space versus the other, rather than my whole self in both spaces.

So when the little girl from the community project asked me if I was Colored, all I could do was say “yes.” I wonder what it would be like to have a brown community to relate to. Although racial segregation is a terrible travesty, imagine if the Colored category existed as a community in the States. I have to admit, it would be so wonderful if I could be my full self instead of having to float in three racially divided worlds.

The Master's Tools

2011-07-11T03:43:00.001-07:00

The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in South Africa is alarming. While a few people close to me are HIV+, and I somewhat consider myself a queer health and sex educator, I've never been in a space full of so many HIV+ children. We visited a community project that provides meals, services, and a space to HIV+ children, many of whom are either orphans or in the foster system because their parents have died. The project was headed by a mix of people including local community folks and two Americans.

As soon as we entered the church where the center is currently operating out of, a few of the children climbed up a few of our waists, some what begging to be held. We tried to hoola-hoop a bit and then the children were told to go outside and play. We did not know they were all HIV+ until one of the staff members, one of the American women who work there, began to explain the project to us. My immediate thought was, wow. How can so many children be HIV+ in a relatively small area? Wouldn't anyone who knows they're positive want to do everything in their power to ensure their children aren't? Aren't prenatal drugs that can be taken to prevent transmission from mother to child available everywhere?

Well the answer is, no they're not. Healthcare and health education are not so readily available or financially accessible. I have to admit, I was angry. Not at anyone in particular, but at all the broken systems that had lead up to this situation. I tried to focus on the positive aspects of the project. The participants are given whole meals every weekday and taken on different trips. The younger children have a group of people roughly their age to play with everyday. But the teenagers were distant and stayed indoors. I wondered if the program was to provide a safe space for HIV+ youth, or to keep them away from others. The gates surrounding the gravel playground took on a malicious connotation.

The fact that it was in a church also stirred up some emotions. Faith and religion are powerful forces. I know many turn to G-d in times of tribulations, but G-d also makes folks think about mortality. The white cross in the front of the bare playroom seemed to be a constant reminder that we are all never too far from meeting our maker. I honestly still don't know how to feel about the project.

Speaking of church, I was talking with a fellow student about how to spend our free day. There were a few options presented to us including a visit to a church. This fellow student stated that she wouldn't go to a church and that they represented colonialism. I paused. While I've certainly learned that Christian missionaries were unofficially used as a tool of colonists, when does an institution move beyond its roots?

While churches were often used to both convert and educate colonized peoples, churches during Apartheid were the hubs of radical social change. Sermons were used for both uplifting and mobilizing. When hundreds were being beaten and killed around you, faith and prayer must have been sources of strength.

And although I have a somewhat incredulous opinion on religion and its roots (especially missionaries in Africa), I can not deny that it has helped millions of people survive their day to day lives. What ever I believe in, church is an undeniable staple in many communities. A tool once used for conquering now used for empowerment. When does a colonial institution succumb to cultural power, and how beautiful is that? It seems that for this instance, the master's tools did dismantle the master's house.

(On a side note, one of the little girls from the project asked me if I was colored. More on this later!)

Greetings From...SOUTH AFRICA!

2011-07-06T03:42:00.000-07:00

Hello Not Your Average Feminist readers! As some of you may or may not know, I'll be spending the next month in South Africa! This trip is a blessing and a privilege, and I can not wait to share some of my experiences with you all. Luckily for me, there is a journaling component to the course I'm taking, so I decided to share my entries on NYAF. Most of my writing will revolve around issues of race, gender and queerness, but expect some random observations and tidbits as well.

I suppose a good place to start would be with what I expected South Africa would be like. When I was younger, I had a single narrative of “Africa.” I put Africa in quotations because Africa was always referred to as though it was one country with uniform experiences. It was almost always spoken about in relation to other countries rather than as a continent with multiple countries. For instance, I learned about the Slavery from Africa, Roman Empire and Africa, England and Africa, Belgium and Africa, France and Africa. The list can go on and on. Before high school, my education had painted a bleak desert-like place full of tribal customs and half-dressed warriors.

What is most disturbing about this experience is that the majority of my classmates identified as Black. But even as I sat and listened to the history of slavery vs. immigration, I always wondered when African identity became African American identity. Other stories of peoples immigrating to the United States spoke of pride and holding onto one's ethnic identity and cultural traditions. But African people, once again African as a collective rather than as individual nations, were just in the States and only had a place in the retelling of the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement. Now some folks, like myself, identified as Caribbean and not African American, but even African diaspora was never discussed.

It was not until high school and college when I really began to explore my own history and the historical truths which have been White-washed, that I realized I have only learned history as told by the winners of wars. Those who have had the privilege of telling their own stories and having others then take their stories as legitimate accounts of history. I suppose to summarize, what I really expected to gain from this trip was further expansion of the single narrative of Africa have learned.

So far this trip has delivered. We arrived in Cape Town a few days ago, and I can not get over how beautiful this place is. I expected a bit of nature (a welcomed reprieve from the hustle and bustle of New York City), but this is literally the most beautiful place I have ever been in my life. Here is evidence of said beauty:

But not every area of Cape Town is so picturesque. We traveled to a township today to visit a cultural center. It was a community project that offered different after school programs for youth including music, dancing, and art. I definitely appreciated the fact that the art project was meant to help people learn a profitable trade, but I felt uneasy during the music and dancing class. This could just be the feminist in me, but I found it rather unnerving that all of the young boys played the music, while the young girls did all of the dancing. Their practice space came equipped with a group of chairs for an audience. This also bothered me. It was as though these students were often on display. Then there was driving through the township on a luxury bus as people either waved hello or stared quizzically. I rather enjoyed this one young man who flipped us off. I felt like if a big fancy van full of people with cameras rolled up into my neighborhood, I would have done the same thing.

I think all of these things coupled with the fact that we were were surrounded by other tourists made me feel like an onlooker, rather than a learner. Aside from different conversations I've had with individuals, I'm still looking for more authentic interactions. Thoughts/Comments/Questions?

Libya's Fighting Women

2011-06-30T11:08:00.000-07:00

Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi is calling for fresh volunteers in a months-long war with rebels attempting to end his 42-year rule - and women of all ages are answering. At the training facility in Bani Walid, women are training to "defend Moammar and the country," said Sgt. Faraj Ramadan, a woman who is training other women to properly handle weapons. "They train to use it, assemble it and take it apart, and to shoot," she told CNN recently. "They were trained and got excellent scores."

Women who attended the training would graduate at the end and are then fully eligible to prepare for combat no matter what the age of the women. Is this an attempt at making women equal or to kill them off. Is it a chance to save their government or to return to the conditions they had before. No matter what the reasoning women are fully interested in this opportunity and they are training in the thousands.

A woman, who did not want to identified, fresh from the front lines, attended the graduation of former trainees. She was still wearing a cannula in her wrist."Do not underestimate any woman in Libya, whether old or young," the woman said. "The woman is still able to perform more than you think."

Women from in and around Gadhafi's stronghold of Tripoli have been traveling south to a training facility in Bani Walid to practice with weapons, a common sight in a country where young girls receive military training in schools.As NATO's airstrikes crossed the 100-day mark and rebels continue to fight to oust Gadhafi, he is tapping everything and everyone in his arsenal to hold on to power and to fight to keep him in power. Check the video to see these women in uniform.

Comment and tell how you feel about this issue.

Affirmative Action... On The Basketball Court?

2011-06-27T22:01:00.000-07:00

Zaneta posted this video on facebook wondering what people thought about it. I started to respond in a comment, which quickly grew far too long for facebook's word count... and so here we are.

If you don't want to watch the video, this comment from the youtube page for the video more or less sums up the director's main (ill conceived) point:

None of these "future leaders" don't seem to understand affirmative action. It's all right to cheat a student who worked hard for 12 years to achieve high grades to loose an education to a student with lower grades, but don't weaken their basketball team.

This is partially true, the people that they interviewed don't fully understand how affirmative action works... but neither do the filmmakers.

The Basics of Affirmative Action

First, lets get a major misconception out of the way: quotas are illegal. Schools do not have a certain number or percentage of students from various minority groups that they must admit. Instead, schools and employers set goals for inclusion based on what groups are not being represented, and then they set a time frame during which those goals should be met. However, they face no retribution of for whatever reason these goals are not met. [Source]

In this framework, affirmative action is not a plot to screw more qualified white students out of "their" place in an institution, but rather to keep the concept of diversity firmly in mind when creating a student body or a group of employees. To meet these goals some organizations employ a "points system" whereby being a part of an underrepresented group gets you a certain number of points... but so do your SAT scores, grades, references, your community involvement, and so on. Within this system being a member of an underrepresented group does not get you a free pass into a college or place of employment based on your race, but rather, it affords you a few extra points in light of the fact that (more likely than not) you have faced some amount of race or gender based discrimination in your life that has hindered your ability to get stellar references/grades/whatever.

Basically, affirmative action comes down to two major concepts: generating diversity AND acknowledging the uneven playing field that exists, and taking that into account when making decisions about people. [Click to learn the truth behind some more myths about affirmative action!]

So Why Shouldn't We Apply Affirmative Action to Basketball Teams?

Basically, if we lived in a world free of race and gender based discrimination, where everyone was afforded comparable resources and opportunities to succeed then, yes, affirmative action would be silly. But that is not the world we live in. In order to apply the concept of affirmative action to basketball, we'd have to make a compelling argument that white people are facing some sort of systemic discrimination that hinders them from achieving in basketball.

Or, as the filmmaker so eloquently put it...

"How is like, academic ability really different from athletic ability. [...] I mean athletics is the same thing as academic ability."

Although none of the people in the interviews made the final cut of this short film could answer the question, I can! Academic success is largely influenced by a student's environment. While raw academic ability can provide students with an edge, ultimately they need a strong and supportive background in which that ability can be nurtured to succeed. Children who grow up in poverty tend to lack that background: they don't go to schools with funding for fantastic teachers and up to date equipment and textbooks, they often go to school hungry and return to homes where . It just so happens, due to the social structures in place due (in part) to the United State's history of slavery and race-based discrimination against immigrants, that people of color tend to be disproportionately impacted by the cycle* of poverty.

This same argument can be applied to basketball. Players who can afford great coaches, nourishing food, the time to practice, and so on will have an edge over other players. Are white basketball players somehow systemically being denied these resources? If anything, given what we know about who tends to be impacted by the cycle of poverty, the opposite can be argued in terms of the big picture. White people are more likely to have access to these resources... so why, again, should they get a leg up when trying out for a basketball team?

All of this said, I think the affirmative action model could use some improvement... luckily I am not alone in that belief!

In this modern day and age many institutions and politicians are considering and experimenting with shifting to a model that focuses more on socioeconomic status. This makes tons of sense to me since people with money tend to have access to better resources (like homes in good public school districts, money for private schools, money for SAT tutors, the freedom to take an unpaid internship, and so on) not to mention the fact that they also have their basic needs (food, shelter, clothing) met, thus freeing their minds to focus on getting ahead rather than just surviving. Although people of color disproportionately tend to be forced into this cycle, systems that looks primarily at socioeconomic status are a viable way of ensuring that all people living in poverty get assistance in breaking the cycle.

At the end of the day, if affirmative action was simply about giving certain groups of people a leg up for no discernible reason, the video's argument would make perfect sense. Its not though. I'd challenge the directors of this film to point to the social structures that keep white kids from excelling at basketball (while subsequently putting black children in a position to excel at it.) If someone can convince institutions that the basketball field isn't equally accessible, then it would make sense to look at ways of leveling it... but until that argument can be made, affirmative action on the basketball court just doesn't make sense.

*********

Crossposted at Imagine Today

* Why is it called a cycle? I mean think about it, if your parents are poor they are not going to be able to provide you with the food you need to focus in school, a home in a well-off school district, tutors when you fall behind, etc. Thus, you are more likely to not make it to college and not go on to get a better job than your parents, thus setting your children up for a disadvantage. This is why it is called a cycle - its not to say that people don't break out every day, its just acknowledging that the odds are stacked against them. Affirmative action is one way of evening out those odds.

"Glitter Bombs" for Equality?

2011-06-18T10:49:00.000-07:00

First it was Newt Gingrich...

Then it was Pawlenty...

And TODAY, Michelle Bachman became the latest receiver of the glitter shower.

The glitterings seem to only be related in the sense that the first incident inspired other individuals to act independently, but the latest video of the glittering calls for people everywhere to join the "glitterati movement." While the first person to throw glitter was not involved with GetEqual, the organization is now asking for others to "Get Equal" with glitter.

I literally can't decide how I feel about throwing glitter on politicians. A part of me thinks it's hilarious and harmless and bringing much needed attention to some anti-queer happenings, but another part of me can't help but feel that it will ultimately hurt queer political efforts. Some folks are calling the glitter showers "glitter bombs" and categorizing them as assaults.

The latest glitter protester explains the reasons behind her actions:

How do you feel about it?

Weinerlogues strong language warning

2011-06-17T09:45:00.000-07:00

How does one continue to hold office after this? Thoughts? Reactions?

The “Gay Girl in Damascus” Hoax didn’t cause any real harm…right?

2011-06-14T10:56:00.000-07:00

MacMaster with his Che shirt trying to get brown activist-street cred

Cross-posted at BornLikeThis.

Daniel Nassar and other amazing activists and bloggers who are actually living in totalitarian states think otherwise. As reported, hoax-man Tom MacMaster kind of apologized for the lies, but in the end he feels as though he's brought light to an issue near and dear to his heart. He's even joked about writing a book about the entire process. Tom thinks he's doing the world a great justice by speaking for a group of people, but I wonder if he's ever spoken to Syrian LGBTQ folks about their needs.

Daniel Nassar has something to say to Mr. MacMaster:

"I'm so outraged I can't even type well.

Mr. Tom MacMaster, with due respect, has the audacity to say on the blog he created over the last two years that he did not harm anyone with his fictional writing; I beg to differ.

Because of you, Mr. MacMaster, a lot of the real activists in the LGBT community became under the spotlight of the authorities in Syria. These activists, among them myself, had to change so much in their attitude and their lives to protect themselves from the positional harm your little stunt created. You have, sir, put a lot of lives, mine and some friends included, in harm's way so you can play your little game of fictional writing.

This attention you brought forced me back to the closet on all the social media websites I use; cause my family to go into a frenzy trying to force me back into the closet and my friends to ask me for phone numbers of loved ones and family members so they can call them in case I disappeared myself. Many people who are connected to me spent nights worrying about me and many fights I had with my family were because you wanted to play your silly game of the media.

You feed the foreign media an undeniable dish of sex, religion and politics and you are now leaving us with this holier-than-thou semi-apologize with lame and shallow excuses of how you wanted to bring attention to the right people on the ground. I'm sorry, you're not on the ground, you don't know the ground and you don't even belong to the culture of the people on the group.

You took away my voice, Mr. MacMaster, and the voices of many people who I know. To bring attention to yourself and blog; you managed to bring the LGBT movement in the Middle East years back. You single-handedly managed to bring unwanted attention from authorities to our cause and you will be responsible for any LGBT activist who might be yet another fallen angel during these critical time.

I'm outraged, and if I lived in a country where I can sue you, I would."

Well said! Silencing those who are oppressed so that your own voice can be heard is not liberation. Rather, Tom has committed liberally-educated "do-good" work that he was only able to accomplish because he comes from a place of privilege. I hope he is held accountable for his actions, and if he decides to publish a book, it should primarily feature actual Syrian LGBTQ voices.

Humor is NOT an excuse for homophobia, Tracy Morgan

2011-06-12T08:52:00.000-07:00

Cross-Posted at BornLikeThis (A new project I'll be writing for!)

Actor and comedian Tracy Morgan recently went on a huge homophobic rant during one of his shows. Here are some excerpts (trigger warning):

-”All this gay shit is crazy”
-”Born This Way is bullshit”
-”Gay is a choice because God don’t make no mistakes”
-”There is no way a woman could love and have sexual desire for another woman”
-”Gays need to quit being pussies and not be whining about something as insignificant as bullying”
-”Gay is something that kids learn from the media and programming”
-If Tracy’s son was gay…he “better talk to me like a man and not in a gay voice or I’ll pull out a knife and stab that little n**** to death”
-Tracy said he “doesn’t f***ing care if he pisses off some gays, because if they can take a f***ing dick up their ***…they can take a f***ing joke.”

Did any of that sound like a “joke” to you? You may feel differently about it, but I think he really feels that way. From Comedy Central Roasts to a former Seinfeld cast member spewing out the “N”-word, comedians often get away with a lot more than other celebrities. How are we to hold comedians accountable when lines are clearly crossed? Thoughts? Reactions?

**Update** Tracy has issued an official apology for his rant. Is it too little too late?

Transphobia and Thailand's Ladyboys

2011-06-08T10:18:00.000-07:00

Gender is cultural.

Gender is understood differently in different parts of the world.

Transnational gender experiences and identities are not meant for humor/entertainment! Meet the LadyBoys of Thailand:

This message goes out to The Hangover II and Uberhumor! Now don't get me wrong, I loved The Hangover II. While the plot was basically identical to the first one, the situations were way more ridiculous and absurd. I laughed out loud (quite embarrassingly so) for almost the entire movie, except for one section. One of the main characters sleeps with a dancer whom he believes is a cis woman. He later comes to find that she has a penis. Now the feminist in me would love to think that the writers of The Hangover II were trying to push the lines of the gender binary and beauty standards. But the realist in me knows that this plot turn was intended to add a gross-factor, as evident of the movie theater's collective reaction of "Ewwww....grosss...that's sick, ect...."

Along the same lines, the website Uberhumor (which claims to be the funniest site on the web), posted a set of pictures recently that asked their readers to "pick out the transsexuals from the girls." After clicking a link, it is revealed that all of them are "actually boys" and competitors of the Miss LadyBoy Pageant in Thailand. The joke is on the reader for thinking that any of these beautiful people were "real women." Get it? Hahaha (SARCASM).

Ladyboys are actually apart of a third gender category in Thailand, and are somewhat similar to the Hijras of India. While not quite equivalent to trans women in the states, they definitely blur the gender binary! But movie audiences and blog "test" takers are not going to see rich histories or vibrant culture. They're going to see a chick with a dick, and react the way their upbringing has told them to react, with disgust and fear. I don't see any humor at all in that.

HIV/AIDS: A Reflection on 30 Years

2011-06-05T17:11:00.000-07:00

It has been 30 years since the CDC issued its first report about a new disease that was initially thought to be a rare form of pneumonia. Many doctors thought these rapidly fatal symptoms in homosexual men to be a rare form of cancer. From pneumonia to GRID (gay-related immune disease) to HIV/AIDS, the medical field has attempted to understand the disease we have come to know as HIV/AIDS in ways that have stigmatized people living with the virus.

In response to a lack of support by the government for medical treatment and non-discrimination, many folks came together in the early 1990s through an organization called ACT Up to demand direct action to end the AIDS crisis. The work of ACT Up through rallies, kiss ins, and courageous activism moved the nation to think of people with HIV/AIDS as individuals demanding respect and equal rights.

While progress has been made as Obama recently promised increased support for HIV/AIDS research and prevention, HIV/AIDS continues to be understood by many people as a "gay" disease. How many gay men have heard from family members on multiple occasions that they need to be safe because HIV/AIDS is a "gay" disease? I know I have, and yet my family does not understand when I explain to them how HIV/AIDS can affect ANYONE and it has. 60 million+ people around the globe are infected with HIV/AIDS and 30 million+ have died from AIDS-related illnesses. Even though some institutional support has been given to help prevent the spread of HIV, there is still a 30 year build up of ideas, stigmas, stereotypes, and beliefs about HIV/AIDS that need to be deconstructed and educated about. I think it is important that this prevention work also include education work. Education for people living with the virus, for family of people living with HIV/AIDS and for the other people who could be at risk for the contact with the virus. Many grassroots organizations and NGOs around the globe treat their patients medically and emotionally by offering counseling to patients and their families/friends about living with HIV/AIDS and being supportive.

OK...thirty years later, what are the next steps? As feminists and activists, what are your thoughts?

For those of you who are interested in doing further exploration, start with this article in the NYT from 1981 and work your way to today! Hopefully, you can come up with some thoughts about next steps.

http://www.nytimes.com/1981/07/03/us/rare-cancer-seen-in-41-homosexuals.html

I'm not racist but...

2011-05-31T09:30:00.000-07:00

MY NEW OBSESSION!!!

Check out this amazing blog that collects facebook writings that contain some form of "I'm not racist but..."

Here are some of the worst ones so far, click to enlarge (TRIGGER WARNING)

I definitely encountered a person or two (or several) in my college days that spouted some similar garbage. I always find it interesting that the people who use this type of language will try to distance themselves from "real racism." As though they are just saying what everyone is thinking. Racism is racism, regardless of whether or not you put a disclaimer on it. If you have facebook friends worthy of this site, submit a status or two!

"Marriage matters"...so does racism...Trust People of Color!

2011-05-27T10:33:00.000-07:00

Check out this video from a New York based "family research" organization.

Did you notice anything interesting? Perhaps how the speakers were entirely white men, yet the van was full of faces/families of color. One might say that the van is purposefully targeting religious people of color as pawns for their own political agenda? I don't know. Maybe I'm ready too much into this.

But you have to admit that with the recent anti-choice billboards funded by white men and aimed towards communities of color seem awfully similar. It feels like white politicians and zealots dictating what communities of color should really fear: abortions and gay people.

Well I have one message to all those who use these political tactics:

TRUST PEOPLE OF COLOR

We don't need you posting billboards or driving vans up into our communities pretending you care for our well being. As a matter of fact, trust all marginalized and oppressed communities to make their own decisions. Maybe you should be looking at the distribution of wealth in this country instead? That's the real threat to our well being.

No Homo

2011-05-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

An interesting look at just how ridiculous "No Homo" is...

Thoughts? Reactions?

I Will Attend NYC Pride

2011-05-21T19:42:00.000-07:00

Dan Savage is wrong for his transphobia and racism, 100% wrong, the LGBT Community cannot allow such a visible and public figure to make such disturbingly bigoted statements. Leaders in the LGBT Community should publicly question his remarks.

But not going to NYC Pride because of Dan Savage? No, I will attend the event. It is one of the largest and most visible LGBT events in the world, and only gets bigger each year. It is still a most effective way to spread a general message to the non-LGBT society of uncompromising tolerance. All things considered, I still believe the amount of good that comes out of NYC Pride far outweighs any shortcoming (so far). This should not be the criterion for everything, but for a major event such rationale is valid.

What about the other Grand Marshal? No, not Terry Miller, I mean Rev. Pat Bumgardner (pictured). She is the Senior Pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church. She has dedicated her life to combating racism and transphobia and in many ways her actions speak much louder than Dan Savage's words. She is being honored for her work, and is just as much a Grand Marshal as Dan Savage. Totally boycotting the NYC Pride on account of Dan Savage's past comments would be to allow his divisive remarks to overshadow this woman's good works.

So is a boycott even appropriate? Would it be an overreaction to cut off contact with Pride due to remarks that Dan Savage alone made? He is being honored as Grand Marshall over his actions regarding the "It Get's Better" project. This message is clear because he is honored together with his partner, who was a co-creator of the project. This action serves as an acknowledgment of their work creating a grass-roots campaign that has indisputably touched many peoples' lives and helped push government action. Its not so much about Dan Savage alone as it is about the "It Gets Better" project.

His selection is not a validation of everything Dan Savage has said in his career. Do Dan Savage's comments invalidate the "It Get's Better" project for which he is being honored? Do they invalidate the messages from hundreds of contributors to the project, from the President to ordinary high schoolers? Do they invalidate the emotions that the campaign evoked in countless LGBT folks who reflected on their own experiences with bullying and desire to do good--from all around the world? The "It Gets Better Project" will likely go down in LGBT history as a touching and overwhelming response to utterly tragic events. The creators of this memorable phenomenon should be honored for such a creation.

Whether directly or indirectly, to boycott NYC Pride is to also boycott the reason they are honoring Dan Savage and Terry Miller together.

The truth of the matter is that boycotts are effective only when properly planned and executed. If not, then they are simply ceremonial in significance. If one wanted to pursue the maximum amount of change in the little time before Pride, then the best way would be to reach out to the committee in charge of Pride and actually explain one's cause for offense. This is more rational, and does not create an "us vs. them" mentality-something the LGBT Community must avoid. If a small, but vocal minority of people show dissatisfaction, then perhaps that may be more effective.

There are more constructive ways. Perhaps a campaign to pressure those in charge of organizing the event to give Dan Savage an opportunity to publicly recant his remarks at the event? Or maybe a push for more promotion dedicated to promoting racial and gender identity expression within the LGBT Community at the event?

Boycotts are options of last resort, when dialogue has been exhausted. Has a dialogue even been properly tried? One cannot treat all organizations whose decisions one disagrees with equally. Boycott Target, not NYC Pride. If you wish everyone in the LGBT Community to be on the same side, you have to treat those who you have wronged you within the Community with a greater willingness to engage in dialogue. Treating them like enemies will only create enemies.

Why I won't be attending NYC Pride this year...

2011-05-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

Two words: Dan Savage.

Dan Savage will be one of the Grand Marshalls for this year's Pride parade.

I know that the "It Gets Better" campaign has been widely criticized for its limited message and lack of understanding of privilege. I understand/agree with that critique, but I also recognize that the campaign has done a lot of good for a lot of people. This personal boycott of NYC Pride is not because of "It Gets Better," it's about Dan Savage. TRIGGER WARNING!

During the recent Proposition 8 vote in California, Savage went on several rants blaming the "Black vote" for the injustice that was Prop 8. Check out part of his rant:

“I do know this, though: I’m done pretending that the handful of racist gay white men out there—and they’re out there, and I think they’re scum—are a bigger problem for African Americans, gay and straight, than the huge numbers of homophobic African Americans are for gay Americans, whatever their color. This will get my name scratched of the invite list of the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, which is famous for its anti-racist-training seminars, but whatever. Finally, I’m searching for some exit poll data from California. I’ll eat my shorts if gay and lesbian voters went for McCain at anything approaching the rate that black voters went for Prop 8.”

Racism--check.

How is this racist? Well the pitting of one community against another both detrimental to building a collective movement against injustice, not to mention inaccurate for this specific case. While data shows that African Americans in California did vote 70 percent to pass Prop 8, they only represented 9% of the overall vote. Members of the media, including Savage, were so quick to blame the "Black vote" (as if there is one Black consciousness/vote) after the proposition passed because it was easy and quick. It completely disregarded queer people of color as existing, and

Dan Savage has also spewed some pretty transhphobic bile. He referred to trans women sex workers as "shemales":

"going down on a shemale escort shores up your heterosexual bona fides. Gay guys don’t frequent and/or fellate shemale escorts (on purpose or by accident); getting with shemales is an entirely straight-male pursuit. So you can go right on identifying as straight, RAGE. Of course you aren’t totally straight—try thinking of yourself as something more than straight, not less—but you’re close enough that you can round yourself down to straight with a clear conscience. (Offer void the day you start blowing hemale escorts.)"

Savage also has some sickening advice for a mother whose ex-partner is a transitioning MtF woman and wants to spend time with their child (emphasis mine):

"Children have a right to some stability and constancy from the adults in their lives. Perhaps I'm a transphobic bigot, but I honestly think waiting a measly 36 months to cut your dick is a sacrifice any father should be willing to make for his 15-year-old son. Call me old-fashioned.

Unfortunately, your ex wasn't willing to make that sacrifice (selfish tranny!), or it never occurred to him to make that sacrifice (stupid tranny!).... If your son can't deal with having his dad/mom/whatever around right now, support him and tell his dad/mom/whatever to leave the two of you alone for the time being."

Transphobia--check.

Why is this transphobic? Using male/dismissive pronouns when the woman's ex partner is clearly identifying as a woman is unacceptable. Using the word "tranny" ???? Come on...

Savage also has some pretty opinionated/misinformed/trite things to say about asexuality.

This comment was from one of his readers:

I am asexual. I have never been interested in sex, with anyone. But I only discovered that asexuality even existed several months into a relationship. Was this my fault? I told my boyfriend, fully expecting to be "dumped" as you recommended to your caller. Instead he told me he was okay with it, and expressed full willingness to find alternative ways of showing our love. Three years later, we're still together.

Thank you for you time. I don't normally send emails of this sort, but your comments feel to me like a personal attack on my orientation, and with the details of asexuality so widely unknown, I don't appreciate this spread of misinformation. In the future when people are looking for an explanation of asexuality, you might refer them to www.asexuality.org.

Stephanie

If you were expecting a sincere apology, response, or even recognition that he was misinformed about asexuality, you expected too much. Instead, Savage responded with this:

I appreciate the feedback, Stephanie, and I'm sorry I offended you. But... um... I couldn't help but think, as I read your letter, that your boyfriend is either a fool or a fag. But if it works for you guys—if a romantic relationship devoid of sexual attraction and activity works for you guys—then it works for you guys. Who am I to argue with success?

And as much as Savage claims to be against LGBT bullying, does he not realize that size also plays into youth bullying? You wouldn't know it by this post:

"Every time I read something about childhood obesity... this Tim Minchin song starts to play in my head. Yes, it's harsh, brutal even, very nearly bullying. But... um... you gotta admit that there's a (grain) Cinnabun or two of truth to it."

I'm over it y'all. I think that if Dan Savage is going to continue to be such a prominent figure for LGBTQ issues, he should be held a hell of a lot more accountable for the shit he says, the communities he silences, and the experiences he ignores. I don't know...how do you feel about it?

Massachusetts Bullying Case

2011-05-09T12:35:00.000-07:00

15-year old Phoebe Prince took her own life after being continuously ridiculed by fellow school mates. She was physically attacked, verbally abused and emotionally unstable due to the careless acts committed by friends of a former boyfriend of hers. the case has been surrounded around 6 students allegedly involved in the bullying. The most amazing part of this story is the amount of time and investigation Massachusetts has put in to reveal the truth about this child's suicide. She was a young, innovative girl who made one decision that turned into misery, not by choice but by antagonizing peers.

The day she took her life she was followed from the library all the way home, being bullied and verbally abused by student s who found they acts harmless. There is nothing harmless about any abuse or injury to anyone's emotions or state of mind. To bully is too attack the feelings and to devour the soul in ways unexplainable. This teenage girl had been repeatedly faced with the effects of jealousy and hate and yet no one has received jail time. Even with people admitting to have taken part in the bullying there is no sentencing, but a lot of probation. However,those who are eligible to have time in jail will be readmitted to the court house once of age to decide what shall be done. I am saddened to once again see that the lives of amazing children in the world are be taken by the acts of careless individuals who do not care to watch how they treat people or consider for a moment what their actions may cause.

TRi find out more about this case visit : http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/05/05/massachusetts.bullying.trial/index.html

Hip Hop: Beyond the Beats & Rhymes

2011-05-05T16:36:00.000-07:00

If you have never seen this film by Byron Hurt, PLEASE WATCH! Seriously. Instead of listening to Ashley Judd's misguided dismissal of most Hip Hop, educate yourself:

A very fun/effective alternative to youth fat shaming...

2011-05-04T14:29:00.000-07:00

Brought to you by our amazing First Lady, Michelle Obama!

Fat Shaming the Youth

2011-05-03T13:28:00.000-07:00

I get it. I get that childhood obesity is an exponentially growing issue. But is this the solution:

Where are the solutions in these ads? There are no proactive steps to help curve obesity, simply a depiction of how miserable all "overweight" people are. Parents are also being shamed for making their children "fat," but I wonder how many households have access/can afford organic fresh foods, or have safe/plentiful open spaces to run around in.

And what are the real messages behind these ads:
"Be skinny, or people will make fun of you." Shouldn't we be sending out messages to the folks making fun of others to not bully? I understand that it is a wonderful thing for folks to be healthy, but skinny does not always equal healthy, nor does a higher BMI always equal unhealthy.

Your thoughts? Have these Georgia ads gone too far?

Want more proof?

2011-04-28T11:18:00.000-07:00

I posted below about how race will affect the way the vicious crimes against Chrissy Lee Polis, the trans woman who was attacked in a Baltimore McDonald's last week, and I was right. Check out this disgusting comment from an LGBT blog that caters to a "progressive" audience operating out of San Francisco:

(Click Picture to enlarge)

Hmmmm...I was not aware that white neighborhoods were safe for everyone and black neighborhoods were safe for no one. I'm a little too bitter to comment further on this. Make your own conclusions in the comment section!

Hey Gaga...Maybe I was born this way...

2011-04-26T23:12:00.000-07:00

I've been debating for a while whether or not to write this post. It's a bit personal and a wee bit triggering, but I feel like it's something really important to talk about.

I'm queer. <---- Not a surprise. However, I'm not actually certain I was born this way.

I don't mean to bring up overused stereotypes, but I often question how my sexual orientation may have differed if I wasn't a survivor. This is not to say that all survivors end up queer. If 25% of women and 11% of men experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime, clearly not all queer people are survivors and not all survivors are queer. But speaking from my own personal experience and realizations (as well as many a years of counseling and mentorship), I'm pretty comfortable talking about my status as a survivor and recognizing that is absolutely has played a role in my sexuality.

Now I know that "born this way" has been, and will continue to be an anthem for many generations of queer folk, but I ask you to consider the consequences of this single definition of how queerness occurs. Thanks to genetic testing and mapping, studies upon research upon experiments have been used to find the "gay gene." In some scientific spheres, gay is treated as a genetic mutation and an eventually curable disease.

I get why it's important to understand that queerness is not a choice, especially in terms of legal and human rights. But we have to recognize that queerness can be nature and/or nurture. And by nurture, I refer to life experiences, not teaching or brainwashing. Sexual violence is real, and I'm done pretending I was 'born this way," because I'm not sure I was.

But dear Gaga and all the little monsters out there...Maybe I was born this way, but maybe I wasn't...and that's ok too.

So a message to all those struggling with identity out there: YOU ARE NOT ALONE. YOU ARE NOT WRONG. YOU ARE NOT SICK OR DAMNED...YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL & LOVED & STRONG. STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF!

Sadness and Anger All Around

2011-04-22T15:15:00.000-07:00

Please watch this (violence/transphobic trigger warning):

(The unidentified trans woman) Chrissy Lee Poliswas brutally assaulted by two McDonald's patrons in Maryland while the majority of the employees stood by and watched the violence take place. At one point, one of the employees even began to laugh at the scene.

I bring this video to your attention for two reasons.

1. It's fucked up. The two patrons who committed this violence should be arrested. McDonalds should be forced to implement a cultural sensitivity training/bystander intervention training for all of their store managers. This woman deserves justice and compensation for her medical bills.

2. Racism still affects how these stories are shared and analyzed especially in the queer community. Want evidence?:

This comment was on the popular blog Bilerico for a while after the story first broke. I know that online commentary is notoriously full of bigotry, but COME ON. This is a progressive queer blog, not youtube. Thankfully the comment was removed in time, but nevertheless I still had to read it, as I'm sure other people of color had to as well.

If this video had been of two white cis women attacking a white trans woman, everyone would have analyzed it as solely transphobic. No one's race would have been used as reasoning for the act of violence. And the label transphobia would not have been attributed to all white people.

This video is terrible. I hope the victim receives justice. But I also hope I can interact with my community without having to constantly worry about if the color of my skin makes people uncomfortable.

TAKE ACTION:

Sign this petition AND call the phone number to the Maryland: Violent Crimes Division 410-887-6610

My Princess Boy

2011-04-20T08:01:00.000-07:00

Five-year-old Dyson Kilodavis' preference of pink and princess dresses inspired his mom to write a book on tolerance. His family has supported his decision and his preference o f dresses and have learned to listen to their child and help him pursue his happiness. His mother and father were trying to force gender role norms on their child and it took for Dyson's older brother to tell his parents "Just let him be happy."

His mom wrote a book called My Princess Boy, inspired by her son and to open people's eyes to acceptance and understanding that children do what makes them happy. By forcing them to break these habits,we are pushing them into boxes they do not wish to be placed. We force them into these ideal images of what their role tells them to be and that is not the case. This experience has opened her eyes to listen to her children and she believe she has a responsibility to nurture her child's happiness. It makes Dyson happy to know that his family is supporting him and wants nothing but happiness for him. I'm happy to see such changes in the world occurring, but we are far from done with changing views.

Bad-Ass Folk!: Jessica Yee

2011-04-13T09:34:00.000-07:00

April's Bad Ass is" multiracial Indigenous hip-hop feminist reproductive justice freedom fighter!" Jessica Yee!

Jessica impacted me SO much at this year's CLPP conference. My comfort and knowledge were challenged, in a very good way, for the first time in a long time. Yee is the founder and current director of the Native Youth Sexual Health Network, and has recently released Feminism FOR REAL: Deconstructing the Academic Industrial Complex of Feminism. I just ordered my copy, I hope you will too if you are able. If not, there are some great excepts available online! Everything Jessica presented at the conference was on point. Yee even put to words what I've never been able to.

I often feel as though when folks, specifically in the classroom or activist settings, say that they're "my ally in my struggles," it's total bullshit. It usually comes from a place of sympathy after reading about "people like me" in one of their sociology classes (I say "people like me" to represent a lot of different oppressed identities I carry: poor, inner-city, person of color, queer, genderqueer...etc.) When was the last time folks ventured into my neighborhood or even spoke to someone "like me" outside of the classroom or conference? I don't want you as an ally if you're afraid of where I come from. Yee brought up this idea of "consensual allyship" that really blew me away. Will definitely change the way I interact with well intentioned, misinformed folks. I personally wanted to say thank you, but I never got the chance to at CLPP. Read more about Jessica here.

Say hello to Jess!

2011-04-12T15:10:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone! My name is Jessica and I am a student, intersectional feminist, privilege caller-outer, and real language finicker. I am graduating in May with a Bachelor's degree in Psychology and Social Science (Women's/Gender Studies), and want to make a career out of learning to facilitate conversations around social justice issues. I am honored to be blogging here with the opportunity to work with such awesome people.

Feminism is the lens through which I try to understand the world around me, and my place in it as a complex human being. I make an effort to understand myself in different ways as both oppressed AND an oppressor; it was Paulo Freire who said that in the act of oppressing others we lose our own humanity. So while I am exploring my own and learning about others' identities, I do (frequently) stumble over my own privilege. I blog about the ways that different personal and social identities, and relationships between groups of people, are influenced by systems and dominant ideas of power. I love activism, and I love teaching and organizing and writing as a form of protest!! I am excited to be here.

"Feminism directly confronts the idea that one person or set of people [has] the right to impose definitions of reality on others." -Liz Stanley and Sue Wise

#CLPP30 Disability Justice and Reproductive Justice

2011-04-10T22:42:00.000-07:00

CLPP Recap: Disability justice and reproductive justice

This weekend was my first time experiencing the amazing and inspiring Civil Liberties and Public Policy (CLPP) conference at Hampshire College…and just in time for its THIRTIETH anniversary (commemorated by three large dance break-outs/parties in just two days). I’ve honestly been exposed to so much that my head is still spinning, and I will send out recaps from the workshops as I process all of the information over the next week.

Here is a recap of the Saturday workshop “Disability Justice and Reproductive Justice.” More than anything it painted a broad picture of Disability Justice (DJ)’s complex and rocky relationship with community health services and the medical profession. It showed how problematic it is to even define words like “disability,” let alone talk about it when there are so many misconceptions about what it is and how it interacts with other personal/individual and social/group identities.

Before the workshop even started, we all got a nice disclaimer about how everyone has the right to define mental illness and abnormality/atypicality for themselves. There is a wide spectrum of natural human emotions, along which we may try to identify a “norm” and then “outliers”…but there is so much variance it doesn’t even matter. Everyone will experience “disability” at some point in their life. The more that I collect life experience, the more I realize the “everyone-has-a-story” rule absolutely applies to disability, too. EVERYONE will experience (at least temporary) disability at some point in their life - you know, “unless they die first”.

Whether it’s something that’s widely accommodated, like needing eyeglasses, or something “invisible,” like chronic pain or a neurological disorder; everybody has or will have something. If we think about it that way, it completely flips the idea of providing “extra” or “abnormal” accommodations, and shows that accessibility should be the norm the way that people who need some form of accommodation are the norm. People who are not stereotypically abled ARE the de facto majority; and, I’ll bet, the numerical majority. People who are mostly temporarily abled have somehow falsely been accorded power and privilege that leads them to push everyone else to the margins.

Please see diagram below:

Do you see what changes here if we start perceiving everyone as having some form of disability?

Anyway, another big take-away was the idea of “making space for the body” – both literal and figurative. Physically, it can mean things like allowing room for wheelchairs to move between aisles of chairs in a classroom. This example particularly resonated with me because during my first year facilitating a group for first-year college students, we played an icebreaker where I set up a giant game of Twister on the linoleum floor. We used fun questions like “If you have an exotic pet, do XYZ,” and I thought it went over really well. Although no one opted out, I immediately realized afterwards how exclusionary it could easily have been.

I realized that because it was our first meeting, I hadn’t known whether any of the students would be using a wheelchair or have other accessibility issues. But now, I also wonder whether there might have been an invisible disability that no one spoke up about. For example, I have a friend who lives with very bad arthritis, and sometimes just climbing a staircase can be very painful – much less, I imagine, a game of Twister!

Reflecting on invisible/visible disability, as well as creating accessible spaces as part of a norm that necessitates inclusion, really resonated with me. Figuratively, “making space for the body” can mean creating spaces for conversations and dialogue about the body and accessibility; which I hope is starting here. I’m going to add another post where I will speak to more of my own experiences with disability and identity and justice. In the meantime, check out some of these resources:

Leaving Evidence
A blog by panelist Mia Mingus, "a queer disabled woman of color korean adoptee working, creating and loving towards wholeness and connection, love and liberation."

The Freedom Center
A huge resource for learning about disability, justice, and empowerment. Also the home of Madness Radio!
Panelists Dana Grace Keller and Caty Simons’ organization.

Matters of Justice
A fellow blogspot blog by panelist Martina Robinson.

**Crossposted at Starts With Me and the CLPP 30th Anniversary Blog.

#CLPP30 Toys and Spots

2011-04-09T20:47:00.001-07:00

This session was amazing! If you ever get the chance to stop into a sex positive sex toy shop like Babeland or Good Vibrations: Do it!!!!

Speaker Yana who writes for Curve and a bunch of other publications was engaging and personable. While I'm pretty familiar with toy maintenance and sex ed, I did learn something new. So you may or may not know that male and female sexual organs start off exactly the same, and later develop differently. For example, the testes mirror the ovaries or the clitoris mirrors the penis.

The new thing I learned was that the prostate (in male-bodied folk) is similar to the g-spot in vaginas. So when we talk about orgasms and spots, we can talk about g-spots, c-spots (clits), and p-spots (prostates). Don't stress yourself out if you've never had a g-spot or p-spot orgasm. You're not abnormal or broken. Many folks dont climax this way. Orgasm is a personal exploration and can mean different sensations, vibration, and or penetration for different folks. Yana also pointed us to a local shop called Oh My in Northampton. Let's just say I put my lessons to good use.

Awesome session.

Hampshire Liveblog: Toys & Spots

2011-04-09T11:25:00.000-07:00

What did we learn in sex ed? Not much for a lot of us... very little about contraception, safe sex, non-hetero sex, etc.
Where did you learn about pleasure? Experience, experimenting, work, friends, Google, Wikipedia, HBO, friends...

The point: we don't really learn about pleasure in sex ed or schools, we've learned by observing & experimenting. As a result we're often missing information and lacking a place to fill in those gaps.

Just a warning, this may not be safe for work (unless you work somewhere cool!) so be aware before you click.

[I can't figure out how to make a cut so click here to read it on Wordpress!]

#CLPP30 Colonized Spaces, Criminalized Bodies

2011-04-08T14:26:00.001-07:00

Lived experiences are so powerful.
The session started out a little rough. I think when there are traditional academic moderators introducing a panel of real-life academics, power and privilege always become evident. After a some what long-winded introduction by a professor, Theresa Martinez blew me away. She started by apologizing for her 9th grade education and her nerves. But she then went on to say some of the most profound words I have ever heard about prison, prostitution, sterlization, addiction, systematic abuse, and how institutional classism and racism negate choice. She ended her section of the panel with showing the audience her parole release papers. 26 years of parole. Who needs a doctorate degree to change the world?
Next was Pooja Gehi, a member of the Sylvia Rivera Law Project in NYC. Although I was familiar with the problematic issues with hate crime legislation, I think a lot of folks in the room were shocked. The fact that hate crime laws actually work to give more resources to police who then terrorize poor communities of color. Specifically, transwomen face over policing and brutality just for "walking while trans." For more info about this, check out the new Queers for Economic Justice Project: "The New Queer Agenda" edited by Lisa Duggan! You can also google the case of "The New Jersey Four" which actually used hate crime laws to charge Black lesbian women with a more serious offense against a heterosexual man. (IE they were lesbians so they must hate men)
And finally, JESSICA YEE! She was amazing. Self described as a "Two-Spirit Indigenous hip-hop feminist reproductive justice freedom fighter," she began her section by asking the room whose land we were on. Three people in the entire room of over a hundred people knew. "How dare we talk about colonization if we don't even know who's land we're on!" I've got to be honest, after this exchange happened...I stopped taking notes and focused intensely on her wealth of knowledge. One really powerful point she made about the ridiculously high rates of death and disappearences of native women in Canada and The United States. She then goes on to rightfully critique orgs like NOW that simply feature or tolerate a First Nations speaker here or there when they feel like it. "If 18,000 white women went missing, don't you think feminists would be up in arms?"
She then went on to share jaw-dropping stats about the high rates of sexual abuse, childhood molestation, and depression of native women. Look her up. Read her work. She just released a new book that really calls out the privileged, white, academic, feminist bullshit we've all been told to use as the main means of educating ourselves and new generations of feminists.
Fuck that. Real-life academics. Lived realities. Study that!
Favorite quotes:
"Outside of the Nation to this systematic fuckery...sorry but English is the tool of the colonizers, and it won't get any help from me"
- Yee
"We can't say that we're all in solidarity because we're all oppressed in the same way....cause we're not"
-Yee
"Education can't come at the cost of our own communities crumbling because we're too tired."
-Yee
"I don't want to have to scare you into caring."
-Yee
"We need consensual allyship. Some communities aren't ready for your imposed partnership. Have you ever even been on a res? How can you be my ally if you don't know who I am?"
-Yee
"I need you just as much as you need me. What are 'we' going to do!"
-Martinez
"This privileged professor asked "how did this happen to you?" And I was like "are you kidding me?" But then I realized he really didn't know. I mean I suffered from reproductive oppression from when I was 10 years-old, but privileged educators have never seen what we seen or been through what we been through. WE have to educate the higher ups too."
-Martinez

#CLPP30 Road trip!

2011-04-08T07:25:00.001-07:00

Blogger Arlene (who will be submitting her first post this weekend) and I are on our way to Hampshire College for the CLPP conference! Bloggers Jill, Jess, and Robin will be there too! Road mixes in hand! Goodbye NJ, hello MA!

Live Blogging...for reals this time!

2011-04-07T19:49:00.001-07:00

I know I was supposed to live blog at creating change, but I was way too drained. This will be third year at this conference, and I CAN NOT WAIT! The energy. The learning. The challenges. I'm beyond ready. Follow the hashtag #CLPP30 for live updates!

Health Inqueery

2011-04-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

The Institute of Medicine released a study of LGBT persons across the United States on March 31st. This study is significant because most LGBT health projects, until now, were organized an executed within the gay community itself. The study came to the ultimate conclusion that more research is needed to accurately assess the health of LGBT Americans.

Here are some of the findings:

There are tremendous gaps in practitioner knowledge and training of the health needs of LGBT people, as well as an overall lack of education regarding the health needs and concerns within the American LGBT Community.
LGBT Americans have poor access to health insurance
High rates of mental health problems, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts/attempts and depression
Increased risk of contracting STI's including, of course, HIV
Lesbians and bisexual women may be at an increased risk for breast cancer, higher rates of obesity and greater rates of smoking and alcohol consumption then heterosexual women
Overall, the LGBT community smokes more than the heterosexual community
Some studies have indicated that long term use of hormone therapy may increase risk of cancer, although the report also noted that more research is required
Older LGBTs are less likely to have access to medical care for the elderly and are less likely to live with partners into old age than their heterosexual counterparts
In American society at large, men typically show more of an interest in sex than women. This pattern occurs within the LGBT community as well

However, more important than a laundry list of health findings and statistics is the underlying cause of those findings: the social pressure of living as a sexual minority. The study notes this truth, but also acknowledges that more research must be conducted to attain a more nuanced understanding of the effects of mainstream society on LGBT people.

Of course their are significant holes in this study. In fact, the study itself acknowledges that. The report recommends that researchers collect more data on gender identity and sexual orientation as well as recommending that researchers include LGBT people in their studies. Also it noted that more needs to be done to account for differences among race, geographical location and socioeconomic status with the LGBT Community

The fact that the study exists is a step in the right direction. Now comes the hard part: qualifying the data and convincing more LGBT people to participate in future health studies (ultimately the success of future studies will boil down to the degree of LGBT participation). Yet overall, the publish of such a report is a victory for equality.

Music for the queer black soul...

2011-04-02T16:19:00.000-07:00

I have been told all of my life that communities of color, specifically the black community, are far more homophobic than "American" (used far too often interchangeably with white) communities. Now, I know and hopefully you know, that this is total bullshit. As a person who identifies as Jamaican, I know exactly where these attitudes come from.

And while homophobia, heterosexism, and anti-queer violence may be more socially accepted in some areas or communities, NO culture is free of these experiences. The issue should not be who is more homophobic, because then folks who think their communities are far superior will become complacent with heterosexism. No one is at that level. Not to mention that there are queer people of color! To write any one country, ethnicity, cultural group, or even city block off as being homophobic and hence unsafe to interact with, the larger queer community is being fractured. For example, I'm not going to sacrifice my Jamaican identity or my love for hip hop music just because I'm queer. Instead, I want to name and dissect the heterosexism and misogyny in the communities I come from so that we can have the tools to change things for the next generation.

This is why I love this video:

POWERFUL (despite the use of alternative lifestyle)

When B.E.T. premiered this video, they edited out any scenes of the two men kissing. The small amount of media coverage this story got called B.E.T. and the black community (because there's just one big one you know) too homophobic to run the video as is. Yet not in one story did writers ask why MTV or VH1 hasn't aired the video at all. Just something to think about.

What are your thoughts?

Truths

2011-03-29T17:27:00.000-07:00

Obama used in another anti-choice ad targeting black women...

2011-03-28T10:42:00.001-07:00

Sickening, I know. This advertisement will be plastered all across Chicago, Obama's hometown, within the next few weeks. As conservatives have proved time and time again, they are all about "saving" children from lower socio-economic backgrounds, but against helping to support them once they're in this world. I wanted to offer some more common realities for our country's future leaders:

-Our next possible leader's parents are told that public assistance such as foodstamps, section 8, welfare, or WIC, will be decreased because they are too taxing on our budget.

-Our next possible leader is forced into an unequal education system where teachers aren't paid enough, books haven't been updated in years, and facilities are in desperate need of repair because they have been deemed as an academic lost cause.

-Our next possible leader is forced into gang-life because no one else is there looking out for them, including the police.

-Our next possible leader may be arrested for several minor offenses, that were only committed as means of survival, as funding for policing and the prison system increases and prisoners are used as cheap sources of labor.

-Our next possible leader is told that their Pell grant is only going to be covering 1/5 of your education costs at a traditional four-year institution.

-Out next possible leader decides they don't want to play your reindeer games of politics because they see how viciously conservative "activists" attack Barack Obama based on the color of his skin:

I'm sorry folks but you can't have it both ways. You can't treat a group of people like a subspecies of human beings while at the same time try to "save them from themselves." No one is falling for it, and black women will not act as your pawns in your attack on women's rights.

EXACTLY...

2011-03-27T14:46:00.000-07:00

Once in a while, you find something that speaks exactly to your experience...

"There's a communist living in the White House"

2011-03-26T20:38:00.000-07:00

As a uke enthusiast (as well as a decent human being), I'm pretty bothered by this:

1) Obama is NOT a communist
2) What the hell is so great about capitalism anyway?
3) Are you seriously trying to invoke Red Scare sentiments (ok fine, I may be impartial to communism, but that's something I won't apologize for, nor is it something that is illegal)
4) "Black liberation" is not Marxist...it's a struggle that was started long before you, still a struggle today, and it's ultimately inevitable...GET OVER IT!
5) In fact, I feel like the source of your issues with Obama are more rooted in
"black liberation" than in communism. (and by "black liberation" I mean of course that Obama is black and you and the "sweet tea drinkers" can't deal)

6) Finally, and perhaps most importantly...you are a terrible singer/uke player...

Higher Ed and Social Justice: Meaningful Diversity

2011-03-24T11:38:00.000-07:00

Meet Alexandra Wallace, aka the 'Asians in the Library' girl...

(ironically, also a political science student)

I'll give you all a minute to recover...pick your jaw up off of the floor...punch a pillow...scream a little

Feel a little better? Yes? Great!

We discussed this video in my Diversity in Higher Education class, and honestly I was shocked that people were shocked. Certainly the amount of diverse ethnicities and cultural groups on college campuses has increased over the years, but that doesn't mean that there is meaningful interaction occurring between us. I am speaking from my own undergraduate experience and I recognize that not all campuses are the same, but as a queer multi-ethnic person I existed differently in different spaces. Not to say that I didn't bring all of my identities into whatever clubs and organizations I was in, but I will say that I was much more aware of the lack of intercultural sensitivity in various instances.

For Example:

A) It was hard being a person of color/socio-economic minority in the one queer organization on campus because I felt some blatant discomfort with those identities. Specifically, when an incident occurred between a cultural-fraternity member and a member of the queer group. There was a lot of talk in the group about "black homophobia." But we know damn well homophobia is everywhere.

B) Someone once told me that I spoke so well for an "inner-city kid."

C) On more than one occasion, I was assumed to be an EOF (Educational Opportunity Fund) student based solely on my skin color.

D) During a club meeting focused around light-skin vs. dark-skin media portrayals and community, I was forced to sit on the light-skin side, which is fine because I am light. But then there was a bunch of talk about how light-skin African Americans didn't choose their complexion. Rather, it was years of sexual violence in their family histories by white slave owners. While light skin and "good hair" are often seen as more beautiful, many folks were enraged but their European bloodlines. This was also fine because this history is a very real, very painful, truth. But I'm half black and half white, and I am not ashamed of or angry at either. I made a very conscious choice to stay quiet about my interracial parents.

E) Sometimes I felt like the only brown face in a sea of queer white friends, and I wasn't sure if I was just a token. I'm sorry, but some days that's just how I felt.

And believe me, I'm not the only one with these types of stories. I once saw an racially-charged fight break out right behind my apartment. There was a group of 15 young men, primarily white with one or two black men among them, and one of the white students said "what's up nigga?" to one of the black students. There was immediate violence, as some might expect, but the white student didn't expect to get punched at all. As he was being tackled to the ground by the black student, all I could hear him say was "I said nigga, not nigger...there's a difference." Who the hell told him there was a difference, and that it was ok for him to use any form of that word? I think he learned his lesson.

The point of all these stories, and this disturbing video, is that getting diverse people on a college campus is NOT enough. Meaningful dialogue might occur naturally, but there's no guarantee. Campus administrators shouldn't feel complacent or as though they've done their diversity duty just because they've recruited people of color. Are clubs organized or comprised of homogeneous students? How are diverse people being supported, and nurtured, and integrated? How are privileged people being challenged? Are we even talking to one another outside of the classroom? Keeping in mind that little interaction is occurring between social-identity groups: If gaining a seat in the student government is purely based on voting, but your school is 77% white, how many people of color are actually being voted into positions of power? Keeping the educational achievement gap in mind, how many professors of color have you actually encountered? And this is just race and ethnicity. I'd need a whole other blog post for different forms of oppression and power and representation.

I'm just frustrated y'all! And I know there are folks out there that are helping to create genuine conversations and learn on college campuses. And I know I hope to be one of those educators one day. But more often than not, this education happens for folks who choose to be challenged. I don't think the Alexandra Wallaces out there are signing up for diversity seminars or intergroup dialogues. How do we reach them!?

On a side note: Ms. Wallace has dropped out of UCLA. Sure we all have freedom of speech, but we better be prepared to deal with the consequences of our words.

How do you feel about it?

Color Me Feminist

2011-03-23T00:06:00.000-07:00

Color Me Feminist is a new project I'm working on that is intended to create an interactive space for folks to share their feminist stories. Contribute and share!

From the website:

Are you a feminist?

Do you want to tell your own feminist story?

We want to hear from people of color, trans/gender non-conforming, people with disabilities, kinky folks, polyamorous folks...anyone who has ever felt silenced by the mainstream...and of course our proactive allies. We want to change the face of feminism!

Submit a picture along with your story, and hopefully your journey will awaken the inner-feminist in someone else!

You can also access Color Me Feminist on the Not Your Average Feminist navigation bar located at the top of this page!

Well....that wasn't very funny at all

2011-03-22T11:03:00.001-07:00

For a former SNL cast member...her material has gone downhill.

Chick-Fil-A exposed...

2011-03-22T10:17:00.000-07:00

I've sort of stayed away from this Chick-fil-a issue because I didn't want to give it any more time than it deserved when there are tons of pressing queer issues I worry about on a day to day basis. But a recent article from Equality Matters has revealed some undeniable truths. You can find the whole article here, but I wanted to focus on one particularly fun tidbit of homophobia:

Since 2008, Chick-fil-A has been a sponsor of All Pro Dad, a program created by the Tampa-based organization Family First, also known as the "Florida Family Council." The Florida Family Council is an affiliate of the American Family Association, which has been designated as an anti-gay hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. [The Gospel According to Disney, 2004; SPLC, Spring 2005]

Chick-fil-A Sponsors All Pro Dad. [Chick-fil-A, accessed 2/4/11; Voice of Reason, No.3, 2005]
Family First Is Actually The Florida Family Council. [Trademarkia, accessed 2/4/11 and 2/4/11]
Florida Family Council is an Affiliate of the American Family Association [The Gospel According to Disney,2004];
SPLC designated the American Family Association an anti-gay hate group [SPLC, Spring 2005]

I highlight Chick-fil-a's support of the American Family Association because they have a rather interesting campaign right now calling for the boycotting of Home Depot because the company is...

proud of their support for homosexual behavior. It set up a tent along the parade route, built a custom "gay pride float" on the bed of a company truck and waived the company's dress policy by allowing employees to wear their Home Depot aprons, decorated with pro-gay buttons. If that wasn't enough, Home Depot sent its official mascot to help promote the company's homosexual activism.

Here is the video in question that has the American Family Association so upset:

I know I know, totally ironic that Chick-fil-a is complaining about being criticized and boycotted, particularly on college campuses, yet they are giving money to organizations that are doing the EXACT same thing. Taken from the American Family Association page again:

Over one-half million people have signed a pledge to boycott The
Home Depot until it agrees to remain neutral in the culture and political war over homosexual marriage.

Everyone has the right to boycott whomever they wish to boycott...free speech...whatever.
But I have to have a few words of advice for Chick-fil-a: Don't dish it out if you can't take it. And stop trying to hide the fact that you're dishing it out, the queers have caught on. You've brought this boycott on yourself.

Cisgender Privilege

2011-03-21T20:54:00.000-07:00

Check out this amazing list from the UMass Stonewall Center (emphasis on my favorites):

• Strangers don’t assume they can ask me what my genitals look like and how I have sex.

• My validity as a man/woman/human is not based on how much surgery I’ve had or how

well I “pass” as a non-transperson.

• When initiating sex with someone, I do not have to worry that they won’t be able to deal

with my parts, or that having sex with me will cause my partner to question his or her own

sexual orientation.

• I am not excluded from events which are either explicitly or de facto (because of nudity)

for men-born-men or women-born-women only.

• My politics are not questioned based on the choices I make with regard to my body.

• I don’t have to hear “so have you had THE surgery?” or “oh, so you’re REALLY a

[incorrect sex or gender]?” each time I come out to someone.

• I am not expected to constantly defend my medical decisions.

• Strangers do not ask me what my “real name” [birth name] is and then assume that they

have a right to call me by that name.

• People do not disrespect me by using incorrect pronouns even after they’ve been corrected.

• I do not have to worry that someone wants to be my friend or have sex with me in order to

prove his or her “hip-ness” or good politics.

• I do not have to worry about whether I will experience harassment or violence for using a

bathroom or whether I will be safe changing in a locker room.

• When engaging in political protests, I do not have to worry about the gendered

repercussions of being arrested. (i.e., what will happen to me if the cops find out that my

genitals do not match my gendered appearance? Will I be placed in a cell with people of

my own gender?)

• I do not have to defend my right to be a part of “Queer,” and gays and lesbians will not try

to exclude me from OUR movement in order to gain political legitimacy for themselves.

• My experience of gender (or gendered spaces) is not viewed as “baggage” by others of the

gender in which I live.

• I do not have to choose between being invisible (“passing”) or being “othered” and/or

tokenized based on my gender.

• People will not assume that I’m a top/bottom based on my anatomy.

• I am not told that my sexual orientation and gender identity are mutually exclusive.

• When I go to the gym or a public pool, I can use the showers.

• If I end up in the emergency room, I do not have to worry that my gender will keep me

from receiving appropriate treatment, or that all of my medical issues will be seen as a

result of my gender.

• My health insurance provider (or public health system) does not specifically exclude me

from receiving benefits or treatments available to others because of my gender.

• My identity is not considered “mentally ill” by the medical establishment.

• I am not required to undergo an extensive psychological evaluation in order to receive

basic medical care.

• The medical establishment does not serve as a “gatekeeper,” determining what happens to

my body.

• People do not use me as a scapegoat for their own unresolved gender issues.

...please note quite a few of these also apply to folks who are perceived as cisgender ("individuals who have a match between the gender they were assigned at birth, their bodies, and their personal identity")

Meet Travis!!!

2011-03-20T17:19:00.000-07:00

ello everyone, my name is Travis. I am currently an undergraduate student at Ramapo College of New Jersey majoring in History and going for my Secondary Education certification. I work at the college’s Women’s Center as the Men’s Outreach Coordinator and am the secretary of Feminists United.

Feminism and social justice have been great passions of mine since early high school when I was exposed to the world of activism by way of punk rock. I believe strongly that no one can be free until we are all free and I want to help make that goal closer to being achieved in any way that I can. Some of my biggest passions in regards to activism revolve around history and how it is applied to the political realm, especially as a tool of oppression. I also seek to de-stigmatize the feminist movement for male-identified persons and deal with issues like misogyny and homophobia in that community.

I am excited to start posting here; I love to learn and be exposed to new viewpoints!

The girl you just called fat?

2011-03-15T14:04:00.000-07:00

There's a new anti-bullying facebook status being reposted that I think is really great. It goes like this:

The Girl you just called fat? She has been starving herself & has lost over 30lbs. The Boy you called stupid, he has a learning disability & studies over 4hrs a night. The Girl you called ugly? She spends hours putting make-up on hoping people will like her. The Boy you just tripped? He is abused enough at home. There's a lot more to people then you think. Put this as your status if you're against bullying.

I think using facebook statuses is a really creative way of bringing awareness of different social issues that people usually don't encounter in their normal routine. I especially love it when it comes from someone unexpected, or offers support to someone anonymously listening. However I want to add to the spirit of this message that it's not only negative words that work their way into a person's psyche or become part of an accepted discourse. It's ALL language - sometimes even things that are well-intentioned - that have power in shaping someone's identity, self-esteem and sel-concept. So I offer an alternative facebook status as just food for thought :).

The girl you just called SKINNY? She has been starving herself and lost over 30 lbs to fit a societal imperative that she be "beautiful" according to a prejudiced, unhealthy and unrealistic/unattainable ideal. The boy you called STUPID? He is an imaginative and enthusiastic painter, but is branded as inferior according to a single definition of success. The girl you called BEAUTIFUL? She lives in a society where it matters what other people think of her, and where she is expected to welcome comments on her body and taught to need external validation of her self-worth. The boy you just tripped? He is secretly afraid and starts to bully others to protect his own ego.

There's a lot more to people than you think. Sometimes it's not just the negative comments that get to us, but the positive ones that have only the best intentions. Commenting on others' bodies is supposed to make them feel good. Kids who are bullied get more empathy than the bullies who are bullied. Language has power, plain and simple. But thinking about the things we say and do that are so deeply ingrained we don't even question them? Now THERE'S a powerful message.

Body Image and Queer Intersections...

2011-03-08T22:27:00.000-08:00

We know that body image is an issue that affects everyone in different capacities. From diets to disordered eating to liposuction and breast implants, people are constantly in search of the "perfect body."

I write this post because for many women, black women in particular, expectations for the "perfect body" are a bit different than what would be considered the American standard of beauty. Women are taught that to be desirable by men (yep, forget about all of the queer women out there), they have to be:

Blonde

Skinny

Busty

Fair skinned

Blue eyed

Long haired

....white.

Better known as Barbie. Now we know that Barbie has some multi-colored friends, but in reality women of color are not expected to fit this same mold. Women of color are often dehumanized and overly-sexualized. Black women in particular need to be aggressive, readily-available for sex, kinky, wide-hipped, light-skinned, long-haired, and have a large butt. Nicki Manaj describes herself as the black Barbie, and many girls idolize her, especially women trying to make it into the rap scene.

Meet Claudia Aderotimi:

Claudia, an aspiring rap artist, recently passed away after receiving illegal silicone injections to enlarge her buttock. Her friends closest to her told reporters that Claudia had become convinced that a larger butt would equal rap success. Let's be honest, there is a lot of pressure in the media for women of color to look like this ideal black Barbie.

This story is sad and eye-opening in terms of body image in and of itself, but where it also intersects with queer experiences is with transwomen. Transwomen, particularly transwomen of color and lower-socio economic status, have been risking their lives to receive silicone implants and injections for purposes of gender expression for years. Cosmetic surgery is expensive and very rarely covered by issuance, even if it is for gender-identity purposes. While Claudia's reasons for having this surgery were different, the fact remains that silicone injections are dangerous and often unmonitored.

Bad-Ass Folk!

2011-03-08T22:15:00.000-08:00

This may be cheating because this person is a personal friend and colleague, but this month's Bad-Ass is Chris Mosier!

Click this link to learn more about his amazing Iron Man journey, but know that Chris is an amazing student, athlete, and queer advocate (among many other things), and he needs your help! Watch the following video as many times as you can tolerate and help Chris get sponsored!

"I'm Chris Mosier, and I want to be sponsored by TRX. My goal is to qualify for Race Across America, a cross country cycling race. I'm a cyclist, runner, and Ironman triathlete, and a lot of other things.

TRX is the single most effective cross training and strength training tool I've found to help meget maximum results in minimal time. And it's portable and can be used anywhere - like Times Square. Perfect, for a busy New Yorker like me.

Please keep watching this video and help me get sponsored by TRX!"

Please Watch...

2011-03-07T19:26:00.000-08:00

This video is disgusting. And I was literally brought to tears after viewing it. If you want to read more about the protest, click here. I can't really bring myself to look at it anymore, so I won't be posting a longer blog. The video speaks for itself.

Beyonce Embrace or DISGRACE!!!!!

2011-02-28T13:09:00.000-08:00

Beyonce was recently in the March edition of the French L’Officiel Magazine. She has been stirring up some controversy with the “Blackface” photo shoot she did in paying homage to African Queens. In honor of the magazines 90th anniversary, and in tribute to Nigerian musician Fela Kuti, the singer, 29, appears in "blackface" makeup and tribal makeup and costume designed by her mom, Tina Knowles. Her fans have recently found it quite offensive based on the term “blackface” and the way it referred to actors with black paint on their face. It was a method used to show actors as black people, although black people were not allowed to be in films.

Blackface was a way for “white” people to play as black people in films as they thought black people acted. It was a discriminatory, subliminally making fun of black people and portraying their skin as extremely dark. The real reason why people felt that Beyonce was being offensive is that at the end of the day she can take the paint off her face, but what are women who are this skin tone everyday supposed to do? How are they going to take their color off and assimilate to the world’s view of beauty? The controversy arouse because if she wanted to pay homage, she could have just done the shoot, why was it necessary to paint on a face?

Is Beyonce wrong for what she has done? Are her fans wrong for taking the shoot the wrong way? Why is her homage for these beautiful African queens, one of actual disrespect? In trying to respect her African queens she thought being black was beautiful, but when you paint your face darker in order to look more 'African,' aren't you reducing an entire continent, full of different nations, tribes, cultures and histories, into one brown color? These are the questions we must ask ourselves before we make our opinion of this so called disrespectful act. I am well aware of what the "blackface" term symbolizes as well how it was used against colored people, but does that mean Beyonce was trying to use it in the same way against her fans. It is no point in going on pointing fingers or saying that it’s wrong or right, but in honor of her intentions it may very well be she did not intend on being offensive to her fans, but that depends on how this article makes you feel.

Why the Planned Parenthood Cut Will Not Pass in the Senate

2011-02-25T10:36:00.000-08:00

The really scary push to defund Planned Parenthood that passed in the house now moves for approval in the Senate. The Pence Amendment is only part of the larger federal spending bill. So of course when the Senate debates the Planned Parenthood controversy, it will be in context of the overall issue, the federal budget. Yet, the amendment to defund Planned Parenthood, at least in its current form, is unlikely to pass in the Senate.

Several prominent pro-choice senators have unabashedly voiced their unanimous opposition to this proposal. They include Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire, Barbara Boxer of California, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Al Franken of Minnesota. Franken has said to the press that he believes the Democrats have enough votes to block the amendment. At this point, numbers appear to be on the side of choice.

Furthermore, the House Budget Committee Chair, Paul Ryan (R-WI), believes that the Republicans do not have enough votes to pass the legislation as it appears now. Most major news outlets have agreed that the legislation stands little chance of passage in the Senate. After all, the Senate is much more supportive of the right to choose than the House.

Unfortunately, the need to pass a budget will define the parameters of the Senate's debate. If Congress does not pass a federal budget, there is a threat of a total government shutdown. Such an event has not occurred since 1995. Both parties would like to blame the other as being unwilling to compromise and thus avoid blame for the potential government shutdown. So the real issue for most senators is not the right to choose, but how the battle over the budget goes, and where the Planned Parenthood issue fits into that larger debate.

So under normal circumstances, the proposed defunding of Planned Parenthood would easily be struck down by Senate Democrats, however, this threat of a government shutdown might just force some Democrats to "compromise" and allow some parts of the amendment to survive. In my opinion, that is the greatest threat to Planned Parenthood, not the current outright defunding.

Again in context of the larger political hoopla surrounding the federal budget, the Planned Parenthood funding issue will likely serve as ammunition for both sides. Since this issue is being fairly well covered in the liberal press, many Democratic senators would not want to lose base support by allowing the defunding measure to pass as it stands. This pressure works in favor of the right to choose since pro-choice politicians retain a majority in the Senate.

I really do hate the fact that anti-choice politicians wantonly take so many important issues (federal budget, health care reform) hostage. Yet the progressive edge over the conservatives in the Planned Parenthood funding issue is beneficial in so far as it should stop liberals from panicking. However, just because progressives have a few advantages in the Senate does not mean that they should not rest in announcing, no shouting, their opposition to this proposal. Even though Republicans probably won't get their way, it is still an attack on w omen's constitutional rights everywhere. Which is why engaging in rallies and other such means of opposition are always relevant.

Please contact your senators and urge them to strike down this legislation. If you call their offices, make sure to use the well written and thorough prompt that Zaneta has provided a few posts ago.

After all, who else has the responsibility of keeping liberal politicians on their toes?

What do you all think, how will this turn out?

Disability Justice is a Reproductive Justice Issue

2011-02-23T16:32:00.001-08:00

I can not tell you how excited I am by the response to cutting funding to Planned Parenthood. It feels like a movement for the first time in a long time, at least for me personally. I also feel so incredibly empowered by the huge amount of support for the "I Stand with Planned Parenthood" campaign, but at the same time, I'm forced to check my privilege.

With advances in genetic testing, there is a growing debate about disability and abortion. Often time the question becomes whether or not "this child will be better off not being born than suffering through life with a disability." I recently learned about some failed legislation that would have banned abortion if the woman was basing her decision on the fetus' race, sex, or ability. Limiting choice is NOT the solution. Rather the solution is to reteach what we value as a society.

The fact that the biggest campaign for Planned Parenthood uses ableist language isn't nearly as concerning as those who are not even in the conversation. My movement is more than the pro-choice/pro-life debate...I'm talking about Access to equal and affordable health care, Sovereignty to be in and make decisions for our own bodies, and Liberation for all those who have been silenced or made invisible because we don't fit nicely into "normal."

I mean, that's just how I'm feeling today...How do you feel about it?

Trust Black Women...

2011-02-22T12:57:00.000-08:00

Have you seen this ad in SoHo?

This offensive board comes from the people of LifeAlways, and is within walking distance of three Planned Parenthoods. The trite fear-mongering concept behind this board is neither new nor original. A similar style poster appeared in Georgia recently from the organization Right to Life :

1) I wasn't aware that different ethnicity=different species.

2) I get that Planned Parenthood and Margaret Sanger have a historical tie to eugenics, but when the hell are we going to trust that black women can make our OWN choices.

3) Organizations like these cite that Planned Parenthoods are only placed in black and latina communities because the have a secret agenda of racial population control. But Planned Parenthood is about ACCESS, not race. And last I checked, having affordable access to sex education, contraceptives, CANCER SCREENINGS, and pre-natal care weren't bad things.

I decided to do a little digging behind the SoHo ad, because I had a sneaking suspicion that there were no black women on LifeAlways' board. And guess what folks:

I was right.

I wish people would stop villainizing women who make the incredibly difficult decision to terminate a pregnancy. Abortions are NEVER an easy decision, and until you are in that position, you'll never know what it feels like. This is why the discussion that happening right now around Planned Parenthood ABSOLUTELY needs to include racial and economic justice. I'll be rallying Saturday...will you?

Honor Killing: Women Electrocuted for Disobeying Family

2011-02-21T10:49:00.000-08:00

January 25, 2011, Police arrested family members of 21-year old Pakistanian Saima Bibi. She was electrocuted by family members for going against there demands of a pre-arranged marriage. Police arrested Bibi's father and three other relatives after being tipped off by an anonymous caller, said police official Muhammad Ismail. She had defied her family demands and instead ran away about one month before this to the southern port city of Karachi to marry a fellow villager, police official Rao Zahoor said. Bibi's family told police she committed suicide on Friday in their village in the district of Bahawalpur in Punjab, but a medical report showed signs of torture and electrocution on her hands, legs and back. I t was told to police that they had traveled to Karachi to make her come back home and when she didn’t listen they tormented her. A 2009 study by the European Journal of Public Health showed one out of every five homicides in Pakistan was an honor killing. Some Baluch communities in Baluchistan province and parts of Sindh and Punjab provinces still justify honor killings.

These so called honor killings has been a growing problem in Pakistan areas, the murder of a women accused of committing adultery, and behaving in dishonorable behavior. They are seen to bring shame to the homes of their family members and in order for the family to diminish this stigma they gain they must kill the bad seed out of the bunch to bring back honor. This term they state to make it seem as though it is justice to kill these women in honor of the family. I am not the one to judge and diminish their beliefs, but I believe this is horrid. To treat these women with no self-entitlement and to release their rights to life away from them is immoral. I however recently have learned that a lot of countries outside of the U.S., very seldom give women rights. It is unfortunate to think as hard as women in America face issues of discrimination these women have not even a right to state an opinion. It is time for a change, this is not the first nor will it be the last time I state this. I just wish for Saima sake her family would have understood that.

“The right things to do are those that keep our violence in abeyance; the wrong things are those that bring it to the fore”
Robert J. Sawyer

Tell Your Story!!!!

2011-02-21T08:23:00.001-08:00

I joined a project with co-blogger Jill on Tumblr! We're hoping to create a safe space for people to share their stories and gratitude for Planned Parenthood. So check it out and tell you story! And don't forget to rally with a bunch of NYAF bloggers on Saturday (see post below)!!!!

CHECK IT OUT HERE!

IT'S TIME FOR ACTION!

2011-02-20T23:03:00.000-08:00

My last post was a bit of a rant because...well...I was angry. And I still am. However, anger is not enough nor does it result in solutions. So here's what WE can do RIGHT NOW!

Change your Facebook profile to this!

And then add this caption:

For NJ: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=NJ

For NY: http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm?State=NY

Here is a script I wrote:

"Hello Senator _______. My name is _____ and I am one of your constituents. I am contacting you today because my reproductive rights are under attack as we speak. By voting to eliminate federal funds to Planned Parenthood, you are seriously jeopardizing the ability of thousands of people to access basic services like STI testing and treatment, prenatal care, HIV/AIDS testing, and safer sex supplies. There are hundreds of people in my community that need affordable access to these vital services. As someone who may potentially support you in the next election, I urge you to stand up for what's right and vote to keep Planned Parenthood funded and in operation. Choice is not enough! We need to be able to afford choice...so make the right decision and choose to support reproductive justice for all. Thank you."

And if you're in the NYC area, come to Foley Square on Saturday at 2!

Click HERE to RSVP

Lived Experiences are Rare and Powerful...

2011-02-18T10:43:00.000-08:00

I've sort of avoided talking about the trio of initiatives aimed against reproductive rights because I've been too busy praying that they will just go away. How could anyone support these heinous pieces of legislation? Well folks, the nightmare is coming to fruition, and I'm extremely tense about the outcome.

1) The Pence Bill would take away all federal funding from Planned Parenthood. Essentially, this would shut many Planned Parenthoods down and take away not only accessible abortions, but STI testing and treatment, cancer screenings, safer sex supplies, and other services many folks can't afford. Here is a woman's voice on the issue:

2) H.R. 3: This bill is attempting to redefine rape in an effort to restrict what kinds of rape are acceptable excuses for abortions. This would mostly affect survivors of statutory rape and date-rape where alcohol or drugs were involved. Here is a woman's voice on the issue:

The Daily Show - Rape Victim Abortion Funding
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

3) H.R. 358: This bill would also allow individual doctors with moral conflict to refuse abortions in situations where the mother's life was at risk. The doctor would not even be required to refer the patient to another doctor who would perform the abortion. This is a pro-choice debate in a completely different sense. The mother has to choose between her life and her child's. Here is a woman's voice on the issue:

THIS IS WHY FEMINISM IS STILL RELEVANT.....

There is an attack on women in this country happening RIGHT NOW. Did you know that all of this was going on? Or that there was another bill in South Dakota that would have allowed the murdering of women who seek abortions and the doctors that perform them under a "justifiable homicide" clause? Luckily that bill has been shelved (for now), but The Pence Bill especially is gaining momentum. And as you can imagine, it's being supported overwhelmingly by white upper-middle class men who will never experience childbirth or abortion or miscarriage. Listen to those powerful, brave women who are sacrificing revealing their private lives so that you all could have some real education about what it's like to actually go through what you're voting on.

OUR BODIES...OUR CHOICE! FUCKING DEAL WITH IT!

Higher Ed and Social Justice: Violence Awareness

2011-02-17T09:18:00.001-08:00

I was able to attend a kick-ass Higher Education conference this Monday at NYU. One session in particular that really stood out for me was a presentation on the hidden victims of Intimate Partner Violence with Linda Mills. Much of what was said was generally familiar, seeing as how my previous job in student affairs was at a Women's Center. Linda Mills brought up some really startling statistics around the perpetrators and victims of sexual violence including that women were almost just as likely to commit acts of violence against their partners as men. And that while often times the physical acts done by men are more severe and damaging, in most violent relationships both parties have committed some form of violence.

At the Women's Center, I worked with the Assault Contact Team, was expected to help folks struggling with different personal issues around trauma and identity, and helped to plan Violence Awareness Week. In terms of the training I received for those roles, very rarely was sexual violence against men discussed. Perhaps this is because the job was housed in a Women's Center, but as one of the only visible resources for victims of sexual violence, I can't imagine it would be easy to come in and use our services. Add the fact that much of the education on sexual violence deals mainly with women, it seems nearly impossible. Of course, this dialogue almost completely leaves out the queer experience and same-sex intimate partner violence, which occurs at the same rates as heterosexual couples. If anything, men were recruited into Violence Awareness through ally building.

Take Back the Night marches, sexual assault speak out events, across the country have only recently begun allowing men to participate, and that’s only if they allow men to participate at all. But I wonder what violence awareness campaigns and support services would look like if they were a bit more inclusive. Personally, it makes sense to me that there would be some women-only spaces. It can be really hard to talk about violence, and even the slightest triggers can make the experience all that more intense. However, there is a real gap in support for male survivors of sexual violence on college campuses, and hopefully through more work like that of Mills this issue will receive more attention.

What are your thoughts?

Seen But Not Heard: Women and Children Edition

2011-02-13T22:24:00.000-08:00

Okay, so as soon as I saw this I HAD to reblog it, and figured what better way to start posting at NYAF than to jump right in!

DON'T BE A DRAG -JUST BE A QUEEN

2011-02-11T17:46:00.000-08:00

I've listened to 'Born This Way' a few times now and I think it's really good in more ways then one. First, I have to say that I'm pretty sure that this is the first massively popular lead single to prominently mention a gay affirmative message in plain English.

But to me the real reason why this song is hugely valuable to the overall progressive movement is the spiritual undertone of the lyrics.

As everyone knows by now, the main message of the song is acceptance (as well as self-acceptance) of everybody as individuals. The song justifies this acceptance by stating that if God has made each person, and that God makes no mistakes, then society must open up to all of what makes people unique.

Such an affirming message by a popstar wouldn't ordinarily be that important, but the spiritually-based claim makes 'Born This Way' fly in the face of the Religious Right. Quite overtly, the song takes on the claims of Traditional Christians and other religious groups that it is not okay to embrace LGBT people and other marginalized groups because it is not 'part of God's Plan.'

The time is ripe within the mainstream public discourse for groups espousing tolerance and acceptance to systematically attack the main motivation and argument of the Religious Right, 'God's Plan' or 'God's Will.'

That is not to say that liberals should attack people's public religious expression, but rather attack the tendency of those individuals to imply that their religious beliefs are the end all and be all at the expense of other beliefs. The way to do this is to simply take away their arguments and use it against them, like what the song does.

Imagine watching a debate on a popular news show with one conservative claiming that God did not make people to live a gay lifestyle, and a liberal talking head countering just as forcefully with the claim that God made people to live that way?

It would definitely make for a confusing and loud program. Yet if both sides claimed that God was on their side, then the public would effectively see that they both can't be right.

Basically, the song affirms much of what the Religious Right considers to be 'disordered' and it is already widely heard by many all over the country. Yet it uses God as a justification, effectively stripping the Religious Right of their main point.

I'd say that's a victory for the progressive movement. And distributing this message didn't cost progressive groups a dime.

Rihanna Brining Kink to the Mainstream?

2011-02-09T12:15:00.001-08:00

Rihanna's newest video "S&M" is full of chains, collars, full figured dommes, and oh so much more. I don't know about you, but I think this is a seriously risqué/freaking cool topic to set a music video around. Aside from allegations that she stole a lot of this imagery from the photographer Dave LaChapelle, I've got to admit, Rihanna has chutzpah! So sit back and enjoy "S&M"

What are your reactions?

What messages are children receiving about homelessness

2011-02-08T11:04:00.000-08:00

Now ask yourself...are these reactions all that different than adults you know?

Higher Ed and Social Justice: Creating a National Safe Zone Script

2011-02-07T10:49:00.000-08:00

Many great things came out of this past week at the Creating Change Conference. As stated before, I promised to feature a few new series. Welcome to "Higher Ed and Social Justice!" As an activist and future higher education and student affairs professional, it's about time I was a little more deliberate in bridging the two on the blog!

Many different institutions have a Safe Zone training program. The basic purpose of Safe Zone programs, is to create a better campus climate for LGBTQ individuals. After having a few conversations with a bunch of higher ed folks this weekend, I've realized that this is not accomplished uniformly. Some folks have LGBTQ professionals that hold annual or bi-annual trainings for faculty, staff, peer educators, resident assistants, and student leaders. Some schools give out stickers to identify a Safe Zone office, i.e. folks that have gone through the training.

But what about students with multiple identities. Some Safe Zones adequately prepare people to help with LGBTQ issues, but I wonder how often issues of class, ethnicity, ability, age, etc...are discussed. If folks are coming in with all of these components, an office can only be a Safe Zone if all of these issues and experiences are dissected in the trainings.

Because different campuses have different cultures, histories, and protocols, it would be nearly impossible to have identical Safe Zone programs at every institution that participates. However, I wonder if they could be a little more consistent. Would a national Safe Zone Script work? What are your thoughts...?

Too much learning to live blog

2011-02-04T12:41:00.000-08:00

So I realized I said I would be live blogging, but let me tell you...this conference is AMAZING and INSIGHTFUL. So much so, that I've been unable to pause and live blog. But don't worry I will totally be back with some new series when this is all over! oh, by the way. Coolest thing ever! I was in a session with Miriam Perez from Feministing! I'll be back!

Live Blogging from Creating Change!

2011-02-02T00:07:00.000-08:00

Exciting news! My job at NYU is super cool and paid for me to go to Minnesota for five days to attend the Creating Change Conference. I have decided to live blog for each session I'll be attending which will include all day intensive institutes and shorter workshops! Because I am here partially for professional development in Student Affairs but the conference is heavily based in grass-root organizing, I'll be able to attend a good mix of both higher education related sessions and good ol' fashion social justice/activist-based sessions.

Tomorrow I'll be live blogging from "Building Bridges Across Out Communities: People of Color Organizing Institute for Intermediate Activists."

Are you jazzed? Because I sure am!!! See you all tomorrow!

Brava!

2011-01-26T20:11:00.001-08:00

Coming out is hard enough, but coming out in front of your entire high school? That takes chutzpah!

Granted:

1. "We" have not overcome racism

2. A lot of folks coming out face more severe issues than finding love like being kicked out of their homes, depression, substance abuse, suicide, violence, abuse, murder <--- gaining equal marriage won't solve these issues.

3. There have been A LOT more than 5 suicides in the past few months

BUT...it was a nice speech that most folks wouldn't be allowed to deliver at their schools. It was also a nice touch that this speech was delivered on MLK Day. We have to keep fighting to end ALL oppression!!!

To tip or not to tip...

2011-01-25T09:35:00.000-08:00

My roommate and I went out to dinner a few nights ago and we had a very...disconcerting experience. A little bit of back story, my roommate and I are both people of color, the Jets-Steelers game was on so a lot of folks came in and stayed a while, our table happened to be right next to the wait staff station, and I have VERY good hearing.

Towards the end of our meal, three wait staff, our server included, were having a conversation about how bad the tips had been that night. One person blamed the football game and lack of table turnover. Another person blamed the weather, but our server had her own reason for why she had made less money. "All those hispanics and blacks...they just don't tip well. I just want to get paid for what I deserve."

Initially I was SHOCKED, but then shock led to anger, and anger to damn-near explosion. Let's just put it this way: I had a moment. Luckily for our server, my roommate was there to talk me through it, and before she came back to the table to give us our check, I had decided that I wasn't in the right state of mind to address the situation head-on.

The question then became: to tip or not to tip?

If we didn't tip, we would just be enforcing what she already thought of "people like us," but if we did tip, we'd be tipping someone that really pissed us off. The pressure to not give my entire cultural group a bad name was immense. Now...I was a waitress for 5 years, so I ALWAYS tip at least 20% if not more...but this woman didn't know that about me. She saw brown skin and assumed that I would be a bad tipper. Here's a tip: if you're going to make racist comments, try not to make them in earshot of your customers right before you give them the check.

We tipped...but I won't ever be going back to...

Houlihan's

Place page

700 Plaza Drive
Secaucus, NJ 07094
(201) 330-8856

...ever again.

Vaginas DO have teeth...

2011-01-24T23:59:00.000-08:00

The title of this post is actually almost completely unrelated to the content. The movie "Teeth" is an independent film about a woman whose vagina has teeth that attacks anyone that tries to take advantage of her. The movie is actually incredibly witty in that it depicts a seemingly impossible defense to sexual violence.

Except....vaginas with teeth are not actually science fiction anymore. There is a new anti-rape device being marketed in South Africa as a method to apprehend rapists. The device is similar to a "female condom" except that it is thicker and lined with mini blades/teeth that hook into an a rapist's penis and can only be surgically removed. As someone who is planning on spending a month in South Africa this summer (HOORAY!), information about how high the rape statistics are in there are incredibly frightening to me, especially those practiced on lesbians for "corrective" purposes. But I wonder if the pros of this device outweigh the cons.

Pros:

>Rapists will be apprehended in medical facilities.

>Rates of rape could potentially decrease.

Cons:

>Women are still being raped. Just because the penis will be immediately removed from pain, that doesn't mean women are not being violated physically and mentally.

>The responsibility to stop rape now falls on women to remember to where the device, rather on men to NOT rape?

>While the rapist will be in pain, it's possible that they may be able to overcome the pain and commit further acts of escalated violence.

I guess in the end, this drastic issue calls for drastic measures, but I'm not sure if this is the only solution to ending rape in South Africa. What are your thoughts?

Born This Way

2011-01-23T17:17:00.000-08:00

I found out about this blog, called 'Born This Way.' In the author's own words, its goal is to provide "A photo/essay project for gay adults (male and female) to submit pictures from their childhood (roughly ages 2 to 12) - with snapshots that capture them, innocently, showing the beginnings of their innate LGBT selves. It's OUR nature, our TRUTH!"

Personally, I am surprised that I haven't come across something like this sooner. It's an interesting blog. While it is presented in a lighthearted manner, the objective couldn't be more serious. The author decided to start this blog to counter the right-wing rhetoric that propelled Proposition 8 to success. I challenge any LGBT person who has unaccepting and bigoted relatives to show them this blog along with a photograph of himself or herself as a queer child.

Oh, and in case you are wondering, that picture with my post is of yours truly (I know, I was quite the looker back then) with a childhood friend circa '97 or '98...at a Spice Girls concert. Born this way, baby!

Sex +

2011-01-22T17:54:00.001-08:00

Going off of Zaneta's post about body positivity, I have chosen to write about sex positivity :)

In very basic terms, "Sex Positive" means that there is nothing shameful about sex (between consenting adults) or about our bodies. The Sex Positive Movement provides a safe space for people of all sexual orientations and "relationship structures" (ex: polyamory). It promotes the idea that we are all individuals who develop and operate in unique ways. Sex Positivity is based on respect, consent, diversity, and choice.

One of the most prominent bloggers/YouTubers in the Sex Positive Movement is student and activist, Laci Green. As she puts it:

The truth is, we live in unenlightened times. It’s 2011 and our bodies are still a political, social, and cultural battle ground. The abundance of fear mongering about sexuality, slut-shaming, homophobia, and pushes for abstinence-only education are manifestations of the majority view of sexuality. The problem is, these ideas generate misinformation, herd mentalities, hatred, and serves to divide people for no reason at all. Perhaps even more detrimental is the fact that sex negativity divides pieces of ourselves.... Your body is YOURS ALONE and it’s beautiful; you should be able to use it however you like without feeling guilty.

Definitely couldn't have said that better myself.

Laci produces a show on YouTube called "Sex+" which provides a platform to learn about and discuss issues surrounding love, relationships, sex, gender, language, the queer community, and more. Check out her latest episode, THE BREAST EFFECT:

For more on the Sex Positive Movement, Sex+, and Laci Green, check out her YouTube Channel and website.

Just for fun...

2011-01-22T12:13:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I like to sacrifice Family Feud points for good ol' queer humor.

Our Fierce Advocate...

2011-01-21T18:07:00.000-08:00

...Nope not President Obama. I'm referring to the newspaper/magazine. I always feel slightly smaller and pissed off after reading 'The Advocate.' Maybe it's because I don't make enough money? Not really, it's because too many of the major gay news outlets are ridden with class division and this publication is one of biggest perpetrators.

'The Advocate' focuses very heavily on the New York City centered, hyper consumerist, upper-middle-class brand of homosexuality. I could also write about how almost every photo is completely and unapologetically gender-normative, but that would go beyond the relevance of this post.

Just to serve as a small example of their disregard for LGBT of the lower classes, 'The Advocate' created a photo project called "A Day in Gay America," which contained all different pictures that were supposed to represent typical gay Americans doing typical things. Here is the project's caption:

"What does it look like to be gay in America in 2010? There are some people who insist that if you don’t look like a stereotype, you’re just not doing it right. But the truth is that our gay lives are simultaneously as mundane as those of our heterosexual peers and more wildly varied than even we acknowledge at times."

Among the 37 photographs of typical gay Americans are Rachael Maddow, Jake Shears, and other celebrities. Also, most of the photographs featured people with well-paying, white color jobs or opportunities, such as an NBC correspondent, a man who works behind the scenes for the US Senate, and a paleontology doctoral student. This is hardly an effort to include representation of the daily lives of countless LGBTQ Americans. Since class is so important to people's identity and lifestyle in the United States, any project that claims to represent the daily lives of people within the American Gay Community must have pictures of people from all class levels.

Where is the inclusion of the gay worker who struggles to earn a living? What about the unemployed? What about the lesbian who had to drop out of college due to tuition costs? I don't see any photo of people who have been impoverished due to the economic effects of social discrimination. There is not even one photograph of a blue-collar worker. Perhaps gay blue-collar workers do not exist?

The project does include a picture of a Sylvia's Place worker (Sylvia's Place is a shelter for homeless LGBTQ youth). At least they mentioned the existence of homeless LGBTQ youth, but the photograph featured only the presumably successful staff member. Only if the photo actually included a homeless LGBTQ youth would I then have labeled it a token effort.

I do not want to criticize the 'Advocate' without good reason, it's just that as "the worlds leading source for LGBT news and entertainment," the publication has an obligation to represent the full spectrum of the Gay Community. Class stratification in America hurts, and sadly it is no different within the Gay Community.

More on Body Positivity and Health at Every Size...

2011-01-20T15:24:00.001-08:00

I'm on a roll...roll? I'm terrible at puns but I sure do love this project!!!!!

Fantastic Films: The Fat Body (In)visible

2011-01-20T14:54:00.000-08:00

This full length film from Margitte Kristjansson is well worth the watch.

the fat body (in)visible from Margitte Kristjansson on Vimeo.

I thought this film was powerful and inspiring. Body positivity is not always a comfortable issue to discuss, but I appreciate people like Margitte for encouraging the conversation!

"Rock Out for Roe" with me and a bunch of awesome folk!

2011-01-19T10:30:00.000-08:00

If you're free this weekend, you're a super-cool feminist, and you can get to NYC you should totally come to this amazing fund-raiser for the New York Abortion Access Fund (NYAAF). It's been a tough year for choice, and women everywhere need your support!

Attendees will include:

Shelby Knox & Steph Herold / Jessica Valenti / Lynn Harris / Sady Doyle / Bloggers from Feministing & Jezebel / The Women’s Media Center / Paradigm Shift /NARAL Pro-Choice New York / Planned Pa…renthood of New York City / National Organization for Women (NOW) – New York State Young Feminist Task Force / Women’s eNews/ & MORE!

RSVP here today and I'll see you Saturday!

Women's History is RADICAL and now little bit easier to find...

2011-01-19T00:31:00.000-08:00

Shelby Knox, featured in the amazing film "The Education of Shelby Knox," is starting a calendar project that will feature daily posts with events in Women's History! Even though some of the entries thus far may not strike you immediately as "radical," the acknowledgement that women have a distinguishable recorded history is radical in and of itself. The project started on January 1st and will continue everyday for an entire year. Check it out!!!

My favorites so far:

January 1st,1977: Jacqueline Means becomes the first woman ordained in the Episcopal Church with official sanction.

January 2nd,1857: M. Carey Thomas, 1st female dean in the US, 2nd president of Bryn Mawr College, suffragist, born.

January 11th,1935: Amelia Earhart began a trip from Honolulu to Oakland, CA, becoming the 1st woman to fly solo across the Pacific Ocean.

January 18th, 1777: Baltimore newspaper publisher and postmaster Mary Katherine Goddard produced the first printed copy of the US Declaration of Independence.

Keep the Women's History coming, because this history buff is LOVING it.

Doubles Standard: Venus Williams and the Media

2011-01-18T13:48:00.000-08:00

The last two times I logged into my Yahoo account, the front-page stories have both been about one of the most famous women in tennis, Venus Williams. Now, I'm not much of a fan of tennis (or really any sport except basketball), but I think its awesome that Venus has been able to succeed and make a name for herself in the male-dominated world of sports. What disappointed me about these two stories is that they were not celebrating a victory of hers or reporting any news; they were reporting on what she was wearing during her tennis matches.

In the first article, author Chris Chase jokes, "The length of Venus Williams' hemline is inversely proportional to the tennis star's age: as she gets older, the dresses get shorter." Why is this news? You can view the articles here and here.

When was the last time you read an article in which a victory by Tim Duncan was overshadowed by his fashion choice? Or Tom Brady? Is it fair to judge a female athlete, especially one of Williams' stature, based on what she wears as opposed to how she performs? Far too often in the media, whether it is sports, politics or entertainment, women are reduced to only their appearance, as opposed to their performance or what skills and talents they have to offer (think Hilary Clinton and how much she was criticized for daring to wear a headband....).

I realize that Venus may be trying to pull a publicity stunt by choosing unconventional outfits for her matches. However, the point I am trying to make is that women are held to a different standard in the media. I am tired of seeing the media rob women of talent.

In honor of this great day!

2011-01-17T23:14:00.000-08:00

Thank You and Hello!

2011-01-16T16:53:00.000-08:00

It was my secret New Years goal to get the total number of blog views past 5,000. I'm happy to say that on New Years Eve, we reached that goal. Here is a map of where our readers are coming from:

You all, as well as Google analytics, are super awesome! Thanks for reading, and please keep coming back for more!

Colorism

2011-01-14T14:25:00.000-08:00

After reading this post from Feministing today, it reminded me of a veeeeerrrry good Tyra episode. I'm not always a fan of Tyra or the way that she approaches different issues, but I do appreciate that she sheds even a small amount of light on difficult issues. Many of these issues or experiences are ones that folks want to learn more about, to understand. But, sometimes it's difficult to voice experiences. And sometimes, you don't feel like teaching a lesson on your oppression. I totally understand, but at the same time I wan't people to know where I'm coming from so they don't have to ask anymore! It's totally a Catch-22.

Colorism and racial ambiguity are topics I've written about quite a bit, but it always makes happy that after I watch something I can say "yeah, that's EXACTLY what happens to me too." Well except for the fact that I actually LOVE all of my ethnicities haha...I'm more so talking about the segment around 16:10...So learn a lil something, and check out this piece on colorism!

Oppression Olympics. Thoughts, reactions, questions?

Give us something to believe in...

2011-01-13T17:47:00.000-08:00

I've been waiting to cover the recent shooing in Arizona because the motive is still really unclear. Whether or not the shooter was acting on his own accord, was influenced by the volatile political sphere, had ties to the hateful organization AmRen, or took direct action after viewing Sarah Palin's "crosshairs" campaign is yet to be seen. Regardless of the motive, I think what has become clear is that this country is broken. Bi-partisanship is becoming more and more implausible as extremist-politics seem to take center stage.

I just want to feel...

Like my vote meant something.

Like world peace isn't just talk.

Like the politicians are listening.

Like they can walk the walk.

Like change is happening.

Like my love is not a sin.

Like people aren't suffering.

Like...just give me something to believe in.

I just want to feel...

Sorry for the poetic break, but it was easier than forming a paragraph. But seriously, I'm tired of hearing about death, hatred, violence, fighting, filibusters, and inaction. I'm DONE! I'm also a little aggravated that every time a brown person in implicated in some sort of crime against a government they're terrorists but the shooter in this case is just an individual criminal. I'm sick of hearing politicians capitalize on tragedies in order to show us how much we need them. If they were doing their jobs with civility in the first place, we would have avoided quite a few of those tragedies in the first place. Simply put, current politics do NOT equal a functioning government.

Not Your Average Feminist

Creating Change: Day One #CC12

Not Your Average Feminist & Creating Change 2012 #CC12

Plan B still not eligible for ALL

OCCUPY L.A. -NO MORE EVICTIONS

Enslaved Refugees FREED!

THE OTHER 99%

It's time to have a (feminist) house meeting y'all...

Cruelty in Syria

To Slut Walk, or not to Slut Walk?...That is the question.

Dark Girls: A Preview

Burning Nanny

"Spirit Day" of Action!

This is GENIUS!

Bad-Ass Folk!

Post Racial? Yeah Right!

I'm saying you should settle...

Queer Without Borders

Education as a Tool to Reconcile Racism

Running Parallel

Colored Like Me

The Master's Tools

Greetings From...SOUTH AFRICA!

Libya's Fighting Women

Affirmative Action... On The Basketball Court?

"Glitter Bombs" for Equality?

Weinerlogues **strong language warning**

The “Gay Girl in Damascus” Hoax didn’t cause any real harm…right?

Humor is NOT an excuse for homophobia, Tracy Morgan

Transphobia and Thailand's Ladyboys

HIV/AIDS: A Reflection on 30 Years

I'm not racist but...

"Marriage matters"...so does racism...Trust People of Color!

No Homo

I Will Attend NYC Pride

Why I won't be attending NYC Pride this year...

Massachusetts Bullying Case

Hip Hop: Beyond the Beats & Rhymes

A very fun/effective alternative to youth fat shaming...

Fat Shaming the Youth

Want more proof?

Hey Gaga...Maybe I was born this way...

Sadness and Anger All Around

My Princess Boy

Bad-Ass Folk!: Jessica Yee

Say hello to Jess!

#CLPP30 Disability Justice and Reproductive Justice

#CLPP30 Toys and Spots

Hampshire Liveblog: Toys & Spots

#CLPP30 Colonized Spaces, Criminalized Bodies

#CLPP30 Road trip!

Live Blogging...for reals this time!

Health Inqueery

Music for the queer black soul...

Truths

Obama used in another anti-choice ad targeting black women...

EXACTLY...

"There's a communist living in the White House"

Higher Ed and Social Justice: Meaningful Diversity

Color Me Feminist

Well....that wasn't very funny at all

Chick-Fil-A exposed...

Cisgender Privilege

Meet Travis!!!

The girl you just called fat?

Body Image and Queer Intersections...

Bad-Ass Folk!

Please Watch...

Beyonce Embrace or DISGRACE!!!!!

Why the Planned Parenthood Cut Will Not Pass in the Senate

Disability Justice is a Reproductive Justice Issue

Trust Black Women...

Honor Killing: Women Electrocuted for Disobeying Family

Tell Your Story!!!!

IT'S TIME FOR ACTION!

Lived Experiences are Rare and Powerful...

Higher Ed and Social Justice: Violence Awareness

Seen But Not Heard: Women and Children Edition

DON'T BE A DRAG -JUST BE A QUEEN

Rihanna Brining Kink to the Mainstream?

Weinerlogues strong language warning