Feminist Care Packages

A Feminist Care Package for Too $hort

Dear Too $hort,
 
We are a collective of people of color who are angered and saddened by your comments in a video for XXL magazine. We are angry because no one at the magazine thought to pull the plug on the interview and we are sad because you seem unaware that you were advocating the rape of girls by boys.

We think that young people have a right to know about sex and explore their sexuality with each other if they choose but what you suggested in that video was not sex; it was rape. You described boys forcing themselves onto girls with violent actions without the girls’ consent. It is not ok for boys to think that they can make a girl do what they want against her will. It is not ok for girls to expect this kind of behavior from boys. Children and adults of all genders should be able to make decisions about their own bodies.  

Your apology shows only that you are sorry that people reacted to what you said in a negative way. It didn’t show that you understood why people were upset.

In an effort to make clear what is wrong with your position in the video, we are offering you resources that speak to the gender based violence your comments support. Your Feminist Care Package includes the following:

• NO! The Rape Documentary and Study Guide - Film by Aishah Shahidah Simmons about rape within the Black community that includes a study guide with questions and exsercises to expand the conversation.
• Men Stopping Violence - Organization that works with men who have been abusive to their partners. We suggest that you join a class and work through the curriculum.
• Tough Guise Documentary - Film by Sut Jhally and Jackson Katz about how boys are taught that violence is part of being a “real” man.
• We Real Cool: Black Men and Masculinity and The Will To Change: Men, Masculinity and Love - These are two books by black feminist scholar bell hooks about black masculinity and its connection to the experiences of black girls and women.

We encourage you to watch, read, and attend classes with other masculine people in your life as it can be hard to change your thinking when other folks are still expecting you to behave as you always have. You are also building a group of people who can hold each other accountable and challenge one another to continue to be open to these concepts. These materials are tools for an ongoing process, not a quick read or glance. We are inviting you to change your thoughts and actions over time and bring your community with you so that you can support each other.

Please accept this Feminist Care Package as a gift for your continued growth and the well being of the communities you touch through your celebrity and music.

Best,

The Feminist Care Package Collective