This coming week I'm guest lecturing at the university on my favourite thing: grrrls who make media. It's only one hour and with all the pre-amble about the male gaze, media ownership, and what feminism means to me, I'll only get to show a handful of videos (and then talk about them). It's really important to me that when talking about women who make visual media that the content be representational and include a number of intersectional voices: queers, women of colour, women who live or have lived in poverty, women doing it on their own, women who experience colonization. The walls of academia are so white washed and popular feminist media is exceptionally racist I have no interest in furthering heteronormative white voices in these forums. Over it.
LINKS:
Mary Lambert interview on Q (http://www.cbc.ca/q/popupaudio.html?clipIds=2407370855 - 15:01)
Grimes manifesto (http://actuallygrimes.tumblr.com/post/48744769552/i-dont-want-to-have-to-compromise-my-morals-in-order)
MIA documentary leak (http://www.stereogum.com/?p=1399922)
Lauren Mayberry of Chvrches statement (http://www.theguardian.com/music/musicblog/2013/sep/30/chvrches-lauren-mayberry-online-misogyny)
Jeepneys & Low Leaf ::::: We Are Mangos from Jeepneys AnnaLuisa on Vimeo.
Showing posts with label feminism. Show all posts
Showing posts with label feminism. Show all posts
11.17.2013
6.26.2013
Intro to "Gender + Culture" Reading List
By some Christmas Miracle, my desperate need for summer employment was met with a quick and dirty offer to teach WMST 209: Intro to Gender & Culture (in Media/Technology) at the University of Northern BC starting next week and going until Mid August. WTF. So Awesome. I'm stoked. There's 25 ppl in the class and my only objectives are to 1. Make them Angry at Patriarchy and 2. Get them HOOKED on Twitter. There's so much to cover for a second year theoretical/content-based survey course. This is the full reading list I posted with my "extra" reading notes for me to present (which will OBV get added to) in my lectures. HELLARAD.
Feminist Theory re: Gender + Gender Performance
Feminist Media Theory by Wesley Rykalski on Prezi (http:// prezi.com/ovkrf6vpui4v/feminist- media-theory/)
VIDEO: Miss Representation (90 Minutes)
There is No Opt-In; You cannot Opt-Out
http://
The Peeping Press: Understanding the Male Media Gaze by Jessica Valenti (http://www.thenation.com/blog/
The Oscars and the Bechdel Test on Feminist Frequencies: http://
Hey, Girl: Parody + Memes
Exploding Actress: http:// explodingactresses.tumblr.com/
Target Women Lady Friends
http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=eZZzPzknX6Y
Target Women Hair http:// www.youtube.com/watch? v=4oydMNkQofw
Target Women Cleaning http:// www.youtube.com/watch? v=aKSjZ_72ZtQ
Privilege Denying Male Meme
http://knowyourmeme.com/ memes/privilege-denying-dude
VIDEO: 30 ROCK S05E16 “TGS Hates Women”
“The Feministing Five: Feminist Ryan Gosling” on Feministinghttp://feministing.com/2012/
“Satirical Fake News and/as American Political Discourse” by Ian Reilly in The Journal of American Culture (2012) 35, 3: 258-275.
“Girls Get Digital: A Critical View of Cyberfeminism” by Vera Hinsey, On Our Terms: The Undergraduate Journal of the Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard College, 1, 1 (2013): 25-32 Download Link: http://
Male on Male Gaze
Don’t Know the Difference Between Dubstep and Brostep? in The Tyeehttp://thetyee.ca/
A Brief History of Bro Culture: Beer and babes, a timeline of bros gone wild in Time Magazine http://www.time.com/time/
The Year in High-Bro Culture in GQ Magazine http://www.gq.com/
Of ponies and men My Little Pony: Friendship is magic and the Brony fandom by Venetia Laura Delano Robertson, International Journal of Cultural Studies, January 3, 2013
“I love you, Brom Bones”: Beta Male Comedies and American Culture by David Greven in Quarterly Review of Film and Video, 30, 405-420, 2013
Intersectionality Theory + Analysis // Privilege + Class/ RACE
“Intersectionality & Feminism” by Anna Carasthathis on KickAction.cahttp://www.kickaction.ca/en/
Re-Thinking Intersectionality by Jennifer C Nash In Feminist Review (2008) 89, 1-15: http://
“Patric Brazeau Suggests Theresa Spence Gained Weight During Protest” The Huffington Post Canada June 31, 2013 http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/
Jay-Z, Macklemore, A$AP Rocky Lead Gay-Rights Shift In Hip-Hop by Gil Kaufman on MTV.COM http://www.mtv.com/news/
“Hip Hop Feminism and Failure” by Michael P. Jeffries in Palimpsest: A Journal of Women, Gender, and the Black International 1, 2 (2012): 277-284
Fat! So?
VIDEO: Girls, S2 E5
“Why It’s OK To Be Fat” TedXMill River with Gold Poretskyhttp://www.youtube.com/“Golda Poretsky’s TED Talk, ‘Why It’s Okay To Be Fat,’ Promotes Loving Yourself and Health at Every Size via the Huffington Posthttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/
“Sized Up” by Bitch Media http://bitchmagazine.org/
“All the News That’s Fat to Print: The American ‘Obesity Epidemic’ and the Media” by Natalie Boero in Qualitative Sociology (2007) 30:41-60
“Literally the Best Thing Ever: Girls” by Tavi Gevinson in Rookie Mag 04/16/2012: http://rookiemag.com/2012/04/
“Lena Dunham Would Never Score with Patrick Wilson, But She Deserves Him” by Brian Moylan in Hollywood.com Feb 11, 2013http://www.hollywood.com/news/
“Lena Dunham analyzes three episodes of Girls” in LA Times June 6, 2013:http://www.latimes.com/
Everybody is Gay!
“Reinventing Privilege: The New (Gay) Man in Contemporary Popular Media” in Critical Studies in Media Communication 20, 1 (2003): 67-91
“Lesbians who are married to men : identity, collective stories, and the Internet online community” by Margaret Cooper in LGBT indentity and online new media/ edited by Christopher Pullen and Margaret Cooper, NY: Routledge, 2010: 75-86
Lesbians who look like Justin Bieber http://
Hannah Montana vs. Miley Cyrus: Girl Objectification and the Pre-Sexualization of the Adult Female
VIDEO: The Bling Ring
Feminism & Psychology May 1, 2013 23: 163-183
Beyond the `Sexualization of Culture' Thesis: An Intersectional Analysis of `Sixpacks',`Midriffs' and `Hot Lesbians' in Advertising by Rosalind Gill Sexualities April 2009 vol. 12 no. 2 137-160
Violence Against Women/The Other: Victimization and (Social) Media
Stop the Death of Women in Ads: http://Exploding Actresses http://
Online Harassment TedXWomen with Feminist Frequencies: http://
Sexting as media production: Rethinking social media and sexuality New Media & Society June 1, 2013 15: 449-465
“Family relives Pitt Meadows rave nightmare” in The Globe and Mail, Feb 6, 2013: http://
Parenthood: Heteronormative Families, Lazy Dads, and Super Moms
“The Post-Nuclear Family and the Depolicization of Unplanned Pregnancy in Knocked Up, Juno, and Waitress” by Kristen Hoerl and Casey Ryan Kelly in Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies 7, 4 (2010): 360-380
“Of Peerenting, Trophy Wives, and Effeminate Men: Modern Family’s Surpringly Conservative Remediation of the Family Sitcom Genre” by Christina M. LaVecchia in Harlot No. 6 (2011): http://harlotofthearts.com/
“The Post-Nuclear Family and the Depolicization of Unplanned Pregnancy in Knocked Up, Juno, and Waitress” by Kristen Hoerl and Casey Ryan Kelly in Communication and Critical/Cultural Studies 7, 4 (2010): 360-380
“Of Peerenting, Trophy Wives, and Effeminate Men: Modern Family’s Surpringly Conservative Remediation of the Family Sitcom Genre” by Christina M. LaVecchia in Harlot No. 6 (2011): http://harlotofthearts.com/
FANTASY
Damsel in Distress (Part 1): Tropes vs. Women http://
Trekkie Feminist http://
Scott Pilgrim Vs Hegemony: Nostalgia, Remediation, and Heteronormativity by R. Lizardi in Journal of Graphic Novels and Comicshttp://www.personal.psu.edu/
Damsel in Distress (Part 1): Tropes vs. Women http://
Trekkie Feminist http://
Scott Pilgrim Vs Hegemony: Nostalgia, Remediation, and Heteronormativity by R. Lizardi in Journal of Graphic Novels and Comicshttp://www.personal.psu.edu/
8.17.2012
The past few days...
FREE PUSSY RIOT
Anyway, the trial of Pussy Riot has moved feminists all around the world to stand up against the global patriarchal fuck against women's bodies and minds. And today they were sentenced to two years in prison for a peaceful punk protest in a church. And they had incredibly beautiful and inspiring closing statements.
We are absolutely against and feel compelled to act against the measures of force used to regulate society, harsh mechanisms to control our citizens’ behaviour. We are against the passivity which is forced upon the majority of the population, and the complete domination by executive power over judicial and legal processes. We are also honestly angered by the low level of political culture. ~Nadya Tolokonnikova
Education, the beginning of the formation of the individual in society, effectively ignores the particular nature of each personality, there is no approach based on the individual, there is no study of philosophy, nor the basic principles of contemporary art culture. These subjects exist formally, but they are taught using the Soviet model, and as a result we have ‘the average citizen’ not interested in thinking in philosophical terms, favouring gender discrimination, their civil rights brushed into a far corner. Today’s educational institutes teach people to live ‘on automatic’ from an early age, without ever asking the vital questions, they develop in them cruelty and a hatred of alternative ways of thinking. From the earliest age their liberties are forgotten. ~Maria Alyokhina
On the other, we have won, because the case against us is fabricated and the state is not able to hide the repressive nature of the judicial process. Russia once again does not appear in the eyes of the world as Vladimir Putin wishes to portray it in his daily international meetings. All the steps he promised to take towards a legal state were clearly never taken. And his announcements that our trial would be objective are just another deception, practised on the country and the world community. ~Ekaterina Samutsevich
Thank you PUSSY RIOT for reminding me.
5.03.2011
getting into all kinds of trouble.
when i wrote that post for shameless i seriously fucking held myself back. i thought, "i should be eloquent, i should be somewhat polite, and i should be considerate of the complexities of it all". and then a few days later jill over at feministe posted about 'calling out' culture in feminism and has really gotten a shit tonne of comment responses (and she has even willingly engaged the commentors to smooth out some edges). and then Jess spoke up when she got back to the internet about the whole she-bang.
all this to say that i wanted to address some of the shit from the feministe post and to really get to the root of what i was talking about (b/c even with the incredible transformation shameless has undergone, i feel like i needed to couch my complaint a bit). Jill was great about identifying that this "wasn't about me" or the article in particular and i even emailed her to say thank you for pumping up the dialogue about it. we need to storm before we can norm. but i'm so fucking sick of using we and dont want to be part of feminism any more though i die for feminism over and over because i love you! but i'm not stupid enough (anymore) to say that the reason i didn't hear about something was because no one told me. that was the old me and i've pushed through that (and it was hard). it is MY responsibility as an image of the oppressor (even though i sure am fucking oppressed by patriarchy still) to open MY world enough to let shit in. and if my world isn't open enough that's my fault. MY FAULT.
the way that i always try to ground myself in my whiteness and take a good fucking look around is to say, "my friends are all white" (and most of them are). or where am i working? is everyone white? what am I doing to make myself examine my place as a white person in this white organization. how the fuck can i hold YOU accountable for being racist and exclusionary. it's not "how can i get meself some racial friends" but "what about me makes me EXCLUSIONARY of POC ?" not that having POC friends would all of a sudden make everything "OK" but that if I want to truly say that i'm "inclusive" I have to walk the talk. and that's what Jill was referring to, but her anger was misguided because you ain't know nothing about me!
i want to so badly respond to Jill's notion of "fill the fucking gaps" but i don't want to qualify the day-to-day grind i do engaging, challenging myself, and working for my community and being THE white kid at the meeting that when someone says, "we want aboriginal representation at our meeting" that they think that i'm their person b/c i work at the friendship center (and i'm not that person!). i always respond, "oh, that's nice? which NATION did you want representation from?" and you know what the answer is every time? "oh, it doesn't matter, anyone will do". NO any one won't do. As whities claim to our "racial heritage" when explaining our privilege and to make it look like we have some "depth" to our "background" (eg "i'm irish and scottish and english and porridge and mashed potatoes and other white shit"), then whities also have to allow "Native Americans" or "Aboriginal" people to have complexities in their cultural and political groups. We have THREE Nations within a bike ride of our house, educate yourself and make an informed decision!
last, this isn't about me doing it better, i think it's about me not seeing mainstream feminists (not jill in particular!) doing it at all. (and then making excuses when getting called out).
all this to say that i wanted to address some of the shit from the feministe post and to really get to the root of what i was talking about (b/c even with the incredible transformation shameless has undergone, i feel like i needed to couch my complaint a bit). Jill was great about identifying that this "wasn't about me" or the article in particular and i even emailed her to say thank you for pumping up the dialogue about it. we need to storm before we can norm. but i'm so fucking sick of using we and dont want to be part of feminism any more though i die for feminism over and over because i love you! but i'm not stupid enough (anymore) to say that the reason i didn't hear about something was because no one told me. that was the old me and i've pushed through that (and it was hard). it is MY responsibility as an image of the oppressor (even though i sure am fucking oppressed by patriarchy still) to open MY world enough to let shit in. and if my world isn't open enough that's my fault. MY FAULT.
the way that i always try to ground myself in my whiteness and take a good fucking look around is to say, "my friends are all white" (and most of them are). or where am i working? is everyone white? what am I doing to make myself examine my place as a white person in this white organization. how the fuck can i hold YOU accountable for being racist and exclusionary. it's not "how can i get meself some racial friends" but "what about me makes me EXCLUSIONARY of POC ?" not that having POC friends would all of a sudden make everything "OK" but that if I want to truly say that i'm "inclusive" I have to walk the talk. and that's what Jill was referring to, but her anger was misguided because you ain't know nothing about me!
i want to so badly respond to Jill's notion of "fill the fucking gaps" but i don't want to qualify the day-to-day grind i do engaging, challenging myself, and working for my community and being THE white kid at the meeting that when someone says, "we want aboriginal representation at our meeting" that they think that i'm their person b/c i work at the friendship center (and i'm not that person!). i always respond, "oh, that's nice? which NATION did you want representation from?" and you know what the answer is every time? "oh, it doesn't matter, anyone will do". NO any one won't do. As whities claim to our "racial heritage" when explaining our privilege and to make it look like we have some "depth" to our "background" (eg "i'm irish and scottish and english and porridge and mashed potatoes and other white shit"), then whities also have to allow "Native Americans" or "Aboriginal" people to have complexities in their cultural and political groups. We have THREE Nations within a bike ride of our house, educate yourself and make an informed decision!
last, this isn't about me doing it better, i think it's about me not seeing mainstream feminists (not jill in particular!) doing it at all. (and then making excuses when getting called out).
2.27.2011
GIVEAWAY WINNER (and hair update)
In other news I've started the process of dying my hair like Ramona Flowers. When I ordered the dye I did so under recommendation from Kaylah's posts at Dainty Squid (here and here) and ordered some manic panic in two colours, cotton candy and fuschia. I also ordered a beyond the zone bleach kit and I left it on for 45 minutes and it came out super yellow, but i liked it. I just spent the last 1/2 hour covering it with the cotton candy and getting it under a plastic bag and secured on my head. Now I'm going to sleep with it on and rinse it out the AM. I'll probably go pale pink/yellow for a few days/this whole week, and then go to the fuschia. If it turns out I got this job my start date would be the 17th of March? So, I'd have to dye it back to brown the Sunday night before (b/c it's a real adult job). If i dont get it, i might go light pink for as long as i can and then go fuschia. We'll see. The pictures below are of me pinning my hair up and looking 90s, the yellow, the pink on yellow, and my hair cover. Now, to SLEEP i go! I offered to host sustain-a-table again tomorrow night and am going to make a feast similar to one found at the foundation: lower east side, nachos, and sugar pie. XO
2.21.2011
Some news and a Giveaway!
An essay I wrote is being published in a new Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives book edited by Jessica Yee-- Feminism FOR REAL: Deconstructing the academic industrial complex of feminism. (Book info link here)
And, to celebrate I'm going to be giving a copy of the book away! All you have to do is leave a comment with a way for me to get a hold of you! The giveaway will end this Friday the 25th at 10PM PST and I'll pick from the random number generator thingy.
Book Description:
Against a backdrop exposing a 500+ year legacy of colonization and oppression, Feminism FOR REAL explores what has led us to the existence of 'feminism', who gets to decide what it is, and why. It provides thoughtful, honest and unapologetic insight into how different communities; including Indigenous and women of colour, sex workers, disABLEd, queer, Two-Spirited and trans youth define and relate to feminism; what it means to them -- and more importantly, what it doesn't mean.
In the words of editor Jessica Yee, this is not a hate-on of feminism or of academia. It is about truth-telling. And, as explained in the introduction, in the process of uncovering truths, facing them head-on and seeing where they lead us, we can redefine feminism beyond a first, second, or third wave policed by academic institutions so that it becomes about truly cross-cultural human movements that are about real justice - and doesn't end up reinforcing the very forms of oppression it claims to confront.
Jessica Yee is a self-described "Two-Spirit multi-racial Indigenous hip hop feminist reproductive justice freedom fighter". She is the founder and Executive Director of the Native Youth Sexual Health Network (the only organization of its kind in North America) that works within the full spectrum of sexual and reproductive health by and for Indigenous youth across the continent.
In the words of editor Jessica Yee, this is not a hate-on of feminism or of academia. It is about truth-telling. And, as explained in the introduction, in the process of uncovering truths, facing them head-on and seeing where they lead us, we can redefine feminism beyond a first, second, or third wave policed by academic institutions so that it becomes about truly cross-cultural human movements that are about real justice - and doesn't end up reinforcing the very forms of oppression it claims to confront.
Jessica Yee is a self-described "Two-Spirit multi-racial Indigenous hip hop feminist reproductive justice freedom fighter". She is the founder and Executive Director of the Native Youth Sexual Health Network (the only organization of its kind in North America) that works within the full spectrum of sexual and reproductive health by and for Indigenous youth across the continent.
Join us on Friday February 25th at the Toronto Women's Bookstore to celebrate the official book launch of "Feminism FOR REAL: Deconstructing the Academic Industrial Complex of Feminism" edited by Jessica Yee.
Where: Toronto Women's Bookstore, 73 Harbord Street, Toronto
When: Friday February 25th, 7pm to 9pm
Main area is wheelchair accessible. We regret that the washroom is not wheelchair accessible.
Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.
With an opening address from Lee Maracle, drumming by Shandra Spears-Bombay and rattle dance by DJ Danforth, this event will feature spoken word performances and round table discussions from the book contributors, followed by a screening of "The Road Forward", dedicated to the countless First Nations women who have "disappeared" on British Columbia's "Highway of Tears". More information about "The Road Forward" can be found here: http://www.reddiva.ca/?p=557
Proceeds from the evening will go to a scholarship fund created for the children of missing and murdered Aboriginal women.
For more information please contact Erika Shaker at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives at erikas@policyalternatives.ca
To pre-order your copy of the book, visit http://www.policyalternatives.
12.06.2010
Today is the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women...
As I get older, I find that I get more emotional on December 6th. It's kind of like I've been attending these events since I was a child, sometimes organizing them as an adult, and always, always participating. I feel like I'm growing up, but this is just staying the same. There's still so much violence and hatred towards women and sometimes it feels like it's not getting any better and there's no end in sight.
Two things really get to me about December 6th. The first is my enormous rage, anger, and sadness about violence against women. This year, especially, feels like a banner year for violence against women and girls. I feel like everywhere you can turn and see some Canadian media you are consuming a recent report about violence against a girl or woman. None of these reports analyze the role of gender and say that this was gendered violence, when it is.
Here's a short list of what happened SO FAR this year, and what about it is shaking me to the core:
1. Last winter Canadian news was scandalized with the arrest of Col. Russell Williams. Details aside, he was charged with two first degree murder charges (and later he faced a total of 88 charges) and within the first 24 hours of his arrest, the media and his "supporters" reported that "he's such a great guy", a "community leader", and an "upstanding gentleman". The court case began and raged on and this man has been put to jail and an arduous court case for the murder of two (young) women. The majority of the news around his case focused on his sexual deviance, rather than the fact that our society continues to allow these mother fucking men to rise to positions of power in our institutions. There needs to be better screening to ensure that men are aware of their role as possible misogynists and violence makers, and institutions need to give men the space to have a different take on women (rather than to just continue with the traditional patriarchy). Of course Williams was in the wrong and did terrible terrible things, but why can't we also hold the institution that encourages patriarchal behaviour to also be responsible? huh?
2. The spring brought us the death of Kimberly Proctor. 18 year old high schooler from Victoria who's burned remains were found adjacent to the Victoria regional trail, the gallopping goose. Was it intentional? Was it a homicide? Was it a random act of violence? no one knew! And then in the early fall the real truth began to be heard in the news. An ex boyfriend and a friend fucking LURED her to their house where they killed her, put her body in a fucking duffel bag, put some gasoline in the duffel bag, CARRIED HER BODY ON THE CITY BUS, and took her to the trail where they burned her.
This one is probably the most jarring for me from this year. First, people in Proctor's family and community IMMEDIATELY realized she was missing (that made the news within a day). She had deviated from her regular routine, she was last seen at a bus stop, etc. People cared that she went missing; responsible adults knew her routine and were concerned when it became different. And they should've been. These boys (16 and 17 at the time of the death) obviously did not have responsible adults in their lives (or the accomplice's lives). Who's house did they take her to? Was one of these boys living outside of his parent's house? So, if he had his own house, was MCFD involved? HOW COME NO ONE HEARD ANY OF THIS GOING ON WHEN IT WAS HAPPENING? Also, we obviously live in a fucked up world if these boys are using facebook and email to carry out this detailed and meditated plan to murder this young woman. Planning it for a year? And, they took her body on the city bus? There was probably a good 36 hour period where these boys weren't interrupted. Where are responsible adults (teacher? why the fuck weren't they in school? why weren't the teachers calling the house looking for the kids? why didn't the bus driver question the large bag? and why wasn't kimberly proctor told never to trust any boy EVER?)
3. Oh September! The leaves slowly begin to change, the sun sets earlier in the day, and kids go back to school, and have parties where they gang rape their classmates, take pictures and put them on facebook. I'm not sure how many ways we can say this isn't cool, it's unacceptable, and it's RIDICULOUS that these young men are allowed to have this sort of social behaviour without getting immediately blacklisted from school, their communities, and the earth. WHAT IS IT ABOUT THEIR WORLDS THAT IS TELLING THEM THAT THIS BEHAVIOUR IS A-OK? If you know someone in high school (or are in high school) you need to immediately tell them about this happening and tell them why it is wrong. a) you never hurt ANYONE like this for any reason, b) use social media responsibly!, c) respect women/girls and other marginalized and oppressed peoples! JERKS!
4. Most recently a number of young women have been murdered in our old stomping grounds, Prince George. And even more recently the murder of a 15 year old girl in Fort St James. I'm still not emotionally mature enough to deal with, or even begin to theorize and work towards dealing with the death of women in the north. So, I have nothing angry or helpful to say, except FUCK YOU PATRIARCHY.
Now I'm tired, worked up, etc. I have all these rants and suggestions for Capital F Feminism for making December 6th more effective, but I don't think I can get there right now (too much stuff to doooooooooo). Maybe next year? Or, just find a copy of my thesis :) XO
10.05.2010
let's get political: gendered violence
Today the Georgia Straight posted this article: Vancouver police dismiss activist's claim that gender crimes aren't taken seriously
So I sent them this letter:
I wanted to take a minute to respond to your article posted October 5th regarding gendered violence in the downtown east side. I'm disappointed that the article, written in the manner it was, even made it to print/post in your publication. First, for the past decade, you can't face any direction in BC without hearing about the degradation, sexualization, and violence towards women who live, work, or survive in the DTES. Second, I'm sure if you surveyed a roomful of randoms a number of them would agree that the "police" haven't been on the mark about much of their actions or comments to the public over that same amount of time (eg. Dziekanski or the hullabaloo in Toronto) even regarding cases regarding women from the DTES (eg. all the recent information that highlights the lack of involvement by police in cases and incidents leading up to Picton's arrest). Third, of course women are violent towards men: men are violent towards men, and women are violent towards women. But what happens when organizations in power rely on the straw man argument that some woman harmed some man, is that the organization denies the reality that whether a woman lives in the DTES or lives in Fort McNeil, she is more likely to experience violence at the hands of a man than any other way you can spin that equation. By denying gendered violence by saying, "women do it too", the police do turn a blind eye to gendered violence because they're not recognizing which part of it is gendered or treating the crimes towards women with more attention and resources than those that also happen to men.
If you're also pissed off by the article email them. If you don't give a fuck I don't really want to know, but you can post a comment arguing why you don't give a fuck or disagree, but I'll ignore you. Think of it as passive validation. xo
So I sent them this letter:
I wanted to take a minute to respond to your article posted October 5th regarding gendered violence in the downtown east side. I'm disappointed that the article, written in the manner it was, even made it to print/post in your publication. First, for the past decade, you can't face any direction in BC without hearing about the degradation, sexualization, and violence towards women who live, work, or survive in the DTES. Second, I'm sure if you surveyed a roomful of randoms a number of them would agree that the "police" haven't been on the mark about much of their actions or comments to the public over that same amount of time (eg. Dziekanski or the hullabaloo in Toronto) even regarding cases regarding women from the DTES (eg. all the recent information that highlights the lack of involvement by police in cases and incidents leading up to Picton's arrest). Third, of course women are violent towards men: men are violent towards men, and women are violent towards women. But what happens when organizations in power rely on the straw man argument that some woman harmed some man, is that the organization denies the reality that whether a woman lives in the DTES or lives in Fort McNeil, she is more likely to experience violence at the hands of a man than any other way you can spin that equation. By denying gendered violence by saying, "women do it too", the police do turn a blind eye to gendered violence because they're not recognizing which part of it is gendered or treating the crimes towards women with more attention and resources than those that also happen to men.
If you're also pissed off by the article email them. If you don't give a fuck I don't really want to know, but you can post a comment arguing why you don't give a fuck or disagree, but I'll ignore you. Think of it as passive validation. xo
9.09.2009
11.18.2008
everybody knows someone like that...
today i was feeling so run down by the bureaucracy at work that i was >thisclose< to throwing in the towel. which isn't what anyone wants. and then two things happened. first i went to a youth-run council meeting and was just invigorated by being around youth! i think that the connections i can make with these young adults is really important for everyone involved and for whatever reason attending that 1 hour meeting and getting not only positive feedback but interest from other people was really amazing. it made me realize that i need constant affirmation from those i work for. which can be troubling, because i would rely on myself for affirmation but the way that they would show their appreciation (if they are) is not the way i would show my appreciation. it feels a lot like, "out of sight, out of mind". maybe i'm being too hard on myself, or being super stressed and paranoid that i might not get the job i thought i was asked to do (!! ?).
second, on my way home i listened to "listen up" by the gossip REALLY LOUD and sang along REALL LOUD. it just made me feel so much better and reminded me where my resistance comes from intrinsically and where my want to do the work i'm doing is burning at it's core. in this video my favourite part is how hott she looks dancing with that pizza.
now, off to gossip girl land!
11.29.2006
we'll not go home again...come and see!
so, school's done for this semester! my presentation went really well although i spoke really fast. i've picked up some consulting work which means that in the evenings while stewart is out with his writing group friends rupert is just perched half on my shoulder and half on the chair i've sunken into. and we're going to have joy tea and eat biscotti and continue to listen to the decemberist's the crane wife (i LOVE it!!)
below are my assignments from yesterday. here's hoping they work!
Indigeneity and Young Mothers: Navigating Validitiy in a Rural Environment =Indigineity presentation (altered) + presentation references
From Rioters to Knitters and In-between: Chronicalling the Third Wave in Canada = expanded thesis proposal
below are my assignments from yesterday. here's hoping they work!
Indigeneity and Young Mothers: Navigating Validitiy in a Rural Environment =Indigineity presentation (altered) + presentation references
From Rioters to Knitters and In-between: Chronicalling the Third Wave in Canada = expanded thesis proposal
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