Invisible is a powerful anthology edited by Jim C. Hines on sexism, disability rights, gender and sexual orientation. All of the articles are thought provoking, eloquent and intelligent. They're all moving - sometimes funny and uplifting - sometimes sad and heartbreaking. My personal favourites were the ones by Ada Hoffman ( on autism) and Michi Trota (on race). You can buy Invisible on Amazon and on Kindle. Highly recommended!
Help Us Support Planned Parenthood
May. 5th, 2012 03:23 pmOriginally posted by ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
baeraad at Help Us Support Planned Parenthood
Originally posted byladyhadhafang at Help Us Support Planned Parenthood
baeraad at Help Us Support Planned ParenthoodOriginally posted by
ladyhadhafang at Help Us Support Planned ParenthoodOriginally posted by kitanabychoice at Help Us Support Planned Parenthood
kitanabychoice at Help Us Support Planned ParenthoodOriginally posted by ninasafiri at Help Us Support Planned Parenthood
ninasafiri at Help Us Support Planned ParenthoodOriginally posted by brenden at Help Us Support Planned Parenthood
brenden at Help Us Support Planned ParenthoodOriginally posted by theljstaff at Help Us Support Planned Parenthood
Join us in standing up for reproductive health and education. Planned Parenthood, the organization that delivers reproductive health care, sex education and information to millions of people worldwide, has come under fire in the U.S. lately, with many politicians on both state and federal level seeking to end funding (and in a few cases succeeding).
During the month of May, you can send a specially designed Planned Parenthood vgift to your friends to help support this cause. (And if you need someone to send it to,frank is always happy to receive gifts!) There are three variations ($1, $5 and $10) for you to choose from, but they'd all look good on your profile when your friends know that you stand by something so important.
Thank you all for your help in our support for Planned Parenthood. This promotion ends June 1, 2012; LiveJournal is not affiliated with Parent Parenthood. For more information about Planned Parenthood, please visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/
-The LiveJournal Team
(If you'd like to help spread the word that we're raising funds for Planned Parenthood, you can crosspost this entry in your own journal or community by using the repost button below!)
theljstaff at Help Us Support Planned ParenthoodJoin us in standing up for reproductive health and education. Planned Parenthood, the organization that delivers reproductive health care, sex education and information to millions of people worldwide, has come under fire in the U.S. lately, with many politicians on both state and federal level seeking to end funding (and in a few cases succeeding).
During the month of May, you can send a specially designed Planned Parenthood vgift to your friends to help support this cause. (And if you need someone to send it to,
frank is always happy to receive gifts!) There are three variations ($1, $5 and $10) for you to choose from, but they'd all look good on your profile when your friends know that you stand by something so important.Thank you all for your help in our support for Planned Parenthood. This promotion ends June 1, 2012; LiveJournal is not affiliated with Parent Parenthood. For more information about Planned Parenthood, please visit: http://www.plannedparenthood.org/
-The LiveJournal Team
(If you'd like to help spread the word that we're raising funds for Planned Parenthood, you can crosspost this entry in your own journal or community by using the repost button below!)
( Read more... )
http://au.reachout.com/find/articles/an-abusive-relationship This offers tips on what to do / say to convince someone why they shouldn't remain in an abusive relationship. The problem with abusive relationships is that people who have been abused for so long see the abuse as being normal, a one off, or are scared of what happens if they leave. There are Australian domestic violence services (Rape Crisis Centre, Mens Line, Centre Against Sexual Assault Crisis, Police/Ambulance/Fire Brigade is 000)
http://www.heart-2-heart.ca/men/The Excellent advice on how abused men can leave violent relationships. The advice can also apply to abused women, and people of other genders. It covers safety, legal and financial issues, evidence documenting the abuse (photos, affidavits, journal/diary), contact details of domestic violence services, financial documents (credit card/mortgage/insurance/investment documents, your Will). This also offers great advice on how to convince someone to leave an abusive relationship and not be fooled when the abuser pretends to have changed their ways.
Also, something important to keep in mind: Domestic violence is a Child Protection issue. Many domestic violence situations (more than fifty percent) involve child neglect or child abuse. In Australia, children witnessing/hearing domestic violence is considered a form of abuse.
Originally posted by verloren1983at post
verloren1983at postOriginally posted by![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
gabrielleabelleat Mississippi Personhood Amendment
*EDIT* There's also a petition on change.org. The nifty button for that doesn't seem to want to work, but here's a link that should.
---
This has been crossposted to my DW account. You are free to comment either here or there, if you'd like to comment. Preferably here, but it doesn't really matter. Whichever one works for you. :D
gabrielleabelleat Mississippi Personhood AmendmentOkay, so I don't usually do this, but this is an issue near and dear to me and this is getting very little no attention in the mainstream media.
Mississippi is voting on November 8th on whether to pass Amendment 26, the "Personhood Amendment". This amendment would grant fertilized eggs and fetuses personhood status.
Putting aside the contentious issue of abortion, this would effectively outlaw birth control and criminalize women who have miscarriages. This is not a good thing.
Jackson Women's Health Organization is the only place women can get abortions in the entire state, and they are trying to launch a grassroots movement against this amendment. This doesn't just apply to Mississippi, though, as Personhood USA, the group that introduced this amendment, is trying to introduce identical amendments in all 50 states.
What's more, in Mississippi, this amendment is expected to pass. It even has Mississippi Democrats, including the Attorney General, Jim Hood, backing it.
The reason I'm posting this here is because I made a meager donation to the Jackson Women's Health Organization this morning, and I received a personal email back hours later - on a Sunday - thanking me and noting that I'm one of the first "outside" people to contribute.
So if you sometimes pass on political action because you figure that enough other people will do something to make a difference, make an exception on this one. My RSS reader is near silent on this amendment. I only found out about it through a feminist blog. The mainstream media is not reporting on it.
If there is ever a time to donate or send a letter in protest, this would be it.
What to do?
- Read up on it. Wake Up, Mississippi is the home of the grassroots effort to fight this amendment. Daily Kos also has a thorough story on it.
- If you can afford it, you can donate at the site's link.
- You can contact the Democratic National Committee to see why more of our representatives aren't speaking out against this.
- Like this Facebook page to help spread awareness.
Mississippi is voting on November 8th on whether to pass Amendment 26, the "Personhood Amendment". This amendment would grant fertilized eggs and fetuses personhood status.
Putting aside the contentious issue of abortion, this would effectively outlaw birth control and criminalize women who have miscarriages. This is not a good thing.
Jackson Women's Health Organization is the only place women can get abortions in the entire state, and they are trying to launch a grassroots movement against this amendment. This doesn't just apply to Mississippi, though, as Personhood USA, the group that introduced this amendment, is trying to introduce identical amendments in all 50 states.
What's more, in Mississippi, this amendment is expected to pass. It even has Mississippi Democrats, including the Attorney General, Jim Hood, backing it.
The reason I'm posting this here is because I made a meager donation to the Jackson Women's Health Organization this morning, and I received a personal email back hours later - on a Sunday - thanking me and noting that I'm one of the first "outside" people to contribute.
So if you sometimes pass on political action because you figure that enough other people will do something to make a difference, make an exception on this one. My RSS reader is near silent on this amendment. I only found out about it through a feminist blog. The mainstream media is not reporting on it.
If there is ever a time to donate or send a letter in protest, this would be it.
What to do?
- Read up on it. Wake Up, Mississippi is the home of the grassroots effort to fight this amendment. Daily Kos also has a thorough story on it.
- If you can afford it, you can donate at the site's link.
- You can contact the Democratic National Committee to see why more of our representatives aren't speaking out against this.
- Like this Facebook page to help spread awareness.
*EDIT* There's also a petition on change.org. The nifty button for that doesn't seem to want to work, but here's a link that should.
---
This has been crossposted to my DW account. You are free to comment either here or there, if you'd like to comment. Preferably here, but it doesn't really matter. Whichever one works for you. :D
Walmart, human rights: Take action!
Sep. 25th, 2011 08:12 pmA hilari- I mean, disturbing -I mean hilarious look at Walmart - through a Harry Potter parody:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no0WqYWdH74&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL417F1F88DA48D51A
Take action! Here's what YOU can do:
Go to Walmart Watch's website: http://walmartwatch.org/take-action/ There you can:
- Urge the Walmart Board of Directors to be open about how much money it pays to Republicans, and to disclose trade association dues used for political purposes.
- Send letters of the support for the women of Dukes, who are fiercely brave in standing up to Walmart. They have taken their case to the Supreme Court.
**********
Write to your local Senator about Walmart's discrimination (against women, GLBT people and people with disabilities) and anti union stance and urge them to take action! Avoid buying Walmart products if you can. Thank you for your support!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no0WqYWdH74&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PL417F1F88DA48D51A
Take action! Here's what YOU can do:
Go to Walmart Watch's website: http://walmartwatch.org/take-action/ There you can:
- Urge the Walmart Board of Directors to be open about how much money it pays to Republicans, and to disclose trade association dues used for political purposes.
- Send letters of the support for the women of Dukes, who are fiercely brave in standing up to Walmart. They have taken their case to the Supreme Court.
**********
Write to your local Senator about Walmart's discrimination (against women, GLBT people and people with disabilities) and anti union stance and urge them to take action! Avoid buying Walmart products if you can. Thank you for your support!
How to help women around the world
Aug. 15th, 2011 08:25 pm'Half the Sky' (by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl Wudunn) is THE best book I have read. For the first time in a long time. It shook me up and gave me hope that there are ways that we can help women around the world. We can't change everything about the world, but we can all achieve huge things working together with one another. Half the Sky shows how empowering women is the solution to fighting poverty, war, and extremism.
You can buy it here and at Australian bookstores: http://www.halftheskymovement.org/
Here are websites of organisations who support women in struggling nations. Learn how you can join them in helping women around the world: http://www.halftheskymovement.org/get-involved
Education is the key to ending poverty and human rights violations around the world.
Just a round up of links on fascinating Vietnamese, Polish and Serbian women writers I made for myself:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabriela_Zapolska
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_D%C4%85browska
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svetlana_Velmar-Jankovi%C4%87
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isidora_Sekuli%C4%87
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Le_thi_diem_thuy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hoa_Pham
Gender and Cultural Identity in the Vietnamese Francophone Novel (different opinions on how culture has shaped Vietnamese people's lives, and how sexism in cultural beliefs has silenced women) :
http://intersections.anu.edu.au/issue10/medcalf_review.html
Religious tolerance, Part 1
Feb. 17th, 2010 10:17 pmHi there everyone,
Leaarn more about different religions here:
http://www.religioustolerance.org/aboutus.htm
One of the best ways to fight ignorance, hate and fear is to learn more. So learn more about different religions, if you can. Religion is a major part of many people's lives and who they are. And I've often found that it's a person's political/cultural views that can affect how they treat people and understand their religion. The great news is that there *are* progressive allies in religion, as well as feminist, anti racist and GLBTIQ religious people out there. I'm not religious, but knowing about different religions has helped me understand other people more (and has helped reduce my ignorance and fear of people from other religions too).
Below are some parts from the above website that I found interesting:
ISLAM
List of sites for GLBTIQ Muslims: http://www.religioustolerance.org/hom_isla3.htm
Status of women in Muslim countries (webpage is unfinished) : http://www.religioustolerance.org/islfem.htm
A msut read excerpt on Female Genital Mutilation:
Many people link FGM with the religion of Islam. Actually, it is a social custom that is practiced by Animists, Christians, and Muslims in those countries where FGM is common. There are many Muslim countries in which the mutilation is essentially unknown, including Algeria, Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
JUDAISM
On abortion: Conservative, Reconstructionist and Reform Judaism are formally opposed to government regulation of abortion. They feel that the decision should rest with the woman, her husband, doctor and clergyperson. Some Orthodox authorities agree with this stance.
( Read more... )
Writer's Block: Book worms unite!
Nov. 29th, 2009 11:07 am[Error: unknown template qotd]
Best books
'Les Miserables' by Victor Hugo. It's melodramatic, yes, but so incredibly moving. An unforgettable story of redemption of a criminal who tries to evade a police officer. A story that tells how the very outcasts of society struggle to survive. Basically tells how if we want to reduce crime, we must eliminate to conditions that lead to people committing crime (poverty, ignorance). Hugo had revolutionary ideas (and was lighyears ahead of his peers) for a person of his time.
'Looking for Alibrandi' by Melina Marchetta. A bildungsroman novel on an illegitimate born teen who comes to accept her Italian heritage. She deals with first love, death and finally meeting her father for the first time.
A tie between 'First Test' and 'Page' by Tamora Pierce. These first two books are part of a Fantasy quartet about Kel, the first girl to train as a knight in the European medieval world of Tortall. Simply written and for young teens, but told so well. The first book deals with hazing and bullying, and how to deal with bullies. The second one covers violence against women, self defense, bullying. These books have their flaws (Kel overcomes her fear of heights too quickly), but I love them all the same.
Worst books
Left Behind books, by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B Jenkins. Read hilarious and insightful summaries by slacktivist (Fred Clark, a liberal Christian) here:
http://exharpazo.blogspot.com/2007/01/index-to-slactivists-left-behind.html
Awful far right wing Christian propaganda. Sexist, racist, homophobic, prejudiced against other religions, with flat characters, awful Gary Stus who are more hateful than the villain...Fred Clark describes these books as having anti-Christian values, and I couldn't agree more.
( Read more... )
There was someone who came up with the great quote that bad morals make for bad writing(I think it was baeraad) . All in all, I can only agree.
Best books
'Les Miserables' by Victor Hugo. It's melodramatic, yes, but so incredibly moving. An unforgettable story of redemption of a criminal who tries to evade a police officer. A story that tells how the very outcasts of society struggle to survive. Basically tells how if we want to reduce crime, we must eliminate to conditions that lead to people committing crime (poverty, ignorance). Hugo had revolutionary ideas (and was lighyears ahead of his peers) for a person of his time.
'Looking for Alibrandi' by Melina Marchetta. A bildungsroman novel on an illegitimate born teen who comes to accept her Italian heritage. She deals with first love, death and finally meeting her father for the first time.
A tie between 'First Test' and 'Page' by Tamora Pierce. These first two books are part of a Fantasy quartet about Kel, the first girl to train as a knight in the European medieval world of Tortall. Simply written and for young teens, but told so well. The first book deals with hazing and bullying, and how to deal with bullies. The second one covers violence against women, self defense, bullying. These books have their flaws (Kel overcomes her fear of heights too quickly), but I love them all the same.
Worst books
Left Behind books, by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B Jenkins. Read hilarious and insightful summaries by slacktivist (Fred Clark, a liberal Christian) here:
http://exharpazo.blogspot.com/2007/01/index-to-slactivists-left-behind.html
Awful far right wing Christian propaganda. Sexist, racist, homophobic, prejudiced against other religions, with flat characters, awful Gary Stus who are more hateful than the villain...Fred Clark describes these books as having anti-Christian values, and I couldn't agree more.
( Read more... )
There was someone who came up with the great quote that bad morals make for bad writing(I think it was baeraad) . All in all, I can only agree.
Read this.
"Abolishing Prostitution: The Swedish Solution
An Interview with Gunilla Ekberg
by the Rain and Thunder Collective
First published in Rain and Thunder: A Radical Feminist Journal of Discussion and
Activism, Issue 41, Winter Solstice 2008."
Read the whole article here:
http://action.web.ca/home/catw/attach/R%26T_Interview_with_Gunilla_Ekberg.pdf
From the article:
The other principle is that women in prostitution shouldn’t be criminalized - because
they are victims of male violence. Rather, it is the perpetrators — the pimps, traffickers,
and prostitution buyers — who should be criminalized. In Sweden, prostituted women
and children are seen as victims of male violence who do not risk legal or other penalties.
If you analyze choice you recognize that choice is only possible if you choose from equal alternatives. You have to distinguish between making a decision and having a genuine choice. We make decisions in all kinds of situations that are difficult because that’s part of everyday life. If I’m in a job I absolutely loathe, that pays badly, I may have to stay there. So I make a decision to stay there because I can’t get another job right now. That is not to have a real choice.
( Read more... )
"Abolishing Prostitution: The Swedish Solution
An Interview with Gunilla Ekberg
by the Rain and Thunder Collective
First published in Rain and Thunder: A Radical Feminist Journal of Discussion and
Activism, Issue 41, Winter Solstice 2008."
Read the whole article here:
http://action.web.ca/home/catw/attach/R%26T_Interview_with_Gunilla_Ekberg.pdf
From the article:
The other principle is that women in prostitution shouldn’t be criminalized - because
they are victims of male violence. Rather, it is the perpetrators — the pimps, traffickers,
and prostitution buyers — who should be criminalized. In Sweden, prostituted women
and children are seen as victims of male violence who do not risk legal or other penalties.
If you analyze choice you recognize that choice is only possible if you choose from equal alternatives. You have to distinguish between making a decision and having a genuine choice. We make decisions in all kinds of situations that are difficult because that’s part of everyday life. If I’m in a job I absolutely loathe, that pays badly, I may have to stay there. So I make a decision to stay there because I can’t get another job right now. That is not to have a real choice.
( Read more... )
The woman I'm going to post about here is Anita Brown. You can read more about her at: http://www.girlgeeks.org/innergeek/inspiringwomen/abrown.shtmlAnita Brown is founder and chairman of Black Geeks Online, a nonprofit community organization based on the Internet. This movement was created by Ms. Brown in 1995, as she was concerned that people of culturally diverse backgrounds would be ignored in progresses in using the Net. What's more, she's in her sixties, proving that you're never too old to be tech savvy.
For five years she has honed the "Miss DC" and "Black Geeks" brands. Black Geeks Online has provided great information for and promoted black online Net entrepreneurs and community tech leaders.
At an interview you can read at: http://www.girlgeeks.org/chat/abrown.shtml Brown describes the purpose of BlackGeeks Online (following text is a quote from Brown): "We're a grassroots organization committed to (1) linking tech-savvy African Americans online to encourage volunteerism and (2) to sponsor technology awareness events in urban communities to expose kids and adults to IT. We are an OFFline and an ONline organization."
From 18 charter members in 1996, Black Geeks Online has grown to more than 25,000 registered members in November 1999.
Check out the Guerilla Girls website at www.guerillagirls.com/index.shtml. So who are the Guerilla Girls? They're true tricksters, activists, artists, and *hilarious*. You gotta love artists/activists who wear gorilla masks, and take on the names of deceased female artists. The mythology and comics geek in me loved this declaration:
we declare ourselves feminist counterparts to the mostly male tradition of anonymous do-gooders like Robin Hood, Batman, and the Lone Ranger.
I LOL'ed at the last sentence of their answer in one of their interviews:
Q:Why did you write the Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art? Aren't there already lots of books out there about women artists?
The work of feminist art historians over the last 30 years has shown how the means of art production in western cultures was denied to all but white male artists until well into the 20th century. Still there have always been creative and adventurous women who bucked the system and lived creative lives of their own invention. Some achieved success while alive, only to later be written out the history books. Others were unacknowledged in their own lifetime, only to be discovered after death.
In Bedside Companion we wanted to tell the stories of these courageous women artists and also to make fun of the standard art history canon for ignoring them. Another goal was to write the first humorous art history book, mean to be read in the bathroom, and intended to make readers laugh, not put them to sleep. It's also thin, with sharp edges and can be used as a weapon!
Nothing seems to stop them in exposing sexism, racism and corruption in the art world and in politics. They've brought about changes in the art world for female artists and artists from culturally diverse backgrounds.Q:Why did you write the Bedside Companion to the History of Western Art? Aren't there already lots of books out there about women artists?
In Bedside Companion we wanted to tell the stories of these courageous women artists and also to make fun of the standard art history canon for ignoring them. Another goal was to write the first humorous art history book, mean to be read in the bathroom, and intended to make readers laugh, not put them to sleep. It's also thin, with sharp edges and can be used as a weapon!
Dove Self Esteem Fund
Dec. 25th, 2007 06:07 pmThe Dove Self Esteem Fund is a great campaign designed to challenge beauty stereotypes and alter the way girls and women see and accept beauty. The following text in italics is from the Dove Self Esteem Fund's website (http://www.campaignforrealbeauty.com/dsef07/t5.aspx?id=7322):
We developed the Dove Self-Esteem Fund to make real change in the way women and young girls perceive and embrace beauty. We want to help free ourselves and the next generation from beauty stereotypes.
Too many girls develop low self-esteem from hang-ups about looks. Consequently, many fail to reach their full potential later in life. The Dove Campaign For Beauty and Self-Esteem Fund is an agent of change to educate and inspire girls on a wider definition of beauty.
( Read more... )
The Dove Fund website has excellent resources, including:
1. Workshops and guides that encourage girls and women to accept and embrace their appearances
2. Interactive Self Esteem Builders (quizzes and activities) made for helping girls and women accept and take pride in their own type of beauty. This includes activities people can do together.
3. Facts about positive body image, beauty myths and healthy self esteem.
We developed the Dove Self-Esteem Fund to make real change in the way women and young girls perceive and embrace beauty. We want to help free ourselves and the next generation from beauty stereotypes.
Too many girls develop low self-esteem from hang-ups about looks. Consequently, many fail to reach their full potential later in life. The Dove Campaign For Beauty and Self-Esteem Fund is an agent of change to educate and inspire girls on a wider definition of beauty.
( Read more... )
The Dove Fund website has excellent resources, including:
1. Workshops and guides that encourage girls and women to accept and embrace their appearances
2. Interactive Self Esteem Builders (quizzes and activities) made for helping girls and women accept and take pride in their own type of beauty. This includes activities people can do together.
3. Facts about positive body image, beauty myths and healthy self esteem.
