Feminist Care Packages

DYSAETHESIA AETHIOPICA: The Bushmen are being forcibly evicted from their homes in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve

Mon, 27 May 2013 16:01:44 -0400

DYSAETHESIA AETHIOPICA: The Bushmen are being forcibly evicted from their homes in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve:

Earlier today, trucks were being sent into the CKGR to forcibly remove the Gana and Gwi Bushmen from their ancestral homelands, despite two historical court cases allowing them the right to live where their people have always lived. The Botswanan government is engaged in…

Sign an Open Letter to Tyler Perry: Stop Stigmatizing People With HIV

Fri, 24 May 2013 14:37:25 -0400

Sign an Open Letter to Tyler Perry: Stop Stigmatizing People With HIV:

An Open Letter to Tyler Perry

Dear Mr. Perry,

We write as people living with HIV and their allies to express our deep disappointment with your latest film, Temptation. This disappointment is made all the greater because you have done much that can be applauded. Audiences see your plays and films not simply as entertainment, but as opportunities for inspiration, spiritual healing, and unity.

In Temptation, however, you have done a great disservice to people with HIV, and particularly to the African-American community, which, as you know, is disproportionately affected by HIV.

As you may be aware, one of the greatest barriers to addressing the HIV epidemic is the high level of stigma and misinformation attached to this simple virus. Stigma prevents people from getting tested for HIV, from protecting themselves during sex, from accessing care when they test positive, and from disclosing their HIV status to family, friends, and sexual partners. Myths and outdated perceptions about how HIV is transmitted and the implications of an HIV diagnosis have resulted in discriminatory treatment towards, and violence against, people living with HIV.

Unfortunately, Temptation can only serve to perpetuate stigma. Your film depicts people with HIV as untouchable and unlovable, doomed to a lifetime of loneliness, and unable to tell their own stories. It implies that men with HIV are sexually irresponsible and predatory. And the final image — that of a woman who has been infected with HIV due to an extramarital affair walking away alone and unhealthy — sends the message that HIV is a punishment for immoral behavior.

Mr. Perry, as a leader in the African-American community, is this really the message you want to send in 2013, over three decades into this epidemic? Your impact on beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors in the community is not insignificant. And if you portray people with HIV as sinful, secretive monsters, unworthy of love and incapable of reproduction, what incentive do people have to learn their HIV status or for people with HIV to disclose their status?

HIV is not something that “guilty” people get. It is not a punishment for cheating, lying, using drugs or alcohol, having more than one partner, or not asking the right questions. It is a virus whose transmission is fueled by poverty, ignorance, racism, sexism, homophobia, fear, violence, and many other factors - not by people with HIV. In fact, studies show that the overwhelming majority of people with HIV fiercely protect their partners once they know their HIV status. Many of us are in long-term relationships with HIV-negative partners. And yes, we even have children!

We call on you to undo the damage that your film has undoubtedly already caused.

We ask you to meet with people living with HIV and hear our stories. We know that you are deeply committed to the communities that have supported your work and we ask that you make a public statement and consult with us to develop storylines that will help end HIV stigma so we can get to the real business of ending this epidemic, together.

Your response is greatly appreciated and we look forward to hearing from you in the very near future. Thank you in advance for your attention to this matter.

We await your response.

Signed,

List in formation

Sign this petition as an individual
Sign on as an organization

Bringing Back Wonder Woman

Thu, 23 May 2013 09:13:48 -0400

Bringing Back Wonder Woman:

crunkfeministcollective:

AS LOVELY AS APHRODITE – AS WISE AS ATHENA – WITH THE SPEED OF MERCURY AND THE STRENGTH OF HERCULES – SHE IS KNOWN ONLY AS WONDER WOMAN.

Dear privileged Hollywood women,

We need you. It’s time. You can no longer remain silent. You must act. You must step up. White men alone cannot decide the fate of the Wonder Woman movie.

As I write this, I understand the sad truth that many people (ie too many of our young) today do not know Wonder Woman: her power, strength, ideals or her significance to women’s empowerment and history. So, strap up. I’m about to blow you away with some knowledge.

In 1941, a psychologist named William Moulton Marston began writing comic books under a pseudonym. Marston, a respected Harvard-trained lawyer and Ph.D. was one of the few men of his era that believed in the untapped potential of comic books to teach children right from wrong and elicit positive change. He asked, “If children will read comics, why isn’t it advisable to give them some constructive comics to read?”[i] Marston, known as a flamboyant opportunist/marketing guru, also had very controversial beliefs about human psychology and was utterly obsessed with the ability to determine when a subject was not telling the truth. He was convinced that one could test for deception by studying subject’s physiological reactions (primarily changes in blood pressure) and is credited with the invention of one of the first lie detector tests.

Along with this obsession for the truth, Marston loved Greek mythology and believed in women’s overall higher moral compass. He alleged that women were innately “less susceptible than men to the negative traits of aggression and acquisitiveness, and could come to control the comparatively unruly male sex by alluring them.”[ii] This controversial ‘girls run the world’ prediction was very much ahead of his time. In a 1937 interview with The New York Times he claimed –

“The next one hundred years will see the beginning of an American matriarchy–a nation of Amazons in the psychological rather than physical sense,” adding that, “women would take over the rule of the country, politically and economically.”[iii]

Marston, a complicated man, was very much interested in bondage and the relationship between dominance and submission. He believed that the fairer sex would basically be able to control men through sexual governance. In his wildly sexist and heterosexist worldview, the world would be a better place if women ran it — mostly through the use of their sexuality of course. Sexually satisfied men would then happily submit to women’s power and we would all live in peace. [Side note, I don’t really hang with many white men, but this one definitely would have been invited to some of my parties. Did I mention he was poly? In 1941?].

Marston’s vision ultimately led him to work for DC Comics, home of Superman and Batman. He is credited with the invention of Wonder Woman – In Marston’s words:

Frankly, Wonder Woman is psychological propaganda for the new type of woman who should, I believe, rule the world. There isn’t love enough in the male organism to run this planet peacefully. Woman’s body contains twice as many love generating organs and endocrine mechanisms as the male. What woman lacks is the dominance or self-assertive power to put over and enforce her love desires.

I have given Wonder Woman this dominant force but have kept her loving, tender, maternal, feminine in every way. Her bracelets, with which she repels bullets and other murderous weapons, represent the Amazon Princess’ submission to Aphrodite, Goddess of Love and Beauty. Her magic lasso, which compels anyone bound by it to obey Wonder Woman and which was given to her by Aphrodite herself, represent’s woman’s love charm and allure by which she compels men and women to do her bidding.[iv]

And, that my friends, is the origin story of Wonder Woman. [Side note: Marston somehow still failed to see that none of those qualities (dominant/tender) are mutually exclusive. He just didn’t get that memo.] Wonder Woman’s story line debuted in the #8 All Star Comics (December 1941 – January 1942) issue. She was even given an invisible plane to assist her on her many fantastic journeys. Throughout the years, (and especially after Marston’s death) her adventures, agenda, love interests and wardrobe have undergone many unique transformations. At one point, she even had an uber popular TV series in the 70s [I Heart you Linda Carter]. Filmmaker Kristy Geuvara-Falanagan’s Wonder Women! -The Untold Story of American Superheroines is a wonderfully fun and informative documentary that chronicles Wonder Woman’s unique history; her resurrection during the women’s movement of the 60s & 70s; and the ultimate tragic fate of other super heroines. Please watch it. You won’t regret it.

I’m sorry, I got excited. You see, the more I learn about Wonder Woman, the more I want to know and the more I feel the need to share her story. Lets get back to the whole point of this post. Starlets of Hollywood, we desperately need a Wonder Woman movie. Frankly, as much as I love the 100^th incarnation of the Superman, Batman, Spider Man and Iron Man movies, I’m extremely worried about our young girls and boys. If boys know that they can be heroes, then girls need to learn that they can be too. [Side eye to Marvel comics. I see you.]

I’m not calling for a Marston style matriarchy where women rule men only with their feminine wiles. Though that would be intriguing, I’m a lesbian and ultimately am not interested. I’m also a feminist and deeply invested in gender equity. What I am interested in, however, is a film with an awesome plot, X-men awesome. An action packed, empowering film with a multi-racial and multi-ethnic cast of women represented as intelligent, physically powerful, resourceful, capable, strong, independent, complicated, vulnerable, flawed, compassionate and beautiful. You know, human.

I want the only gratuitous onscreen shots of pectorals, thighs, abs, and gluteal muscles to represent the extraordinary physical strength of these female protagonists. During the publicity tour, I want for the actresses starring in the film to be asked about their physical transformations and the amazing training that they received from Jeannette Jenkins. I want them to brag about their 300 style training; how hard they worked out, how difficult it was, and how much protein they had to include in their diets. I want them to boast about the amazing and powerful community they felt on set: how they all got along; their shared vision of the amazing things that happen when you portray women as full human beings; how they brought their sons, daughters, nieces and nephews to the set; and how amazing it felt to be inspired and in the presence of women from all over the world.

I want Paradise Island to portray a land where women of all races, ethnicities, abilities, ages and sizes are valued and contribute to their society in meaningful ways. I want for Linda Carter, Angela Davis, Rita Moreno, Michelle Yeoh, Gloria Steinem, Pam Grier, Sonia Braga, S. Epatha Merkerson, Betty White, Whoopi Goldberg and Jane Fonda – to serve as the elder council that advises and deliberates on the ultimate fate of Princess Diana. I want Lucy Lawless, Linda Hamilton, Sophie Okonedo, and Angela Bassett to be the physical trainers of the Paradise Island Amazon army.

I want them to scour the globe for Wonder Woman: the talented and newly discovered actress that will carry the franchise, and it will be a franchise. I want them to show scenes of this young Amazon training for battle with her comrades: Michele Rodriguez, Adepero Oduye, Emma Stone, Jessica Alba, Zhang Ziyi, Zoe Kravitz, Dakota Fanning, Selena Gomez, Blake Lively, Gabrielle Union, America Ferrera, Naya Rivera, Raven Simone, Emma Watson, Freida Pinto, Harmony Santana, Ellen Page, Camille Winbush, Aubrey Plaza, Keke Palmer, Jessica Biel, Melonie Diaz, Mya, Sarah Shahi, Dania Ramirez and Hayden Panettiere – all engaging in intense competition for the Wonder Woman title and chance to return Steve Trevor to the “Patriarch’s world.”

I want Wonder Woman to experience an amazing adventure that forces the audience to really consider and critique all of the oppressive ways in which women and men experience their lives within the patriarchy. I want her to Holla Back! at the fools who try to cat call at her on the street; teaching them a lesson they will not soon forget. I want her to come to the defense of a woman who is being abused by her partner and make them pay. I want for WW to inspire confidence in all of the women she interacts with throughout the film; and for all her enemies to be in awe of her, considering her a formidable opponent. I want it to be an action packed thriller of a film. During the epic and final battle when the audience is at the edge of their seats and believes that Wonder Woman is about to be finished, I want all the Amazons of her land to appear out of the sky to support their sister and wreck shit, because the evil dwellers messed with the wrong Amazon. I want little girls and women of all ages to come out of the movie theaters thinking, “I am Wonder Woman.” I want little boys to ask their parents to buy them Wonder Woman costumes for Halloween.

I want for Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Hillary Swank, Reese Witherspoon, Anne Hathaway, Nicole Kidman, Kate Hudson, Susan Sarandon, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Sandra Bullock, Reneé Zellweger, Angelina Jolie, Rachel Wiesz, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Chastain, Diane Lane, Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart, Jennifer Lawrence, Julianne Moore, Clair Danes, Diane Keaton, Drew Barrymore, Demi Moore, Annette Benning, Jodie Foster, Jennifer Anniston, Mila Kunis, Cameron Diaz, Michelle Williams, Katherine Heigl, Tina Fey, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jennifer Garner, Scarlett Johansson – and all the other established/prominent (lets us not forget white & privileged) Hollywood women who have been critically acclaimed for their talents; received numerous awards; and/or leads in commercially successful movies to step back and financially fund this project. Make sure that it is an empowering film. Please do not let the white man fuck it up.

Use that privilege and let other women shine.

I want Kerry Washington, Sofia Vergara, Gabourey Sidibe, Neha Dupia, Rosie Perez, Quevenzhané Wallis, Jennifer Lopez, Jaclyn Smith, Halley Berry, Eva Mendes, Amy Poehler, Viola Davis, Sara Ramirez, Sigourney Weaver, Jada Pinkett-Smith, Geena Davis, Sanaa Lathan, Lucy Lui, Sheetal Sheth, Aisha Tyler, Judy Reyes, Nia Long, Sandra Oh, Penelope Cruz, Melissa McCarthy, Zoey Deschanel, Taraji P. Henson, Miriam Colon, Hannah Simone, Queen Latifah, Rosario Dawson, Loretta Devine, Lauren Velez, Eva Longoria, Aishwarya Rai, and Amandla Stenberg to make cameo appearances as Amazons, goddesses (J. Lo you will always be my Aphrodite), political figures, lawyers, doctors, law enforcement, emergency responders, techies, surgeons, chief executive officers, journalists, reporters, scientists, teachers, engineers, illustrators, stay-at-home moms, professors, damsels in distress, cooks, painters and even villains.

I want M.I.A., Alicia Keys, Beyoncé, Adele, Azalea Banks, Shakira, Mary J. Blige, Tina Turner, Janelle Monae, Nicki Minaj, Ani DiFranco, Jennifer Hudson, Peaches, Tracy Chapman, Jill Scott, Lady Gaga, and Janet Jackson and to put out a kickass soundtrack.

Shonda Rhimes, Gail Simone, and Jodi Picoult I need you to write the screenplay. Dee Rees and Kathryn Bigelow please team up and direct this. Salma Hayek, you made Frida happen, go on ahead and produce this one.

Please and thank you,

Crunkista

[i] Daniels, Les, Wonder Woman: The Complete History (Chronicle Books, 2004) 12.

[ii] Daniels 19.

[iii] Daniels 19.

[iv] Daniels 22-23.

Soy fe@ y content@: Community Letter #1

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:01:04 -0400

Soy fe@ y content@: Community Letter #1:

lettersforourcommunity:

TRIGGER WARNING: This letter contains true stories about sex work, and violence against trans women and other LGBTQ people.

Dear beloved Queer Community, and Paul Soileau,

Recently, here in the Austin queer community, there has been a lot debate and…

stoptellingwomentosmile: Chicago, I’m coming to you. A trip to...

Fri, 10 May 2013 08:01:00 -0400

stoptellingwomentosmile:

Chicago, I’m coming to you.

A trip to Chicago to visit a friend has very recently turned into a work trip as well. STWTS is a traveling project. One important thing for me is to see how street harassment works in different areas. I want to meet women and hear their experiences, eventually using their faces and words for pieces to be installed in their cities.

Of course I planned to wheat paste in the streets on my trip, but now with the folks at The Silver Room, I’ll also be having a pop-up show / artist talk that will allow me to meet people and talk to them about street harassment in Chicago. I’ll also be setting up another photoshoot for people to write their own captions to harassers.

It will be a quick but awesome show. With some wheat paste installations, some music, some dialogue.

So, Chicago, come by!

The Silver Room, May 23rd, 7-10pm

chainofaffection: “Have you ever come across a homeless...

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 08:01:22 -0400

chainofaffection:

“Have you ever come across a homeless individual and felt totally uncomfortable?

You see them and you know they are in need, but you are not sure what to do. You know that handing them money is not the best thing. But, you also see that they clearly have some needs. Their lips are chapped. They are hungry. They are thirsty. They are asking for help.

How can you help?

Here is a simple idea - blessing bags.

This was such an easy project. We are now going to keep a few “Blessing Bags” in our car so that when we do happen to see someone on the streets who is homeless, we can hand them a Blessing Bag. I first learned of these bags from my friend, Julie. I am using the picture of her bags (see above) because the ones we took were taken in horrible lighting and turned out really grainy and hard to see what is inside of them.

If you’d like to make your own Blessing Bags, this is what you would need:

Gallon size Ziplock bags

items to go in the bags, such as:

chap stick

packages of tissues

toothbrush and toothpaste

comb

soap

trail mix

granola bars

crackers

pack of gum

band aids

mouthwash

coins (could be used to make a phone call, or purchase a food item)

hand wipes

you could also put in a warm pair of socks, and maybe a Starbucks gift card

Assemble all the items in the bags, and maybe throw in a note of encouragement. Seal the bags and stow in your car for a moment of providence.

This would be a great activity to do with some other families. Each family could bring one of the items going into the bags (ex: toothbrushes). Set up all the items around a table and walk around it with the ziplocks and fill the bags.”

http://kwavs.blogspot.com/2011/05/blessing-bags-how-to.html

Atlanta Harm Reduction: Prevention as the First Response

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 11:09:05 -0400

Atlanta Harm Reduction: Prevention as the First Response:

crunkfeministcollective:

Dear CFC Community,

There are some places where people are warned never to go, known for violence, drug traffic, and poverty. For those who have not grown up in these environments we are taught to fear and/or condemn people who live there. This is not true of everyone. There are some s/heroes who “see the faces at the bottom of the well,” and offer a rope AND a bucket of food and water. Atlanta Harm Reduction Coalition (AHRC) is the rescue organization where prevention is key and care is unconditional. This week the CFC will spotlight AHRC because they need our support to keep their doors open.

Atlanta Harm Reduction offers the only consistent syringe exchange program in the southeast region. According to Mona Phillips, a founding member, their early advocacy work began with people living with HIV/AIDS. During direct action campaigns to raise awareness about Atlantans needing access to affordable pharmaceutical drugs in 1996 they started seeing syringes on the ground. Recognizing this marker to mean resurgence in heroin use they literally followed the syringes and the word on the street to English Avenue and set up shop there.

AHR has been in English Avenue since 1998 providing: FREE HIV testing, counseling, and connection with additional resources; FREE meals and hot showers a few days a week; FREE access computers and internet; FREE clothes closet access; FREE counseling for people with addictions; FREE Hepatitis A and B vaccines; FREE drug paraphernalia to stop the spread of AIDS, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C; FREE condoms and counseling for sex workers everyday. The syringe exchange program, assumed to target people who use recreational drugs only, is also important for people with diabetes to inject insulin as well as transgender people for hormone injections.

Where others choose to avoid the basic needs of so many people in this area because they don’t approve of their choices…Atlanta Harm Reduction rushed in.

While there have been articles, essays, videos, book chapters published about Atlanta Harm Reduction, state and county budget cuts make “FREE” hard to maintain and they are on the verge of having to close their doors.

AHRC sees 40-60 people each of the four days they are open, most come on Tuesday and Thursday because it will likely be their first shower or their last shower of the week. While they receive support from the Atlanta Community Food Bank and Panera Bread, they still had to lay off staff and cut their days of service to four days. They rely on volunteers and the good will of people, but many are uncomfortable with the fact that AHRC encourages people with addictions to get rehabilitation but refuses to criminalize them. Marshall Rancifer says he has been effective getting more than 350 people successfully into rehab because AHRC is there when people are ready—no judgment.

I have had the privilege of spending time with Marshall Rancifer, Mona Phillips, and Verna Gaines, and a long-time student volunteer, Danielle Sharpe, and what I know is by supporting their work I am supporting communities in great need. I admire the work Atlanta Harm Reduction is doing to stop the spread of HIV and I deeply respect that they do not turn anyone away.

So we are asking our CFC community to consider a one-time or monthly tax deductible donation of $5, $25, $100 or to volunteer your time. This Friday come out to their Open House Fundraiser from 10am-4pm at AHRC where they will be providing tours of the facility. Atlanta needs Harm Reduction and AHRC needs your support. Donate, volunteer, spread the word!!! Do what you do best.

Thank You,

Crunk Feminist Collective

sapphrikah: wildbright: Open letter to white men: no. open timeless letter.

Mon, 22 Apr 2013 16:01:34 -0400

sapphrikah:

wildbright:

Open letter to white men:

no.

open timeless letter.

mé'êško'áe: Open letter response - Why this Chinese woman is making a film about Native Americans

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 16:01:49 -0400

mé'êško'áe: Open letter response - Why this Chinese woman is making a film about Native Americans:

This letter is the writer/director’s personal response to this blog post:

http://nitanahkohe.tumblr.com/post/48396054800/sundance-film-institute-backed-feature-film-about

———

Hi there,

It’s Chloé Zhao. The writer/director of LEE, a feature film set on Pine Ridge Indian…

Five Ways Talib Kweli Can Become a Better Ally to Women in Hip Hop

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 11:49:23 -0400

Five Ways Talib Kweli Can Become a Better Ally to Women in Hip Hop:

crunkfeministcollective:

Talib Kweli

After this latest week of utter shamtastery in Hip Hop, the words of the late great Aaliyah resonate now more than ever:

We need a resolution; there is so much confusion.

Rick Ross thinks that drugging a woman and raping her isn’t rape, but rather a case of misunderstanding. FOH

Talib Kweli thinks that the first responsibility that women in Hip Hop have to men in Hip Hop is to love to them.

Despite his alleged support for Frank Ocean, Busta Rhymes remains an unrepentant and violent homophobe. From my armchair therapist’s seat, I want to ask what Busta is fighting against in himself that has him out in the world acting a fucking fool. (And since I’d ask the question just like that, it’s probably best that I didn’t become a therapist.)

Many folks have aptly broken down all that is wrong with Rick Ross’ faux-pology, his misunderstanding of rape culture and consent, and what he and others in the culture owe to Black women.

I am more interested in the quintessential case of #allyfail that was Talib Kweli’s participation in this conversation. On Monday, in a conversation at Huffington Post Live with host Marc Lamont Hill, and guests Rosa Clemente, Jamilah Lemieux, and Rahiel Tesfamariam, Talib went in on Rosa for suggesting that she didn’t consider Ross a part of Hip Hop culture.

She argued that her view represented a radical edge of thinking about Hip Hop culture, which attempts to separate what she referred to as the “rap industrial complex” from the broader culture. She also fully acknowledged the extent to which folks would disagree with her perspective. I think her critique and perspective is a valid one, meaning that while I’m not sure if I agree, her argument is worthy of debate and dialogue.

But what Talib offered wasn’t dialogue. Instead, he attempted to dress Rosa down for even having such a perspective. And then he dictated to her what her perspective should be and told her that ultimately, it didn’t matter what her view was, “Rick Ross and Wayne are a part of the culture whether you like it or not.”

Do women not get to draw boundaries? Do women not get a say in determining the cultural environs of hip hop?

This act of masculine aggression, mansplaining, and general disrespect is all the more absurd given that Talib Kweli then went on Twitter and told his friend dream hampton who attempted to point out some of the flaws in his argument, that he was “disappointing in her for rattling her sabers,” (i.e. critiquing him), especially since he’s an “ally.”

Um, Talib (if by chance you are listening), your conduct here is actually a primer in “How Not To Be An Ally.”

I know you may stop listening at this point since you probably perceive my tone not to be loving, but if you do continue to read, here are a few pointers on how to be a real male ally in Hip Hop:

1.) Let the women have the mic. Rick Ross disrespected all women, and particularly Black and Brown women, in this situation. Black and Brown women have the right to command the space, to “get on the mic” if you will, and speak our piece, without you yanking it back cuz you don’t like what we’re spitting. In other words, if you should find yourself yelling at one of the injured parties, just know that something has gone woefully awry. Check it before you wreck it, ya heard?

2.) Don’t mansplain. Telling Rosa Clemente that the “smarter move” is to embrace Rick Ross with love assumes that Black women’s contribution to the conversation is emotional not logical. But I hope it is abundantly clear that you were the one all in your feelings in that convo. We’ve been conditioned not to see it when men get defensive and emotional, cuz y’all usually signal that by telling women that we’re the ones who aren’t being “smart” or “logical.” But I call bullshit for bullshit. Despite what you said to dream hampton on twitter, “your outrage clouded” your judgment.

3.) Don’t invoke the tone argument. You expected Rosa to listen to you, even though your tone wasn’t loving. You were offended, and you felt the right to communicate that offense and be heard. Why not Black women? If someone is standing on my fucking foot, I don’t have to ask them nicely to move. Like the Queen (Latifah, that is) said 20 years ago, “a man don’t love ya, if he hits ya,” or rapes ya, or raps about raping ya. To ask me to love somebody who ain’t even remotely interested in trying to love me back, either means you think Black women are Jesus or fools. To demand more love when all Black women do is give love is at best woeful misrecognition and worst an egregious show of male arrogance.

4.) Interrogate your privilege. You may be a progressive man in hip hop, but you are still a man who moves through the world with male privilege. And what you did in that conversation and the subsequent conversation on twitter was communicate from the space of that male privilege. You told Rosa that she didn’t get to determine who was in and out of Hip Hop, though she has paid her dues in the culture just like you. And then you told her who was in. Period. The end. That’s not being an ally. That’s being minister of information for the Ol Boys’ Club.

5.) Recognize that you don’t get to tell us how to be our ally; we get to tell you. And if the fact that you don’t have the power to determine the bounds of your allyship make you uncomfortable, then you have found the primary place of your problem. We get to determine who our allies are. Not you. Your primary job as an ally is to listen, and then be a megaphone, not a microphone. Your job is to amplify what we’re saying so other folks can hear it, and have our back if something pops off. If the folks you are attempting to help or be in alliance with tell you that they are feeling unsupported, then that might mean there is a problem with the support you are offering rather than a problem with the demands they are making. (For a far better explication of this principle, check out this good work from our friends over at Shakesville.)

I don’t know that the tips above come from a place of love. I don’t always love hip hop, since hip hop so infrequently loves me back. But I absolutely care about what happens in hip hop and I care about the healing of Black men with pathological ideas about sex and I care about Black men who are interested in being allies. Most of all, I care about Black women. So maybe a little more love is not what we need. Too many people use that word in vain. Perhaps Hip Hop should start somewhere far more basic: let’s imagine what it would like to care. For others, for ourselves, for the culture.

I Want to Fuck Rick Ross by Red Summer TW

Fri, 29 Mar 2013 10:39:38 -0400

I Want to Fuck Rick Ross by Red Summer *TW*:

Yes! You read that right. I have been overcome with this uncontrollable feeling to fuck Rick Ross. Raw, ghetto-hood style. Get grimy with it. Yes, I tried to hold it in, but I just can’t! The truth will set me free and I feel like my lady-like tendencies have held me back for way too long. I have to admit it. I wanna fuck Rick Ross!

I want to set up a camera, invite him over, get him comfortable, make him feel safe and special… then I want to slip a lil something in his drink. Play some Miguel. Yeah, I wanna play some Miguel to set the mood as I wonder how many drinks it will take until I can get him out of those clothes. He will think it’s just an intimate night, but it won’t be. I got real big plans for him. When he starts getting a little loopy, I’ll get him to where I need him to be… The Bedroom ladies. Yes, I wanna get Rick Ross’ drunken and drugged ass in my bedroom. Help him get a little more comfortable, get him out of all those clothes. I’ll let him leave his chains on, I may need them for later.

I want to wait until he’s passed all the way out, go in my boot box under the bed and pull out this nice 12 inch dildo I found at a toy store just outside of town. Skip the lube baby… Naw, we don’t need no foreplay. We fucking! Remember? And all I can think about is fucking you Rick Ross. Fucking you like a Boss! The only hesitation I would have is this monster cock (or Donkey Dong as it says on the label) is dark brown and I know you don’t like dark skin… but you won’t even know! So, I don’t have to hesitate for long. Yes, I will switch on the camera and fuck you with my Donkey Dong as long as I want. I want the world to watch you slide on THIS pole Ricky Baby! I may even get a lil R. Kelly on you and piss on you while you lay there. Awww… don’t get upset! I wouldn’t call this rape. It’s not rape when it happens to Black women and girls all over the world. It’s not rape when you have a promising future ahead of you. And I do Rick. As soon as this tape gets out, I’ll be rich like you and Miguel and Kelz. Then I can get away with it. I’ll call it art and expression and I’ll make sure it gets played over and over again so everybody will see YOUR big ass cheeks spread and shaking as I “not rape” you. Cause I don’t condone rape either Rick. Since this is not rape. It should be okay. Right?

Miguel… what song are you singing now baby? Oh, you want to Adorn me with your love? Well, Aww Skeet Skeet Motherfucker!

ZINE SUBMISSION CALL OUT: "A HOW TO GUIDE IN LOVING AND CARING FOR A MAD PERSON: an unapologetic and intersectional feminist tool kit in disability justice"

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 08:01:02 -0400

tallesthellos:

(C IT, REBLOG IT!!)

HELLO tumblr world.

I am putting together a zine on people’s experience with mental health/illness/madness etc and how they / they were supported/loved/cared/lived with /for/by/ their partners/lovers/family members/ friends etc.

Want to participate? Please have photocopiable material submitted to jozay.25@gmail.com by the deadline MAY 1st - 2nd !!

crunkfeministcollective: Hip Hop Activist Rosa...

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 20:49:07 -0400

crunkfeministcollective:

Hip Hop Activist Rosa Clemente Response to Rick Ross rape lyric

#VoteforVision Sunny Clifford

Thu, 21 Mar 2013 10:10:39 -0400

#VoteforVision Sunny Clifford:

crunkfeministcollective:

We are honored to have been nominated for a 2013 Ms. Foundation People’s Choice Award! But we would actually appreciate you joining with us to cast your vote for our fellow nominee Sunny Clifford, an indigenous repro justice activist who works to insure that Native women have access to emergency contraception. #VoteforVision

====strain wreck====: missvoltairine: tender//tough: Naming Ourselves, Sharing Our...

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 08:01:06 -0400

====strain wreck====: missvoltairine: tender//tough: Naming Ourselves, Sharing Our...:

missvoltairine:

tender//tough: Naming Ourselves, Sharing Our Stories

tendertough:

If you’ve seen the “Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries: Survival, Revolt, and Queer Antagonist Struggle” Zine passed around online recently, please read the following post

thespiritwas:

You Betta Back Down, Before You Get Smacked Down: Let me tell you where you fucked up....

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 16:01:20 -0400

You Betta Back Down, Before You Get Smacked Down: Let me tell you where you fucked up....:

sourcedumal:

halfalipsticklesbian:

I go to sleep and wake up to some white feminist getting her wig snatched.

Dear white girls, let me explain to you why a lot of people are pissed. You see, every time a prominent black women does anything, y’all want to raise hell. Every example stand-tall-ladies used during her rant was a black woman. She created that damn blog for the explicit purpose of criticizing a black woman. Of all the misogynistic shit that happens in the media everyday, THAT made her create a totally different blog. I call shenanigans. Where was she and her cohorts when Quvenzhane Wallis was having sexualized jokes and slurs thrown at her? The mainstream feminist community on the innanets were either silent or actually defending that bullshit. But when Beyonce makes a song you don’t like or Obama calls his daughters beautiful, y’all want to pitch a fit. You don’t stand in solidarity with black folks and barely acknowledge intersectional oppressions but love to call us out when you think we’re fucking up. Then to play the victim when we bite back at y’all?

THAT is why black women have never really fucked with feminism and that is why many of us continue to be skeptical of it.

Signed,

A BLACK feminist. Yes, say the whole thing.

Why I’m not here for white feminists.

And yes, your fucking race counts.

reverseracism: fore: Fuck Dr. Pepper. Somehow they found a way...

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 08:00:53 -0500

reverseracism:

fore:

Fuck Dr. Pepper.

Somehow they found a way to create a spot that’s simultaneously offensive to athletes, Black people and women.

The concept of their current campaign is “One of a Kind,” and most of the spots feature unique women, like Mikaela Mayer, a model turned boxer who was a hopeful for the 2012 Olympics and hopes to make the Olympic team in 2016.

I have no problem with Mayer, and wish her the best in her dreams to win a gold medal, however, another unique young woman has already achieved that dream. Where Mayer failed to make the team of American boxers that competed in the London Olympics, Claressa Shields of Flint, Michigan became the first, and to date only, American woman to win a gold medal for boxing and the first American to win a gold medal in the sport since 2004. I’m pretty sure that makes her “One of a Kind.”

Unfortunately, Shields’ gold medal winning effort hasn’t been enough to net her a major endorsement of any kind. Bronze medalist Marlen Esparza appeared in commercials for Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Covergirl, but Shields has yet to appear in a single spot, or grace the cover of a single magazine, despite the fact that she outperformed all of her contemporaries at the games, male and female.

By choosing to highlight Mikaela’s story, Dr. Pepper sends a clear message that being pretty and white is more important than being accomplished, talented and Black. Visually, the Dr. Pepper commercial uses a series of statistics to highlight Mikaela’s unique story. Here are some statistics about Claressa’s native Flint, Michigan:

- In a report by Forbes Magazine Flint was rated No. 6 on a list of “America’s most violent cities for women”

- Flint took the #1 spot of the FBI’s 2011 List of Most Violent Cities With Populations of over 100,000 people.

- Flint had 2,237 violent crimes (murders, rapes, robberies, and aggravated assaults) in 2011.

- 44% of Flint’s residents are below the national poverty level.

- 19% of residents make less than 50% of the national poverty level.

Claressa Shields climbed out of that to win a gold medal for her country, and no one gives a fuck, because she’s either not pretty enough, or not white enough.

Thanks for making sure we remember that Dr. Pepper.

Hmmm

The Blog to the Proletariats:: Dear The Onion...

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 10:13:33 -0500

The Blog to the Proletariats:: Dear The Onion...:

ignantintellectual:

Dear The Onion,
My love of satire is larger than life. HOWZENEVA, you went beyond too far in your asinine tweet last night! Quvenzhané is a KID! She’s not even walked the face of the earth for a decade. Who refers to a kid as a cunt. WHO?! Clearly you do. And for you, that’s ok. And you would…

A Love Letter to Quvenzhané Wallis

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 08:01:07 -0500

A Love Letter to Quvenzhané Wallis:

crunkfeministcollective:

The Amazing Quvenzhané Wallis!

give your daughters difficult names. give your daughters names that command the full use of tongue. my name makes you want to tell me the truth. my name doesn’t allow me to trust anyone that cannot pronounce it right. (via warsanshire)

Dear Quvenzhané,

Hi! My name is Moya. I am a big BIG fan of yours! I thought you were such a great actress in Beast of the Southern Wild. I planned to watch the Oscars and even started watching but I really hated to the jokes host Seth MacFarlane was making at your expense. You had the Oscar before the show even started in my mind.

He wasn’t nice.Some of the people who have interviewed you and are talking about you have been really disrespectful. You’ve done such a great job telling people how to say your name. It makes me mad that people still can’t get it. People think it’s funny to make fun of Black girls with names like ours. When I was little people would say my name wrong on purpose. Even now, people hear me say my name and think I’m saying something that’s more familiar to them. How folks hear “Gwen” from Moya, I will never understand.

Dog purse

You are great! I love your name! And your puppy purses! How do you find them?! I am so excited that you will be in more movies!

Anyway I just wanted to send you some love! You have so much greatness in store for you!

So much love to you!

Your friend,

Moya Zakia B.

P.S. I thought I’d include some books you might like below and some really cool folks on Tumblr looked up some puppy purses you might want to check out too! I hope you had fun last night!

Thank You, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.!

Cornrows

Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters

Cute dog purse

Cute dog purse #2

Thank you to So-Treu, Guyanapeace, Alexcess, Writeswrongs, Fyeahquavenzhanewallis, Afrikkana, and Quixxotica for your Tumblr commentary last night and reminding us that Black girls are in fact girls and should be honored and loved as such.

To Oscar Host Seth MacFarlane and to the person at The Onion who tweeted that horrible thing and deleted it,

"Hi. My name is _________. I’m fully aware that it’s 12:30 in the morning at your offices, but I’m..."

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 01:56:10 -0500

“

Hi. My name is _________. I’m fully aware that it’s 12:30 in the morning at your offices, but I’m calling to leave this message so that you’ll hear it in the morning. I’m calling to express my extreme disappointment at your use of the word cunt to describe miss Wallis.

I am so disappointed in you. You all have such a funny site, and the humor is a real treat. But this is beyond ridiculous. I truly hope you will issue a public apology on your twitter and your site for this insult.

I’ve read your site for a while, but I won’t again. I’m also one of many who are finding out who your advertisers are so we can notify them we will not be spending money with them until you issue an apology.

Thank you so much and I sincerely hope you are in the middle of a… restructuring by the time you play this message. Have a wonderful day.

”

- The voicemail I left at the onion offices. Call and leave one of your own at 312-751-0503. (via quixxotica)