Marriage Equality Rally!

[newsbreak] Good news! Larry Summer is no longer up for Treasury Sec.  If you didn't know, he's the ex-ivyleague-pres who said women were inheantly inferior at math and science.  He even set up a home ec class for women so they didn't need to worry their little heads with all sorts of numbers. [end newsbreak]

So, Saturday was the Anti-passing of all the no gay marriage acts/props/ammendments.  Morgan and I made up posters (seen below), and he met me at the museum at 2.30PM with the plan to head right over to World's Fair Park.

Well... I head over to the museum, where I had 1PM a program to give, at 12.15.  I pull into the lot and am told that I need to pay, there's a basketball game.  I explain to the attendant that I am going to work at the museum and, not only that, I have 20 young girl scouts with parents coming at 1.  They tell me that they will need to find parking.  I respond that this is not acceptable, they were told where they could park before this, and the museum lot is to remain open for museum visitors.  Well, apparently there are only 5 spots left, and goodness knows how we'll do this.  So they call the head guy, who is very not pleased to see me.  The museum and the parking people have been at odds for as long as I've worked there.  The museum needs weekend visitors. When the museum advertises free admission and free parking, people expect that.  If they need to suddenly pay $5 to go do something free, they'll just as soon go home.  The museum loses visitors, and no one buys anything cool in the museum shop.

So he and I argue that parking a few cars in the free lot with everyone else having to pay is not acceptable.  I threaten to call people, like the museum's director, in order to give my girls a good experience.  At this point one of the original attendents comes running up and tells us that most of the cars in the lot are high school students here for visitation, and their program is supposed to be over at 12.30.  How about we just close the lot down for everyone except Girl Scouts (and other visitors, I pipe in).  That, I tell them, will work, assuming enough people leave.  What if we don't have enough spots still?  The attendants point out a bunch of open space, normally used by the daily attendant's kiosk, and say they'll park them in there.  We should be guarenteed 15 spaces between what's already open, what will open, and the informal spots.  So they change the sign to "Lot Full" and I head in hoping that the girl scouts are carpooling, like good environmentally concious individuals should.

I have 15 minutes to run upstairs, downstairs, middlestairs in order to get my 45 minute program, my 15 minute tool demonstrations, my 20 minute clay-based craft, and my 5 minute story set up.  I'm not ready on time, but that's ok, because the "Lot Full" sign confused some parents looking for the museum so they're on their way.  We get started about 15-20 minutes late.  Gargh!

We do the program, take a little longer on the initial program because they ask so many gosh durned questions, do the tools, take a quick break for me to move around the set up for the craft, make our darned clay pots, Morgan shows up, wash our hands, tell the story, and I clean up in record time.  I tell the guard the few things he needs to do (re-set some alarms, re-lock a few doors) since I don't have codes or keys.

3.20PM Morgan and I rush out of campus and over to Worlds Fair Park.  Everyone is gone!

Noooo!

So now I have two virgin signs for the next protest rally.

I'm annoyed.  Stupid parking.

Come to find out, about 120 people were at the rally, and the only counter protest was

LINK TO ARTICLE ABOUT RALLY IN KTOWN!  I really like this article.  Especially that it is written with a lean toward supporting same sex marriage and even includes religious leaders' comments supporting the equality of the right.

In other marriage-equality news:  December 5 is "No Gay for A Day" day, where the LGBT community and their supporters stay home from work.  Where I work, at the museum, we all feel that marriage should count.  The people I serve, children, would be the ones effected.  While children may repeat what parents say, they are still impressionable.  I'm conflicted whether my staying home would help.

Worlds Fair Park 1:15 Today!

Here are our signs. I'll be there once I'm done with a group at the museum.

Out and About

Saturday is a National Day of Rallying for Equality in Marriage Rights. (click on the graphic for more info).

Either way, the current plan is that in Knoxville people will be meeting at 1PM at World's Fair Park.

Bring your posters, rage, and support.

Official letter from Knoxville coordinator

Friends and allies,

WHY WE NEED YOU: As you know, our November 4th election was a day of mixed emotion. Along with Barack Obama's victory came a stunning defeat for LGBT rights: the passage of Proposition 8, which overturned the California Supreme Court's June 17, 2008 decision to allow same-sex marriage. Legal ramifications for the millions of loving same-sex couples who have been married in CA since the summer are still up in the air, but Prop 8's discriminatory message is clear: gay and lesbian couples are somehow less deserving of the chance for a happy, loving marriage.

While Prop 8 dealt a devastating blow, we can be encouraged by how quickly Americans have rallied in protest of this decision. California cities have already been bombarded with LBGT individuals and their allies, backed by an unprecedented outpouring of support from around the country.

This Saturday, November 15, there will be a nationwide protest in cities across all 50 states and DC. At 1:30 EST (10:30 PST), thousands of Americans will come together in solidarity of our LGBT brothers and sisters. We are saying together, loud and clear, that we will not stand down until EVERYONE has equal marriage rights, feels safe to be who they are, and is embraced as a first-class citizen.

http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com/

KNOXVILLE: Knoxville's rally will be held on the lawn of World's Fair Park. We will gather around 1:15 so that we can count down to the 1:30 nationwide protest together. There will be several speakers, including Reverend Bob Galloway of the Metropolitan Community Church. Next, there will be an open session for anyone in the crowd to speak and share their thoughts. (This has been cleared with Lieutenant Hubs and the Park staff. We have permission to be there. Additional security will come through periodically to make sure we are not bothered.) There are a number of parking lots and garages around the Park.

http://jointheimpact.wetpaint.com/page/Knoxville

Afterwards, anyone who is interested can go over to Kingston Pike outside the mall to engage in more of a picket-style protest.

HOW YOU CAN HELP: Most of all, come to the rally. As of Tuesday night, there was nothing scheduled in Knoxville, and I put this together pretty quickly. Show up and show your support. To stand up for what you believe in with thousands of your fellow citizens across the country is an incredible opportunity.

If you have cameras and/or video recording devices, it would be great to bring them and take plenty of pictures and recordings. The organizers of Join the Impact will be anxious to hear how things went in the different cities.

If you can, make signs for yourself and others. If you need inspiration, check out the link above for ideas.

Additionally, we are still in great need of a megaphone (or microphone with speakers) that does not need to be plugged in; if you have one or know anyone who does and would not mind donating it for a few hours, please let me know!

PLEASE BE AWARE: I've discussed all this with Lieutenant Hubs and we don't anticipate any problems, but in case we attract negative attention, please remain calm and civil. No matter how angry someone makes you or how despicable they may act, you always win by staying classy. Be courteous to other people in the Park, pick up any trash from your signs, etc. There is a Veteran Memorial dedication in the Park in the morning. It is over at noon, but please be respectful of any patrons still mingling from that event.

How we conduct ourselves will speak volumes.

MOST OF ALL: Yes, across the nation we are protesting a discriminatory decision, but this is not just about politics. Most importantly, this is about love, a human need and a human right. Although we are disappointed by California's decision, Saturday's events should be a positive experience as we celebrate the unity and solidarity of our allies around the country.

I look forward to seeing you all on Saturday.

For love,
Jen Crawford

(484) 354-3867

jencra@gmail.com

Angry feminism!

I'm reading this post at Feministing Community about a PMS buddy site.  I'm in Morgan's living room, so he's there too.
"Can you believe this! There's a site where guys can enter the dates that they notice their girlfriend's periods and then get email warnings when their girlfriends should be PMSing so that they can act extra nice on those days."
"Do you want me to sign up for that site?" Morgan asks all eagerly.
"Morgan, you're asking if I want you to sign up for a site that flat out assumes that you're with a woman so ignorant of her own body that she can't tell you if she's feeling poorly from a monthly even.  That assumes that all women turn into crazy woman-zillas for a week because of uncontroled PMS rage.  That assumes all women are on a 28 day cycle! " 

I'm glaring with anger of the idea of the site.  Unfortunatly I'm glaring at Morgan.

His winter coat is on the arm of the chair.  He grabs it and hides under it
"Tell me Morgan!"
"I can't hear your feminist rhetoric! Not under my fort!  I'm hiding! You're scary!"

He comes out.  "Are you signing up for the site?"
In a whimper "No!"

Stigma

A list of things that need to be de-stigmatized.

• mental health disorders
• weight issues (either way)
• pregnancy
• abortion
• consentual recreational sexual encounters
• childfree
• sexual commodification (ie - prostitution)
• feminism
• the vagina
• foster care and social work
• religion whether it's belief or not
• self sufficiency
• requiring assistance
• economic difficulties
• pro-life/pro-choice combinations
• seemingly contradictory religious/political combinations
• success
• failure
• being in love
• love

Don't Let Obama overshadow the Issues

Obama/Biden is the chosen pair. Awesome. This is the positive set. The one that will NOT work against my values, as opposed to the heteronormative, anti-choice, gender-discriminatory McCain/Palin ticket. I may seem behind on celebrating, but I've been working on a massive post about the wedding I went to. And I got sick.

But what about all the local propositions?

South Dakota's totalitarian abortion ban failed. Good.
Colorado's attempt to define personhood as conception failed. Good.

What are we upset about?

I'm upset because:
Arkansas banned fostering or adoption by unmarried couples, and since gay marriage is not allowed this further disenfranchises homosexual couples as well as those who don't wish to participate in a heteronormative institution.
Arizona banned gay marriage.
Nebraska removed Affirmative Action from it's constitution. (WTF!)
Florida banned gay marriage.
California banned gay marriage, revoking marriage licenses from multiple married couples. Updated. But it doesn't make it any less of an issue!

So homosexuals are the new second class citizens. Look, I'm already refering to them as an "other". They must be. Ooops, theres "they" again. But we still let them live with their friends, isn't that what they want?

::sigh::

In addition to the demonstrations, there are two movements that I'm getting in on regarding this revoking / restricting of rights.

1. Second Class Citizens Don't Pay Taxes - If "the gays" are second class citizens, they obviously don't need to pay taxes. This movement is lead by none other than Melissa Etheridge. Huh. My gay friend (see, I have one! My "token" friend.) is also named Melissa. Must be a gay thing. See girls, you aren't allowed to marry anyone named Melissa, at least not in California, Florida, or Arizona. (Mel, please see the sarcasm dripping from that if for some reason it was as invisible as same sex marriage rights!)

2. Pressure IRS to Make LDS Not Tax Exempt - The Morman church supplied almost 80% of the funding to advertise for Prop 8 (against gay marriage - some confusing wording there). That's $19,000,000 (19 million dollars. the 000's are impressive!!!). $19 million to influence legeslation. Huh. Wait. LDS is a church, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. So they're tax exempt. But the IRS states "no organization, including a church, may qualify for IRC section 501(c)(3) status if a substantial part of its activities is attempting to influence legislation (commonly known as lobbying)." Support removing tax exempt status from the Mormon Church by signing this petition. Let's not forget that the Mormons originally had an issue with the American legal definition of marriage between one man and ONE WOMAN. Hence why Brigham Young stated "Marriage is a civil contract. You might as well make a law to say how many children a man shall have, as to make a law to say how many wives he shall have."

Voting Roundup

Well, actually, thanks to the early voting process in Tennessee, I voted a few weeks ago.  I've sent out reminder emails to people who hadn't made an intent to vote clear, and now I'm at work discussing our hopes and dreams in a particularly left wing office setting.

But now that we voted, what to do? (In addition to dragging other people to the polls)...

Free Stuff  - A couple places are giving out free snacks as a reward for voting. You can bring proof (stubs/reciepts/regestration cards), but most take your word on it.

• Krispy Kreme - You get a free donut
• Starbucks - You get a free tall coffee
• Ben and Jerry's (after 6PM) - You get a free single scoop of icecream

Watch the Results

• Bruce Schneier at Making Light - as the polls close.  Making Light beat CNN on the first poll results of the nation.  Dixville Notch- Obama:15, McCain:6.  We have a good start!
• Democracy Now - 7PM-Midnight EST
• GRITtv - Noon-2PM

election eve

i'm back from pa and wanted to write something awesome about what i termed "the great red slash" of PA (the I-81 and route 11/15 corridor).  I was driving I-81 through Virginia, listening to NPR, getting updates on polls and criticism/decontruction of polls and two different episodes of car talk, when I passed a barn.  It was painted black with, in large white letters, "I'M VOTING FOR THE HOT CHICK"

then i got sick. major food poisoning/stomach bug/something in my innards.

so i'll give you a link instead.

Sarah Palin on the first amendment
check out update #3 .... it has the actual mp3.

Don't you steal it!

Ok - riding on the coattails of the copy protection 09 F9 128 bit number "criminally" released to the internet last week, I have taken my own number.

Don't steal it by publishing it elsewhere.

D2 92 F9 F2 A2 A5 1D E8 96 51 F9 14 16 46 C9 26

I'm not joking, you take this number and I get to tell you to remove it.

Get your own number *here*.

Blogswarm: Take Back the Blog

Take Back the Blog: "in support of the rights of women to participate fully in all aspects of our society, including specifically online in the world of blogging but indeed everywhere and at all times, day and night, without fear of harassment, intimidation, sexual harassment, online stalking and slander, predation or violence of any sort."

Oh goodness. I hope that I can fully explain my point, although it does deviate some from the general point of this Blogswarm. I suppose, though, that I should start with a preamble for those who are just joining me and do not know me personally. Then, perhaps, my position may make more sense.

Abstract: A portion of the internet is populated by the lowest common denominator. The effort to stop them is a waste. The responsibility instead lies with the reader to recognize these posts and comments. An intelligent reader or a professional will use discretion. But...

The blog, livejournal, or online authorship program of an individual's choice is a new medium of communication, expression, and dialogue. News articles tell the public this. News companies have even attempted to ride the want of publication by incorporating the public as lay journalists blogging and posting footage on the news website.

The online community allows for social networking with sites like MySpace and Facebook. Professional communities have even started to adopt this format for networking within disciplines beyond ListServes.

Blogs are a place for an individual to post musings and observations. It has become a place for political commentary and, dependent on the reader, threatening political dissension. Remember that: dependent on the reader.

The blog is not static, not discrete. It involves its readers in various levels, based on the anonymity of the author, the ability to leave comments, and the anonymity of those.

So - why do I bring this up? I live in the US (dropping a slight vestige of anonymity, I guess), I have no need to worry any politically charged blog postings being held against me. Do I?

No - I do not, thankfully. At least, to a point. This point is where we get to have our discussion. Anything that I post myself, or that is posted about me, is unregulated. That is the beauty of the internet. Anything can be written, and it should be that way. These "trolls," however, can cause damage. Therefore, a responsibility is placed on the reader.

Although it is not appreciated, any of you readers do have the ability to threaten and demean me in my comments. Until I moderate my comments and remove these posts, subsequent readers have the ability and the right to read said comments regarding my (lack of) sexual proficiency involving a candelabra and a goat. The responsibility lies in the reader, however, on whether or not to trust these commenters on an appropriate judgment of my possession or quality of goat-alabring skills.

So - where does this seemingly off-the-wall example lead? One more point and then we will tie it together.

I would expect my professional community to not post such goat-alabring comments on my professional profile. Why? Because it's not professional. Simple, right?

Not so much. The main example which leads to the TBtB post of today is documented here by WaPo, as well as here and here by an individual impacted.

What is to be done when a professional community turns on its own members, in this instance objectifying based on gender (here, also synonymous with BioSex)? When an employer Googles a potential hire, what is to be expected when comments on breasts and supposed STDs are returned? Is the potential employer expected to have this discretion? Either way, this is a liability to the individual commented upon.

So, dear reader, spread the word on intelligent comment processing and THINK. Those who we would truly wish to remove from the general population are destined to stay. Its our Catch-22. So learn to live with them, and spread the word.

Trackback

I'm always a few days behind these things.



I would blog about it. But I'm still trying to sort it all out.

Huh...

I don't advocate the oppression, suppression, or repression of anyone for any reason - why am I doing it to myself.

I'm not my mother's feminist

Finally - an update.

I'm not going to continue the past post's train of thought. Too much time has elapsed and I lost it all. Instead, I'm going to do a tardy "Blog Against Sexism Day 2007" post. Why? because I feel like posting, and it seems like a viable topic for this new, thoughtful blog. (Of course, I would attack it in my old blog, but this just seems like a much more viable venue.)



I'm not my mother's feminist

Granted, no one is *my* mother's feminist as she was never one for such "silly" things, and maybe that's why I feel strongly about these race/class/gender issues that tend to weasel their nuances into my work. And feminism and genderism has changed greatly over the years: "the women are people, too" school of thought of the 60s and 70s, the masculanized woman of the 1980s, the man-hating reclamation of feminine virtue of the 90s, and the gender rights "humanism" of the 'aughts.

The one point which always attacks me is the gender-based victimization of individuals. Of course, a good harasser will learn the sensitive points of the victim, but when these points are gender based - a slew of traits which cannot be changed - the victim no longer feels bothered/irritated, but instead feels vulnerable and ashamed. In the same way, many women (me included) have been raised so their "instinctual" action is the polite, "ladylike" one of pleasethankyoudemureglancedown. Yes, the readers laugh, but they have so rarely seen me so far out of my comfort zone that I retreat to these behaviors, which I never realized I was doing and then was reprimanded for being stupid and making bad choices.

Why is this *my* soapbox issue on my late/partial credit BASD Post? Because it is one that has directly effected me. It has influenced my decisions, it even carries over into my behaviors, my worries, and my paranoias. This is why I move my car to just outside my office before dark. Personal genderist attacks have shaped my political and social views, including my feelings on gun control. This is why I, an "independent woman" always tend to seek out some companion (preferably male) if I'm going out in an unfamiliar city. Or, for example, when I interned in the warehouse district of a city, as soon as I got off the bus, I hunched over and pulled a guy's hat down to my ears. Wearing my bulky coat, which protected me from gendered detection as well as the frigid Upstate NY winters, I would rapidly navigate the alleys to my building, passing by the lower echelon of legal and illegal activities. This practice, of course, was not adopted until after I handled a mild incident, but a soothsayer I was and am not and hind site is a great learning tool.

This, in a long hard retrospective look, is also probably why I stayed in that relationship for so long - because this way I had "the devil I knew" in the male next to me. Sure he treated me emotionally like crap, but like he told me, "[I]should be happy, [He] never hit [me]." I could just ignore his comments, but I did not want to ever be hit again. And definitely, being "girl" or even worse, "l'girl," and not a woman, or even Elizabeth (read more about fullness of person-hood later on) has influenced my relationship (or lack thereof) with my parents.

Instead, the bf was there to escort me out of threatening places, even if he was just on the phone. The thought of maleness embodies being a full person, and who in their right mind would ever attack a full person.

Those who are not this sought after "full person" [in this post we focus on gender (not on race or class - sorry, there much be blog days for those topics too)] are those who are not the man's man. Because we are not whole, we do not have a full defense against these genderists. This includes, but is not limited to: women/wimmen/womyn, girls/grrrls, members of the LGBTTQQ community, and even "effeminate" men.

So, what are individuals doing to reclaim the harasser's ammunition? Pet store feminists are reclaiming Bitch and Pussy? The Vagina Monologues, in exposing that word from it's hideyhole of kiddy-speak and slang (peepee, gash, cunt, slit) has placed the word in public parlance again. Perhaps when the Penis Monologues come out, the "PENIS!" game will also lose it's shock value. Cities have their "gayborhoods" (today's new word for me), and some have sex and gender based facilities to protect against such harassers.

I know that inequality is the only constant in social dynamics, but...

Do I view myself as being inferior because my observers see me as such? Or do my observers see me a sub, and open for harassment because I allow them?

(all who are reading, cut the "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent" ERoosevelt crap)

The point of this ramble is not to make obvious the need to protect against gender-based harassment, but instead to make obvious the want to remove this gender-based harassment and uneasiness. It is an inherent right for me to walk down the street and feel safe. Yet I have also been raised being told that dealing with such actions, picking myself up afterwards, cleaning up and continuing on with my life is inherent with being female. I am sick of it.

Although an idealist at heart, I am not here to offer a solution, unless re-exposing the topic for maximum observation is a solution. But I refuse to allow it to be forgotten. I'm sure I could pull out some of the many Symbolists sitting in my bookshelf to "support" my point, but this is a blog - not a term paper. Thank you blogger, for giving me a canvas to air my thoughts as a verbal Pollack painting.
edit on 3/16/2007 to tie some points together