Shakesville

It's the End of the World as We Know It, Baby

So, the local paper has a section called "Quickly," where people write in one- or two-line comments about random shit and the paper prints them. As you can imagine, this provides me with endless amusement on a constant basis.

There were some real doozies this week, especially as there was an ongoing battle between people who love writing to Quickly, some of them every day (!), and people who think writing to Quickly is a waste of time. Which they wrote to Quickly to say, without a trace of irony.

This was my absolute favorite of the meta-Quicklies, though:

I'd like to know why some people get in the Quicklies day in and day out. I can't get one comment in there. Please reply and let me know.

When the correspondents aren't busily arguing about the value of Quickly, they're complaining about shit. Lots of excellent complaints this week, but this was by far my favorite, for sheer zuhzability:

I don't understand why they do not teach students in school about what is going on today. My son is learning about the past history. I agree that some part of past history should be taught, but I believe that today's history should also be taught.

Nice.

But this was the one that really made me LOL today, a fine example of the ever-popular "What is the world coming to?" variety of Quickly:

Why would a young heart-throb like Justin Bieber have a line of nail polish out? What has become of our society?

I'm not even sure on what basis the objection is being made. Something along the homophobia-transmisogyny spectrum, no doubt, but I wonder if our dear Quickly author would be all right with an old heart-throb putting out a line of nail polish...? Probably not.

Sure

Corporate America already owns the executive and legislative branches; why not the judicial branch? Makes a swell matched set.

Daily Dose o' Cute

Sophie, aka Lady Titchington

Happy (Belated) Blogiversary to Us!

I totally missed our six-year (!) blogiversary, which was October 5. I am a terrible blogmistress—which everyone already knows, so: Phew!

I almost can't believe it's been six years since young bones groaned and this blog was born, originally under the banner Shakespeare's Sister, from Virginia Woolf's essay "A Room of One's Own," by way of one of my favorite Smiths' songs. Because I am the heir of all the Shakespeare's Sisters before me, who carved out rooms of their own, tiny pieces of space and time, in which they formed the habit of freedom and mustered the courage to write exactly what they thought, I took up their legacy with breathless gratitude and compelling need, and I created a room of my own, built of 1s and 0s, where I tried, and try still, to honor them, as best I can.

When a community started to grow up around this blog, and other writers began to join me in this space, Shakespeare's Sister, which was also my handle when I started in anonymity, seemed too personal somehow, and so we became Shakesville.

I am a better person than I was when I started. I know more about myself, both the good things and the things that need changing. I've made great friends and had great teachers. I've been challenged not to settle into the well-tread grooves of my socialization, and exhorted to deconstruct the vast and varied prejudices and myths with which I'd been socialized. I have been urged to expect more of myself and persuaded to believe in the possibility I can be the change I want to see.

I've learned more in this space than I ever could have imagined, and this is, by far, the toughest job I've ever had. I am forever changed because of Shakesville, and the people who visit or come to stay.

I'm going to continue to try to make this a space you enjoy visiting. I'm going to screw up and disappoint you and piss you off once in a while, but I'll endeavor to balance that with some good stuff, too. The truth is, I'm just fumblefucking my way through every day and don't know what the hell I'm doing most of the time, so we're all pretty lucky when it seems like I do.

Thanks, Shakers. Thanks to the other contributors and mods, for everything you put on the page and everything you do for me behind the scenes. And thanks to my beloved Iain, who first suggested I start this blog, and who makes Shakesville possible in every conceivable way.

Onward...

ASSHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLE!!!

What. A. Fuckhead.

Bush said he misses certain aspects of the presidency.

"I miss being pampered; I miss Air Force One; I miss being commander in chief of an awesome group of (people)," he said.

I miss gettin' them piggy-back rides from Scottie McClellan, and I miss playing craps on office time with Turd Blossom, and I miss rolling around my optimistic rug with Barney, pretending to be a dog named Mr. Woofington, and most of all I miss playing pranks on Dick Cheney, like the one where I sealed his desk rifle in jello. Heh heh. Good times.

'Member that time he was being pampered in Air Force One while flying over the devastation in New Orleans...? I'm glad to know at least he got to combine two of his favorite activities while being obliged to sully his beautiful mind with the unfun presidenting parts.

Today in Rape Culture

[Trigger warning for sexual violence.]

I read the following two stories back-to-back:

14-Year-Old Girl Raped in Bathroom After Being Used as Bait:

[T]eachers and administrators knew that one of their students had been sexually harassing and propositioning girls at Sparkman Middle School in Alabama. However, no action had been taken against him by the school. So one teacher decided on the same tactic as Upper St. Claire's principal: girl-as-bait. The teacher coerced 14-year-old B.H.J., an African-American student who had reported being repeatedly sexually harassed, into meeting her tormentor in a bathroom, assuring her that they would "catch him." But nobody followed B.H.J. into the bathroom, and nobody stopped her from being raped; the teacher simply went back to her classroom and waited. B.H.J. is reported as being severely traumatized and in an almost completely non-communicative state.

Cheerleader Required to Cheer for Man Who Assaulted Her:

High school football star Rakheem Bolton and two others were indicted for sexual assault of a child–identified only as H.S.–at a post-game party in 2008. According to H.S.–a fellow student and cheerleader at Silsbee High–Bolton, football player Christian Rountree and another juvenile male forced her into a room, locked the door, held her down and sexually assaulted her. When other party-goers tried to get into the room, two of the men fled through an open window, including Bolton, who left clothing behind. Bolton allegedly threatened to shoot the occupants of the house when the homeowner refused to return his clothes.

In September 2010, Bolton pled guilty to a lesser charge of Class A Assault and was sentenced to one year in prison, a sentence that was suspended by the judge in lieu of two years probation, a $2,500 fine, community service and an anger management course.

Silsbee school officials had two responses to the incident. First, they urged H.S. to keep a low profile, such as avoiding the school cafeteria and not taking part in homecoming activities. With the support of her family, she refused to do so, rejecting the notion that she had anything to be ashamed of. Secondly, school officials kicked her off the cheerleading squad for refusing to cheer for Bolton. No kidding.

Bolton had been allowed back on campus during a brief period when one grand jury withdrew the charges before another grand jury reinstated them. During a basketball game, H.S. cheered for the entire team but refused to cheer "Rakheem" during his free-throws, so she was off the squad.

There are, at each link, action items for allies to take in order to support the two girls.

When I was raped by a high school athlete, "school officials" were first dubious that he would do such a thing, since he was a letterman and an honor's student. (So was I.) Then they wanted to make sure I knew I was a real asshole for causing distractions to someone whose team depended on his clarity of thought. Then they locked us in a room to "work out our differences." And that was that.

That was 20 years ago. And nothing has changed.

I long for the day when the best many "school officials" have got isn't just trying to shut up victims of sexual violence by making them feel like pieces of shit.

Quote of the Day

[Trigger warning for rape culture.]

"Let me put it to you this way. Rape culture is a culture in which people who have survived a violent crime are asked to laugh about it because other people think it's funny."—Shaker everstar, in comments, on troll-watch in the wee hours, hitting the nail on the head like whoa.

Wednesday Blogaround

This blogaround brought to you by Shaxco, proud distributors of the newest, bestest party drink, Purple Spirit.

Recommended Reading:

Resistance: "Hate-crime laws turn thoughts into crimes."

Adrienne: Andrew Cuomo "Paraphrases" a "Native American Proverb"

Fannie: In Which Humorless Feminazism Yet Again Becomes a Self-fulfilling Prophecy

Juhu: Double Standards in Economic and Political Clout

Andy: Dan Choi's Reenlistment Application for the U.S. Army

Jorge: Pip & Smidge

Leave your links in comments...

Today's Edition of "Conniving and Sinister"

See Deeky's archive of all previous Conniving & Sinister strips here.
[In which Liss reimagines the long-running comic "Frank & Ernest," about two old straight white guys "telling it like it is," as a fat feminist white woman (Liss) and a biracial queerbait (Deeky) telling it like it actually is from their perspectives. Hilarity ensues.]

I Hope I Never Hear From You Again

[Trigger warning for reference to domestic violence.]

One day, in July, my phone bleeped to alert me I had a new text message. I picked it up and found a picture waiting for me. It was an image of a woman's face, badly bruised. Her eyes were both blackened, her left eye so swollen that it made the socket look disfigured.

I didn't know this woman. I had no idea why this picture had been sent to me. Was it a callous prank? A threat? Or just a wrong number?

I texted back: "Who are you trying to reach? Do you need help?"

Came the terse reply: "No wrong number so sorry."

Like everyone else, I've been socialized to Mind My Own Business, even about matters where it's patently obvious My Business should be about stepping in between someone being hurt and someone doing the hurting. I wanted to not reply. But I replied.

"It's okay. No need to be sorry. If you need someone to help you, please don't hesitate to ask me. I'm a woman who is a survivor of assault and works with other survivors of assault, and you may have reached me by coincidence, but please feel like you can ask me help if you need it. Best wishes."

Came the reply: "Oh no I was in an auto accident 2 days ago and sent the pic to a friend and switched 2 numbers around but thank u so much anyway."

"Okay," I replied. I noted that she was not taken aback by, or offended by, or defensive about the implication that she may have been assaulted. "I figured I'd offer just in case it wasn't something like that. Sorry about your accident! Get well soon. :)"

I didn't expect a reply. But one came nonetheless.

"I am so glad this did happen in case another one of my friends ever gets beat up again and im serious about that."

I texted back: "Keep my number and let us both hope you never have reason to use it."

"I will," she wrote, "and thank u very much."

* * *

Last week, I saw a woman who I think was she in a local drugstore. She carried a small child in her arms, and, for reasons I can't explain, I felt embarrassed at recognizing her, I guess because she couldn't recognize me back, which felt unfair somehow.

We passed each other going opposite directions, just two women, living our lives, almost perfect strangers, and I walked on to the register, bought my junk, and left.

Two-Minute Nostalgia Sublime

Florence + The Machine: "Cosmic Love"

Are any of y'all good with mail merge?

[Trigger warning for transphobia]

Let's see if this works:

Dear Mr. Rick Guy,

Oh hi! I see that you are running for the position of New York State Assemblyperson from the 120th district. Good for you. It is self-sacrificing patriots such as yourself that make this country the rich and vibrant democracy it is, etc., etc.

I couldn't help but note your concern over transgender people in bathrooms. Don't make me tap the sign.

I have it on good authority that trans women are already using women's bathrooms in your district. Women like me, right after I finish this post. While I appreciate your concern about "men dressed as women" in women's bathrooms, that's a bunch of smelly boogers. In other words, I don't appreciate your concern trolling at all.

As to your point that your opponent should have been focusing exclusively on the economy, rather than also voting for GENDA, permit me to remind you that getting fired from your job because of who you are is an economic issue.

In closing, STFU already, you technicolor poopy.

Neither love nor votes,
Katie

Number of the Day

57: The percentage of US adults who "believe America today has become too politically correct," according to a new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey.

First of all, I hate the phrase "politically correct," which has just become a phrase used to (unsuccessfully) mask a sneering contempt for basic decency. If you're someone who has the nerve to suggest that marginalized people should be treated with dignity and respect, you're "politically correct," which not only disdains the fundamental kindness of acknowledging another person's, or one's own, agency and humanity, but also implicitly suggests that you aren't principled: You don't believe that shit; you're just being politically correct. Ugh.

Secondly, I find it hilarious that a plurality of surveyed US adults thinks the country's just gone too "politically correct" for its own good. Yes, if there's one thing I always say about the US, it's: Settle down with all the respect and equality!

OMGWTFLOL WHUT?!

Today in unmitigated temerity:

Nearly 20 years after Anita Hill accused Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment during his contentious Supreme Court confirmation hearings, Justice Thomas's wife has called Ms. Hill, seeking an apology.

..."Good morning Anita Hill, it's Ginni Thomas," [a voicemail message] said. "I just wanted to reach across the airwaves and the years and ask you to consider something. I would love you to consider an apology sometime and some full explanation of why you did what you did with my husband."

Ms. Thomas went on: "So give it some thought. And certainly pray about this and hope that one day you will help us understand why you did what you did. O.K., have a good day."

Seriously, I don't even. I just. Whut.

For those of you who don't remember, or never knew, or weren't born yet, Anita Hill was an adviser/assistant to Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas back when he was working for the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) under Reagan. Hill alleged that Thomas sexually harassed her, and Hill was called to testify about those allegations after Thomas was nominated to the Supreme Court by then-president George H.W. Bush. The hearing turned the issue of workplace sexual harassment into a (much-needed) national conversation, but it was also a total disgrace, as Hill was victim-blamed to hell and back in the media, and the Senate Judiciary Committee hastily dismissed her allegations as having no merit. Then-Senator and current Vice President Joe Biden made a total arse of it, to what ought toe be his eternal shame.

If anyone is owed apologies from that debacle, it's Anita Hill.

Anyway, Hill wasn't even certain if the voice on the machine was Thomas, or someone intending to harass her, so she turned the tape over to the Brandeis campus police. Thomas later "confirmed leaving the message, which she portrayed as a peacemaking gesture. She did not explain its timing."

"I did place a call to Ms. Hill at her office extending an olive branch to her after all these years, in hopes that we could ultimately get past what happened so long ago," she said. "That offer still stands. I would be very happy to meet and talk with her if she would be willing to do the same. Certainly no offense was ever intended."

In response to Ms. Thomas’s statement, Ms. Hill said that she had testified truthfully about her experiences with the future Justice Thomas and that she had nothing to apologize for.

"I appreciate that no offense was intended, but she can't ask for an apology without suggesting that I did something wrong, and that is offensive," Ms. Hill said.

Hill (quite rightly) described Thomas' "olive branch" as "inappropriate" and "not invited. There was no background for it."

That's way more polite than Thomas deserves.

[H/Ts to Shakers Randomosity, Jewel, and eastsidekate.]

Why is Shakesville Purple Today?

[Trigger warning for suicide.]

Today is Spirit Day:

In the wake of several suicides by gay teens, a teenage girl from Canada sent out a call for a worldwide lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Spirit Day. Posted and re-posted from blogs to Facebook to other social networking sites, her call for remembrance spread across the Internet in a matter of days.

With the use of her Tumblr account, the announcement asks people to wear purple on Oct. 20 in memory of those bullied and harassed for their sexual orientation.
"On October 20th, 2010, we will wear purple in honor of the seven gay boys who committed suicide in recent weeks/months, many of them due to homophobic abuse in their homes or at their schools," Brittany McMillan said. "Purple represents Spirit on the LGBTQ flag and that's exactly what we'd like all of you to have with you: spirit."

...In addition to remembering the lives lost, Spirit Day also seeks to raise awareness of problems that arise from bullying based on sexual orientation. ... This summer the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network published their 2009 National School Climate Survey on the bullying of gay teens. The survey of 7,261 middle and high school students found nearly 9-out-of-10 LGBT students experienced harassment at school.

In the past year, nearly two-thirds felt unsafe because of their sexual orientation. Nearly a third of LGBT students skipped at least one day of school in the past month because of concern for their own safety.

There's more about Spirit Day here.

We will "wear" purple for the rest of the day. We will remain committed to championing LGBTQI equality, and challenging straight privilege, always.

Open Thread

Hosted by a pyrophone.

Question of the Day

What do you want to put on a t-shirt today?

I say "today," because there may be lots of things that each of us wants to put on a t-shirt, or has put on t-shirts, or whatever, and you needn't feel obliged to pick The One. Just something that you want to broadcast, as it were, today.

Tea and Sexuality

One of the more interesting aspects of the rise of the Tea Party mentality has been its return to the golden days of yesteryear (i.e. 1980) when the discussion of sexual mores and practices was fodder for political debate.

I find it incomprehensible how politicians like O’Donnell talk a big game about freedom and liberty, while out the other sides of their mouths seem to be calling for the imposition of medieval sexual morality, if not in law, in what is to be seen as proper behavior for “good people”. Even more incomprehensible to me is the fact that people buy into it. If we truly live in a free country, then as consenting adults, we are free to do as we will with regard to our own bodies. Perhaps sensing this internal inconsistency, they will often attempt to frame these moralizations into arguments about how “sexual deviance” is the root of all our social and political problems; thus making public problems out of our private lives.

First on the list, of course, is Teh Gayz. Marriage equality and the impending (if not glacially-paced) repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell has brought sex out of the bedroom and onto the stage. Candidates are holding forth on whether or not being gay is a choice, whether or not their opponents ought to be seen in the company of gays on parade, and whether or not gays and lesbians or even unmarried straight women sharing a house with their boyfriend should be allowed to teach in the public schools.

It seems harmless enough; if you can't make any sense when you talk about the real issues, go for the genitalia. But look at the recent rash of suicides among teens and children who have been bullied and tormented for being gay or even suspected of it. I don't have any real proof that there's a connection between the right wing's return to morality-minding (as if they don't need a refresher course for some of their own such as Newt Gingrich, John Ensign, and David Vitter) and these tragedies, but it's hard to avoid the connection. As Melissa says frequently, this shit doesn't happen in a void. Teens, especially those who are coming to grips with their own sexual identity, view it as an intensely personal and predominant force in their lives, and to suddenly find their most vulnerable aspect suddenly on display and held up to examination, mockery, and condemnation by friends, family, and the disembodied voices on the TV of candidates like Christine O'Donnell is devastating; it turns one's life into a laugh track for opportunistic scolds. No one can see it in the abstract; it is all about them and their most private and guarded senses. No wonder the demons find it easy prey.

It is no great secret that those who wish to scold and repress others for their sexual or moral standards are, of course, doing it to repress and scold themselves. It is human nature and recorded in countless ways throughout history. The fact that it can still be exploited for political gain is nothing new, either. I just wish that those who are doing it would think -- or even care -- about the damage they're inflicting on others, our society, and themselves.

HT to CLW.

Cross-posted from Bark Bark Woof Woof.

Today's Edition of "Conniving and Sinister"

See Deeky's archive of all previous Conniving & Sinister strips here.
[In which Liss reimagines the long-running comic "Frank & Ernest," about two old straight white guys "telling it like it is," as a fat feminist white woman (Liss) and a biracial queerbait (Deeky) telling it like it actually is from their perspectives. Hilarity ensues.]

Well done NPR, well done.

[TW: Sexual Abuse]

In an ill-advised and Overtonian attempt to show it's down with the kids these days and their "pop culture", the Vatican recently declared that the Simpsons are Catholic. There's plenty of snark to be had here, but permit me to be serious for a moment. In case you haven't noticed, the Catholic Church is having a bit of a rough year (er... decades?). And even if you manage to get past the sexual abuse, it's hard to get around the fact that many young people aren't buying the Vatican's bigoted stance on any number of social issues, which is undoubtedly bad for the family business.

What's a church to do but throw on some hammer pants, crank up the Miley Cyprus and start "rapping" about the latest popular trends?

If it couldn't get any worse, the Vatican desperately wanted to pretend that it's not merely pandering to the young people with this latest pronouncement, which means that it had to whip out the faux philosophy (fauxlosophy?):

The Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore wrote:

"Skeptical realism seems to prevail in the Simpson stories... Young generations of television watchers are educated to not let themselves be fooled. The moral? None. But one knows that a world without easy illusions is a more human world and, perhaps, more Christian."

Yeah, that and "I caught you a delicious bass" gets you a cup of coffee.

And this is where NPR comes in. I don't expect an outfit as classy as National Public Radio to directly call the Vatican on its bullshit. Thus, I give you NPR's webreportage:

[IMAGE: The headline reads "Vatican Claims Homer is Catholic, Saints go Begging (this part refers to another news item.) The picture is of Homer marrying two men in his garage.]

LOLOL!! Well. Played.