Gabby Douglas!

This article by the Crunk Feminist Collective sums up everything I thought while watching NBC's coverage of women's gymnastics and Gabby Douglas's gold medal win.

Congrats Gabby! You were amazing and deserved much more recognition.

Source

I Am Tired of Racism

In the past few days, I've noticed a disturbing trend on my facebook newsfeed. There are multiple posts that go something along the lines of: "I am tired of people trying to make the death of Trayvon Martin into a racial issue." Frequently, these posts are followed with little comments about how they "don't see race" or "don't have a racist bone in [their] body." Many of these commenters also make remarks about how we have to look at the facts and not the media, lament that if a white boy was shot no one would be making a big deal, and are finished with something pseudo-patriotic like, "We are all Americans!"

Unfortunately, as anyone who watches or reads the news knows, statements like these are not limited to my facebook or twitter. When Obama addressed Martin's death by saying that "if he had a son, he'd look like Trayvon," Newt Gingrich responded by saying:

What the president said, in a sense, is disgraceful. It’s not a question of who that young man looked like. Any young American of any ethnic background should be safe, period. We should all be horrified no matter what the ethnic background.

Is the president suggesting that if it had been a white who had been shot, that would be OK because it didn’t look like him. That’s just nonsense dividing this country up. It is a tragedy this young man was shot. It would have been a tragedy if he had been Puerto Rican or Cuban or if he had been white or if he had been Asian American of if he’d been a Native American. At some point, we ought to talk about being Americans. When things go wrong to an American, it is sad for all Americans. Trying to turn it into a racial issue is fundamentally wrong. I really find it appalling.

Well, do you know what idea I find appalling and nonsense Mr. Gingrich? The idea that I am just as likely to be shot by some neighborhood watch person as Trayvon Martin. Racism (unfortunately) exists, whether you like it or not. It does no good to pretend like it doesn't. We should be working toward a world where "when things to wrong to an American, it is sad for all Americans." But the truth is, we're not there yet. And to pretend that we are, or to call acknowledging racism appalling, belies your own racism.

Saying that Trayvon's death had nothing to do with issues of race is a lot like saying that rape or domestic violence has nothing to do with issues of gender and/or sexuality. And considering the Republican push back against the Violence Against Women Act, people like Gingrich apparently do think this way. Additionally, because a large part of the Republican push back to the Violence Against Women Act is due to special provisions for Native Americans and LGBTQ victims, it seems pretty clear to me that Republicans do not think, as Gingrich claims they do,  "that when something goes wrong to any American, it is sad for all Americans." They might be sad if something happens to a white male. But if you're female, Native American, or LGBTQ, forget about it.

So, too bad if you're "tired of how Martin's death is being turned into a racial issue."

Do you know what I am tired of?

I am tired of people pretending racism doesn't exist. And I am tired of racism.

Let's fight for justice for Trayvon Martin, and for all of those who are subjected to violence due to the color of their skin, their gender, or their sexuality.

For more on Trayvon Martin, check out my friend Daphne's post on Big Think about Why We Need to Talk About Trayvon Martin.

Also, watch this powerful video: 

Out of the Mouth of Babes

My amazing friend Lyvonne has been working this past year as an adviser at a high school in Bridgeport, CT. For those of you who don't know much about Bridgeport, it has one of the highest income and achievement gaps in the country. The per capita income is around $16,000 and approximately 18 percent of the population live below the poverty line.

 

But these stats are really just a little background info. Because the real story here today is a 15-year-old girl, Wenefred, who noticed that her history class is really just a history class about white men. On not seeing her heritage reflected in her history class, she remarked:

I was pissed! I watched "The Greater Debaters" and learned about Langston Hughes, so I started to read more about him. Why wasn't he in that book? That's not history? Picking cotton isn't history? Being whipped isn't history? Being kidnapped from your country is not history? How you gonna tell me to go back to Africa and YOU kidnapped ME?! You see, you gotta be educated.

Way to go, Wenefred! What powerful words! I hope you work to educate them, and get them to change the history curriculum to reflect America's real history, which is about much more than a bunch of white men.

The Feminist Halloween!

Halloween is upon us, which means an onslaught of slutty, racist costumes is also upon us.

Many blogs have devoted posts on how not to offend on Halloween, so I'm just going to support their message by saying: Please don't dress up in racist costumes! As a general rule of thumb, if you are dressing up as another race/ethnicity/culture - the costume is racist. If you are dressing up as another race/ethnicity/culture that has been marginalized, colonized, or mass murdered by anyone in the Western World - that costume is especially racist. That means, for example, that no one should be dressing up as a: Mexican, Asian, Black Person, Arab, any woman wearing any sort of Muslim head covering, Indian, or (a costume I find particularly offensive) Native American. That's right folks! If you are a white person living in the United States, it is not ok to dress up as a Native American Princess, Pocahontas, Native American chief, or warrior. Our ancestors and our government have historically - and are still currently - trying to eradicate their culture, so it is not a good idea to dress up in a form of their cultural dress as a form of cultural parody.

Ohio University's Students*Teaching*About*Racism*in Society group has organized a fantastic campaign with these posters:

                                                         

I would also argue that dressing up as any sort of marginalized group is offensive; that means no dressing up as a welfare queen or "ghetto" African American. Poverty isn't funny. And it isn't a costume.

Now for an issue I find slightly more complicated - should we dress up as sluts on Halloween?

I admit I am guilty of this. My Halloween costumes have always been on the sluttier side - except for last year when I dressed up in my mom's old flight attendant uniform. If that costume is considered slutty, it isn't my fault, it is the airline industry of the '70s.

Mom's old uniform! An ode to powder blue and orange polyester.

Honestly, I think it is fine to dress up as someone or something slutty for Halloween - so long as you feel comfortable doing so. I don't however, appreciate the sexualization of every.single.damn.thing on Halloween. Brett and I recently went to a Halloween store to find some Halloween decorations, and I was disgusted by the overtly sexualized, frequently racist, and way too expensive Halloween costumes. I didn't see a single non-sexual costume for women.

I've never had a nurse dressed like this

Alice in Wonderland was a tramp

In real life, a cop would arrest this woman for prostitution

Cleopatra - Queen of the Midriff Baring Halter Top and Mini Skirt Combo. Let's sexualize all female political figures throughout history!

You can be sexy and cute without wearing one of these porn-esque costumes. And I think women should make a general push to be a little more creative when coming up with Halloween costumes. Don't just run to a Halloween store and buy the "Sexy (insert occupation or Disney heroine here)" costume. Dress up as a historical figure or famous feminist! There is a middle ground between looking like a zombie and sexified cop.