SEU Feminist

Women Empowerment meeting tonight!

2009-12-02T11:48:00.001-06:00

Sorry for the late notice, all, I somehow forgot about this incredibly important tool in feminist activism. But! There is a meeting, tonight, of the Women Empowerment club! It's at 5 in the Lucas Room, RAGS 301. Please come and bring your friends!

NPR: Do Private Colleges Favor Male Applicants?

2009-11-14T14:51:00.002-06:00

NPR reports that in recent years, private colleges have admitted a significantly larger number of males than females to their incoming freshman classes.

St. Edward's gender breakdown is split 40 to 60 percent, favoring females.

Listen to the story here.

Op-Ed: Trading Women's Rights for Political Power

2009-11-12T10:37:00.003-06:00

Kate Michelman (former president of NARAL Pro-Choice America) and Frances Kissling (former president of Catholics for Choice) have an op-ed piece in The New York Times on the Stupak-Pitts amendment.

Although certainly under this administration many strides have been made for women, they echo my disappointment that what could have been a great victory for women's health has instead fallen off the proverbial wagon.

"The minute you settle for less than you deserve, you get even less than you settled for." - Maureen Dowd

Arranged Marriages in India

2009-10-05T20:45:00.006-05:00

Wanted to post this story from the Times on arranged love marriages, from the perspective of a young Indian woman. I think it really illustrates the gaps than occur between mothers and daughters as gender expectations change through the generations, and it definitely made me tear up.

Enjoy!

Women in the Arts: Unsung Muses

2009-09-27T16:18:00.009-05:00

Robert J. Hughes has written an interesting article on the contributions of composers' wives to their music (both as inspirations and collaborators) and to the preservation of their works, which often go unnoticed. Finally, these great women (such as Constanze Mozart, left) have been granted a small portion of the honor and recognition they deserve.

Here's the link, in case you're interested. It's worth a read.

From the front lines of the global fight for equality...

2009-09-16T22:28:00.003-05:00

Evening, all! I promise you I've not completely fallen off the face of the earth. As fate would have it, SEU Feminist's only male blogger is also its least prolific poster. *Cue the wailing, ashes, and sackcloth of repentence* Seriously, though, I'll be better about that in the future.

Anyhow, just wanted to share this beautiful ad from Ireland that's sure to render some conservatives speechless. Slainte!

Women in the Arts: Hildreth Meière

2009-09-08T10:05:00.003-05:00

The Times has a piece up about 1930's art deco muralist Hildreth Meière, probably best known for the round plaques that adorn Radio City Music Hall.

“It drives me wild to be spoken of as ‘one of the best women artists,’ ” she wrote to a friend in 1936. “I’ve worked as an equal with men, and my rating as an equal is all that I value.”

Read the full piece here.

Welcome Back SEU Feminists!

2009-08-27T15:09:00.003-05:00

Welcome back SEU Feminists!

I'm excited for this year, and I know everyone else is too! I thought I'd start an open discussion thread so we can share what we want to accomplish this year- I'll start:

1. Get more posts cross-posted (or primarily featured in) the campus newspaper, especially if they are campus-related and not just op-eds. The Hilltop Views is also launching their online edition sometime in October.

2. Start the SEU Feminist Book Club

3. Bring in more guest writers and more campus-related posts. I think we've had two guest writers and only a few campus-related posts so far. Let's bring some more variation in!

4. Keep up with posting in general (guilty.)

That's all I can think of at the moment. Even if you're just a reader, feel free to chime in on what you'd like to see and how you think we can improve. Ready, set, go!

¡Sí, se puede!

2009-08-08T17:45:00.005-05:00

Sonia Sotomayor, third woman and first latina ever to become a Supreme Court justice, was sworn in today.

This subject has already been talked about so much on feminist blogs and blogs that promote racial equality that I don't really feel like I have anything new to say about it, but check out this insightful post from Stuff White People Do on her hearings and how "white" and "male" are considered neutral conditions (by white males and the white male-run corporate media, that is).

Congratulations, Justice Sotomayor!

The Secret and Feminism

2009-07-07T21:46:00.002-05:00

So I just watched The Secret with my dad, and he's been trying to get me to watch it with him for about a year now, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to make him happy. After we finished the movie, I couldn't help but feel both skeptical and a little intrigued, because it made a few really good points. I don't know if I feel like I can believe that all of the people I've known who have died of cancer, lost their jobs, or had awful relationships brought it upon themselves by not understanding their thought processes, but I can definitely get down with this whole "when you focus on the negative, it gets the attention" thing. I think this definitely applies to feminism.

As feminists, we talk alot about how things are and how they should be. We talk about how elementary schools and pre-school programs are already coding children with social expectations and gender norms, how men are still making seventy five cents to the dollar, how the pro-life movement gives us all indigestion and the quiverfull movement makes us angry, anxious, and confused all at once. We talk about the sexists, the racists, the bigots, and everyone who stands in the way. We talk about the patriarchy, advertising, consumerism, and female sexuality in the media. These are all important issues and they are all relevant to our cause, but this movie really made me start to think about how much of my thoughts are spent on the things that I really don't like about society and how few are spent imagining society the way I wish it was and the way I think it could be.

I'm not saying that educating people who aren't already aware of these issues isn't worthwhile, because it's hard to get people to understand the urgency of change when they don't think change is necessary. As an activist I almost see The Secret's focus on thinking positively as a challenge. How can I channel all of my passion about conflicts, prejudice, and societal norms into a positive vision for the future? Is it possible to be, instead of anti-war, pro-peace? How can I turn aversion for the Palestine-Israel conflict, proposition 8, and Fox News into positive and affirming future realities? Is that even possible?

I started thinking about how much time I spend talking to my friends about all of the things in the world that stress me out and upset me, and how most of my plans and visions are focused on eradicating something I don't like. According to this movie, because I am focusing on something I don't like (even though I'm focusing on ending it) that thing will still remain because it is my focus. So how do I change my way of thinking to be positive? Take for example the Quiverfull movement. There are too many things to list about this stuff that make me upset and anxious, so I won't, but the point is, how do I focus on a positive reality apart from the Duggars? I think the answer is to think of a reality without that option, such as, households where the mother and father are equal and loving, where birth control is used as a result of education, and where loving and unbiased attitudes are encouraged as a part of a conscious lifestyle.

I don't know how much merit The Secret has, but I do think that in the area of positive thinking it can offer activists a challenge to stop focusing on the negative areas that they are fighting against, and instead focus on a world where those things do not even exist and then make that world a reality. I can't hurt, can it?

as always,
feministish

Benefit for Midwives' Alliance of North America

2009-06-18T14:46:00.002-05:00

Just a quick hit!

Sam Beam (better known as Iron & Wine) is playing with Glen Hansard at the Paramount July 27th to benefit the Midwives' Alliance of North America.

Tickets pre-sale this Saturday, June 20.

Here's the event page on the Paramount website!

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things #1

2009-06-02T19:59:00.005-05:00

Occasionally while traveling through the vast and confusing world of the interwebs, I find awesome things that pique my interest that I bookmark and consequently never post about. Fear not, dear readers, for I shall deprive you no longer! Here are a few gems I've been meaning to share.

1. The Belly Project
Right here in Austin, Texas, St. Edward's graduate Dr. Karen Rayne and midwife Christy Tashjian are focusing on a part of our bodies most of us are all-too-aware of: the belly. The Belly Project consists of a compilation of photos of the stomachs of real women and a brief accompanying medical history. While it is incredibly fascinating to see the wide differences in how each belly has changed in reaction to pregnancies, hysterectomies, abortions, c-sections, plastic surgery, miscarriages, menopause, you name it- looking through I can't help but feel a sense of relief. In a way, The Belly Project sort of cements that everyone is different and beautiful and oh! This is what people look like! I never thought I would be in my underoos on the internet, but this was for a good cause.

2. From Feministing Community: How Men Can Be Better Feminists/Allies/Partners
I know the post is a bit old, but it is without a doubt the best commentary I've read on the debate of male roles within the feminist movement, written from a male perspective no less. Do we need any more proof that men shouldn't be discouraged from involvement in the feminist movement on principle alone?

3. Ligerbeat (NOT work-safe)
I think we can all agree that porn is awesome, but definitely male-dominated (and not the sexy kind, either.) I haven't seen the mag with my own eyes, but porn for women by women sounds a-ok to me. The ladies of Ligerbeat are sassy and smart, their blog material ranging from "cliterature" to raving about how much they want Flight of the Conchords' Bret and Jermaine to make a special (naked) appearance in their pages. And they don't care if you call them sluts, either.

4. Asylum
Asylum is a men's magazine I hadn't heard of until an article posted by one of my friends showed up in my facebook feed. I browsed around and was pleased to find articles such as, "Hot Plus-Side Model Gets Sexy Magazine Spread" that opened with the sentence, "Here at Asylum, we have a policy of love for all ladies -- black or white, short or tall, slender or voluptuous." YES. YES YES YES. In some ways, Asylum remains a stereotypical men's magazine, but it's definitely further along than Maxim. Bravo, Asylum. Bravo.

5. A Softer World
One of my most-favorite webcomics (if you can even call it a webcomic) that offers quirky, macabre comments on the subjects of homosexual relationships, gender-bending, pregnancy, sexuality, female masturbation, and self-esteem.. among other things. Like zombie apocalypses and kittens.

Happy readings!

Love,
Rachel

I dreamed a dream... no, this is not another susan boyle post.

2009-05-17T16:23:00.002-05:00

Ladies and Gents,
Today I was talking to a friend online about how another friend wanted to stage a hunger strike. In explaining why I didn't take him seriously, I pointed to a mental graveyard where activists' idealistic dreams so often go to die for lack of many different kinds of things. In this visit, I remembered one of my own activist dreams, which was to start a magazine that was accessible to teenage girls, incredibly cheap (if not free), and completely and totally against the mainstream idea of what a girls' magazine is supposed to be. I wanted something like bitch, or Bust, or Ms. for my little sister. There are some options, such as New Moon, which offer both an online community and a bi-monthly magazine, but most (as this one does) cost money.

Even my hallowed bitch costs money, I know, but I guess I just had a dream of a fun, smart, sassy zine that was everything I, and my feminist (and femAnist) peers wanted to say to our tweenage selves that all girls could have access to, despite access to money. As I re-read an old issue of Seventeen through my new, chic, feminist lenses, I started to realize how much insecurity and social conformity resided in the pages where my younger self so often sought validation. I will admit that the magazine has come leaps and bounds from where it was to address issues like the experiences of the transgender community and to give real, honest answers to sexual questions. These good parts are overshadowed by the astounding amount of negative information in the form of ads, beauty/fashion tips, and "how to get your man" articles that are always present in this magazine and others like it.

I've done my research, and I've found that most if not all of the magazines available for girls seem to come from a perspective that assumes that tween girls will be attracted to a certain kind of magazine... a magazine that reminds me a lot more of my old issues of Highlights than cosmogirl. It seems to me that if you really want to get these girls to listen and to care about what the magazine says, you have to get past that wholesome idea of what a tween "should" want to see and accept what they're actually looking for. The biggest problem, aside from the fact that I have no idea how you actually make a magazine, or even a zine for that matter, is that most magazines get that pop and attractive factor from the money brought in through advertising. So, how does one get around this problem to make a fun, interesting, honest, and accessible option for tween (and teen) age girls?

I really don't know, but I think its worth discussing.

Stay shiny,
feministish

**Note: if any readers know of a publication, online or in hard print, that fits this bill, please feel free to call me out and let me know that it exists. I would be ecstatic even while wallowing in my researching abilities' shame. :)

A Personal Endorsement Born of a Love Affair

2009-05-12T08:06:00.004-05:00

Today I received a wonderful, amazing package in the mail from my mother. Before I go into that, let me go a little into one of my favorite sources of information and entertainment: bitch magazine. I stumbled across this while reading the book that started my own personal feminist journey, Courtney Martin's "Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters", where she mentioned her transition from COSMO to magazines like bitch and BUST. After being inspired by her book to become a more conscious participant in my identity as a woman and a human being, I immediately went out and bought the newest additions of both. BUST is a fantastic mag, and I would never want to rag on something that promotes hip, savvy, feminist culture, but it is bitch that has truly captured my heart. I've invested in every issue since my first, which was the Lost and Found issue from Winter 2008. When bitch went through a financial crisis last semester, I pledged that as soon as I was no longer saving for my time in Estonia, I would put my money where my mouth is: in the recycled pages of bitch.
I found soon after coming to Estonia that, not only is bitch not distributed here, but I can't even get the magazine shipped. This I blame on my decision to come to a former Eastern Bloc country and not on bitch. Anywho, surprise of surprises when I find out that my new status as a bitch sustainer (although on the lowest rung of that ladder) got me the new issue of bitch at my mother's house! This was the package I got today, and it could not have come at a better time. Though I have been keeping up a constant stream through the twitter page of bitch, I'd been dying for something to really sink my teeth into.
Every issue challenges my thought and opens my mind, and the magazine has led me to find new authors, organizations, and ideas that have since become indispensable in my life. I highly encourage anyone looking for a shot of hard-hitting, quirky, feminist lit to pick up this season's issue of bitch. bitch endeavors to tackle topics both tame and controversial in the feminist conversation which can lead to some hot discussion (which is always fun to read in the first pages of each issue), and it is just this thought provoking character that has me hooked!

You can grab a copy of bitch at the borders on westgate, or if you'd like to support a local endeavor, just drop by MonkeyWrench Books to get your copy. Not in Texas for the summer? Check this nifty list for a bookseller near you.

Stay Shiny!
-feministish

Funny Feminist Friday: RIP Bea

2009-05-01T16:35:00.004-05:00

As you've probably heard by now, the wonderful Bea Arthur passed away last Saturday. Known for her roles in Mame, Maude, and The Golden Girls, Bea Arthur was never afraid to discuss controversial topics from a feminist point of view. One episode of Maude that aired in 1972, before Roe v. Wade had been decided, even had her character struggle with whether to get an abortion and ultimately make the decision that she was too old to have a baby and abortion was the safest option.

Of course, she is best remembered for her comedy, and as I'm sure we all need a little comic relief before finals, here is a clip of the fantastic reading she gave at Comedy Central's roast of Pamela Anderson (definitely not safe for work):

Thanks for all the laughter, Bea, and of course, thank you for being a friend.

Survey on Name Changing and Marriage

2009-04-26T20:37:00.005-05:00

Hey everybody, I'm conducting a survey on name changing and marriage to use for a paper for my Gender Communications class. I'm hoping to get an idea of people's views on name changing and whether this is still a societal norm.

Click here to take survey!

I would really appreciate everyone's responses (and maybe I'll blog about my findings)! Thanks!

Ill Doctrine: Beauty pageants are outdated!

2009-04-24T01:45:00.003-05:00

This is why I love Jay Smooth.

Things A Savvy Woman Can Do For Her Mother (Earth, That Is.)

2009-04-22T23:00:00.005-05:00

So there's just a few minutes left until Earth Day 2009 is officially over. What's a gal to do? Luckily, your enthusiasm for our planet's well-being doesn't have to be limited to just one day! I've come up with a few things that are (more or less) unique to women that we can change in our everyday lives to make a difference. Feel free to suggest your own ideas in the comments!

1. Use alternative menstrual products. This one's a biggie, as they say. We have a ton of links on our sidebar, but just in case, here's the lowdown: commercial tampons and pads take up landfill space and have harmful chemicals like dioxin that you shouldn't want anywhere near your garden in the first place, know what I'm sayin'? Besides, why buy a box of tampons every month when you could use a menstrual cup (which fit inside a shotglass, folks, just to give you a size comparison) made of silicone or latex that will last you a year or longer? The most popular options for menstrual cups are the Diva, MoonCup, and disposable Insteads. Other alternative menstrual options include the ever-friendly (although not vegan) sea sponge, and cloth pads. Lunapads offers some great ones, or you can DIY!

2. Not all women wear makeup, but if you do, try re-usable makeup containers. Aveda makes some very pretty ones.

3. There's other things within the realm of beauty you can change while you're at it, by ditching such items such as but not limited to: disposable razors, razors in general (if you're so inclined, I happen to be biased), items with excessive packaging and beauty products containing petrochemicals and carcinogens. And lay off the hairspray.

4. Recycle! In 2009 Origins became the first company to offer recycling for some of their products' containers. Hopefully others will follow suit in time. In the meantime, look to buy products that use recycled materials for their packaging. I know I get a little smile every time I look down at the tube of my trusty Burt's Bees chapstick (that virtually everyone owns, don't even try to pretend like you don't have a tube of this miraculous stuff) which is made from 50% post-industrial recycled plastic.

5. This goes for the dudes too: thrift! Next time you decide to go shopping, whether it's for new clothes or a new couch, check out a secondhand store. There's no good reason to not thift, especially in Austin, where we have a plethora of stores containing perfectly usable items that would otherwise be in a landfill to choose from.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, first female president in Africa

2009-04-22T22:34:00.006-05:00

Here's The Daily Show's recent interview with Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the president of Liberia and first female president of ANY African nation.

Sorry we haven't been posting much lately. I'm hoping it will increase once we're all done with finals!

Happy Earth Day, everyone!

Women's Rights Take a Hit in Afghanistan

2009-04-05T04:44:00.002-05:00

April 5, 2009
Karzai Vows to Review Family Law
By CARLOTTA GALL and SANGAR RAHIMI

KABUL, Afghanistan — President Hamid Karzai ordered a review on Saturday of a new law that has been criticized internationally for introducing Taliban-era restrictions on women and sanctioning marital rape.

The president defended the law, which concerns family law for the Shiite minority, and said Western news media reports were misinformed. Nevertheless, he said his justice minister would review it and make amendments if the law was found to contravene the Constitution and the freedoms that it guarantees.

“The Western media have either mistranslated or taken incorrect information and then published it,” Mr. Karzai said at a news briefing in the presidential palace on Saturday. “If there is anything in contradiction with our Constitution or Shariah, or freedoms granted by the Constitution, we will take action in close consultation with the clerics of the country.”

If changes are needed, he said, the bill would be sent back to Parliament.

Human rights officials have criticized the law, in particular for the restrictions it places on when a woman can leave her house, and for stating the circumstances in which she has to have sex with her husband.

A Shiite woman would be allowed to leave home only “for a legitimate purpose,” which the law does not define. The law also says, “Unless the wife is ill, the wife is bound to give a positive response to the sexual desires of her husband.” Critics have said that provision legalizes marital rape.

The law also outlines rules on divorce, child custody and marriage, all in ways that discriminate against women, said Soraya Sobhrang, commissioner for women’s rights at the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission.

While the law applies only to Shiites, who represent approximately 10 percent of the population, its passage could influence a proposed family law for the Sunni majority and a draft law on violence against women, Ms. Sobhrang said. “This opens the way for more discrimination,” she said.

Mr. Karzai signed the law last week after a vote in Parliament last month, Ms. Sobhrang said, adding that she had seen a copy of the law with his signature.

However, the presidential spokesman, Homayun Hamidzada, would not confirm that the president had signed the law and said only that the he was still reviewing it.

Mr. Karzai’s decision to review the law came after a storm of criticism in recent days. Canada called in the Afghan ambassador for an explanation, and NATO’s secretary general questioned why the alliance was sending men and women to fight in Afghanistan when discrimination against women was condoned by law.

Asked about the law at a news conference in Strasbourg, France, on Saturday, President Obama called it “abhorrent.”

“We think that it is very important for us to be sensitive to local culture,” he said, “but we also think that there are certain basic principles that all nations should uphold, and respect for women and respect for their freedom and integrity is an important principle.”

Also on Saturday, Italy’s defense minister said Italy was considering a temporary withdrawal of the women serving in its force in Afghanistan to protest the law, Reuters reported.

The United Nations high commissioner for human rights, Navi Pillay, said the law represented a “huge step in the wrong direction.”

“For a new law in 2009 to target women in this way is extraordinary, reprehensible and reminiscent of the decrees made by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan in the 1990s,” Ms. Pillay said in a statement posted on her agency’s Web site. “This is another clear indication that the human rights situation in Afghanistan is getting worse, not better.”

In addition to the clauses on when women may leave the home and must submit to their husbands, Ms. Pillay said she was concerned about a section that forbids women from working or receiving education without their husband‘s permission.

Ms. Sobhrang, who has been working on the issue for the last two years, said women’s groups and the human rights commissions had worked with Parliament to introduce amendments but then the law was suddenly pushed through with only three amendments. The bill as originally drawn up by Shiite clerics barred a woman from leaving the house without her husband’s permission, she said. The parliamentary judicial commission amended that provision to say that a woman could leave the house “for a legitimate purpose.”

Mr. Karzai cited that provision in a news conference on Saturday, pointing out that the final version of the law did not ban a woman from leaving her house. But Ms. Sobhrang said even as amended the law contravened the Constitution, which recognizes equal rights for men and women. The term “for a legitimate purpose” was open to interpretation, she added.

She said Mr. Karzai had supported women’s rights in the past but seemed to have given that up in recent months. Some Western officials have speculated that he signed the law to win the support of conservative Shiite clerics in coming presidential elections.

Yet the leading cleric behind the Family Law, Sheik Muhammad Asif Mohseni, complained last week that he was dissatisfied with the amendments that Parliament had made to his original draft. Speaking on his own television channel, Tamadun Television, he objected to the introduction of a legal age for marriage, “16 for women and 18 for men,” saying that people should be able to decide for themselves.

Human rights officials consider raising the marriage age a critical step toward ending the common practice of forced marriages and the marriage of young girls.

Another amendment gave women longer custody of young children in the case of divorce. In the original draft, women could have custody of a son until he was 2 years old, and a daughter until she was 7. The amended version raises the ages to 7 for boys and 9 for girls.

Ms. Sobhrang criticized both versions for not taking into account the interests and desires of the children.

Copyright 2009 The New York Times Company

For more information on the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission, visit their site.

A little something fun I stole from feministing :)

2009-03-25T18:28:00.001-05:00

I saw this while perusing feministing today, and I though it was a fun little way to check up on our women knowledge... I got 4 out of 7 right. Good luck!

"Deborah Siegel, over at Girl w/ Pen, is trying to start a little infectious blog quiz. If you've got one, paste these questions and add one of your own, then post it up at your blog so we can spread the knowledge.

1. In 2009, women make up what percent of the U.S. Congress?
A. 3%
B. 17%
C. 33%
D. 50%

2. How many CEOs of Fortune 500 companies are female?
A. 12
B. 28
C. 59
D. 84

3. Who was the first First Lady to create her own media presence (ie hold regular press conferences, write a daily newspaper column and a monthly magazine column, and host a weekly radio show)?
A. Eleanor Roosevelt
B. Jacqueline Kennedy
C. Pat Nixon
D. Hillary Clinton

4. The Equal Rights Amendment was first introduced to Congress in:
A. 1923
B. 1942
C. 1969
D. 1971

5. Who was the first African-American woman to win the Nobel Prize for Literature?
A. Phyllis Wheatley
B. Alice Walker
C. Toni Morrison
D. Maya Angelou

6. What percentage of union members are women today?
A. 10%
B. 25%
C. 35%
D. 45%

7. What year did the Griswold v. Connecticut decision guarantee married women the right to birth control?
A. 1960
B. 1965
C. 1969
D. 1950

ANSWERS: 1:B, 2:A, 3:A, 4:A, 5:C, 6:D, 7:B"

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

2009-03-17T14:12:00.004-05:00

Green beer and apparel-based pinching may have their place in the hearts of Irish-for-a-day-Americans, indeed, "Plastic Paddys" the world over. But this day holds a greater and dearer significance to those who faithfully honor their Irish descent, like myself and millions of others in this country. Saint Patrick's Day is not merely a day for drunken revelry and offensive stereotypes. It is an occasion to remember the history of a people oppressed, who bravely broke the bonds of tyranny. It is a time to consider whether a nation divided can stand, even as the latest, most P.C. incarnation of British Empire stubbornly continues to rule in the North. It is a feast of the Catholic Church, when we venerate a great saint. But, perhaps most importantly, it is a day to appreciate and revere the authentic spirit of Ireland, and what it means to be Irish.

On this national and patronal day of Ireland, I think it's important also to celebrate the great strides made by women on the island and their descendants. Let's remember that the Republic has had not just one but two female presidents. I've forgotten exactly how many female presidents we've had here, but I seem to recall a smaller number than that (please excuse the sarcasm). In the video below, current President of the Republic of Ireland, Mary McAleese speaks about women's empowerment both in the Republic and in Northern Ireland. It's a bit long, but very interesting and inspiring. Happy Saint Patrick's Day to all!

Obama Creates White House Council for Women and Girls

2009-03-13T15:12:00.003-05:00

.. did our president just say "glass ceiling"? Hallellujah!

Happy Women's Day from Estonia!

2009-03-10T11:03:00.002-05:00

I loved the post by Rachel about International Women's Day, because it totally captures the spirit of that day in Europe... with a few exceptions.

Across the continent, women were given discounts in stores and restaurants and handed free flowers everywhere, from the shopping malls in Tartu to airports in Vienna. I was hiding out in my room doing homework, so I did not get to partake in these festivities, but my friends here did and so I heard all about them.

I thought I would research what this incredible holiday was about. It is recognized by the United Nations, and in some European countries it is a national holiday. According to the UN history site, it officially started in 1909 with the American Socialist Party. Then, it was an effort to recognize the value of working class women across America, and to break down the discrimination and prejudice that women faced in their daily lives. Today it is a day to celebrate simply being a woman, and for everyone to celebrate the women in their lives.

I love this holiday.

In the former USSR states, it is a very big deal. My roomate, Olesea, is from Moldova and it was partly her idea to have a dinner in our flat in celebration of women's day. She was explaining the traditions in her home country to me while she cooked (it took her about five hours and the food was incredible! I'll post the picture once its up on facebook). In Moldova, it is incredibly important that the guys give all of their female friends (especially their girlfriends) small gifts on this day. In high school, she said, you would walk into the classroom and the boys would already have put presents on the desks where the girls usually sat.

It is celebrated now especially as an opportunity for women from all countries to be strong in the face of a history (and present reality) of oppression because of our sex, and for men to push against their own stereotypes by celebrating women just as they are.

I was thinking that I would love for this holiday to get big, and I mean BIG, in the USA. This thought came to me because I remembered my dance teacher from Elementary school, and how in church on Mother's Day sunday, all of the mothers would get carnations, and I always gave her one, too. She didn't have any children, so she didn't have a day to celebrate her womanhood, and I believe that being a mother is not the only thing that gives a woman value and I know you ladies (and gents) reading this blog agree.

Further, I set out a challenge. A year from now, we should put on a fundraiser for March 8. We should sell carnations and rec velvet cupcakes for students, faculty, and staff to give out to the important ladies in their lives. And we should take the money from this fundraiser and give it to a cause that impowers women, such as a microlending program or Care. That way we can help to encourage a pro-fem spirit on campus and work to empower women across the world.

Also in the spirit of women's day, an update on one of my favorite pro-peace groups, Code Pink.

A delegation from Code Pink of 100 people was allowed to cross the Egyptian border into Gaza. This is a huge deal, as this border has been closed since 2007. They brought with them messages of hope, peace, and pink Women's Day baskets for 1000 Gaza women. They also used this opportunity as a chance to speak out and urge the Egyptian government to open up these borders, because without free movement of goods and people a peace will never last, and the people of Gaza won't be free.
Check out the pics of these fantastic ladies on their flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/codepinkalert/3338937293/in/pool-iwdgaza

Much love from Estonia,
me

International Women's Day: Personal Perspective

2009-03-08T09:19:00.006-05:00

Happy International Women's Day! As the website states, International Women's Day celebrates the social, political, and economic achievements of women throughout history; in some countries it is treated as a sort of Valentine's Day/Mother's Day hybrid holiday. There is much to be said when it comes to the amazing women we've come to admire for their strength, from Abigail Adams to Michelle Obama. In the spirit of the day's more personal meaning, I'd like to acknowledge the woman who I've come to realize has positively shaped my life in more ways than I ever previously thought.

Dear Mama-

Of course it's you. I realize that for some women, their mothers may not be first on their list of people who gave them strength, or even in their lives at all. For that alone I feel I've been lucky, but I have to thank you for some other things. When I told you I wanted to be president but I didn't think I could because there hadn't ever been any women presidents, you told me I should be the very first one. You gave me a pink baby blanket and a toy kitchen set, but didn't correct when brother cooked a plastic egg over-easy while I built a LEGO house. You let me look at art books that held drawings and photos of nude men and women, and it wasn't something shameful to be hidden, just beautiful and natural. You talked about "your cycle", not your monthly curse, with confidence and ease whenever I had questions about my period. You never told me I looked fat in what I was wearing. In fact, I can't recall you ever saying those words about your body, either. You refused to let me wear makeup in middle school (I still did- I washed it off before I came home!) and made me wait until the eighth grade to shave my legs, a long year after everyone else got permission from their moms. I was too young to start having to do that stuff, you said, and of course you ended up being right. As I came into being a young woman, you asked me if I wanted to get on birth control "just in case", and shared your story with me. I talk to you about sex as freely as I do with my best girlfriends- mostly because you ARE my best girlfriend, my rock, and the foundation for the strong woman I am today. I love you, Mama, mostly for what you've done, but especially for what you didn't do. Thank you.

I acknowledge the historical figures that paved the way for the feminist movement, and the profound impression Sylvia Plath's poetry, seeing the Vagina Monologues, and reading Cunt (among other things) made on me as a young feminist. But who knows if I would have even come to discover those things, without having this foundation so solidly built for me? At the basest level, beyond all of our feminist heroes, we all have a woman in mind. So today, write a letter to let them know you appreciate them. They may be responsible for more than you realize.

Feministing blog authors coming to SXSW

2009-03-04T12:21:00.006-06:00

Feministing bloggers Samhita and Ann will be speaking at the SXSW Interactive panel Sunday, March 15 about the unique challenges they face as feminist bloggers. They'll also be joined by controversial blogger/author Amanda Marcotte of Pandagon.net, who attended SEU in November.

For those of you over 21 [I'm assuming you need to be over 21 for this event] they're also joining forces with Pandagon Monday, March 16 for a feminist blog extravaganza at Beerland! Here's the Facebook event page.

I'm definitely attending the panel at the convention center. I figure since I am a feminist blogger, it couldn't hurt to get some tips on how to, as described on the event page, "survive the anti-feminist internet". ;)

Follow us on Twitter!

2009-03-02T11:36:00.004-06:00

In light of this recent post on Feministing giving props to Twitter as an important networking tool and one of the fastest-evolving ways to share ideas, SEU Feminist now has a Twitter of our very own! This way, if you'd like to comment or give us feedback, you don't have to have a BlogSpot account. Follow us for special exclusive updates, and laugh at my expense as you watch me try to figure this thing out (get off my lawn, you whippersnappers!)

More sexist bullshit from Hollywood

2009-02-23T02:08:00.007-06:00

As you may know, the Academy Awards were tonight. Here's a (not-so-fun) fact from the Guerrilla Girls: no woman has ever won the Oscar for Best Director. In fact, only three have even been nominated: Lina Wertmuller in 1975 for Seven Beauties, Jane Campion in 1993 for The Piano, and Sofia Coppola in for 2003 for Lost in Translation. I also found out via Feministing that Entertainment Weekly named their top 25 directors, and not a single woman appears on the list. If you're interested in learning about some great female directors, check out the discussion going on at Feministing, or post your own favorites here.

American Apparel ads offensive, not sexy

2009-02-19T09:08:00.003-06:00

"American Apparel ads offensive, not sexy"
Published in the St. Edward's University Hilltop Views, Volume 25, Issue 4, Wednesday, February 18th, 2009
Presented in its entirety EXCLUSIVELY on SEU-Feminist!

By Lucinda Indian and Anna Whitney

Prominently displayed on page two of The Austin Chronicle, the pinnacle of capitalist sexual objectification in the form of obscenely bare and flashy pubescent flesh begins to make our blood boil. A young girl is wearing American Apparel’s nylon on her knees, forearms resting on the floor, tongue suggestively pointed toward a puddle of spilled milk, the image forever imprinted on our brains. Preying on younger and younger women, pop culture has gone wild. The subjugation of women through advertising permeates all levels of society. Marketing attempts to solidify women’s role as mere eye candy. Why do we allow the constant devaluation of our bodies by the media to continue unabated? Women, we must lift our voices and redefine what is acceptable and what is appallingly offensive.
What does advertising tell us about how to act and how to be attractive? At a subconscious level, we learn what society wants from us and how to behave from those seemingly innocuous images. The pornographic positions and bedtime faces of the models used by American Apparel reconfirm to young women that what we look like is more important than who we are. By portraying their models as meek, passive, and vacant, American Apparel encourages an unengaged, glossy-eyed, waifish stereotype. How much money would they lose if they actually represented women as strong, courageous, and empowered??
After reading Joelle Pearson’s account of “American Apparel ads sexy, not exploitative” published Dec. 3, 2008 in the Hilltop Views, the collective jaw-drop of every self-respecting woman was audible at the description of American Apparel’s models as “short, chubby, freckled, oily, unshaven, uncut, and untouched.” No airbrushing is necessary when the models are already conventionally gorgeous regardless. Pearson says she is proud we can display ourselves as American Apparel models do, but as women should we even aspire to look this way?
American Apparel gained status for being progressive by using real employees as models and being hip to environmental causes and labor laws. The CEO, Dov Charney, uses a group of untrained and ethnically diverse people as models for his advertisements. This Los Angeles-based company does not use sweatshop labor and uses its storefronts to promote various social causes such as immigration reform. Although there have been some disputes over union-busting, Charney pays his employees almost twice the minimum wage on average and gives them health benefits. And their clothes are comfortable, too.
For these reasons, we want to love American Apparel.
But it is Charney and his mindset that are the real problem. Frequently ambling about the office in nothing but his underwear, he uses sexually explicit language, brags that he has slept with numerous young, subordinate employees, photographs scantily clad women, and claims that all of this promotes an innovative, creative work environment centered around freedom of expression. We really want to believe that American Apparel advertisements are just “sexy” as Pearson claims, instead of demeaning, soft-core pornographic objectifications.
But we cannot. From print advertisements, billboards, and photos on the online store, everything seems to be covered in “a thick coat of demoralizing sleaze,” as feminist blogger Amanda Marcotte of Pandagon.net puts it. Perhaps it is that Charney’s employees find it difficult to reject his sexual advances when their jobs are at stake. Or because Charney has been quoted as saying that “women initiate most domestic violence... and this has made a victim culture out of women.” Maybe he spouts this gibberish to rationalize the five sexual harassment cases that he has been charged with. Charney’s obvious misogynistic attitude directly translates to the photographs that American Apparel uses as advertisements, some of which he takes himself. Under the guise of promoting sexual liberation, Charney has been able to objectify women in a way that makes people think it is okay, and that is the real crime.
Our closets may not be strangers to their label but we cannot sit idly by while American Apparel perpetuates overtly sexual stereotypes of women. If American Apparel wants self-respecting women to stay their customers, they should listen when we denounce their advertisements for objectifying women’s bodies. Until then, we will refuse to buy into the idea that we are walking hangers for garish garments.

Greetings from Estonia

2009-02-15T07:43:00.003-06:00

Hello all! I made the commitment to myself and to the blog to keep my eyes and ears open for new, thought-provoking international perspectives. So far, I must admit, its mainly been a lot of crazy drunken Estonian nights. These don't really lend themselves to intense political discussion so much as intensely spastic European dancing. But, a few days ago, my roomate from Moldova noticed what I call my "Social Justice Sheet" on my bed. Freshman year, I did a speech about civil marriage for my speech class. I used a sheet to display in written form all of the 1,138 rights guaranteed by the constitution that were dependent upon a citizen's marital status and, therefore, denied to all LGBT citizens. After I did the speech, I kept the sheet and had it displayed in every room I have occupied since then. This is to remind me of a struggle that is still present, and injustices against Americans that are happening right now. She saw the sheet and asked what it was about, so I told her. She looked a little surprised when she asked me, "So, are you... for it?" I didn't know why she would be surprised, since everything about me screams liberal progressive, but I went for it anyways. She did not agree with me. She also thinks that the reason that a lot of Moldovans are coming out right now is American television. I told her I had to disagree, and that I thought that if anything American television might have given people the security to come out when before they had felt too afraid or alone to do so. She also believes that gay marriage and gay adoption are wrong, on the basis of the nuclear family. This was, obviously, another topic on which we disagreed.

Finding people who are surprisingly socially conservative, especially when it comes to gay rights, isn't anything new when you come from Texas. The new thing, though, was talking to someone who could bring a completely new perspective. One of her main problems with gay rights activists in Moldova wasn't what they were advocating. In her country, there is only one main city that is relatively industrialized (Chişinău*) and the rest of the country is made up of little villages that still use coal and wood for the most part to stay warm in the winter. Many of the people in these villages make 500 euros (644 USD) a year, and still maintain a family-focused village life that is rarely seen in the US. The parents take care of the children and the grand-children, and work either outside the country or in traditional jobs in the villages. In this situation, she said, there is no room for thinking about a place for gay and lesbian people. She told me that it was frustrating for her that someone could be trying to create a "community" for LGBT people when villagers still can't get gas to their homes to properly heat them.

Of course I've heard, and said, the cliche that being a human rights activist is a luxury. It means that you have enough food to eat and a place to be sheltered so that you are not just trying to survive. i had never actually met someone, though, who embodied the opposite. What is the role of activism in developing nations? And also, how can we, who are in a position to be concerned with these issues, work to further the understanding of human rights in countries that struggle with basic needs? Is it possible for us to be the change in bringing people's awareness out of this mindset that my roomate shows?

I don't know the answer to this question, but it is definitely one that has been on my mind since we had this conversation, and I'd love to get your take on this.

Nagemist! (That's good-bye in estonian)

*Thanks to the anonymous poster for setting me straight on my European capitols. :)

Courtney Martin on Bill O' Reilly

2009-02-12T20:03:00.002-06:00

It's safe to say that here at St. Edward's, Courtney Martin is one of our favorite feminists. She's attended campus twice- once last year to speak about her amazing book Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters, and last semester to coach a small group of us in op-ed writing as a part of The Op-Ed Project. Check how amazingly she stands up to Bill O' Reilly, starting at about 4:30 (sorry for the title.)

You rule, lady.

Swagger like M.I.A.

2009-02-11T18:08:00.014-06:00

Normally I'm not a big fan of awards shows. The culture of celebrity worship is ridiculous and whenever I hear about red carpet events like these I find myself wondering why I should care. The shows themselves rarely offer anything new-- I'd much rather see the movies or listen to the albums up for awards than find out whether they won something. And the formal attire required by the fancy events calls for strictly enforced gender roles, not to mention that the men all look the same in their tuxedos while the women's choice of gowns is under constant scrutiny. So I didn't watch the 2009 Grammy Awards, which happened this weekend, but, as it turns out, something happened there that was definitely worth seeing.

M.I.A., best known for her hit single "Paper Planes," performed "Swagger Like Us" (which samples "Paper Planes") while nine months pregnant. She was actually due on the day of the performance and she still managed to hold her own with T.I., Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Lil Wayne, and even flaunted her beautiful pregnant body in a sheer mini dress. I am in absolute awe.

And to think people used to say that women were the weaker sex.

Funny Feminist Friday: Excedrin for Racial Tension Headaches

2009-02-07T00:21:00.002-06:00

Happy Friday! Funny Feminist Friday is back, and to celebrate Black History Month, here's a clip from Saturday Night Live of the fabulous and funny Queen Latifah:

"My time will come": Another milestone in the global struggle for political equality

2009-02-01T01:22:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, former Icelandic Minister of Social Affairs and Social Security Johanna Sigurdardottir became her nation's first female prime minister and the world's first openly gay head of government. This comes after months of widespread malaise in the country, and many look to her as a sign of better times to come.

She entered politics in 1978. Since then, she has held several prominent positions in Iceland's government. Much has been made of her former occupation as a flight attendant, perhaps not without cause: her rise to power is all the more inspirational considering where she began. In 1995, she ran for her current position without success. "My time will come," she famously remarked.

Along with the inauguration of President Barack Obama, her election has made January one of the most groundbreaking months in the history of the fight for human equality.

For more information, there's a great article at TIME.com on the subject.

Instead of jail, maybe Blagojevich should be sentenced to wash his mouth out with soap.

2009-01-31T17:09:00.010-06:00

If you've been following the Blagojevich scandal, you may have already seen this interview, or clips of it on cable news:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

It's a long clip, and I'm not going to go into detail about all the extremely arrogant statements he makes (did he really just compare himself to Mandela, King, and Gandhi?), but check out what he says about three minutes into the clip:

"If you can hear the whole story, I think the whole story will tell a story of a governor who's on the side of the people, who takes on powerful interests, expresses frustration, and uses some language that, frankly, had I known somebody was listening, I wouldn't use, and I'll point out, when some of that language was used, there were no women on the phone" (emphasis mine).

Seriously? Does he really think he's on trial for using bad language? And as for his defense that there were no women on the phone, WTF? (Make no mistake, by the way-- I have just as much of a foul mouth as Blago. I'm just using the acronym to avoid offending you ladies.) Remind me again, what century is this?

Mmmm, sexy food

2009-01-29T02:01:00.006-06:00

I was watching TV at a friend's house tonight when I saw this ad:

I know this is meant to be funny, but it just left me wondering, why is there only one female M&M cartoon, and why is she always presented in such a sexual way? I know sex sells, but would it hurt to even things out and have a sexy male M&M? Or a funny, normal female M&M? And does anyone else find sexually anthropomorphized (or, I guess I should say, gynecomorphized) food somewhat disturbing? Is there anything the female body isn't used to sell?

Passing the Gauntlet

2009-01-27T20:58:00.006-06:00

I've been meaning to write this post for around a week now, but I simply haven't had the time or, strangely, the drive. I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to drive across the country and stand with 2 million other people on a day that was literally freezing and watch the 44th president being sworn in. I wanted to communicate the importance that day and that trip had for me, because I feel that as feminists we are called to be politically active on behalf of equality for all. Today, I received an email from an ex-aunt who I have always looked up to. My mother forwarded my mass family email about the inauguration to her, and she felt moved to contact me regarding my involvement. I'd never talked politically with my aunt Carol, and that side of the family has a tendency to be incredibly conservatively Catholic so I was more than a little nervous about what her response would be. Instead of the telling-to I was expecting, I found a brief but poignant email expressing her thanks for my political involvement in my country. As a young woman in the 70's, she was incredibly active in the feminist movement and considers herself lucky to have had the opportunity. She closed by telling me, "Taking action is the only way to show real patriotism and to ensure that our democratic system does not disappear." She is completely right. Like so many others, I felt myself swept up in the tide of the Obamanation excitement, and I quickly felt the anger I had held inside toward our government for the last eight years dissipating. It was an incredible feeling, to listen to the Flobots, "Still Waiting" by Sum41 or "American Idiot" by Greenday and not be filled with righteous anger towards my president and the government allowing him to strip me of my civil liberties and kill innocent civilians in a useless war. I felt liberated. I rejoiced when I heard him promise to close Gitmo within the year, and I almost cried while reading his memorandum to the heads of the executive agencies regarding the Freedom of Information Act and how he expected them to abide by it and utilize new technology to make governmental information more readily accessible for the public. But, I am starting to realize, we shouldn't only become active because he is asking us to. Barack Obama is only one man, and he has the hopes and dreams of everyone who voted for him on his shoulders. With that many expectations, it seems he is bound, inevitably, to fail. But we, the people, are not. Each of us, as an individual, has only ourselves to answer to. President Barack Obama has called each of us to action, I think, because he recognizes this in his presidency. He has so many issues that he has pledged to solve with a bipartisan approach that it would be impossible for him to create all of the radical changes we rallied around when we elected him the next president. We must pick up the gauntlet that has been passed to us and remember the women who came before our time, who are now counting on us not to let our sisters (and brothers) in the struggle down.

With that in mind, I also don't think its a problem to recount the fabulosity (yes, I just made that up, I hope that's ok with ya'll) of the inauguration itself. I was really lucky to be with a group of people who also appreciated the historical significance of our route to the capitol, so we stopped in Little Rock at Little Rock Central High School and in Memphis at the Lorraine Motel. Those two stops, and spending MLK day next to the Reflection Pool at the capitol really help drive the importance of Barack Obama's inauguration home. That night we caught "Look Who's Coming to Dinner" with Sidney Poitier, and in it he says that his white fiance believes that one day their mixed-race children could be president, and I really felt like the entire experience was complete.

It wasn't all serious contemplation, however. There was the 2 million plus crowd on the national mall dancing to Garth Brooks singing "Shout" as the sun came up that morning, and the walk to Virginia that we took along with thousands of others due to closed metro stations to lighten the mood. And, in a crowd of millions crammed into spaces never meant to hold those numbers, there was the excitement and positivity that refused to turn to mob madness or frustrated anger that continually reinforced the good vibes infusing this administration.

I'm going to try to add some pictures if I can. Wish me luck!

The Big V.

2009-01-25T19:33:00.007-06:00

There's a good three weeks to go until Valentine's Day, but since it always has a sneaky way of creeping up on me, I've decided to take the confrontational approach. My perception of this day seems to change every year. Last year? I was a willing participant. The year before that? Inconsolably cynical about the whole disgusting, consumerist charade. And now? Well, I'm not quite sure.

Since I was in elementary school, my parents have always made sure I felt loved on this day, gifting me chocolates and a card signed "XOXO, Love Mom and Dad". Though they're divorced now, I still get separate cards and candy from both of them, which even at the more cynical age of nineteen still makes me smile. As I came to know Valentine's Day as just a day to tell someone you love them, no matter what kind of love that may be, that all changed as I grew older. The proverbial "V-Day" soon evolved into a holiday sacred to those who held romantic love between them. As I longed for my first kiss and my first boyfriend, I (as any girl would in my situation) began to feel left out of what now seemed to be an integral part of enjoying this holiday: having a lover, a partner. Chocolates from my parents just added insult to injury.

To rationalize my non-participant status that plagued me year after year, I quickly renounced the practice of Valentine's Day. Created by Hallmark! Fueled by capitalism! Designed to make us feel terrible about single selves! After all, I am a strong feminist woman, and I don't need no man... right? Yeah. That didn't last long. No matter how I tried, it was still in vain. After all, Valentine's Day will probably never go away, which made trying to renounce it somewhat of an exercise in futility. And so what if chocolate-covered strawberries fuel the capitalist machine? I still wanted them- they taste good!

In any case, I don't think we should blame Valentine's Day for all the trouble it may cause us. Like many things originally good, it's simply become misinterpreted and polluted over time. So I've decided to just take it back, and make it my own. A day to eat ice cream in bed alone with my dog, a day to bake cookies for all my friends and watch terrible romantic comedies, a day to be glad I don't need diamonds or a boyfriend---

For what I need, and have, is love. In any way, shape, or form it happens to take.

"The facts were these": the empowerment of women (and men) in Pushing Daisies

2009-01-14T21:57:00.002-06:00

When you think of portrayals of women on television, what comes to mind? I'd bet you picture scantily-clad, shockingly promiscuous, terribly cast vixens. Sex sells, and nobody knows this better than film and TV industry fat cats. Put a piece of flesh in front of America, and you'll have 'em banging down your door.

But there's at least one show that treats women as more than the sum of their parts: Pushing Daisies. The series, created by the visionary Bryan Fuller, is now in its second season. It depicts its female characters as strong, compassionate, independent, and good-natured. And now ABC has decided to cancel it.

For the uninitiated, here's the very least you need to know: In this romantic comedy/fantasy/detective drama, Ned, a shy, kindhearted pie maker (played by the amazingly talented Lee Pace) has a gift. He can bring the dead back to life with a single touch of his hand. But there are two catches. If he touches that formerly deceased person a second time, they will return to their posthumous state forever. If he should leave a person alive for more than a minute, however, someone else will die in their place. Enter private investigator Emerson Cod (played by the very entertaining Chi McBride). He discovers Ned's ability, and employs him to revive murder victims in order to find their killers and collect the reward money. One such victim turns out to be lonely tourist Charlotte "Chuck" Charles (played by the gorgeous, skillful British actress Anna Friel). She was Ned's childhood friend and first kiss, and hasn't seen him since. Upon waking her, Ned realizes that he has feelings for her, and so keeps her alive indefinitely. The two fall in love, becoming the sweetest, most charming fictitious couple to hit the small screen in decades. This turn of events takes place much to the chagrin of Ned's co-worker and secret admirer, Olive Snook (the delightful Kristin Chenoweth of Wicked fame), who is made to believe that Chuck faked her own death. Of course, despite their increasingly intense love for each other, Ned and Chuck can never touch. Every episode follows a different whimsical, often themed, murder mystery case, while simultaneously developing the characters' relationships with each other and expanding on their personal stories.

Aside from this show's many other admirable qualities, it is one of the most groundbreaking programs in years, in terms of gender issues. Our heroine, Chuck, is not a desperate housewife, nor a desperate anything for that matter. She is independent, smart, courageous, inquisitive, and vibrant, refreshingly far from the traditional wilting violet of yesteryear, yet maintaining the elegance of the classic ingenue. As evidence of her liberated womanhood, she has absolutely no qualms about bearing a traditionally male nickname. And, yes, she can be all of these things while still maintaining her role as hopeless romantic, and without stooping to promiscuity or indecency. Olive's character also breaks traditional gender stereotypes. She is determined, vivacious, and eager. She was a jockey for several years, entering into a sport generally considered an "old boy's club" and "the sport of kings". And without being even the slightest bit risqué, she is not afraid to assert her sexuality and sensuality. Her love for Ned, one could argue, may possibly be even deeper than Chuck's, and yet, she gracefully steps aside. She can also belt out a song when the mood strikes her, and there's nothing more liberating than that.

The fellas (such as yours truly) can also look to this show for good examples of authentic masculinity defying antique boundaries. Ned, our protagonist, is sweet, gentle, kind, caring, sensitive, and (dare I say it?) adorable. He's secure enough in his "maleness" to be himself, which includes making pies. Yes, contrary to popular belief, anyone can enjoy the wonders of pie. None of this impedes his debonair abilities to sweep his lady love off her feet. Equally notable is Emerson Cod's case. He presents himself as a strong, no-nonsense crime-fighter, but privately loves to knit and has unresolved issues with his long-lost daughter. Guys in America need to be reminded that masculinity, just like femininity, is not found in mere conformity to an arbitrary set of social norms. And this show attempts, through the efforts of its amazing creator, to do just that.

Any discussion of gender roles and Pushing Daisies would be tragically incomplete without at least a brief mention of Chuck's aunts Vivian and Lily (played by those great and venerable stars of stage and screen, Ellen Greene and Swoosie Kurtz, respectively). They are former synchronized swimmers, who once formed a duo known as The Darling Mermaid Darlings. The share a love for fine cheese, and a sadness for their niece's presumed passing. Lily in particular refuses to be bogged down by stereotypes; she tends to enjoy shooting trespassers and other shady characters with her trusty rifle, for example. Both aunts are strong women, though crippled by a social disorder, who accept that they cannot be what society wants them to be, but only who they truly are.

We can all take lessons from this brilliant show. Though our genders are a significant part of who we are, we shouldn't let artificial constructs and stereotypes prevent us from living our lives as we see fit and being the people we truly must be.

With all that in mind, I think ABC's decision is outrageously stupid. And that's all I have to say about that.

Indulge your obsession (or cultivate a new one, so that you too can join in the sadness of PD's cancellation):

Watch episodes for free at ABC.com

Watch the first season on iTunes

Watch the second season on iTunes

Buy the first season DVD from Amazon

Chick Flick Lit, Feminism, and Twilight

2008-12-31T19:53:00.003-06:00

So I'll be the first to admit that I read the Twilight series in two weeks, and not just because it was easy reading. Say what you wish, after four chapters I was irrevocably hooked into the Bella-Edward romance. I did find this disturbing repeatedly throughout the four books, though, as it became obvious that there would be no sexy bloodsucking or even sexy sex. The further into the books I got, the more painfully obvious it became that I didn't necessarily like Bella at all, and Edward really just pissed me off, but for some reason I was dying to know how the story ended! (Not to mention dying to see if the fourth book would finally dish up some steamy Mormon sex.) I completely agree with all the bloggers who call Bella a completely flat character, because she is. She doesn't change at all after the first book, when the soul point and purpose of her life becomes her love for Edward. I also agree that this pushes feminism back at least fifty years, because isn't one of the points of feminism that we don't need a man to give us value? I know that is definitely part of my personal definition of the word. Furthermore, Edward is this ridiculously perfect man. The only part of him that isn't perfect is that he wants to kill her for her delicious blood, but he won't even do that because he's a freakin vampire vegetarian. So, now that I have acknowledged that Edward is completely controlling and ridiculous as the epitome of all knights in shining armor as he saves Bella left and right (can't the girl do anything for herself?), and Bella doesn't even have a personality apart from her literally life-threatening infatuation with Edward (oh, and we mustn't forget her sudden popularity occurring from nothing but her beauty that she doesn't realize she has), I'm going to move on to my next point as someone who still enjoyed reading the books.

My friend, an avid Anne Rice reader who also read the Twilight series, told me that she was planning on re-writing the books from the perspective of Rice, since Lestat was totally right when he called Louis a wuss for eating rats. I thought this would be infinitely more satisfying (because you know there would be awesome vampire sex in that book, not to mention a vocabulary that goes beyond "cold" and "beautiful"), but then I realized that I wasn't sure it was possible. I'm only halfway through Interview with the Vampire, and I certainly see no opportunity for one of Anne Rice's undead to have any love story with a human where she doesn't end up the meal. This is also how I felt when I considered whether there could ever be a feminist version of Twilight. Would it be possible, I asked myself, to come up with a plot as riveting as what bitch magazine calls "abstinence porn?" Furthermore, could there ever be truly feminist chick flick lit?

I started to think of how one would create a feminist version of Twilight. Obviously, Bella would be informed, independent, and definitely more focused on her college education possibilities than on Edward's cold, hard, chest. Or would she? Could you still write a love story so enticing when the female lead has a mind of her own, and her male counterpart understands and wishes only to be completely equal in their relationship? And, if they were both truly content with themselves as their identities were formed based on their own self-fulfilment and not on fulfilment through a lover, could their bond be as strong?

Of course I believe that love for feminists is possible, but I also believe that in my life as a result of my feminism I will not allow it to be the focal point of my existence. I guess I'm just not sure if these kinds of stories, like Twilight, would work if love, and the desire for it, wasn't at their core. I really am not sure about this question, and if even my wanting to read a love story (whether it's feminist or not) places me in opposition to the very tenets of this feminism that I claim to follow.

Who knows?

Funny Feminist Friday: Happy Holidays!

2008-12-26T18:51:00.001-06:00

A Christmas message from Sarah Silverman:

Happy Winter Solstice!

2008-12-26T00:46:00.002-06:00

Hello all.

In the hustle and bustle of the finals/holiday time, I have had the pleasant opportunity to see a lot of old family and friends. This also means that I have been involved in political and ideological discussions with those among them that disagree with a lot of my views. I had a really great experience with a very conservative uncle who was trying to show me how unprepared and under-qualified Barack Obama is when a lot of the knowledge I gained this semester finally came into play. It was when I was coming down from the high that occurs after you win an intellectual argument that my friend started talking about my beloved Obama, and how from recent news she understood that the priest who will be present at the Inauguration was in favor of Prop 8. I realized that I had been paying so little attention to him after his election that I didn't even know about the current controversy, having adopted the defense mechanism of brushing off any opposition as Fox News inspired. This was the first sign.

A few days before that, I was at a birthday party for a friend and Flobots came up on the iPod mix. I had only heard one song, "No Handlebars," but seeing as that was my summer anti-Dubya jam, I was psyched to get to listen to more of their songs. One of the girls at the party just happened to have a copy of the CD in her car that she no longer needed, being of the iPod persuasion, and she gave it to me as an early Christmas/sisters in the struggle gift. Since then, I've been jamming out to my inner insurgent in my car. I was moved so much by the lyrics of "Mayday" that I put a few lines as my Facebook status, which got me a lot of "?" comments over the next few days. I looked back at what I'd posted,

Fuck that. We don't give 'em any weight. True liberty and freedoms at stake. Peace will never become passé, live my life until my last day.

and suddenly I felt nervous and worried that these lyrics might send the wrong impression. Before Obama was elected these lyrics would have seemed normal on my page. I consistently posted statuses to report my current political outrage, and it was obvious (to me, at least, and those who think like I do) that these outbursts of pent-up rage were well-deserved and just another drop in the vast ocean of proof that America's youth were ready for change. My fear of sending the wrong message in that moment by continuing to voice my displeasure with the status quo was quite unsettling. That was the second sign.

When Obama won the election, everyone, including myself, was delirious with joy. People spilled onto streets across the world, celebrating as is normal for a sports team the election of Barack Obama, the change-agent. But, as I consistently reminded nay-sayers who warned that he could not possibly bring all of the change he spoke of, it wasn't only about him. "From the beginning," I would say, "he has told us that he is only the face of this movement. And in his acceptance speech, he reminded us again that he needed everyone to take their own responsibility to bring the change they seek. Electing him, as he said, was not the change we were looking for. It was only the opportunity to make that change a reality."

Now, faced with my growing apathy and disinterest in news channels, I am starting to worry, but only slightly. If I, having three Barack Obama bumper stickers, a flyer in both windows, and countless books, posters, and signs all over my house, can drop the Change-ball, I'm sure that many others with a lot more on their minds are doing the same thing. That's why I am up, way too late on Christmas day for those of us who still have siblings young enough to wake up early for presents, to remind myself and any readers out there of the charge that we have been given.

It is our time to make the changes we believe in. Barack Obama was elected as a result of massive grass-roots organizations and donations in small increments that everyone could afford. If anything, this campaign is proof that change really does come from the ground up. Those of us who were politicized without the help of the Obama campaign are those with the most to lose. We have to plug ourselves back in to whatever source it was that pushed us onward before and take our newfound knowledge of the true abilities of the American people and keep moving forward towards the future we know we deserve. Allowing our activism, and that of those around us, to fail now is like embracing the idea that feminism is dead. Just because we have won this very public victory does not guarantee that all of our demands will be met without a fight. The activists of this country came out in force to support someone who seemed to believe as they did, in the need for a new America. As much as it pains me to finally say this, though, he is just one man. He is a very powerful man, true, but with that powerful office come incredibly powerful political restraints that we do not have.

Whatever your cause, I just ask that you do like I am doing and take time to return to it this holiday season. Whether you are celebrating some spiritual ceremony or simply chillin the fuck out, this time without assignments and other topics clamoring for your attention is the perfect chance to reboot.

Lets start the new year right with resolutions to fight harder than ever before. In this renewed spirit, I present my WOmanifestA of 2009:

I am a woman, and I will not fear the feminine power within me.
I will celebrate my body and revere it as my connection to the heavenly bodies and earthly rhythms, and I will submit myself in awe to these ancient movements that I am cannot control.
I will become conscious of my thoughts and motivations, and I will then move consciously towards the things that better myself and this world.
I will not forget the injustices still present in this country.
I will not let this year go by without making a difference.
I will be the change.

Funny Feminist Friday: Amy Poehler

2008-12-19T11:25:00.006-06:00

Last weekend was Amy Poehler's last show on Saturday Night Live. Here's a clip from her last Weekend Update:

Here's one of the things she's working on now, an awesome series called Smart Girls at the Party. In this episode, she interviews a seven-year-old feminist:

If you need more reasons to love Amy Poehler, check out these clips.

Funny Feminist Friday: Old School Edition

2008-12-12T19:25:00.004-06:00

Okay, I've missed a few weeks of Funny Feminist Fridays, so to make up for it, here's an extra-special deluxe edition! Here are a few old school clips of some awesome feminist stand-up comedians.

Fuck Yeah to Feminist Bloggers

2008-12-05T21:42:00.003-06:00

Check out this fuck yeah from Feministing:

Why Feminism is Important

2008-12-01T21:39:00.006-06:00

My boyfriend and I got into another heated debate about why feminism shouldn't die again yesterday. "What exactly is it that you guys want?" he asked me. "To be treated like a morally equal human being," I answered. Today, I read a great article in Details men's magazine about "reclaiming your chauvinism." I've posted it here, to remind us about what we're fighting against:

On the surface, Dave—we'll call him that because his wife doesn't—is a decent guy: a devoted spouse and a doting father to the three young children he "co-parents." And yet Dave has a shady side habit, an indulgence he tells himself he's entitled to: In Manhattan, where he works, he frequents a select circuit of massage parlors that offer "happy ending" services. At first, he says, he felt bad about what he was doing. But the more he hears about the transgressions of male friends and colleagues, the more it seems that his "extracurricular activities," as he calls them, aren't simply about sexual boredom or scratching an itch in a new way. He's just, like many men his age, tapping into the asshole within.

Dave, who was in college during the P.C. era of the early nineties, is part of a generation of men who have started to wonder why they've been so damn well-behaved all these years—and are now letting their long-repressed roguish instincts run free. Cheating is at the extreme end of the list of infractions; resistance is more often expressed in other, seemingly benign ways, ranging from being disingenuously helpful (offering to do the grocery shopping to escape the house for a couple of hours) to tuning out (pouring a third glass of Scotch as the girlfriend looks askance) to adopting a sort of passive-aggressive inertness (feigning temporary deafness on hearing the baby cry in the middle of the night). An everyday selfishness, in other words, thats about snatching a bit of unapologetic selfhood—manhood, damn it—back from the clammy clutches of coupledom.

of the shift has to do, of course, with the normal surliness that comes with skidding toward middle age. But much of it is related to where the postfeminist era left guys like Dave: lost, basically. All that "girl power" stuff that enthralled indie/campus culture in the Cobain years may have been eclipsed by dopey Sex and the City-style materialism, but the combination of the two gave women license to be both ballsy and old-school girly (e.g., to have the cool career and the fuck-me pumps). Meanwhile, guys felt not just emasculated but complicit in their own de-ballsing. The sensitive guy's answer to riot-grrrl rock was poetry readings and the Counting Crows, for chrissake.

"What's distinctive about being a man anymore?" asks sociologist Michael Kimmel, the author of Guyland, a new book about American masculinity. "In the search for the answer to that question, you're going to get a lot of confusion, a lot of return to traditionalism, a lot of sort of defensive resentment." Resentment that's been bubbling up beneath the enlightened veneer of post-P.C. boys, now grown men with careers and wives and toddlers, who are, for starters, "doing a lot more child care than their fathers did," as Kimmel points out. Recast as nurturers, some of these guys are finding themselves almost indignantly nostalgic for that time, not so long ago, when husbands got to be babied by their wives—and never had to empty the Diaper Genie.

"There has been this huge transformation in the past 20 years," says Jill Brooke, editor of First Wives World, a website for divorced women, "but there is still something embedded in the male DNA thats really just habit. I joke with my husband that men want a geisha girl—with brains. The geisha-girl element being that they still want to be fed and adored."

A man used to rule his castle, but the hard truth is that now—whether he realizes it or not—he's been deposed. Instead of being domestic commander-in-chief, he's likely in "Yes, dear" mode, bent over the recycling bins sorting paper and plastic, or dutifully ferrying the kids to birthday parties. If there's an object lesson for the contemporary married man, it's the case of Guy Ritchie, who grimly submitted to the clean-living, steamed-veggie, low-fat-smoothie martial law set down by his wife, Madonna—"If [he] fancied a pie and a pint he would have to nip down to the pub," a sympathetic friend told the U.K.'s Daily Mirror—and was then reportedly cuckolded for his troubles.

Rather amazing, really, that a guy who was seemingly his own man would knuckle under like that. But Ritchie was just subscribing to the contemporary credo that a good husband shuts up and gets on with it—while secretly nursing (and sometimes even acting on) elaborate escape fantasies. The average guy's reality, though, is more likely to involve Internet porn (hello, David Duchovny). Or a visit to a strip club on a business trip. Or run-of-the-mill emotional infidelity—investing a little too enthusiastically in, say, a nonsexual but ego-flattering "work wife" flirtation, whether face-to-face or Internet-enabled (like sending inappropriate IMs to the accounting assistant). Boomer dudes may occasionally bust free with self-destructive gusto (Eliot Spitzer, John Edwards), but a lot of younger guys simply won't go that far—at least not yet—perhaps because they're determined not to be like their distant, selfish, work-addicted, possibly philandering fathers.

Meanwhile, one of the cultural side effects of the repressed modern married man is a burgeoning market for vividly antiheroic role models—icons of unreconstructed masculinity who say and do things a lot of guys only wish they could get away with. Like misogynist Internet auteur Tucker Max, the self-described "raging dickhead." And all those VH1 celeb-reality doofuses (Flavor Flav, Bret Michaels), who traffic in their boy-in-a-man's-body recklessness. And Dr. Gregory House of the top-10 hit House, who regresses to his idealized punk-rock self by noisily playing his electric guitar in his office, and who doesn't hesitate to tell an immunologist he hired her because she's so pretty that "it's like having a nice piece of art in the lobby." And Don Draper, the self-contained, womanizing creative director on Mad Men, whos drawn, in all his flawed maleness, as a sort of timeless inevitability.

The popularity of the likes of Mad Men comes from a wave of nostalgia, says Kimmel, for a time when men were less confused about what it meant to be a man: "It's the vicarious thing of 'Look at how entitled Don Draper is! I wish it was like that in the workplace now, but now the women aren't just the secretaries, they're my goddamn boss!'" There is no going back, though, no real recourse. Just new ways to act out in pathetic little increments. It's what Kimmel calls "regression with a vengeance"—slipping back into a posture of bratty, boyish petulance and indifference. Because, for their part, men are no longer fighting the war of the sexes—just mounting a sad little insurgency.

____________
:Read the Full Story Here

Guest Blogger: A Mormon Feminist’s Perspective on Prop 8

2008-11-27T03:49:00.009-06:00

A few weeks ago, I read this post on Feministing and thought of my Mormon feminist friend, Chris. I asked him what he thought about the Mormon church’s involvement in proposition 8, which led to a long discussion over the internet. I asked if I could post some of his thoughts on the issue to our blog, so he wrote this guest post:

There are a lot of factors that play into this issue, not all of which I feel qualified to fully discuss, so I’ll link where I can to more knowledgeable sources.

Personally, I think a lot of it is just misunderstandings and different ways of viewing the world, what definitions of gender, etc. really mean. Here is a good discussion of this from a Mormon perspective. I also think on some level it comes down to the fact that the Church has outwardly stated it supports traditional ideas of gender/family (there's a famous thing called The Proclamation on the Family-- I understand if you don't agree with it, but it has become official doctrine of the Church and should help you understand a little better why this is an issue for us) and feels like it should back that up when it's directly challenged, as with Prop 8. I've heard so many arguments on both sides and I don't like how they're playing out on either side (the anti-Mormon talk or the anti-gay sentiment some people strike up in order to explain to themselves why the church would speak directly against this), that I'm quite torn, precisely because this is such a hard issue.

Personally, I support giving full partnership rights for everyone who wants them, but marriage I think is a religious institution and should be defined individually by each religion. I think we should adopt the European model, where everyone goes and gets a civil union from the state and then goes and does whatever religious marriage they might want, and then individual churches can decide to perform or not perform gay marriages. Those who still want “marriage” without the religious context could maybe have separate ceremonies of their own, but marriage would be individually or institutionally based and recognized. But we're a long ways from that. One reason I was a little against Prop 8, though, is because I think any state definition of marriage, whether for or against gay marriage, is abuseable and dangerous. But I think I'm a little in the minority there.

One small clarification which I'm not sure is true but might clarify why so many Mormons were scared: on the objection that many had that the issue doesn’t directly affect Mormons, there was a lot of buzz going around that if gay marriage were legally sanctioned then it would be legally required to accept/perform gay marriages and institutions which refused to perform such would no longer be licensed for marriage, i.e. the Church might lose the ability to performs marriages and they might even shut down our temples in California, which is scary beyond all reason to Mormons. That immediately reminds us of burning temples, being driven from homes/cities/states, massacres, and other really nasty things that happened to us during the early days of the Church, when it was made legal by the "Extermination Order" from Governor Boggs to kill Mormons in the state of Missouri, etc. (Funny thing, the Extermination Order was only officially repealed in 1976.)

The really ironic part of this whole thing to me is that the gay and lesbian community thinks the Church is trying to stamp out their rights but on some level the Church is afraid of the exact reverse: losing their rights again. It's two completely opposite but similarly marginalized groups fighting each other instead of getting mad at the greater society.

I'm not saying this paranoia is warranted (because I really don't know if they could shut the Church down like that, though the idea scares even me a bit) but it's one of the reasons why Mormons really went in on this one.

It’s obvious there are a lot of views that differ about the nature of what gender, orientation and relationship mean, and how we should react to those on a societal level. I consider myself a feminist because I do believe in gender equality and in the freedom of choice, but I definitely think anywhere where the law gets involved is messy, because the law is there to limit freedom for the greater good (we don’t have the freedom to kill people so that others don’t have to worry about being killed). How that greater good is defined is up to the majority. So freedom of choice is a complicated issue, as is gender equality. On some level I do believe that men and women are inherently different, but I believe that makes both more valuable rather than less, because both are unique. I don’t understand everything, or even very much, about to what degree we are the same and to what degree different, but learning more is one of the main quests of my life. Mostly, with this post, I hope you see that Mormons are 1) not all of the same mindset, 2) still people, even if you very heavily disagree with them, 3) trying to do their best to stand up for things that are important to them, even if they might do it in ways that do more harm than good.

-Chris Straubhaar

Why You, Too, Can Love American Apparel.

2008-11-24T21:43:00.002-06:00

American Apparel is a hipster mega mart managed by a sleaze ball chauvinist who exploits sexuality to sell outrageously overpriced clothing. And I support it. As the two Austin stores near their one-year anniversary, give thanks back to this shamelessly honest company by dropping your paycheck on something with a high waist.

Dov Charney, the 39-year-old CEO and founder of AA, runs a proudly sexualized business. Charney himself has faced five charges of sexual harassment from his employees, not including fondling himself in front of a Jane magazine reporter or dropping his pants for a reporter of BussinessWeek. His free-love mentality is filters in to his raunchy advertising campaign—I’m so hot and bothered after browsing their website I often have to take a cold shower. AA’s ads that appear in The Austin Chronicle and on Facebook feature buxom, doe-eyed men and women wearing barely any clothes at all in lurid positions.

Even though Charney and his ads are of questionable character, the ads are a much-needed break from popular culture. Most of his models are amateurs and employees. They’re short, chubby, freckled, oily, unshaven, uncut, and untouched. Their legs haven’t been digitally stretched and they don’t need fat airbrushed to their ribs. Models have razor burn and thigh dimples.

AA is wildly successful not simply because its ads drip sexy, but because they are so accessible to the audience they’re trying to reach. Middle class 20-somethings looking at a BCBG Maxaria ad might have a hard time imaging themselves as an oily Greco-Roman wrestler with their peacoats blowing in the wind. If you can let go of your qualms with their eroticized nature, you’ll find AA’s ads (ironically) unpretentious.

Their supersexed advertising approach isn’t anything new in the world of marketing. Some feminist websites, including Feministing.com, accuse AA for having near-pornographic marketing and refuse to host their ads. Let’s think about Abercrombie and Fitch’s approach to selling clothes: plaster posters of naked teenagers in your store. Armani shows naked women crawling through water with men standing over them. Since the 80s, sex and trendy clothes have been the peanut butter and jelly of America.

Blaming AA for exploiting its models sexually is a poor way to attack an ethical company. Charney pledged to never outsource labor to attain cheaper production, and he treats his workers with the utmost respect. AA employees earn, on average, $12 an hour with unparalleled health care benefits—this includes factory workers, whom are 75% lower-class Hispanic. He hires massage therapists to give free neck and hand massages to on-the-clock workers. He mandates synchronized stretching breaks. And AA still reaps over 200 million dollars in profit annually, according to National Public Radio.

But does paying your workers fair wages simply give you an avenue to exploit them through your advertising, or in Charney’s case, for your personal pleasure? If Charney’s models, both male and female, were coerced or forced into posing for the photos, there may be some argument against the campaign. But his workers are vying for the opportunity. "The fact that some people chose to project 'victim' onto [the ads]…is only an indication of their own distorted perceptions about women and sexuality," said AA photographer/model Kyung Chung during an interview with Newsweek magazine.

So I may have to take more cold showers after shopping at AA this holiday season, because a girl still needs legwarmers in every color of the rainbow. While I’m not comfortable with the avenues marketing has chosen to take in the last 10 years, Charney and his managerial ethics remain ever-sexy to me.

Anybody out there?

2008-11-19T17:45:00.003-06:00

Rachel and I were talking about this earlier, and I just wanted to bring it up.
How many people are actually reading this? I'm seriously curious!
So if you read this blog, leave a comment!

Things I've Noticed

2008-11-19T12:28:00.005-06:00

Hello all!

As an introductory blog post, I thought I'd catch y'all up on some things I've noticed.

Firstly, "emasculate." As in, "Germany was emasculated after WWI." It irks me that the word people use to express a forceful loss of power has to do with losing ones masculinity. It really irks me that this word is all over the academic world.

Also, "you guys." You can check out bitchmagazine.org's archives to find an article about how awesome "y'all" actually is! It is gender neutral, unlike the popular "you guys," is easy to say, and just rolls off the tongue. Imagine my surprise when something so Texan turned out to be so feminist!

Also, today during a self-education meeting we were reading some articles (aka blogs, but who am I to discredit this incredible art form?) that were considerably less feminist than this. Actually, you could, and they did, call them antifeminist. Of course, this got me a little riled up. The worst part was when one of them was actually upset about the "hug your vagina" movement. Until women can compare hairiness and labia length the way men compare their penises I will maintain that it is imperative to stress cunt love. Vaginas aren't pretty, or at least that's what I was taught to believe. I can't tell you who told me this, it was just something I knew. When a guy first started to head down there my first thought was, "how close do you have to get to do that, exactly?" and I almost refused. Who decided that our genitals are less attractive than the penis? And, how did they get so deep inside of the heads of so many women? For these reasons, for the testimonies of all of my friends and my personal experience, I believe that conversations about cunt love are necessary.

And now, a question. What do you believe about women who want to get married young, follow their husband, and have lots of kids? I don't want this question to seem biased in my asking of it, because I want an honest answer. As feminists, I feel like this is one of the big questions of our generation. Do we, can we, support all informed choices that our friends make, even if they choose to live a traditional life, seemingly unaffected by feminism?

Lastly, as you noticed, I use the word "cunt." Let me stress that more.
cunt!
If you find that offensive, or are confused, I recommend that you pick up "Cunt" by Inga Muscio and youtube Eve Ensler's monologue called "Reclaiming Cunt" from the Vagina Monologues.

"A sheath for a sword? Ain't got no vagina."

Peace, Love, and Solidarity,
feministish

Hump Day SexFact #4: That wouldn't fit in my top drawer.

2008-11-19T11:27:00.000-06:00

When exactly the very first vibrator was invented remains somewhat unclear, but the first so-called mainstream, steam-powered vibrator was invented in 1869 by Dr. George Taylor. The purpose of the device was not to give pleasure (although, it did exactly that) but to cure an common ailment referred to as "female hysteria". Victorian-era physicians treated hysteria, which included symptoms such as sexual fantasies and "excessive" vaginal lubrication, by essentially pushin' patients' love buttons. Not surprisingly, treatment often brought immediate relief from all "symptoms". Imagine that.

WomEMPOWERment meeting and Discussion 6:30 PM WED. Nov. 19th after Leadership Tracks Event from 5-6:30!

2008-11-19T01:52:00.002-06:00

The next meeting will be Wednesday at 6:30 PM WEDNESDAY Nov. 19th in the lobby on the bottom floor of Ragsdale and we will be organizing WomEMPOWERment events for the remainder of this semester and into spring 2009. We will be making plans about where we want to take this organization and the direction WomEMPOWERment needs to move to make the most impact. Open discussion following the agenda! We welcome comments/critiques/suggestions/questions!

If you are going to be at school before the meeting from 5-6:30, Alya Vasquez, the Assistant Director of Leading E.D.G.E, has invited all of us to attend the "upcoming Leadership Tracks event. It is this Wedesday, TOMORROW, the 19th of November. It is in Fleck 315 from 5- 6:30 p.m. Leslie Sans will be leading an interactive workshop dealing with ethical leadership. Its shaping up to be a lot of fun and an amazing way to pick up a couple of skills or tips on how to become an ethical leader. Come and join Leading E.D.G.E. in making this a success! Bring friends!" Join us if you can!

If you cannot make the meeting, I will be creating a thread detailing the meeting and we want your input! Write down your ideas and bring them to the meeting Wednesday at 6:30 PM! Let's collaborate our ideas!

*******************************************
SEU Feminist Blog - Message Rmerrim@stedwards.edu to become a contributor!
http://www.seu-feminist.blogspot.com
*******************************************

Counting down til Dec. 3rd for news about the AAUW grant proposal, keep thinking happy thoughts! Yoga will commence again soon, keep posted for new info.

~Inspired by Martha Grimes ~
~"We don't know who we are until we can see what we can do"~

See y'all tomorrow,
Lucinda
http://lucindian.blogspot.com/

Call in gay and take the day off.

2008-11-18T22:33:00.005-06:00

In the same vein as A Day Without a Mexican, Join the Impact has organized a nation-wide boycott for International Human Rights Day on December 10, 2008 entitled A Day Without A Gay.

"LGBT workers, business owners, consumers, and taxpayers contribute over $700 billion to the U.S. economy each year and should not be treated as second-class citizens" - A Day Without A Gay Facebook event page

"Gay people and our allies are compassionate, sensitive, caring, mobilized, and programmed for success. A day without gays would be tragic because it would be a day without love." - A Day Without A Gay Website

This is probably the best excuse for calling in sick (er, well, you know what I mean) to work you'll ever have!

More gender analysis

2008-11-18T03:09:00.009-06:00

We have our first male blogger on SEU Feminist! Welcome, Timothy!

I thought it would be interesting to try the Gender Analyzer on our blog again now that there's a post up by a man. The results were surprising! Last time their guess was that SEU Feminist was written by a man (82%). This time? Drumroll please...

"We guess http://seu-feminist.blogspot.com/ is written by a woman (51%), however it's quite gender neutral."

Uh... maybe feminist women write more like men and feminist men write more like women? This one has me scratching my head a little. :)

One Catholic's perspective on Prop 8

2008-11-17T20:33:00.011-06:00

He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone...

I am a devout, practicing, traditional Catholic, and I am against Proposition 8.

This might seem like a paradox, and may not be conservative enough or liberal enough depending on your views, but bear with me. The Roman Catholic faith, to which I am a fervent adherent, maintains the following official position on the matter of same-sex relations:

"Basing itself on Sacred Scripture, which presents homosexual acts as acts of grave depravity, tradition has always declared that 'homosexual acts are intrinsically disordered.' They... close the sexual act to the gift of life...Under no circumstances can they be approved...This inclination [however]...constitutes for most of them a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion, and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided."

- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2357-2358

The Catechism goes on to state that LGBT people are "called to chastity". This is the case because the Catholic Church teaches that sexual activity must be both an expression of eternal love and an act open to procreation. Since same-sex relations cannot be procreative, practicing Catholics are bound not to engage in them. Some Catholic theorists go so far as to say that romantic love cannot exist between two people of the same sex.

I can't disagree with the Church on the point that practicing Catholics cannot engage in homosexual acts without committing a sin. And I believe that any form of sexual activity in which a child cannot be created is also sinful (including masturbatory, oral, anal, or "safe" sex between people of any gender). However, I strongly disagree with the latter point: I have seen many same-sex couples who are more loving than a substantial number of their heterosexual counterparts. While I believe that the Church cannot permit her members to be joined in same-sex marriages, American civil law is, or should be, a completely different ball game.

First of all, what ever happened to separation of Church and state? At the end of the day, I'm glad I live in a nation where not everyone agrees with me. Freedom is what makes this country great. Secondly, since when does a government have a right to declare who its citizens can and can't marry? If John Doe can marry Suzy Smith, why can't Jane Doe marry her? In a democracy, the citizens are supposed to have true sovereignty over their government. So how can we let our political leaders tell us who to love, to honor, and to cherish 'til death do us part? I've always felt that part of the American dream was being able to love whomever you love, without apology. No matter what anyone says, I will never be convinced that love is a choice.

I encourage people to be true to their beliefs, whatever they are, and I especially urge all Catholics to follow the Church's teachings. That said, the matter of your sexuality is very personal. Share it with your partner, your friends, your family, trusted members of the community, your confessor, anyone, everyone, or no one at all if you don't want to. Whomever. But who you love is none of Uncle Sam's gosh darn business.

Some relevant links...

Courage, a Church-approved ministry to LGBT and questioning Catholics

The Trevor Project, a non-religious, non-profit resource for LGBTQ youth

Prop 8 Protest in Austin!

2008-11-16T23:47:00.005-06:00

This is a long picture post, so I'm sorry if it loads slowly.

Here are a few of the photos I took at the proposition 8 protest yesterday at City Hall here in Austin. We had a much bigger crowd than I expected-- about 2,000 people!

These guys offered me some "homo-made" pumpkin bread.

People lined up along the curb outside City Hall after the speeches were done.

After the rallying outside City Hall for a while, we marched up to the Capitol and around downtown.

Favorite picture of the day.

Passing by Oilcan Harry's, a gay bar downtown.

Gender Analyzer says...

2008-11-16T21:05:00.004-06:00

"We think http://www.seu-feminist.blogspot.com is written by a man (82%)." - genderanalyzer.com

In comparison, Feministing gets a rating of 54% (written by a woman, but quite gender neutral.)

Interesting... I wonder in what ways men and women supposedly write differently? I would've predicted us to be pretty gender neutral, if anything. Obviously, it's not an exact science, because we're all women here- although I'm open to getting some male perspective!

Wanda Sykes is out!

2008-11-16T15:08:00.005-06:00

Wanda Sykes, one of our favorite funny feminists here at SEU Feminist, publicly came out as a lesbian yesterday at a prop 8 protest. She announced to the crowd in Las Vegas that she and her partner were married in California on October 25th. She said she is coming out now because "I felt like I was being attacked, personally attacked-- our community was attacked." I just want to say congratulations and thank you to Ms. Sykes for having the courage to declare your love to the world and speak up for yourself and other members of the queer community.

I was at the prop 8 protest here in Austin yesterday and should have some photos to post later today.

I missed Wednesday's Sex Fact... so how about a Saturday Song?

2008-11-15T21:48:00.002-06:00

"Woman Is the Nigger of the World" by John Lennon

"We make her paint her face and dance

If she won't be a slave, we say that she don't love us

If she's real, we say she's trying to be a man

While putting her down we pretend that she is above us"

He's best known as a Beatle and a peace activist, but I think of John Lennon as more of an individual that deeply cared about all social issues, including feminism! I love how he gives Yoko credit at the beginning of the song. :)

Funny Feminist Friday: Wanda Sykes on same-sex marriage

2008-11-14T20:28:00.009-06:00

Happy Friday, everybody! I know I just did a Wanda Sykes post two weeks ago, and there are so many other funny feminists to show you, but tomorrow is the Join the Impact rally, so I thought this clip was particularly relevant:

Austin people, please please please come to City Hall tomorrow, November 15th, at 12:30pm for the Join the Impact rally against prop 8. You can find more information, including a map to City Hall, here. If you're not in Austin, please check out the Join the Impact website to find details about the rally in your city.

Sarah Palin on feminism (here we go...)

2008-11-12T13:42:00.008-06:00

I'm sure everyone is sick of hearing about Sarah Palin, but I saw this post-election interview and thought y'all would like to know that (after some flip-flopping on the issue) she's finally decided that she is a feminist-- "whatever that means."

Oh yeah, and she insults bloggers, too! I love Rachel Maddow's retort to that:

Next WomEMPOWERment meeting

2008-11-11T22:17:00.002-06:00

Tomorrow (Wednesday) at noon, Ragsdale room 321. Be there.

Ill Doctrine: How to Tell People They Sound Racist

2008-11-10T00:31:00.007-06:00

Here's a useful and thought-provoking video from Jay Smooth of ill doctrine:

As I was watching this, I was thinking about how the same idea is applicable to telling someone they did or said something sexist or homophobic, and how often when I have these conversations I do exactly what Jay is telling us not to. I need to work on that.

It's really hard, though, to talk to someone about why I don't shave my legs when he's a sheltered straight man who has never had to think about these things and thinks that just because he has a dick he doesn't have to shave his legs, but just because I have a cunt, I do. Or to convince a female friend who says "I'm not a feminist, I'm an equalist" that they are the same thing. Does anyone else have strategies for talking to people who just don't get it?

Fat is Sexy

2008-11-09T15:46:00.007-06:00

Kim's post about Fat Talk reminded me of the music video for Skinny by Lo Rider. The song, which is about how the singer isn't attracted to skinny women, is okay, but the images in the video are what I really love. It's full of sexy, "plus-size" women who are totally comfortable with their bodies and their sexuality. We need more fat-positive images like this in our culture!

Feminist Double Take: Amanda Marcotte at St. Edward's

2008-11-09T10:31:00.005-06:00

Controversial feminist blogger and author Amanda Marcotte will speak during the St. Edward’s University Visiting Writer’s Series about her book “It’s a Jungle Out There: The Feminist Survival Guide to Politically Inhospitable Environments.”

Marcotte, a St. Edward’s Alumnus, has come under much public scrutiny for her attacks on Catholicism, George W. Bush, and conservative values. After being hired as blogmaster for John Edwards in Jan. 2007, she came under a firestorm of attacks from conservative supporters, most memorably from the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Right president Bill Donohue, who called Marcotte an “anti-catholic, vulgar, trash-talking bigot.” Known for her deep sarcasm and satire on her previous blogs, which she was still publishing in, conservatives accused Marcotte of insensitivity and naivety. Marcotte left the campaign less than a month after she was hired.

In an Editorial on Salon.com, Marcotte explained that she was unfairly targeted at Edwards campaign for being a feminist. “Even before Donohue stepped in,” Marcotte said, “Various right-wing bloggers were obsessed with my gender and sexuality…the majority of the hate mail I was receiving was from men, and almost all the e-mails made note of my gender or suggested that I would be a more pleasant woman if I wasn't so "angry."”

Before working for the Edwards campaign, Marcotte won the Koufax award for her blog “Mouse Words,” which discussed culture, politics and feminism. She was then recruited to work for a humorous liberal political blog “Pandagon.” She continued to write there during her stint with the Edwards campaign, and now publishes there full-time.

In late 2007, Marcotte published “It’s a Jungle Out There.” The book is a humorous collection of short, blog-like essays that span topics like pranks to pull on pro-lifers, what to do if your sorority kicks you out, and being told to smile by strangers. It’s primarily aimed at high-school and college level feminists.

The book has received mixed reviews, though negative critiques tend to focus on Marcotte’s choice of pictures for her book. Pulled from a 1950’s comic “Lorna, The Jungle Girl,” the images are of a busty, scantily clad woman warrior saving men from native tribes. A review on Feministe.com called the images “nauseating, racist, and stereotypical.” Marcotte later issued a public apology for them on Pandagon.com.

Later in 2007, Marcotte was accused of plagiarizing a blog posting on RHcheck by several feminist bloggers. The posting, an explication of discriminative language in immigration policy, had never been a topic of Marcotte's writing. The supposed victium of the intellectual property theft was Feminist Blogger Brownfemipower. Whil Marcotte claimed she was inspired by a speech of Nina Perales', she made no mention of it in her citations.

Marcotte will read selections from her book and discuss current feminist topics. The event takes place Thursday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 p.m. in the Maloney room. The event is free and open to the public.

Fat Talk

2008-11-09T01:28:00.003-06:00

As a woman of size (hell yeah, I'm a woman of size! Plump, fat, large, plus-size, I am that girl!) I can't help but feel alienated by my more skinnier counterparts and feel terrible about myself. I feel bad about my large thighs, my ever increasing wide ass, and my tig o'bitties (big boobs). And I absolutely hate it.

Maybe I am striving for a different equality within genders, within both genders, and that is fatism. I am fighting fatism and the things women (and men!) will do to make themselves feel accepted by a society scared to death of being fat. Anorexia and bulimia are just two disorders out of a host of many that is ruining the confidence and pride of women and men everywhere.

Here's a video on this:

Now, I know it's no longer Fat Talk week, but as a group, as a whole, we should try to eliminate fat talk in our lives as much as possible. Be concious that being healthy is much more valuable than what size you are. It's a hard pill to swallow, I know it is. I'm still trying to accept myself as a healthy, if not pretty overweight, woman. But see, I'm healthy, and I am so much happier for that than the dream of lowering my waistline and the scales.

It's all about the self love! (Rachel, you better write something on self love.)

The Best of American Apparel

2008-11-08T21:13:00.040-06:00

Instead of focusing on those delightfully sparkly leggings or the rather apparent display of anatomy like a normal person, for some reason I'm unable to look away from this chick's protruding collarbones. Sexy.

I, too, regularly wear my sweaters without pants. I'm a practical lady, what can I say?

American Apparel: also sexualizing young, barely-legal girls with that "ethinic" look.

It only takes a few frames' worth of convincing to get a girl to show you her tits.

Oh, like cumming. THAT'S HILARIOUS.

Why, hello, weirdest ad I've ever seen in my life.

Although tailored specifically to make my ass look especially luscious and tap-able, I also suspect I'd be taking those off ASAP to avoid what could potentially be the worst wedgie of my life.

I can't imagine what this refers to... I'd sure love to get these panties in my stocking, though!

Not entirely sure this piece of clothing is even functional.

Again, I remain unsure. Wait.. I think... is it designed to cover my nipples? Surely it is! I can't be going 'round with my nips hangin' out for everyone to see, y'know.

Oops! Missed it.

To be fair, American Apparel also features naked dudes in their ads. Way to keep things equal, guys.

Majority female state senate in New Hampshire!

2008-11-08T14:36:00.004-06:00

Why do you do what you do?

2008-11-07T20:40:00.003-06:00

I've been thinking a lot recently about what it means to be a feminist. What is this movement really about? Is it about equality? On what scale is it about equality? What're we fighting for anymore? Are we fighting for reproductive freedom, equality for the LGBT community, and equal pay for equal labor?
Lots of questions, and the thing is, I think we're fighting for everything. As far as my opinion goes, I believe feminism stands for more than what our foremothers believed it was. It's not about voting rights, or getting out of the house and making our own lives anymore. Well, to some degree it is, but it's not a prominent battle now.

I know the reason I became a feminist. It was because I didn't want to be tied down to a stereotype, I didn't want to be told I couldn't do something just because of my sex. As a girl, I stood up for myself and my friends when seldom ever thought I would. Somehow I had the confidence to do what I thought was right, despite what many people had told me.
I knew from a young age that people should not be judged by anything external, only by who they were inside. I was also told many times by my mother that no one could control what I did with my body, and that it wasn't right when someone thought they could do things to me.

So back to my original question. What is this movement all about these days?
I don't have an exact answer since this is an incredibly broad question, but I would like to think it's about: equality for all (men, women, the LGBT community, EVERYONE), a woman's right to choose what she can do with her body, being paid equally, and standing up for what's right.
I'm curious for everyone here, why did you become a feminist? Have you always been one? What does this movement stand for these days?

Funny Feminist Friday: Ellen!

2008-11-07T02:02:00.012-06:00

In light of all the same-sex marriage bans passing on Tuesday-- prop 8 in California, prop 2 in Florida, and prop 102 in Arizona-- I thought I'd share a few clips of one of my favorite queer comediennes, the fabulous Ellen DeGeneres. In this clip from her 2000 show, The Beginning, Ellen shares an interpretive dance about her coming out experience.

Maybe Ellen should start a campaign to protest prop 8 through interpretive dance?
This next clip is sad in light of recent events, but here you can watch her totally trump John McCain on the subject of gay marriage:

And to cheer you up, here's a clip of Ellen dancing with President-Elect (!!!) Barack Obama:

WomEMPOWERment meeting recap: 11/5 (and some thoughts on the election)

2008-11-05T23:35:00.005-06:00

What a fantastic day this has been. I woke up an hour before my alarm went off (which never happens unless I'm excited or in love) and I felt like it was christmas morning. And actually, I am in love. I'm in love with an America that can move beyond centuries of prejudice and elect the best person for the job, regardless of race. I'm in love with a country that has seen past the slander and the lies about our future president and has recognized that he is an intelligent, passionate person who wants to help rebuild this country, unite us, and make us the best we can be. I'm in love with the feeling of optimism that surrounds us both from the knowledge that Bush's reign will soon end and from the hope that with the breaking down of this giant barrier to equality, that hundreds of smaller barriers will soon be broken-- for people of color, for women, for immigrants, for queers. To paraphrase Neil Armstrong: one ~~small~~ large step for Obama, one giant leap for equality in this country.

What was this post about again? Oh yeah, the meeting. We had our second meeting of WomEMPOWERment on this glorious night. We met outside the main building, where the weather was perfect and the view was gorgeous. Today we concentrated nearly all of our discussion on the AAUW grant proposal, which is due Friday. We also talked a little about future events for our group, most of which were carried over from last week's discussion. (Yoga? Movie and discussion night in Jones? Sex Ed carnival? "My vag is going green" info sessions to promote alternative menstrual products? Watching The Itty Bitty Titty Committee and drinking margaritas for an end-of-semester party? A big fat YES WE CAN to all!) I'll let y'all know more about the grant and about next week's meeting as soon as I know.

I freaking love America. See you all next week.

Hump day SexFact #3

2008-11-05T12:19:00.005-06:00

In the Kama Sutra and other classical texts, the word Yoni (a sanskrit word meaning "divine passage" or "sacred temple") is loosely translated to refer to the vagina.

How's that for some cuntlovin'?

Election 2008

2008-11-05T10:24:00.002-06:00

I am happy to say I was part of the 1.5 million people in Chicago who witnessed history in the park. It was awe-inspiring, and I've never felt so much pride in my country before last night.

So, I'm going to express this excitement through pictures, which I hope you'll enjoy.

I am so happy to have Barack Obama as my president! Pro-choice, pro-equality!

A guy singing, I can't remember what, but he was really cool.

McCant!

To my right

To my left

People behind me!

This was the moment CNN announced their projections for his win.

This little girl was aorable. She was waving her little flag all over the place!

Everyone leaving the park after Obama's speech. LOOK HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE THERE!!!

Balls.

2008-11-04T21:13:00.003-06:00

As I pulled out onto Highway 71 this morning, jamming out to various politically-charged songs picked specifically to get pumped up for election day, I suddenly came face-to-face with something I forgot existed: Truck Balls.

What better novelty item to display your redneck male machismo than a swingin' plastic scrotum hanging off the hitch of your King Ranch Ford 350? Balls. Need a euphemism to describe an individual's gutsiness and bravery? Balls. An adjective to describe something totally awesome? Balls.

I am deeply disturbed by Truck Balls and the implications thereof. I propose we begin to manufacture Dangling Ovaries immediately.

Sarah Palin Makes a Porno

2008-11-04T10:06:00.001-06:00

After the invigorating romp we Americans have gotten to experience this election season, I’d like to tip my hat to the most honest political pundit of them all: porno producer Larry Flint, founder and proprietor of “Hustler” magazine.

It didn’t take Flint long to come out and express what all the Joe-six packs of the world were really thinking after a woman was announced as republican vice-presidential nominee. Sarah Palin? I’d hit that.

And so was the birth of “Who’s Nailin’ Paylin?” The standard-issue porno stars an oblivious character, Serra Paylin, who lets two drunk Russians into her home when they run out of gas near her home in Alaska. The x-rated flick was lovingly released on Election Day for only $26. If seeing a Palin look-alike isn’t enough to satiate viewers, the DVD also features duplicates of Hillary Clinton and Condoleezza Rice in ménage a trios. Clinton, of course, was previously sexualized when “Spy” magazine photoshopped her in dominatrix garb on the magazine’s cover in 1993.

Like a lot of feminists, I’m no fan of Palin. Feminist blogs tore her apart for her rigid stance against Roe V. Wade, for charging rape victims for their examination kits, for flip-flopping on whether she feels she’s a feminist or not. The thought of Palin being the first woman running the country alights a sadness in my brain, especially after witnessing Hillary Clinton nearly claim the democratic nomination.

But hate her or not, she’s still a woman, and I’m deeply respectful of any woman who can climb the political ladder regardless of her ideology. I’d like to see more women as leaders, but not if it means we’re going to mock them sexually any time they enter the political sphere. Making a porno about Palin is a cheap way to criticize the woman when she gave us so many other ways to.

When “Who’s Nailin’ Paylin?” was announced, a lot of women bloggers seemed to all share a laugh that ol’ Palin was finally getting the mockery that she rightly deserved. One of my favorite blogs, “Broadsheet,” expressed their surprise and frustration that the porn had too much commentary, and not enough, well, nailin’.

Should I share a laugh at seeing Palin reduced to nothing more than a sexual object so that she can be demeaned even further than she has in the media: physically? Since the porno encompasses other female political figures, Flint is only reinforcing that all women, no matter how accomplished or intelligent, can be always reduced to the sum of their physical parts. And everyone can laugh at them.

While “Who’s Nailin’ Paylin?” is obviously marketed as a satirical joke that is probably not intended to have the weighty implications I glean from it, I can’t help but wonder how people would react if “Hustler” made a porn mocking Barack Obama for McCain supporters. Flint could dress him up as a young and naïve lawyer eager to get some “experience” under him. I’m sure it would get all the jovial press that Palin’s porno is.

A thicker tolerance has developed for public sexual discrimination of political women. Dick Morris, a political commentator, can say “Hillary Clinton retreats behind the apron strings [when the big boys pick on her]” and suffer no cross-examination; Sarah Palin has inspired a porn. It seems for every step a woman takes forward, there’s a man putting her right back where she belongs.

One thing is for sure, I’ll never think of the phrase “Drill, baby, drill!” the same again.

Sorry, this is a little off topic: Patriotism

2008-11-04T03:44:00.005-06:00

When I was a kid, I loved the Fourth of July. I would get all dressed up in crazy costumes, entirely in red, white, and blue, march in my neighborhood parade, and despite the blistering heat melting my flag face paint, I would have a blast.

When I became a teenager, all that stopped. Not because of teenage rebellion, not because I was about to start high school and was therefore too cool to march in the neighborhood parade. I stopped enjoying the Fourth of July then because the year I turned thirteen was the year George W. Bush was elected president. I haven't felt patriotic since.

I gave up marching in parades and started marching in protests. When I went abroad, I felt ashamed to say I was American. My cynicism about our government grew so much that I didn't think we would ever have a trustworthy leader again.

Until now. Today, there is a glimmer of hope in me. It's gotten under my skin and now it's the night before the election and I'm so excited I can't sleep.

I'm anxious too, of course. The cynic that grew in me during those identity-forming teenage years, the skeptical side of me that has all but completely taken over during the Bush administration, is telling me not to get my hopes up, that polls can be wrong and elections can be rigged. But there's a little part of me, some last ounce of national pride crawling out of the wreckage of these last eight years, that is finally starting to believe that maybe, for the first time in my adult life, this country will have real leadership from a president I like, and more importantly, a president I trust. Maybe I won't need to be ashamed of my country anymore. Maybe I will finally have a reason to be patriotic again.

My Wishlist.

2008-11-03T20:11:00.006-06:00

So, all in all, I am pretty stoked that tomorrow we will know the next president of the United States. Regardless of who it is, what do you hope will be accomplished for women (or just in general!) during their term?

My wishlist:

1. A new healthcare system that means actual CARE for people, which means taking into consideration the special care -everything from counseling for spousal abuse to those yearly exams we all look forward to- unique to the health care needs of women. Also, affordable birth control, please?

2. Implementation of a national comprehensive sexuality education program, to ensure our children have healthy attitudes about sex and to lower incidence of STI's and teen pregnancy. Also, so I can achieve my dream of becoming a sex education teacher.

3. A plan to make the cost of college more affordable.. preferably, put in place before I graduate, and definitely before I go to grad school.

4. Action on the HIV/AIDS global epidemic, by a president who understands the complexity of the situation and how instrumental the United States can be in helping those affected by AIDS.

5. Stem cell research. If practiced ethically, research on this front could change the world.

6. Last but not least, a big one: the exploration (and implementation!) of green energy alternatives!

I could think of so much more... but I'll get to my point. Depending on who wins the presidency tomorrow, either none or all of my wishes will come true during those four years. So if you haven't already, don't spend tomorrow standing outside waiting to wish on a shooting star, spend it waiting in line to vote! That way, you'll have done everything in your power to make all your wishes -for women or for everyone- come true.

Tomorrow, everything is in our hands. POWER TO THE PEOPLE!

Quote of the day for 11/1/08

2008-11-01T20:23:00.003-05:00

Upon my questioning of my brother as to why he shaves his forearms:

"You know, I never thought of this before, but I have a son who shaves his legs and armpits, and a daughter who refuses to... I love my children."

- My Dad :)

Funny Feminist Friday: Detachable pussies

2008-10-31T13:06:00.005-05:00

Happy Friday, everyone! Here's a clip from the fabulous Wanda Sykes:

WomEMPOWERment meeting recap: 10/29

2008-10-30T16:38:00.007-05:00

So I was going to write a post yesterday for Write to Marry Day, which was made to encourage bloggers to write about same-sex marriage in order to discourage proposition 8 in California (and similar laws in Florida and Arizona). But I never got a chance to finish that post, because of the smashing success of our first WomEMPOWERment meeting! We had such a lively discussion (about everything from Sarah Palin to alternative menstrual products to sex toys) that by the time I arrived home, Write to Marry Day was almost over. We also talked about our service project and brainstormed outreach programs to do in the St. Edward's community. It was a great meeting, and wonderful to meet and talk with other St. Ed's feminists! To those of you who were there, thank you for coming, and for those who couldn't make it, I hope you'll join us next time. If anyone wants to continue our discussion in the comments here or in the Facebook group, feel free. We've already got a discussion going on Facebook about what film to show at St. Ed's for a feminist discussion forum. I hope to see you all there at the next meeting!

Real Women Respond to Sarah Palin Live Webathon Today!

2008-10-30T13:39:00.006-05:00

Lucinda, the president of WomEMPOWERment, let me know about the Sarah Palin Webathon through Facebook- thanks lady!

Go vent.. it'll make you feel a little bit better. We definitely did some of that at the WomEMPOWERment meeting last night!

Almost forgot...

2008-10-29T23:27:00.003-05:00

It's hump day again- so here's a sex fact!

During the Renaissance, condoms were often made out of animal intestines or bladders (Europeans tended toward fish bladders- why, who knows? Maybe that's where the "fishy smell" myth comes from?) The Chinese utilized oiled silk papers, and the Egyptians used papyrus soaked in water. Thank goodness we've improved since then!

Intestine condom = vegetarian's worst nightmare :(

Anti-abortion= bad for all women!

2008-10-29T16:02:00.003-05:00

Found it on Feministing.com and felt the need to pass this on!

Sincere Apologies.

2008-10-28T20:28:00.002-05:00

I swear, I'm not trying to be lazy with my posting, just for some reason this week all the assignments are being piled on! Oh, college. I do have a few entries in the works that I hope to finish on friday, though.. if I play my cards right.

Just wanted to say thanks guys, for keeping the ball rolling! Also, I didn't mention in my last post, feel free to pass the SEU Feminist blogging opportunity to anyone you might know who you think would be the least interested (it would be awesome if they were a blogger already, but not necessary!) Not that I'm dissatisfied with just us four or anything ;)

Love,

Rachel

First WomEMPOWERment meeting Wednesday!

2008-10-28T19:16:00.006-05:00

St. Edward's feminist organization, WomEMPOWERment (of which I am Vice Prez), is about to have not only our first meeting, but our first TWO meetings! We are meeting tomorrow at noon and again at 7pm. I hope everyone can make it to at least one of them!

Here's a message from our president:

{{drum roll here}}
Our FIRST order of business will be to generate ideas for a potential grant proposal that could give us up to $5000 to REALLY make a difference in our community! The 2008-2009 AAUW, or American Association of University Women, is announcing its Campus Action Project (CAP grants) to organizations that highlight their new campaign "Where the Girls Are: The Facts About Gender Equity in Education presents a comprehensive look at girls' educational achievement during the past 35 years, paying special attention to the relationship between girls' and boys' progress."

Our WomEMPOWERment proposal will "address some of the educational barriers faced by low-income and minority women and girls" and "provide a platform for campus programming that is informed by this research." We will implement this in our community and I can't wait to get started on this! Our proposal is due November 7th.

Campus Action Project 2008-2009: Where the Girls Are: Promoting Equity for All Women and Girls
Research
Press Kit

The FIRST WomEMPOWERment meeting will be Wednesday October 29 at 12:00 noon to discuss The Op-Ed Project and the proposal for AAUW. The discussion group will be at 7 pm. Locations TBA when approved (tentatively noon meeting in the LUCAS room 3rd floor of Ragsdale and 7 pm discussion group in the RICE room 3rd floor of Rags). Email is the best correspondence and I look forward to seeing you with comments/critiques/suggestions/questions! Please start generating ideas and write them down! Let's collaborate our ideas!

Thank you,
President Lucinda Indian

So in closing, we would love to see you there. And if you haven't already, please Join us on Facebook!

More Maddow

2008-10-28T01:59:00.006-05:00

Just to follow up on my post from yesterday: As of today, you can download The Rachel Maddow Show in full as a podcast! This is great news if, like me (and, ironically enough, like Dr. Maddow herself) you don't own a teevee, or if you don't have cable. And apparently I'm not the only one who appreciates it-- it's the #1 podcast on iTunes!

Edit: I tried to put a link in here to where you can download it, but iTunes links are weird and it didn't work out. Just open up the iTunes store and click "Podcasts," and it'll be at the top of the "Top Podcasts" list.

Word.

2008-10-27T12:27:00.002-05:00

Ms. Information

2008-10-27T02:09:00.007-05:00

As we all know, this election season has been an important one for women in politics. It's been a particularly exciting election year for one woman who entered the American political sphere early this fall and has gone on to excel in a male-dominated job. Don't worry, I'm not a Palin supporter. I'm talking about Rachel Maddow, the host of MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show, which premiered September 8th.

Dr. Maddow's show offers political commentary with a liberal bias and a healthy dash of wit. Also a radio host, her television career began when she was a commentator on Countdown with Keith Olbermann. She is the first out lesbian to host her own cable news show and she identifies as a butch dyke. It is refreshing to see a show hosted by an intelligent and opinionated woman who not is not only a rare female face in the overwhelmingly male world of cable news, but who also challenges the Barbie-doll ideal that has been the standard for female newscasters and pundits. Even more impressive, MSNBC's ratings in her time slot are now twice what they were before her show's premiere.

As an avid watcher of The Daily Show (the best fake news show on TV), I'm overjoyed to have found a real news show with an equally smart, funny, feminist perspective.

Getting started...

2008-10-25T18:56:00.002-05:00

I met Joelle and Emma at the Op-Ed workshop this friday, and I'm totally stoked they've agreed to offer their voices to this blog. Hello ladies! :)

If you guys have any suggestions for links to include in the sidebar (because I'm sure ya'll know about tons of great resources that I don't!) or any suggestions at all for that matter, I'd love to hear anything you guys think.

In the meantime.. let's start this thing! Feel free to post anything that pops into your head as many times a day -whether it be long-winded academic philosophizing, a single sentence, a provoking video clip, art pieces, photographs, news articles from other sites, movie/book reviews, quotes... anything! Let's be the most creative feminist blog out there!

The Op-Ed Project

2008-10-24T12:34:00.002-05:00

I'm at a workshop for the Op-Ed project taught by the wonderful Courtney Martin today, and I couldn't be happier for this opportunity to learn the tools and skills necessary to get my voice as a woman heard by the world. I'm on lunch break right now, and halfway through, I already feel so empowered and inspired- not only because I am surrounded by so many amazing and intelligent women, but because I now have a better understanding of how to make my feminist voice heard in the most effective way.

It's days like this that I am proud to be a feminist. I feel as if I'm having a spiritual awakening, like I have so much to say that I can't even express in words yet. I know by using what I've learned today, I'll get there, and get my voice heard- starting right here, by typing inside this text box.

Disney princesses and role models

2008-10-24T11:45:00.002-05:00

I've been thinking a lot about role models lately, and which ones I've had over the years. And while my role models today are women and men who have done something of high importance (at least, I believe they have), they are incredibly different from the ones I had as a child.

My role models were Belle, Jasmine, and Mulan (from Beauty and The Beast, Aladdin, and Mulan respectively.) I will be the first to admit to think that the Disney princesses were all wusses who sat around until their prince charming found them. You can say that about Snow White, Ariel, and Cinderella; but Belle, Jasmine, and Mulan? Oh, hell no.

Now why those three? Belle was smart, she didn't settle for what people expected of her, and that's what I admired about her. Jasmine was so adventurous! She didn't want to be married off to some guy she didn't know, or love. So she decided to control of her own life, and leave her beautiful palace. And Mulan was just kick-ass. She saved her father's life by going in the army, which resulted in her saving the whole nation of China. She couldn't pretend to not be who she was inside.

Obviously as I grew, I found other people to admire, others to look up to. I now look up to my mom, my aunt, Hunter S. Thompson (what do you expect? I'm a journalism student), Eve Ensler, Tina Fey, and Rachel Maddow. But I will always love my original three Disney characters, no matter how old I'll get. (cue in sappy overture)

This 19-year old should only be so lucky.

2008-10-22T19:01:00.003-05:00

Hey kids, its Hump Day (otherwise known as Wednesday to normal people) so here's a sex fact!

18-29 year olds have sex an average of 112 times per year, 30-39 year olds an average of 86 times per year, and 40-49 year olds an average of 69 times per year. (Source: the Kinsey Institute FAQ)

edit: I'd also be curious to know whether this statistic dealt with heterosexual PIV sex exclusively.. it doesn't say. Hmm.

Appropriate Acronyms.

2008-10-22T12:05:00.004-05:00

So, now that my best friend Kim from Columbia College Chicago will be co-writing with me on this blog (hooray!) the title "SEU Feminist" seems no longer all-encompassing and/or appropriate...

As well as standing for St. Edward's University, SEU may also now stand for:

Sexy,

Educated, and

Unabashed feminists.

Because that's what we are. ;)

More later after I get home from class.

Gender Programming.

2008-10-21T20:40:00.000-05:00

In other news, here are some thoughts that occurred to me today after attending my Marriage & Family class (I love college.)

Why are people so afraid of children being raised by gay/lesbian parents? We learn much from our parents, I'll readily agree, and the argument I hear most against children being raised in such an environment is that they will learn homosexuality from their parents despite studies that show children raised by gay/lesbian parents are no more likely to become homosexual than a child raised within a heterosexual coupling. As I read more of the argument against adoption of children by gays and lesbians, one popped out at me as incredibly significant: children will not learn appropriate gender roles because both of their parents are same-sex, which will result in confusion.

I'm sorry, but I honestly think that we could all do with a little less programming in that area. Gender roles put unfair pressures on BOTH sexes, not just women. Men are socialized to be providers, and women caretakers; men are stoic, women emotional (and so on and so forth.) I could probably go on for this for hours because I'm into the meaning of gender and whatnot, but my point is, I think we've all felt like we don't belong somewhere at least once in our lives. What if how we feel or what we do doesn't coincide with our assigned role?

I would assume (and this is just a prediction, because limited research has been done on same-sex couples who have children anyway) that children raised by same-sex couples would have more egalitarian attitudes in their own relationships, and perhaps benefit from negative "gender programming".

Having no radio in my car coupled with a 45-minute drive home from school definitely facilitates these thought processes. ;)

We CAN do it!

2008-10-21T20:32:00.000-05:00

It's backwards, but you get the idea (it was taken with Photobooth using my Mac.) I'm so incredibly proud to have voted yesterday --for the first time!!!-- for a candidate that not only cares about women, but will put the care back into the American healthcare system.

Remember kids: just say NO to McCain/Palin 2008. And get your vote on, 18-24 demographic!

Babies.

2008-10-15T16:29:00.000-05:00

Whatever supreme being is up there is convinced to make it rain on little 'ol me and my broken-down car with the non-functioning windshield wipers, making so I can't drive to Planned Parenthood to turn in my application today (or get to class, for that matter... hrmph) for fear of killing myself on the road. Weather: 1. Me and my volunteering prospects: 0.

Oh, well. I can stay nice and dry inside and continue to fill this blog, which I'm really excited I've finally created. Even though I've kept a personal online journal since I was thirteen (wow, I just ever so slightly aged myself- that's six years!) I've always felt the need to have a separate space for this sort of thing. Even though feminism does play a significant role in my personal life, I feel like a frequently updated public blog solely about feminist topics would do the job better than trying to mush it together with my personal life.

Here's the trailer of the 2007 documentary The Business of Being Born- an amazing movie for anyone who is unfamiliar with the health care crisis and how it affects women, specifically addressing problems in the area of childbirth.

It made me angry to watch at first, but it really switched on a light for me and made me wonder about my own conditioning. I know I'd be terrified to have a home birth (actually, I'm terrified of birth in general) and I think that says something in itself. That I've been conditioned to view birth as a life-threatening thing, instead of something that, well, makes life possible. It's so disheartening that if I don't want to have a home birth, it seems my only other option is going to a hospital where I'll be given pitocin to speed up my labor, maybe given an episiotomy, or scared into a caesarean because my doctor wants to go home for the evening. I know it sounds brash when I put it like that, but.. it's true. No matter how frightening a home birth sounds to me, my personal convictions about I could possibly endure during a hospital birth far outweigh that fear!

Besides, I already have a "baby" :)

Volunteer Frustrations

2008-10-14T21:03:00.001-05:00

So, I figured snagging a volunteer opportunity at one of the many women's health centers around Austin would be a snap. Women's health centers are so starved for volunteers, right?

... Apparently not. I've called, and called, and called.. and called and called and called. So far, not one agency has called me back to solicit my 45 WHOLE HOURS of work I'm willing to do for them for free. I know that it's probably necessary to bug them a bit, but I can't help but feel frustrated that I've come up with nothing thus far. Every agency I've called generally seems uncoordinated in hiring volunteers because none of them really have anyone that specifically deals in that area. I don't know if it's lack of volunteers per se as it is lack of funding to pay someone to do that job.

It's not that these people don't want to call me back. Conveniently, the fact that I can't snag an opportunity at any of these places fits right in with my line of thinking. Because the federal funding for these places is virtually non-existent, the limited amount of people who hold paid positions at these health centers probably have more on their plate than they can handle, with accommodating people who want to volunteer just one of their many tasks.

On the brighter side, I managed to find a comprehensive volunteer application for Planned Parenthood online, which I hope to deliver in person to their offices on Ben White (conveniently located a matter of minutes away from SEU! Hooray!) tomorrow. Here's hoping!

Health care is a women's issue

2008-10-14T20:08:00.000-05:00

When I started this course, I wasn't sure I could connect my passion for women's health with a feminist objective through my service-learning. I know that there is very limited federal funding for family planning (the Bush administration cut funding 30% in the 2009 budget plan) which is a problem in and of itself- but past that, I hadn't really considered how sexism, which has already permeated our society, also affects women's health care negatively.

Some interesting links:

Provider Ignorance, Bias Turn Lesbian Patients Off Healthcare (@ RH Reality Check)

Go Ask Alice: Should I tell my gyn I'm having lesbian sex? (Short answer: "YES!")

Transgender Health: Overview, Guidelines, Gender Identity Disorder (LGBT HealthChannel)

Gender Inequalities and HIV (World Health Organization)

After Caesareans, Some See Higher Insurance Cost (NY Times)

Insurance May Not Cover Preventive Surgery for High-Risk Women (American Cancer Society)

I'll add more later... but you get the picture. If you're a woman (even worse, a lesbian, transgender, or of color) you're probably receiving less-than-perfect care. Ain't that a bitch?