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

(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.

Trans Awareness Month at Portland State University

(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.

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

(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.

October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month

(originally posted 09/08 at wordpress)

 

 

"Feminist Perspectives in Pop Culture" lecture series DAMALI AYO

(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.

The Gits: The Band, The Story, The Documentary 7/05-7/10 7PM & 9PM

(originally posted 07/08 at wordpress)


by mae stephenson

As a fan of local music, I fell in love with the Gits a long time ago. As a feminist, I fell in love with their story shortly there after. Tomorrow, I get to see their story on the big screen.

The Gits were a Seattle-based punk rock band from 1986-1993. Singer-songwriter Mia Zapata was a fiery, bold, talented, bad-ass of a woman who had a knack for adding a bluesy edge to her passionate songs about determination, struggle, drinking buddies and survival. In 1993, after a night at the bar she was raped and killed in park on her way home. Her body was found maybe an hour after she left her friends, but her rapist and killer wasn't found until 2004. People were shocked: how could this happen to a strong, confident woman like Mia? It was a wake up call for many-- sexual violence can truly happen to any woman. In response, her friends immediately and organically got together to discuss violence and safety in their community and utilized their skills as artists and musicians-- and their passion to move forward proactively after Mia's murder-- to start the non-profit anti-violence organization Home Alive!, which offers sliding scale and free self-defense workshops to the community. The story is at once heart-breaking and inspiring. The community lost an incredible woman and artist, but gained an important organization working to prevent violence and to empower women.

The 2008 documentary (directed by Kerri O'Kane) entitled The Gits tells the whole story, and I strongly encourage you to attend. It's showing at the Clinton Street Theater July 5th-10th at 7pm & 9pm. General Admission: $6. Tuesday Admission: $4.

On Tuesday July 8th, Portland has the honor of hosting special guests the director and the surviving members of the band at both showings.

Check out the following links for more info:

http://www.clintonsttheater.com/calendar.html#GITS

http://www.thegitsmovie.com/

http://www.thegits.com/news.html

http://www.homealive.org/

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month

(originally posted 04/08 at wordpress)

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM)There are a lot of great events going on at Portland State University and in the Community.April 3:

9:30a @ SE Multnomah County Building, 501 SE Hawthorne Boulevard
A proclamation of support and acknowledgement of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The Board of County Commissioners will also be honoring OHSU's Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner's Program who has pioneered the medical response to sexual assault in Portland.
Presented by the Multnomah County Sexual Assault Response Team

April 11:

12-2pm at the Multicultural Center in Smith Memorial Student Union Room 223 Communities Against Rape and Abuse is a Seattle-based organization created to undermine the root causes of sexual violence and is driven by survivors who are marginalized from mainstream sexual assault services.
Presented by the Tri-County Sexual Assault Task Force. and lots of FOOD will be provided. You can learn more about this awesome group of activists at http://www.cara-seattle.org/

April 21st

Lasting Relationships: A Brown Bag Lunch at the Multicultural Center 12am to 2pm. Northwest Family Services presenter Jed Johnson will visit PSU to talk about: 1) Sliding Vs. Deciding Making decisions about what you want, rather than sliding into situations. 2) Problem Behaviors - Danger signs in unsafe partners. 3) Smart Love - Seek a good match. Pay attention to values. Choose a real partner, not a "makeover" project. Don't try to change
yourself. Expect good communication and don't run from conflict. Don't play games, pressure or manipulate someone. Have a bottom line. 4) "Should I stay or go" dos and don'ts if you decide to break up. 5) Info sheet on "Taking stock of support in my life".

April 24th

Take Back the Night (TBtN) at PSU 6:30pm-9:30pm in the Park Blocks.

Bike Back the Night: presented by Portland Women's Crisis Line (PWCL) happening before TBtN at 5pm in Colonel Summer's Park, 20th & SE Belmont Street.
A spin on Take Back the Night, riders will take to the streets to demonstrate their commitment to a world without sexual violence. The ride will end at Portland State University in time to join in and celebrate their campus Take Back the Night.

And, one more fabulous event to attend will be the Multnomah County Proclamation of April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. This will happen April 3rd at 9:30am in the Multnomah County Building at 501 SE Hawthorne. Presented by the Multnomah County Sexual Assault Response Team.

"On March 8, 1857, thousands of working women marched through the streets of New York City demanding an end to sweat-shop conditions, improved childcare facilities, equal pay for equal work, and the right to vote. In 1910 at the International Conference of Women Socialists, Clara Zetkins proposed that March 8th be observed as International Working Women’s Day in honor of the New York March. Since that time, International Women’s Day has been celebrated around the globe.

The Portland event features female entertainers, women owned and/or operated businesses, and organizations that focus on women within our community and globally. It also showcases poetry and writing, health issues, and educational workshops designed by women for women. Our volunteer organization is committed to going beyond cultural barriers and prejudices to provide a place to share women's achievements as individuals, communities, and institutions. We are proud to present Portland’s 33rd Annual International Women’s Day Celebration in honor of women making a difference in the quality of life of women. "

For Information about Portland International Women's Day, please visit http://www.piwd.org/2008/

posted by Blythe

The Vagina Monologues Inspire Portland

(originally posted 02/08 at wordpress)





by Blythe Pavlik

Friday night I gathered some friends and headed down to PSU for the second night’s performance of the Vagina Monologues. When we arrived on the third floor of Smith Memorial we were greeted with positive, welcoming vibes. Smiling people lined the way to the entrance creating a funnel into the ballroom where we connected with all the other vagina celebrators. Volunteers and tablers were helpful, directive and very knowledgeable. My friends and I felt well received.

Clinton and Obama - Change U.S. Forever

(originally posted 02/08 at wordpress)

by Blythe Pavlik

This morning I had a warm feeling flood through me when thinking about the current democratic presidential campaign. It felt a lot like hope. It was a significant feeling – politics was inciting good vibes! Quite suddenly it dawned on me that history (ourstory) was taking place. At this very moment we are transforming progressively as a country. At this very moment, steps that have never before been taken in the United States are being taken with gusto!

Women Unite: Take Back the Night!

(originally posted 9/07 at wordpress)

by Natalie Ullman

“Women unite take back the night!” were the chants heard from every dorm room surrounding the Portland State Campus the evening of May 24, 2007.

After a candle light vigil commemorating women that have died from sexual violence, students from Portland State University literally took to the streets. Energized by a full day of sexual assault awareness,