Viva la Feminista

A lot of books show up at my home that go unread - to be given away or on the never-ending TBR pile. Thankfully something about Everything Grows urged me to read it and now. And that is exactly what this books does to your heart - it plants into your heart and tears it apart as it blossoms. Aimee Herman gives us the tale of Eleanor, a teen in 1993 (This GenXer is still floored each time she reads a book that is nostalgic for her own high school days and LOVES it. Even if it is hard to read "historical fiction" for that time.) whose bully has recently taken his own life just months after her mom attempted to do the same. At the prompting for her English teacher, Eleanor journals her way through the months after the bully's death, exploring not just their relationship, but also her relationship with her mother, and most importantly herself. There are definitely places in this book where I felt it was a bit unrealistic, but it works in the end. It all works....

In 2006, under the neon lights of a gay-friendly neighborhood in New York City, a group of African-American lesbians were violently threatened by a man on the street. The women fought back and were later charged with gang assault and attempted murder. The tabloids quickly dubbed them a gang of "Killer Lesbians" and a "Wolf Pack." Three pleaded guilty to avoid a trial, but the remaining four — Renata, Patreese, Venice and Terrain — maintained their innocence. The award-winning Out in the Night examines the sensational case and the women's uphill battle, revealing the role that race, gender identity and sexuality play in our criminal justice system. A co-production of ITVS. A co-presentation with the National Black Programming Consortium (NBPC).  I watched " Out in the Night " over a month ago and it still haunts me. This documentary kicks off POV’s 28th Season on PBS. In our current environment of #BlackLivesMatter, Charleston and countless Bla...

My summer reading has been lower than usual (thanks so much, PhD program!), so I can't review every book that's been sent to me lately. Instead of a review, I am bringing you an excerpt of Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution. I did read the introduction and have high hopes for the book. It's a discussion that is long overdue. I hope you enjoy! About Bi: Depicted as duplicitous, traitorous, and promiscuous, bisexuality has long been suspected, marginalized, and rejected by both straight and gay communities alike. Bi takes a long overdue, comprehensive look at bisexual politics—from the issues surrounding biphobia/monosexism, feminism, and transgenderism to the practice of labeling those who identify as bi as either “too bisexual” (promiscuous and incapable of fidelity) or “not bisexual enough” (not actively engaging romantically or sexually with people of at least two different genders). In this forward-thinking and eye-opening book, feminist bisexual and genderqueer ...

Demeter Press is pleased to announce the release of: Mother-Talk Conversations With Mothers of Lesbian Daughters and FTM Transgender Children by Sarah F. Pearlman  Mother-Talk is a collection of stories of twenty-four mothers--twelve who found out a daughter was a lesbian and twelve who learned that a child, once a biological female, was planning to transition to male--capturing the complexity of coming to terms with the loss of a daughter who has changed sex or an anticipated relationship with a daughter, now a lesbian, who lives in a different world and will lead a different life. This groundbreaking book will help other mothers as well as lesbian daughters and FTM transgender children to understand their own mothers, their changed lives, and their determination to remain connected.   Sarah F. Pearlman was selected by the American Psychological Association Society for the Psychological Study of Lesbian, Gay, Bis...

Here's a moving video from Basic Rights Oregon's Our Families series: To all the college students marking their first Coming Out Day, have fun!

Chicago Women's Health Center (CWHC) seeks community support to match a $35,000 challenge grant from the Topfer Family Foundation by June 30 to move into a larger space by the end of the year. CWHC was founded in 1975 to specifically and thoughtfully address the barriers to gynecological health care for women, with special attention to the experiences of those often marginalized by systems of power including the economically disadvantaged, LGBTQ communities and people of color. With an increasing need for quality, affordable health care, the organization sees moving to a larger location as an opportunity to better respond to Chicago?s health care needs. The goal of transitioning to a larger space has been in place since late 2008 when the organization launched its $150,000 capital campaign. Considering the tough economic climate for non-profits, the matching grant comes at a fortuitous time for the grassroots organization. CWHC is in the final phase of The Race for Space...

At both my Work it Mom! post and AWEARNESS post on the marriage ban in California, I've had commenters who "aren't homophobic, but applaud the ban." Not to mention my letter to my fellow Latin@s . Here's why the ban is discriminatory. Plain & simple marriage bestows economic & social benefits to the couple. By keeping same sex people out of these benefits, that is discrimination. Marriage itself is both an economic and a romantic partnership. In fact love entered the marriage realm way after marriage was just an economic partnership. Marriage is also a contract with the government and one with your deity. Most of the reactions I have heard and read about same sex marriage involve ones deity. So I propose that you take your god and leave...leave behind the economic benefits that the government gives you. If your marriage in the eyes of your god is so fragile that you can't stand the thought of two women in love, then leave the economic benefits behind. ...

That's what my Facebook status was last night and I still think it is true. The hubby keeps telling me to perk up. Obama's win was a validation of the goodness of people. Same for me, but I know that we have a lot of work still to do (not that he doesn't know that) and I'm focused on that. I just posted my reaction to last night and work we have before us at Work it, Mom ! It comes down to fighting for equality and last night showed us that if we have taken a huge step forward in terms of race in this country, we took a huge step backwards for LGBT rights. And that is so very sad for me, for us. It's even more sad when I read on Pam's blog that the final vote for Prop 8 and who voted for it is looking like "70% of blacks, (with black women at 74%) voted for the amendment. That's about 20 points higher than any other racial group." I expect the break out for Latinos will be similar. That's a lot of work to do. So let's get to it people... J...

Once upon a time there was a little girl who had big dreams. She was going to be an archeologist, a teacher, and maybe one day the President of the United States. She knew she wanted to get out of her small suburban town and see the world. When other girls were playing wedding, she joined in, but deep inside didn't think that she would ever find a boy who would marry her. She did dream about having children one day. A husband was always optional. Fast forward to early adulthood and the little girl did find a boy who said he would marry her and tolerate, some days love, her crazy feminista ways. They married in a tiny chapel in Las Vegas. And they left the hotel-casino to live their Happily Ever After. ¤º°`°º¤o,,,,o¤º°`°º¤o,,,,o¤º°`°º¤o¤º°`°º¤o,,,,o¤º°`°º¤o,,,,o¤º°`°º¤o When I hear people talk about defending the institution of marriage, I wonder if my marriage would really qualify. Yes, as a woman I married a man, but we were not married in a house of worship, even thou the justice...

NWSA Great Lakes regional members: Wisconsin would be happy to have you! Please share with anyone you think might be interested! CALL FOR CONFERENCE PRESENTERS for the joint *33rd Wisconsin Women's Studies and 4th LGBTQ Conferences 2009.* The Theme will be: * Collaboration, Co-operation, & Co-optation in the Academy * * In Women's Studies, Gender Studies and LGBTQ * * Research, Scholarship, Teaching, and Activism * * April 3-4, 2009* * Pyle Center, UW-Madison * *Submit proposals by October 20, 2008 here:* * http://www.uwsa.edu/acss/events/09/proposal.htm *