The SheSheet

Women Veterans

2011-11-08T13:16:00.000-08:00

Just yesterday I began writing an article in an attempt to shed some light for you, the reader, on the life of female veterans. Today I scrapped that article. I was struggling in my attempt to qualify and group us because we can’t be grouped. There is no such thing as a stereotypical female veteran, just as there is no such thing as a stereotypical person. We may hold idealized images of this group but those ideas are not universally applicable; that is to say, our stereotypes have no footing in reality (they rarely do in fact). My struggle to classify an unclassifiable group of women is justified; in my attempt to bring our small group to you I initially resorted to describing statistical analyses. There are hundreds, thousands, maybe even a million numbers available to describe women who serve. For instance, did you know that the military as a whole consists of 14.3% women? Some branches of the military contain as few as 4% female personnel (Source: http://explore.data.gov/Population/Personnel-Trends-by-Gender-Race/zqae-ad8k). The likelihood that a woman will be the sole member of her sex represented at a duty location is high, creating unique dynamics for women who serve and a unique situation when they return from service.

My article rambled on and on about numbers and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),
military sexual trauma (MST), women’s health, and more. Eventually I was just spouting numbers, and that isn’t useful to anyone. It might be enlightening, but does it realistically bring the issue down to earth in a way that is easy to comprehend? Not unless you are statistician. Not only are these raw numbers not informative, but it paints women vets as helpless victims of abuse, as outcasts. This is not the case! Women veterans are empowered. They are beyond strong, they are a force in their own right.

The Department of Veteran’s Affairs is beginning to hear our collective voices after years of notoriously poor recognition of women’s health issues. The VA recently started a (belated) campaign called She Wore These to increase women’s health services at VA hospitals. You can read the PSA here http://www.va.gov/opa/pressrel/pressrelease.cfm?id=2181 and watch the commercial here http://youtu.be/BOP5DCgjxPE. If you’re interested in getting involved with
the Women Veteran Outreach Action Team, contact the chairperson Angie Hartlove at angie.hartlove@gmail.com or the outreach coordinator Britni Mimms at bmimms@pdx.edu.

Feminist Blog

2011-07-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

Support the Center for Women at Emory University by checking out their blog!

Conversations about Women and Gender at Emory University

The "Good" Victim

2011-07-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

Recently, the now-former head of the International Monetary Fund has been in the headlines regarding the current sex scandal surrounding him. However, this incidence carries with it much more gravity than Schwarzenegger’s secret love-child. In the case of Frenchman Dominique Strauss-Kahn, he is facing charges of attempted rape and unlawful imprisonment after a housekeeper at the New York hotel he was staying at a few weeks ago went to the police, saying she had almost been forced to have sex with Strauss-Kahn and resisted his attempts, at which point he forced her to perform oral sex upon him. Now under house arrest after bail was made by his wife, Strauss-Kahn’s future as a major global player is under duress. Since his arrest he has resigned from his position as chief of the IMF and his candidacy for President of France is uncertain at best. Where once he had been a likely contender, this recent scandal has taken a hit on his public image.
All the while, the media has been poised to hear about the outcome of this case, and details as they emerge. For the most part, media coverage surrounding the impending trial, in accordance with journalistic integrity, has remained unbiased on the case. News has been coming out about the state of Strauss-Kahn, who had previously been on suicide watch, the women coming forward from his past with similar sexual harassment and assault stories, and the anonymous sources reporting that DNA evidence has been obtained in the case. And despite all of this, media outlets are still quick to point out that no judgment has been passed down as of yet, and due to the nature of the case being solely anecdotal, with the housekeeper saying that force was used and Strauss-Kahn’s camp saying anything that happened between the two was purely consensual.
However, some still like to speculate on the case, and give their two cent’s regarding their perceptions as to Strauss-Kahn’s innocence or guilt.
Ben Stein, celebrity figure and economist, published an article in The American Spectator offering his reasoning as to why Strauss-Kahn is probably innocent. He gives the slightest bit of leeway at the beginning in case it turns out the former IMF Chief is indeed guilty by saying at the very beginning, “…it’s possible indeed, maybe even likely that he is guilty as the prosecutors charge…” and then continues on for the duration of the essay to explain why we should not be so quick to believe the allegations against Strauss-Kahn. To summarize:

1. If Strauss-Kahn’s such a womanizer and so violent, why hasn’t he been charged before with any crimes?
2. People who commit crimes are criminals, and people who are experts in the economy are economists—these paths do not cross.
3. Strauss-Kahn is a short fat old man, and since he was unarmed there was no possible way he could force a woman into any sexual interaction.
4. He should not be considered a flight risk just because he was leaving on a flight when he was arrested, since the flight was booked months in advance.
5. Just because he has been arrested for a serious crime does not mean he should be treated like a criminal. Shouldn’t an important man be treated better?
6. Those some maids are good people, some maids steal and act like lunatics. How do we know which kind of person Strauss-Kahn’s accuser is?
7. There has yet to be a conviction, and without a conviction we cannot be certain he is a criminal –“Innocent until proven guilty”
8. Strauss-Kahn’s case is one of poor people being jealous of rich people.

Please read Stein’s article, and you will quickly see that my summary is not an exaggeration of his points.

Many have taken to the internet to point out the flaws inherent in the argument Stein makes, as well as similar talking points made by Strauss-Kahn’s friend and fellow Frenchman Bernard-Henri Levy .
James Urbaniak posted a list of results from a quick google search of economists accused of sexual assault and abuse in response to Stein’s question, “Can anyone tell me any economists who have been convicted of violent sex crimes?”. The Gothamist makes a counter to Stein’s query, “If {Stein is] such a womanizer and violent guy with women, why didn’t he get charged until now?” with the story of Tristane Banon, a journalist who had to forcibly fend off sexual advances in 2002 and afterwards was pressured into not pursuing legal recourse. The Huffington Post points out not only the tautological, roundabout reasoning behind the statement “people who commit crimes tend to be criminals”, but focuses the core of their article to the idea of “good victim” and a “good victimizer”, and what it takes to be considered as such.
What could draw Stein and Levy to come to the defense of Strauss-Kahn, a notable lothario? No one denies that he has a history of illicit affairs. However, it seems that his rank and status grants him greater privileges than the rest of society, at least according to his defenders. He should be given the benefit of the doubt; he shouldn’t be barred from returning to his country; he shouldn’t be placed into jail like a man accused of a crime, despite the fact that he has been accused of a crime, and a serious one at that. As for the maid who stands as his accuser? Are we not to trust her, as Stein implies? She is a working-class member of society, and given Stein’s anecdotal evidence against maids, we are supposed to devalue her claims. Not only that, but Levy taunts Banon as well, saying that, “…this one French, who pretends to have been the victim of the same kind of attempted rape, who has shut up for eight years but, sensing the golden opportunity, whips out her old dossier and comes to flog it on television..” and as such does not deserve to be taken seriously either. Barring videotaped evidence or admission of guilt from Strauss-Kahn himself, these men seem set on making the automatic assumption that the women claiming to be victims are the ones not to be trusted.
This kind of behavior, this passing of judgment against women whom these men have never even bothered to speak to, simply reinforces an already existing sense within the community of sexual assault victims that it is not even worth your time to try and report sexual assault, especially against someone in a position of authority over you, because there with undoubtedly be people who question you and undermine your assertions. Regardless of the outcome of this case against Strauss-Kahn, whether he is proven innocent or found guilty, it is unsettling to see such examples of persons in positions of power, coming to the defense of their fellow power holders, while quickly denouncing the weak, those who need defending the most, in order to make their voices heard.

“Real Men Don’t Buy Girls” – A Noble Message Lost in a Murky Campaign

2011-05-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, I randomly happened to find a video on a social news site attributed to a campaign entitled “Real Men Don’t Buy Girls.” The video starred a one Mr. Isaiah Mustafa, the “I’m on a horse” guy of Old Spice commercial fame, up to similarly humorous antics that made him famous. In the video, a shirtless Isaiah comes striding purposefully through a parking lot, blindfolded, as a shlubbier man is seen fumbling around with the auto-locker on his keychain, aimlessly trying to find his car in a veritable sea of vehicles. Isaiah, on the other hand, succeeds in finding his own car whilst blindfolded, slides into the passenger seat, pulls down his blindfold as he mugs to the camera, and proceeds to back out of his parking spot whilst making a beeping noise.

Suddenly, text flashes on the screen as a deep, rugged voice says, “Real men have a sense of direction.” Then…”Real men don’t buy girls.”A screenshot of Isaiah’s mugging face is then digitally framed, and the camera pans to similarly poor digitally framed photos of other famous men in the entertainment business with a plaque under each photo that reads, “Real Man.” Pictures of Tom Selleck, Harrison Ford, Bruce Willis, and other men I don’t recognize “hang” on the walls of a CGI room as Eva Longoria appears to inform viewers that, “Pete Cashmore is a real man; are you?”. Finally, a cut to a screen that somehow relates to the campaign cause – amidst links to make your own “Real Man” video, identify yourself as a “real man” or someone who “prefers are a real man”, and the site demiandashton.org, a small banner line at the top reads, “Take a Stand Against Child Sex Slavery.”

Child sex slavery? That’s what the video was about? Who is Pete Cashmore? What does he even have to do with child sex slavery? Maybe I just wasn’t “getting it”. Across the room, my partner looked up from his gender studies textbook to see my bewildered face. After inquiring as to what the matter was, I asked him to come re-watch the video with me. Lo and behold, he didn’t get it either. I watched a practical play-by-play reaction of how I felt when I watched the video the first time around play out on his face. First, a smile. Then, a chuckle. Then… “What? Wait…what?” And now he had the same bewildered look on his face as I did.

In researching the website, I found this was an ad campaign sponsored by the Demi and Ashton Foundation, also known as “DNA”. Quips about their cleverly named foundation aside, their focus is to raise awareness of child sex slavery, and these two fading stars have rallied all their celebrity friends together in an effort to achieve their goals. Raising awareness of child sex slavery? I’m all for it, but given that Sexual Assault Awareness Month is in full swing, and the surprising lack of public awareness about the pervasiveness of trafficking cases in and around Portland, the more effort aimed at public awareness as the first step towards eradication of the problem is more than welcome. However, this viral video campaign leaves much to be desired, with misplaced humor overshadowing an important message that isn’t getting across to the viewer. Not only that, but as my partner pointed out, even the slogan is lacking. Unfortunately, many people who happen across the slogan, “Real Men Don’t Buy Girls” will not understand the message implicit in this vague statement.

But how many people will come across the message that DNA (ugh) is trying to send out? Apparently, this campaign has been up and active since September 2010, and yet only by random chance and extreme boredom I found out about it. Considering the budget that they must have to work with, one would think that they’d go on the media warpath trying to get their message heard. Much of their budgetary habits don’t seem to make sense, however. Consider how sharp the quality of the filming seems to be during the “funny” bits, but suddenly cuts to poor green screen capabilities and a low-budget look once the video actually gets to even vaguely talking about the cause at hand.

Every single video in the series follows a similar pattern. You can visit http://demiandashton.org/videos to see the celebrity videos included in this campaign. Another drawback to the campaign is finding the whole collection of videos is surprising difficult to do—Google results for “Real Men Don’t Buy Girls videos” only reveals social media sites reporting on the campaign, with a few videos embedded in the article, tops. This in itself is truly a shame, because if other websites are the most common way people are finding out about the “Real Men” campaign, they will be even less likely to find out information regarding the realities of child sex trafficking. Even though the end of the video includes a small mention of the official DNA website, clicking on the video directly links you to their Facebook page instead, which is bereft of the pertinent information included on the official site, such as survivor stories, facts and statistics, and media coverage of the issue. Going from the Facebook page to the official website just adds another link in the chain between the time when an individual first clicks “play” on a “Real Man” video to the time they actually learn a thing or two about the truth of child sex trafficking.

Please watch a video or two to come to your own conclusion about the usefulness behind this video campaign. But more than that, I would encourage you to look into the real story about child sex trafficking, and become aware of the fact that this is an issue that affects every community. One site that I find very intriguing is http://slaverymap.org/, which highlights the point that slavery is a real, local issue—one that could even permeate your own neighborhood. The information revealed behind each documented case of slavery, no matter how brief, adds the pathos and realism sorely lacking the “Real Men” videos. The break in a case that was revealed in SW Portland occurred when, “…a man who paid for sex took pity on the 13-year-old and let her use a cell phone to call home. That call led the girl to call 911, reaching Portland police.” This simple statement says what the “Real Men” video campaign never does – that child sex slavery is no laughing matter.

And more than anything, getting out there to fight against sex trafficking commits you to the kind of pledge DNA is hoping the public can commit to, a pledge to stand up to the forces behind slavery in an effort to see its end. The DNA website gives great tips to start in the fight, by flagging Internet content which promotes the act of sex trafficking and slavery. Because the Internet is such an immense source of propagation in this day and age, making the effort to flag inappropriate on Craigslist and Facebook, and reporting websites to www.cybertipline.com can make a world of difference. To get involved in the fight on a personal level, Oregonians Against Trafficking Humans (OATH) has a wealth of information about how to get involved locally on their website, . And word is floating around that a new PSU student group, Students Against Human Trafficking, is in the works. Be sure to keep an open ear for any news related to this blossoming opportunity.

Written by Lacey Moore

Celebrating Our Awesome TBTN Volunteers!

2011-05-02T20:00:00.000-07:00

Last week Take Back the Night took place thanks to the devoted work of a number of WRC volunteers, particularly co-chairs Elena Maurer and Kari Anne McDonald. Both have been involved in the WRC for a number of years and were excited to increase their leadership responsibilities here. Elena began in spring of 2009 as a front desk volunteer and has also participated in The Vagina Monologues. Kari Anne, who now is our publicist, began her involvement in spring of 2008 after taking her first women’s studies class and discovering feminism. Planning this event is a culmination of their PSU experience, as they both plan to graduate within the year. Elena will graduate with a degree in Women’s Studies and Psychology while Kari Anne will with a degree in Liberal Studies and a minor in Women’s Studies and has been accepted to the Master’s in Public Administration program here for the fall. When asked what their most memorable experiences here were, they both expressed a love for having become a immersed in the WRC community vis-à-vis planning this event.

Victim Blaming and Rape Myths in the Media

2011-03-09T15:42:00.000-08:00

Finally, it is almost April! That means that it is the start of Sexual Assault Awareness month. I graduate at the end of this quarter and thought it was important to use my voice as a tool to raise awareness for a month that is so important. I recently came across an article on Jezebel.com, Media Blows It With Pathetic Gang Rape Coverage which discussed the New York Times reprehensible coverage of this story. The article ultimately blames the 11 year old victim in the case instead of the 18 men arrested in connection to the rape.

The first idea that I wanted to touch on is about how young girls are sexualized in our media. They are sexualized to be and act older than they are. Some quotes from the article from the New York Times included,

“she dressed older than her age, wearing makeup and fashions more appropriate to a woman in her 20s”

as if she was raped because of the way she looked. This is one of the many rape myths perpetrated by our mainstream media, it really irritates me. Young women are constantly receiving mixed messages from our media of how they should look and act. Younger women are targeted consumers to look older (like someone in their 20’s) so that they look more mature and hence more desirable. Older women are consumers who are targeted to look younger ( like someone in their 20’s) so that they look more desirable. This basically creates a dynamic that something is wrong with human beings if they are not in their 20’s. Having said that, when young women are raped they are constantly ridiculed and blamed by what they are wearing or look like. This is completely unrealistic with all of these mixed messages being portrayed in our media. We are supposed to look like we are “asking” for it, say the media, yet if we become the target of sexual assault and rape we were “asking” for it which is inappropriate and makes us a bad person.

The article goes on to talk about what will happen to the perpetrators life in the community because of all this, rather than clearly looking at the issue here. A young girl was raped, and the New York Times is doing everything in their power to create sympathy for the perpetrators that committed the crime. We are spending more time looking at the issue of what the 11 year old was wearing, who her friends are, what she does in her free time, how she presents herself in the world and where her parents where than considering the atrocious crime committed. We are looking at all of these details and making excuses for these boys so that their lives are not ruined. Too many times is this portrayed in the media that a woman was raped because she was a “slut”. This brings me to my next argument which is why women are called “sluts”. This word is associated with such negativity, this socially constructed word that means that a woman has sex with too many people. Since when can this word dictate who we are and what we, as women, want to do with our life? As women, are we allowed to do what we want? Aren’t we able to use our brains to make the decisions that support and reflect what our values and beliefs are?

This article is the epitome of victim blaming and goes to great lengths to make excuses as to why the men raped the 11 year old girl. It goes from blaming her for her looks, to blaming her mother. When is it time to understand that this is a little girl, who needs to be reassured that this is not her fault? When will sexual assault and rape cases stop victim blaming and instead provide informative resources and help to assure this girl that nothing she did was wrong. These boys committed a horrible crime and no matter whom you are rape is unacceptable and we should be focusing on the atrocity of the crime not the ruined future lives of the perpetrators.

Written By: Jenny Lange

Most Rape Cases Are About Consent, Not DNA | Womens eNews

2011-02-09T14:56:00.000-08:00

The backlog of untested rape kits causes continuous outcry among women's advocates. Wendy Murphy says this focuses on the wrong issue because most rape cases are about consent, not who did it.Most Rape Cases Are About Consent, Not DNA | Womens eNews

The Empowerment Project Video

2011-02-02T15:34:00.000-08:00

Aria and Jo Vlog

2011-02-02T15:32:00.000-08:00

Did You Really Just Say That?

2011-02-02T15:18:00.000-08:00

A monologue by Laura Lines.

Originally, I wanted to talk about vibrators, and how they’ve impacted my life in a positive way,as true as that is, and as much as I’d like to go on about my pretty little toys, I’ve given it some thought,and got to thinking that there’s something more important I wish to talk about. Sure, masturbationmight get touched upon (And I SO intended the pun, I’m not gonna lie.) but there’s a few things thatneed to be said.

You see, I’ve known in my mind about the myths, urban legends, lies, deceptions, and fuckingstupidity some people believe about sex. I know that I don’t have to have sex with a guy just because heclaims his cock will explode. Hello! NEWSFLASH! It’s not going to explode. Use your hand. I’ve got aheadache.

Seriously! The drivel that comes out of some people’s mouths? I’m pretty sure that they believeit because somebody else told them, it’s what they grew up with, and they don’t bother to do theresearch for themselves!

During my teen years, I feel like I had a pretty comprehensive sex education. Learningthat “making love” doesn’t require doing it, stimulating one’s own genitals is perfectly acceptable, andthat there are at least a hundred ways to say “no” to sex were just a few things that stuck with me. Andyet, there are people who would argue that I’m wrong in believing things like that.
My ex-husband’s mother was a prime example of this. Before the wedding, she was talking tome about birth control, and I told her that we didn’t have to have sex after we were married. Herresponse? “You do too!” She went on to say that it was my job to please my husband blah blah blah. Ok,sex can be fun, but so can air hockey, roller-skating, watching movies, or climbing trees. This womanalso seemed to think masturbation was immoral. We never talked about it in depth, but I do rememberher opinion on the subject. Oh, and according to her, after marriage, my body belonged to my husband,and his to me. Whisky! Tango! Foxtrot! A marriage license is not an all-access pass to anybody’s body!And if there isn’t mutual consent, then it’s rape, and rape is a lot of things, but sexy isn’t one of them.

Later, I dated a guy who only wanted to fool around—nothing else. Never really listened to me,or my beliefs. Oh no. Let’s pressure me to fool around and then afterwards say “Now, wasn’t that nicerthan air hockey?” Um, no, actually, it wasn’t. And by the way? You’re a horrible kisser. K thanks.

This same guy pulled the “my dick is so hard I can’t get up, so you’ll have to fuck me” trick.Seriously? Did you break your hand, or something? Keep it down. I’m trying to sleep. It’s like 4 AM.

And here’s the best story of all! One guy I dated—during a trip we took together—bought
douche and slipped it in my suitcase. DOUCHE!?! Are you fucking kidding me!?! Do you even know whatthat does to a woman’s reproductive system? Try pelvic inflammatory disease. I’d never put that shit inmy vagina. It gets as clean as it needs to be in the shower. Don’t you dare tell me how to care for mygenitals. It’s my vagina, ya hear? I decide how to clean it, how to pleasure it, and who touches it. Don’t try to preach to me about the urban myths and lies out there. Don’t even deliver it to me.

An Open Letter to Michael Moore

2010-12-21T15:10:00.000-08:00

This article originally appeared on the Students Active for Ending Rape Facebook fan page
Click here to link back to the original article

(TW)

Dear Mr. Moore:

Roger and Me changed my life. You probably hear that a lot, but it’s worth saying. Even now, whenever I hear Wouldn’t It Be Nice by the Beach Boys, I wonder where that man you interviewed is, and I feel the kind of sadness that makes me want to make the world better. When I first saw Roger and Me, I was 17 and still figuring out who I was. That movie planted some of the first seeds that eventually turned me into a social justice activist.

When I got to college and learned that Columbia University was responding to reports of sexual assault between students by ignoring and bullying victims, I knew that the powerless could force the powerful to engage an issue by using the media. I knew that the best way to get Columbia’s administration to deal with the epidemic of sexual violence on campus was by embarrassing the school until it was willing to talk to its students about the problem. I learned that, in part, from you.

Along with a lot of other people, I started a grassroots student group called Students Active For Ending Rape (SAFER), and by refusing to go away and refusing to be quiet, we won a sexual assault prevention program that continues at Columbia today.

Shortly after that, SAFER became a national nonprofit organization devoted to creating better campus sexual assault prevention and response policies nationwide. I was disappointed when you declined to give us seed funding, but I figured you had a lot of requests from a lot of important causes. I knew that you supported us in spirit. You were, after all, a progressive. You believed in justice and compassion. Of course you would fall on the side of the anti-sexual violence movement.

I’m sad to say I was wrong.

Last week, you donated $20,000 in bail money for WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, who has been charged with rape. When you posted that bail, you said this on your blog:

For those of you who think it’s wrong to support Julian Assange because of the sexual assault allegations he’s being held for, all I ask is that you not be naive about how the government works when it decides to go after its prey. Please — never, ever believe the “official story.” And regardless of Assange’s guilt or innocence (see the strange nature of the allegations here), this man has the right to have bail posted and to defend himself.

I don’t know whether Assange is innocent or guilty, and I don’t think we can know, without hearing all the evidence. I simply think he should be given a fair trial, without assumptions. Of course it is “strange” that he is being prosecuted. Rape charges are virtually never pursued. When I accompanied one rape survivor to the police station to report her assault, I remember very vividly how the detective leaned back in his chair, legs sprawled wide, while he listened to her describe how she vomited during the attack. As tears ran down her face, he put both hands behind his head and casually told her that she could pursue charges if she “really wanted to,” but that without physical evidence she didn’t have a case. As you might imagine, she “chose” not to press charges. In my experience, this is how rape cases usually end.

As you yourself note, it is very rare that rape charges are taken seriously and pursued by authorities. It’s almost certain that the charges against Assange would have been ignored in most cases. But rape charges should be taken seriously. They should be pursued. Political motivation has resulted in a rare case being taken as seriously as is appropriate, and the response from those of us who believe in social justice should not be to try to malign the alleged victims. The problem is not that the charges against Assange are being taken too seriously. The problem is that rape charges against nearly everyone else are not taken seriously enough.

In your statement, you reinforce our cultural unwillingness to take survivors of sexual violence seriously, and to hold perpetrators accountable.

First, you tell us that we shouldn’t believe the “official story” regarding these accusations. What you mean is that we shouldn’t believe the statement of the alleged victims. Without having access to the evidence, you encourage us to adopt the belief that these women are lying.

Second, you tell us that the facts of this case are “strange,” implying that there is something unbelievable about a rape case when a victim willingly consented to some sexual activity, or was reluctant to prosecute.

Psychologist David Lisak has been profiling rapists for years, and his work very clearly shows that the accusations in the Assange case are not “strange.” They’re in line with the way sexual violence usually happens. That is, it is usually committed by someone the victim knows, and it is usually committed by someone the victim did have some sexual interest in. These perpetrators play on the victims trust and perception that they are “good guys,” which in concert with a common tendency for self-blame, an expectation of official apathy, and a fear of community retaliation, often makes victims unwilling to pursue criminal charges.

Victims are not wrong to expect such things. In fact, here are the names of some other high-profile men who have been accused of violence against women:

William Kennedy Smith
Kobe Bryant
Ben Roethlisberger
Roman Polanski
R. Kelly
Isaac Brock
Mike Tyson
Charlie Sheen
Mel Gibson
Chris Brown

In every case, I have heard apologetics and denial. In every case, the majority of people I’ve spoken to have believed that the alleged victim was lying. In every case, the alleged victims were harassed and threatened. In every case, the alleged rapist/batterer continued in a successful public career. That’s because people have a hard time believing that someone who seems nice, or who does work they like, could be capable of violence. And because people have a perception that women are less trustworthy than men.

I believe in openness and transparency in government. I believe that many, many rapes have occurred in Iraq and Afghanistan that we could have prevented if we had more of the transparency that WikiLeaks promotes. Widespread rape is what happens when you have a war. As an anti-violence activist and a believer in democracy, I like WikiLeaks.

But, as someone who has spent a lot of hours listening to survivors talk about their experiences of sexual violence, I also know that “good guys” who do good work can do horrific things to other people. We can support WikiLeaks as a project without supporting the culture of disbelief and victim-blaming that currently exists when it comes to sexual violence.

And it is a culture of disbelief. This is not an isolated incident. In every community I have been a part of, I have seen the ostracism and harassment of women reporting sexual violence. The kind of vicious anger that is currently aimed at Assange’s accusers rears its head all the time. As a culture, we reflexively respond to people who report sexual violence with distrust and anger.

I could go on. I could give you a lot of statistics. I could tell you how low the false report rate is for sexual offenses. I could describe common psychological responses to sexual assault, and how they line up with the “strange” details of the Assange case. I could tell you some heartbreaking stories. But it is with sadness that I say I now question your ability to listen to a woman on this subject. Given the fact that you have almost certainly had a chance to read Jessica Valenti’s piece in the Washington Post, and Sady’s post at TigerBeatdown, and still have not responded (or provided the apology and $20,000 you owe), I question whether you take us as seriously as you do men. I question whether you believe we can be trusted. So I will direct you to Men Can Stop Rape and Jackson Katz. Both offer education regarding sexual violence and its dynamics. I believe that you will be able to hear them in a way that you can’t hear us yet.

Yet.

The reason so many people are continuing to press this issue is because we believe in you. We know that every social justice activist screws up and shows their privilege sometimes, but that sometimes they learn and grow from those experiences. They become better activists, and better people. We believe that you have a good heart. We believe that while it might take some time, you will listen to us.

For now, I will save all those statistics. You’re not ready to hear them. But what I will say is this: believing in social justice means believing in social justice for everyone. Oppressions are interdependent. We won’t win universal healthcare until opposition to women’s reproductive freedom can’t be used as a tool to stop it. We won’t win social services until the racism that is used to defeat so many of these programs is addressed and done away with. We won’t pull the reigns of power from corporations until those corporations are no longer able to gain government control by manipulating the public’s homophobia. Even now, when it comes to this issue, your failure to recognize the importance of responding to sexual violence is distracting people from the WikiLeaks cause. It is sucking up the energy of people who would otherwise be your allies. It is fragmenting progressives. That fragmentation will continue within our movement until all of us in the movement fully commit ourselves to working against each and every form of oppression. Until we stop minimizing and denying other people’s suffering because our pet cause is “more important.”

Everything you say you believe in depends on an end to all oppressions, including both imperialist war and rape culture. Those of us in the progressive movement challenge ourselves to understand and oppose all forms of oppression. We take the time to educate ourselves about liberation movements we aren’t directly involved in, and to understand how oppressions intersect. We do the hard work of unlearning our biases and challenging our unearned privilege, every single day. This is what the progressive movement stands for. We hope you will join us.

In love and struggle,
Ashley

See also: Jill, brownfemipower (twice), Kate, Melissa, Harriet, Miranda, BluePlatypus and Dani. (Leave links to others in comments if you’ve got ‘em)

WWE, Wrestling, and Popular Culture

2010-12-05T17:13:00.000-08:00

As children, adolescents, and adults we are ubiquitously exposed to images regarding gender in the media; we are bombarded with messages reinforcing gender stereotypes and social norms. The World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) provides examples of how to be a man by wrapping displays of hegemonic masculinity around what many consider to be a male version of a soap opera. In the WWE world, men define their masculinity by bullying others, often using vocal taunts which include derogatory comments as regards to women and gay men. Women are portrayed in a hyper-sexualized manner while beaten, humiliated, and at times stripped of their clothing. This behavior is reinforced by the WWE’s story lines that lead announcers and audiences to conclude that these women have somehow brought the punishment upon themselves. With a worldwide viewing audience of more than 14 million fans weekly, the WWE inundates viewers with messages about gender roles thereby reinforcing the acceptability of violence against women in our culture.

Men & Masculinity

Masculinity in our culture is often represented in one of several ways. The version discussed here is often referred to as hegemonic masculinity. Men are expected to possess qualities such as being physically strong, in control of their emotions, and dominate. This type of masculinity is often represented in our popular culture through beer commercials and sporting events. Research has shown that the WWE frames masculinity as: real men are aggressive and violent, men settle things physically, a man confronts his adversaries and problems, real men take responsibility for their actions, men are not whiners, and that men are winners (Soulliere, 2006). In an effort to defend their manhood, wrestlers will question other men’s masculinity. This can be done by referring to other men in terms reserved for women, such as bitch, sissy, and pussy, or by questioning their heterosexuality. Other ways of reinforcing their manhood is by using women as props, sometimes forcing themselves on the women of the WWE world. In this imaginary world women are portrayed as enjoying this forcible kiss. In one episode we see Lita, a female wrestler who is unconscious, and Dean Malenko who walks up to her lifeless body, we see him grab her and make out with her. We then hear one of the announcers, Jerry Lawler, saying “She likes it, she likes it!” (Jhally, 2003). So we see this image of men perpetuating violence against women in a sexual manor and it is being glorified.

Men’s heterosexuality must also be reinforced because of the homosexual overtones that exist. These connotations are squashed with images of men forcing themselves upon women and by devaluing wrestling characters in the WWE world that display any nuance of homosexuality.

The women of the WWE are primarily used as demonstrations of the men’s heterosexuality, thus dispelling any notion of homosexuality.

Women of the WWE

Before the 1990’s women were not represented much in the WWE except to accompany a man to the ring, generally as a girlfriend or wife. Now “the conventions of pornography have made their way more and more into the main stream” (Jhally, 2003). Women resembling porn stars are used to “provide a spectacle for men” (Jhally, 2003), all the while reinforcing their heterosexuality. Women play small parts in the WWE and are often seen as “bit players in a male narrative, as sexual playthings” (Jhally, 2003). Men abusing and humiliating women is offered as entertainment; when this occurs it is almost always presented in the context that the woman deserves it or her actions have led to the punishment. “When you make this sort of abuse fun and entertaining, it has the effect of normalizing, justifying, and rationalizing men’s violence against women” (Jhally, 2003).

In the WWE there is also glamorization of sexual assault in the workplace and the humiliation of women in relationships. During one episode Trish Stratus’ punishment for crossing Vince McMahon, the owner of the WWE and her theoretical lover, is to get on her hands and knees and bark like a dog. That wasn’t enough though, she was then told to remove her clothing, further humiliating her. Vince McMahon’s justification for this when questioned by Debra Austin, Steve “Stone Cold” Austin’s wife, is that Trish deserved it because she is trash (Jhally, 2003).

All in the Name of Entertainment

It has been argued that the WWE is just entertainment; it’s a soap opera for men, and there is no harm in a little fun. Soulliere’s study (2006) found there to be positive messages in the WWE such as “encouraging responsibility, accepting defeat gracefully, and success through winning” (p. 9). But the messages that are being sent and received by the audiences who watch WWE programs are more insidious than the fans may realize. The WWE’s display of hegemonic masculinity leaves little room for alternative forms of masculinity, “such as non-violent, emotionally centered masculinity,” (Soulliere, 2006, p. 9) which is often ridiculed. Men who internalize this dominant form of masculinity may be putting themselves at physical and psychological risk and men who emulate this hyper- masculinized culture “provide erroneous justification for physical and sexual aggression against women . . . the WWE messages stifle both minority and homosexual versions of manhood” (Soulliere, 2006, p. 9). The beating of women shown in the framework of a story line creates desensitization to this violence and makes it more difficult for fans to relate to the victim because they are rooting for the aggressor. In order for us to change the culture of abuse and violence we need to “confront the jokes that are at the basis” (Jhally, 2003) of it.

Conclusion

The WWE is a part of the culture that is represented in the spectrum of violence against women. On one end of the spectrum there is physical violence that actually occurs in reality and on the other end are culturally significant mediums that create imaginary worlds, where there are no consequences for the violence. This is what creates a culture that is more accepting towards violence against women. There is no causation between professional wrestling and violence against woman, but it does provide a culture that is conducive for it. It provides a narrative where women become objects and are viewed for their sexuality, not as human beings. In addition to its degrading depiction of women, the WWE also provide a “hyper-masculine wrestling subculture” that is “infused with homophobic anxiety” (Katz, & Jhally, 2000). By only providing a hegemonic form of masculinity the WWE has taken us back fifty years to where sexual harassment in the workplace is deemed acceptable, beating up women is OK if they deserved it, and alternative forms of masculinity are deemed as weaknesses. So while many may argue that this is just entertainment and to not take it seriously, there are lasting effects on our popular culture and the viewers who watch it.

Works Cited

Jhally, S. (Director). (2003). Wrestling with manhood boys, bullying, and battering [VHS]. Northampton: Media Education Foundation.

Katz, J., & Jhally, S. (2000, February 13). Manhood on the mat: the problem i snot that pro wrestling makes boys violent. the real lesson of the widly popular pdeudo-sport is more insidious. The Boston Globe, Retrieved from http://www.jacksonkatz.com/manhood.html on 2010, December 5

Soulliere, D. (2006). Wrestling with masculinity: messages about manhood in the wwe. Sex Roles, 55. Retrieved from http://www.springerlink.com.proxy.lib.pdx.edu/content/h10w36l087v288k5/ doi: 10.1007/s11199-006-9055-6

Written by Kari Anne McDonald

Health & Sex Guide Excerpt: Why Consent is Sexy

2010-11-03T13:38:00.000-07:00

By Kari Anne McDonald

Chances are you know someone who has been sexually assaulted. If you don’t think you do you may be surprised. A recent study indicates that twenty percent of undergraduate women experience some type of completed sexual assault upon entering college (Krebs, 2009). The majority of the victims know the person who assaulted them. This number is likely much higher though, since most sexual assaults go unreported. Survivors of sexual assault face many difficulties when seeking help after an assault. They may not know who they can turn to, and University policies may not leave victims with many options. Victims who identify as LBGT are at an even further disadvantage.

“Why doesn’t she report it?” “What was she wearing?” “Where was she?” “Did she fight back?” “Did she say no?” “Didn’t she used to date him?” “Hasn’t she slept with him before?” These are all questions that can be asked of a survivor of sexual assault. Rape myths perpetuate the belief that it is the victim’s fault for having had this happen to them. Really we should be asking the rapist “Are you sure she wanted to have sex?” “How could you tell?” “Did you ask her?” “Had you been drinking?” “Wasn’t your judgment impaired since you had a lot of alcohol to drink that night?” Half of all rapes on college campuses involve alcohol (Spin the Bottle: Sex, Lies, and Alcohol). The mainstream media popularizes the belief that it’s OK to get a woman drunk so she will have sex with you and repeatedly men’s masculinity is linked with drinking. This scenario is played out over and over in movies, TV shows, and commercials with no consequences ever shown for the young person’s actions. Commercials and movies that idealize alcohol and masculinity as they objectify women do not directly cause rape. Jackson Katz the director of Tough Guise says it best “Pop cultural representations create a set of expectations in both women and men that are at least conducive to sexual assault.”

The burden of preventative measures such as, don’t wear too short a skirt or top, carry mace, and cover your drink have all been placed on women. Gaining consent applies to whoever is initiating the sexual contact man or woman. While the hot and heavy get it on without talking may be great for the movies it is often more fantasy than reality. Over time having your significant other of several months or years asks to kiss you every time may get old, it can be a great way to start a relationship. People don’t always feel comfortable being touched, in the beginning of a relationship this can be difficult to judge or express. Consent is not the same for all people and will change throughout the relationship. Perhaps asking for a kiss in the beginning of a relationship becomes asking to nibble on your ear a few months later. If you are unsure about the best way to approach consent, talk with your partner as they may be able to give you some ideas.

I want to make something clear though, just because a person has consented to kissing or something further does not mean they have consented to sex. Once a person has consented to sex they may reach a point where they are uncomfortable and they still have the right to refuse consent. The important thing is for couples to talk about what feels good to them. When you can share with your partner what feels good instead of them fumbling blindly it can become more fun for both parties.

FAQs About Consent

How can I always be sure that sex is consensual?
Asking your partner “Can I (insert action verb) kiss (insert where you want to touch) your neck?” Is a great way to make sure that each step of your sexual journey is consensual. Also have a conversation about sex before you have it, talk about what you both like or dislike, what is considered acceptable, and what is not. Talking about it beforehand can make your experiences that much more intimate and intense.
What if I have asked the other person to have sex with me over and over and they finally say yes?
Then it is not really consensual because they have been coerced. Pressuring and manipulating someone to have sex is coercive not consensual. It is also not sexy.
What if we have both been drinking?
Then you have to decide if the other person is capable of consenting to sex. This means even if the other person wants to have sex but they are drunk, it may not be appropriate to have sex because the person is not really capable of giving consent. This might be contrary to what you have heard before, but how can you be sure the other person is really consenting if you or your partner won’t remember it the next morning? If you have also been drinking it is important to consider that you may not be able to accurately judge your partners response, and you also should not have sex. The best way to make sure you have consent is to ask before moving on sexually, and to be sober so you can be absolutely sure the other partner has given consent.

Community Healing Vigil Next Week!

2010-10-22T13:12:00.000-07:00

Interested in attending? Meet us at the WRC at 4pm and we'll go over together as a group on the max. The green line is free all the way there!

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month!

2010-04-09T17:53:00.001-07:00

Welcome to Sexual Assault Awareness Month 2010! This year’s theme is ‘Prevent Sexual Violence on Our Campuses.’ Sexual violence affects students of all genders. Sexual violence is traumatizing, interrupts academic success, undermines health and well-being, damages communities, and perpetuates injustice.

The good news is that sexual violence is preventable! Take advantage of the events this month to learn more about the issue, find out how to get involved, and help ensure that PSU’s campus community is free of sexual violence.

for more event info, go to: http://www.pdx.edu/wrc/saam-2010-calendar-events

Look for the Red Flag Campaign on the PSU Campus!

Deadline Extended! WRC Publicist applications due Sunday, December 13th at Midnight

2009-12-08T16:50:00.000-08:00

Because the WRC Publicist application deadline fell during a busy time for PSU students, we’ve decided to extend it!

Applications now will be accepted until

Sunday, December 13^th at Midnight.

If you have any questions about the application or your eligibility please send an e-mail to both wrc@pdx.edu and mae@shesheet.com A.S.A.P.

WRC Student Position

These are 12 month, year-round positions. The number of hours anticipated is an anticipated average over 12 months, and the selected student will work more at busier times and schedule approved vacations during slower times. Scheduling is flexible, and aside from staff meetings, students may reset schedules each term in response to changing class schedules.

All WRC staff members are required to provide back-up support to the front desk, which at times includes responding to support students in crises.

· Candidates must have experience volunteering with the WRC or with Student Activities.

· All staff must be able to attend a weekly staff meeting every Tuesday morning from 11-12.

· Must have great collaborative and social skills

· You must maintain a GPA of 2.0 UG, 3.0 Grad and register for a minimum 6 UG credits, or 5 Grad credits each term that you receive a stipend. One term off per year is allowed, with stipulations outlined in the student stipend policy.

· The selected candidates will receive a monthly stipend of $778.

· This position begins immediately and runs through June 30, 2010. Students may reapply each year.

Interested parties should:

· Submit a resume and cover letter and three references electronically to: wrc@pdx.edu.

· Include the title of the position you are applying for in the subject line

· A unique resume and cover letter should be sent separately for each position applied for.

· You are encouraged to have your materials reviewed by the Career Center before submission. The career center phone number is 725-4613

· Application deadline is Monday, December 7 at 5 pm.

"Portland State University is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity institution and welcomes applications from diverse candidates and candidates who support diversity." The Women’s Resource Center values all forms of diversity. Students of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

WRC Publicist

The Publicist will assist the WRC coordinator in developing and distributing physical and electronic marketing materials to promote the programming and mission of the Women’s Resource Center. This includes website maintenance, maintaining a current presence on social networking sites, running the WRC listserv, creating publicity materials including press releases, PSAs, posters, and swag. The Publicist will:

Use Social networking, and electronic medium like Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and the WRC blog to raise awareness of the WRC and publicize events and programming
Create posters, press releases, descriptions, and publicity for all WRC sponsored events and ensure their thorough and timely dispersal
Work with contracted marketing specialists and graphic designers as appropriate in developing a comprehensive WRC brand
Collaborate with other staff and be open to receiving feedback on outgoing WRC messages at weekly staff meetings.
Develop informational packets to represent the WRC to potential community partners, at orientations, etc.
Work with the a volunteer committee, the WRC Street Team, to ensure that events are photographed, and that these photos and announcements are used to keep online media dynamic and up to date
Work with staff and volunteers to ensure a cohesive, professional, accessible, inclusive, and consistent message and face is presented externally.
In collaboration with other staff, develop systems, policies, and procedures to ensure that information gets to you in a timely manner and that the process for publicizing all events can become systematized, streamlined, and uniform.
Network with the campus and community to market the goals and unique features of the WRC
Be smart and tasteful when working with images and typography
Be proficient with Adobe Photoshop
Refresh materials as appropriate, Monthly calendar publication, quarterly website text updates, and annual brochure updates. Others as needed.
Assist with print production and distribution
Be proactive in gathering new material for the event calendar, website, and social networking sites and in ensuring a publicity request form is completed for all events
Maintain publicity request form database and ensure all post-event data is entered
Be responsible for all other electronic publicity including sending event descriptions to related listservs, the webmail campus messages, the Daily Vanguard, and other campus calendars
Design and order WRC promotional items and swag (e.g. travel mugs, t-shirts, temporary tattoos)
Have experience with website maintenance (familiarity with Drupal a plus)
Maintain the WRC website, including weekly updates to news and events, quarterly maintenance of programming descriptions, and other additions to the site as necessary.
Develop and distribute the WRC’s Weekly Listserve.
Be proactive in gathering new material for the Google online event calendar, website, and listerve.

This is a new student leadership position and a great professional development opportunity. The selected student will receive a stipend award in appreciation for their service. Estimated time commitment is 21 hours per week, which includes a weekly staff meeting and check-in with the WRC Coordinator. As a new position, responsibilities will be prioritized and renegotiated as needed to ensure a manageable yet ambitious, workload.

The candidate selected will have strong marketing and social networking skills, a propensity for being really organized, developing systems, and a knack/interest in graphic design and technology skills. Experience working with Photoshop and Microsoft Office highly preferred.

We're hiring! WRC Publicist Application due Dec. 7th at 5pm!

2009-12-04T16:07:00.000-08:00

Qualified applicants must support the Women’s Resource Center’s mission and values, and participate in creating a work environment which challenges systems of privilege and oppression and strives for equity.

These are 12 month, year-round positions. The number of hours anticipated is an anticipated average over 12 months, and the selected student will work more at busier times and schedule approved vacations during slower times. Scheduling is flexible, and aside from staff meetings, students may reset schedules each term in response to changing class schedules.

All WRC staff members are required to provide back-up support to the front desk, which at times includes responding to support students in crises.

* Candidates must have experience volunteering with the WRC or with Student Activities.
* All staff must be able to attend a weekly staff meeting every Tuesday morning from 11-12.
* Must have great collaborative and social skills
* You must maintain a GPA of 2.0 UG, 3.0 Grad and register for a minimum 6 UG credits, or 5 Grad credits each term that you receive a stipend. One term off per year is allowed, with stipulations outlined in the student stipend policy.
* The selected candidates will receive a monthly stipend of $778.
* This position begins immediately and runs through June 30, 2010. Students may reapply each year.

Interested parties should:

* Submit a resume and cover letter and three references electronically to: wrc@pdx.edu.
* Include the title of the position you are applying for in the subject line
* A unique resume and cover letter should be sent separately for each position applied for.
* You are encouraged to have your materials reviewed by the Career Center before submission. The career center phone number is 725-4613
* Application deadline is Monday, December 7 at 5 pm.

"Portland State University is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity institution and welcomes applications from diverse candidates and candidates who support diversity." The Women’s Resource Center values all forms of diversity. Students of color are strongly encouraged to apply.

WRC Publicist

The Publicist will assist the WRC coordinator in developing and distributing physical and electronic marketing materials to promote the programming and mission of the Women’s Resource Center. This includes website maintenance, maintaining a current presence on social networking sites, running the WRC listserv, creating publicity materials including press releases, PSAs, posters, and swag. The Publicist will:

* Use Social networking, and electronic medium like Facebook, Youtube, Twitter, and the WRC blog to raise awareness of the WRC and publicize events and programming
* Create posters, press releases, descriptions, and publicity for all WRC sponsored events and ensure their thorough and timely dispersal
* Work with contracted marketing specialists and graphic designers as appropriate in developing a comprehensive WRC brand
* Collaborate with other staff and be open to receiving feedback on outgoing WRC messages at weekly staff meetings.
* Develop informational packets to represent the WRC to potential community partners, at orientations, etc.
* Work with the a volunteer committee, the WRC Street Team, to ensure that events are photographed, and that these photos and announcements are used to keep online media dynamic and up to date
* Work with staff and volunteers to ensure a cohesive, professional, accessible, inclusive, and consistent message and face is presented externally.
* In collaboration with other staff, develop systems, policies, and procedures to ensure that information gets to you in a timely manner and that the process for publicizing all events can become systematized, streamlined, and uniform.
* Network with the campus and community to market the goals and unique features of the WRC
* Be smart and tasteful when working with images and typography
* Be proficient with Adobe Photoshop
* Refresh materials as appropriate, Monthly calendar publication, quarterly website text updates, and annual brochure updates. Others as needed.
* Assist with print production and distribution
* Be proactive in gathering new material for the event calendar, website, and social networking sites and in ensuring a publicity request form is completed for all events
* Maintain publicity request form database and ensure all post-event data is entered
* Be responsible for all other electronic publicity including sending event descriptions to related listservs, the webmail campus messages, the Daily Vanguard, and other campus calendars
* Design and order WRC promotional items and swag (e.g. travel mugs, t-shirts, temporary tattoos)
* Have experience with website maintenance (familiarity with Drupal a plus)
* Maintain the WRC website, including weekly updates to news and events, quarterly maintenance of programming descriptions, and other additions to the site as necessary.
* Develop and distribute the WRC’s Weekly Listserve.
* Be proactive in gathering new material for the Google online event calendar, website, and listerve.

This is a new student leadership position and a great professional development opportunity. The selected student will receive a stipend award in appreciation for their service. Estimated time commitment is 21 hours per week, which includes a weekly staff meeting and check-in with the WRC Coordinator. As a new position, responsibilities will be prioritized and renegotiated as needed to ensure a manageable yet ambitious, workload.

The candidate selected will have strong marketing and social networking skills, a propensity for being really organized, developing systems, and a knack/interest in graphic design and technology skills. Experience working with Photoshop and Microsoft Office highly preferred.

Black Women and "Good Hair"

2009-11-13T14:24:00.000-08:00

By Tonya L Jones

I am not my hair

I am not this skin

I am not your expectations

I am not my hair

I am not this skin

I am soul that lives within

I love these lyrics from India. Arie’s song “I Am Not My Hair.” The song’s powerful message is that she will not allow society to define who she is, as a black woman, by how she wears her hair or by her skin color. These days, it is imperative that black women be bold like India. Arie, and resist the media’s narrow definition of what is black womanhood. I believe the recent obsession with black women's hair, bodies, and well—everything, is due to the emergence of The First Lady, Michelle Obama. The last ten years have not been kind to the black woman’s image. We have been stereotyped as “hoochies” “ghetto,” “baby mamas,” and that we have “attitudes.” Our society has grown comfortable with the caricatures of black women, so when a Michelle Obama appeared on the scene, folks did not know what to do with her. It was like trying to fit a square peg into a round hole. Michelle Obama’s life defies the stereotypes. And because her image is the antithesis of what people have come to believe about black women, she has been under attack.

Over the summer, articles popped up in newspapers and on blogs, dissecting The First Lady’s hair, behind, and arms. By constantly placing Michelle Obama under a microscope, it was an attempt by the media to put “her in her place.” Black women aren’t supposed to feel comfortable in their own skin, and Mrs. Obama exudes confidence. The media seeks to undermine this rare positive image of black womanhood, to continue the annihilation of the black woman’s image. So it is no coincidence, that comedian Chris Rock’s film “Good Hair,” was recently released in theaters. The documentary (or should be more appropriately called “mockumentary”) chronicles the hair issues of black women. I have not seen the film and have no intentions to do so.

Of course, people have asked me how I can criticize the movie if I have not seen it. I have viewed enough clips from the movie to be able to gauge that the film is offensive to black women. To be honest, I have a problem with Chris Rock, anyway. I feel his comedy routines have an underlying contempt for black women. I couldn’t believe when he had a whole routine on why a black woman would make a terrible First Lady, just at the time when we were about to have the “first” First Black Lady, during the past Presidential election.

Chris Rock: “I don’t think a black woman can be first lady of the United States. Yeah, I said it! A black woman can be president, no problem. First lady? Can’t do it. You know why? Because a black woman cannot play the background of a relationship. Just imagine telling your black wife that you’re president? ‘Honey, I did it! I won! I’m the president.’ ‘No, we the president! And I want my girlfriends in the Cabinet! I want Kiki to be secretary of state! She can fight!”

I know some people will say, it’s just comedy, lighten up. But we always have to be aware of who the media decides to promote, as representatives of our communities. They generally tend to be people who are not a threat to the status quo, and who (knowingly or not) uphold the media’s agenda of normalizing oppression. Chris Rock fits this role perfectly.

In the film “Good Hair,” Rock depicts black women going to extremes to achieve long, flowing hair with weaves and relaxers (a chemical treatment that straightens out kinky hair). It is stated in the film, many black women have forgone paying their rent, to spend thousands on a weave! I am actually a natural-haired black woman. I cut off my relaxed hair and started growing out a little Afro, almost five years ago. I used to frequent the salon to get my hair relaxed and to have a ponytail attached (a long, fake extension) and yes, sometimes it could get expensive, but I can honestly say I never thought about not paying my rent just to get my hair done! And I know of no black woman who has ever done this either! That statement reinforces the stereotype that black women are irresponsible and require high-maintenance (I read a review that stated perhaps that’s why some black men prefer to date white women because they won’t be as expensive as a black woman!).

I have viewed a clip from the movie, when Rock travels to India to visit a Hindi temple, where the women shave their heads for a traditional ceremony. Often, the hair from the Indian women is used to make weaves. Rock interviews an Indian woman and proceeds to tell her to “run if you ever see a black woman coming.” The idea that black women are so desperate for “good hair,” they would yank it right off the head of an Indian woman, is insulating. Rock’s approach to the topic of black women’s hair reeks of misogyny. At one point in the film, he is shown trying to sell “kinky” black hair and is rejected. He goes on to say it seems black hair is only good for packing boxes.

I have read that Rock’s movie was an attempt to answer his daughter’s question, “What is good hair?” He hoped to give insight, as to why, black women rely so heavily on weaves and relaxers. The problem though, is that he tends to degrade natural hair too. Black women are viewed as being vain and even “silly” for the way they alter their hair, but he doesn’t seem to have a positive view about natural hair, either. It is interesting that natural-haired black women and the growing natural hair movement of many black women, was not discussed in the film (Rock interviewed one natural-haired black woman).

I also find it strange Rock’s film makes no mention of white racism and oppression of black women’s hair. Black women didn’t just wake up out of the blue gluing weave to their hair. There has been a systematic attempt to make black women feel bad about their natural hair texture. It goes back to slavery, when black women were forced to cover up their “kinky” hair with handkerchiefs, so as not offend their white slave masters. There have been black women forced to sue their employers who wanted them to take out their braided hairstyles or locks. The black women celebrated by the media uphold white hair beauty standards. The most popular black female celebrity today is the singer Beyonce, who frequently wears blonde weaves. There are no alternative images celebrating black women’s natural hair. It is not surprising many black women have normalized straight hair as the “appropriate” way to style their hair.

I recently watched Chris Rock promoting his film on the Oprah show. At one point, a black woman stood up and nervously stated she felt Rock’s film degraded black women. Rock looked surprised. He and Oprah then proceeded to tag team the woman, trying to shut down her genuine concern of what she felt was stereotypical images of black women in his film. The black woman went on to say that a white woman in the audience said her hair was pretty, but was it real? The black woman said she was hurt and insulted by that comment, and as a professional black woman, that was the type of nonsense she had to deal with in corporate America. She felt Rock’s film was just giving white people (particularly white women) more fodder to be bolder in their interactions with black women. The fact that a white woman felt she had the right to a black woman’s body and demand that she tell her if her hair was real or not. It feeds into the idea of black women as Other.

We live in a society that upholds white women as the pinnacle of womanhood. Women of color (and especially black women), have historically been used as what is not feminine, as a way to maintain white women as the standard of beauty. Rock’s film feeds into some white women’s superiority complex that black women are spending “thousands” of dollars to be beautiful “just like them.” It doesn’t help that Rock often mentions that he loved when he dated white women and was able to “run his hands through their hair without his fingers getting stuck.” This is the mentality of Chris Rock, and most likely helped frame his mocking attitude towards black women’s hair dilemmas in “Good Hair.” I have read reviews by black women about this movie, and many noted they felt Rock lacked compassion for black women’s struggles with their hair.

While I personally would love to see more black women embrace their natural hair and just say no to weaves and relaxers, I understand why many black women don’t. The societal pressures to conform and be seen as “presentable” at work and in the public are enormous. The journey to accepting “kinky” hair can be a long one and it’s up to black women to individually decide when/if they are ready to do so. The root of the problem isn’t with black women, but with white racism and the marginalization of black women’s bodies. The fear and even loathsome attitudes towards blackness and kinky hair needs to be addressed. Now that is a documentary I would pay to go see.

Twilight and its abusive propaganda

2009-11-13T14:13:00.000-08:00

by Talia Jae

So I wrote a very long blog all about this and then it got deleted. After recovering from angst over this I am going to write another version of what I said.

Nick and I rented Twilight last night. I knew I wouldn't like it and probably be offended by most of the content but I had no idea. The relationship in the movie is a self proclaimed, "dangerous version of the classic star-crossed lovers" and i supposed in a sad way they are right. Although, probably not in the way they intended.

Between banter about his inability to control his rage and lust for her blood and her growing love for this dangerous boy, it seems that the whole relationship is one torrid love affair sprinkled with abuse and control. Its a perfect example of how media influences the way we expect relationships to go when we are in one.

She loves him more and more as he pushes and pulls her, stalks her, watches her sleep, violently expresses how dangerous he is, threatens to suck her blood and boasts about how he can kill her with one bite. Yes this is fantasy, no it is not new. But hell, she begs him to kill her in the end so they can live eternally together. The more possessive he is, the more she attaches to him and loses herself in order to be with a boy.

It makes me sad for young girls who see this movie. I would never let my girls see it. It is the best example of an abusive relationship I have seen in any recent movie. We wonder why women get into abusive relationships and why they stay. One huge part of it is the way the media portrays "Love". It is shoved in our faces every day. The man is strong, aggressive, explosive, possessive, unable to control his desire and rage. The woman is meek, submissive, available, dependent and weak. We are shown that true love is passion and rage to the extreme and the more a man controls the relationship and us women, the more he loves us.

This is a toxic combination. Every day, three women are killed by intimate partners. Every minute a woman is abused. Every day shelters put women and children on waiting lists because they are busting at the seams with women escaping domestic violence and a man threatening their lives.

Then we turn on the TV and this abuse is glorified and desired in the name of love. No thank you. I had a prince Eric. He left me with a baby, no home, and emotionally and mentally beaten. Our relationship was that of Edward and Bella's. These stories are not happy endings and to expose young women to them is to warp their views of their own self worth and the way a relationship should be.

Inspire the women of tomorrow to stand up and fight off these images instead of embarrassing them.

Men do not lose control and abuse, they use control to abuse.

An objective look at gay marriage

2009-11-13T13:40:00.000-08:00

By Talia Jae

This is a paper I wrote for a writing class. Its purely objective so
it does not have my personal opinion in it (although I'm sure you can
guess what it is). I don't agree with most of the opposition to gay
marriage but for the paper's sake I had to include it.

The idea of coming out as gay, lesbian, or queer is a very scary thing
for most homosexuals. In society today there is much controversy
surrounding the idea of men and women being attracted to anyone other
than the opposite sex. Families and communities are torn because of
this issue and many times ostracize individuals who dare to be
themselves. This leads into the issue of not only recognizing the idea
of different sexualities, but also recognizing the partnerships
between these people. Some feel that it is unnatural and immoral to be
homosexual, while others feel that everyone has a right to be
attracted and partnered to any person of any sex. Because of this, the
idea of gay marriage is a very charged issue.

There is a huge stigma around the idea of acknowledging these
partnerships and allowing them to have the same right to marry as a
straight couple does. Currently, there are only four states that
recognize same sex marriage and a few more that have repealed laws
allowing same sex marriage. One large factor that is influencing these
laws is the idea that same sex partners threaten the sanctity of
traditional marriage. The religious community feels that it will be
detrimental to society. Others believe that the love and commitment
between two people, gay or straight, has no effect on anyone else but
those two partners. The greater issue here is the idea of equality
between people of all sexualities.

The idea of equal rights for homosexuals has been supported and fought
for by people in the gay community as well as their allies. Those in
support of gay marriage rights have been fighting to pass laws in all
states that will allow gay couples to legally marry just as straight
couples have. They feel that someone should not have their rights as a
human taken away because of the person they are partnered with. If a
gay couple can legally be married then it gives them the right to make
medical decisions on behalf of each other. It will also allow them to
collect life insurance or pensions that one partner may have through a
career. The opposing side does not agree.

Some people in society don’t agree with the idea of gay marriage and
gay rights. They believe that gay marriage threatens the idea of
marriage as a holy union between a man and a woman. There is a belief
that allowing homosexuals to marry will dilute the sacred union and
create more divorces. They feel that more people of any sexuality
being allowed to marry will create an idea of commitments being taken
less serious and cause more polygamy. This idea causes some to feel
that homosexuality promotes multiple partners versus a lifelong
commitment.

With this idea in mind, gay marriage also challenges the model of the
nuclear family. Supporters of gay marriage believe that same sex
partners should have equal rights to raise children, this being one
partner’s biological child or a mutually adopted child. Not having the
right to legally marry affects a same sex couple’s ability to adopt
children. As of now, a small percentage of states legally support gay
couples adopting a child. Some states have made it illegal and others
are undecided. Communities in support of gay families adopting feel
that it would not be detrimental to the children adopted and that same
sex couples are just as capable of parenting as straight couples. They
also would argue that with the extremely high rate of divorced parents
and single parent households, society should not be concerned with a
same sex couple parenting children, married or not.

With the high rate of divorce, other communities believe that same sex
partners would only add to the strife of children growing up in broken
households. Their concern is that the rate of children being born or
adopted into single parent or unmarried households would destroy the
idea of a child needing a mother and father in the home. Marriage has
been slowly changing from a lifelong commitment to an expendable
commodity; divorce rates have steadily soared and unmarried parents
have become much more common. The opposing party feels that adding gay
parents to the list of changes would only harm children growing up in
these households. Keeping homosexuals from marrying and parenting
seems to be a good option in their opinion.

Marriage has drastically changed over the last 50 years. Divorce rates
are higher and children living in single parent households are more
common. People of all sexualities are fighting for their right to be
recognized as equal. The idea of one person taking another’s rights
away because of the person they choose to love seems unreasonable, yet
some feel it is what will save marriage and commitment. The issue here
is who is really affected by same sex partners and is it really
detrimental to society. Marriage and divorce is not new and neither is
homosexuality. It is not society’s place to tell someone who they can
and cannot love. There may never be a real answer as to who is right
and who is wrong but equality for all is undeniably necessary for all.
Both sides of this argument have one strong belief in common: They are
doing what they believe is right and best for society today.

How do you define feminism?

2009-10-30T11:48:00.000-07:00

by Priscilla P

Before I started getting involved with the WRC, I wasn't quite sure what being a feminist entailed. Words that came to mind were independent, empowered, and standing up against "the man."
Curious, I decided to go and ask a few people about their definition of feminist, and if they considered themselves a feminist. What are your answers to these questions?

How do you define feminism?

“I think it's the notion of women obtaining completely equal rights with men in all areas of society, as well as having the choice to act/dress as feminine as they please (I find radical feminist types who yell at other women for wanting to dress nicely to be completely counterproductive to the movement).”
Brian Kravitz

“I define feminism strictly as the belief that women deserve the same treatment as men.”
Alex McEntee

“For me, feminism is the process of becoming aware of gender roles in our culture and then finding a means to counteract or change them, because I believe these gender roles have a largely negative impact on our progress as intelligent human beings. As these gender roles are initially forced upon us or encouraged by our upbringing, collective consciousness, and a large majority of our popular culture, they maintain a dominant influence in they way we live our lives and upholding females as inferior to males. Feminism is recognizing the way gender roles have impacted and continue to affect our self esteem, social interactions, available opportunities, and rights as human beings. Though, as I learn more about feminism, perhaps my definition will become more complex or change.”
Molly Karinen

“Feminism is a movement of a group of people rallied around the social, political, and economic equality of woman attributed by the shift of woman from households to manufacturing jobs due to WW1. As time progressed woman found themselves in the workplace under a pretext of values on how woman should act. Feminism wishes to rise above the glass ceiling of these prescribed normalities.”
Paul Fleck

“I am going to attempt to reconstruct some ideas I got from speaking with different feminist Philosophy students:
Philosophically there are several phases of feminism, the first being a viewpoint that women and men varied in an unreconcilable way (from a subjective viewpoint), such that a Man could never understand womanly-things and visa versa. It was a separatist theory. Assumed in this theory is the statement that if men and women have different subjective experiences, each is equally valid to one's self.
Then there was a period of what we usually think of as feminism, the equality of women in a broader sense, but not in terms of a subjectivity (at least not formally). This is what you might think of when you think of suffrage, and general womens-rights activism.
After this there is a splintering of the concept, which was way too complicated for me to try to deeply understand.”
Kevin Folk

“Feminism seeks to break down and examine gender constructs in order to liberate all sexes from oppression.”
Fallon Roderick

Do you consider yourself a feminist?

"I am most definitely a feminist because I do not agree with the disadvantageous positions that primarily women experience as women are cast as the lesser sex."
Molly Karinen

"Although I strive for social equality on many levels including women's rights, I do not consider myself to be a feminist. I believe the right of being a feminist should be reserved for a selection of woman that understand the history and difficulties that has been placed around their place in humanity over the years, and should not be an excuse, offense, or rational for any other agenda except equality."
Paul Fleck

"I am the manifestation of feminism, so yes, I am most definitely a feminist. I consider myself to be an ecofeminist"
Fallon Roderick

"Yes I am probably some sort of feminist, but more realistically I would hold the view of a general equality, one not specific to women."
Kevin Folk

It's not personal, it's business

2009-10-29T18:01:00.000-07:00

By Taliajae Freedomfighter

Training has been intense lately. My outlet for processing the issues that are closest to my heart is writing. Thus I write a lot.

Today we were discussing sexism. Like all issues of oppression this can be a touchy one for many people. It affects everyone everyday. We are talking about how oppression is supported by our institutions and government, creating a trickle down affect. Examples of institutions are media, education, laws, criminal justice, workplace, etc.

At one point a male in the class joked about how our discussion was making men look like the "bad guy". Another student pointed out how that really isn't the point. There is no bad guy, so to speak. Shortly after that comment the same man added that he felt that if women would really try harder that men would definitely support them as far as gaining equality. He then went on to say something to the effect of "Women just need to work harder instead of just doing nothing, until they do, of course there will be sexism". He basically was placing the blame on women.

Instantly, half of the class raised their hands to rebuttal, including myself. As people took turns explaining to him that women are not, in fact, to blame for their own oppression I started to think about who was and why do we get so defensive about this issue.

When it comes down to it, no one really is to blame. Its not one man who is perpetrating all of the sexism in the world; just as it’s not one woman allowing the men to oppress her. No woman is helping sexism exist. Sure, we see women shaking their booty on TV or acting inappropriate in an adult film and think, "Jesus, she is only making it worse". But in reality it is only the system we have set up in society that is created to hold the oppressed people down. This influences women into thinking that their greatest worth is their appearance and body type.

This leads me to my second point; the issue of oppression is not personal, its just business. A lot of people automatically assume that someone talking about how men are the people in power think that person is trying to blame the man. It isn’t about you man. Oppression is a system of control that society has set up to keep the oppressed powerless and the powerful even stronger. This isn’t saying that each man on the planet is oppressing the women in his life every day. Some men do. They abuse and rape and belittle women. But there are many more that support and love and encourage women in their lives. It’s just a matter of men benefiting from sexism and women loosing out. Just as white people benefit from racism and people of color don't.

Lets stop arguing about who is to blame and start banning together to create some real change. Women can make a difference but it’s the men who are allies that can help us get the message through.

You're so vain, I don't dress like this for you....

2009-10-29T17:54:00.000-07:00

By Taliajae Freedomfighter

I wear a full spectrum of clothing. I love jeans and 'skater' Tees (as we called them when I was 18). I also love big, baggy sweatshirts to snuggle up in when its chilly outside. Tennis shoes are my preferred pair of footwear and for summer I go with flip flops. In essence I tend to dress for comfort.

Having said this I do love to dress up once in a while. I'll wear a moderately short skirt, a low cut tank top, knee high boots or stilettos. I will do my hair up and put on more makeup than usual and go strut my stuff. Why do I do this you ask?

For me. Not you.

I think a lot of men assume that when a woman dresses 'provocative, scantily clad, sexy' what ever you call it, that you are doing it for them. Sometimes we probably are, but I think most of the time we do it for ourselves. I like to dress sexy to make myself feel good about the way I look. I don't normally put a lot of stock into my appearance but sometimes a girl just wants to get fancy. This is were the message gets blurred.

When a woman walks down the street in an outfit that shows off her curves or enhances her body then society gets the impression that she is trying to attract men. This isn't always the case. The problem is that then she puts herself in a position of possible cat calls, stares and even stalking. Sadly this is all too common.

Why do women have to worry about the way they dress attracting men who might harass or hurt them? I do. When I go out at night and am wearing a skirt I instinctively scan the street I'm on for men who may be paying attention. When I walk to my car at night I immediately look in the back seat and under it. When a man calls out to me on the street I glare at him and then check once in a while to make sure that he isn't following me.

These fears are instilled in us at a very early age. I got a lot of the rules from my mom. "The world is not a safe place for girls. Watch out for men in strange cars. Don't walk alone at night. Check the back seat for a kidnapper." Society has taught us that men get to act on their sex drive which then puts women is a position to be prey.

I have to daughters. I don't want to see them fear the streets at night. I don't want them to be one of the 60% of women who are assaulted in their lives. I want to fight back. Take back the night. Stand up against sexism and sexual violence.

I am a vagina warrior, until the violence stops

Let me tell ya 'bout the birds and the bees

2009-10-29T17:45:00.000-07:00

By: Taliajae Freedomfighter

Let's face it. Sex education is seriously lacking in most schools, even completely gone in others. On top of that there is very limited reproductive health education as well. This results in a lot of mis-understandings about our bodies as women and how to protect ourselves, as well as our reproductive rights. Lets get down to business...

Did you know that when you go in for your annual physical if you don’t specifically request to be tested for all STDs then they will only test you for cervical cancer. I did not know this until a few years ago. It was slightly unsettling to me. If you want to get tested for STDs and HIV specifically request it from your doctor. It is your right to know.

If you need reproductive care such as tests, pregnancy testing or counseling, pregnancy options, general education, birth control and contraceptives, etc... You can find all these at Planned Parenthood. They are a great option if you are low income and need immediate care.

Please don’t confuse Planned Parenthood with other "free pregnancy clinics" otherwise known as fake clinics. Sadly there are a few religious groups who set these up all over your community advertising as pregnancy testing clinics but once you are tested they then push their abstinence only agenda and pressure women into having the child no matter the circumstances. These clinics are very unsafe and disturbing. Educate other women on them.

Women have a right to choose what is best for them as far as pregnancy options. Keeping the child, giving it up for adoption, or abortion. I would never take that choice away from a woman. We deserve the right to choice and education to keep ourselves healthy and safe.

Here are some excellent links to more information on reproductive health:

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/

http://www.plannedparenthood.org/health-center/lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender-lgbt-services-26027.htm

http://www.feministcampus.org/act/cpc/default.asp

http://feminist.org/

How to Be/Not Be a "Nice Guy"

2009-09-11T16:27:00.000-07:00

by Sarah Jeanne Lombardo
PCC Sylvania

A group of men gathered several times at my school to discuss the need for a Men's Resource Center on campus. Now, I'm all for Men's Resource Centers as places where fellas can gather to discuss and then change the ways society constructs and maintains gender norms--i.e., that men are perfect and stoic and strong and should beat up anyone who says they're not (which usually means calling them womanly or gay), and women are pretty and polite and accommodating and should never say or do anything offensive (like talk about the ways "being accommodating" harms women). I'm all for MRCs as places where dudes can put together programs that help other dudes be nicer to themselves and women, especially where "be nicer" means stop hating women and gays or anything about themselves that could be considered womanly or gay.

From what I hear, some of the discussions have been about how unhealthy these gender roles are. But most of the conversations have been about the ways that men are made to feel bad about being men. The example that keeps coming up is a poster (full disclosure: I co-created this poster) for a school-sponsored play that discussed how women are treated on campus after sexual assault, and how these create an unfriendly atmosphere for women in higher ed. The poster featured a close-up shot of a man with very "angry hands" taking off his belt, presumably to assault someone, either physically or sexually (and yes, I know the latter encompasses the former). Below the image was the quote "1 in 3 college men say they would rape a woman if they thought they could get away with it."*

The discussion regarding this posters often consisted of "this poster says all men want to rape women, and I don't rape women, so this if unfair." Of course, that's not what the poster said, and if anything is unfair, it's the stuff women do on a daily basis to protect themselves from rape, or the things guys get away with because women are afraid they might get attacked if they say something, but I do see how men who don't rape might get itchy when they believe someone is calling them a rapist. Unfortunately, the discussion rarely veered toward "what can we do about it," and when it did, the answer was never "ask men why they might feel rape is something you don't do because it's illegal, not because it's wrong--and then work on ways they can stop."

The answer was either "get women to stop saying these things" or "we should prove to women that we're the nice guys." While the former was just dangerous--if we don't say these things we don't get any closer to stopping these things from happening--the latter was really misguided. The group pondered volunteering at a shelter for raped and/or battered women. When, afterward, one of the participants asked me how I felt about it, I didn't really offer an opinion, but I did wonder aloud if men were even allowed to volunteer at shelters, since women might want to recover from the trauma of their male partners' violence in the absence of males. His response was a kinda sorta chest-thumpy "but I'm not her husband...she needs to see that I'm a nice guy!"

This was frustrating for multiple reasons--the most important being it was just plain selfish. Dudes should work with survivors of domestic and sexual violence because they want to help women become empowered after a thoroughly horrifying experience, not because they want to look good. Moreover, if the space they want to work in doesn't really work well if they're there, and they refuse to accept a policy that addresses this, they are failing to recognize the importance and validity of a safe space. In failing this, they reaffirm the idea they should be welcome into any space on their terms. Barging into a space to say they're not the barging-in type isn't really nice. The first thing guys have to do to prove they're nice is listen to women when they say they're doing it wrong.

Now, I understand that this argument is hard to swallow--what's the difference between not allowing men into a shelter and not allowing women into the military, or blacks onto a golf course? What's the point of sheltering women from men, when they're just going to be encountering men in their daily lives once they get out of the shelter? Et cetera. I don't agree with these lines of thinking, but I know it takes a lot of education to get away from them, so I don't push it. I did, however, impress this:

Women don't just want nice guys to prove they're nice guys, they want nice guys to help other less-than-nice guys be nice guys. There are a lot of spaces that work with survivors of domestic and sexual violence, but not nearly enough places that work with perpetrators of sexual and domestic violence. Men need to create these spaces, and better yet, create spaces where they can discuss with other non-perpetrators ways they might develop perpetrator-y tendencies, before they actually get to perpetrating. Something like.....a Men's Resource Center, informed by feminism, and for the betterment of men and women and everyone outside and in-between! HUZZAH!

*Some places the 1-in-3 statistic has been published:

Fisher, B., and J. Sloan III (1995). Campus Crime: Legal, Social and Policy Perspectives. Springfield, Ill.: Charles C. Thomas.

Koss M.P., Dinero, T.E., Seibel, C.A. Stranger and acquaintance rape: Are there differences in the victim's experience? Psychology of Women Quarterly. 1988:12:1-24.

Malamuth N.M. Rape proclivity among males. J Soc Issues. 1981;37:138-157.

Why Does SHAC Need to Know?

2009-09-11T14:57:00.000-07:00

by Mariya Stangl

So, a few days ago I was in SHAC to get an annual women's health exam and I was asked to fill out an intake worksheet asking me different questions about my health. Most questions were pretty standard but there were a few questions that I didn't feel comfortable answering and wasn't quite sure how they related to my exam. There were a couple that I didn't answer but the one that stood out the most was a question that asked me to fill in every bubble of the people I'd had sexual contact with, male, female or both. I asked my doctor about why some of these questions were relevant to my exam and she responded with a generic answer about how SHAC is concerned about the overall health of it's students and that these questions were aimed to discover to the overall health and wellness of it's students. Which is a perfectly good answer but I still don't understand why they would need to know who I was being sexually active with to determine my health. Especially since the most highly infected population with HIV is no longer single gay males, but married heterosexual females. That is the only explanation I could come up with and it still doesn't make any sense. Of course there was a disclaimer at the bottom of the sheet that said I didn't HAVE to answer any questions that made me uncomfortable (and I didn't) but I was still asked the same questions by my doctor, who also claimed these questions weren't for insurance or survey reasons. I want to know why, specifically, I was asked this particular question and if there isn't a good answer I would like to move to get this form reconstructed for the peace and wellness of PSU students who do not feel comfortable disclosing this confidential and often times difficult information.

What do you think about SHAC asking its students about the gender of their sexual partners?

Eyes Wide Open: A Woman's Work

2009-08-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

by Talia Jae

I began my training today with the new Women's Center advocates. Great first day. Everyone is really enthusiastic, excited and eager to contribute to the conversations. That is wonderful in my opinion. We discussed a lot of housekeeping stuff and what the women's center does, as well as what feminism means.

Bell Hooks says, "Feminism is a movement to end sexism." We took a look at what that means. Issues such as body image, sex, parenting, work, wages, marriage, childcare, etc... are on the list of women's issues that we see a lot of oppression through sexism. This list spawned a lot of discussion around what these particular issues might mean and how they are used as a form of oppression to women.

Three of the words stuck out to me in particular. Work, Parenting and Childcare. I am a mother of two small children and a wife. I am also a student and an employee/coordinator. I embody many roles in my life. The combination of parent and employee is a tough one though, for women. When you are partnered and both parents work outside of the home it makes childcare difficult. Childcare is insanely expensive anyway and arranging it to fit your particular needs is another obstacle. This requires a lot of juggling between the parents.

I know from many women's experiences, including my own, that when the mother has a job as well it is often seen as expendable. What I mean is this; when my child is sick and needs to come home from school it is completely expected that I will be the one to leave work and pick them up. When childcare cannot be arranged I am the one to stay home for the day. If childcare is too expensive then it is assumed that the woman will stay home and care for the children while the man goes to work.

Now by no means is this the rule. There are many households with many unique situations and struggles of their own. I am just touching on society's traditional view of marriage, children and parenting roles. Why is it that the woman is expected to drop her work and run home if need be? If a man were asked to do this more often than not it would probably come as a shock to them. Women's work has always been seen as expendable, less valued, underpaid or not paid at all. After having children this really became apparent to me.

We women are not treated as equals to men. Sure, we have come a long way in the last hundred years but lets not ignore the work that still needs to be done. The more we acknowledge society's oppression the more we can work against it. Lets stop assuming these roles we have been boxed into and start talking about why the box is there.

I, for one, am getting claustrophobic.

Staff Submission: Call it what it is

2009-08-07T15:35:00.001-07:00

Call it what it is:

This morning on OPB, I heard a story about a man who shot and killed a civilian woman working at the Fort Lewis PX, then shot himself. The reporter cited the woman's mom, who told investigators that the shooter was the woman's ex-partner, that they had broken up seven months ago, but that he "wouldn't let her go" and "threatened to kill himself". This clearly illustrates the fact that this was a domestic violence fatality. Despite this information, the reporter said that investigators are not clear on the "motive" for the killing. The words "domestic violence" were not used once - and checking the New York Times and the Oregonian, neither paper is naming this as a domestic violence fatality.

The WSCADV Fatality Review Project cites recent separation as a significant factor in domestic violence fatalities: "In at least 47% of the homicides committed by a
domestic violence abuser in Washington state, the victim had left, divorced, or
separated from the abuser, or was attempting to leave or break up with the abuser at
the time of the murder. In a Florida study, 60% of the women killed were separated or
in the process of leaving"

They also found that "firearms were the most common weapon used in domestic violence homicides" and that homicide-suicides "comprised a significant portion of domestic violence homicides."

Stalking behavior, threats of suicide, recent separation, and gun ownership - all red flags for lethality within the context of domestic violence. I hope the investigators name this situation for what it is, and that the media follow suit - we can't effectively support survivors or move forward in ending domestic violence if we don't acknowledge how lethal it can be.

PSU: Capstone Creates Sexual Assault Awareness PSA

2009-07-16T12:44:00.000-07:00

The previous SheSheet incarnation at wordpress still lives.

2009-07-07T14:10:00.000-07:00

The old SheSheet can be found at this location: http://www.wrc.pdx.edu/shesheet/wordpress/

Eyes Wide Open: Will the dominant one please stand up?

2009-07-07T13:41:00.000-07:00

by Talia Jae Potter

I have joined twitter... I caved in. I am finding it quite interesting because, instead of using it as yet another social network, I am following news media that is unbiased and groups or people who discuss topics that are close to me.

One such person I added admits to being a feminist man and thinks strong, driven women are great and likes to be the submissive one in the relationship. I don't know this guy but he does have some interesting points to make. So we struck up a conversation about dominance in relationships....

His opinion was that women deserve to be the dominant leader in the relationship and for a lot of men this is attractive. He states that gender roles are an issue and media peg holes us into stereotypes. I agree somewhat with him but asked this....

"Why does there need to be a dominant person in the relationship?"

His response was that women who are natural leaders and men who are submissive are a good match. I guess I can see how this is true. Two highly competitive leaders in a relationship could get ugly when it turns into a competition for success. It could also be a power-house couple.

But in reality wouldn't a relationship with two EQUAL partners be best? Idealistic at best but it seems to me that there is this strong push, on both sides of the topic, for one or the other gender to dominate, leaving the other to submit. Relationships are full of moments where one person may take over and the other backs down but I would like to think that equals, no matter the gender, sexuality, etc.., would be the most successful in their partnership.

This whole dominance vs submission argument reminds me of another hot topic: Why does there have to be good vs bad?

Why can't we just be......

Welcome to the NEW WRC SheSheet!

2009-06-26T15:47:00.000-07:00

Hi! If you're reading this, you've found the new SheSheet. Lucky you! From here, you can read (many of) our archived blogs from our previous incarnation at wordpress.com and stay up to date on all our posts to come! On the right hand column, there's a button that says "follow." Click it to stay connected!

This blog is where the PSU Women's Resource Center, staff, volunteers, community members, friends, and even acquaintances can share their thoughts on feminist issues, women’s issues, and social justice and/or social change related things. People of all genders are welcome to make contributions, so if you've got an article, piece of art, or an event that you want to share, just e-mail it to shesheet@gmail.com.

While you're at it, why don't you add us on facebook and twitter? You can search wrc@pdx.edu to find us on facebook or simply go to http://www.facebook.com/psuwrc
To follow us on twitter, just search psuwrc and click "follow".

Guest Contributor: On Virginity

2009-06-25T16:34:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 4/09 at wordpress.com)

by Daphne

What a strange concept virginity is. The idea behind such a status can be mind-boggling. How do we give meaning to virginity individually? There are a multitude of differing notions on which activities one can lose their virginity doing. The dictionary defines virginity as never having experienced intercourse. However, many would interpret it otherwise. Certain sexual acts would be included and others would be excluded. The definition of virginity is socially and contextually constructed, therefore the very conception of virginity is culturally based, not something one can reliably base on fact or certainty.

Deeply rooted in the image of virginity is Western society’s inclinations towards sex. When one considers the image of a virgin, the words that typically come to mind are words such as: pure, uncorrupted, unspoiled, untouched, and innocent. However, it should be said that when one thinks of a virgin, the gender is most likely a female. The idea of a virgin female is generally a positive one. Contrary to that, an image of a male virgin is usually negative. The way that our society regards virginity sparks a number of questions. What is so valuable about being a virgin? Is there really a significant and general change that we all go through in the transition from virgin to sexually experienced? How does the fact that as women, if we’ve never had intercourse, it makes us more attractive? What does this say about how we view sex if having it somehow makes us lesser? The expectations society places something as private and intimate as sexual experience is troubling to all genders. Like all socially constructed facets to our lives, it is beneficial to question the motivation and design of concepts like virginity.

Eyes Wide Open: Manhandle

2009-06-25T16:32:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 4/09 at wordpress.com)

by Talia Jae Potter

–verb (used with object), -dled, -dling.
1. to handle roughly.
2. to move by human strength, without the use of mechanical appliances.
(Dictionary.com)

Pronunciation: \ˈman-ˌhan-dəl\
Function: transitive verb
Date: 1851
1 : to handle roughly
2 : to move or manage by human force
(Merriam-Webster dictionary)

Wow. I was just pondering the word manhandle. What does it mean, where does it come from, why do we use it. I have used it. I looked the word up in a few dictionaries and found approximately the same answer in every one. "To handle roughly."

What does this mean? It's a very simple example of ways that society have used a term to consciously, or subconsciously, ingrain the idea of what a man should be. I know it may seem completely ridiculous to look at a word like this and analyze it but I do. This is telling men, yet again, that to be a man you must be rough, strong, dominating, etc... At least this is my perspective of what it is saying in the undertones. The fact that this word has been in the dictionary and used commonly for over 150 years is amazing.

I believe men have so much to live up to in order to fit into society's idea of what a man should be that it is really detrimental to men as much as to women. If a man isn't overtly strong, rough-and-tough, dominating, overt, boastful, then is he not a man? Of course not. But what does that tell men anyway? That in order to be seen as a man in society as well as to women they must fit into this very tight, tiny box.

Sexism is hurting women in so many ways but it is also hurting men just the same. It is a shame.

Eyes Wide Open: The Burger King Likes Square Butts, huh...

2009-06-25T16:31:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 4/09 at wordpress.com)

by Talia Jae Potter

The measure of a woman?

I walked into the Women's Center a week ago with Ellie and Deborah and our director pulled us over to the computer to show us a video. She told us how they had been talking about it on The Today Show or some other morning entertainment/news show. Apparently Burger King is promoting Spongebob Squarepants and has released a new commercial to hype the toys they pass out with their version of a happy meal. Spongebob is one of my daughter's favorite cartoons.

We pulled up the video and hit play.

The "Commercial," or music video rather, is a two minute long parody of "I Like Big Butts" by Sir Mix-a-lot. Any person who lived in the last three decades will know what that song is and remember the ass-shaking video that played all the time on MTV. The video opens with the Burger King singing and girls with giant square rear ends shaking it behind him. Spongebob is playing on a T.V. in the background and the stage is set up like Bikinibottom. As The Burger King sings "I Like Square Butts" he does many things to these shaking-ass-girls that dance around him; including measuring them with various rulers and tools.

I was speechless after viewing it. Me, Ellie, and Deborah just stared at the screen in disbelief. This video plays continuously on Nickelodeon, one of the most popular cable channels for young children, not old enough to even be interested in MTV. My children watched Nickelodeon.

Some may say this is silly and just a funny parody but not for young girls. What is this telling them? First of all it is publicly degrading and humiliating women on a child's network. It is showing a man, cartoon or not, wanting to get on them and taking an interest in them because they have an aesthetically pleasing body part shaking in the air. And it says that women are just objects to be desired and oogled. I might sadly expect this on MTV or Spike TV but not on a cartoon network.

This is just a microcosm of what society is feeding into the brains of our girls every day. It is flashed in their faces at every corner they turn. In the skimpy dresses that hang in the 6-16 yr old section at Target, on the cartoons and commercials they watch, in the ads in magazines, on billboards and storefront windows. Why are we programing our children to believe that sex sells and in order to be wanted you need to be sexy?

The wake up call I had was when my kindergartener, a 5 year old, walked into my room one morning and told me "I have to be pretty mom, I need to dress pretty so I will have more friends. Please let me wear this dress so I will have more friends."

Sex sells, to my little girls.

Guest Contributor: The Most Amazing Breakthrough!

2009-06-25T16:29:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 4/09 at wordpress.com)

by Abby Yates

As many of you know I have been looking forward to Bike Back The Night (BBTN) for...well, since last year's bike ride. For those of you who don't know what BBTN is, it’s an annual social justice community bike ride held on the same night as Take Back The Night (a world-wide rally/vigil/march) and is hosted by Portland Women's Crisis Line to raise awareness about sexual assault.

So, for the past year I've been really excited, but this last week I began to get a little bit nervous as well. See, I'd volunteered to be a ride leader, but hadn't been riding my bike for almost 3 months since it was stolen. In a fit of nerves I called Ally to let her know I wouldn't be able to take part after all. Little did I know that the very same night I cancelled, my partner would be bringing me a new bike! Counting my blessings, I quickly signed back up and began practicing.

I don't think I've ever in my entire life worked out as much as I did last week. By the time the day came I was sure that I would not be able to finish the ride. Still, I soldiered on because I knew it would be over soon enough. My friend Kelsey will attest. As late as 4:30 I was still complaining, "Ugh. I can't wait till this is over. I have my ‘girl time’ and I am so not in the mood."

Soon enough, though, it was 5:30 and the safety talk began. Then 6:00 came and Elisa and I took our positions in the very back of the line so we could direct traffic. What do you know, before I could even check my watch it was 6:30 and there we were riding up the park blocks to PSU! We had all made it in one piece!

When we got to Park and Columbia I handed the walkie-talkie over to Elisa and veered left to go to the bus stop. The latest direct bus from Portland to Vancouver leaves at 7:02 and I didn't want to miss it otherwise my ride home would take more than an hour and a half...in the dark. Unfortunately, Taking Back The Night still doesn’t make me feel safer actually being out there alone in the dark at a bus stop. Maybe soon. So, I'm standing there in the sunshine at the bus stop waiting for the 105 and feeling just so darn good about myself for having actually made it the whole way without collapsing and I realized something really awesome...

I am so proud of myself for this life I have created!

It kind of hit me like a ton of bricks as tears began to well in my eyes and this thought came tumbling out next: my life is not about what has happened to me or the tools I was equipped with at birth. Neither is it about those aspects, which I have chosen. My life is a direct result of how I've taken both those things that have happened to me and those things, which I have chosen and molded them into a beautiful creation. My life is a work of art that I have created.

The thing that is so great about this revelation is that it’s not just about me. I hope that each of you know this about yourself as well because I believe it is true for all of us. Every one of our lives is a work of art and each one of us, the artist. What kind of lives are we creating? I'd never thought about this before, but now I can't get it out of my head and I hope it never goes away.

Most of all, though, I hope that each of you are able to see the beautiful life you have created and its value in the world... if not just for the wonderful impact that each of you have had in helping those around you to mold and shape their own works of art. The world is truly a more beautiful place for it.

Eyes Wide Open: From the letter "C" to the letter "Q" and everything in between

2009-06-25T16:28:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 4/09 at wordpress.com)

by Talia Jae Potter

As an active student leader on my campus at PCC I have noticed quite a few interesting responses to our activities and use of words. Our director told us this job wasn't going to be easy. In fact, she straight out said it would be hard and there would be name-calling, stereotypes, and general repercussions for working at a Women's Center.

People like to take what they think they know and fill in the blanks. A center full of girls that promotes women and has clubs such as Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance (FMLA) and United Sexualities? They must be a bunch of crazy lesbians who burn bras and hate men. The Vagina Monologues?? Or more likely they would say, "The uh... the .... those monologues?? What is it called??" Is the play just talking vaginas? Is it women dressed as vaginas? Are men allowed? I have actually been asked all these questions.

I could go on. Then there was the infamous "CUNT" shirt. Yes, we got quite an interesting reaction to that. I have explained in an earlier post that the word has been reclaimed by women. It began its life as a word for female genitalia, was turned into a hurtful word used by abusers to assault women, and now is being reclaimed for their own pride. Once the monologues were over the buzz about cunts died down.

Now Queer Pride Week is coming. It's Monday in fact. We have a full week of amazing activities that a few of the women advocates at my center have planned as well as a few special ASPCC students. The posters went up and the word was abuzz....

Then the emails started filtering in... the talk about the word Queer. Wow. It just ended with Cunt and now Queer. People are uncomfortable with the word Queer and they don't like it, or at least that's the feed back we are getting from fellow staff and student leaders. And so, here we go again....

Queer is a term for the LGBQT... (help me out Ellie) community that is used by some as an umbrella term to cover all sexual and gender identities and preferences. It is a word that, like cunt, has been reclaimed as a positive term for the gay community. It was, and still is, used to oppress and hurt members of this community; by taking it back they now have the pride and power to use it themselves.

What I am finding is that the people who protest these terms have no actual understanding of why they are used. I genuinely believe that they are trying to protect people and feel that we are being offensive to the groups of people the term once offended. Through education people can learn that we are giving the power back to the people--not oppressing them--and creating another key tool in fighting back against oppression.

If you would like any information on Queer Pride Week at PCC please contact the WRC at wrc@pcc.eduEyes Wide Open: From the letter "C" to the letter "Q" and everything in between

Eyes Wide Open: The Clothesline Project

2009-06-25T16:25:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 4/09 at wordpress.com)

by Talia Jae Potter

At PCC we have made T-shirts to hang in the main walkway for a week. The t-shirts are messages by women about their own personal experience with some form of sexual abuse or for someone close to them who has had an experience, surviver or not. Its an amazing project to be a part of and I used some club time to make t-shirts with my fellow student parents. It was moving, overwhelming, and cathartic to be a part of these women expressing themselves. I also made my own t-shirt about my own experience with sexual assault.

Now we have just hung the t-shirts along the walkway for everyone to view over the next week. Their are so many T-shirts, different colors for different types of sexual abuse. It can be overwhelming to look at. They are not nice, delicate, gentle messages. They are truths, truths that may or may not have been spoken until now. That makes this project even more powerful.

Today when I got on campus I walked by the t-shirts to see a woman standing infront of them reading them, tears streaming down her face. It was like my heart swelled and ached at the same time. I felt overpowered with feelings. Feelings of sadness for my and others' experiences. Feelings of love for knowing that these messages we women bravely have shared is now touching another woman. Feelings of being proud of myself and the women at the WRC for making this project happen so that women can speak truth to other women and men about the reality of sexual assault and how sadly common it is. Thank you to all the women who participated in speaking out against sexual assault. You have made a difference more than you will know. This is what makes my job worth doing to my best everyday.

*1 in 3 college men would rape a woman if they could get away with it. 1 in three women are sexually assaulted in their lifetime (not accounting for the women who never report the incidents). 3 men (spouses, boyfriends, close friends, and relatives) assault and kill their female partner or friend every day.

*These are actual statistics gathered. I plan on posting a photo of the clothesline soon.

Snapshot: Dying for a Diamond

2009-06-25T16:24:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 04/09 at wordpress)

by mae stephenson

This is sort of cheating. I actually snapped this picture (but still with my cell phone!) months ago because I just couldn't believe the sexism before my eyes and wanted to show it to everyone I knew. You could call it my original Snapshot. Nonetheless, this was snapped downtown, near PSU, on 4th Ave. It's an ad that actually extends into the window of a Trimet bus-- something I'd never seen before-- depicting a woman desperately reaching for a giant diamond ring; it almost appears as though the woman is reaching from a seat inside of the bus.

The first university I ever went to was a private Christian school in Seattle, where a common phrase to hear around the dorm, in which everyone under 21 was mandated to live, was "Ring by Spring!" This was what I remembered when I saw this ad.

This ad not only perpetuates negative stereotypes about women desiring eternal attachment to men and a materialistic obsession with a diamond ring, but in turn, perpetuates the stereotype that men have no interest in commitment and that it's a woman's job to tame them into civilized, religiously sanctioned marriages. These things are not only sexist, but grossly heterocentric.

The desperation in this ad doesn't even seem likable for the men or the women who happen to be in the market for a diamond ring. It's just jaw-dropping gross. And that's before we get into the discussion of the diamond business as it really is: the deathly exploitation of African workers. You can read more on that piece here.

Eyes Wide Open: Women Who Give Me Strength

2009-06-25T16:22:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 04/09 at wordpress)

by Talia Jae Potter

You all amaze me. Even if you're not on the tree you are part of my strength.

I wrote this for a class final. The photo is the tree I had to create, then write a short summary about what it meant to me. This is as short as I could get.

When I learned that we would be making a kinship tree about important women to us I was ecstatic. I love art, powerful women, and self expression. Once I started making mine though, I was having a hard time narrowing down who would actually be on my tree. There are so many women in history, in my past, and in the present that inspire, motivate and move me. After a bit of research and deep thought I narrowed it down.
At the bottom of my tree is the foundation. It’s the roots of my tree and the soil that feeds it. I see this as a base for who I am today. The women at the foundation of my tree came before me and paved a path for me to follow. Not complete or smooth by any means, but a movement that they fought hard for that I am going to continue. I wanted badly to list hundreds of strong, ground-breaking women from history but to keep my tree from being 100 feet tall I chose three.
The first woman is Lillith. Lillith was believed to be Adam’s first wife before Eve and was cast away when she began to act sexual, independent, and free-thinking. The bible says that her hair was red, “The color of sin” and was cast into the sea where lascivious she-demons lived. I find it fascinating that an independent woman was the first woman portrayed in the bible and then is marked by the devil with red hair, me being a redhead myself. Secondly, I placed Margaret Mead at the foundation because she was a pioneering woman in many fields. She was an anthropologist and scientist and a life long learner. She inspires me to stay educated. Finally, I placed Rosie the Riveter on my tree because she represents the hard working women and mothers who came before me. The women of her time went to work in the factories during the war while their husbands were off fighting. These women opened doors that had never been touched before.
Towards the top of my tree are my friends and I. These are the women I work with at the Women’s Center and we acted in the Vagina Monologues together. All of my women friends are important to me in different ways but these women that I work with are special to me. They are the women warriors I fight side by side with everyday for social change and women’s rights. I feel like we are the new wave of feminism and activists that carry on the strength and determination of the women at the foundation. They are truly my sisters and partners on this amazing journey.
Lastly, and definitely most important, are my two beautiful daughters. These two little girls are the ones I want to leave my legacy with. I want them to witness strong, independent women standing up for their rights-- who don’t take ‘no’ for an answer. I want them to know that when they are women they can do ANYTHING they can dream. The next generation of young women can only grow stronger as we build upon the foundation of yesterday to support the women of tomorrow.

Guest Contributor: "Bromance"

2009-06-25T16:21:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 04/09 at wordpress)

by Alicia Katopodis

"Bromance"
I have recently noticed a new way of thinking about intimate relationships among young men. This new idea of "bromance" has revolutionized what is acceptable for men in our society. Now men can have relationships with men that involve feelings and emotions with out being labeled as homosexual. Now there is even a television show that airs on MTV that highlights this recent development. It is a competitive reality show that follows nine men as they compete for the friendship of one man, Brody Jenner. This concept has never been made into a public spectacle and so well received. This show and this concept has changed the opinions about male relationships. Yet it has also blurred the lines between male intimacy and male homosexuality.

Although bromance is not a real word, the meaning is comprehensible to most and has gained popularity among many young men. This is the first time that closeness, emotionality and sharing of feelings among men has been deemed acceptable. Many young men have embraced the term and like this new found glory of bromance. Until now men have been shunned for having close male friends and are ultimately deemed homosexual. On the show Bromance, Brody Jenner is looking for true friendship with the ultimate bro. Along the way the contestants will prove themselves worthy of having the pseudo-famous Jenner as their "bro". As I watched the intro to this first episode, Jenner says, "a real bromance is the bond between you and your go-to guy". Now how does this type of friendship between men compare to the type of intimate friendship many women have always been expected to have? This is a strange double standard that calls into question many of the stereotypes of male masculinity and the expectations of that representation.

When it comes to one's own gender and sexual expression most tend to be very sensitive to the outside perspective. Especially heterosexual men have an increasingly difficult time having someone question their sexuality. This means they are lacking some component of male masculinity which is essential to the archetypal male of our society. This masculine male representation has been reinforced through out all of our gender training that we do to children and we continue to do in adult life. Emotionality is a characteristic that has seldom found itself in the masculinity box and has mostly been reflective of femininity. Is bromance finally going to change these stereotypes of male masculinity or further divide?

"Bromance is gay, I am not saying like stupid gay, but gay, in the gay way", when I started this conversation with friends one night this is the response I heard from one person. On one hand this can be very comforting for men to finally have a space that allows them to step outside of their gender boxes, but on the other hand this could be another display of masculine privilege. This abuse of accessibility by men is the fear for some critics of bromance. When considering the opposite representation of masculinity when performed by women you see the disparity of acceptance. Since men have more access they are able to move more freely in and out of masculinity than women are able to perform masculinity with out criticism. It is more acceptable for men to perform out of the bounds of masculinity without being categorized as gay. In 300 BCE Aristotle was the first to lay a foundational sociological perspective of bromance; "it is those who desire the good of their friends for the friends' sake that are most truly friends, because each loves the other for what he is, and not for any incidental quality." Obviously he understood the importance of male bonding and the benefits of intimate relationships for men. This belief becoming more true with time, due to the rising divorce rates, more open mindedness changing the view of marriage and expectations of it. In the past 50 years the average marrying age of men has increased from 23 to 27 thus leading men to find more comfort with living with roommates and having more intimate friendships with men.

As I kept watching the first episode of Bromance, I was hoping for some kind of breaking down masculine stereotypes, but I was sadly disappointed. This was not a new representation at all. Their first challenge was to go find dates on the street for the party that evening which, of course, was a Fredericks of Hollywood Lingerie party. The way to win this challenge was to have to most attractive female dates at this party. This also included the homosexual male that was competing, he was expected to bring women to entertain the other straight men. The winning Bro of this challenge was so proud he was able to scour the streets to find two peroxide blonde girls to win the heart of Jenner for the evening. Consequently the gay contestant was disappointed as well and left the show before the first elimination.

It would be a completely different situation if there was a healthy way of having intimate male friendships without group objectification of women that creates a false sense of male solidarity. This was a theme of this show within the first five minutes. There were repetitive images of women scantly clad and dialogue that reinforced negative and harmful feelings towards women. This is also a characteristic of the culture surrounding hip hop music. In Byron Hurt's film Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes he focuses on the element of camaraderie of men within their sexual conquests with women. In the film Sut Jhally is interviewed and speaks to this depiction of women in media, specifically music videos; he goes on to say " objectified female images are the only way in which women are presented, so the only way in which men are allowed to make a connection in the popular culture with women is through sexuality and it is only through their sexual desires". I think this relationship to music videos is important to note considering Bromance airs on MTV which is also a channel that plays some of the videos that they are talking about in this film. There is obviously a type of masculinity that they are all in accordance in creating and I do not think this show is any different from hip hop videos, most commercial advertising and our sexually addicted media machine.

It is upsetting to know how obsessed our culture is with being homophobic that we go so far out of our way to prove how heterosexual we are by committing crimes, everyday misogyny and gender inequality. I think this is a problem with the representations that we allow in mass media and how penetrable viewers are when they think the source they are retrieving information from has authority. Media has become a tool for male supremacists to have the same clout and represent it in images that are receivable, public and comprehensible.

Although I had high hopes for a show that was going to let down our cultures' stringent gender roles and create a space in which men could redefine themselves and the relationships they have, I found myself looking in the wrong place. I still have hope for men in this world to change and evolve their beliefs surrounding intimate male relationships. I think it is happening and most men that have been able to see the problems surrounding male masculinity. We need to see changes in the way we keep gendering our culture. I don't think this show will last long but these ideas will evolve and hopefully real men can make real change. I wish it did not have to be called bromance and be thought of as an exception for men to be intimate with other men. I think there are enough forward thinking men to change the stereotypes surrounding male closeness. Soon it will not be out of character for men to be in touch with their feelings, and it will not have anything to do with a male representation of femininity.

"Bill would LET moms breastfeed in public"

2009-06-25T16:19:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 04/09 at wordpress)

by Blythe Pavlik

http://www.katu.com/news/local/42641712.html

This issue really gets my blood boiling. To go into all the issues surrounding breastfeeding, public or not, would be too labor intensive right now. But the issue that such bans or bills brings up is an issue of our hyper-sexual, sexually unhealthy society that can't see a breast as having any more value than as an object (never mind it is attached to a human being) of sexual titillation.

Without breastfeeding, none of us would be here. While some of us weren't breastfed personally or choose not to breastfeed - our ancestors relied on it for the survival of the human race. To equate breastfeeding in public to indecent exposure is a red flag that our society's values are schizophrenic.

Maybe public breastfeeding offends people (more often men) who can't see a breast for its biological value and thus choose to be offended by such a natural act - rather than getting his head checked. Or maybe it offends Nestle and other corrupt corporations that make baby formula using biotechnology. Maybe it offends the uptight because they haven't seen their own bodies in the nude for so long - that to see a partially bare breast reminds them that becoming too civilized removes us from our humanity.

What ever the reason is, it is UNREASONABLE and it needs to stop!

When natural processes like breastfeeding, birth and death are obstructed with man-made scientific B.S. we must take a step back and question where this river of natural denial is taking us.

This is a womens' rights issue. A baby's rights issue. A human rights issue. A consumer's rights issue. A citizen's rights issue. A nature's rights issue. It is even a mens' rights issue.

I have been around enough breast feeding breasts now that I have moved past the initial discomfort with it - and so should everyone else. The only thing that makes the breast obscene is our intention with it. If we STOP looking at women's bodies in pieces we might just recognize the enormous value of the whole woman.

A breast was never intended to be a man's play toy. It was always intended to feed his children.

So for anyone who has an issue with public breastfeeding, I invite you to critically examine where that discomfort comes from. Because it comes from a place that is in contrast with humanity and nature. It likely comes from outdated puritan values or from being immersed in a pornographic culture.

For me, this is just another example that we still live in a highly sexist society. The criminalization of breastfeeding is the result of misogyny. It is an act of control over women, sustained by women who buy into the societal norms (which is hard not to do), and perpetuated by the male gaze.

Come on people... lets evolve.

Snapshot: 4GrrlzEyezOnlies (Or, Wow- That's Really Sexist Branding on that Candy Bar!)

2009-06-25T16:18:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 03/09 at wordpress)

by mae stephenson

Excuse the sarcastic title this week, folks; the item in this week's image deserves a title no more mature than the item itself.

I saw this for the first time in my life last weekend. It's a UK-based chocolate bar from our pals at Nestle (just google 'Nestle Boycott' for more reasons women shouldn't adore them). Yes, that is an extra-feminine woman symbol with the circle-slash "no" in place of an 'O' and reads "it's not for girls!" on the side. And yes, it's really just chocolate (I checked the ingredients just in case it was one of those specially formulated vitamin bars posing as candy). This bar can be found at your local SE 33rd and Belmont Zupan's where I snapped this picture. Not with the girly chocolate at the front of the store; in a more discrete location-- across from the baking supplies.

First impression? The advertisers are falling back on oppressive stereotypes about women and chocolate and macho-masculinity to assert that men need to "reclaim" chocolate-- as if women have oppressed men and taken it away from them, making it "girls only." More on this later.

I attempted to find more information on the bar, hoping to figure out what its creators had to say for themselves. All I found on the Nestle page was nutritional facts, and this short statement:

Yorkie was launched in 1976 to take on brands such as Cadbury’s Dairy Milk and provide a chunkier alternative to the slimmed down Dairy Milk bars.

Huh. To combat Cadbury? Interesting.

I had more luck reading the several critiques I found of the bar, whose links to Nestle's statements on their candy are *surprise* broken. Catherine Redfern at the F Word blog noted that "They have actually used the word 'reclaiming', as if women have “taken” chocolate away from men," (http://www.thefword.org.uk/reviews/2002/05/not_for_girls_the_yorkie_and_echo_adverts). Just as I suspected! She follows up this statement by noting that it's advertisers in the first place who have feminized the consumption of chocolate. Pair that with our culture's oppressive notions of masculinity and you've got a problem-- if you advertise chocolate and realize you've just disenfranchised almost half your market.

Vee the Monsoon found the following quote: "...the marketing of a product like chocolate, largely consumed by kids, with such a blatantly oppressive slogan is about as funny as a burning orphanage!" from Sexism: A Dialectical Analysis, another broken link (http://veethemonsoon.wordpress.com/2004/07/02/nestle-uks-yorkie-is-not-for-girls/). Vee also found -can you believe it- even more offensive advertising, which you should read on a full stomach at the blog link.

Another described a commercial with a sales clerk quizzing a woman with a fake mustache on stereotypically macho topics before selling her a Yorkie, which I was able to find on YouTube:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH2pLzdeCP0[/youtube]

Totally. Gross.

Really, Nestle? Dig yourself a liiitttle deeper.
Recommended Reading on Yorkie:

http://veethemonsoon.wordpress.com/2004/07/02/nestle-uks-yorkie-is-not-for-girls/
http://www.thefword.org.uk/reviews/2002/05/not_for_girls_the_yorkie_and_echo_adverts

Eyes Wide Open: Dora the tween-aged fashionista??

2009-06-25T16:17:00.001-07:00

(originally posted 03/09 at wordpress)

by Talia Jae Potter

I am just floored by this. I have two little girls, ages 3 and 6, and they LOVE Dora. She is a strong, independent, educating, little girl on tv. It's a great role model for a preschool girls. She is dredging through jungles, swimming, climbing, outside-- not city life or social material BS. But that is all about to change....

Now she will be transformed into a tween Dora who lives in the city, shops, goes to middle school, and has a social click.... Dear god. Why?? Well, I know why. It's about marketing, getting the largest group of viewers possible, and tweens are the target audience these days. Not to mention they spend the most money on merchandise out of any age group, maybe only rivaling teenagers.

So now you can interact with Dora online, buy her the latest fashion accessories, and make "important social decisions" for her at school and in the city. I am so disturbed by this. It is turning into just another stereotypical female role model that matches barbie, bratz and all the other oppressive children's dolls out there in the market. I am saddened by this change and would like to encourage anyone who feels the same to write to Viacom and Nickelodeon and let them know your thoughts. I will be.

You can read the press release here. It's really, really disturbing.

To write Viacom, click here.

For information on how to write Nickelodeon, click here.

New Column Snapshot: The Elephant in the Bathroom

2009-06-25T16:11:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 02/09 at wordpress)

This is a new column from the editor of the SheSheet, mae stephenson. Snapshot addresses the here-and-now of white supremacist capitalist patriarchy in Portland, OR where the author lives, walks, and braves public transportation. She'll share her on-the-go experiences and observations via low quality cellphone snapshots and short synopsis. Yeah, she realizes there's nothing new about critiquing advertisements and culture from a feminist perspective, but aims to remind you that the work is certainly not finished-- No, not even in Portland, Oregon.

by mae stephenson

Why did this baby-changing table have anthropomorphically gendered hetero elephant parents? Because only hetero parents in sets of two have babies, of course!

A couple days ago I found this gem attached to a baby-changing table in a single-stall bathroom at a bakery/cafe in NW Portland. It's part of the brand sticker-- the item's logo. It's been there a while: I could tell by how the sticker was shredded and picked-at to the point where I could tell the brand name was to the left of the image, but I couldn't actually read it. What I could read, however, were those elephants' genders.

I apologize for the low-quality image, but in real life, the lady-elephant was clearly noted by her long, curly lashes; slightly smaller physique; and place in line behind the papa elephant. Not that only women have eye lashes, but I wasn't the only one who guessed "female" at the sight of them (I showed some other folks the image). I would wager to guess it's in our cultural consciousness.

Heteronormativity is also a part of cultural consciousness. So is dichotomous gender and the nuclear family, for that matter. So am I the only one who's weirded out that the artist went out of their way to gender these elephants in a a human-like fashion? It seems to me that the artist could have taken the opportunity to-- in the spirit of inclusivity and maybe even social justice-- leave the gender to the viewer's imagination. Or-- dare I suggest-- push the norm by giving all the elephants long curly lashes!

Maybe next time, Portland.

They Called…

2009-06-25T16:07:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 02/09 at wordpress)

by Carmen Anderson

We are brilliant; hang on our every word. We are regal; stand with us in our majesty. We are unique; inquire about our tattoos invisible and inked.

I walked through the doors of Portland State University in the spring of 2006. I recalled the countless days that I spent skipping high school in the 80’s, to hang out at PSU, with my college age friend. I was finally here a full-fledged college student, well on my way to my first Bachelors Degree. How would I fit in here among scholars, intellects, and so many young people? How would I be heard and make my mark here at PSU? I decided to “throw my hat in the ring” and challenge myself; if an opportunity presented I was going to try for it. The promise I made was that no matter what, I would be honest about who I am, and true to myself. I decided I was here to learn, and I was here to teach.

One of the first opportunities that presented was the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program. I was a new Child and Family Studies major and we were introduced to the McNair Program right away. I was told about how important the program was when you are headed to graduate school or pursuing a doctorate. I balked, because I had just not even a year ago consented to continue my education into the University from Community College. How could people expect that I would be ready for graduate school, or a PhD? I was a student, but certainly not a scholar, and after all, I am first-generation. I began to envy the ambition of the students that were a part of that program, and I found myself visiting the McNair website more than once. Then I remembered my original challenge to “throw my hat in the ring.”

I decided to apply for the McNair Program in the fall of 2007. I did not think that I stood a chance, because McNair was for students that were above average. That program was for students that were excellent writers, skilled researchers, and on their way to a doctorate.

The email came one rainy Monday afternoon in February, “Congratulations, you have been chosen as a 2007 McNair Scholar.” On the day when I became a McNair Scholar, I was called upon for my story, and it was the story that I had been living and was ready to tell.

My next challenge was the Student Ambassador Program, and I remember looking at their photos in the hall of Smith. I thought, “Wow these students must really be special,” because they are dressed to impress and in prominent display. They represented to me what a “model student” would look like. The Ambassadors were right out in front, had their own uniform, were invited to important events, and had access to faculty and staff. Again, I found myself perusing the website more than once, and wondering how I would fit in that esteemed program. I mentioned to my professor Dr. Jana Meinhold, who was also my advisor that I would like to be a Student Ambassador. I also mentioned that I needed to be nominated for the program, and she was more than happy. “They probably will not want me,” I thought. I am non-traditional in every sense of the word; I am over thirty years of age, a black woman, a first generation college student, and more than a little overweight. The weight issue was not a concern for other opportunities, but for this program, you were seen, a lot!

I decided to apply for the Student Ambassador Program in the winter of 2007. I felt cynical about my application, at best, and I did not think I stood a chance. I could not believe I got as far as I did in the interview process. I had not seen Ambassadors that looked like me; how would I fit in? I have kids for goodness sakes, and I am sure that does not fit, their “mold.”

The phone message came that winter afternoon in March, “Congratulations, you have been chosen as a, 2007-2008 Student Ambassador.” On that day when I became a PSU Student Ambassador, I was called upon for my story and it was the story that I had been living, but hoping to tell.

Another opportunity presented by circumstance, when I took a class called, “Survey of Exceptional Learners.” This class was a requirement for the Child and Family Studies Program, and I did not want to take it. It surveyed children with developmental disabilities, such as Down Syndrome, head injuries, and Autism. I found myself quietly emotional in this class when we would watch footage of white parents describing their life with their disabled child. I did not see myself, although my child was “exceptional.” The families were always two parent, well to do, and able to afford the finest interventions and education. I would wonder to myself how my story compared. I am a single parent, poor, living in low-income housing, who happens to have an Autistic child. I decided to approach my professor and tell her that I was the mother of an “exceptional” child that I had been raising alone since his birth in 1990.

My professor asked me to speak to the class about raising my son, and I agreed. I had never spoke on the matter to anyone; not even my family. I stood before my class and told them the story of my teenage pregnancy that produced one beautiful Autistic child. Much to my surprise, I started to cry and my professor supported me, and encouraged me to go on.

At the end of class, my professor Dr. Jeannie Edwards took my hand and asked me if she could call on me again to speak in class. I have now shared my story with her class five times, because she has asked me back every term. When my professor took my hand that day after class, I was called upon for my story and it was the story that only I could tell.

As a student at Portland State University I have been accepted, invited, and congratulated more than anytime in my life, or my story. When you ask how PSU has supported the status of women through their core commitment of diversity, I say they call upon women for their stories. At PSU, you are not just called upon, but invited to talk loud and draw a crowd. When a woman is called upon to share her story, she is being blessed to do the world a service. When a woman is called upon for her story, she has the power to teach, share, heal, love, empower, and incite thoughts and movement.

PSU calls for the stories of women that are docile and defiant, violent and peaceful, and militant and religious. PSU places women in campus leadership and decision-making; women are placed in the front for all to see, and the back for strength, knowledge, and support. Our diversity, acted out in chunky combat boots and stiletto steppers is respected and celebrated. Our beauty, decorated in lip rings and strings of pearls, is more than a notion. Most of all the impact and side effects of our stories are encouraged and validated in forms of invitations and congratulation letters; I have been embraced in a manner never expected. They called upon me for my story, because it is the story Portland State University had been waiting to hear.

Thank you Portland State University for calling upon women for their stories, and allowing them to grow, heal, and connect.

Eyes Wide Open: Lets talk about you and me, lets talk about oppression baby

2009-06-25T16:05:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 02/09 at wordpress)

by Talia Jae Potter

Today my class went to an Illumination Project performance. If you don't know what that is I'll tell you....

It's called the theater of the oppressed. They perform real-life oppressive situations that have to do with racism, immigration, religion, sexism, etc... they run through the play once without stopping the oppressive circumstance and then they run through again and ask the audience to intervene. Good rehearsal for a future incident.

Today they talked about racism and it was aimed at a black woman by checking her ID, touching her hair and calling her "Whoopie". A few people intervened with good suggestions that made the characters think... others were trying to say that it wasn't really racism and that they didn't understand why people saw it that way.

*So a side note, I tend to forget that not everyone has my training or knowledge about oppression that we get when working at places like WRC or Multicultural Center.

So we went back to class and had a group discussion about racism and oppression. One middle aged white woman kept getting defensive and saying that she just didn't see it as racism and doesn't really understand why we are saying all this.... She even said we, WE, were being ignorant. Oh goodness me... The teacher and me and other students tried to explain why things like so called "Random selection" and touching a black person's hair is considered racist and this woman just had a really hard time listening to any of it. I took a few deep breaths and let it go.

I know its a huge shock to learn all this about oppression when you have spent your whole life ignoring it. Thats the point, they don't want us to see it. But it must be seen. Or it will never change. Education and knowledge is the key and with knowledge you gain freedom. I really hope this lady went home and thought a little bit about what happened today.

Spewing Butterflies: A Silent Scream…

2009-06-25T16:04:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 02/09 at wordpress)

Spewing Butterflies: A new column from camille

Translated as a random spew of emotional turmoil and thoughts Camille uses prose and different forms of writing to speak her mind. She speaks of true emotions and real life experience as a way to translate her world. This column includes a lot of her personal struggles through trauma, addiction, and domestic violence as an adolescent to a young adult. Using our culture as a framework, her perspective hopes to engage others to speak the truth of their experiences. Through her insight and awareness she strives to contribute to the growth of the woman’s movement.

by camille

Blades across my forearm. Silencing unspoken rage and fear. Pay attention.

I’m losing sanity. Losing my power. Fifteen. Angry and fearless. I lost myself. I lost touch with who I was. Never really knew as I drifted further away from reality. Boys, drugs I tried everything to escape. Promiscuity seemed like another good escape. My sexuality became my identity. The more sex I had, the more confidence I got. The minute he walked out the door, so did my worth. The cycle continued and I felt like I had nothing to lose. It was a trap. Eventually I had nothing left and suddenly woke up in a nightmare.

I watched a movie the other day called Thirteen. The angry teenager depicted me at that age. I was angry and invincible solely because I was willing to self destruct at any moment. The panic of a dysfunctional home. The heavy desire to fit in to the right group as if your life depended on it. Self mutilation was a way to use my voice. I wasn’t sure how to scream ‘SOMETHING IS WRONG!’ Well into my teens I had no idea I had a voice. My anger turned in against everything I hated about my world. My hormones attacked my body and I fell into a crazy whirlwind of emotion. I was the first to get my period, before my older sister, and felt more shame than anything. My period certainly didn’t mean anything close to a beautiful rite of passage. I remember my step mother gave me a dozen roses and told my dad. I was so embarrassed, like it was any of his business. I needed a group of women that explained the connection between what was happening to my body, what I was up against in the world, and what it means to walk proud in this world as a woman.

I find that angry teenager inside crying out for more. With all the studies of how women make less than men, go for lower positions, and essentially don’t value their work as much as they should, I almost feel intimidated all over again. Eating disorders and self mutilation are ways women control their anger turning it inward. With so much powerlessness in the world, it was the one thing I had control over. It was a place where I could escape, stay silent, and fall numb to the world I was being raised in. I tried to fit in, tried to be someone that I wasn’t, and at a cost for what? I can’t count how many times I’ve heard that angry teenager screaming inside, not at the world, but at me to wake up.

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According to Dr. Mary Pipher, author of Reviving Ophelia, she comments that self mutilation can be seen as a concrete interpretation of our culture’s injunction to young women to carve themselves into culturally acceptable pieces. During adolescence most girls are subjected to a feminine culture that influences them to lose to IQ, their identities and their self worth. Our culture doesn’t support empowerment of women and most of us lose a sense of what that means in middle school. Hormones, peer pressure, lack of supportive environment? Who knows the cause…. I would say it was a mixture of all three and then some.
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Image used with permission by artist Mel Kadel at http://www.melkadel.com/. Original image, titled "un-scared," was created independent of the SheSheet and is not an official logo.

Well Rounded Womanhood

2009-06-25T16:02:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 02/09 at wordpress)

By Olivia Jarratt

"You know, a lot of girls are as big as you but at least they hide it." My brother poked my belly as he told me this after picking me up from ballet when I was in the 8th grade. I felt ashamed when he said this, because I knew it was true. I was not hiding my flaws well enough.

Growing up, I was always taught to be my true self. I accepted my quirky behavior and had as much fun as I could, even though my actions were often 'weird'. My mother allowed us to dress ourselves, as soon as we were able, how ever we wanted. My outfits were loud and creative and I embraced it. It wasn't until I hit 6th grade that I began thinking about my belly or my double chin or my bulging arm fat. I was never very big, just chubby, but as my classmates began caring about their appearance and clothing, I found myself tagging behind. I cared about making sure I had a ring on each finger and prided myself on the 6 handmade necklaces I would make and wear everyday. Peace, harmony and love love love is all I cared about.

In junior high, more girls started reading teen magazines religiously. Somehow it was an induction into womanhood, a training bra of sorts, preparing us for Redbook or Cosmopolitan. Along with this rite of passage, I was also introduced into the feelings of shame and guilt about my body. Bombarded with images of deathly looking models and tips on how to stay thin, I couldn't stand the way I looked. To make things worse, no boys liked me. My quirky nature was no longer fun, it just cast me in the role of sexually undesirable. My girlfriends were desired by all the boys while I was cast as a lesbian feminist, my loud opinions and lack of a boyfriend determined my persona, despite possible contradictions.

I did get a boyfriend junior year, and by that time I was thin...finally. Yet somehow, even though I had finally reached what I thought to be the appropriate size, I still felt too big. Between my tiny pooch on my belly and small breasts, my boyfriend seemed to never be satisfied. Although he once said I had 'kiwi boobs' and wanted me to take 'enhancing' herbs, he never called me fat. Regardless of the language, I knew I needed to cover myself up.

Looking back on that part of my life, now that I am almost 50 pounds heavier, I am amazed that I was ever that person. Looking at pictures blows my mind, I was so little, yet in my mind, I was big. Although I never developed an eating disorder or worked out 2 times a day (I barely went 2 times a week) I still refused to accept my appearance.

I remember thinking to myself that there was nothing about my body that I liked. Not my eyes, not my fingers, not my feet. Even though I still get down on myself about how I look, I know that I am hurting myself and wasting time that could be spent enjoying life. Thinking about my weight still takes up some of my time, but now I am trying to focus on acceptance. And when I forget, I now have a man that will remind me how beautiful I am. My body is now expanding to take up more space, my hips are shifting and I am finding a new sense of womanhood. This isn't quite what the magazines preached, but for the first time I am on solid ground.

Guest Contributor: Abstinence- Only Sex Education

2009-06-25T16:01:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 02/09 at wordpress)

by Marissa Mark

Let’s talk about sex. Or can we? Since 1981, the federal government has been supporting abstinence-only-until-marriage programs. Though theoretically, abstinence-only programs are a good thing, in actuality, they are ethically problematic; exclude lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth; and create unknowledgeable teens (SIECUS).

Abstinence-only education, set up through the Social Security Act of 1998, states that the programs must teach, “social, psychological, and health gains of abstinence; abstinence as the expected standard; abstinence is the only certain way to avoid pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases; monogamous relationship in the context of marriage is the expected standard of sexual activity; sexual activity outside of the context of marriage is likely to have harmful psychological and physical effects; how to reject sexual advances and how alcohol and drug use increase vulnerability to sexual advances” among other things (U.S. Social Security Administration). Abstinence-only education is somewhat like communism-- in that the idea looks good on paper, but the execution of it becomes skewed. Though it claims to be teaching what is moral and what is effective, it is misleading to teenagers.
“Comprehensive sex education teaches about abstinence as the best method for avoiding STDs and unintended pregnancy, but also teaches about condoms and contraception to reduce the risk of unintended pregnancy and of infection with STDs” (Advocates for Youth). Comprehensive sex education talks about abstinence as being the best option, but doesn’t pretend that teenagers are innocent, and includes information about contraceptives, STDs, and sexual health.

The execution of abstinence- only education often is distorted. In 1997 in North Carolina, chapters covering contraception and STDs were cut out of ninth grade text books because it didn’t comply with statewide curriculum. “The board hoped that if they obliterated a discourse on condoms, getting down wouldn’t dawn on youngsters” (Mackler). Another skeptical route this type of education can take is better known as the Great Antipleasure Conspiracy which is where adults attempt to convince teens that sex is no fun. They even go as far as omitting the clitoris from high school biology textbooks (Mackler). Both of these courses are just ridiculous; teens will still find out about these sorts of things either from friends in different schools, online, or on television.

Even the curriculum of abstinence-only sex education is problematic. It not only discriminates against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth, but also violates human rights. Because abstinence-only education, as previously stated, teaches “marriage as the expected standard of sexual activity” and “sexual activity outside of the context of marriage is likely to have harmful… effects” (Alford), it excludes non-heterosexual teens. It also “rejects the idea of sexual intimacy for lesbians and gays and ignores their need for critical information about protection” (ACLU). Access to comprehensive and accurate information health—including sexual health—is recognized as a human right (SIECUS). Abstinence- only courses often censor information about contraceptives or distort the statistics. They also lack giving any information about where contraceptives can be obtained. Without this sort of information, teens get confused.

Abstinence-only defense is weak. Kathleen Tsubata claims that it can’t be true that “kids are going to do it anyway” because that used to be said about smoking, racial discrimination, and drunk driving. Even though education of those topics has decreased their happenings, they will still continue to happen. Since the frontal lobe of the brain --which controls planning, problem solving, and judgment-- isn’t fully developed until a person’s mid-twenties, teens will continue to make bad decisions. Abstinence-only program supporters will tell you that they do teach about contraceptives, but they “do so honestly by showing the failure rates for pregnancy and disease prevention” (NCAE). Frequently it is shown that these sex education classes use the “typical use failure” as use failure whereas typical use failure is mostly due to incorrect or inconsistent use. By omitting important words and spinning statistics around, abstinence-only education ends up simply misinforming teenagers.

Although abstinence-only courses appear to be a good idea, the students being taught by their methods often experience bad side effects. Despite the fact that abstinence-only students often remain abstinent while in high school, 88% of them still engage in pre-marital sex. Studies also show that those in abstinence courses, if they engage in pre-marital sex, they are less likely to use contraception (CCGR). Previously mentioned is that the courses only discuss failure rates of contraceptives if they discuss them at all. If all teens are hearing about that over and over again, condoms and birth control simply fail at keeping them protected, then why would they even attempt to look into it? Teens in abstinence-only settings tend to see abstaining from sex meaning from vaginal intercourse. Due to misinformation and lack thereof, teens think that oral and anal sex is fine. In fact, those who describe themselves as being not sexually active often also report having oral sex instead of sexual intercourse because they were being abstinent (ACLU).

Abstinence-only programs are put in place to try to prevent pre-marital sex, but instead, they tend to create unknowledgeable teens and greater problems.

4 Tips: Getting into Grad School

2009-06-25T15:58:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 02/09 at wordpress)

by mae stephenson

I'm the kind of student who knew what I wanted to go to graduate school for long before I had decided on an undergraduate major. Maybe I've just always had lofty goals-- it's not common for my peers to be thinking of graduate school as certainly as I do. By my peers, I mean us lucky women who come from working class families with not a single college degree in our immediate family and get to pay for our education on our own. But with graduation coming up for me (crosses fingers, knocks on wood, and all that other stuff) at the end of summer, it's past time for me start setting goals on actually working toward getting into graduate school. So I recently sat down with one of my greatest mentors, who happens to be pursuing a doctoral degree, to have a talk about an action plan. Always one to try to share and not hoard knowledge, I've decided to write about what we came up with. Beware, some aspects of this plan might be pretty specific to my personal educational history and future goals, but I have a feeling at least some of it could be of benefit to the general graduate-degree-seeking public. Here goes:

First: Forge relationships with a variety of letter-of-recommendation-writing folks including faculty, staff (think student affairs, academic advisers, etc), community leaders, and mentors you've had for long periods of time.

***Not sure you have the right faculty connections? My mentor gave me a great idea: Think about professors you've had and really enjoyed but didn't keep in contact with. Find an online article relating to the course you took and e-mail it to your professor with an intro saying something like, "Hi Professor _____, I just read this article and it reminded me of the ________ class I took with you during Fall/Winter/Spring/Summer of 20__" (to help them place where they know you from). Follow with a paragraph or two of observations, critical thoughts, and connections to course material. Finish with a request for their thoughts on the article. If you get a response that isn't quite as detailed as you hoped, send another article with a similar note. Choosing professors that teach in your major is probably wisest, but any professor you think you could make a connection with and who would be able to attest to your dedication (grad schools look for folks who will finish), your critical thinking ability, and your other admirable qualities are also great options.

Second: Groom those faculty, staff, community leaders, and mentors in what the content of their potential letters should look like. What we decided I should do is put together a draft of my Curriculum Vitae (vita or CV for short: basically, a more detailed document than a resume which contains info about your life's goals and academic accomplishments; for a more detailed description and some tips, go to http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/641/01/ and of course, the career center on campus). After I've got a simple draft, send an e-mail to between five and ten letter-of-recommendation-writing candidates inviting them to enter into correspondence with me about goals for graduate school including tips on how to find the right program, how to write effective essays, and proof-reading my Curriculum Vitae; also, let them know that once I get to the point of the actual application process, I might be asking them to write a letter of recommendation for me. Not everyone will accept my invitation or stay the course until I'm ready to apply, so it's important include several people.

We decided to go this route because I'm not going to graduate school immediately after I finish my undergraduate degree and keeping in contact with faculty, staff, etc is great way to keep them familiar with me as a student and with my goals so when letter writing time comes around, they can easily recall my CV and know what they should gear their letter toward. This makes it easier for them to write my letter and gives me an opportunity to receive guidance and tips from folks who can really help me attain my goals.

Third: Research graduate programs. This seemed really daunting to me until I realized how much information we really have at out finger tips.

-Those faculty, staff, and mentors you're already contacting? Ask if they can recommend any programs for you after they read your vita. This is especially true of mentors in your field of interest. Ask them where they went to school and how they liked it.

-Look up scholarly journals pertaining to the area you'd like to study. What universities are they coming out of? Where do the experts teach?

- This is the big one: ready? Visit the Career Center. This is part of what your fees go toward and they are really good at their job over there.

Fourth: This might be the point where it gets a little personalized for my career path. First of all, I need to take a break between undergrad and graduate studies to work and replenish my bank account. Second, I'm looking into Student Development and Student Affairs, and I've managed to get some experience under my belt. My friend recommended that instead of applying for a program right away, I select about five universities I'd like to study at and apply for a job there first. I can keep my Portland service industry job until a position opens up on a campus of my choice or until I've got enough money saved up to go back to school. If I do get hired on a campus, I can settle in, apply for school after six months to a year, and if I get in? SCORE, most universities offer discounted tuition for employees.

But even if your career path isn't geared toward work on a college campus, there are a lot of jobs that you can qualify for with your undergraduate degree. If you need to take time off anyway, like I do, what's the harm in trying?

This is not a sure-fire guide to getting into grad school, but it's four hearty tips that I've found useful in laying out an action plan. If I come upon more, I'll be sure to share them-- and I hope you do the same.

The Theories of Feminism and Lesbianism in Theatre

2009-06-25T15:56:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 01/09 at wordpress)

by Lisa M. Scrivner

The Theories of Feminism and Lesbianism in Theatre:

Providing the Opportunities for Women to be Taken Seriously in their Art.

Feminist theatre is a direct result of the feminist movement. Just as there are various and multiple ways to be a woman, lesbian, or anything in general, there is no one set way to be a feminist. Feminist theatre not only provides women with opportunities to be taken seriously in theatre arts, it also helps to spread knowledge of past and present women's movements. It can be used as a tool to confront our society with issues that aren't only important to women, but are important in the evolution of society. In my opinion, the theatre should grasp the various ideas of feminism to create a true and complete feminist genre. By embracing all aspects of feminism, the feminist theatre of the future will generate a more diverse standpoint and cater to all women.

There are three main categories in feminism, as well as many subgroups. These differing ideals create controversy over which is the true feminism and also over the definition of a 'feminist.' Through my personal involvement with student organizations at Western Oregon University such as S.A.G.E. (student advocates for gender equality) as well as my interactions with members of the women's task force at Oregon State University and the Women's Resource Center at Portland State University, I have become familiar with the categories of feminism and their distinct traits. First there is the liberal feminist stance, with the idea being the promotion of equality of women to men. Next there are cultural feminists, who take the stage to say that women are superior to men. The third main category of feminism is the social/materialist feminism, in which gender is thought of only as a byproduct of society. There are many other groups that fit in between these categories as well. The main problem with wanting a true and pure form of feminism is that all the various subgroups are fighting for very different reasons. At this point in time every group feels theirs is the one true feminism. In order to create an open-minded and refreshing feminist theatre, pieces of all the subgroups need to be included. The end result will be a diverse atmosphere where many ideas, even opposite ideas, can be presented and understood at the same time.

In mapping the evolution of feminist theatre, it is important to remember how it started and the reasons why it has emerged. Charlotte Canning states in her book Feminist Theaters in the U.S.A.: Staging Women's Experience, that feminist theatre started as “explorations of the experience of women together”(10). Feminists use theatre and performance as a tool to both inform society about what they feel is important and for the purpose of feeling personal satisfaction from participating in and also viewing feminist performances. Feminist theatre is a cultural representation that is influenced by the perspectives of its producers, performers, audiences, and critics whose goal is a positive re-evaluation of women's roles. It is theatre made by women for women, ideally. Canning also states, “inspiration for creation is women's everyday lives, their dreams, feelings, and thoughts”(10). This exemplifies that the feminist theatre is very much a personal feat. On a similar note, Julie Malnig and Judy C. Rosenthal, identify that for W.E.T. (Women's Experimental Theatre), “Their primary concern was not to simply reflect women's experiences, but to explore the explicit ways in which gender roles are reinforced and embedded in cultural institutions”(202-203).

There are many strategies for going about performing feminist theatre; what to include and what not to include. It is important to look at issues women are facing today in relationship to what they have overcome in the past and also where we want to be in the future. In this way the ideas being presented should be something that the audience will relate to and feel empowered or moved by. Themes in feminist theatre help us to celebrate our diversities as women, but also recognize and embrace our similarities. One of the themes occurring in feminist drama is that of community. Community as women, community as feminists, community as mothers and daughters, as lesbians...there is an infinite amount of possibilities. The use of rituals among some theatre groups is a popular tactic of visually representing community and also actively involving the audience. Canning states, “Rituals served to dramatize the unique powers and experiences of women among women”(125). Singing and chanting as a group during performance is once such ritual.

Recently one of the most popular themes amidst feminist theatre is plays about violence against women. One example is The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler. Plays of this type provide an opportunity for awareness of social problems and issues that are never talked about. On extraordinary thing about The Vagina Monologues is that through the V-day foundation it is put on annually across the globe to raise awareness and money for women's groups and charities. The V-day foundation foots the bill for the royalties and allows all profits to go to charities and relief funds. This has been the biggest and most well known feminist theatre production in the feminist movement. In my personal experiences with The Vagina Monologues, it has given women the ability to speak out on issues they feel strongly about and has allowed audiences of all kinds to hear the message that violence is not okay and it is still being ignored. The Vagina Monologues has been one of the most powerful and positive experiences of my life and I believe that more plays like it should exist.

Even though feminist theatre is a method to unify women, it is also about breaking down the stereotypes of women as well. Through my own experiences, the general consensus is that feminists and lesbians are one and the same. This is indeed a huge misconception. While the feminist theatre and lesbian theatres often work side by side, they are indeed quite different. Lesbian theatre developed from feminist theatre mainly because lesbians didn't necessarily relate to all the issues feminist theatre was concerned with. Canning's interpretation of the forming of the lesbian theatre from the feminist theatre is that “The spirit of tradition of feminist theater demanded that where material did not exist it be created by and for those who needed it”(117). So even though feminist theatre is the root for lesbian theatre, they are very different. Canning also states, “One of the strongest and most divisive conflicts within feminism has been the issues of differences among women, especially those of race, sexual orientation, and class”(77-78). Women needed theatre they could relate to and identify with, and the different communities of women also wanted something specific to them that they could take pride it. My goal in wanting to establish an eclectic feminist theatre is to cherish and embrace the diversity of our cultures and communities while also acknowledging our unity as women.

As far as my understanding of the main types of feminism and their relationship to theatre, each has their own unique focus. Liberal feminist theatre includes works by, for, and about women with emphasis on the equality of women and men. Cultural feminist theatre tries to find or create new forms that go against the traditional and male constructs of theatre. They want to create a separate female form of theatre. The social/materialist feminist theatre stresses material conditions, such as history, race, class, and gender. The present day feminist theatre movement is changing and growing at a rapid rate and in many different directions. It is still searching for a definition of its purpose and a goal for the future. There is no single answer to the quest for definition because, as I stated earlier, there is no single idea of womanhood. Individualism and diversity are the key factors in creating a feminist theatre experience. Embracing all aspects of feminism is essential to creating a feminist theatre that is inclusive, diverse, and successful in impacting the audience.

Women in theatre do not objectify it as a pretty plaything, and do not want to be objectified as merely objects either. The theatre we are in represents us and our lives as well. For some women, the theatre goes beyond our dreams and is our life and work, hence the reason we want to be -and deserve to be- taken seriously. We want the theatre we build to represent who we are, where we've come from, and where we are going. Each of us has a story and has a vision; I challenge our society to actually listen and to truly see us, as we need to be seen. The feminist theatre is evolving...we are here... and we aren't going away until we are heard!

Hey... its 2009... Playboy... really???

2009-06-25T15:51:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 01/09 at wordpress)

by Blythe Pavlik Why is Playboy okay?I don’t get it. I don’t get why Playboy is still considered the “gentlemen’s” magazine or why it is exempt, in some groups, from critical critique. I don’t get it. I grew up in a house with Playboy magazines. The magazines were not securely hidden, as to send the message, if found, that there was something inherently evil or wrong about them. And when found, both my parents responded casually, as a team without alarm and without defense. It was the seventies and the moral issues of such a magazine were vastly different than they are today. At least in my eyes. I view the seventies as a time of release and genuine sexual expression in lieu of the repressed era of the 50’s. I am sure there are many aspects I am totally off base with... but, as a kid in that era and as a woman now, looking back - I simply remember women in softened tones, flirting with the camera. Breasts unevenly shaped and beautiful in their imperfection. Tufts of untamed pubic hair… women blending in with fields of daisies... Round hips… and on a conscious level, I didn't process what I saw as "bad." I remember my sister and I looking through the magazines as young girls out of pure curiosity. They were women’s bodies, naked. As I reminisce, I have a feeling of innocence about it. As strange as that may seem, the Playboy images I have in my memory from the 1970’s are soft, playful, unaltered and the bodies in the photos looked like the bodies in my daily life, the only difference being that they were naked. In 1980 I was incapable of making any sort of critique of Playboy, feminist or otherwise. I was five years old and obsessed with the musical Annie. But now at thirty-three, I find a jagged rock in my throat when reading news of eighty-two year old Hugh Hefner’s three girlfriends, all of whom are under the age of twenty-three. How can this be normalized? On the inarticulate surface, Playboy today is a magazine of plastic women. It is a magazine that promotes hyper ideals of heterosexual sex (accept of course for lesbian sex that serves a man or mens fantasies), youth, race (white/blonde), and intellect (or lack thereof). The women of the magazine have an orange hue, bleach blonde hair, breast implants, strategically shaved pubic hair and are, of course, airbrushed. That speaks to body image, but my biggest concern is identity and the portrayal of identity. In the era of normalized pornography, women have become experts at “playing” seductive. We have all seen these photos. We know them well. And many women are well-versed in how toperform as sexually aroused to either catch a man or keep a man. And we should be very concerned that such "skills" are commonly being taught to young men and women through sexualized media. The meta-view of current-day Playboy is that of spiritual, emotional and intellectual destruction. This is, of course, my viewpoint. After courses on “sex-positive” pornography and, more importantly, my own life experience, I have come to the personal conclusion that sexualized media distorts reality so much so, that women in 2009 still submit to men who abuse because the men have no idea how else to be intimate. It is my personal opinion that, as a culture, we are in denial of all the side effects of normalized pornography. Maybe there should be a new word coined for it, because I don’t think that all pornography is inherently evil. But I wonder about a culture that struggles to view sexual partners as equals (maybe this issue of equality within a relationship touches on why same-sex marriage is threatening to traditional views). I wonder about a culture that glorifies imbalance, dominance, and deviance. I wonder about a culture that blocks images of breastfeeding women from its webpages but permits sexualized images of underage girls. I wonder about a culture thats women suffer from high rates of depression and self-loathing and whose men are experiencing “erectile dysfunction” at (sociologically) alarming rates. I wonder about a culture in which celebrities go to parties at the Playboy mansion with no reflection on sexism and all the other “isms” that the Playboy empire promotes. Give me a break - how can we, in 2009, avoid discussing the "thinging" of women. Women are not objects or things, and by not discussing this, we are supporting the demoralization of women. In 1979, Playboy magazine seemed unalarming to me. I am sure some of my elder feminists would disagree. But in my childhood house, my parents tried to disarm negative attitudes about nudity by making nudity uninteresting and normal and Playboy was part of that learning process. Playboy was in many of our households growing-up, and how each of our parents chose to handle our finding of it also sent messages about sex and its relation to shame. In 2009, thirty years later, I feel that we are in a serious sexual decline. As a culture we have become disoriented and disconnected from substance and are promoting sexuality that is onlyskin deep. We are an airbrushed culture, embarrassed of the true aspects of who we are that make us unique and ultimately human. Why should the idea of “ugly” exist at all? If anything,ugly was created to instill insecruity in people so we would be tempted to buy into what ever "they" have to sell that could make us more attractive. And Playboy is a leader in this marketing plan. I have read pro-pornography viewpoints of Wendy McElroy and Susie Bright and consider myself sex-positive and a feminist but I don’t view harm as sexual or sex as harmful (unless it is). I don’t think sex has to have harmful attributes and I don’t believe harm has to play a role in sex to make it more interesting. I have been sexually harmed, like too many other women and I have been sexually respected by sincere, harmless people. At 33, I choose sincere and harmless sex. In my personal view, too many of us try to regulate the harm we have endured, sexually. It is not to say that women are sole victims. We are all victims of socialization. And this is not to force victim-hood on anyone. But I think symbols like Playboy express a sexual retardation of our culture. Playboy is not the only culprit; mainstream women’s and men’s magazines can be as harmful: Maxim, Cosmopolitan, Self… etc. All airbrushed, all sexist, all racist, all totally ridiculous as far as reality goes. For the sake of not turning this post into a book - I wont even get into the sexual retardation caused by televised media, like MTV. I am dismayed by news of Hugh Hefner’s newest 22 year old girlfriend. All I can really do is take a deep breath and hope people begin to ask questions about the over-sexed icon that is Hugh Hefner. All I can do is shake my head at the sorrow I feel for those people who buy into the myth that it is reasonable that the public is being marketed the idea of an 82 old man “dating” women (women not woman) 60 years his junior. As a culture, we are deeply disturbed by pedophilia, and yet we let the idea of an 82 year old man with three women under 23 pass as no big deal. I hope people get fed up with Hef and his playboy image enough to start talking about sex... real sex and how it has been distorted by capitalism and back lashes from oppression. We need accurate images in the media of both men and women as well as sex. … if parents today aren’t talking to their kids about sex… who is? MTV and Hugh Hefner?

The Glass Crack: Mom in Chief

2009-06-25T15:49:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 12/08 at wordpress)

by Gwen Davis

I knew when Michelle Obama announced that her first priority would be her children, acknowledging she was not interested in the two-for-one mentality of the Clinton era, there would be mixed opinions. One US News reporter called this choice a “shame and setback” for women. Apparently Hillary didn’t get it right, and Michelle won’t please the masses either.

My mother worked a lot. I remember going to dental school with her as a little girl and sleeping on the floor of her office if I was too sick to go to school. We did not see much of each other. I had many friends whose mothers stayed home, and I remember thinking how nice it would be to come home to family.

Last year at this time, I was teaching preschool. Many of the children were at the school longer than I was, and I worked overtime everyday. Who is raising children these days? It sure isn’t parents. If Michelle Obama wants to be home with her kids through what will inevitably be a stressful, busy, and chaotic four—hopefully eight—years, then I say good for her. Women cannot expect her to represent each one of us.

The reporter fuels the fire by adding that “the feminist movement has been so burned by conservatives who labeled feminists as ‘anti-motherhood’ that the movement still has not found a comfortable place to reside in the chasm between career women and homemakers.” There seems to be a mutual feeling of guilt. Working women are not home with the kids and therefore feel like sub par mothers; homemakers haven’t join the work force and might feel like the women’s movement has left them behind. Now, this is purely speculation, but I know I already feel confused and I don’t have a fulltime job or children.

By the time I graduate I will have two master’s degrees. I want to be a career woman, but I also want a family. Am I willing to leave my children at daycare for ten hours? Absolutely not! Something will have to give, and I think that is how Michelle Obama is feeling. The Obama family is in the spotlight, during a very difficult and fragile time I might add. What is wrong with providing a sense of normality, especially since the girls are so young?

It is disappointing that a declaration of family first has been met with such criticism. Many of the social problems we face today can be traced back to the family, or lack thereof. I am proud that our future first lady is committed to family. She has plenty of time to shine and put her Ivy League education to good use, but for now I see nothing wrong with her instilling the values of family and education in her children.

Read the SheSheet. Write the SheSheet. Call for Submissions!

2009-06-25T15:47:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 11/08 at wordpress)

If you're reading this, you're a SheSheet reader. Thanks! But have you ever thought about becoming a SheSheet writer? We love one-time, periodic, AND regular contributors.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

The SheSheet is looking for women and allies to submit to our online
zine! If you love to write, cook, create things, analyze popular
culture, or talk about women's issues, we want you and your talents!
We accept poetry, prose, news or opinion pieces, artwork that can be
scanned or photographed so that it can be shown on the computer,
recipes, craft patterns, instructions for creative things, film and
book reviews, and more. We love written articles that have to do with
feminist issues, women's issues, and social justice and/or social
change related things. Critiques of contemporary society are more than
welcome. People of all genders are welcome to make submissions.

For more information, please check out the SheSheet at
http://www.shesheet.com/ or write to the editor at mae@shesheet.com.

Isn't it time to get in touch with your feminist side?

ACTION ALERT! Fred Phelps' group to protest PSU's QRC and gender neutral bathrooms

2009-06-25T15:45:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 11/08 at wordpress)

The Rev. Fred Phelps' people from the Westboro Bapstist Church (the "God Hate's Fags" people) are planning a protest on Monday morning, November 24, at the corner of 13th and SW Market. They will be protesting PSU's Queer Resource Center and, specifically, the concept of gender neutral bathrooms.

They refer to PSU on their web site:

http://www.godhatesfags.com/schedule.html

If you scroll down to 11/24, you'll see it on there.

The Queer Resource Center is mobilizing folks to get together for a counter-protest. There will be an organizational/poster making meeting at the QRC at 1pm on Friday. We will meet at the QRC on Monday morning at 7 am to pickup the posters and walk down to the site together. If you need any further information please call the Queer Resource Center at 503-725-9742.

The Glass Crack: Many Skirts

2009-06-25T15:25:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 10/08 at wordpress)

by Gwen Davis

This morning as I sat comfortably at my desk I began to reapply my mint flavored Chap Stick. I usually scan The New York Times and try my hardest to click on a topic other than politics. This morning I found an article in the World section of particular interest entitled “In Poverty and Strife, Women Test Limits.”

Click Here for a link to article.

In summation, the article highlights the incredible advancement of women’s rights in certain regions of Afghanistan over the last decade. Fear of militiamen and the Taliban has lessened in the scarred town of Bamian and been replaced by “a quiet revolution” that is allowing women to drive, to work, to make decisions in the community and to consider a life not wholly controlled by a man.

After putting my Chap Stick away I noticed all the conveniences around me and considered the extraordinary advantages I take for granted everyday. This is not to say I am not aware of this fact, I am. What I can not quite wrap my head around is the fact that women in this country have come so far while women in other countries still have a really long way to go. Imagine feeling pride in driving a car. Imaging having to patch the same skirt everyday because it is the only article of clothing left. Better yet, imagine being brave enough to acknowledge the possibility of being killed but show up to work anyway.

I have been able to drive since I was a little girl farming in Texas. This morning I got to choose between wearing jeans and wearing a skirt and on my walk to work the only thing I felt was cold. How did we get here? What do we do? Can we do anything? What is wrong with humanity?

Perhaps a majority of the work must be done by the women in those countries like in the ‘60s and ‘70s in the United States, yet I still feel like the situation is very different. The terror, the fear, the violence is much more prevalent in Afghanistan. Though this is a localized step in the right direction, it has gotten the country moving. Perhaps one day they will be as close as we were to putting a woman in the highest office, but for now they are content with gradual progress and more skirts.

PSU Dining Aims for a Zero Waste Dining Hall

2009-06-25T15:23:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 10/08 at wordpress)

NEWS RELEASE
Source: Laura Weiss (503-984-8539)
Regional Sustainability Manager, ARAMARK Higher Education
Author: Office of University Communications, 503-725-3711

As Campus Sustainability Day is celebrated on October 22, Portland State University Dining, in partnership with its food service provider, ARAMARK, is proud to announce that the dining hall, known as Victor's in Ondine Hall on Sixth Avenue, is taking steps to reduce its contribution to solid waste by aiming to be a "zero waste facility."

By following rigorous recycling practices, composting all food waste and taking steps to eliminate unnecessary packaging, PSU Dining will be diverting the majority of its waste produced by the dining hall operations from the landfill. Zero waste practices at the dining hall include the following methods:

* Recycling all cans, glass bottles, plastic containers, cardboard boxes and paper.
* Setting up a new system to recycle all plastic wrap & films.
* Recycling used cooking oil. This year, PSU Dining will be setting up a new partnership with an Oregon biodiesel producer to ensure that all used cooking oil will be converted to fuel, preventing roughly 12,000 lbs of fossil carbon dioxide from entering Earth's atmosphere every year.
* Composting all food waste and napkins. Last year Ondine dining hall composted 41.8 tons of food waste.
* Using bulk containers for condiments, avoiding individual packaging as much as possible.

Food waste is the least recycled material in the United States, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service, Americans throw away 96 billion pounds of food each year, equivalent to 3,044 pounds per second.

Sending that food waste to a landfill causes environmental pollution. When food waste decomposes in a landfill, it produces methane gas, a potent greenhouse gas that is far more heat-trapping than carbon dioxide. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, landfills account for approximately 23% of total human-made methane emissions, the second largest contribution of any methane source in the United States.

"By adhering to these zero waste practices, we can further reduce and ultimately eliminate all trash at the PSU dining hall," said Laura Weiss, ARAMARK's Regional Sustainability Manager. "It will take some time to fully divert all waste from the landfill but, given how much trash we're already diverting, we are well on our way to achieving the goal of zero waste in the future."

"We look forward to working with PSU Dining to assess new opportunities to move toward zero waste," said Noelle Studer-Spevak, PSU Sustainability Coordinator. "When ARAMARK employees in Ondine take bold steps, it can inspire the whole campus to reduce waste. This kind of effort demonstrates how green is more than our school color- it's our school spirit!"

PSU Dining has already removed trays from the dining hall, reducing its energy and water consumption. "Going trayless" also helps to reduces overall food waste. In a recent study by ARAMARK Higher Education, food waste was reduced by 1.2 to 1.8 ounces per person per meal when trays were removed from dining facilities. This represents a 25 to 30 percent reduction in food waste per person. Eliminating trays also saves the water and energy that would be needed to wash the trays.

Portland State University
Portland State University (PSU) serves as a center of opportunity for more than 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students. Located in Portland, Oregon, one of the nation's most livable cities, the University's innovative approach to education combines academic rigor in the classroom with field-based experiences through internships and classroom projects with community partners. The University's 47-acre downtown campus exhibits Portland State's commitment to sustainability with green buildings, while many of the 120 bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees incorporate sustainability into the curriculum. PSU's motto, "Let Knowledge Serve the City," inspires the teaching and research of an accomplished faculty whose work and students span the globe.

http://www.pdx.edu/news/21965/

Trans Awareness Month at Portland State University

2009-06-25T15:15:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 10/08 at wordpress)

Portland, or, OCTOBER 17, 2008: The Queer Resource Center at Portland State University will be observing Trans Awareness Month during the month of November with a variety of informative and educational events. Activities will culminate November 20^th for Transgender Day of Remembrance with a performance by critically acclaimed artist Scott Turner Schofield and a candlelight vigil to recognize and remember individuals who have been victims of anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. All events are free and open to the public.

Scott Turner Schofield is a man who was a woman, a lesbian turned straight guy (who is mostly read as a gay man) creating theater about gender and sexuality in the Deep South. Not surprisingly, his work centers on contradictions and comedy. His FREE performance will take place Thursday, November 20^th from 8:00 to 9:00pm in the Portland State University Smith Center Ballroom (Smith Room 355). The performance follows a candlelight vigil in the PSU Park Blocks (SW Park & Montgomery) from 6:30 to 7:30pm, featuring speeches by trans therapist and author Reid Vanderberg, "Spirit of Pride" award winner Laura Calvo, and Jenn Burleton, Executive Director at TransActive.

A Trans 101 workshop will be offered Wednesday, November 5^th from 12:30 to 1:30pm in room 298 of the Smith Memorial Student Union (1825 SW Broadway). The following week, on Wednesday, November 12^th from 12:30 to 1:30pm, a Beyond the Binary Panel Discussion (also in room 298 of the Smith) will highlight the wide variety of gender identities and sexual orientations that make up the GLBTQ community. Every Friday in November the QRC will be showing films with trans themes as part of their Friday Film Series from 4 to 6pm in the Queer Resource Center (Smith room 401).

Transgender Day of Remembrance was set aside to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. The event is held in November to honor Rita Hester, whose murder in 1998 kicked off the “Remembering Our Dead” web project (http://www.rememberingourdead.org) and a San Francisco candlelight vigil in 1999. Since then, the event has grown to encompass memorials in dozens of cities across the world, and on many college campuses is observed as part of Trans Awareness Month.

The Portland State University Queer Resource Center strives to provide a safe space for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning students, staff, faculty and their allies to be, to learn, and to work together. For more information, visit them on the web at http://www.qrc.pdx.edu.

The Glass Crack: Painfully Palin Part II

2009-06-25T15:14:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 10/08 at wordpress)

by Gwen Davis

Though I had planned to change the topic of conversation away from last week’s post about Sarah Palin, the vice presidential debate brought my negative feelings toward the governor and my blood pressure to a new level. At the WRC volunteer orientation we talked about stereotypes associated with the world feminist. One stereotype I especially do nothing to counteract is angry.

My name is Gwen Davis, and I am very angry! I am angry because she is the second, though much more in the spotlight, woman to be on an executive ticket. I am afraid that the rest of the world may assume American women think and behave like her. I am disappointed in Barack Obama for not putting Hillary Clinton on the ticket even though he probably (hopefully) had good reason not to. I am flabbergasted that more people do not think she is totally unqualified and merely serving a certain demographic of the Republican Party.

Because I am trying to work on my anger I will only make one observation about the debate. “The governor” as Joe Biden kept referring to her — careful never to call her Sarah — was answering a foreign policy question in her usual unusual way when one particular comment stuck out like a hypocritical thumb. Her response went something like this: People hate us for our freedoms and respect for women’s rights. I suppose that is why she wants to overturn Roe v. Wade — out of respect for women’s rights.

After finishing rhythmic breathing, I realized I am fixated on the bad. I need to reorganize my thoughts and channel my efforts in a more positive way. Luckily I have a week to figure out how not to be angry before I write my next post.

damali ayo: Realities of What It Means to be an Activist Artist

2009-06-25T15:11:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 10/08 at wordpress)

by Kaleigh Vance

On Tuesday September 30th, PSU’sWomen’s Resource Center along with B-Word/Bitch Magazine presented the first lecture in the series “Feminist Perspectives in Pop Culture” with damali ayo’s “Shut Up and Change: A Life as a Social Change Artist.”

Portland resident ayo has touched the lives of others with her art for as long as she can remember. Her first piece of artwork, an intricately made 3D replica of the White House, displayed early on her interest in our country and society. Since then she has contributed numerous works of art that have been displayed in galleries around the world.

Among her well known works of art is “the little black dress project,” of which damali says, “re-discovers the emotional, sensual, erotic, violent, intellectual, playful realities of women's lives." This project includes various dresses made to reflect the diversity of women’s experiences.

Another powerful piece is ayo’s “flesh tone.” With this particular project, ayo went to a paint store that claimed to be able to match any tone. She asked the salesperson if they could really match any color, to which he replied yes. “Can you match this?” she asked, as she pointed to her arm. The salesperson responded by saying, “Yes, but I’ve never matched a flesh tone before.” This was the first time damali recalls her skin as being referred to as “flesh tone.” In “flesh tone” damali painted a variety of canvases with eight different shades of her skin along with the audio of her conversations with the people at the paint shop entitled “the paintmixers.”

Ayo is also known for her work concerning anti-racism. One of her thought provoking pieces regarding race is “living flag” in which she panhandles for reparations on the streets of various cities. “Living flag” has led to the establishment of “The National Day of Panhandling for Reparations,” which started on October 10, 2007. An additional work by ayo addressing racism is “shift: we are not done” which is “an exploration of contemporary racism using everyday objects and cultural icons.” At the beginning of her gallery openings for this project, she asked people to wear what one would assume at first glance to be name tags, but in actuality said, “Hi! My race is…” on which the attendant would write either “black,” “white,” or “other.”

damali ayo is truly an innovative and inspirational artist and person, making the first lecture of the “Feminist Perspectives in Pop Culture” truly a success. Please join us at the next lecture of the series featuring Susie Bright on November 18th.

The Glass Crack: Painfully Palin

2009-06-25T15:10:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 10/08 at wordpress)

by Gwen Davis

The Glass Crack is a new weekly column from PSU Grad Student Gwen Davis that revisits the previous week’s news stories and looks at them through a feminist eye. Granted, personal opinions, bias, rhetorical questions, and perhaps even a few logical fallacies will appear. At times it may seem like the author is confused, and that assumption is totally correct because many ways of the world—especially people—do not make sense. Comments, suggestions and guest columns are welcome and encouraged. Let this be an honest place to discuss the unfair, the beautiful, the perplexing, the wrong, and the right.

The title of the column is a reference to those 18 million cracks in the ceiling Hillary Clinton spoke of in her concession speech:

Although we weren’t able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling this time, thanks to you, it’s got about 18 million cracks in it. And the light is shining through like never before, filling us all with the hope and sure knowledge that the path will be a little easier next time. That has always been the history of progress in America.

- Hillary Clinton

With the presidential election mere weeks away, I have become increasingly interested in the Sarah Palin debacle. One news organization postulated that the initial excitement that surrounded the Republican Vice Presidential nominee was a result of voters considering her to be an answer to a non-existent Hillary Clinton Democratic ticket. Unfortunately for Republicans, hopeful women, and many swing voters Sarah Palin is not Hillary Clinton — to the relief of Democrats.

I recently received an email from a very good, liberal friend of mine from Colorado. The email contained an article written by Eve Ensler, playwright best known for The Vagina Monologues. The article expressed Ensler’s disgust over the McCain/Palin ticket. “I am a Feminist and have spent my life trying to build community, help empower women and stop violence against them,” she writes. “It is hard to write about Sarah Palin. This is why the Sarah Palin choice was all the more insidious and cynical.”

The Republicans have been masters of rhetoric and sneaky politics for longer than I am aware. I believe Sarah Palin was picked for one very specific reason: to win Clinton voters. The instant the announcement was made my heart sank, the momentum of the Obama campaign began to slow, and the race to the White House took an ugly turn toward personal attacks rather than the real issues facing our nation and the world.

It seems as though my presumed paranoia was, in fact, a reality. Within weeks another email arrived in my inbox. This time it was a letter from Kim Gandy, the president of the National Organization for Women. She expressed her frustration with the word feminist being used in conjunction with Sarah Palin and the fact that many Republicans see her as the new “face of feminism”. Scary.

Perhaps even scarier is the fact that some Republicans are weary and alarmed as well. The Huffington Post recently posted an article by conservative columnist Kathleen Parker. Regarding the recent interviews given by Palin, Parker believes Palin has shown she is “an attractive, earnest, confident candidate. Who Is Clearly Out Of Her League”. There is something about a conservative Republican not supporting a conservative Republican that is especially disconcerting.

But to test my theory about the effect the Palin addition to the Republican ticket made, I spoke with my grandmother about who she would vote for in November. In her early sixties, my grandmother was a two-time Clinton voter despite being a lifelong Republican. With the addition of Palin to the ticket my grandmother was sold. The only reason she could cite for her newfound excitement in the Republican ticket was the fact that she never thought she would see a woman on a presidential ticket in her lifetime, a tribute to how far we have come.

Ironically, the very things Palin believes in are the very things that prove how far we have yet to go. Ensler wrote that the McCain/ Palin ticket “is one of the most dangerous choices of my lifetime… and the fall-out may be so great, the destruction so vast in so many areas that America may never recover” to which I agree. Palin was chosen to blind people to the conservative and oppressive machine behind the Republican Party.

While I agree, although wish it was under different circumstances, having a woman on the most powerful ticket in the world — second in command of freedom and democracy — should happen and will happen, I do not think being a feminist requires that I vote for Sarah Palin. On the flip side, I hope women do not think they are feminist because they vote for Sarah Palin. This is a trap I fear many will fall for, and I hope that everyone realizes that what is best for women, what is best for our country, unfortunately is not represented by a woman in this election.

When the crowd chanted ‘Drill, Drill, Drill’ at the Republican National Convention Ensler thought of rape, thought of destruction, thought of domination, thought of pain. I think of a nation so painfully divided, uninformed, and unaware of the total destruction we are doing to our planet and humanity. This election is paramount. I would rather see my grandmother’s hopes for a woman vice president crushed than have her witness all that Americans have worked toward during her lifetime become obsolete.

***The WRC would like to remind our readers that the SheSheet serves as a voice and outlet for students. This article was submitted by a student and doesn't necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Women's Resource Center or PSU.***

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

2009-06-23T13:01:00.001-07:00

(originally posted 09/08 at wordpress)

"Feminist Perspectives in Pop Culture" lecture series DAMALI AYO

2009-06-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 09/08 at wordpress)

The first lecture is in

just 15 days!

damali ayo is an author, speaker, designer, artist, performer, and catalyst for change.

A true renaissance woman and creative visionary, damali ayo has spent a lifetime designing creative outlets for dialogue about societal issues.

As a visual and performing artist, damali's work pushes her audiences to viscerally engage such issues as gender relations, sexual assault, racial perceptions, race relations, citizenship, and love.

damali ayo became internationally known with her website rent-a-negro.com which examines the intersection of race relations and commerce. The success of the web site was followed by her best-selling book How to Rent a Negro which uses satire and biting wit to explore the strained race relations between people in our society. The book has been optioned by Coalition Films and will be made into a movie with a major Hollywood partner in the near future.

Her guide of Ten Practical Solutions to solving racism on a one-to-one level titled I Can Fix It has been used in communities across the United States and the world.

Her next wide-scale project brought together seventy people in twenty-one states and three countries came together on October 10, 2007 to re-create damali's street performance Living Flag: Panhandling for Reparations. The day, National Day of Panhandling for Reparations was a dynamic experience for all involved- the performers and those with whom they interacted. The second annual performance is gearing up now!

Most recently, damali has taken her passion for creative social change to create CROW Clothing. This truly twenty-first century business model offers customers eco-friendly clothing at a sliding-scale price. It also offers a holistic approach to commerce with a social network, and resources for visitors to learn about health, wellness, environmental issues and how to create social change. "She sees a strong link between racial justice and the environment." - Redbook Magazine

In addition, damali has incorporated the lessons learned from her own struggle conquering Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and reclaiming wellness into her many ways of helping people and catalyzing change. She is currently studying for her personal training certification as well as her yoga teacher certification.

"Feminist Perspectives in Pop Culture" lecture series update

2009-06-23T12:58:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 09/08 at wordpress)

by Blythe Pavlik

damali ayo, author of the acclaimed book How to Rent a Negro, will kick off B-Word/Bitch magazine’s first lecture series, “Feminist Perspectives in Pop Culture,” on Tuesday, September 30th at Portland State University’s Smith Memorial Ballroom.

The four-evening series will “merge popular culture and critical thought,” says Amy S. Williams, Development Director for B-Word/Bitch magazine. “We’re looking to bring new insights in feminism to a broader audience through the lens of pop culture.”

Portland resident ayo became internationally known through her website, rent-a-negro.com, which examines the intersection of race relations and commerce. She expanded on the site with 2005’s "How to Rent a Negro", which used satire and biting wit to explore our culture’s strained race relations. The book was recently optioned by Coalition Films and will soon be made into a feature film.

The lecture series is a milestone for B-Word/Bitch, which has long hoped its trademark brand of cultural criticism could move from the written word to the spoken sphere. “The voices of feminist culture-makers, commentators, historians, scholars, and artists are often missing from discussions about everything from current events to art to activism,” Williams says. “This series is designed to attract people who already identify as feminists as well as people who might be unaware of or unfamiliar with feminist topics. We want to help feminist media criticism reverberate beyond the confines of academia and women’s media.”

“Feminist Perspectives in Pop Culture” is made possible by the generous funding of theOregon Council for the Humanities and Willamette Week, and is presented in collaboration with Portland State University’s Women’s Resource Center.

Subsequent lectures in the series will feature:

Susie Bright, November 18th, 2008
TBD, February 24th, 2009
Guerrilla Girls, April 28th, 2009

All lectures will be held at 7:00pm at Portland State University’s Smith Memorial
Ballroom, 825 SW Broadway, Portland, OR 97201. A Q&A with the speaker will follow each lecture.

Individual tickets and series passes are available through Portland State University’s
box office, located at 1825 SW Broadway, or order by phone at (888) 847-8457.

For more information about the series, please visit www.bitchmagazine.org, or call the
PSU Women’s Resource Center at (503) 725-5672.

The Womens Resource Center by Kimberly Lovelace

2009-06-23T12:57:00.000-07:00

(originally posted 09/08 at wordpress)

by Kimberly Lovelace

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This is your place,
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Welcome home yes welcome home.

The Women's Resource Center

The SheSheet

Women Veterans

Feminist Blog

The "Good" Victim

“Real Men Don’t Buy Girls” – A Noble Message Lost in a Murky Campaign

Celebrating Our Awesome TBTN Volunteers!

Victim Blaming and Rape Myths in the Media

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The Empowerment Project Video

Aria and Jo Vlog

Did You Really Just Say That?

An Open Letter to Michael Moore

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Community Healing Vigil Next Week!

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month!

Deadline Extended! WRC Publicist applications due Sunday, December 13th at Midnight

We're hiring! **WRC Publicist** Application due Dec. 7th at 5pm!

Black Women and "Good Hair"

Twilight and its abusive propaganda

An objective look at gay marriage

How do you define feminism?

It's not personal, it's business

You're so vain, I don't dress like this for you....

Let me tell ya 'bout the birds and the bees

How to Be/Not Be a "Nice Guy"

Why Does SHAC Need to Know?

Eyes Wide Open: A Woman's Work

Staff Submission: Call it what it is

PSU: Capstone Creates Sexual Assault Awareness PSA

The previous SheSheet incarnation at wordpress still lives.

Eyes Wide Open: Will the dominant one please stand up?

Welcome to the NEW WRC SheSheet!

Guest Contributor: On Virginity

Eyes Wide Open: Manhandle

Eyes Wide Open: The Burger King Likes Square Butts, huh...

Guest Contributor: The Most Amazing Breakthrough!

Eyes Wide Open: From the letter "C" to the letter "Q" and everything in between

Eyes Wide Open: The Clothesline Project

Snapshot: Dying for a Diamond

Eyes Wide Open: Women Who Give Me Strength

Guest Contributor: "Bromance"

"Bill would LET moms breastfeed in public"

Snapshot: 4GrrlzEyezOnlies (Or, Wow- That's Really Sexist Branding on that Candy Bar!)

Eyes Wide Open: Dora the tween-aged fashionista??

*New Column* Snapshot: The Elephant in the Bathroom

They Called…

Eyes Wide Open: Lets talk about you and me, lets talk about oppression baby

Spewing Butterflies: A Silent Scream…

Well Rounded Womanhood

Guest Contributor: Abstinence- Only Sex Education

4 Tips: Getting into Grad School

The Theories of Feminism and Lesbianism in Theatre

Hey... its 2009... Playboy... really???

The Glass Crack: Mom in Chief

Read the SheSheet. Write the SheSheet. Call for Submissions!

ACTION ALERT! Fred Phelps' group to protest PSU's QRC and gender neutral bathrooms

The Glass Crack: Many Skirts

PSU Dining Aims for a Zero Waste Dining Hall

Trans Awareness Month at Portland State University

The Glass Crack: Painfully Palin Part II

damali ayo: Realities of What It Means to be an Activist Artist

The Glass Crack: Painfully Palin

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

"Feminist Perspectives in Pop Culture" lecture series DAMALI AYO

"Feminist Perspectives in Pop Culture" lecture series update

The Womens Resource Center by Kimberly Lovelace

We're hiring! WRC Publicist Application due Dec. 7th at 5pm!

New Column Snapshot: The Elephant in the Bathroom