*No offense to my fellow Feminist or panelist named Sarah...this song is not about you, I swear!*
Sarah's the kind of girl who's three feet tall, but she's built like an Amazon woman.
Sarah's the kind of girl who's three feet tall, but she's built like an Amazon woman.
And all the boys think she's sexy,
And all the girls think she dresses real well,
And all the teachers think she is the smartest one in class,
And I think...
SHE OUGHTA GO TO HELL!
Sarah's the kind of girl who pierced her ears years before anybody else.
Sarah's the kind of girl who pierced her ears years before anybody else.
And all the mothers say her mother was,
And all the mothers say her mother was a SLUT!
Cause we couldn't pierce our ears till we turned twelve, no matter what.
And I think...
Well, I think you know what I think.
One thousand Sarahs in my head!
One thousand Sarahs
Circling me in my bed.
I thought I got rid of her, but she multiplied instead!
One thousand Sarahs...
One thousand Sarahs...
I don't like her.
I don't like her.
I don't like her, and you can't make me!
I don't like her,
I don't like her,
I don't like her,
I don't like her, and YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!
One thousand Sarahs in my head!
One thousand Sarahs
Circling me in my bed.
I thought I got rid of her, but she multiplied instead!
One thousand Sarahs...
One thousand Sarahs...
Yeah!
--Michael Clem
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Be still, my heart
What's this again? I didn't hear it right...could you repeat it?
In April, towards the end, there's gonna be...
ANOTHER Big Fat GWS Conference!
(Well, actually, it's not quite a big fat GWS conference because it is put on by the Ethnography of the University Initiative and not the GWS program. It's more like a big fat history conference, and my LGBT studies class is allowed to present as long as we have a ten-minute-or-less speech prepared.)
Needless to say, I'm already petitioning to present there! We don't need to submit our proposals until March, so I have time to prepare. I just really want to present something I've created again.
You know, sometimes I wonder why I'm not interested in teaching college as a profession. Then I can talk all I please, and get paid for it!
In April, towards the end, there's gonna be...
ANOTHER Big Fat GWS Conference!
(Well, actually, it's not quite a big fat GWS conference because it is put on by the Ethnography of the University Initiative and not the GWS program. It's more like a big fat history conference, and my LGBT studies class is allowed to present as long as we have a ten-minute-or-less speech prepared.)
Needless to say, I'm already petitioning to present there! We don't need to submit our proposals until March, so I have time to prepare. I just really want to present something I've created again.
You know, sometimes I wonder why I'm not interested in teaching college as a profession. Then I can talk all I please, and get paid for it!
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Searching for Sisterhood
Or, "How I Learned to Find the Power in Sisterhood and Cross This Bridge"
Here is some lovely feminist theory analysis courtesy of me!
Over break, I was reading two classics of feminist anthology. They are both wonderful books, and total must-reads for anyone who is interested in the great tradition of American activism and feminism. I would highly recommend them to anyone. One is Sisterhood is Powerful, and it is compiled by Robin Morgan. The other is This Bridge Called my Back, and its editor is Cherie Moraga. I liked them both, but I've noticed that they both have their own very distinct methods of promoting women's equality. My question is, which way is best? Or does an activist need to strike some sort of balance? (And yes, I am ultra-analyzing, but bear with me here.) Let me elaborate, as both do have their own backgrounds and quirks.
Sisterhood was published in the 1970s as "an anthology of writings from the women's liberation movement." It's considered one of the classics of that time, and it contains writings from both well-known and more obscure authors regarding what its editor, Robin Morgan, sees as the "women's experience." Morgan is the author of two other Sisterhood books, and they take their names from substituting "global" and "forever" for "powerful." My blog post "Sisterhood and Brotherhood Are Powerful, Global, and Forever" is actually based on the titles of the three Morgan books. She's also written about terrorism (Demon Lover) and politics (Anatomy of Freedom) and bills herself as a radical feminist.
What Morgan promotes is a focus on the "women's experience." She notices the way that history has often been written from the point of view of men, and she seeks to compile writings by and about women in order to pay attention to a much-overlooked "female experience." By pointing out what women have gone through, she hopes to foster a sense of solidarity and to prevent female voices from getting lost in the writing of history. Morgan is devoted to fostering a sense of "sisterhood."
The other book, This Bridge, is considered the seminal text that ushered in the third wave of feminism, and it's billed as "writings by radical women of color." The third wave is marked, among other things, by an expansion of feminism's outreach and an attention to the interlocking problems that women have faced (i.e. they also focus on racism, classism, faithism, and homophobia as well as sexism). Moraga, its editor, is adament about blurring the boundaries between groups and striking up alliances between social justice groups. She has written that one cannot be focused on ending sexism if one is not also willing to take on the problems of racism and homophobia, among others as well. Sure, she implies, sisterhood may be powerful, but forming alliances and expanding that definition of sisterhood is even more so.
Now these two views, promoting a "women's experience"/sisterhood and fostering alliances and expanding outreach, are equally valid and have their share of problems.
Morgan sees solidarity as based on a shared experience, a sisterhood, something women can all claim as their own. By having an experience that women can relate to, feminism becomes an "everywoman" sort of movement. Moraga, on the other hand, sees alliances as the way to go and that feminism should take a more active role in other social movements as well.
However, the trouble with sisterhood is that it leaves a ton of people out. Sisterhood is Powerful is a radical anthology, but most of the contributors identify as White and were fairly well-educated. None of the essays are by male allies, and only a handful are written by or about lesbians. Sisterhood certainly can be powerful, but according to whose terms? For every woman who complained about a feminine mystique (with no disrespect intended to Ms. Betty) and dissatisfaction as a domestic wife, there was another woman who was upset over having to work incredibly hard and have no time for her family. Or a woman who loved another woman and was feeling like her relationship was being ignored by the media and by a supposedly progressive social movement. If a "woman's experience" is promoted, any woman whose life did not measure up to those terms would feel left out.
But how much better is forming "this bridge" between groups? Moraga and her coeditor Gloria Anzaldua see the formation of alliances between groups and expanding feminist politics to include anti-racist and anti-homophobic activities. All of the writings in This Bridge are by minority writers. By focusing on ending racism and other social ills as well as sexism, women can then be truly empowered. The book does make a lot of sense, as many women, in particular lesbians and minority women do face interlocking forms of oppression. By being women in a patriarchal society and women of color/of a lower class/in relationships with other women in a white-preferential/materialist/heterosexist society, their burdens are even more augmented. However, the problem that Moraga runs into is the loss of a unique voice of a group. If one takes on the views and problems of others, one's voice is co-opted and expanded to include that of others. The issues that are unique to one group can become lost in the quest for alliances.
I am not entirely sure of which activist's way is best. Maybe I am overanalyzing it, because they are both legendary anthologies and should be treated as such. However, I personally think that the best way would be a delicate balance between them. Know your group and the issues that make it unique and different. But don't be afraid to reach out to other groups to gain allies and to help them in their struggles as well.
Here is some lovely feminist theory analysis courtesy of me!
Over break, I was reading two classics of feminist anthology. They are both wonderful books, and total must-reads for anyone who is interested in the great tradition of American activism and feminism. I would highly recommend them to anyone. One is Sisterhood is Powerful, and it is compiled by Robin Morgan. The other is This Bridge Called my Back, and its editor is Cherie Moraga. I liked them both, but I've noticed that they both have their own very distinct methods of promoting women's equality. My question is, which way is best? Or does an activist need to strike some sort of balance? (And yes, I am ultra-analyzing, but bear with me here.) Let me elaborate, as both do have their own backgrounds and quirks.
Sisterhood was published in the 1970s as "an anthology of writings from the women's liberation movement." It's considered one of the classics of that time, and it contains writings from both well-known and more obscure authors regarding what its editor, Robin Morgan, sees as the "women's experience." Morgan is the author of two other Sisterhood books, and they take their names from substituting "global" and "forever" for "powerful." My blog post "Sisterhood and Brotherhood Are Powerful, Global, and Forever" is actually based on the titles of the three Morgan books. She's also written about terrorism (Demon Lover) and politics (Anatomy of Freedom) and bills herself as a radical feminist.
What Morgan promotes is a focus on the "women's experience." She notices the way that history has often been written from the point of view of men, and she seeks to compile writings by and about women in order to pay attention to a much-overlooked "female experience." By pointing out what women have gone through, she hopes to foster a sense of solidarity and to prevent female voices from getting lost in the writing of history. Morgan is devoted to fostering a sense of "sisterhood."
The other book, This Bridge, is considered the seminal text that ushered in the third wave of feminism, and it's billed as "writings by radical women of color." The third wave is marked, among other things, by an expansion of feminism's outreach and an attention to the interlocking problems that women have faced (i.e. they also focus on racism, classism, faithism, and homophobia as well as sexism). Moraga, its editor, is adament about blurring the boundaries between groups and striking up alliances between social justice groups. She has written that one cannot be focused on ending sexism if one is not also willing to take on the problems of racism and homophobia, among others as well. Sure, she implies, sisterhood may be powerful, but forming alliances and expanding that definition of sisterhood is even more so.
Now these two views, promoting a "women's experience"/sisterhood and fostering alliances and expanding outreach, are equally valid and have their share of problems.
Morgan sees solidarity as based on a shared experience, a sisterhood, something women can all claim as their own. By having an experience that women can relate to, feminism becomes an "everywoman" sort of movement. Moraga, on the other hand, sees alliances as the way to go and that feminism should take a more active role in other social movements as well.
However, the trouble with sisterhood is that it leaves a ton of people out. Sisterhood is Powerful is a radical anthology, but most of the contributors identify as White and were fairly well-educated. None of the essays are by male allies, and only a handful are written by or about lesbians. Sisterhood certainly can be powerful, but according to whose terms? For every woman who complained about a feminine mystique (with no disrespect intended to Ms. Betty) and dissatisfaction as a domestic wife, there was another woman who was upset over having to work incredibly hard and have no time for her family. Or a woman who loved another woman and was feeling like her relationship was being ignored by the media and by a supposedly progressive social movement. If a "woman's experience" is promoted, any woman whose life did not measure up to those terms would feel left out.
But how much better is forming "this bridge" between groups? Moraga and her coeditor Gloria Anzaldua see the formation of alliances between groups and expanding feminist politics to include anti-racist and anti-homophobic activities. All of the writings in This Bridge are by minority writers. By focusing on ending racism and other social ills as well as sexism, women can then be truly empowered. The book does make a lot of sense, as many women, in particular lesbians and minority women do face interlocking forms of oppression. By being women in a patriarchal society and women of color/of a lower class/in relationships with other women in a white-preferential/materialist/heterosexist society, their burdens are even more augmented. However, the problem that Moraga runs into is the loss of a unique voice of a group. If one takes on the views and problems of others, one's voice is co-opted and expanded to include that of others. The issues that are unique to one group can become lost in the quest for alliances.
I am not entirely sure of which activist's way is best. Maybe I am overanalyzing it, because they are both legendary anthologies and should be treated as such. However, I personally think that the best way would be a delicate balance between them. Know your group and the issues that make it unique and different. But don't be afraid to reach out to other groups to gain allies and to help them in their struggles as well.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Be yourself!
The Big Fat GWS Conference is done. It's been over since December. It was a good event, though.
I was really glad that I had presented it. I talked to my advisor, Jacque at GWS, and she said that the senior capstone conference is always an event she looks forward to because of the variety of topics and expertise of the students.
I was talking to her about some of the decisions I had made throughout my college career, and as I spoke about them, I realized one of the biggest impetuses for anything I've done was to prove something. Not to any of my professors or classmates or friends...but to myself.
College has been such a time of re-defining, of remaking and reinventing myself. I was no longer the shy little geeky girl, and I had really come into my own. I've been the type to constantly push myself until I get exactly what I want. The conference, I figured, not only proved to the faculty and students that I could write about social services and field questions about them but also to myself, that I had the confidence and the drive to do so. I've acted in one of my favorite plays, "The Vagina Monologues," and it's been a totally rewarding experience. The actresses are lovely to meet and get to know, and the money goes to a good cause. But, again, part of the reason I've been in such an outrageous play is to prove that I can do it. The highschool/gradeschool version of me would never have had the nerve to talk about vaginas onstage, let alone ask the audience what theirs smelled like! And I certainly wouldn't have been able to speak for twenty minutes about my paper at the conference had I kept my shyness.
The same goes for this year's decisions. I made this past semester one of the most productive for Fem Maj, with three co-sponsorships and an even more popular panel. When I organized Sex Out Loud, I went over and into Illini Arcade and sat down with the manager to tell her exactly what we wanted her to do. She told me that the previous presidents didn't have the nerve to go into the store. Although some might raise their eyebrows at the thought of me in the sex shop, I needed to talk to the people I'd be including in the event. I wanted to show all the participants that I valued their presence, so I met with each of them personally before the event (with the exception of NARAL, but I talked on the phone with them). But I wanted to prove--to myself--that I could do better than just following in the footsteps of the previous presidents and forge a new era for Fem Maj.
They say to be yourself. But sometimes that "yourself" needs a little tweaking to make it the "yourself" you most want to identify as.
I was really glad that I had presented it. I talked to my advisor, Jacque at GWS, and she said that the senior capstone conference is always an event she looks forward to because of the variety of topics and expertise of the students.
I was talking to her about some of the decisions I had made throughout my college career, and as I spoke about them, I realized one of the biggest impetuses for anything I've done was to prove something. Not to any of my professors or classmates or friends...but to myself.
College has been such a time of re-defining, of remaking and reinventing myself. I was no longer the shy little geeky girl, and I had really come into my own. I've been the type to constantly push myself until I get exactly what I want. The conference, I figured, not only proved to the faculty and students that I could write about social services and field questions about them but also to myself, that I had the confidence and the drive to do so. I've acted in one of my favorite plays, "The Vagina Monologues," and it's been a totally rewarding experience. The actresses are lovely to meet and get to know, and the money goes to a good cause. But, again, part of the reason I've been in such an outrageous play is to prove that I can do it. The highschool/gradeschool version of me would never have had the nerve to talk about vaginas onstage, let alone ask the audience what theirs smelled like! And I certainly wouldn't have been able to speak for twenty minutes about my paper at the conference had I kept my shyness.
The same goes for this year's decisions. I made this past semester one of the most productive for Fem Maj, with three co-sponsorships and an even more popular panel. When I organized Sex Out Loud, I went over and into Illini Arcade and sat down with the manager to tell her exactly what we wanted her to do. She told me that the previous presidents didn't have the nerve to go into the store. Although some might raise their eyebrows at the thought of me in the sex shop, I needed to talk to the people I'd be including in the event. I wanted to show all the participants that I valued their presence, so I met with each of them personally before the event (with the exception of NARAL, but I talked on the phone with them). But I wanted to prove--to myself--that I could do better than just following in the footsteps of the previous presidents and forge a new era for Fem Maj.
They say to be yourself. But sometimes that "yourself" needs a little tweaking to make it the "yourself" you most want to identify as.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Change has come
I really do identify with what Michelle Obama said, that this time, I really feel proud to be an American.
Regardless of what side you're on, you can't deny that this was truly a historic election and a historic inauguration. I watched the inauguration, and I was really crying when Obama gave his speech. Obama's story is one that many people can relate to, a lot more so than the previous Presidents! Barack really had to work hard to get his education and his jobs. He formed alliances with community groups such as churches and social services, ones that many ordinary Americans also are a part of. He wasn't born clutching a silver spoon, and he didn't get to be president by pandering to special interests. This was an election that everyone was excited about, and it wasn't some unrelatable gray-haired guy versus another unrelatable gray-haired guy. This campaign and election were energetic, dynamic, and upbeat.
And my post about my concerns over Pastor Warren giving the invocation? As wrong as wearing socks with sandals or getting worked up over Y2K! Yep, even the revel can be wrong at times! Warren's speech was actually pretty classy. I was pleasantly surprised. The guest speaker I was most impressed with was Senator Feinstein. She really knows how to please a crowd! But, of course, the star was the President. Not President-"elect." President Obama. It sounds good. It is good. I'm excited about seeing what he does during his time in office.
Regardless of what side you're on, you can't deny that this was truly a historic election and a historic inauguration. I watched the inauguration, and I was really crying when Obama gave his speech. Obama's story is one that many people can relate to, a lot more so than the previous Presidents! Barack really had to work hard to get his education and his jobs. He formed alliances with community groups such as churches and social services, ones that many ordinary Americans also are a part of. He wasn't born clutching a silver spoon, and he didn't get to be president by pandering to special interests. This was an election that everyone was excited about, and it wasn't some unrelatable gray-haired guy versus another unrelatable gray-haired guy. This campaign and election were energetic, dynamic, and upbeat.
And my post about my concerns over Pastor Warren giving the invocation? As wrong as wearing socks with sandals or getting worked up over Y2K! Yep, even the revel can be wrong at times! Warren's speech was actually pretty classy. I was pleasantly surprised. The guest speaker I was most impressed with was Senator Feinstein. She really knows how to please a crowd! But, of course, the star was the President. Not President-"elect." President Obama. It sounds good. It is good. I'm excited about seeing what he does during his time in office.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Happy new year!
Happy 2009, everyone!
I am really excited about this new year and all the adventure that awaits. Did you make any new year's resolutions? I know I have about five of them so far! A new year and new start is the perfect chance to change yourself for good. It's such an exciting time, a time for fresh beginnings. And for me, this year is off to such a good start. Graduate applications are finished at last, the Vagina Monologues and Sex Out Loud are in a couple of months, and I've volunteered at La Casa several times this break. And...of course, on January 20th, President-elect Obama will be the new leader of the free world! (I wish I could be at the Inauguration, but sadly, there's a pesky little thing called class getting in the way.)
A new year is a year full of possibilities, just waiting to be discovered and achieved.
I am really excited about this new year and all the adventure that awaits. Did you make any new year's resolutions? I know I have about five of them so far! A new year and new start is the perfect chance to change yourself for good. It's such an exciting time, a time for fresh beginnings. And for me, this year is off to such a good start. Graduate applications are finished at last, the Vagina Monologues and Sex Out Loud are in a couple of months, and I've volunteered at La Casa several times this break. And...of course, on January 20th, President-elect Obama will be the new leader of the free world! (I wish I could be at the Inauguration, but sadly, there's a pesky little thing called class getting in the way.)
A new year is a year full of possibilities, just waiting to be discovered and achieved.
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