[Content Note: Harassment; threats of violence; misogyny; racism; silencing.]
Recently, I was interviewed by Kelly Diels for a piece she was writing for Salon about internet harassment of female writers. The piece is now available here, and it gives just a peek into the personal cost of being a woman writing online, and exposes the fallacy about the legal recourse we are presumed to have.
I'm not even going to excerpt it. Just go read the whole thing.
Please.
"Women’s free speech is under attack."
In The News
Here is some stuff in the news today!
[Content Note: Harassment; racism; misogyny.] Here is Mikki Kendall (@Karnythia) talking about the hashtag she started, #SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen, and how it has illuminated that "feminism as a global movement...has failed at one of the most basic [global responsibilities]: it has not been welcoming to all women, or even their communities."
Good News: "The California Supreme Court refused Wednesday to revive Proposition 8, ending the last remaining legal challenge to same-sex marriage in the state."
[CN: Sexual assualt] In May, President Obama said that sexual offenders in the military ought to be "prosecuted, stripped of their positions, court-martialed, fired, dishonorably discharged," and now lawyers in dozens of military assault cases have filed motions that his "words as commander in chief amounted to 'unlawful command influence,' tainting trials and creating unfair circumstances for clients as a result," which has resulted in some judges dismissing charges against accused rapists because the President has made it impossible for them to have a fair trial. In an effort to combat this bullshit, Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel has "sent out a directive" that I trust reads: "The President was making a political statement. Stop using his expressed desire to hold rapists accountable to NOT HOLD RAPISTS ACCOUNTABLE, you fucking assholes."
[CN: Rape culture; misogyny] Russell Simmons' YouTube channel released a completely horrendo video that suggests (for fun! because it's so ha ha hilarious!) Harriet Tubman sexually blackmailed her master "into letting her run the Underground Railroad." There has been great discussion about this on Twitter this morning. Go see, for a start: @NanticokeNDN, @mychalsmith, @NewBlackWoman, @carolynedgar, @Blackamazon, and @OHTheMaryD.
[CN: Death; political oppression] Egypt's Health Ministry reports that more than 500 people have been killed and nearly 4,000 injured in crackdowns on supporters of deposed president Mohamed Morsi.
The GOP is scared that if Hillary Clinton runs for president and is immediately anointed her party's nominee (why does everyone think this will happen? that was supposed to happen last time, and HI PRESIDENT OBAMA!), it will be terrible for them, because they have so many people who want to run in their party. Yes, a long primary can be bad for an eventual nominee (Mitt Romney), but it can also be good for an eventual nominee (Barack Obama). I think the Republicans' bigger problem is that they have a lot of people who want to run and ALL OF THEM ARE TERRIBLE.
Do you want Bryan Cranston to play Lex Luthor? Do you not care who plays Lex Luthor? I BARELY CARE who plays Lex Luthor, but if Bryan Cranston were playing Lex Luthor, I would care a nearly imperceptible smidgeon more!
Quote of the Day
[Content Note: Racism.]
"I don't think there is objective evidence that we're precluding African-Americans from voting any longer."—Preeminent white supremacist fantasist and Republican Senator Rand Paul.
I bet Rand Paul's definition of "objective evidence" is very subjective!
Whut.
[Content Note: Misogyny; gender essentialism; war.]
From the "I pander to women by asserting they're better than men, but still obviously think they're less than men, ha ha, what am I—a FEMINIST?!" files:
Morning Joe guest and advertising executive Donny Deutsch quickly found himself in the deep end of a discussion on Hillary Clinton and gender Wednesday morning, when he argued that while a female president would promote a more [pacifistic] foreign policy, she would be hamstrung by male opponents who would exploit her less aggressive agenda—a thesis the rest of the panel strongly rebuked.I don't think the al Qaedas of the world are going to be headed by women. WHAT THE EVERLOVING FUCK. This guy.
Deutsch was responding to a piece by Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker, which argued that a Clinton presidency would promote women’s constructive role in society, in turn encouraging internal reforms in hostile nations.
"There's only one challenge in it," Deutsch said. "Problem: we have a woman, but our enemies are still on the opposite side of the equation. I don't think the al Qaedas of the world are going to be headed by women, so it falls apart a little bit. Women plus women equals a win to me. Women and still men on the other side of the table? Theoretically the world would be a better place with women running it. It doesn't solve the problem."
..."If you have two women down to negotiate something, it's going to get done without bullets," Deutsch said. "On our side of the equation, we solve it, but there's a world that's still century behind in our evolutionary state or progressive state in how we feel about women."
"I'm trying to decide whether to ask you to explain yourself," Mika Brzezinski said.
"I'm talking in this idealistic utopian place of women getting together and making the world a better place, which I agree with," Deutsch explaind. "The problem is what we've learned throughout history is unanswered aggression breeds more aggression. So we're going to tack on this more maternal—"
"Be careful!" [Alex Wagner] warned.
There is so much wrong with this calculation that I hardly know where to begin, and I'll leave it to you to address ALL THE MANY WAYS IT IS WRONG in comments, but I will briefly note that the most objectionable thing about former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton as a politician is her foreign policy positions. She, like every other Democratic candidate in my lifetime (and of course all the Republicans), is hell and gone more hawkish than I am. The thought that she would have a more pacifistic foreign policy than the men in her party is absurd.
In fact, if she were elected and were not aggressively militaristic to prove that women aren't weaker commanders-in-chief, it would probably only be because the country has such pervasive war exhaustion. In any other time, I would fully expect Clinton to be more hawkish in office than the rest of her party. And they're not exactly doves.
Impressed!
Below is a video of a woman named Christina Bianco singing the 80s hit "Total Eclipse of the Heart" as 19 different famous female singers. I don't know what else to say about it than that. She is an amazing impressionist and it is awesome! The end.
Video Description: Christina Bianco, a woman who appears to be white, sings "Total Eclipse of the Heart" to a piano accompaniment onstage at a club with a live audience. She sings in the styles of: Adele, Cher, Judy Garland, Patti LuPone, Kristin Chenoweth, Edith Piaf, Bette Midler, Julie Andrews, Liza Minnelli, Bernadette Peters, Gwen Stefani, Zooey Deschanel, Britney Spears, Shakira, Alanis Morissette, Norah Jones, Christina Aguilera, Celine Dion, and Barbra Streisand.
[Via.]
Wednesday Blogaround
Today's blogaround brought to you by dysfunctional university registration software.
Imani: Kal Penn? You Racist, Bro? [CN: racism]
M. Sophia: “Burka Avenger”: Pakistan’s Middle Class Gets a Feminist Cartoon [CN: colonialism, religious oppression, misogyny]
Jill: Looking for Help With Rape Threats on Xbox Live? Prepare to be Frustrated [CN: Rape culture]
Aerogram Editors: Uh-Oh: The Pentagon Considers Well-Traveled, Broke Indian American Women Threats [CN:Racism, misogyny]
Mychal: #Solidarityisforwhitewomen, #Blackpowerisforblackmen, but Many are Still Brave [CN: white supremacy, misogyny]
Rachel: Wadjda and the Saudi Women Fighting Oppression from Within [CN: misogyny, religious oppression, colonialism]
Francesca: Remixing the Canadian Narrative: Hip-Hop as Public History [CN: Racist erasure]
Indian Country Today Media Staff: Navajo Warriors: Today is National Navajo Code Talkers Day
David: Walt Whitman, Emily Dickinson, and the War that Changed Poetry Forever [CN: death]
Please feel free to leave your links in comments below.
Pentagon Extends Benefits to Same-Sex Married Couples
Good news from the Pentagon:
The Pentagon will extend to legally married same-sex couples the same privileges and programs that are provided to legally married heterosexual couples, including benefits tied to health care, housing, and family separation allowance, compensation paid to military members when their dependents can't live with them at their permanent duty station....On Tuesday, a senior official told NBC News that service members who are stationed in one of the 37 states where same-sex marriage is illegal will be offered up to 10 days of leave so they can travel to one of the 13 states, plus the District of Columbia, that grant same-sex marriage licenses.
Wednesday's announcement made no specific mention of the 10 days of leave, but did say, "We recognize that same-sex military couples who are not stationed in a jurisdiction that permits same-sex marriage would have to travel to another jurisdiction to marry. That is why the department will implement policies to allow military personnel in such a relationship non-chargeable leave for the purpose of travelling to a jurisdiction where such a marriage may occur."
Woot! Good news for Darrell Revels and Dylan Kirchner, and the many other servicemembers in same-sex marriages or relationships. Unfortunately, questions do remain in other areas, such as spousal benefits for veterans in same-sex marriages. Feel free to discuss all aspects of these developments in comments.
Silencing and Intimidation of Women of Color at 'Men Against Sexism' Conference
by Emi Koyama
[Content Note: Racism, misogyny, harassment, bullying, silencing, gaslighting.]
Last week I attended the Forging Justice conference in Detroit, which was jointly sponsored by National Organization for Men Against Sexism (NOMAS) and HAVEN, a domestic violence and sexual assault agency in Oakland County, Michigan.
I was initially confused to be invited to a conference that was also called "38th National Conference on Men & Masculinities" since my activist and professional work have always centered on women, but I accepted the invitation to participate in the opening plenary on intersectionality and feminism after finding out that HAVEN handled the bulk of programming, while NOMAS took care of the bulk of fundraising. It helped that one of my friends knew Cristy Cardinal, who was HAVEN's conference programming chair. The other panelists for the opening plenary were Kristie Dotson of Michigan State University and Jessica Luther of Flyover Feminism.
I started my presentation by quoting Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarashina: "Fuck that word 'intersectionality,' but, you know, be it." I felt that this quote was very apt for this panel, because "intersectionality" has become a fancy buzzword among rather privileged academic feminists and others, eclipsing the fact that intersectionality is and has always been a lived reality of many people who struggle against multiple oppressions whether or not they use or even know the term.
My presentation, which along with other highlights from the conference is now available on HAVEN's Ustream channel, focused on how the mainstream anti-trafficking discourse promotes further surveillance and criminalization of already marginalized communities as the primary and often only solution to the problem of violence and exploitation experienced by youth and adults in the sex trade. I argued how such an approach ignores realities of people who are actually in the sex trade (due to any combination of choice, circumstances, or coercion), and harm the very people they are intended to help. At minimum, I believe, an intersectional analysis would require us to start from the acknowledgement that the state is a problematic institution, a source of violence against women of color and many others, that cannot be intrinsically relied on.
After the panel was over, Cristy from HAVEN came up to me and told me something shocking: minutes if not seconds before the panel was to begin, two white male co-chairs of NOMAS told her that the live-streaming of the panel would be turned off for my presentation after two other panelists spoke. She also told me that the men had indicated that, depending on what I say, they were prepared to step in and interrupt my presentation on the spot. Cristy said, "I'm sorry. I want to be transparent about what happened and accountable to you as a white feminist and a host of the conference. I wish I could do something different, but we didn't even have the time to have a discussion about this." Meanwhile on Twitter, people watching the live-streaming were confused as to what had just happened, because the streaming was abruptly terminated without any explanation.
News of what happened had spread by the next morning, and most of the women participating in the conference (and at least one man, the youngest and newest national council member of NOMAS) were furious about the censorship and threat. We were told that NOMAS would hold a "listening session" to hear community voices about the incident after the evening panel by the members of NOMAS national council. "They don't seem to think there was anything wrong with the decision," I was told by some of the women who spoke with the NOMAS leadership. "I don't know if you want to be there or say anything, but let us know how we can support you."
I did go to the panel, as did seven or eight women who showed up in solidarity. The panel of NOMAS national council members went on for almost two hours, each of them congratulating how they are so grateful for such a wonderful and supportive pro-feminist men's community that holds itself and other men accountable, while the women sat there quietly waiting for our chance to actually hold them accountable.
The last speaker was NOMAS co-founder Robert Brannon, who currently heads Pornography, Prostitution and Trafficking task group of NOMAS. During his speech about the harms of pornography and prostitution on women and children, he angrily began ranting about me--not using my name, but clearly referring to me and my writings, which I was distributing at the conference:
I deeply regret that at this conference, printed materials have been distributed stating that this average entry age of fourteen is just a "myth," and also stating that pimps are not controlling abusers, but friends, mentors, partners, and protectors. As a social scientist well-versed in both survey and experimental methodology, who has read empirical studies in details, I can assure you that the early entry age of fourteen is no myth at all.Contrary to what Brannon said, responsible social scientists understand that "good estimates are hard to find, and good data are harder yet" in areas such as this, though the average age of 12-14 (as anti-prostitution activists often claim) is almost certainly "statistically impossible." And Brannon clearly distorted my argument when he claimed that I consider pimps "friends, mentors, partners, and protectors": what I have actually written was that friends and others close to people who trade sex are often targeted by the law enforcement as "pimps," leading to further isolation, which of course make us more vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.
Worst of all, Brannon and other members of NOMAS did not bother to ask any questions at my presentation, or approach me privately to discuss their concerns or disagreements; they just censored my presentation, threatened to interrupt and shut it down, and talked disparagingly about me, not with me, as if I did not belong in the feminist conversations over issues that directly affect me and my community.
After Brannon finished his talk, NOMAS national co-chair Moshe Rozdzial concluded the panel:
...No conference on issues of oppression is without bumps. Anytime you have an intersection, there is a possibility of accidents and mistakes. There have been few issues and concerns that have been brought to our attention and we want to address those... So, um, we would like to invite anybody who would like to communicate with us and process with us any concerns to join us immediately after this panel to do so. Otherwise, we'll see you at the evening program tonight.With this, several NOMAS council members stood up and began walking toward the door, as did some of the men in the audience, but women started shouting at the panel, questioning what happened to the "listening session." Still, NOMAS chairs continued to feign ignorance: "Um, sure, some folks have walked out already, but if you've got some questions or discussion points, sure, I'd love to do that now." NOMAS panel did not even acknowledge what the issue was until Jessica Luther finally screamed, "WHY DID YOU CENSOR EMI???" despite the fact we had all waited in our seats for two hours for an opportunity to address the problem, as we had been promised.
Finally confronted by a group of women, Rozdzial gave this explanation:
So I just want to give a little history right now. We have never streamed any of our sessions before, ever. All of our conferences are in-house. Everything we do is essentially under our vetting and our approval. So we have no history of what happens to our materials that go out of our sessions, our conferences, and what that would look like in the world. We have a certain analysis, feminist analysis you have heard today, and so we became concerned that there was information that was possibly going to give very different analysis to what we believe in that may be harmful. [...]Where do we even start? Rozdzial seems to think that he and other men of NOMAS get to define what feminism is, and censor women--in this instance, a survivor and a woman of color with first-hand experiences in the sex trade--because, apparently, women who disagree with NOMAS are not feminists. He also fabricates mutuality and consent where none existed, like any rapist who is confronted about violating another person without their consent, while blaming Cristy in the process.
So do you want to know exactly how the situation happened? Allen [Corben] and I, as co-chairs of NOMAS, when we saw the materials that disturbed not just us, but other people came to us about it, we went to Cristy who told us that Emi was concerned about having her information be livecast. So it was kind of like mutual place where we can, if Emi was concerned about being livecast, and we have concerns about it being livecast, we asked Cristy to not broadcast this.
Jessica, Melissa McEwan of Shakesville, and other fierce women kept pushing NOMAS leadership on and on until NOMAS co-chairs (but not Brannon) were forced to apologize for how their actions were harmful not just to me, but to other women who still had to present at the conference knowing that they could be targeted the same way, as well as to women of HAVEN who had worked hard to put on this conference without receiving the respect and deference they deserved.
After the panel, Rozdzial and Corben came over to personally apologize to me. But when I heard them say "We are sorry about what happened; we should have thought about how it makes us look bad," indicating that they were more concerned about damages to the credibility of their organization than about the pain and suffering they caused to me and other women participating in the conference, I did not want to talk to them any more. So I asked for their business cards, and promised to get in touch at a later date.
Meanwhile, Brannon, clearly angry from all the women challenging him and his colleagues, rushed toward the only other (as far as I know) woman of color in the room, activist Lauren Chief Elk of Save Wįyąbi Project, who had given a wonderful keynote speech in the morning. Standing extremely close to her with his hands raised, violating her personal space, he kept telling her that she was wrong to criticize racism within first-wave feminism and suggesting that he knew more about her people and culture than she did because he has read history books, much the same way he acted as if his "social science" background made him an expert about sex trade over someone who has actual lived experiences in it.
When those of us still in the room realized Brannon's menacing behavior toward Lauren, we stepped in and had him escorted out of the room. Jessica and Melissa demanded that Brannon not be allowed to return to the conference, to which a national council member of NOMAS replied, "I can make that happen."
Yet on the final day of the three-day conference, Brannon showed up at the conference, and was promptly escorted back to his room by NOMAS members upon HAVEN's request. Cristy, sitting at the registration table across from the main elevator, promised to keep a close eye on the elevator so that he wouldn't be able to come to the conference again (the entire conference was held in a small area on the basement level of the hotel).
But of course he came yet another time, after being escorted out twice by other men of NOMAS. I first noticed Brannon walking out of the big room that was set up for massages and other healing practices. The room had doors at each end of the room, which allowed someone to bypass the area monitored by Cristy and other women at the registration desk. He walked directly toward me, and began speaking to me, smirking, "so it looks like I caused some trouble." "CRISTY!!!" I screamed for help. Cristy and others rushed over, and NOMAS members once again ejected him.
As a survivor, I experience triggers frequently. I know that, most of the time, I feel scared about the situation or people because of something that has happened in the past, and that there usually is not an actual danger to myself. So for the last two days, despite the fact I felt scared and could not stop feeling shaky or sleep for more than two or three hours each night, I kept trying to tell myself that nobody was going to actually harm me.
After the third time Brannon violated boundaries of women like me, Lauren, and others, however, I was no longer certain that my scared feelings were just feelings: women know that someone that angry and out of control is capable of doing the unthinkable. So I decided to pack up and leave the conference hours before I had originally planned to do so. I had a NOMAS volunteer escort me for my safety until the hotel shuttle came to pick me up—I've been to many conferences where my opinions were not necessarily popular, but this was the first time I required a bodyguard.
To be honest, I never expected this conference to be that great. I have had enough unpleasant interactions with "feminist men" in the past, especially cis white men (which NOMAS mostly, although not exclusively, is), and never trusted them as a group. But I did not expect my experience at the conference to be this horrible: is this really what feminist and pro-feminist men do in the name of feminism? But once I disregarded their self-identification as feminists or pro-feminists, all the irony was lost: they are just bunch of racist, sexist, white men.
On the other hand, I met many wonderful women who truly had my back. We recognized racism, misogyny, and manipulative, controlling, or gaslighting/crazymaking behaviors for what they were, and understood that it was not just an attack on me, or on Lauren, but an attack on all of us as well as on the entire movement. I am truly grateful for how Cristy and other members of HAVEN brought together so many wonderful women to present, and stood up with us.
After leaving the conference earlier than I had planned, I took Amtrak to Chicago to attend the closing ceremony of Young Women's Empowerment Project (YWEP), a grass-roots peer-led organization by and for girls and young women (mostly women of color, with a substantial proportion of trans women of color among them) in the street economies, particularly in the sex trade. The organization had announced its closure earlier this year after twelve years of empowering street youth, under an increasingly hostile environment that reduced its ability to raise funds and to support youth being targeted by the mainstream anti-trafficking policies that rely on surveillance and criminalization.
For me, this past week has been such an emotional roller-coaster: I went through fear from being targeted, silenced, and menaced by white male "feminist allies" of NOMAS, excitement at finding solidarity with other wonderful women at the conference, absolute sense of acceptance and community with YWEP members and its adult allies, and deep and overwhelming sadness that set in as I reflected on the demise of a community that had been, for the past twelve years, the only family that many street youth ever had.
I believe that the two events I witnessed are related, not just in the sense men like Brannon supports policies that lead to further targeting of YWEP youth. The link is that men who view themselves as feminists or pro-feminists but treat women in controlling, manipulative, and paternalistic ways are just like many "anti-trafficking" activists that want to "rescue" youth in the sex trade by arresting them and institutionalizing them involuntarily. It almost seems that they want to regard the targets of their "rescue"--be it abused women or street youth or whatever--to be voiceless, so that they can speak over us; they want to infantilize us as innocent and incapacitated or brainwashed victims so that they can ignore our autonomy.
I am home now, and Brannon and others cannot hurt me anymore. But I don't know where the YWEP youth will go to now, and worry that they will experience more violence and exploitation in part because of the policies that he and other anti-prostitution activists promote. Brannon, whose pattern of abusive behaviors have been documented since at least 1992, continues to serve not just as the Pornography, Prostitution and Trafficking task group leader of NOMAS, but also as a co-chair of National Organization for Women, New York State chapter's Task Force on Trafficking, Pornography and Prostitution.
I am beyond furious that people who claim to be allies to women and to people in the sex trade continue to act this way, or implicitly endorse them by passively tolerating others who act this way. Like "intersectionality," "accountability" should not be just a buzzword people utter for brownie points: indeed, fuck that word "accountability," but, you know, be it.
(Please read the list of demands to NOMAS that women who attended Forging Justice came up with, and support our effort. Please also support Young Women's Empowerment Project raise money to help its youth leadership move on to next chapters of their lives.)
Emi Koyama is a multi-issue social justice activist and writer synthesizing feminist, Asian, survivor, dyke, queer, sex worker, intersex, genderqueer, and crip politics, as these factors, while not a complete descriptor of who she is, all impacted her life. She puts "emi" back in feminism at www.eminism.org.
List of Demands to NOMAS (National Organization for Men Against Sexism) from Women of #forgingjustice.
We are women who participated in Forging Justice conference as speakers, attendees, organizers, and volunteers. We witnessed a series of extremely troubling incidents during the conference involving members of NOMAS national council, as Emi has reported in a separate article, and we would like to make following demands.
1. Acknowledge that NOMAS chairs wrongly censored (on livestream) a speaker who had been invited by HAVEN to participate in this conference, and threatened to step in and interrupt her presentation, thereby harming the integrity of both the speaker and HAVEN which had selected her as an important voice in our movement.
2. Acknowledge that by unilaterally making the decision to censor a speaker minutes before the panel rather than discussing its concerns with HAVEN or with the speaker, NOMAS chairs undermined its partnership with HAVEN, and by extension its part in the larger movement against violence against women, which must be women- and survivor-centered.
3. Acknowledge that NOMAS chairs wrongly characterized the censored speaker as un-feminist and "harmful" as a justification for the censorship, as if "pro-feminist" men could monopolize the definition of feminism.
4. Acknowledge that NOMAS chairs initially claimed, falsely, that there was a "mutual" agreement not to live-stream the presentation, when the decision was made unilaterally by the co-chairs, which resembles how rapists often claim that their criminal violation was consensual.
5. Acknowledge that NOMAS founder and council member Robert Brannon exhibited a pattern of abusive behaviors, including: attacking an invited speaker publicly by mischaracterizing her work, using his position as a white male social scientist to ridicule and dismiss activists speaking from their own lived experiences and that of their communities, and menacing a woman of color speaker by violating her personal space and another by sneaking around to approach her after being expelled from the conference twice already.
6. Acknowledge that other members of NOMAS national council have been aware of the pattern of abusive behaviors Brannon exhibited since at least 1992 and yet have failed to hold him accountable, or to practice "bystander intervention" while he publicly attacked a speaker during the NOMAS panel. Hold him accountable now.
7. Ensure that NOMAS will be transparent about what happened this year to any potential future co-sponsors of NOMAS conferences as well as all potential speakers so that they can make an informed decision as to whether or not to participate. Make plans to ensure the safety of speakers as well as all women attending any future conferences.
8. Issue a letter (or letters) of genuine apology to Emi, Lauren, HAVEN, and to the larger community that spells out in detail what went wrong, why they were wrong, and what NOMAS will do to avoid making the same mistakes in the future. These letters should be posted on NOMAS' website and included in its newsletter (electronic or otherwise).
9. Establish internal policies, procedures, and trainings that specifically address the intimidation and abuse tactics shown by members of NOMAS national council during the 2013 conference in order to hold national council members accountable before women are forced to intervene, or requiring women to continually intervene.
10. In the next conference of NOMAS, dedicate a plenary panel to represent the voices it has actively censored, namely, women in or with histories in the sex trade and analysis on violence and exploitation facing their communities. The perspective agreeing with NOMAS' particular analysis can be part of the conversation, but it cannot be the only voice represented in the panel, because hand-picking a "poster child" that one happens to agree with is not the same as being ally to members of marginalized communities. Be transparent about the incidents that took place this year, ensure the safety of the speakers, and compensate them well for their valuable contribution. We can help NOMAS find speakers, assuming that our demands are met.
We expect your response by September 1st, 2013. If our demands are not met to our satisfaction, we will use our personal, professional, activist, and social media networks to ensure that no feminist organization will co-sponsor another conference with NOMAS or collaborate in any other projects with NOMAS.
Amanda Levitt (@FatBodyPolitics, fatbodypolitics.com)
Cristy Cardinal (@masculine_lady; Program Director, Prevention Education, HAVEN)
Ellen Taraskiewicz (@notsaintellen, notsaintellen.tumblr.com)
Emi Koyama (@emikoyama, eminism.org)
Jessica Luther (@scATX, jessicawluther.com)
Kathryn Kucyk (Prevention Educator, HAVEN)
Kristie Dotson (Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Michigan State University)
Lauren Chief Elk (@chiefelk, Save Wįyąbi Project)
Leah Taraskiewicz (@leah_tea; Prevention Educator, HAVEN)
Melissa McEwan (@Shakestweetz, shakesville.com)
Addendum by Cristy Cardinal of HAVEN, the lead conference organizer:
I am very sorry for participating in silencing Emi Koyama at Forging Justice.
When I was approached by Moshe and Allen to not broadcast Emi's portion of the panel, I co-signed their white supremacy by agreeing to cut off the livestream. I also told them that Emi had expressed concerns about having her words shared in that way on the event Facebook page, giving them fuel to manufacture Emi's consent. I could have said no, and I didn't. Regardless of the situation, environment or my own socialization, I could've said no and I didn't.
I will not make excuses, or explain how I felt. Such words have little meaning. I will own that white supremacy is hard to resist, even for those of us with tender and caring hearts who work to center the lives of marginalized folks. I fucked up, and was not vigilant enough of my own behavior.
In an effort to be accountable, I have done the following to this point:
1. Directed our tech folks to record Emi's talk so that it could be broadcast later.
2. Immediately after her talk, I told Emi what happened, being very direct about what I said and did in the process. I also apologized and asked her what she would like to see happen. I told her that I would proceed as she wished, and that I couldn't guarantee an outcome, but that I could guarantee action.
3. Offered to pay for Emi to leave the conference at her convenience, desire or need rather than the time originally scheduled.
4. Organized other women and a few men at the conference to show support for Emi and to publicly ask them for accountability.
5. When NOMAS council members individually and collectively asked me what they could do to be accountable, I told them that the list of demands would come from Emi with my support.
Additionally, I resolve to signal boost Emi's demands, as well as her recounting of the events at Forging Justice so that folks can hear her lived experience. I resolve to leverage my resources as a white woman with institutional power to support Emi in whatever way she wants. Most importantly, I am approaching my accountability as an ongoing process rather than something I am finished with because I wrote this statement and shared it. I resolve to do what it takes to demonstrate accountability to Emi and the other women of Forging Justice, including my colleagues at HAVEN.
Cristy S. Cardinal
Daily Dose of Cute
Fluffy cat is fluffy.
As always, please feel welcome and encouraged to share pix of the fuzzy, feathered, or scaled members of your family in comments.
In The News
Here are some things in the news today!
[Content Note: Harassment; racism] Sarah Mirk at Bitch Media: We Need to Talk About Hugo, Race, and Feminism.
[CN: Gendered violence; descriptions of violence] Former Afghanistan MP Noor Zia Atmar, one of the first female members of parliament and an outspoken leader for women's rights in the country, has requested asylum after fleeing from her abusive husband.
Newark Mayor Cory Booker has won the Democratic Senate primary in New Jersey.
[CN: Racism] 92-year-old Rosanell Eaton is, along with several other people and civil rights groups, suing the state of North Carolina over its newly passed voting laws, which are really voter suppression laws. Eaton, at age 21, "became one of the first African Americans in her county registered to vote, after successfully completing a literacy test that required her to recite the preamble to the Constitution." Now 71 years later, she's facing a new potential disenfranchisement, as she may not qualify for a voter ID card now required to vote.
Ms. Eaton's story is uncannily reminiscent of the experience of Dorothy Cooper of Tennessee, which we discussed in 2011.
Do you want to read the cutest story about MM2 2nd class Jerrel Revels proposing to his boyfriend on Pier 31 at the Naval Submarine Base after six months aboard the USS New Mexico? I don't see why you wouldn't! It's adorable!
[CN: Misogyny] Even women working in the highest, most profligately compensated executive positions at S&P 500 corporations are making 18% less than their male counterparts.
[CN: Guns] A firearms instructor accidentally shot a student while teaching a gun-safety class.
This is a real headline in the world: Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie Narrowly Avoid Airplane Run-In. Phew!
I Am Having a Hard Time with the World Right Now
[Content Note: Gendered violence; guns; terrorism.]
Someone is targeting women in Waukegan, IL, and shooting them with a BB gun:
In north suburban Waukegan, someone is shooting a BB gun or pellet gun at women.All we're trying to do is live our lives, but instead we're being terrorized by some asshole who thinks it's hilarious to shoot women like we're prey.
Six women have been targeted so far. Investigators say all but one of the victims was female, and the one man who was hit was with a group of women.
Police say some of the victims have had to go to the hospital. One person was struck in the face. Another woman who was targeted was visibly pregnant.
Photos released by Waukegan police show some of the injuries sustained by the female victims, the BBs or pellets piercing the skin.
"We do believe them to be very serious injuries, and the potential for extraordinary injuries is very apparent," said Sgt. Cory Kelly, Waukegan Police Dept.
Police say at least half a dozen incidents have been reported in various parts of Waukegan. And though investigators won't say where they've occurred, all the victims were struck near intersections while on foot.
The news was alarming to the many out for a stroll Tuesday.
"It's just scary. All we're trying to do is get a little exercise done and enjoy the nice weather out in the sun," said Jami Imroth, Waukegan resident.
I don't know how the women and man who have been hit will feel about this, long-term. How it will affect them, if at all. But I hope they get the support they need. I imagine there's going to be a lot of "what's the big deal; it's only a BB gun," and I suspect there already is, which is why that police sergeant is talking about how these are serious injuries. The mindfuck of knowing you were stalked and targeted because you're a woman can be a pretty serious injury, too.
I wish them safety and peace. And I hope there are no more victims.
Iain and I were married at the Waukegan courthouse. Which makes this feel close. The other day, a man was shot at the gas station I always use, right near my house. The gun culture is starting to feel a lot like the terrorist culture, at least to this member of the no-gun culture.
[H/T to Jordan.]
Question of the Day
Suggested by Shaker skirt: "What is one cheap thing you cannot get enough of? (Earrings!)"
Meanwhile...
...a white dude named Bryan Goldberg has just raised $6.5 million to start a "feminist" website.
Isn't it time for a women's publication that puts world news and politics alongside beauty tips? What about a site that takes an introspective look at the celebrity world, while also having a lot of fun covering it? How about a site that offers career advice and book reviews, while also reporting on fashion trends and popular memes?$6.5 MILLION.
I don't care how awesome Bryan Goldberg is (or isn't) or how well (or badly) he uses that $6.5 million. The point is: A feminist woman who wanted to launch an explicitly feminist online space would never get that kind of funding.
In other news, I am fundraising for Shakesville.
Please Support Shakesville
This is, for those who have requested it, your bi-monthly reminder to donate to Shakesville and an important fundraiser to keep Shakesville going.
If you have appreciated being able to tune into Shakesville for coverage of reproductive rights battles, for trial coverage, for getting distilled news about politics or other news, for recaps of your favorite show, or for whatever else you appreciate at Shakesville, whether it's the moderation, the community in Open Threads, Film Corner, video transcripts, the blogarounds, or anything else, please remember that Shakesville is run exclusively on donations. I would certainly appreciate your support, if you can afford to chip in. The donation link is in the sidebar to the right. Or click here.
[Further explanation of fundraising is here. Please note that I don't want anyone to feel obliged to contribute financially, especially if money is tight. Aside from valuing feminist work, the other goal of fundraising is so Iain and I don't have to struggle on behalf of the blog, and I don't want anyone else to struggle themselves in exchange. There is a big enough readership that neither should have to happen.]
