gender schmender

If sports weren't about money and power, and just about (really darned) impressive abilities, would Caster Semenya be undergoing invasive gender "tests"?

“These kind of people should not run with us,” Elisa Cusma of Italy, who finished sixth, said. “For me, she’s not a woman. She’s a man.” Mariya Savinova, a Russian who finished fifth, [said] “Just look at her.” Though comments like these are old and familiar, they make expletives stream out of my mouth.

What Caster is is strong and fabulous.

I want to live in a world where everyone can wear pink pom pom pants, no questions asked.* Thanks to pixietart for the photo of Jeff Stark's pants.

wish i were there

I've been away from home, working working working. This has meant spending many days locked indoors in a convention center, which makes me fully savor my few minutes outside, walking to and from the place I've been laying my head at night. It's made me carefully eyeball mosaics by Faith Ringgold in the subway (this one is Josephine Baker), and get excited over corn and bell peppers growing in tree wells in Harlem.

Other good things came of this mini work marathon. One was meeting the people who started Bags for the People.

You see, these lovely people who work at the Union Square Farmer's Market couldn't stomach using plastic for shoppers who failed to bring their own bags. So they started getting fabric scrap donations and making quickie cloth bags to give away with purchases. That's led to environmental talks and bag-making workshops with kids, and "sweatshop socials" to spread the idea. Gorgeous. Now get your paws off my new pink bag.


I've been having a similar, uh, conversation with an unnamed farmer's market about bags. Call me inspired.

In my upstate absence, a tough group of arm wrestling gals were on the teevee. I'm proud to say these ladies have invited me to join them, but I've been too busy-slash-lame to participate thus far. I sure was pleased pink to see this video, and know that their arm wrestling antics have been rolling in the dough for women's shelters. Way to mock machismo while protecting women from it!

Must a r m w r e s t l e. Must m a k e b a g s. Must go to sleep and be brilliant tomorrow.

women eating animals? animals eating women?

Carol Adams and The Sexual Politics of Meat at Vassar College, tonight:
Thursday, April 2, 5:30pm
Vassar College, The Villard Room, Main Building, Poughkeepsie, NY

Book signing and vegan reception, too.

naked pictures

I can't call myself anti porn. I know that sex and sexuality in our society are often messed up and dangerous. I also don't think "sheltering" everyone from that mess protects us. When I don't like something, or think it's hurtful, that doesn't automatically translate to illegality. (Should I have that woman in the gym locker room with all her pubes shaved off arrested?)

Take the case of the kids arrested for making and distributing child porn for taking pictures of themselves. Under laws made to protect children from sexual predators, we are now criminalizing kids who are exploring their own sexuality.

Is it stupid to send a naked cell phone picture of yourself to a kid in your class (now called "sexting")? Yep. Can it have disastrous results? Yes, like the young woman who killed herself after her ex-boyfriend shared her naked photo with others. She was a victim of bullying. But what if that picture had been forwarded in a world where people weren't such prudes? Where we addressed kids' sexuality, instead of pretending it didn't exist? Where she knew her sex life was a part of her, not shameful, and not the sum of her. There's part of it that's impressive. She felt great about her body, her sexuality, her attractiveness. It went sour, later, but there was a moment there of bold pride that I can't imagine having had as a teen.

Don't get me wrong—I'm terrified for kids. A friend's nine year old is so pretty that it's causing her problems at school, with too much unwanted attention from boys, and strains on her friendships. A sixteen year old girl on the St. Patrick's Day train wearing strap-on prosthetic boobs that doubled as beer bongs broke my heart some.

But poor judgement and an obsession with one's own sexuality are standard teenage fare. Standard human fare. One that arresting kids and posting their names on sex offender registries will never change.

As someone who got a Catholic version of sex "education", and so had a lot of messed up ideas about sex and desire and my body, I really believe that educators, parents, other kids have an enormous responsibility to talk with children honestly about all aspects of sexuality. It's impossible, probably, for kids to completely understand the concept of consequences, but an introduction to the idea is not a terrible thing.

scruples

(and a merit badge for community building)

I'd intended a while back to give Lagusta an abovegroundpool merit badge for being a sharp, funny, kickass, feminist, vegan, local chef extraordinaire, and sharing that experience with the rest of us. But hadn't gotten around to it.

I've been distracted from writing the entry by the fact that my friend is being beaten up, and from figuring out steps to take to prevent things from escalating. I don't want her to be murdered, I don't want her to continue suffering through beatings, and I don't want this guy to hurt anyone else. What I've learned talking to the lovely people at domestic hotlines is that I can't be the one to end it.

Years ago I had a horrible weekend with friends in CT. The whole setting was confusing to me. I was both attracted to and repulsed by the plush lifestyle I was experiencing, where it was okay (and even encouraged) for a pack of adult friends to raid the house, eat and drink and use everything in it, do nothing more important than play badminton and swim in the private lake, and run the well dry. I was meeting one of my friends' little sister for the first time. This fourteen year old girl (again rich, not underprivileged) lived on a diet of morning-after pills, wore pants that were so tight and low that her pubic hair always showed (the tiny bit that hadn't been shaved), and had no interest at all in engaging with any of the [queer] women or gay boys assembled. She only wanted to talk to [straight] boys that were attracted to her and she kept inviting over, but didn't even seem interested in them. I didn't learn much about why she was dour and self-destructive, but it really set a vibe for the weekend. I remember this was the first time I ever saw an episode of Sex in the City, and in this setting, sitting next to this poor girl, who, by the way, I didn't like, but did empathize with, was completely unable to find any humor in the show. I'm sooo not anti-sex, nor anti clothing that someone thinks they might look sexy in. I don't pretend kids aren't sexual. But it messed me up to see this kid so bitter about [clearly unsatisfying] sex already, so defined by it. She isn't alone, of course, but meeting her set the stage for the rest of the weekend.

Toward the end, we played the game Scruples. Round after round, I learned things I wished I'd never had about these people I thought were smart, I thought I liked. The guy I knew best of this crowd ended the game by admitting he hadn't intervened, or called anyone else to intervene, when he once overheard a woman being brutally attacked. After a futile argument that bewildered me, (It wouldn't change anything. I didn't even know her.) I had to leave. It's very possible that screaming woman was raped, beaten, or killed. I've never hung out with any of these people ever again.

Intervening, calling the cops, getting help quick, somehow, is the right thing to do in an emergency like the one my "friend" didn't respond to. From a domestic violence hotline I learned that when physical or sexual abuse is happening (to an adult), and it is not an immediate emergency, it is dangerous to call for intervention unless the victim is on board. If the victim is still seeing the perp, letting the perp into her* space, and he's* angered about being reported, he'll often hurt her worse than usual, or kill her. They recommend that, until she's ready to end the situation, to 1) Set up a code for emergencies; and 2) Keep a journal of incidents with times, dates, and details of the attacks, ideally with pictures of the visible injuries. Because of course the bulk of the injuries aren't visible.

I also recently read about pets in domestic violence situations. Like the people who stayed in their homes with their animals to try and weather Hurricane Katrina, people who are being abused often don't want to leave their animals behind, delaying getting help, most for months. Indeed, those animals often suffer at the hands of the same perps. There are some experimental domestic violence shelters that offer animals shelter as well. The animals have proven to be of great comfort to the women in the shelter where interviews took place. We all know the statistics showing that animal abusers often turn out to be abusive toward other people, too. Now we see that fear of animal abuse (like child abuse) often stops people from getting themselves out of dangerous situations.

And what does this have to do with a New Paltz blogger?

Well, I recently read her writing about the murder of a friend of hers, and that is part of what galvanized me to seek out professional help in dealing with my friend who is suffering. It's important, and also not the first time that Lagusta's writing has been inspiring to me. From discussions of how and why to make your own tempeh to making a bicycle-driven clothes washer, and this morning's reflection on the middle class environmentalist's failings when it comes to development discussions. It is really nice to know there's someone sane and passionate and articulate in the hood, sharing her experiences and thoughts in hopes of making her community/ies stronger.

I'm grateful for her generosity, her anger, her irreverence, and all the times I've cracked up reading her blog. Cuz we all really need that. (Oh yeah, she runs a vegan home meal delivery service and a vegan truffle business. But it's her writing I'm into at the moment.) So the repurposed "My Community" merit badge goes to Lagusta and her blog, Resistance is Fertile. Thanks for bringing your vegan eco feminist chef fury to the Hudson Valley and to the web!

*Obviously, these pronouns are interchangeable. Men hurt men and boys and girls, women hurt other women and girls and boys and men, trannies get hurt by men and women, etc., etc.

self defense

I noticed yesterday at my gym that they're offering new self defense courses. My mind wandered back to the awesomeness that is self-defense training. I took classes about 15 years ago, before some solo traveling, at Brooklyn Women's Martial Arts (now the Center for Anti-Violence Education). Empowered is an overused word, but it was amazing to understand the power of your body and connect with it in a practical way. Parts of the training were terrifying, like learning to break out of a choke-hold, but the instructors and students were gentle with women who had strong reactions to some of the simulated attacks. For "graduation" we broke planks of wood with a karate chop. It made me feel very strong, and safer, and proud to have made an effort to learn how to protect myself.

But of course, self defense can be criminalized, as with the seven New Jersey lesbians charged with "gang assault" and attempted murder for fighting back when attacked. There's a demo this Monday in NYC demanding that the D.A. drop all remaining charges (some indictments been overturned by the appeals court).

Stop persecuting Renata, Patreese and Venice. They fought back to defend each other. Had they not fought back successfully, one or more of them might have been killed or raped. Are rape, death, or prison the only three options open to lesbians who are attacked on the street?

Protest Monday, March 2
noon - 1 p.m.
1 Hogan Place
Manhattan, NY
(corner Leonard and Centre Streets) (A, C, E & 6 trains to Canal St.)

For more info, e-mail: freenj4@yahoo.com

Related "defense" is that abovegroundpool friend and merit badge winner Susan Tipograph is Renata Hill's attorney.

Support this group of women on Monday; support women's safety every day!

power to the [artistic] people

Can't work in a shelter? Can't get arrested? Can't travel? Not so good at speaking to the media?

Don't let that stop you! Use what you already do well to help people or animals or the planet or all three!

Check out this painting of my beloved cat, Slidell, getting his first bath. It was made by the talented Sara Woster in a project to raise money for women in the Congo. She couldn't participate in the athletic fundraiser called "Run for Congo," but wanted to help, and has.

Get to work! And check out Sara's fantastic paintings for Congo. These gorgeous paintings are made to order, for a mere $27 apiece. Whether you want a political painting or one of your mom, it's all helping.

tool talk - p style

I guess transmen know all about this, but I didn't know. There are tools that allow women to urinate standing up without depantsing and without making a mess. They are useful if, well, you want to use a urinal, or a filthy toilet without getting close to it. Or in situations where you're not comfortable or safe taking down your pants and squatting. Or if you physically can't take down your pants and squat.

People mention liking them for car trips and outdoorsy times. I can think of quite a few situations it could prove useful. And I can now officially attest to the easy use of the P Style, which is available at my local feminist bookstore, and maybe yours too. (There's also the WhizBiz from Australia, which looks like a long funnel, if you're more into that.)

If I post a picture of "abovegroundpool" written in the snow, you'll know what happened.

free the new jersey 4

Butch gals, trannies, nelly boys, and everyone who believes queers should not be bashed and imprisoned when they fight for their lives:
Solidarity neckties are on sale now! All proceeds will go the NJ4 legal support fund. Wear yours proudly.

Read all about the case here.

border crossing

I'm reading Sandor Katz's book The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved. It has all kinds of nuggets in it, but I came across something that really stuck: "illegal aliens" or "human invasive species" connected with plant and animal invasive species. He says:

Freedom demands that borders be as porous as possible. Open borders allow for cross-pollination and exchange; ironclad borders are expressions of totalitarian control. And generalized prohibitions on "invasive aliens" are oversimplistic and inflammatory. "Alien species do not come from Mars," the popular science magazine Discover reminds us; "they are not 'other.' They are very much of us, by us; we are the main agent of their spread." Seeds migrate via birds and the wind [[and nation defined borders change]], so "native" is not a static state.

He goes on to talk about how GM giants Monsanto benefit from the destruction of so-called invasive plant species (in effect controlling diversity), while individual seed savers trying to continue their family's generations old heritage foods are stopped at borders. Concerned environmentalists have picked up the invasive=bad, local=good lingo. It's similar to industry like slaughterhouses benefiting from the labor of underpaid undocumented workers, while blue collar workers wonder if they can't get jobs because of the flow of immigrants. The either/or language is deceiving us.

I'm inspired to revisit Xicana writer Gloria Anzaldua's Borderlands/La Frontera, which embraces crossover.

more and more war

Martha Rosler brings back her Vietnam era series "Bringing the War Home" to spotlight Afghanistan and Iraq. See the slideshow.

fierce pussy

While we're talking about street tactics and fags and stuff....

It seems I missed the Fierce Pussy book launch and show at Printed Matter!

Fierce Pussy was a early nineties group that came out of ActUp NY, and whose fast and dirty street art warms the heart.

jesse helms dead

For a queer artist of my era who is pro-choice, vehemently anti-racist, and has done of lot of AIDS activism, the death of Jesse Helms has an impact. When Reagan died the media immediately forgot his (many) sins, and focused on his charm, how loved he was. It may be tempting to go there when someone dies, but both Reagan and Helms unapologetically ruined the lives of many, many people, and are responsible for the horrible deaths of many more. When Reagan died, little shrines celebrating his death popped up around NYC, and I couldn't help but be grateful for them. The collective memory loss was too horrible without something countering it. I'm not celebrating the death of a toddering old man, but I am happy about the end of the influence of one BIG white supremacist in the U.S. Goodbye, Jesse, and good riddance.

pride in neckties

I made it to the soggy but spirited nyc dyke march this year, but not the drag march. Because it's still raining and because I missed those crazy faeries, I'm spending my afternoon making neckties (while humming the Church Ladies for Choice tune God is a Lesbian). If you watch the video, I hope the "Liberation" banner at the end warms your heart as much as mine.

to the archives

I have a full belly after a potluck at the Lesbian Herstory Archives in Park Slope, Brooklyn. With plenty of new dykes to meet and vegan food to eat, I didn't get to paw through the archives themselves. There was evidence of fierce dyke activists all around: Lesbian Avenger banners, Dyke Action Machine posters, and many more delicious materials. To make my flashback complete, they even had Joan Armatrading playing on the boom box. I hadn't been to the archive for at least a decade, and probably closer to two, but I feel sure that my memory of it, like sorting through my friend Bob's stuff after his death, had some impact on the decision to begin the abovegroundpool online archive.

The gathering reminded me, too, of ye olde days of potlucks. Back before Isa Chandra Moskowitz was the vegan cookbook queen, and even before Post Punk Kitchen, she was organizing anarchist women's potlucks. These events (held in Park Slope, Prospect Heights, and the East Village) often doubled as planning meetings or info shares, with the constant of good food. (Yeah, there was always someone lazy who brought a bag of chips, but the bulk of the gang made a good effort.) When organizing materials for the abovegroundpool archive recently, I ran across copies of Eat Me, the potluck zine. Isa was sharing her recipes even then.

small world

I work in publishing and went to a big book conference last week. I had two highlights: One was meeting Billie Jean King, and getting to tell her all about trans artist Tara Mateik's Battle of the Sexes performance at the Guggenheim. BJK was super nice and very interested in the artwork. She acted surprised that people were still thinking about this 1973 event.

The other people I got to meet are the great minds behind the Homegrown Evolution blog, and I got my hands on a copy of their new book. Good stuff. It felt like seeing old friends (because of that internet intimacy thing, where I feel like I know them well even though we'd never met). Creep factor aside, check out their fine work! (They're not animal activists, YET.... Don't let that deter you from the other good info in the book.)

peckers

Nearly 20 years ago, when Hooters restaurant was causing a stir in Tucson, AZ, our little branch of Queer Nation produced these billboard-sized posters, and wallpapered the town with them.

I'm a little embarrassed by them, and a little proud of them. Our efforts did make the papers, though the bulk of the wheatpasted billboards disappeared quickly.

Note the *tofu* weenies!

martha rosler and wack!

This image is part of large series of work called "Bringing the War Home" made by Martha Rosler. She started making these photo montages in 1967, and they're perfectly relevant today.

Martha was one of my professors, always with food in her hair and raving about an offensive commerical or a pbs special she'd seen about documentary film, or how toxic her neighborhood (Greenpoint) in Brooklyn was/is. She was then, and is now, a serious and important political artist—someone who always makes you think and rethink. Her involvement in the anti-war movement and feminist movements are only a small part of her story.

You can see some of Martha's historical work at P.S. 1, along with a school-full of important feminist art from WACK!.