Femi-Nation

Mourning

2010-01-31T10:03:00.000-08:00

I am in a bit of mourning for I have decided to merge this blog into my other blog, Hope is Real! I wanted this blog to be a community effort, but it hasn't happened. In fact, it's not getting many views either. My other blog doesn't get many views, but it does get more-it even has a few regular commenters. If you do stop by here from time to time, please check out my other blog, as I will be doing the postings that I would ordinarily do here, other there. That means there will still "Womyn of the Week" and event postings. If you know of an event, you would like me to promo, you can still do that too-just at kcjones89@yahoo.com now. Slowly, I will be making the change from two blogs back down to one and I am sad, and yet excited at the same time. This will probably be my last real post on this blog, so go check out my other blog soon!

Music for the Women of Congo Benefit Concert

2010-01-30T12:54:00.000-08:00

Join V-Day Atlanta and Eve Ensler, V-Day Founder and Acclaimed Playwright
Tuesday, February 9
8:00-11 PM
Benefit Concert at the Warren City Club
818 N Highland Avenue Northeast, Atlanta - Above Dark Horse, Directions at http://www.thewarrencityclub.com/

Entertainment by Arlington Priest, Dres tha Beatnik, Roxie Watson, Joi, Gina Loring, and More
Speaker Eve Ensler, V-Day Founder and Author of The Vagina Monologues

TICKETS ON SALE AT HTTP://WWW.VDAY.ORG/ATLCONGO
This event will sell out, get your tickets early!

Join us as we raise awareness about violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo and V-Day’s special new facility, the City of Joy in Bukavu.

Help us change the story of women in Congo be a part of the worldwide movement to end violence against women and girls. To learn more about the City of Joy, visit http://www.vday.org/

Co-Chairs Jane Fonda Pat Mitchell Laura Turner Seydel
Host Committee Angie Allen Phyllis Abramson Wendy Babchin Glenn Bean Mary Beth Byram Wendy Belkin Linda Bryant Enid Draluck Ken Goldwasser Katie Graham Jade Guanchez Alyson Hoag Stephanie Jolluck Leslie Koerdt Randi Layne Gina Loring Carlton Mackey Adam Malm Maggie Mermin Carol Moore Lewis Perkins Kim Singer Kristi Warren Evans

Special thanks to the Chelko Foundation, the Warren City Club and the Emory Center for Ethics.
Contact - Nikki Noto, nikki@vday.org

Conversations at the Carter Center - FREE!

2010-01-30T12:11:00.000-08:00

If you plan to attend.
Prepare written questions ahead of time.
Write questions on index cards provided by the Carter Center.
Questions answered will be from cards collected.

Free reservations are now available at www.cartercenter.org/conversations for "The Mental Health Crisis in Georgia," which will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010, from 7-8:30 p.m. at The Carter Center.

More than 130 patients have died under suspicious circumstances in Georgia's public psychiatric hospitals over the past seven years, according to an exposé by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Carter Center has been a leading voice for change in Georgia's mental health system since this crisis came to light, and has worked to identify strategies to transform Georgia's shame into a model for the nation.

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed suit against the state of Georgia, the status of which will be discussed during the Feb. 16 Conversations at The Carter Center. Former First Lady and Carter Center Mental Health Program founder Rosalynn Carter will provide remarks. Carter Center Mental Health Program Director Dr. Thom Bornemann will moderate a panel of key stakeholders who will discuss the challenges facing the state mental health system and explore potential solutions.

This Conversation is free but reservations are required to attend, which you can make at www.cartercenter.org/conversations. At the same link, you can also read about the rest of the Conversations at The Carter Center season or watch webcasts of previous events.

Womyn of the Week - Ella Baker

2010-01-20T16:05:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I posted a video of the group, "Sweet Honey in the Rock" singing the song, "Ella's Song," which was named after Ella Baker. The main words in the song are, "We who believe in freedom cannot rest until it comes" - one of her famous sayings.
(painting by Robert Shetterly for the "Americans Who Tell the Truth" project)

The painting has this quote:

“In order for us as poor and oppressed people to become a part of a society that is meaningful, the system under which we now exist has to be radically changed. It means facing a system that does not lend itself to your needs and devising means by which you can change that system. That is easier said than done.”

Ella Baker was born in 1903 and was a major civil rights activist. She believed it is better to work behind the scenes than to have centralized figures of authority. She is famous for saying, "Strong people don't need strong leaders."

In 1927, Baker graduated from Shaw University in Raleigh, North Carolina. She then moved to Harlem and started organizing consumer cooperatives during the Great Depression. In 1938, she became part of the NAACP's staff. She traveled South to build up local branches, which became the start of the Civil Rights Movement. But by 1946, her duties for the NAACP were more focused on integrating New York City public schools.

In 1957, Ella Baker helped create the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which helped establish Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a major Civil Rights figure. Baker and King clashed, for Baker thought that King was too controlling and did not put enough energy into empowering others.

Baker founded the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee in 1960, when four students were denied service at a university cafeteria. This committee led sit-ins in cafeterias across the country and opened the doors of activism to people who had previously been overlooked, like young people and women.

In 1964, Ella Baker moved back to New York and worked tirelessly for human rights until her death in 1983.
****************
Ella Baker was right-"We who believe in freedom cannot rest." She is also right in that human rights leaders should always be more concerned for the people, and especially the most marginalized people, of whatever group they represent than their own ego. I think of how Pat Robertson, who is so obviously misguided and is nothing like Martin Luther King Jr., recently said that the Haitians are better off now than they were, because now they have a chance to repent. He has said similar things about every kind of natural disaster that has occurred since he has been in a public position. What a fool! I wish that people did not listen to him. I wish that his idiotic sayings were ignored by the media and that the Ella Bakers of this world were the ones uplifted, but that is not how this world works-those who do the truly great works in this world are never verbally given the credit they deserve, for they are the ones who know that receiving credit is not what is truly important.

Sweet honey in the rock - Ella's Song

2010-01-19T09:02:00.001-08:00

I am sorry that I did not post on Martin Luther King Day. I worked that day and was really tired when I came home. Ella's song is named after Ella Baker, and we sing this song at my church every Martin Luther King Sunday. It uplifts my soul and spirit. Later this week, I will do a post on Ella Baker, as our "womyn of the week." Enjoy!

If You Have Money...

2010-01-14T09:56:00.000-08:00

If you have extra money to donate, then the organization ServeHAITI is a great organization to donate to, especially now, in light of the earthquake. According to ServeHAITI.org, it "is a non-profit faith-based organization working together with the people of Grand-Bois, Haiti, to achieve a better quality of life." According to my friend, Elizabeth, whose father works for the organization,

"If you are looking for a way to donate money that will directly benefit Hatian relief workers and doctors with no administrative cut, and whose uses will be dictated by the Haitian folks who are on the ground, you can donate to ServeHaiti. They will be channeling all funds directly to surviving clinics and medics in Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas.

Another worthy cause, Partnership Against Domestic Violence (PADV), is hosting a celebration that marks its 35th anniversary, at its annual Hearts with Hope (HWH) gala. The gala will highlight PADV’s achievements in eliminating domestic violence in metro Atlanta. HWH is PADV’s signature fundraiser and stewardship event that raises more than half of its general operating budget annually. The gala will feature a gourmet dinner, drinks, live and silent auctions and entertainment.

Avon Products Inc. will be honored with the Hope Award in recognition of its long-term commitment to improving the lives of women.

When: Saturday, February 20, 2010, 6:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.

Where: InterContinental Hotel Buckhead, 3315 Peachtree Road

Attire: Black-tie optional

Ticket Price: Per person: $250 (Sponsorships are also available)

HWH Host Committee Co-Chairs: Susie Trotochaud, community volunteer, and her husband Scott Dorfman, founder and CEO of Innotrac.

To learn more about this event or to get involved with PADV, call 404.870.9616.

Womyn of the Week - Mette Ivie Harrison

2010-01-10T20:11:00.000-08:00

I have a job where I sort of tutor a teenage girl and we were in the library trying to pick out a book for me to read to her. This is a girl who does not read a lot and I really wanted a book that's both new and has a strong female character. What I did not want is to be reading is a cheesy teenage romance and I was really afraid that that was what my tutee was going to pick. I knew that she likes fantasy and the librarian recommended a book called, "The Princess and The Bear" by Mette Ivie Harrison and I am glad she did. The book is about a hound that turns into a princess and a king that turns into a bear and the friendship that forms between them.

I like this book, because the female character is incredibly strong. She is not afraid to get dirty, loves physical activity, and how she loves to hunt is described in detail. She is the most logical character in the book. It is absolutely thrilling to read a book aloud to a teenage girl where the role model is an actual role model and not a "moony"-eyed, overly romantic fool.

I commend Harrison for writing a book with such a strong female character. Apparently, "The Princess and The Bear" is the second book in a trilogy, with the first being, "The Princess and The Hound." The third will be out in April this year and is called, "The Princess and The Snowbird." I will probably be reading all of these books, as reading about such a strong heroine just makes me happy! You can even read an excellent article for any aspiring writer, "How to Write a Strong Heroine," by Harrison.

Harrison herself is a strong womyn, both metaphorically and physically. On her website, she talks about loving to compete in triathlons and about becoming an Ironman. Even more importantly, she talks about how one can overcome harmful ideas from childhood about what success is. Success is not about the having the ability to measure up to someone else's ideas about their version of success, but rather, it is trying out a bunch of different things and finding out for yourself what your bliss truly is and then following it to the best of your ability.

Feminism Does Not Equal Revenge

2010-01-06T14:55:00.000-08:00

Jemima looks blank. "So anyway," she says at last, turning back to me. "I'd be delighted to help. Revenge is actually quite a specialty of mine, though I say it myself..."

I avoid Lissy's eyes. "What did you have in mind?"

"Scrape his car, shred his suits, sew fish inside his curtains and wait for them to rot..." she reels off instantly, as though reciting poetry.

"Did you learn that at finishing school?" says Lissy, rolling her eyes.

"I'm being a feminist, actually," retorts Jemima. "We women have to stand up for our rights."
~ (276) from "Can You Keep a Secret?" by Sophie Kinsella

This statement is, of course, ironic. "We women" do need to stand up for our rights, but standing up for our rights is not the same thing as exacting revenge, but popular culture seems to have this issue confused. I remember when the movie "The First Wives' Club" premiered-the movie was about a group of wives who had been cheated on and so exact revenge upon their ex-husbands. This movie was touted as being very feminist, but I was uncomfortable for revenge is NOT the same thing as feminism. True feminists want equality, not revenge. We want men to understand that the patriarchy hurts them too. As Emma, the main character in Kinsella's book later explains, "[...]a real relationship is two-way. A real relationship is based on equality. And trust."

I think it is very interesting that the character that grows into more of a feminist never claims to be one and I find that to be telling of life in general. Watch advertisements closely-if something tells you outright that it is a feminist material, examine it to see if it actually is or if it is pseudo empowerment, like the movie "First Wives' Club." True female empowerment will use words like "self love," "equality," and "trust," instead of promoting violence.

Janet Evanovich's "To The Nines" Stigmatizes

2010-01-02T15:28:00.000-08:00

This is cross-posted on my other site: Hope is Real!

On the way back from Maryland, which is a twelve hour drive, my family listened to a Janet Evanovich book on CD titled, "To The Nines." This is the second time that I have listened to one of her books and they are good in that they make you laugh while driving, which helps one not to fall asleep. I loved listening to my dad laugh! But Evanovich relies too heavily on stereotypes. Every bit of her writing is a stereotype and the woman who reads aloud makes me uncomfortable with her caricature of a black woman's voice. But what I really do not like about this particular book is the references to "crazy" people, especially with those who have paranoid schizophrenia.

Twice, when a character is suspicious about the killer being around, she is asked if she had seen a "paranoid schizophrenic around back." The meme about paranoid schizophrenic being dangerous and violent is not true, but it is a very damaging stigma. I know that mysteries are often formulaic and use stereotypes and that's fine, but I do have a problem when the stereotypes enforces a dangerous idea. People who happen to have paranoid schizophrenia usually are not violent. In fact, since they are experiencing paranoia, they are usually more withdrawn. There are some people with paranoid schizophrenia who are violent-just like there are violent people who do NOT have it, but it is rare. Some of the nicest people I have known have paranoid schizophrenia.

I hope you have noticed that when I write about this that I always write about people with paranoid schizophrenia and never "those paranoid schizophrenics." People that have any kind of disease have more to them than just their disease-a person with paranoid schizophrenia may be artistic, studious, humorous, etc. When one reduces someone to just their disease, then one disregards their humanity and the possibility to see Christ in their eyes.

Another thing that just kills me about saying something like that is that Evanovich alienated her reader, which as any writer knows, is the biggest writing no-no. I have schizoaffective disorder, which has similarities to paranoid schizophrenia, so every time I heard the characters talk about paranoid schizophrenics in a derogatory manner, I felt a little stigmatized myself. "Crazy" people read and listen to books on CD! We do many things-our repertoire of activities is not limited to pacing up and down mental hospitals, contrary to popular belief.

Eventually, I would like to be published and I get a little scared sometimes when I realize what sells and that my standards are higher. But I know that I must keep on writing, even if nothing I write ever gets sold.

Remember Your Past, But Honor The Good

2009-12-25T17:26:00.001-08:00

In the section of Monica A. Coleman's book, "Making a Way Out of No Way," that I am reading, she is discussing the importance of remembering our ancestors. Our ancestors still influence our lives and it is important to remember their lives, although one should only honor and repeat the parts of their lives that was positive and loving. She talks about how so many African Americans today do not know much, if anything, about their own ancestors and how detrimental that loss is. As an adopted person who does not know much about her birth parents, I have strongly identified with this aspect of many African Americans' lives. I know that my adopted father's side of the family's ancestry is Welsh and that my adopted mother's is French. In fact, I can through her claim famous roots - she is related to Meriwether Lewis, of the "Lewis and Clark" fame and she is related to the horrendous slave owner who cut off part of Kunte Kente's foot in Alex Haley's "Roots." When I first heard that as a teen, I was at first horrified, but Coleman says that all stories of our ancestors are important, for there is something to learn from each-just not always something to honor. I also know that on my birth mother's side there is ancestry from English, Swedish, and Irish peoples, but that is really all I know. There is a yearning inside of me to know more about where I come from and an unsureness about whether to adopt my adoptive parents', i.e. my real parents, ancestors as my own, for some reason.

Besides always feeling a kinship to African Americans for this reason, I have also always felt a kinship with Langston Hughes after reading his poem, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers."

I've known rivers:
I've known rivers ancient as the world and older than the
flow of human blood in human veins.

My soul has grown deep like the rivers.

I bathed in the Euphrates when dawns were young.
I built my hut near the Congo and it lulled me to sleep.
I looked upon the Nile and raised the pyramids above it.
I heard the singing of the Mississippi when Abe Lincoln
went down to New Orleans, and I've seen its muddy
bosom turn all golden in the sunset.

I've known rivers:
Ancient, dusky rivers.

My soul has grown deep like the rivers

I think I resonate so deeply with this poem, because like the speaker, I have never met these people or been to these places, except New Orleans, and yet, because I do not have specific stories about deep rooted ancestors, I identify with a large group of people that have gone before me. I consider all womyn to be my ancestor and us all to be from the same family.

I really love that Coleman points out that we should remember all our ancestors, but only honor some. In the American South, one often hears about honoring The Old South's "heritage." When I was younger, my state and many other states, argued about whether it should leave the rebel emblem on its state flag, with many supporters saying that to abandon the emblem is to abandon our heritage. I say, "Bullshit!" Yes, we must remember the bad as well as the good in our heritage, but to keep the rebel sign on our flag and in many other ways, is to honor that old image and the racism and intolerance is not a way that should be honored. As this year comes to a close, let us remember the past, but choose to honor only the good.

Inspirational Quote for the Day

2009-12-20T17:46:00.001-08:00

For example, a black man in America is oppressed in a racist society. If God is the God of the oppressed, then God is on his side. But if this black man abuses his female partner, does God switch sides to be with her? What if she abuses her child? A God who resists oppression does not love or hate, accept or despise one person in this scenario more than another. God resists the oppressive activity and calls each party to justice in their lives. (82)
~ From "Making a Way Out of No Way" by Monica A. Coleman

Peace

2009-12-14T16:21:00.000-08:00

Peace is not ignoring the reality of the world, rather, it prevents us from seeing the world as narrowly we otherwise might. (69)
~ from Monica A. Coleman's book, "Making a Way Out of No Way."

I Hate That I Want It - Disney's "The Princess and The Frog"

2009-12-11T19:31:00.000-08:00

I really do not want to want to see the new Disney movie, "The Princess and The Frog," but I have to admit that I do. I mean, I really want to see this movie. I do not like the fact that now that there is a black Disney princess, that now black girls are being welcomed into the open arms of commercial patriarchy. I would much rather the princess be an authentic African princess, rather than one that looks white and I really hope that no girl develops an eating disorder, because of this movie. (Yes, I know, eating disorders are all about control, but people would not try to control themselves through food and body image, if the impossible skinny girl was not the constant image in our society-they would find something else...)

But damn it, Disney musicals make me happy! I love musicals and there are not as many musical movies anymore, especially ones that are purely happy. I need positive energy and happiness and in this age of economic depression, I think the whole nation-maybe the whole world-needs something that is happy and uplifting. I really, really wish that the source of the happy and uplifting was not also filled with the stereotypes and nuances of the patriarchy, but perhaps we can think of it this way-perhaps now that all girls-well, except Latinas-believe they can be a Disney princess, maybe the day will come that all girls-including Latinas-believe they are worth as much as a princess.

The Inherent Racism in White Collar

2009-12-07T17:57:00.000-08:00

Right now I am watching the show, "White Collar," and it is pretty entertaining, but as I am watching I cannot help but think about the racism inherent in the show. You see, in this show, the criminal is a white, white collar criminal and he is handsome, charming, and sympathetic. He is also given a break, as he gets to stay out of jail as long as helps the FBI. This would not happen if the criminal was a person of color. Our media likes to portray white criminals as outside the norm, which you see quite often in real news stories people repeat the saying, "I am so surprised-He seemed so calm!, " which is not the reaction that is portrayed when the criminal is of color. Also, I am sure that there are real white collar criminals that are black, but our media has to continue the narrative that all men of color are violent thugs. Imagine that the show is called, "White Collar," but that the main handsome, charming, sympathetic, male character is black. Now you know why the show would not sell-if a show does not stick to already established stereotypes, then it usually is doomed.

Ezekiel 13:10-16 - Do Not "Whitewash" the Truth!

2009-12-06T08:55:00.000-08:00

I usually reserve Bible verses for my other blog, Hope Is Real!, but when I was reading my Bible today, this passage reminded me about the post I wrote last weekend about Stone Mountain "whitewashing" its history. Take it or leave it, just remember that although honesty can be painful, in all matters of justice, it really is the best policy.

Ezekiel 13:10-16
10 " 'Because they lead my people astray, saying, "Peace," when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash, 11 therefore tell those who cover it with whitewash that it is going to fall. Rain will come in torrents, and I will send hailstones hurtling down, and violent winds will burst forth. 12 When the wall collapses, will people not ask you, "Where is the whitewash you covered it with?"

13 " 'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: In my wrath I will unleash a violent wind, and in my anger hailstones and torrents of rain will fall with destructive fury. 14 I will tear down the wall you have covered with whitewash and will level it to the ground so that its foundation will be laid bare. When it [b] falls, you will be destroyed in it; and you will know that I am the LORD. 15 So I will spend my wrath against the wall and against those who covered it with whitewash. I will say to you, "The wall is gone and so are those who whitewashed it, 16 those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign LORD."

Recovery Feminism - A New Kind of Feminism

2009-12-05T18:41:00.000-08:00

I just stopped following another blogger who is not positive enough for my recovery. I know that perhaps one of the biggest reasons why I do not get a lot of hits on my site is because I do not spend enough time reading and commenting on major feminist sites, but life is not a popularity contest. I write this blog, because I have something to say and if I do not write my thoughts out, then I will ruminate and ruminate and ruminate. I also a person who is in recovery and is trying to follow the path that leads to serenity and so I cannot spend my time at sites that continually disrupt my attempts at serene-living.

I consider myself to be an outspoken feminist and feminism does often call us to be angry, instead of complacent over how womyn are treated, but not ALL the time. I refuse to live my life always in anger-I must be more productive than that. My kind of feminism always acknowledges my journey in recovery. I do not know if there is a already a name for this type of feminism, but I suspect not, so I am naming it: Recovery Feminism.

Recovery feminism means that I am free to stop fighting for a certain cause or reading triggering material if it is causing me harm. It means that my recovery comes first, so if what I am doing for "The Cause" causes me to get incensed to the point that I no longer want to eat or start becoming depressed, then I must stop. It means that I must strive to promote sisterhood and peace in all my affairs. It means that while anger is an option, rage and hate is not.

There was a time when I was really upset about all of my limitations due to my mental illness, and I still hate it sometimes when I know that I cannot attend a rally or protest, because I am afraid that I will become too triggered or emotional, but I had to finally realized that I will not help any cause if I am curled up into a ball. I just won't. I am committed to my recovery, which means that I must surround myself with positivity and I cannot visit blog sites, even if they are wonderful writers, who allow attacking and/or hate speech on their comments section.

I know some feminists may think that by distancing myself that I am copping out, but I sincerely believe that acknowledging and positively feeding my worth as a human being is a more than valid feminist response. Surely promoting peace and sisterhood are, right?

Stone Mountain Park Must Be Honest about Its Racism

2009-11-30T08:26:00.000-08:00

Saturday, I went to Stone Mountain with my family. Stone Mountain has a troubling history-what started out as sacred space to Native Americans became the meeting place for the KKK for many years. Every time I go, although I love looking at the beautiful scenery everywhere, there is a slight sadness that follows me and it is hard to find things there that are troubling.

This time, I noticed three things: first, in the gift shop there was a book all about farmgirls and although every picture was of a different girl, they were all white. Now I do not know the exact ratio of white and black farmgirls, but surely there are at least some farmgirls of color in the South. It was a nostalgic book, with no story line, just quote after quote about how great and precious farmgirls are, so by only having pictures of white girls, it is basically saying that the only farmgirls that are worth knowing are white. Le sigh.

The other two have to do with Stone Mountain's history. I found out that the original designer of Stone Mountain wanted to have a shrine built that honors confederate womyn (Stone Mountain, with its carving of Gens. Lee, Grant, and Davis, is a confederate monument). This, of course, was never completed. Many other sculptors had designs that included womyn, but in the end a design was chosen that only glorified three male generals. Now, while I am not one that neccessarily wants there to be any monument glorifying the confederacy, if the men get a monument, then I am not opposed to womyn getting their own shrine.

The last one was pointed out by my mom several times-that in the exhibit about Stone Mountain's history, it talked about the KKK's involvement excruciatingly briefly and said that they stopped meeting there when Stone Mountain become a state park in 1958, but this is simply not true. My mother said she can remember KKK meetings being held at Stone Mountain until the 1980s.

I know it is tempting to whitewash history, but that does not do anybody any good. If there is one thing I have learned in my own recovery, it is that honesty is vital. If an organization cannot be honest about its darkest secrets, then the past horribleness will continue to fester. Racism is an evil and we must deal with it openly if we expect there to be any real change and this goes for organizations, as well as individuals.

An Article by The Captain, Himself about Domestic Violence - Trigger Warning

2009-11-29T07:30:00.000-08:00

"Patrick Stewart: the legacy of domestic violence" - a wonderful article written by Patrick Stewart. "Violence is a choice a man makes and he alone is responsible for it."

Need a Book? Read Worlds of Honor!

2009-11-25T18:44:00.000-08:00

Science fiction can be quite the boys' club, but if you want a series of hardcore scifi with a kickass female heroine and really cute, empathic aliens called treecats, then you should read the Honor Harrington books by David Weber. I must say, the novels are sometimes a little too technical for my tastes, but I am absolutely loving a collection of short stories about the world of Honor Harrington and her cool cats, called Worlds of Honor.

In this collection, some of the short stories are written by David Weber, but other authors include Linda Evans, Jane Lindskold and Roland Green. What I like about all of these stories is that all of them have really strong multi-dimensional female characters. The stories are pure escapism and yet one does not feel guilty about reading "trash," unlike probably a lot of the popular science fiction that involves, say, vampires and werewolves...cough...Twilight...ahem... Random Babble provides a great post about the racism in Twilight. Call me a purist, but I just do not believe that vampires should sparkle EVER! (I guess I'm sparkle prejudiced...)

While popular fantasy is having a lot of thematic problems lately, the stories in Worlds of Honor are a breath of fresh air. I think this book would be a lot better for teen reading, as it provides strong female role models, depth, excitement, and did I mention the cool treecats?! One thing the stories do not provide though is cheesy romance, so I guess the stories will not be put into movie form or be ravaged by teenage girls any time soon, which certainly is a shame.

AAAFDD Guest Speaker Event & Womyn of the Week - Dottie Adams

2009-11-22T10:38:00.000-08:00

from an email:

AAAFDD Guest Speaker Event

Monday, November 23, 2009
7:00 - 9:00 PM

The Tucker Recreation Center - Room 2
4898 LaVista Road
Tucker, GA

Dottie Adams, Individual and Family Support Director
The Georgia Council on Developmental Disabilities

Dottie Adams has demonstrated her commitment, service, and dedication as an advocate for people with developmental disabilities for more than 30 years. Her passion and love for people drive her to help individuals with disabilities and their families find and get the services they need and deserve.

Ms. Adams’ career began in 1977 as a case manager at the Barrow County Mental Health Center where she conducted assessments, developed individual service plans, and advocated for individuals and families. Beginning in 1984, she served as Coordinator of the Clinical Evaluation Team on the Northeast Georgia Community Service Board. She joined the staff of the Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities in 2002 as the Individual and Family Support Director.

She coordinated person-centered planning efforts and the move of 65 individuals from five institutions in Georgia under the SH/PF Class Action lawsuit. She helped pioneer early intervention services, family support, supported employment, person centered planning, and supported living in Georgia. She has also conducted numerous training sessions to develop person- centered plans and train providers to develop services that allow individuals to move or remain in the community.

Ms. Adams has been a keynote speaker on person-centered planning, individual service planning, circles of support, and PASS. Currently, Ms. Adams is working on promoting self-determination, workforce development of direct support professionals, and organizing navigator teams to help guide families to resources.

Sponsored by Answers And Alternatives for Families of the Developmentally Disabled...aaafdd.org/

NAMI Wins Fruit and Nut Bowl Award

2009-11-21T16:20:00.001-08:00

At the annual “Alternatives Conference” organized by the National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse, NAMI’s Multicultural Action Center and received the conference’s “Fruit and Nut Bowl Award.”

No, the name of the award is not a slur.

It’s an honor.

The award recognized NAMI’s leadership in helping to "make it safe": for the LGBT community "to be proud and diverse" in addressing mental health needs.

The Multicultural Action Center mission includes public education to decrease stigma. In many respects, the Fruit n’ Nut award is a statement of pride that stands stigma on its head and unifies the LGBT and mental health consumer communities.

The award was first presented in 2007 to Bert Coffman of the Zappolarti Society, which runs a weekly LGBT peer support and recovery group in New York City.

Coffman presented the award to the center’s director Majose Carrasco and coordinator Marin Swesey. He specifically cited NAMI’s creation of the center in 2002 to eliminate disparities in mental health care among diverse communities and the organization in 2007 of the GLBT Leaders Group.

"MAC stepped to the plate," Coffman said in recognizing sexual and gender communities as "a culture deserving status akin to African American, American Indian, Alaska Native, American Pacific Islander and Latino cultures."

With the GLBT Leaders Group, the center has set a course for education and advocacy, including “outstanding products” such as Mental Health Recovery and Community Integration Guide for GLBTQI Individuals and its companion publication, GLBTQI Mental Health: Recommendations for Policies and Services.

In presenting the award, Coffman stood in for Mark Davis, a member of the GLBT Leaders group, who like too many people in recent weeks, was side-lined at home with the flu. Davis himself recently received a Voice Award from the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
***********************************
I think it is really great that my organization won this award! When I first joined NAMI, one of the reasons why I was nervous is because I am "out" about being bisexual and I was afraid that I might experience some stigma due to this, but I did not. In fact, to my surprise I was not the only queer person in attendance! I am very proud to say that I have never experienced any stigma or even weirdness due to my sexual identity. I told a fellow NAMI member about how excited I was that NAMI got this award and she said, "Of course, people that are marginalized due to mental illness are going to be accepting of everybody..." It is true that people that are in recovery are more accepting of other people, because they are aware of their own struggles and so know that it would be a foolhardy thing to judge another. Still, I was suprised at just how open everyone was and continues to be. When I read about the award, I knew that it would be what I would write about in our next newsletter. I am out and am proud of NAMI!

Trangender Day of Remembrance - Remember To Be Kind To All

2009-11-21T15:27:00.001-08:00

I am really sorry. Yesterday was the Transgender Day of Remembrance and since I was not on the Internet much, I did not learn what day it was until now, but I would have posted. Here is a list of many of the trans people who died this past year. It is shocking to me how many of them were young people and how violent their deaths were. Scanning through the list, it seems that the majority of them were from Latin America, but no matter what country the deceased was from, they all should be honored.

But the living should be honored too! We are all people and it should not matter if a person's gender matches what some believe they should look like. The best way to honor trans people is by showing compassion, by being a friend, and by educating yourself. And do not become friends with someone just so that you can find all the answers to your questions about their status, but do the majority of the work yourself. In this information age, there is no excuse for ignorance.

So, light a candle and have a moment of silence, for all the transgendered people who died due to hate in 2009 and then make it your mission to make this world more loving for all.

First Time Flarf

2009-11-19T18:58:00.000-08:00

This is my first try at Flarf poetry, which is a type of poetry that uses only random search items from Google. It's supposed to be funny and random, but I could not help trying to put some kind of meaning to mine. What do you think? I sorta like it and it was a lot of fun to do. Try it!

Elmo's Got a Gun

--[Not for Kids]—
BULL FREAKIN' CRAP!!!
They sell guns, pizza, beer, computers, coffee, and they have an internet cafe! Everything a growing boy needs. ...
Elmo's got a gun.
2006Elmo is a crazy mother fucker!
Elmo Sighters Anonymous: "Only SLIGHTLY Insane ;)"
Diamonds in Elmo, UT • Guns in Elmo, UT • Jewelry in Elmo, UT • Loans in Elmo, UT • Pawn Shops in Elmo, UT • Saddles in Elmo, UT ...
... and rescuing Elmo from threatening-looking terrorists bearing Nerf guns. ...
according to federal investigators who ...
Guns make him jumpy
pYzam
A Colorado drug operation hid large quantities of methamphetamine inside Elmo dolls,
Intended to help Elmo-sighters deal with their problem, ESA
cause him trouble with the androids that work for
people like Mr. & Mrs. Elmo in Palm Springs. ...
Our granddaughter loves Elmo.
... At one point, Elmo doses a gang of skinheads with a super-powerful laxative and watches ...
Drugs, Guns, Car Chases And a Chemist in a Kilt
: Fad or Crazy?
throw it away or to sell it.
Elmo thinks hard,
pYzam
pYzam
pYzam
www.elmos.com.

Menstrual Massage Therapy

2009-11-17T12:24:00.000-08:00

I am on my period!!! Sunday, my arithritis, combined with the soreness generated from starting my period prevented me from being able to drive and my dad had to drive me to church. But did you know that there is massage therapy for menstruation? I found a site called "Spire Med" that is very womyn friendly, but I want to know what professional offers this kind of massage therapy and what health insurance would cover it?! I suggest showing this website to your significant other, if you are like me and have trouble with menstrual pain, or dysmenorrhea. I do not even have a lover right now, so I am simply favoriting this site and saving it for the day I do.

I Had No Idea...

2009-11-16T21:42:00.000-08:00

That there is a Feminist Women's Health Center in Atlanta!

About the organization:

Since 1977, the Feminist Women's Health Center has strived to empower women through service, education, and advocacy. As Atlanta's leading non-profit feminist women's health resource, we have earned an outstanding reputation for providing quality care and community education, while working unceasingly to improve women's health. Our center embraces a holistic approach to health care and wellness, and we believe that education and knowledge are vital components in a women's ability to make health care decisions.

Through our three programs, Cliff Valley Clinic, Division of Reproductive Medicine, and the Community Education & Advocacy Network, the Feminist Women's Health Center offers a wide range of services and education for the community.

Emergency Birth Control is a safe and effective means of preventing pregnancy after unprotected intercourse. Our Trans Health Initiative offers sensitive, friendly and affordable gynecological health care to gender variant and intersex individuals. We offer Assault Survivor Sensitive Care which addresses the specific physical and emotional needs of our clients by offering a unique program for survivors of violence to include domestic or gang violence, sexual assault, abuse, or incest.

Here is information on an open event there on November 19th:

Do Rape Victims Get Justice In Georgia?

Thursday Nov 19th
7-8:30pm

For directions: Call (404) 929-1738

Join us for a panel presentation addressing the problem of untested rape kits and strategies for advocacy. Representatives from the DeKalb Rape Crisis Center and The Georgia Network to End Sexual Assault will discuss the process of testing rape kits in Georgia and the implications for those left untested.

Please RSVP to Claire at outreach@feministcenter.org
or 404-248-5445

Womyn of the Week - Pearl Cleage

2009-11-12T10:49:00.001-08:00

Pearl Cleage is a phenomenal speaker and writer, who I heard for the first time at Charis Books & More 35th anniversary celebration. I was captivated and I highly recommend hearing her if you ever get the chance. I especially liked her piece that was in honor of Rihanna, in which she apologizes for the fact that domestic violence still happens everyday. It was a painful piece to hear and yet its message is still so important to not just hear, but really listen and comprehend what she was powerfully saying.

Pearl Cleage has produced several best-selling novels, plays, essays, articles, and more. She is also a contributing writer to Essence magazine and frequently performs her work on college campuses. Pearl is the mother of one daughter, Deignan, and lives in Atlanta with her husband, Zaron W. Burnett, Jr.

"The Brass Bed and Other Stories," 1991
"What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day," 1998

This was her first bestseller and was featured on Oprah's Book Club!

"Some Things I Never Thought I'd Do," 2004

"I Wish I ha d a Red Dress," 2002

"Babylon Sisters," 2004

Plays:

Pearl Cleage is one of America's most produced African American female playwrights!
"Flyin' West and Other Plays," 1999

*********************************************

I have never read any of her works, although after hearing her speak, I really, really want to-looks like I need to get started!

Veteran's Day and Mental Illness

2009-11-11T08:12:00.000-08:00

This Veteran's Day, let us not only remember all those that physically died or became wounded in war, but also all those who suffer from horrible mental illness.
(picture from the blog, SteveAudio, portraying a soldier suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder)

From Nami.org

GRIM STATISTICS

Almost one in three veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq confront mental health problems.

On an average day in this country, suicide claims another 18 veterans.

Approximately 30 percent of veterans treated in the veterans health system suffer from depressive symptoms, two to three times the rate of the general population.

More Vietnam veterans have now died from suicide than were killed directly during the war.

Approximately 40 percent of homeless veterans have mental illnesses.

Sesame Street - Women Can Be

2009-11-10T11:41:00.001-08:00

Sesame Street is 40 years old today!!! In 1969, Sesame started bringing inclusiveness and feminism PLUS the ABC's, how to share, and Spanish to children's programming on television. Not only that, but they provided very catchy songs that were both enjoyable to parent as to child. Thank you, Sesame Street! May you last forty more!

Marcus J. Borg - "Politics of Compassion"

2009-11-09T06:40:00.000-08:00

If you are part of Western culture, then you are probably most familiar to images of Godde that support the patriarchy, i.e. the "Heavenly Kingdom" or that Godde's only parental quality is like that of a "Father." But according to Marcus J. Borg, in his book, Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, this was not always so. In fact, Jesus refers to God as a "womb:"

And to complete the imitatio dei, to "be compassionate as God is compassionate" is to be like a womb as God is like a womb. It is to feel as God feels and to act as God acts: in a lifegiving and nourishing way. "To be compassionate" is what is meant elsewhere in the New Testament by the somewhat more abstract command "to love." According to Jesus, compassion is to be the central quality of a life faithful to God the compassionate one (49).

Later, Borg states that Jesus is promoting a new subversive way to live, "the politics of compassion," (49) and he demonstrated that in having a '"discipleship of equals" embodying "the egalitarian praxis" of Jesus' vision (82). According to Borg:

Indeed, his words, "call no man on earth your father, for you have one Father, who is in heaven" may very well be directed against the patriarchal family, which as the primary social unit in that world was a microcosm of a hierarchical system. If so, this is a fascinating instance of Jesus using the image of God as Father in a way that subverted patriarchy.

But in at least the American society, we think of compassion as an individual act. We are taught to support politicians or ideologies that are not compassionate in order to get what we want. We are taught that compassion is a private action, but according to Borg, Jesus did not, contrary to popular opinion ("Render to Caesar what is Caesar's" for instance).

This book has inspired me to think about my own political viewpoints recently. I used to be strongly libertarian. My parents are independent, with Republican leanings and I have been told all my life that Democrats have "nice" ideals, but that they are too naive.

I am not saying that I am leaning more towards becoming a democrat now, but I am taking the idea that politician and that politics should have compassion as a core value much more seriously. Hell, I might even be a communist or a socialist!

There is no pressure for me to come up with all the political answers any time soon, but one thing I do know: it is increasingly becoming more difficult for me to support any candidate, as punishment, intolerance, and negativity are more popular ideals to promote than ones of compassion, tolerance, and love. And while I of course know that there are no perfect people, I am looking for the whole package! I do not believe that one can have a horrible moral life and be a great politician. I just don't!

Most likely, I am going to become fiercely independent. Too many people in too many parties only set high bars for themseles politically and not spiritually or morally, and no, when I say "moral," I am not talking about "family values," unless those family values include a call to inclusiveness. I am not "naive," but I do have high standards. Won't you join me?

Take Good Care of Your Heart! Put Yourself First!

2009-11-04T20:25:00.000-08:00

This is cross-posted at Hope is Real!

I am taking a CPR/first aid class and today I hearned that hear attacks are the number one cause of death in both womyn and men in the United States. For men, the biggest sign for a heart attack is chest pain,m but so for womyn-they usually experience back, head, or jaw pain. Womyn are also less likely to report their symptoms and so less womyn get treated for heart attacks and heart disease.

This scares me! How many times have you hidden a headache or a backache, because you did not want to worry others or be a bother? How many times have you dismissed your own health in favor of someone else's? For myself, the times are countless.

But knowledge is not only power, for true wisdom requires one to take action!

Ladies, we must stop dismissing ourselves! Not only will we not be able to take care of our loved ones if we die due to our own carelessness, but the simple fact is true-you must advocate for yourself, because no one else will.

Tomorrow: "The Public Attitude Toward Homosexuality in China"

2009-11-03T15:17:00.000-08:00

LECTURE:
Professor Yinhe Li, Institute of Sociology, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing
Title: "The Public Attitude Toward Homosexuality in China"
Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Time: 3:00 - 4:30 p.m.
Place: Rm. 270 (Lanier Suite), GSU Student Center, 44 Courtland Street, Atlanta, GA 30303

Cosponsored by the Asian Studies Center, Department of Sociology, and Women's Studies Institute

Noted Chinese Sociologist (Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, 1988) and activist for gay rights in China, Professor Yinhe Li, will be speaking on campus on Wednesday, November 4. Topic of her talk is "The Public Attitude Toward Homosexuality in China."

A professor at the Institute of Sociology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, Dr. Li also serves as a member of the national committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. In the latter capacity, she has submitted proposals to legalize same-sex marriage in China in 2003, 2005, and 2006.

Dr. Li has published extensively on issues of sexuality and marriage in China.

Support Gray Matters Behavioral Health Caucus on Nov. 9

2009-11-02T11:08:00.000-08:00

From a NAMI email:

Support the Gray Matters Behavioral Health Caucus on November 9, 2009. This is the second quarterly caucus for mental health champions in the legislature to meet and learn what is happening and what can be done about it. Our first caucus was held on August 8.

We all know how often we hear or talk about Georgia ’s broken and failing mental health system. Now we can do something about it.

Last year, we had maybe 10 - 12 Champions, legislators who really went to bat for mental health, and we got a new department of Behavioral Health and a new mental health ombudsman Imagine what could happen if we had 50 legislators this year to champion our cause. We could really make things happen.

We began working on this idea in May. Then in June, the new Commissioner of the Dept of BHDD suggested that a Caucus of 50 legislators would be a great idea. We said “We thought so too, and had already begun working on it!”

We’ve done a lot to set it up, like getting Host legislators and a place in the Capitol to have the event. We have 12 legislative and 19 organizational co-hosts. Everyone is getting on board, even the Governor and Lt. Governor’s offices support the initiative.

But we need your help. We need to make sure that as many legislators show up as possible. So we’re asking you to contact both your State Senator and your State Representative and ask them to attend. Let them know how important it is to you that they care about mental health.

Go to Congress.org, which allows you to send an e-mail while on the web site. Click on the link below and then, in the box that is titled My Elected Officials, enter your 5 digit zip code in the top zip code box and then enter your 4 digit "+4" numbers in the bottom zip code box and click "GO". There is no need to enter your full address. On thee next page, in the same box, you will see the titles and names of your elected officials. Find your state Senators and Representatives and click on their name's. You will be taken to a page with additional information about each.

Spook Somewhere Else, Please!

2009-11-01T07:07:00.000-08:00

Happy All Saint's Day!

Did everyone have a wonderful Halloween? I was a little disappointed in that we had very few trick or treaters this year and even fewer gory/spooky costumes!

But I was more than disappointed when I was watching a show that day telling about various commercial haunted houses in the USA and several take place in an old insane asylum. Sure, these places are creepy and so are the perfect places to scare people for money, but these places were at one time real places where people were tortured in the name of health. People have really died in these places! Does honoring our dead only apply to the sane?

I know that because of my being hospitalized several times that I am more sensitive to this issue, but even so, I just feel like all people who have suffered so horribly deserve our respect and that all the dead should rest in peace.
Light a candle in honor of a loved one today.

Femi-Nation is a Featured Site on Substance-Abuse-Counselor.com!

2009-10-28T20:33:00.000-07:00

Tonight I went to check my femination email and I was incredibly pleasantly surprised to find out that I am a featured site on Substance-Abuse-Counselor.com!!! According to the person who contacted me, the website is "the largest website featuring more than 30,000+ websites and blogs" and it "averages 200,000+ unique visitors." I am very proud to be recognized for my writing about substance abuse. Addiction is a mental illness, which is not a hot topic at most feminist sites, which is why it will always be welcome here. I also talk about substance abuse quite a bit on my other blog, Hope Is Real!

Really, I am proud to be recognized for my writing at all, because up until today, all of my emails have been requests for money. So here is a friendly reminder that my ultimate goal for this site is to build community. I would love to post up my members own essays, artwork, recipes... Just contact me at femination@yahoo.com!

Tell Seventeen Magazine that Shoddy Transphobic Reporting is Unacceptable!

2009-10-28T17:02:00.000-07:00

from the facebook group,"Letter campaign to Seventeen Magazine- WRITE NOW"
The November issue of Seventeen Magazine featured a story entitled "True Life Drama: My BOYFRIEND turned out to be a gir!l"

Rather than use this opportunity to educate readers about transgender issues, it never once even uses any terminology (well, unless you consider the slur "he-she")but instead furthers the common transphobic assumption that someone who's gender does not match their sex assigned at birth is a deceptive liar and even compares them (at the bottom) to perverts, drug addicts, and older dad's trying to get someone young w/o disclosing their parental/age status.

Please read the article (follow the 1st link) done in poor taste with a terrible accusatory tone from the get-go and write a letter to the editor (MAIL@SEVENTEEN.COM) expressing your opinion about the article, the implications it has, and ask them to put an apology in one of their next 2 issues.

The more responses they receive about this the better! Even if you don't read the magazine, it's important to send the message that articles like this will not be tolerated and that we don't want this hateful message being sent to young people who read it. Please invite anyone you can to write a letter, too.
********************************************
Here is my letter:

Dear Editors of Seventeen Magazine,

When I was a teenager, I was a faithful reader of your magazine, which is why I am saddened to learn of the transphobic article, “True Life Drama: My Boyfriend Turned Out to be a Girl” in your November issue. The article is filled with hateful stereotypes and in a country where there still many hate crimes directed at trans people, this kind of shoddy reporting is unacceptable. In this day and age, the writers of Seventeen need to be more sensitive to trans issues-do you not think that you might have readers that are trans, themselves? Do not insult, create fear, or stereotype your own audience! I demand a written apology in one of your next two issues of Seventeen and a promise that you will use your magazine to help teens understand trans issues, instead of making them worse.

Chilling, but True...

2009-10-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of the season, a chillingly true tale sure to give you goosebumps:
Earlier this year, the nation's public mental health care system for adults received the average grade of D... the same grade it received three years ago.

Despite the ghastly grade, many lawmakers continue to cut funding to mental health services as a way to offset the struggling economy.

The state of our mental health care system is frightening.

Your generous contribution supports NAMI's fight to awaken our nation from this nightmare and continue our work to improve the lives of everyone affected by mental illness. Go to Nami.org for more.

Just One Word's Power

2009-10-27T07:08:00.000-07:00

I am currently reading a really funny, delightful, Victorian novella, titled "Three Men in a Boat: To Say Nothing of the Dog," by Jerome K. Jerome.
In between its very funny pages are also some really beautiful passages, like this gem I read this morning:

It was a glorious night. The moon had sunk and left the quiet earth alone with the stars. It seemed as if, in the silence and the hush, while we her children slept, they were talking with her, their sister-conversing of mighty mysteries in voices too vast and deep for childish human ears to catch the sound.
They awe us, these strange stars, so cold, so clear. We are as children whose small feet have strayed into some dim-lit temple of the god they have been taught to worship but know not; and, standing where the echoing dome spans the long vista of the shadowy light, glance up, half hoping, half afraid to see some awful vision hovering there.
And yet it seems so full of comfort and of strength, the night. In its great presence, our small sorrows creep away, ashamed. The day has been so full of fret and care, and our hearts have been so full of evil and of bitter thoughts, and the world has seemed so hard and wrong to us. Then Night, like some great loving mother, gentlylays her hand upon our fevored head, and turns our little tear-stained face up to hers, and smiles, and though she does not speak, we know what she would say, and lay our hot flushed cheek against her bosom, and the pain is gone.
Sometimes, our pain is very deep and real, and we stand before her very silent, because there is no language for our pain, only a moan. Night's heart is full of pity for us: she cannot ease our aching; she takes our hand in hers, and the little world grows very small and very far beneath us, and, borne on her dark wings, we pass for a moment into a mightier Presence than her own, and in the wondrous light of that great Presence, all human life lies like a book before us, and we know that Pain and Sorrow are but the angels of God.
Only those who have worn the crown of suffering can look upon that wondrous light; and they, when they return, may not speak of it, or tell the mystery they know. (77-78)

Unfortunately, my enjoyment of these passages, or any passage, in this book is overshadowed by one very nasty word that is contained in this book: the n-word. The word does not seem to be uttered with the same feeling of hate or disgust that I normally associate with it. It is mentioned in a passage where one of the characters is talking about a particularly "loud" jacket and it is said, "considered as an article of dress for a human being, except a Margate nigger, it made him ill" (49). Still, the word certainly has a negative connotation and it disgusts me that it is in the book at all when any other word would be better.

While I know that the book was first published in 1889 and that the word was more common back then, the word is still unneccessary and is still fraught with horrible, derogatory meaning. What disturbs me the most about reading the word is knowing that in just one word a whole group of people is excluded. One does not expect one to continue reading or to be reading a book you wrote in the first place if you insult them. There are some people that think that this word is sometimes okay to use, but I disagree. This word is so fraught with demeaning meaning that any time someone hears or sees it, one is disgusted. I have to believe that there are always better words to use in any situation, in any time period. Words matter. Always.

Womyn of the Week - All the Hundreds of Thousands of Womyn Raped and Murdered in the Congo

2009-10-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

Since 1996, nearly six million people have died as a result of conflict and conflict related causes in the Congo since 1996. Forty-five thousand continue to die each month. Hundreds of thousands of womyn have been raped as weapons of war. You may not know this and if you don't, don't feel too bad, because our media chooses not to report it. Our media thinks the life of one little boy who might have died as a result of a bizarre balloon accident to be much more important than a holocaust in another country. All people matter and all people have equal value, whether our media believes it or not.

Why the Congo? The Congo is what is known as "the heart of Africa," because it has every kind of natural resource that one needs to get rich, only the Congolese are not rich, because whiteness stole their resources with just about every company that works there being involved in illegal activity. Fair trade is a nice idea, but one not practiced in the Congo.

Womyn have been systematically brutally raped and made infertile, in order to kill off a people. That's what the group "Friends of the Congo" informed us is what they mean when they say, "using rape as a weapon of war." THIS MUST STOP!!!

Get a group of rabble-rousing friends together and invite a speaker from Friends of the Congo. Go to the site Congo Week and find an awareness raising event going on this weekend. Recycle your own phone, so that less coltan has to be mined. Write your senators and other lawmakers. Write the president. Even better yet, write letters to these companies and inform them that their products are not worth people's lives!

Zero-Tolerance Times Talk

2009-10-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

Type: Education - Lecture
Date: Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Time: 12:30pm - 1:30pm
Location: Basement of Beeson Hall at GCSU

Description: A 6-year-old boy suspended from school for a Cub Scout utensil...an Eagle Scout suspended for a keychain pocketknife...Is this policy taking things to an extreme?

Check out these articles and come to Times Talk to voice your opinion! FREE PIZZA!!!!!!!!!!

NYTimes--It's a Fork, It's a Spoon, It's a ... Weapon?:

NYTimes--Suspended 6-Year Old Returns to School:

The Troy Record--School suspends Eagle Scout for pocketkniife:

The Troy Record--Teen’s dad wants son’s record cleared:
**********************************************************
What do YOU think? Personally, I do not think that schools should be a prison, which is what they are becoming. I believe school should be a place that promotes creativity, not punishment. One cannot learn, if one is afraid all the time, which is supposedly the reason for the zero tolerance policy-that one should not have to fear for their safety, but the fact remains that children are being bullied and hurt anyway. Children and teens fear for their lives AND they fear that they will be in trouble for committing a crime for something innocent. Teenagers get in trouble for hugging in the halls, and yet when truly big, horrible crimes happen, we say, "But we did all we could! We have a zero-tolerance policy!!!" Perhaps the key to preventing crime is not by jumping down our children's throats, but by treating them as we would like to be treated-with compassion and respect.

Aretha Franklin Respect

2009-10-18T18:52:00.001-07:00

In respect (sorry!) to my last post, I just had to post this! Aretha singing "Respect" in I'm guessing the mid 1990s on the now defunct Rosie O'Donnell Show. Fabulous!

The Center Cannot Hold: My Journal Through Madness by Elyn Saks - a Book Review

2009-10-18T12:28:00.000-07:00

After a few more rounds of questions, the doctors carefully explained their recommendations to me. In England, treatment recommendations were always just that-recommendations. To leave a hospital, to stay in it, to take medications, to participate in group activities or not-they never forced any of it on me, and each time the decision was mine. Even at my craziest, I interpreted this as a demonstration of respect. When you're really crazy, respect is like a lifeline someone's throwing you. Catch this and maybe you won't drown.
from the book, The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness, by Elyn R. Saks

Respect is so important. I firmly believe that along with the essentials needed to survive like food, shelter, and clothing, that human beings need respect and love. When I was in the fifth grade, which is when I learned about Maslow's hierarchy, I wrote my health book company and stated this belief. I stated that it has been proven that babies who are never touched except to change their diapers do not learn how to walk or talk. We need each other to care for each other. The health book company said that while this is preferred, technically, though, the baby is still alive, even if it is developmentally delayed. I still stand behind what I wrote at age eleven. There are plenty of people who are technically "alive," but are spiritually or emotionally dead. This is unacceptable.

As Saks observed, respect needs to be shown to everyone, even those who are "crazy." We are all human and we all have the capacity to be great people and so should be respected. It has been very hard for me to read Saks' book, which is a book about her experiences with schizophrenia, because I have schizoaffective disorder myself. Her story is one of success, but it is too hard for me to read about her struggles and so I am making the decision to set myself up for success by recommending it, but waiting to finish it another time.

Unfortunately, perhaps, I have never been hospitalized in England, but I have in America four times-each time in a locked unit and each time, I had an experience that severely lacked respect. Respect IS a lifeline and the people that have shown me respect and compassion when I have been "crazy" mean more to me than words can say and I would do almost anything for those people. Medicine helps, but so far there is no medical 100% cure for any kind of mental illness. Respect cannot cure all things either, but when it is combined with the medicine, miracles happen. It should not have to be said that therapists should respect their clients (note: I consider the word "consumer" to be derogatory and it will never be used on this blog to describe those living with mental illness. We are not walking dollar signs.), but I have run into many therapists and doctors who I think consider themselves above respecting their client as a person. Fortunately, the one I currently see and my last one are/were fabulous therapists.

Respect, compassion, and love need to be shown to every one you meet. Give dignity where it's due.

Submissions for Mighty Real: An Anthology of New Black Gay and Lesbian Writing

2009-10-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

Edited by Royce Bryant Smith and Darius Omar Williams

This is a call for submissions for a book titled, Mighty Real: An
Anthology of New Black Gay and Lesbian Writing. The anthology will offer a collection of poetry, fiction, and essays by black gay and lesbian writers throughout the U.S. and abroad. Not only will this book reflect contemporary issues of racism, sexism, and homophobia, it will give literary and political voice to the experiences of brothers and sisters from numerous black SGL communities. Finally, this book will introduce new black gay and lesbian writers in addition to introducing new work by more established writers.

Please submit five poems, three short stories, or a critical essay on a topic of your choice reflective of your individual identity and aesthetic. Feel free to submit work from all three genres. Documented articles should follow MLA format. Previously published work will be accepted. Please email hard copies of your submission(s) along with full contact information and a short bio (to be included in
anthology) to:

Darius Omar Williams
sanghatheatre@yahoo.com

or

Royce Bryant Smith
roycebsmith@yahoo.com

NOTE: THE DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS NOVEMBER 1, 2009!

Columbus Day - Celebrate it with a Moment of Silence

2009-10-12T13:54:00.000-07:00

Today is Columbus Day in the United States of America, which is a holiday that is not widely celebrated, except by those who work for the government and those in retail who are looking for any reason to have a SALE!SALE!SALE!!!BUYNOW!!!

Columbus Day is celebrated, because he was the first white person to discover America, although historians think that Vikings discovered it first. But what's a little history? Don't rain on my parade!

Since the Americas were discovered by white people, a country was formed with some pretty radical ideas, especially the one that all men are created equal.

Well, not quite.

Men could own other men, which means that they were really not considered equal and a people that were just fine handling matters on their own were soon enslaved and killed.

I'm just manifesting my destiny, don't you know...

How about before you go out shopping, if you do, hold a moment of silence for all the Native Americans and African Americans that lost their homes and their lives due to whiteness discovering the America.

Jesus Is a Feminist!

2009-10-12T08:38:00.000-07:00

This is cross-posted at Hope is Real!

It is important not to domesticate Jesus' social passion. The point is not that Jesus was a good guy who accepted everybody, and thus we should do the same (though that would be good). Rather, his teachings and behavior reflect an alternative social vision. Jesus was not talking about how to be good and how to behave within the famework of a domination system. He was a critic of the domination system itself. Indeed, that's the best explanation for why he was killed. He wasn't simply a nice inclusive fellow but a religious social prophet whose teaching, behavior, and social vision radically challenged the elites and the domination system of his day.

From the book, "The God We Never Knew," by Marcus J. Borg.
Discuss.

Womyn of the Week - Dorothy Day

2009-10-11T11:30:00.000-07:00

I am still reading, "The God We Never Knew," by Marcus J. Borg and I was startled earlier today by not knowing the name of a major American social activist mentioned in the book. On page 133, Borg writes,

And some ways of thinking about God lead to a passion for a transformed social order. In our own century, we have seen this in figures like Mahatma Gandhi, Dorothy Day, Martin Luther King Jr., and Desmond Tutu and in movements such as liberation theology and Latin-American Christian "base communities." The conviction that God cares about suffering leads to protest against unjust social orders and advocacy of an alternative social vision.

I was shocked that I did not know who this womyn is, since I know and honor the other social activists mentioned. I cannot help but think that the reason that I have never heard of her good works are at least partly due to her gender.

(Portrait by Robert Shetterly, "Americans Who Tell the Truth")

Dorothy Day 1897-1980

"The biggest mistake sometimes is to play things very safe in this life and end up being moral failures."

1897 - Birth in New York City

After her daughter was born, Dorothy Day converted to Catholicism. Day understood the difference between simply following a religion and using its principles to be radically compassionate. In 1933, she met Peter Maurin and they began the Catholic Worker Movement. This movement published a newspaper, and probably more importantly, opened up many houses to help the homeless. Their mission was to change the world! As she stated,

What we would like to do is change the world, make it a little simpler for people to feed, clothe, and shelter themselves as God intended them to do. And by fighting for better conditions, by crying out unceasingly for the rights of the workers, the poor, of the destitute, we can work for the oasis, the little cell of joy and peace in a harried world.

Before her conversion to Catholicism, Day was an active social activist. She worked for womyn's suffrage, and for worker's rights. In 1924, she wrote a semi-autobiography titled, "The Eleventh Virgin." She always supported herself, which was in itself a revolutionary act at that time.

By 1941, she and Maurin had established thirty Catholic Worker communities-today there are 100 such communities all over the world!

In 1952, she wrote an autobiography, "The Long Loneliness" and she wrote about her movement in a book called, "Loaves and Fishes" in 1963.

Her bohemian beginnings led her to be called "the first hippie" by Abbie Hoffman in the 1960s, which was a titled she agreed with, although she no longer believed in some of those attributes, like "free love."

In 1971, Day was awarded the Pacem in Terris Award, or "Peace on Earth" Award. She is currently being considered for sainthood, although she had said while living not to consider her a saint, for to do so would diminish her work.

Posthumously, she was award the Courage of Conscience Award from the Peace Abbey in 1992 and in 2008 was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls, New York.
*********************
It is a myth that one cannot be feminist and a Catholic. It is true that there are some pretty major conflicts in church doctrine and certain feminist principles, but one must remember that there is a difference between a person's individual faith and the mandates set forth by a person in authority. The church needs to be changed and the only way that change will happen is from the efforts of people within the established religion, who understand the new needs of this time and people.

Let Let Us Promote Joyous Sex, Not Simply Avoiding Rape

2009-10-07T14:57:00.000-07:00

Right now I am reading the inspiring book, "The God We Never Knew," by Marcus J. Borg. It's a book that explains some pretty heady Christian theology, but in really simple terms. It posits not that God exists, but that God IS, which is a different thing altogether. Godde is all around us and is even inside us. This is the first of probably several posts inspired from reading his book.

Borg says that for some people, habitually following religious rites can unintentionally open one up to seeing and experiencing the Sacred. He describes several different types of rites followed by Orthodox Jews and by Catholics, although he notes that there are rites that can give the same kind of experience in other religions. One such rite is observing the Sabbath. Here is how Borg explains the Sabbath:

Sabbath is not experienced as a day of inconvenient restrictions but as a day of joy. (117)

But here is were my feminist lens sat back in surprise and my inner Spirit leapt for joy:

Husband and wife are expected to make love on the Sabbath, for they are Adam and Eve, the primal couple naked and unashamed in Eden, the Garden of Delight.

One thing that I find lacking in feminism is that it often only seems to be the domain of angry womyn who when talking about sex, only talk about either the right to choose what she should do with her body, i.e. have an abortion or not, and rape. These are incredibly important topics, but there needs to be a space for womyn who are not content to play the role of "angry liberator."

Liberated people, while they may be angry, are also usually full of joy! I know I am when my heart is open to the Sacred, which is where I want it to be. Womyn, feminists, do need to talk about abortion and rape, but we also need to talk about joyous sex too.

Womyn are by means completely liberated, but I believe that we can only accomplish true liberation from the patriarchy by living as if we already are, which means it is imperative for us to open ourselves to the possibility of experiencing Joy on a daily basis.

I truly believe that the good feelings that sex provides are one of Godde's greatest gifts-not the fact that sex might produce babies, but the ecstatic feelings themselves. I'm a little afraid to admit this, but the times when I feel the closest to Godde are when I masterbate. I've written about this before, and I am going to say it again, we will not stop acts of rape from happening by talking about "stopping violence"-it will only stop when we are solely promoting that womyn should only expect joyous respect in their sexual intimacy.

Womyn of the Week - Ann Wright

2009-10-03T10:05:00.000-07:00

(painting by Robert Shetterly)

On Tuesday, October 6, at 5:30pm, Ann Wright will speak about the current crisis in Afghanistan and then sign books at First Iconium Baptist Church, located at 842 Moreland Ave, Atlanta, GA, 30316.

Ann Wright is very involved in the peace movement. In fact, in 2003, she was one of three State Department officials to resign in order to protest the Iraq invasion. Peace is precious and the way to fight for peace, at least I believe, is to not fight at all.

Wright says, “Your job is to implement the policies of an administration…if you strongly disagree with any administration’s policies, and wish to speak out, your only option is to resign. I understood that and that’s one of the reasons I resigned – to give myself the freedom to talk out.”
And Wright did just that! In 2008, she wrote the evocative book, "Dissent: Voices of Conscience Government Insiders Speak Out Against the War in Iraq."

True patriotism means speaking out when one believes her country is doing something dangerous and/or unethical. True patriotism means that one must always question authority and never simply follow orders, for if those orders mean that all are dead, then who can one ultimately follow?

Go to the website, Americans Who Tell the Truth to read more about Ann Wright's life and about other "true patriots."

Tuesday's event is co-sponsored by the First Iconium Social Justice Forum, Georgia Peace and Justice Coalition, Atlanta Grandmothers for Peace, and Veterans for Peace Atlanta Chapter 125.

*****Wright will also speak at a noon luncheon on Wed. Nov. 7th at Emory University, Goizueta Business School, W320 12-1 p.m. Free to public, RSVP required: email roslyn.sledge@emory.edu or call 404-727-2031.

Support NAMI - Donate to NAMI Walks

2009-10-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

On Oct. 3rd, this Saturday, NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) GA is having a walk-a-thon in order to raise money to help pay for the services that they provide for our community. I will be there that day volunteering my time and I hope that after reading why NAMI is important that you will donate a little bit of money towards the group in my name by going here. Even if you can’t, please pass this announcement to someone else, because awareness about mental health advocacy is ultimately the goal.

NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots advocacy group for mental illness and I am a member of the Gwinnett branch. This group is dedicated to breaking the stigma surrounding mental illness by educating all the people in a community – those with mental illness, family members, police officers, even President Obama, as representatives from NAMI recently met with him during a summit on mental health. But the reason I am asking you to support NAMI is personal!

If you are reading this, then you probably already know that I have mental illness. The two main ones are schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type and an eating disorder, which means that I get stressed out more easily than most and that when I do, the consequences can be quite severe.

In 2007 and 2008, I moved away from my support system in Atlanta to try to obtain a degree in music therapy. I did well in the music therapy program, but unfortunately, I often felt stigmatized by the fact that there were almost no appropriate mental health resources for me in all of central Georgia. I suffered a relapse in my eating disorder and when I came back and tried seeing a new psychiatrist in Milledgeville, I was sexually harassed. After that incident, I knew that I could not stay for much longer in a town that could not meet my needs.

When I came back home in December 2008, I had to find a new mental health support group, but fortunately, I knew that there was a NAMI group nearby and I started attending regularly. The first time I went it was a wonderful, supportive experience. I no longer attend as regularly as I used to, but I am still thankful that they are there and every time I do go, I see that same joy on each newcomer’s face.

Right now, I am currently taking NAMI’s Peer 2 Peer class, which is a free class that is taught by a peer – someone with a mental illness – to a peer. It is a positive experience, providing me with more coping skills and education.

NAMI needs your support in order to continue providing these classes for free. The organization has not only classes for peers, but for family members, and even members of our police force have taken mental health sensitivity training, as provided by NAMI. Obviously, supporting NAMI is not just about supporting me, but about supporting our community, our safety, and our leaders. Perhaps one day there will not be the kind of overwhelming stigma and lack of resources that I have experienced in these past few years. Can you help me achieve these goals?

Clerks II - Dancing to ABC is Guaranteed to Make You Smile

2009-09-19T22:17:00.000-07:00

I had a hard day, but then I watched the last half of Clerks II and like magic, I was happy. This clip made me smile and so I felt obliged to share. Enjoy!

Paper Bag Press Wants Submissions - "We Only Discriminate Against Bad Writing!"

2009-09-17T11:53:00.000-07:00

A friend told me that this erotica ebooks site is looking for submissions, so I went to their site and thought they were great, so I decided to post it! That, and the site struck me as having a wonderful sense of humor and as I looked through the site, I couldn't stop laughing. Who knows? Perhaps one day there'll be an update stating that I have a new short story available to buy. It can't hurt to give it a try! I posted their submissions page and then a couple of answers from their FAQ. Yay for equal opportunity, totally consensual porn!!!
***************************

Call For Submissions!We at Paper Bag Press are looking for the highest-quality erotic short stories on the planet. Our official storefront, located at paper-bag-press.com, made its debut on February 14, 2009. We are always looking for more quality e-books. That's where you come in.

We are seeking new or established authors for exclusive publication. We want writers who can craft a short story with a strong plot that revolves around sexual experience. The stories are not necessarily romantic — the sex is the focus. If the characters are in luuurv, that’s fine, as long as the sex is hot.

We know that you are taking a chance on us since we are new. Because of this, we are offering a 5% royalty bonus beyond our normal royalty rate of 30% for the first 25 stories that are accepted for publication.

All kinds of stories are being considered, including:

•Heterosexual
•Homosexual
•Bisexual
•Groups
•BDSM
•Fetish
•Anal
•Oral
•Vampire
•Fantasy
•Cowboy/Western
•Futuristic/Sci-Fi
•Historical
•Paranormal

If you have an erotic story that you'd like to us to consider for publication, go to the Submit Your Story page to tell us about it! We are seeking stories from 1,000 to 15,000 words. However, we are not draconian about the word count. These are just guidelines and not strict observance.

We are strict about what we will not accept:

•Pedophilia — all characters involved in sexual situations will be 18 years old or older.
•Bestiality — no humans having sex with animals.
•Rape — absolutely not allowed. All sex must be consensual.
•Toilet issues — must we go there? The answer is no.
•Physical abuse as titillation — again, the sex must be consensual. No characters harming each other within the sexual framework (no snuff, no stabbing, none of that). In BDSM, it must be made clear that the people involved have consented and are enjoying themselves.
•Necrophilia — again, must we go there? The answer is still no.
•Incest — once again, must we go there? The answer is absolutely, unequivocally no.
Other than that, we are an equal opportunity smut peddler.

Please read our Submissions FAQ for more information. Questions? Drop us a line.

Ready to submit your story? Complete the Submit Your Story form. Your story should be in Microsoft Word (.doc) or Rich Text Format (.rtf), size 12 font, double-spaced.

Have fun writing!
*************************
Further Content Clarification from the FAQ

My story is about transgendered folks. I don't see that as an option. Are you interested in stories like this?

Yes, we are interested in all sorts of stories. Our submissions page outlines what we absolutely will not accept. Everything else is under consideration. We do not discriminate against a story if it is about GLBTQ folks at all. We only discriminate against bad writing. If we should contract an author for a story, and we don't have a genre listing particular to it, we will create one.

How "raw" are you looking for, regarding description of sex? I don't want to write porn, but I would be okay with a "hard R" or a "soft X."

We are looking for "soft X" to "hard XXX." We want you to write porn. We expect to see the following words: cock, dick, penis, pussy, cunt, vagina, cream, lick, suck, fuck, ass, asshole, anus, orgasm, come, cum, slide, ride, and squirt. And/or many more words, for that matter. If you are not comfortable reading that list, then your writing is probably not for us. If that list makes you laugh and think, "Yeah, that's my writing!" then please, submit it. (I DID laugh!!!)

Does the story I'm submitting have to be previously unpublished?

Yes. We are interested in first rights to your story. If your story was published online in your blog or a friend's blog, on a friend's website, in a magazine, in a newspaper, or book, in a podcast, or in any other way made available to the public, then it is considered "previously published." If you had your writing group read and critique the story, that does not count as being published.

It's That Time Again! - Menorrhagia and a Plug for NuvaRing

2009-09-15T18:12:00.000-07:00

It's that time again-my period's here! Thrilling....

Hopefully, this will be one of my last months to have a period, at least for a while, because when I see my doctor in a few weeks, I'm going to request to start using NuvaRing again. I've used it before and loved it-I got off it, because I started having hot flashes and my doctor wasn't sure if it was caused by the new birth control or not, but we have determined that it is not, so NuvaRing, here I come!

(If you click on the image, you can print out a coupon!!!)

The reason for my enthusaism is twofold:
1. I can never remember to take "the pill" and why pay for it, if I cannot remember to take it in the first place? The benefit to NuvaRing is that you only have to remember to put one in once a month! The commercials advertise this benefit, but here's what they don't tell you:
2. If you keep the birth control in for the thirty days, instead of taking it out for your period, and then having to remember to put another in afterwards, you will STOP getting your period!!! Hallelujah!!!

This is what I choose to do and it is this fact that was my deciding factor for starting NuvaRing in the first place. Why? I have incredibly heavy periods, or Menorrhagia, which can be stressful and sometimes painful. My very heavy periods often require me to use both tampons and pads at the same time and with my periods being chronically irregular, when I am out in public, forgetting to have some "protection" with me, i.e. a feminine hygiene product, means that when I discover that I am menstruating, I am on a mad dash to procur the necessary supplies and amount of supplies - super plus, please! - before time runs out and my underwear is soaking red. Not pleasant.

I have yearned to get rid of my periods ever since I decided that my chronic illnesses are too severe for me to try to have children naturally. For womyn who deal with menorrhagia, there is a relatively new procedure, called Her Option®. Her Option® Office Cryoablation Therapy is a safe and effective ablation procedure that uses sub-zero temperatures (cryoablation) to reduce your heavy periods to normal levels. The cold temperatures destroy the endometrium. With the endometrium reduced or eliminated, there’s less tissue to shed each period. I have a friend who's mother had this procedure done and apparently her mother is incredibly happy with the results. Her Option also is a form of sterilization, so it should be considered carefully. I would love to get it done, but it is expensive and I do not have health insurance, and even if I did, most health insurance companies view these kinds of procedures as frivolous, mainly because health insurance companies work for the patriarchy.

So hopefully soon I will be happy and healthy using NuvaRing. And in case you're wondering, using any birth control method in order to miss your period does NOT harm your ability to reproduce! Once you stop taking whatever form of birth control you do, your period should come back and you will once again be ready to reproduce...that is, if you so choose.

Challenge the Culture of Fear-Write a Letter to Reduce Shifa Sadequee's Sentence!!

2009-09-09T13:07:00.000-07:00

Friday, September 11, 8:00-9:30pm at Charis Books & More

Since 9/11 there has been an increase of Islamophobia and the targeting of Muslim communities globally and here in our own local community. Almost a decade later, Shifa Sadequee, a US citizen and resident of Atlanta, was convicted and faces over 60years in federal prison for a crime he did not commit. Join activists and Shifa supporters to write letters & get updates about Shifa's case. Help reach the goal of sending 1,000 personal letters to Judge Duffy, urging him to reduce the sentencing! Letter writing supplies will be provided. Please contact freeshifa@gmail.com for more info.

NAMI GA's Family to Family Class Needs YOU!!!

2009-09-08T20:32:00.000-07:00

The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Georgia is offering the Family-to-Family Education Program at the offices of the Dream Center of Walton – Gwinnett starting Monday, September 14 at 7:00 p.m. and running for 11 consecutive weeks for 2 and ½ hours each Monday night.

The Dream Center Offices are located at:

109 Lee Byrd Rd
Loganville, Ga. 30052
404-387-5740

The NAMI Family-to-Family Education Program is a free, 11-week course for family, friends, loved ones and caregivers of individuals with severe mental illnesses.
● The course is taught by trained family members
● All instruction and course materials are free to class participants
● Over 115,000 family members have graduated from this national program

Call or e-mail Brenda Vinson to register
678-231-6263 or 770-338-0468
bvquilts@bellsouth.net
Class size is limited so register now!
Check our website for more information
www.namiga.org
********************************************
Currently NAMI only has two people signed up to take it and if ten more people do not register soon, then the class will be canceled! Learning about mental illness and how to help yourself and your family member is one of the most important things you can do, plus the class is free, so please do not hesitate to sign-up! And feel free to let others know about the class.

Strength in Vulnerability

2009-09-06T20:18:00.000-07:00

We don't always have to be strong. Sometimes, our strength is expressed in being vulnerable. Sometimes, we need to fall apart to regroup and stay on track.

We all have days when we cannot push any harder, cannot hold back self-doubt, cannot stop focusing on fear, cannot be strong.

There are days when we cannot focus on being responsible. Occasionally we don't want to get out of our pajamas. Sometimes, we cry in front of people. We expose our tiredness, irritability, or anger.

Those days are okay. They are just okay.

Part of taking care of ourselves means we give ourselves permission to "fall apart" when we need to. We do not have to be perpetual towers of strength.. We are strong. We have proven that. Our strength will continue if we allow ourselves the courage to feel scared, weak, and vulnerable when we need to experience those feelings.

Today, God, help me to know that it is okay to allow myself to be human. Help me not to feel guilty or punish myself when I need to "fall apart."

From The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie Â©1990

Identifying Anger and Expressing It Appropriately

2009-09-02T22:00:00.000-07:00

"We boil at different degrees." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Anger is a major problem for many people. Some of us boil at the freezing point and some of us freeze at the boiling point.

Identifying anger and using it appropriately is something we didn't learn as children. We were preoccupied with trying to maneuver through the minefield in our homes.

We need to understand why we substitute anger for hurt, or why anger turns into self-hate or self-pity, or why we think we are terrible people if we feel this forbidden emotion.

I am relearning attitudes about anger. I can learn to express it appropriately.

by Mitzi Chandler. copyright 1989

Dear Angela - A Request to Quit Blow

2009-09-02T16:11:00.000-07:00

Dear Angela,

It is with love
That I hold my heart
From you.

And it is most certainly
With pain each day that I keep
My heart hidden from view.

But I must.

For you are not acting
In love
Or
In kindness
Or
Anything even resembling
Your own true self.

I cannot let cocaine steal
My heart, my friends, my life.

I cannot let it destroy me
Like it has destroyed you!

And so I wait.

I wait for the day
When you return to me
Drug and drunk FREE.

OR

I wait for the day
I discover that you opted
Instead to come home to heaven.

Either way,
I am heartbroken
And sad

That you do not consider
My love and friendship-
And that of your two
Beautiful boys-

To be enough to keep you away
From the tortuous trip down cocaine lane.

National Alcohol & Drug Addiction Recovery Month

2009-09-02T16:02:00.000-07:00

This month is National Alcohol & Drug Recovery Month. If you click on the widget to the right, then it'll take you to a page full of resources for those seeking recovery from alcohol or drug abuse and all the events, not just for the month, but for the year, that celebrate recovery. Here are the events going on this week:

Brown-Bag Roundtable Discussion GU 09/03/2009 12:00 PM - 09/03/2009 1:00 PM
Facilitated by the Pacific Daily News in which treatment providers, individuals in recovery and family members discuss various aspects of treatment and recovery. This session leads to the submittal of articles for the editorial section of the Sunday News.

Recovery Month Kick-Off Carnival! FL 09/03/2009 3:00 PM - 09/03/2009 7:00 PM
A fun-filled afternoon to begin the celebration of National Alcohol and Drug Addiction Month by bringing together families, recovering individuals and community resources. We will have great food catered by Tastebuds, carnival games, prizes and several bouncees for adults and children. Door prizes and drawings will feature recovery related items. Come join us!

The Art of Recovery - Gallery Show - Juneau AK 09/04/2009 5:00 PM - 09/04/2009 7:00 PM
The "Art of Recovery" show invites people in recovery to create art for a public showing. The pieces can be paintings, drawings, pastels, charcoal, sculptures, or other media. Contributors should be people in recovery from addiction disorders and/or mental illness. Artists can be professionals or amateurs. Pieces are inspired by recovery and reflect a celebration of recovery, rather than a reliving of the addiction or mental illness.

Serenity Walk GU 09/05/2009 5:30 AM - 09/05/2009 9:00 AM
A free event that takes place along the coastline where treatment providers, individuals in recovery and family members partake in a group walk promoting recovery of the mind, body and spirit. Light refreshments and t-shirts promoting recovery month will be provided for free.

4th Annual Ohio Recovery Ride OH 09/05/2009 10:00 AM - 09/05/2009 6:00 PM
Pep Rally begins at 10:00 am with onsite radio personalities and live broadcasting. The Ride is approx. a 2hr. run. Non-riders will visit the zoo and enjoy the pinic and playground area while the ride is taking place. When the riders return the program begins with a speaker,public officals and Dr.Westley Clark, Director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment under the Substance Abuse and mental Health Services Administration, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Food, fun and fellowship to follow.

Niagara Rally for Recovery NY 09/05/2009 12:00 PM - 09/05/2009 5:00 PM
A recovery rally and picnic at Oppenheim County Park

Celebrate Recovery Month with the Washington Nationals DC 09/06/2009 1:30 PM - 09/06/2009 5:00 PM
In celebration of Recovery Month the Washington DC recovering community will gather for an afternoon of baseball at National's Park in Washington DC

Pendulum Swingers by Indigo GIrls

2009-09-02T09:21:00.000-07:00

Sorry, not feeling well, so can't write great articles today or maybe a while, we'll see... But, for your viewing pleasure, may I present you a video of "Pendulum Swingers" by Indigo Girls? Quite inspiring, I'd say!

Elmo - a Poem about Date Rape

2009-08-27T22:18:00.000-07:00

Elmo lies flat on his back-
He's tired from all the laughing.

"I wish you wouldn't tickle me
so much
and
so hard..."

"It's not rape if you're laughing,"

replies the voice from above.
*************************************
I wrote this last night, since I could not sleep and sadly, it has to do with an experience that happened during my very first week at college. My date and I were riding back to the dorm in the back of the car together, when the bastard tickled me, causing me to fall down on my back in surprise, and he "fell" too. It was one of the scariest moments of my life-I was laughing, but the situation was anything but funny. "Get off, get off!" I protested and finally, after letting me panic for a minute, he got up like he had not just demonstrated his true wishes for a nightly game of control and punishment. Thankfully, I was able to convince him not to take me to his dorm, but to drop me off at mine. He was very reluctant and I still do not know what it was that made him decide to let me have my way, for he certainly did not do that with any of the other young freshmen that he "dated" that year. When the rumours were flying about a campus rapist targeting freshwomyn later that year, I knew without any doubt that he was the one.

Even if the violated person is laughing, it is still sexual assault or rape-the only time it is not is when that person emphatically says yes! Yes means yes-anything less than clear consent is rape.

In Memory Of...

2009-08-27T01:52:00.000-07:00

Jumping off bridges
Does not solve any

Problems.

But neither does
enabling
an alcoholic

Murderer.

Yes,
that would be
Us,
America!

Mary Jo Kopechne died gasping for air

Her bubbled pool of pleas

Reaching only the

Ears of

None.

Meanwhile, a man merely sobered himself up
and then prepared himself to be the greatest lion
there ever was -

It was all only because he was too much of a coward
to admit his one
fatal

fall.
Rest in peace, Mary Jo Kopechne, for you are not forgotten.

Letter from Congolese Elected Officials to Madame Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton

2009-08-26T17:19:00.000-07:00

TO MADAME SECRETARY OF STATE of USA,
C / ° U.S. Embassy in Kinshasa, DR Congo.

We, members of national parliament, elected representatives of the people of South Kivu, welcome your visit to our country and request that you convey our best wishes for success to the current tenant of the White House on the occasion of his election as the head of the USA.

We take the opportunity given to us by your presence on the land of our forefathers, to bring to your attention that the DR Congo that you visit so far is not only affected by the result of wars of aggression unjustly imposed on our people for almost 15 years, but is also a country where the democratic process led by the United Nations is bogged down, thus bringing into question the credibility of the United Nations in a country that throughout its history, hasn’t ceased to be subjected to this huge organization, in both World Wars I & II and the Cold War.

That is why, at first, we urge the Obama Administration to consider the following two points:

1) On behalf of thousands of women raped, buried alive, men emasculated, and all those killed in eastern DR Congo in general, in South Kivu in particular, we urge you to join our voices to demand an end to impunity. First, by the immediate arrest of all those responsible for this tragedy including Laurent Nkundabatware, Bosco Ntaganda, and other accomplices at the heart of this Congolese tragedy.

In so doing, in the eyes of the world community, the USA will have contributed to bringing an end to this unjust and biased policy that ensures the longevity and support of regimes whose leaders have been accused of abusing power and lacking democracy characterized by extreme favoritism concentrated in a handful of people at the expense of the majority of the inhabitants of Central Africa.

Also, today we can confirm to you that the eastern DR Congo has become an oasis for the extermination of innocent people who are defenseless and without any assistance, in the presence of an army that consists of selectively picked executioners which includes former FDLR members repatriated to Rwanda, but recycled and then returned within the CNDP for their incorporation into the FARDC.

In short, a war of attrition is managed wisely and thoroughly fed through the plundering of our resources, the depopulation of areas affected by this war, and very soon their balkanization.

2) This policy has led to the strengthening of mono-ethnic powers in Rwanda and Uganda, where more or less 10% of the population maintains dominance over 90% of the population. It is important to point out that with the support of the USA and the UK primarily, Rwanda released its tribal hatred on the DR Congo where its support and participation alongside pseudo-insurgent movements are undeniable.

Indeed, the involvement of multinational corporations in the delivery of arms and plundering the wealth of the DR Congo in the interest of great powers on one side and on the other, the cases of Mutebusi, Nkundabatware, Bosco Ntaganda, and the flagrant presence of many Rwandan soldiers in the integrated CNDP troops in support of Rwanda confirms our assertion.

Madam Secretary of State,

Your trip to Africa in the early months following the ascension to power by His Excellency Barack Hussein Obama is followed with great interest and has generated a lot of hope among the Congolese people who have been overlooked by previous US administrations; it has not been since the 1990s that a personality of the American administration of your rank has set foot on Congolese soil.

That is why, in addition to the major concerns outlined above, we share with you a copy of a memo that we gave to members of the delegation of the Security Council of the United Nations who visited the DR Congo on May 19, 2009 - a memo which tells the tragedy suffered by the Congolese people. This memo can be summarized as follows:

"Since 1994, the superbly armed Hutu, fleeing the advance of the Rwandan Patriotic Army crossed the Congolese border with support of UN operations called 'turquoise', headed by France. These Hutus settled in the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu in flagrant violation of all international standards governing the right of asylum or refuge.

Known as the "Interahamwe" or FDLR, Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, and so on, these Hutu particularly stand out in DR Congo by practicing acts of looting, rape, massacre and so on. And since they became a pretext for the authorities in Kigali to justify the presence in DR Congo of their regular army, the results are the current massacres and atrocities suffered by our people at Makobola, Kasika Katogota, Lemera, Nindja, Kaniola , Kalambi, Bunyakiri, Kaziba, Luhwindja, Kalonge, Bukavu, Uvira, Kiliba, Katumba Kalehe, Bwegera, Kamituga, Mwenga, Shabunda, Lugushwa, Ngando, Ndola, Kigulube, Bijombo, Masango Tubimbi, Kakungwe, Mushago, Kitutu, Lubuga , Mutambala, Fizi, Minembwe, Bibokoboko, Baraka, Kagabwe, to name a few, as regards the South-Kivu.

Moreover, Rwanda's history is punctuated by cyclical and fratricidal wars driven by a spirit of intolerance and retaliation between Hutus and Tutsis. Hence, when it is the Rwandan Tutsi ethnic group that is in power, their countrymen who are in the majority, the Hutus, are in exile: and vice versa. DR Congo has become each time, the country of pilgrimage for them.

Therefore, we members of the national parliament representing South Kivu not only condemn the guilty silence of the international community, particularly the USA, nation par excellence that praises democracy and peace, but we also deplore the role of international organizations specialized in defense of human rights that are not quite vocal as elsewhere regarding this tragedy of a smoldering Congolese genocide.

Solutions for the return and the restoration of peace have been explored by the Congolese government, but unfortunately, they came up against the bad faith of external forces pulling the strings of this war in cahoots with some insiders.

These include, by way of illustration:

The meeting in Sun City in South Africa called the inter-Congolese dialogue which led to the transition 1+4 [post conflict reconciliation formula that integrated former rebels into the Congolese government from 2003 – 2006, which included one president and four vice presidents], the Conference of Goma in January 2008, and most recently the joint operations of DR Congo / Rwanda for the tracking of FDLR. The joint operations are replete with collateral damage in North Kivu and South Kivu, where we deplore all loss of life coupled with other incalculable consequences: large-scale movements of populations, famine, disease, evil destruction of property and infrastructure, looting of natural resources, rape, theft, and other degrading treatment.

Rather, the Congolese people, your brother, friend and ally, do not deserve such inhumane treatment. They have done everything to restore peace in the Great Lakes Region. They have nothing left to give to satisfy the warmongering and gluttonous appetites of its neighbors. The Congolese people had vainly obeyed and accepted fallacious schemes and pretexts that served as the basis for the imposition of unjust wars: the case of nationality, access and sharing of political and military power, establishment of a genuine multiparty democracy, mixage, integration for some, brassage for others [mixage and brassage are French security sector jargon that speaks to the integration and reintegration of rebel groups into the Congolese army], repatriation of Rwandan refugees, tracking of FDLR elements, etc.

Faced with this grim picture, We, national MPs from the Province of South Kivu, on the strength of our experience and our solidarity with people who elected us, believe that peace won at the end of the barrel is always ephemeral.

Therefore, for a secure and lasting peace for all parties concerned in the sub-region of the Great Lakes, we offer among others the following proposals:

1. That the international community require of President Paul Kagame, the organization of an inter-Rwandan dialogue that would bring together around one table all the components of the Rwandan tribes, both those inside and outside of the country to find solutions to internal problems between them.

2. The involvement of the United States of America for the establishment in Rwanda of a democracy balanced, thoughtful and non-discriminatory like the position (which we positively welcome) of your current government response to conflicts between Israel and Palestine. This is for the restoration of a lasting peace, on the one hand among Rwandans themselves on their soil and between the State of Rwanda and the DR Congo on the other hand.

3. The contribution of the USA in the strict regulation of the sale, delivery and purchase of arms and munitions to leaders implicated in the conflict in the Great Lakes sub-region, essentially Rwanda and Uganda.

4. Placing under embargo all American and Western firms trafficking in mineral resources known as "blood" (coltan, diamonds, gold, cassiterite, etc.).

5. The establishment of international justice (ICC) that punishes all political leaders and economic players in the sub-region or elsewhere involved in the war.

6. The establishment of a development plan, like the Marshall plan, with pragmatic integration projects in the sub-region of the Great Lakes in general and in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo in particular.

7. The involvement of MONUC in first, sorting out the Rwandan elements integrated within the CNDP so that they can return to their country, Rwanda, and second in assisting with removing military officers of all stripes involved in the armed conflict outside the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu.

8. The redefinition of the mission and role of MONUC in order to avoid the atrocities and abuses deplored above.

9. In the end, we members of National members of Parliament representing South-Kivu, hope that your stay in our country, unlike the bitter and sad experiences (political, diplomatic, economic, commercial, social, cultural, humanitarian ...) we have experienced and according to some analysts well versed in the history of the DR Congo, say now is the time to lay the foundations for sincere bilateral cooperation that will be beneficial for both the American and Congolese people.

Thus, in the framework of this cooperation that we hope will be reciprocal and harmonious, and taking into account the geostrategic position of the DR Congo, we recommend that the Obama administration deal directly with Congolese institutions legally established in place of intermediaries or subcontractors.

Kinshasa on 05 August 2009

National Members of Parliament of South Kivu presented in Kinshasa

1. Hon KANYEGERE LWABOSHI Samuel, (243) 990903345
2. Hon Birindwa CHANIKIRE Solide, (243) 990903329
3.Hon Masumbuko BASHOMBA Christophe, (243) 990903364
4.Hon BASHOMBERWA Martha, (243) 990903115
5. KIKA zamud Hon Marie-Jeanne, (243) 90903625
6. Hon Bapolisi Bahuga Paulin, (243) 990903113
7. Hon BITAKWIRA Hayi BIHONA-Justin, (243) 990903330
8. Hon MPANANO NTAMWENGE Roger, (243) 990902475
9. Hon BUHERWA LUPINI Désiré,

Note: Translation by Friends of Congo

Anger Does Not Need to Turn Into Guilt

2009-08-26T16:56:00.000-07:00

You are reading from the book The Language of Letting Go by Melody Beattie

"Letting Go of Anger"

In recovery, we often discuss anger objectively. Yes, we reason, it's an emotion we're all prone to experience. Yes, the goal in recovery is to be free of resentment and anger. Yes, it's okay to feel angry, we agree. Well, maybe. . . .

Anger is a powerful and sometimes frightening emotion. It's also a beneficial one if it's not allowed to harden into resentment or used as a battering ram to punish or abuse people.

Anger is a warning signal. It points to problems. Sometimes, it signals problems we need to solve. Sometimes, it points to boundaries we need to set. Sometimes, it's the final burst of energy before letting go, or acceptance, settles in.

And, sometimes, anger just is. It doesn't have to be justified. It usually can't be confined to a tidy package. And it need not cause us to stifle our energy or ourselves.

We don't have to feel guilty whenever we experience anger.

We don't have to feel guilty.

Breathe deeply. We can shamelessly feel all our feelings, including anger, and still take responsibility for our behaviors.

I will feel and release any angry feelings I have today. I can do that appropriately and safely.

"Lessons from the Fat-o-Sphere: Quit Dieting and Declare a Truce with your Body" - a Book Review

2009-08-26T09:39:00.000-07:00

OR

Why the Fat Acceptance Movement Benefits Non-Fat Persons

I am a huge fan of the FA blog site, Shapely Prose, so when blog creator, Kate Harding co-authored a book with fellow FA blogger, Marianne Kirby of The Rotund, I had to buy it! Tomorrow I will be volunteering at Charis Books & More getting the place ready for Kirby's book signing and discussion at 7:30p. Needless to say, I am ecstatic!
The book as it appears in Charis!

Harding and Kirby are both proud of their bodies and of themselves as people, promote the fact that dieting does not work, and work hard to get their message across that "fatties" are people too. Fat people deserve just as much respect and autonomy as the thinnest supermodel, because they are all human beings! Which really should not be such a hard concept and yet we all know it is...

The back blurb:

The bad news: There probably isn't a thin person inside you waiting to get out. But there just might be a happy,confident, awesome fat person in there-and this book will help you find her.
Bloggers Kate Harding and Marianne Kirby have lost count of how many diets they've been on. Between them, they've lost enough weight to make up a whole other person-a whole other fat person. But like almost all dieters, they always gained it back-so they finally decided it was time to activate Plan B. In Lessons from the Fat-o-sphere, they share how they came to quit starving themselves and began liking their fat bodies the way they are.
Marianne and Kate know that "fat" doesn't equal disgusting. Or lazy. Or undisciplined. Or stupid. Instead, it's just the single most efficient description of bodies that aren't, you know, thin. So it's time to reclaim both the word and the reality. In Lessons from the Fat-o-sphere, you'll discover how to live your life with joy,pride, brio, and plenty of healthy self-respect, no matter what size dress you wear.
When I first got this book, I carried it around with me everywhere I went and finished it in no more than three days. My little, happy bubble was momentarily burst only on day two, though, when a co-worker laughingly remarked, "Lessons from the fat-o-sphere?! Why? You're not fat!!!" I pointed to the words below, Quit Dieting and Declare a Truce with Your Body and skulked off, totally not laughing.

But she is right-I am not fat. I hesitate to say my body size is average, because I am shorter than most womyn-in fact, at 4'9.5," I am on the cusp of being a little person-half of my shoes are a child's size four-but I do not feel that I am "thin." Of course, I'll admit my perception of my body is majorly fucked up, as I have been hospitalized twice for an eating disorder and when I say I am not thin, it is because I am comparing myself to the bone-thin, anorexic womyn at my treatment center. (I am merely afflicted with the diagnosis ED-NOS or eating disorder not otherwise specified, which as another friend who works in a mental hospital said, "Anything with the label, not otherwise specified, is as about as a bad a label as a person can possibly get." To that I say, "Amen!")

I also think of Dr. Co, a psychiatrist at RiverEdge, a non-profit mental health center in Milledgeville, GA, who told me I was "overweight" and did not have an eating disorder at all, even though I had only been out of the hospital for a few months. For many other things he said to me that day, I reported his behavior and I sincerely hope he does not work there anymore, although I suspect he does.

This book, and the whole fat acceptance movement, are so enormously important to me, because as far as long-term recovery goes, they are the things that truly help me keep the goal of recovery firmly in my mind. Like most womyn, I have dieted for most of my life-to the point that it was all I did or cared about. For a good majorly of my life, I would rather have been dead than to be fat, because fatness to me meant failure.

But recovery, for a person with an eating disorder, often means that the person is going to get fatter and in fact, that fattening up process is intensely encouraged! So while I am not fat, per se, I am definitely fatter than I used to be and that can be terrifying. Fatness used to symbolize being out of control and ultimately, being a failure. But through the fat acceptance movement, I am learning that fatness is just a
size-that's all. My becoming larger in size has nothing to do with how much in control of my life I am or with my success. It really does not. My body shape does not tell the world whether I am a good or bad person-just that I am a person, who as a person, does take up a certain amount of space, but that is all. And it is such a relief to know that the state of my well-being does not have to depend on an arbitrary number on a scale or a pair of jeans. I am still in the process of learning how to live in this mindset, but as Marianne Kirby wrote in her blog post, The Limbo: A State of Being, Not a Party Game,
Put aside the question of whether or not you feel like you are worthy of self-love. Stop thinking about it as much as possible. You don’t have to have come to any conclusions, you just have to table the matter. And then treat yourself the way you would if you already loved yourself. Treat yourself well. And kindly. And treat other people the same way. And it will sink in.

In Honor of DragonCon - My Fave Sci-Fi Feminist Propaganda

2009-08-25T22:07:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay, so the last three are actually from PostSecret,

But if one didn't know...

then they could totally be posters for the cause! I find them especially profound and I relate to them all.

On Peace Patrol Duty!!!

2009-08-23T22:16:00.000-07:00

My Liberal Identity:

You are a Peace Patroller, also known as an anti-war liberal or neo-hippie. You believe in putting an end to American imperial conquest, stopping wars that have already been lost, and supporting our troops by bringing them home.

Take the quiz at http://www.fightconservatives.com/Inside-the-Book/What-Breed-of-Liberal-Are-You.html

Yep! That's about right! This is also known as Libertarianism to some-like myself.

New Nonprofit Job Opportunities from Idealist.org!

2009-08-23T20:47:00.000-07:00

From an Idealist email: (Idealist.org is a nonprofit job site)
our upcoming season of Graduate School Fairs, and a big project we are
doing with the Mozilla Foundation (the Firefox people) to connect
nonprofits with techie volunteers around the world.

Let's start with the Grad-School Fairs. If you, or anyone you know,
are thinking of going to grad-school next year for a degree with
social impact, join us at one of the 17 fairs we'll be hosting in
North America this fall (registration is free).

At each fair you can meet representatives from 50-200 graduate
programs in fields such as Nonprofit Management, Education, Social
Work, Global Health, International Affairs, Law, Public Policy, Urban
Planning, and many more.

Here is the schedule for this fall (in parentheses you can see how
many schools have already signed up for each fair):

Sep 10 - New York, NY (200)
Sep 14 - Providence, RI (75)
Sep 15 - Boston, MA (175)
Sep 17 - Toronto, ON (50)
Sep 21 - Washington, DC (150)
Sep 23 - Pittsburgh, PA (50)
Oct 5 - Denver, CO (60)
Oct 7 - Minneapolis, MN (50)
Oct 12 - Chicago, IL (110)
Oct 13 - Phoenix, AZ (50)
Oct 15 - San Francisco, CA (120)
Oct 19 - Los Angeles, CA (120)
Oct 20 - Seattle, WA (90)
Oct 22 - Portland, OR (65)
Oct 29 - New Orleans, LA (60)
Oct 30 - Atlanta, GA (90)
Nov 3 - Virginia Beach, VA (30)

For more information, to register (it's free but they need to know how
many people will be there), and to see which schools will be at each
fair, please go to:

http://www.idealist.org/gradfairs
* * * * * * *
Mozilla Service Week

Idealist is partnering with Mozilla (the organization behind the
Firefox browser) on their first annual Mozilla Service Week which will
match thousands of "techie" volunteers around the world with
nonprofits in need of help with IT, web design, programming, blogging,
and more.

Mozilla Service Week will take place September 14-21, 2009, and
organizations are so eager for volunteers that a couple of thousand of
them have already posted their opportunities.

If you are comfortable with technology and would like to help out, or
if your organization could use some help, please go to:

http://mozillaservice.org/

And to help spread the word to nonprofits and techies around the
world, please go to:

http://www.idealist.org/if/mozservice09/en/Spread/default

Thanks again!

Jung Fitzpatrick
Graduate Education Communications Coordinator
http://www.idealist.org/gradfairs

Join us also at http://www.twitter.com/idealist and
http://www.facebook.com/idealist
**************************************************
I am going to peruse the idealist.org site again soon and the Mozilla Service Week. Hopefully I'll get a job or at least some direction from it. If you are looking for the same, I would suggest you go there too!

Value Your Uniqueness

2009-08-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

Uniqueness: I value what is unique in me

I value my own specialness and I dare to reveal it. Since the universe expresses itself through the differences in all of creation, I choose to acknowledge my own uniqueness. My inner self speaks through the nonconformity that I am. Today I applaud nonconformity and the differences within my life.

I am free of the need to please others or to conform to what they are. When I am true to myself, I easily and lovingly express my own opinions and beliefs without fear of rejection. My self-worth is not on the line when I recognize the uniqueness in myself and others. I do not have to agree with everyone, and everyone does not have to agree with me. Belief in my differentness allows me to understand those who do not understand me.

I praise my uniqueness and wear it proudly.

- From “Daily Affirmations for Adult Children of Alcoholics” by Rokelle Lerner

All Time is Valuable-Don't Squander It in Unsafe Spaces

2009-08-21T21:08:00.000-07:00

I thought this site was a great idea-an inclusive feminist community-who wouldn't want that?! I mean, this was supposed to be a community where anyone could contribute any kind of post they wanted-whether it be an essay, a poem, a painting, music, a recipe, a joke, whatever, as long as the language was inclusive and that no one's privilege was held over another. I was going to let it be a safe space, meaning that there were going to be no trolls if I could help it. But no one's contributed.

I also wanted to promote feminist/womanist events from across the globe and while I have been posting what I have found and I really could post a lot more, as I am pretty involved in the community, I haven't received any news from readers either.

This is not supposed to be a solitary blog-I am the moderator, but I really, really long for a communal, supportive space. In fact, that is why I am deleting a blog from my links list. It's one of my favorites - I am a frequent commenter there and I think the blogger has a lot of important things to say. She is also extremely well-known in the feminist/womanist blogging sphere and it's not like she's getting any extra traffic from my site... But I don't always feel safe there, because of the nastiness that is allowed to carry on among the trolls and for that reason I cannot link to her site, although I still encourage people to read her very important work, but one may not want to read the comments.

Why do I care about making this site a safe space, even in the links? It's mostly selfish!

I'm going through a tough time right now, as I was just diagnosed with fibromyalgia. My health status fluctuates constantly throughout the day, so that I am only productive for short periods of time and I have come to realize that my short span of productivty is too valuable to waste in spaces where there is significant potential for extra pain. Darvocets only ease the physical pain, don't ya know?

I can guarantee that this will be a safe space for fellow paradigm-shifting folk and if it isn't, then I will close up shop!

I can guarantee that the topics will not be mainstream and that creativity is always welcomed!

But I cannot guarantee to keep this site and my dream of an inclusive, safe, creative feminist/womanist blog if there are no submissions. I just don't have the energy to provide as much as a blog like this should.

Now I am going to advertise this site a lot more heavily soon by making flyers and posting them at places that might house creative and open writers and artists. I am even going to advertise at DragonCon-the world's best sci-fi and fantasy ever! Why at a convention? Because I am serious when I say that I want to reach out to those who are usually not included, the creative, and those who have alternative ideas of reality to offer than the messed-up reality that is offered by this world.

Please submit-don't wait to let your voice be heard! femination@yahoo.com

Most importantly, do not wait for something dramatic, like a chronic illness, to teach you that all of your time is important, so do not waste your time on things that make you feel bad and/or unsafe. You are worth more than that!

You really are.

"Imagine"

My own artwork!

It's a collage that uses magazine cutouts, sheet music, metallic paper pasted on posterboard painted with bright watercolors. (My Mom used the posterboard for experimenting painting techniques and I didn't want it to be thrown away!)

Play Kick Ball for Charis Circle-Sat. 8/22/09

2009-08-21T10:35:00.000-07:00

Join your friends at Charis for some good old fashioned kick ball fun
& help a good cause at the same time!

This Saturday, August 22nd @ 3pm
Inman Park Field
Corner of Hurt St. NE and Euclid Ave. NE
Atlanta, GA 30307
$10 Donation Requested

All are welcome to come out and cheer us on or come to the at the After Party!
Afterparty at Urban Pie in Kirkwood Village at 5:30pm
2012a Hosea L Williams Dr NE Atlanta, GA 30317 (404) 373-2778
********************************************
Ironically, I can't stand kickball-too many memories of me running off the field crying in elementary school! But I suspect that people like me are few and far between, so go, have a great time, and support a great cause! (Besides, you can always chat and cheer on the sideslines if that's more your cup of tea...)
Please RSVP to Allison@Alw62000@gmail.com so that we can be sure to have enough beverages at the afterparty. (All proceeds go to Charis Circle)

The Patriarchy is a LOL Cat!

2009-08-12T19:43:00.000-07:00

Caption: Yes, that right. Just keep looking at the camera 4 a little longer...

Who says feminists don't have a sense of humor?! This one does! Today when looking at teh lolz catz, I thought to myself, "This photo seems like a good representation of the patriarchy, doesn't it?" and "I want some ice cream!" Discuss! Laugh! Go eat ice cream! (I know I will...)

Turn Off the TV, IPhone, Computer, Playstation, Fax Machine, Personal Robot... and Tune Into Reality!!!

2009-08-09T23:33:00.000-07:00

"Thank God every morning when you get up that you have something to do which must be done, whether you like it or not." - Charles Kingsley

Marshall McLuhan warned that this age of electronic marvels could turn out to be less than marvelous for human development. He predicted that one effect would be the spawning of vast numbers of voyeurs - people who would rather watch than participate, seek vicarious rather than real experiences, and seemingly not know the difference.

We all know (or may be) people who would rather watch television than participate in the living drama of today´s world. Being a spectator is safe. The second-hand defeats and triumphs, the loves and losses that flicker across the screen don´t require that we take a stand or make an effort. As long as we don´t participate, we don´t have to make decisions or take risks.

But real life is lived in the trenches, and real action is never second-hand. As the years go by and we look back on our lives, will we want to remember that we played the game or that we played it safe?

"Today I pray for the courage to get involved in my own drama."

- From "Days of Healing, Days of Joy: Daily Meditations for Adult Children" By Earnie Larsen & Carol Larsen Hegarty

Have You Seen Elizabeth Monika Hunter?!

2009-08-03T23:02:00.000-07:00

Cross-posted at What About Our Daughters

*I saw this announcement from the blog, Act of Faith in Love and Life and felt obliged to share it:

15 year-old Elizabeth Monika Hunter

has been staying with relatives in Capitol Heights, MD and is now missing as of midnight August 3rd. Her sister Renee Jennings sent a private email that’s been forwarded requesting help. Hopefully we can get this cross-posted at several blogs and across social media to send the word out.

Due to her age and their categorizing her as a runaway, the police said they cannot issue an Amber Alert and will only take information for a Missing Person’s report which takes 48-hours to kick in. Monika’s sister lives in NYC and isn’t able to monitor the situation locally and has asked for help from the blogosphere.

Prince George Country police department, Palmer Park Precinct will be handling this case. It’s been assigned to Det. Vessels 301-772-4492. Case#09-215-0405. The main number at the precinct is 301-772-4901. Let’s encourage the police to make haste with looking for Monika as the area is apparently unsafe and she is new to the area, has limited to no funds and no cell phone.

Reach Renee at: reneejennings@rmediagroup.com.

This could be your neighbor, sister, schoolmate whomever. Since only high-profile cases get immediate attention, let's make this one!

Summer School for Feminist Fighters! Aug. 8 - San Francisco

2009-08-03T21:56:00.000-07:00

Date: Saturday, August 8, 2009
Time: 10:30am - 5:00pm
Location: New Valencia Hall
Street: 625 Larkin St, Suite 202
City/Town: San Francisco, CA

Come and hone your political skills and instincts, while benefiting the National Radical Women Fund Drive! Join a group of feisty rebels for a day of learning through presentations and hands-on activities on the following topics:

Morning sessions, beginning at 10:30am :

* How to Fight Fascism
* Understanding Gender

Afternoon sessions, beginning at 2:00pm :

* Writing to Make a Political Point
* Creating Art to Create Revolution

The workshops will take place at New Valencia Hall, 625 Larkin Street #202 , in San Francisco (near Civic Center BART, and on/near Muni lines #19, 31, 38, 47 & 49). All day registration is $20; single session only $12. Lunch will be available for a $5 donation. All proceeds go towards the National Radical Women Fund Drive.

To register, or for more information, please call 415-864-1278 or email baradicalwomen@earthlink.net.

Radical Women is a socialist feminist, grassroots activist organization that provides a radical voice within the feminist movement, a feminist voice within the Left, and trains women to be leaders in the movements for social and economic justice. It has branches in numerous United States cities; and Melbourne, Australia.
______________________________________________

Sadly, I must admit that when I first saw this event on facebook, I was a little skeptical, because unfortunately, I have learned that the term "radical feminist" sometimes means that the feminist does not support trans rights, which in my opinion, really disqualifies the person from being a true feminist, as feminism should value the worth of all equally. So, I checked their website and I am proud to say that they seem to be very supportive, with an article entitled, "Stonewall was a Riot-Now We Need a Revolution," which I read and fully support. My only quibble is that they have a seminar called, "Understanding Gender," when I don't think anyone can truly understand gender, but I do tend to sometimes get hung up up semantics. So, if you are in the area, go! I wish I could, but I suspect I'll be stuck selling appliances as usual...

And in case y'all are too lazy to peruse their homepage, here is their mission statement:

A trailblazing socialist feminist organization, Radical Women is the revolutionary wing of the women's movement and a strong feminist voice within the Left. Immersed in the daily fight against racism, sexism, homophobia, and labor exploitation, Radical Women views women's leadership as decisive to world revolution and trains women to take their place in the forefront of the struggle. RW is an autonomous, all-women's group, affiliated with the Freedom Socialist Party on the basis of mutual respect, solidarity, and shared socialist feminist ideals.

Get involved if you want to change the world and collaborate with a feisty bunch of rebel grrlz of all colors, sexualities and ages. Everyone has something to learn, teach and contribute!

Bob Marley (Happy Birtday) Rainbow Country

2009-07-30T08:01:00.001-07:00

I can't provide great articles to think about everyday due to my very busy schedule, but I can provide great music! Rainbow Country by Bob Marley is on the album, "Lively Up Yourself." I have this album in my own musical library and yesterday I downloaded it onto my computer and thought, "What beautiful words! I'd love for this to be a rainbow country!" I especially love the shots in this video of Marley dancing with little children-it makes me smile! (BTW, Bob Marley's birthday is not today, but February 6.)

How a Radical Feminist Can Still Have an Eating Disorder

2009-07-29T21:03:00.000-07:00

This is an older posting from my other blog, Hope is Real!

I am hesitant to write about this, but I feel I must, so here goes:

A couple of weeks ago, I was standing in the hall near my therapist’s office writing out her check and I see her out of the corner of my eye help her next client step onto a scale. All at once, I am consumed with envy! And then shame. How can I claim to be a radical feminist and yet want to be sick? And it’s true. The woman on the scale was crying and I was and am still insanely jealous.

My therapist last week also asked me why I wanted to be sick. That evening, right before my writing group, as I was convincing myself to eat a turkey and cheese sub at Savage Pizza, I wrote out my thoughts on the pad of paper that I carry with me wherever I go. This is what I wrote:

“I feel the need to accomplish something great and that is how I, a radical feminist, can fall victim to an eating disorder-somehow-and I do credit society with this-I have internalized the message that to be superskinny-to be thin to the point of death-is a great and wonderful accomplishment. And I fully blame society for this. When “The biggest loser is a big hit on TV, when Jessica Simpson is labeled fat, when Jessica Alba is lauded for working out so hard to get back to her pre-pregnant weight that she cries, when subsisting on a liquid diet that includes maple syrup and cayenne pepper is deemed a healthy and acceptable way to lose weight (Beyonce), then I have every right to be angry and to blame society for murdering the souls and bodies of people in this land. I grew up watching and idolizing TV and by, I believe, simply growing up in this country with the added bonus of having the mental illness called schizoaffective disorder wired into my brain, it is no wonder that I struggle with an eating disorder. In fact, I believe it is much more miraculous to be doing as well as I am!”

Perhaps I should have said, “media,” instead of society, but I’m not going to change a single word of what I wrote in that moment. Of course, there is more to it than the media. Eating disorders are strongly linked with obsessive compulsive disorder and with family relationships, but I sometimes wonder how my OCD would manifest itself if it wasn’t spent obsessing about food and weight and looks.

2008 was a rough year-I feel like a victim of a war between the gods struggling to cope with the aftermath. I relapsed in my eating disorder and had to be hospitalized; I moved in with a friend, only to realize that she too was unstable and so lived in my car for two weeks; I was sexually harassed by a psychiatrist and by several customers at the store where I worked; all leading me to the conclusion that I could not, at least for now, finish my education to fulfill my dream job of being a music therapist, but must instead leave the negativity that seems to reside in the lovely little town of Milledgeville and move back home.

But I can write and embroider and college and play piano and attend writing groups and get involved with NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness-America’s largest grassroots mental illness advocacy group). And be honest!-which is what radical feminism to me is all about! I no longer care about much about discussing fancy theories, but in telling my truth. My personal is very political! Georgia’s public mental health care sucks and that’s putting it nicely! The insurance from the college I just came from, Georgia College and State University, would not pay for my reviving had I tried to commit suicide! And I tell you, when I first read that statement in my insurance policy, I finally knew what it felt to feel inhuman-that according to law, a person with mental illness (for those who commit suicide do suffer from an illness) is better off dead. As I write this, I feel fury gather in my veins, and I tell you feminists-it is time you include the women and men who live with mental illness-that skinny woman crying on the scale may be your embarrassment, but she is still a woman!

(BTW, this post was also cross-posted on one of my favorite blogs in February, Womanist Musings!)

At Eddie's Attic: Barnstormers, Gypsee Yo, and Kodac Harrison-July 29!!!

2009-07-27T20:56:00.000-07:00

SPOKEN WORD & MUSIC EXTRAVAGANZA AT EDDIE'S ATTIC!
WITH BARNSTORMERS & GYPSEE YO, FEATURING KODAC HARRISON!

Date: Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Time: 8:00pm - 11:00pm
Location: Eddie's Attic
Street: 515-B North McDonough Street
City/Town: Decatur, GA

Phone: 2563037144
Email: ferusanimus@hotmail.com

Description
Gypsee Yo + Barnstormers will be doing their DUST BLOOD LOVE collaboration. Gypsee Yo's poetry and storytelling explores the dichotomies of post-war Eastern Europe and life in Rural America with the music of Barnstormers.

Both eye-opening and tender, DUST BLOOD LOVE is a powerful collaboration.

Also featuring legendary musician & poet Kodac Harrison.

"Imagine a Southern Tom Waits or a rural Leonard Cohen. That's as close as we can come to a nut-shell description of the music of Kodac Harrison, a genuinely gifted artist and one of the southeast's musical treasures.
Creative Loafing, Savannah, Ga."

Doors @ 6:30
Ticket: $10 General Admission / $50 for reserved tables of four

Womyn of the Week - Arlene Istar Lev and Her Thought-Provoking Article, "Feminism and Psychiatric Diagnosis"

2009-07-22T07:43:00.000-07:00

Much is written about mental illness, but alas, rarely from a feminist perspective.

I found this article online and found it to be thought-provoking and well-written and wanted to share it. The article is written by Arlene Istar Lev, LCSW, CASAC, is a social worker, family therapist, educator, and writer whose work addresses the unique therapeutic needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. She is the founder of Choices Counseling Associates in Albany, New York, providing family therapy for LGBT people. She is also on the adjunct faculties of S.U.N.Y. Albany, School of Social Welfare, and Vermont College of the Union Institute and University. She is the author of The Complete Lesbia n and Gay Parenting Guide (Penguin Press, 2004) and Transgen der Em ergence: Therapeutic Guidelines for Working with Gender-Variant People and their Families (Haworth Press, 2004). Additionally, she maintains a “Dear Ari” advice column, which is currently published in Proud Parenting and Transgender Tapestry. She is also the Founder and Project Manager for Rainbow Access Initiative, a training program on LGBT issues for therapists and medical professionals, and a Board Member for the Family Pride Coalition. Her “In a Family Way” column on LGBT parenting issues is nationally syndicated. She is an activist, a writer, a gardener and a mom. Lev is Sundance's partner, and Shaiyah's momma.

*This biography is mainly taken from http://www.myhusbandbetty.com/2006/02/15/five-questions-with-ari-istar-lev/06/02/15/five-questions-with-ari-istar-lev/.

This article is in response to a previous one published in The Women's Building News and I regret that I could not find the issue that she is addressing.
****************************************

As a feminist therapist, I found the last issue of The Women's Building News on mental illness as a feminist issue to be well-written and timely. I thought Janet Chassman's article was an excellent overview of many of the issues, and the coverage of both cultural diversity and legal issues to be important areas to examine. Despite the cover title, "The Last Closet", may I dare to suggest that there are still many many closets left to open in our feminists communities, and though issues of psychiatric disabilities is one of them, it is certainly not the "last."

Focusing on the treatment of women within the psychiatric system is an important issue, however, I must admit to being somewhat surprised by the lack of critique of the psychiatric system in general. The absence of any discussion regarding the use of language and labeling as a feminist mental health issue -- including such terms as "mental illness" and "psychiatric disorder" -- was glaring in its absence. The psychiatric profession is permeated by Eurocentric, patriarchal, racist, sexist, and homophobic thinking that has done enormous damage to the mental health of women, children and people of color.

The psychiatric profession has developed a manual to label mental illnesses. This document, The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, called the DSM, is in its fourth revision, and is extremely controversial in a number of ways. In my role as a Social Work educator, I teach Master's level students how to utilize the DSM; as a feminist and holistic practitioner I also teach them to be very wary of labeling. The DSM is the primary tool used by the managed care system to determine insurance reimbursement, and eligibility for disability determinations; it is often utilized in legal settings and educational institutions. To paraphrase Audre Lorde's eloquent statement, "Can we tear down the master's house using the master's tools?"

Diagnosis is a political tool. It has been used to medicate angry and powerless women and to take away our children. It has been used to hospitalize political activists and other radicals. In the not very distant past women were routinely diagnosed with Hysteria, and treated with clitorectomies! In the latter part of the 1800's African slaves were diagnosed with drapetomania, which was believed to be a blood disorder, and according to the diagnostic texts, was "cured by whipping"!!! Benjamin Rush, the "father of modern psychiatry" believed that the reasons Africans had dark skin was because they had a form of leprosy which he called Negritude, and to the embarrassment of his biographers, worked diligently his whole life towards a "cure." Other medical textbooks list the size of men's heads to prove that people of African descent had smaller brains, and that people with larger noses (Semitic people) had certain communicable diseases. Homosexuality was considered a psychopathology until approximately 20 years ago, which meant that ALL gays, lesbians, and bisexuals were diagnosed with this "psychiatric illness."

If the above examples sound absurd, or irrelevant, remember that the removal of these diagnoses is only within the last 100-150 years, and as I will outline below, many current diagnoses are equally offensive. The popularity, utilization, and frequency of particular diagnoses changes with the seasons. Whether "illnesses" are viewed as biological, psychological, behavioral, or moral shifts back and forth throughout history. Behaviors that are considered "normal" in one country are considered "psychopathologies" in another. Diagnoses that are considered rare in one part of the country, are considered "rampant" in others.

For example, in the late 1880's upper class white women in England and the U.S. were diagnosed with Conversion Disorder whereas they would suddenly lose the ability to see or walk, without any known physical reason. Women also displayed symptoms of Hysteria -- manifested by fainting, yelling, and depressive "fits." It is interesting to note these illnesses, and behavior manifestations, are today extremely rare, and was considered rare then among poor women, women of color and women from other countries. Today women are commonly diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder and Multiple Personality Disorder (now Dissassociative Disorder).

It is clear to most therapists today, -- due to the powerful lobbying of feminist therapists over the last two decades --, that most of the above disorders are the results of trauma, most commonly physical and sexual abuse. Can the same illness manifest in different ways at different times? Do women who are traumatized by abuse, exhibit different symptomologies across class and racial lines? Can it be that human beings manifest certain symptoms in ways that are politically and socially acceptable within certain historical times? Certainly it cannot be true that only wealthy white women in Victorian England were being traumatized, but the symptom and behaviors of other women were not perceived as important, or perhaps poor women and women of color were not "treated" for medical problems, but punished by the penal system.

The DSM does not identify mental illnesses by their etiology (i.e. their causes) but rather by their effects. This means that if three women are sexually abused one might be labeled with depression ,one might be labeled with anxiety, and one might be labeled with bulimia, -- if those are the principal manifesting symptoms. The unhealthy ways a woman copes with the trauma becomes the avenue for diagnosis, instead of labeling the way she was victimized, or recognizing the healthy ways she has adapted in order to survive.

Changes in the DSM are not immune from political pressure. Some changes are beneficial, others more problematic. For instance some positive changes in the past 50 years include the shift from viewing Alcoholism as a moral problem to a medical one, the removal of Homosexuality from the DSM, and the utilization of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in treating victims and survivors of incest, domestic violence, and sexual assault.

Current trends that are more questionable include the labeling of children with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Gender Identity Disorder. The numbers of children labeled with ADD continues to rise yearly, -- young males, and particularly young African-American males are most often labeled. Are more children having attention problems now than they were 20 years ago, or has something else changed about our society, our school system, or perhaps how we view the normal energy of young males? Is it possible that something about the energy of young Black boys is so frightening to our society that we need to medicate it?

In the last issue it was stated that "1 in 5 children/adolescents may have a diagnosable mental disorder." Statistics like these frighten me, and I am left wondering who was the researcher who studied this social malady. Could it perhaps be the pharmaceutical companies, or perhaps, the administrators of psychiatric hospitals? As managed care has become more and more resistant to paying for services for adults, the concerns for young children have suddenly risen. Many managed care programs are willing to pay large sums of money to support the "care" of disturbed young people, and many psychiatric hospitals have suddenly re-focused their entire treatment programs on the care of young people. We cannot ignore the role that profit plays in the diagnosing and treatment of vulnerable populations.

One of the common "new" diagnoses that young people are given is Gender Identity Disorder. This diagnosis is for children whose behavior and manner deviate from the accepted socially sanctioned appropriate gender behavior of boys and girls. Since Homosexuality was removed from the DSM in 1973, this has become the new diagnosis for young gays and lesbians. It has been used to treat gender transgressive young people who are gay, transgendered and/or just plain rebellious with shock therapy, medications, and hospitalizations in some cases lasting for 5 and 6 years. Can you tell me that this is not feminist backlash? The psychiatric profession is an institutionalized arm of a sexist, heterosexist, and transphobic patriarchal system. Diagnosis, I repeat, is political.

In the last issue of Women's Building News, the word Depression was frequently used as a psychiatric label. I am aware that this is technically correct (i.e. Depression is listed in the DSM) and I am also aware that severe or chronic Depressions can be debilitating and disabling. However, most people do experience some depressive episodes in their lifetimes, and I would argue that, like colds and intestinal flues, they are a part of the ebb and flow of health and illness within a "normal" human lifecycle. Depressions require familial and perhaps therapeutic support -- and maybe even pharmacological support --, but calling it a psychiatric illness??? "Depressions" can also be times of transformational change in people's lives -- spiritually referred to as "dark nights of the soul", -- times of reflection and self-examination.

I want to be clear that I am not in anyway denying the pain that human beings experience or the horrible realities of addictions, depressions, behavioral disorders in children, or dissociation in trauma survivors. I have dedicated my life to working with people who are struggling with these realities. I am saying that it is not entirely clear to me what words like "mental illness", "mental health", "psychiatric disorder" -- or even words like "treatment" -- mean. I am saying that diagnoses have been used historically to hurt and repress women and children, homosexuals and bisexuals, people of color, people who are genderly "different", and that I am very very leery to use the language of that system without clearly asking what it means and to whom.

Feminism has taken the psychiatric profession to task in the last few decades questioning the overuse of psycho-pharmacological intervention, and questioning diagnoses like Co-dependency, Pre-Menstrual Syndrome, Battered Women's Syndrome, and Borderline Personality Disorder. I was surprised that in a feminist publication there was so little questioning of the institutional sexism of the psychiatric system, and only a focus on how the system can better serve women who are already victimized by it.

I believe that as feminists who care about the mental health of women, children, and those we love, we must look at the patriarchal system of labeling illness with some skepticism. We must, of course, dismantle the stigma attached to "mentally ill" people, and work toward humane treatment and adequate resources. However, we must also examine the mental health system as a tool of the patriarchy, and cease labeling human differences as psychopathologies. We must stop hiding behind psychiatric diagnoses and examine the realities of trauma, oppression and abuse on the lives of women and children.

*Everything in bold is my own emphasis.

**************
Note: While I was looking up the pages for the links for this post, I found some really interesting stuff!

On Benjamin Rush: While studying psychiatry, Rush devised two curious instruments, the gyrator, based on the principle of centrifugal action to increase cerebral circulation, and the tranquilizer, "to obviate these evils of the 'strait waistcoat' and at the same time to obtain all the benefit of coercion". These instruments provided a form of shock therapy, which was interpreted as effecting cures according to his theory involving nervous states.

Just reading the technical language for the diagnosis and treatment of Gender Identity Disorder made me want to hurl.

What Lev didn't mention was that one of the "cures" for Conversion Disorder, also known as "hysteria," was the use of a vibrator. These are ads from a 1918 Sears catalog. If only they were still sold at the store I frequent!

What You Need to Know about GLBTQI Mental Health

2009-07-18T17:54:00.000-07:00

This is a previous post from my other blog, Hope is Real! *******

Many queer folk have some kind of serious mental illness and need help. Unfortunately, many times these people do not get the help they need, because they are afraid to ask for it or because they do not know if anyone will listen to them without judging. I know this from personal experience.

I am a bisexual, who is more interested in women. In fact, it is only recently that I have decided to embrace my bisexuality and not claim to be a lesbian.

Proposition 8 really messed me up.

I already had issues with feeling less than human, what with my school insurance hardly being willing to pay for my needs, so when the people of California decided that two people who love each other and who also simply happen to be of the same sex should be denied the right to marry, my humanity suffered. Fortunately, by this time in my recovery, I had learned enough coping skills, so that I did not relapse into my illness, but in 2005 that was not the case.

In February 2005, my best friend informed me that she was engaged. I felt incredibly good for her, but also incredibly jealous and sad for me. I was the one who had always dreamed of getting married in a church with the white dress and I had to face the fact that that might never happen.

I was told on a Monday and by Friday I was in the hospital being treated for an eating disorder for the first time. I can barely remember what happened in that space in between Monday and Friday-I stopped eating completely and pretty much stopped drinking water too. I had no memory-I was a zombie.

Fortunately, I was also attending SkyLand Trail-a wonderful recovery center in Atlanta-at the time and when I told them that I had called a suicide hotline the night before, it was decided that I needed to go to the hospital and I agreed.

NAMI has come out with a 12-page booklet called, A Mental Health Recovery and Community Integration Guide for GLBTQI Individuals: What You Need to Know
(Click the picture to read the booklet for free!)

This NAMI page has links to all kinds of GLBTQI mental health resources and mental health fact sheets, including a reference guide to the Association of Gay and Lesbian Psychiatrists- many resources offered including a directory of therapists who are gay and lesbian affirmative.

"Go With the Flow" - Celebrate Your Fertility

2009-07-14T20:43:00.000-07:00

This piece of art is by Kat Grandy and is titled "Go With theFlow." This is what she says about the painting, "[...] I was painting this woman wild and free and since I love the color red these days I thought that maybe it would be good to show that red is a good thing - it pumps throughout our body and makes us a warm-blooded animal and so the blood that leaves our body does not have to be considered a bad thing either. It is real, bright, rich and a necessary part of our womaness. Hence - Go With the Flow."

I also believe that the color red "is a good thing." It's my favorite color and I often also use it to symbolize blood in my artwork. When I am feeling angry, sad, frustrated, or just introspective, I many times find myself exploring my feelings throught the use of the color red, though I tend to use either a red color pastel or thick paint.

When I looked at this red womyn, I noticed that her arms are spread as if she is on an invisible cross and I cannot help but think about how many times womyn are tortured for the ability to produce life.

I started my period today and I am glad! I have been really stressed out lately and was a little worried that it was late and that I may need to be concerned about my health. I saw my nutritionist yesterday, who is wonderful and who helped me feel like life is more manageable again. For most womyn who are not postmenopausal or pregnant, having their period means that they are healthy-that they are "wild and free" like the womyn in red who is going with the flow.

Healthy Anger

2009-07-13T20:41:00.000-07:00

This is a older post from my recovery-centered blog, Hope IS Real! I am posting it here because I believe that white womyn, as a consequence of being placed upon a pedestal, are expected to suppress their anger, while womyn of color are considered less than human whenever they show their own rightful anger, while womyn with disabilities are presumed to not even be able to feel anger at all. And so...

Let me get this straight-there is nothing wrong with being angry!

I am an angry woman and I have been angry a very, very, very long time. My anger is not the problem. The only problem that comes from being angry is when someone does not know how to handle the anger or even worse, when they think that having anger makes them a bad person. What angers me the most is when I see parents tell their small children not to be angry. I remember one time when I was working at JCPenney's and as I watched a young couple leave with their young, moody child, I started to boil with rage, for I heard them tell him, "Don't be angry! You won't get pizza if you're angry!" I wanted to go over, pull the parents aside, and inform them being angry is healthy, but that telling their son how to feel is not and that they will damage their son's emotional growth if they try to control their son's feelings. But I didn't. The boy perked up and they left smiling, but I was left wondering what will happen to their relationship a few years down the road.

I was reminded of this when one of the facilitators at NAMI told a new person to not be angry. I responded by telling the new person that there is nothing wrong with being angry, but that she needs to find healthy ways of expressing her anger. You see, anger is not the problem-knowing what to do with it is.

I was an angry child-I see that now, but it took me a long time to realize that and I am only now learning how to positively handle my anger. Growing up there were constant yelling matches between my parents and my brother, who is three years older than I am. When I was in sixth grade, my brother was sent to a military academy and I am not mad about that. It made life easier and it did seem to help my brother-he and my parents get along much better now and he's got a great job as an officer in the Navy. But it did leave me angry at the time with no clue as to how to deal with it, so I starved my emotions. Anger, like fat, was designated "bad" in my mind, so I concentrated on how little I could eat, instead of dealing with my emotions. In fact, for a long time, I didn't even think I was capable of anger-just sadness. And that makes me sad.

So let me say it again-anger is not "bad," but not knowing how to deal with it is. Fortunately, that can change! One can learn how to constructively deal with anger. Express it! Talk about it! Don't let it remain stagnate!

Writing about my anger works well for me. Creating art that expresses how I feel works well too. Sometimes I need to do something mindless, like bearing down hard with a red crayon on a piece of paper, over and over and over again. Playing and singing to loud music does wonders. So does humor, so I will leave you with this quote from Stephen Colbert, "I retain all my vitamins, because I am always steamed!"

Remember, it is far better to be angry than apathetic.

What works for you?

Free Health Fair for Atlantan LGBT Folk on July 25

2009-07-13T12:28:00.000-07:00

Feminist Fluff

2009-07-12T22:39:00.000-07:00

I LOVE Dinosaur Comics! I must admit, though, that I thought the punchline at the end was going to be "feminists" instead of "romantic relationships." Thought I should share. (And feminists do not have a sense of humor, my ass!) Discuss!

For Afghani womyn, true liberation will not come by war!

2009-07-09T07:20:00.000-07:00

Trigger Warning-Graphic images of abused womyn

Womyn are not free in Afghanistan! It is a myth! War destroys lives-it does not create peace! True peace and liberation for the Afghani womyn MUST come from within and from themselves!

I Am Not for Sale!

2009-07-03T06:50:00.000-07:00

This is a piece of advice that I posted on my other blog, Hope is Real!:

I have worked in retail off and on for a long time, which unfortunately-as anyone who has worked in retail knows-means that I have been abused for a long time. Sears is no exception, but fortunately I have coworkers that make me feel comfortable and that told me that they would throw out any customers that tried any sexual harassment. I am very grateful for the support.

Now, I understand that sometimes when you do not get what you expected or are disappointed by the service you received that it is easy to get upset. But when I had a lady yell at me when I didn't even sell her the refrigerator that did not have the butter dish lid that she wanted, I decided that I need to write some rules of conduct when dealing with someone in sales. This advice also applies to dealing with anyone in the service industry, from fast food service to janitors to loaders.

1. When you are really angry about your service, step back for a minute, and think hard about what just happened. Is this valid anger? Is what happened really that bad? Will your life REALLY crumble just because the delivery man did not deliver the butter dish lid?

2. When you are yelling at the person on the other end of the phone and you are tempted to exclaim, "You're not listening to me!" Consider that perhaps you are not being clear enough for the other person to understand you.

3. Don't ever call a worker, "sweetie," "honey," "cutie," or anything similar to a worker-even if you are an elderly man from a quaint little southern town. It's fine to call someone those names when you know them, but if they are working, stick to "ma'am" or "sir" - it's what we call you!

4. Similarly, don't pat anybody on the head. It is offensive and demeaning to anyone who receives it. We are not little children who are grateful you gave us candy-we are adults who are doing our job.

5. Do not ask personal questions. It does not concern you whether I have a significant other or how old I am or where I live. I will not ask these things about you, as they are none of our business. I am trying to sell you a refrigerator, not my body.

6. Do not try to set up a worker with your best friend, son, daughter, or really, anybody else. I'll say it again: we are trying to sell you products, not our bodies.

7. Do not quiz us on our product knowledge if you already know the answer just to see if we know as much information as you. And don't laugh after doing this-it is extremely condescending and to people like me who have trouble with anxiety, extremely anxiety provoking.

8. Think before tarnishing a company's reputation over the mistakes of one individual. For instance, if a salesperson tells you that they would order you a butter dish lid and it would delivered to the house, but it is not-go back to #1! Think before you accuse someone of lying or of accusing the company of, "not being what it used to be." Even during those grand ole times that you remember when everything was lovely and worked right, workers sometimes got confused or tired or forgetful. Just like then, if someone made a mistake and then apologizes for it and then offers to do what's right, then things are still working right. Do not immediately jump to conclusions just because the person you are dealing with looks or talks differently from you.

Remember this: we are selling you a service and/or a product, not our bodies, souls, minds, love, or even friendship. We are business partners-you are not above me, nor are we above you. Treat us with respect and let us both keep our dignity and self-respect in tact.

Womyn of the Week - Bebe Moore Campbell 1950-2006

2009-07-01T20:38:00.000-07:00

I know I said that this week would be about Dorothea Dix, but considering that the U.S. House of Representatives established July as National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month just last year, because of Bebe Moore Campbell, I decided I must write about her instead. The idea behind having a national month is "to increase public awareness of mental illness among diverse communities."

Campbell was the author of three New York Times bestsellers, Brothers and Sisters, Singing in the Comeback Choir, and What You Owe Me, which was also a Los Angeles Times "Best Book of 2001". Her other works include the novel Your Blues Ain't Like Mine, which was a New York Times Notable Book of the Year and the winner of the NAACP Image Award for Literature; her memoir, Sweet Summer, Growing Up With and Without My Dad; and her first nonfiction book, Successful Women, Angry Men: Backlash in the Two-Career Marriage. Her essays, articles, and excerpts appear in many anthologies.

Campbell's interest in mental health was the catalyst for her first children's book, Sometimes My Mommy Gets Angry, which was published in September 2003. This book won the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) Outstanding Literature Award for 2003. The book tells the story of how a little girl copes with being reared by her mother, who has bipolar disorder. Ms. Campbell was a member of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill and a founding member of NAMI-Inglewood. Her book, 72 Hour Hold, is a novel that focuses on an adult daughter and a family's experience with the onset of mental illness. It helped educate Americans that the struggle often is not just with the illness, but with the health care system as well.

Her first play, "Even with the Madness", debuted in New York in June 2003. This work revisited the theme of mental illness and the family. Campbell's last book was another children's book, called I Get So Hungry, about childhood obesity.

As a journalist, Campbell wrote articles for The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, Essence, Ebony, Black Enterprise, as well as other publications. She was a regular commentator for Morning Edition, a program on National Public Radio.

She died in 2006 due to brain cancer.

Raising Awareness
During July, individuals and families can raise awareness of mental illness, treatment and research in diverse communities during this month by hosting special events and partnering with local businesses and organizations.

2009 National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month Events:

NAMI National will host a variety of sessions and events covering multicultural issues including a Town Hall meeting in honor of National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month during the NAMI 2009 Convention, July 6-9, in San Francisco.
NAMI Urban Los Angeles is planning a wealth of activities including a Veterans of Color Health and Wellness Fair, a ”Color of Justice” symposium and a quilting bee in honor of Bebe Moore Campbell, a founding member of the affiliate. Visit the NAMI Urban Los Angeles Web site for more information.
NAMI Tennessee will be hosting a Native American Mental Health Summit in late July as part of National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month.

The National Network to Eliminate Disparities in Behavioral Health (NNED) will host a Webinar on July 14 in partnership with the NAMI Multicultural Action Center. The Webinar will celebrate National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month by featuring presentations on how individuals across the country are working to raise mental health awareness among diverse communities. Click here to access the NNED Web site for further details and to register.

You Didn't Have to Change, Michael...

2009-06-26T19:06:00.000-07:00

This video is from "Free to Be, You and Me" and features a young Michael Jackson and Roberta Flack. The movie, music, and book influenced my life in ways that I cannot even begin to appreciate. Oh, Michael, when Flack sings, "You don't have to change at all," I think she meant it...

I am going away this weekend, so sorry that I never got to this week's "womyn of the week", but I'll tell you who next week's is - Dorothea Dix! Did you not learn about her in your psychology class?! Then stay tuned next week...

It's a "Thrill" to Honor Michael Jackson-I Just Wish It Wasn't So Soon

2009-06-25T22:03:00.000-07:00

Michael Jackson was obviously a tortured man. Excuse me, genius! I don't know if the allegations against him about child abuse/molestation are true, but I do know that there were some shady things going on - on both sides. Jackson should not have been sharing his bed with young boys or dangling his son outside a window, but the white media and lawyers should not have been trying so hard to dismantle a successful black man's career, which I think was their real reason for all the attention on those issues in the first place. And let's not forget the parents! Alanis Morisette, who was a child actor/singer before becoming famous, has equated pushing children into acting to child abuse. I'm sure her statement also applies to any child star treatment.

Whatever your views are on Michael Jackson, it cannot be denied that he was a true innovator. I remember watching his videos growing up and they were so wonderful. They transported me to a fantasy world of wonderful dancing, graphics, and stories. And equality! I remember being surprised when Thriller came out, because even though I was probably eight, I noticed that the premise was a horror film where the main characters are black. It's funny (weird, not ha-ha) how sometimes one does not notice an -ism until it's gone. Oh, and I mean gone as in not present in a video that's only a few minutes long. This is not a post racial world, as much as some people like to claim it is-for claiming something does not always make it so. Life just ain't that easy...

For your viewing and listening pleasure, here is Thriller:

I'm sorry that it's not the original, but for some reason it is not allowed to be embedded and I'm not posting a link, because some of the comments are too racist and hateful and I simply won't subject you guys to that. This version, however, almost brought me to tears as it was performed by men in a Filipino prison. I thought it quite poetic that the prisoners would be the zombies. lol I'm going to learn more about this group, because those same prisoners have apparently made a lot of videos of them dancing to popular songs. I am just astounded! For those who don't think that music therapy is real, think about how hard it must be getting a whole prison system to cooperate together in order to make a video like this. *sigh* If only I could have finished that music therapy degree...

Stonewall 40 - March and Rally June 27 - Transgender Rights NOW!!!

2009-06-25T17:12:00.001-07:00

I don't post as often as I would like, because my internet seems to work only when IT wants to. I mostly post events from other sites right now, because I am so busy. Hopefully I will get a newer, better job soon, so this can be a better site. But until then... If you can attend, then do! Alas, I will be out of town, but what's your excuse?!

Stonewall 40: Atlanta, GA

June 27 - March and Rally
March steps off at 3pm
Rally at 4pm

1969 to 2009
40 years

Come as you are, come as you would like to be.
Come to remember, come to celebrate.

Forty years ago Transgender people and their Gay and Lesbian neighbors rioted in the dark, fighting the police and the authorities block-by-block, demanding the right to be treated as human beings, with dignity and respect.

Today we can march together in the sunlight, being out and honest about who we are. And the police will be there as escorts to keep us safe.

Transgender and gender-non-comforming people kicked the door open for Gay Pride. This is the year to bring it full-circle, walking in the sunlight to demand "Transgender Rights Now!"

Step-off time is at 3:00pm at Freedom Park (Moreland Ave. and Freedom Parkway)There will be 3 banner trans issues highlighted by the march

Employment Non-Discrimination
Access to Public Services (health care, housing, etc.)
Public Safety (bathrooms, prisons, police, etc.)

Rally for transgender rights scheduled at 4:00pm on the steps of First Existentialist Church on Candler Ave.

The Pre-March speakers are:

Cheryl Courtney-Evans, of TILTT
DeeDee Chamblee, of LaGender
Sir Jesse of Decatur, of the Feminist Outlawz
The rally speakers are will talk about the three main issues. Confirmed speakers include:

Maxwell Anderson, of Dr. Maxwell Anderson & Associates
Rev. Paul Turner, of Gentle Spirit Christian Church
Tracee McDaniel, of Juxtaposed Center for Transformation
Monica Helms, of the Transgender Americans Veterans Association
Rev. Dennis Merideth, of the Faith & Community Alliance
The Atlanta Sedition Orchestra has agreed to be executive noise-makers for the March and the Rally.
(Stonewall Inn Today)

Great Events Coming Up and a Plea for More...

2009-06-22T00:22:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when no one sends me any material - I scour my friends' facebook pages for events! Slightly creepy, perhaps, but since no one is sending me any material except for the occassional spam, a blog moderator has gotta do what a blog moderator's gotta do... Look over these events and see which you can attend or support. Don't forget that if you have an event, or post, artwork, or link that you would like to share/promote, just send it to femination@yahoo.com As for why the links aren't working, I don't know - I guess Blogger just wants to be difficult tonight...
**********************
Movie screening of "Iraq in Fragments"
This film illuminates post-war Iraq in three acts, building a vivid picture of a country pulled in different directions by religion and ethnicity.

Afterwards there will be discussion about Iraq and the human cost of war with Ahmed Ali, former Iraqi correspondent for the British newspaper, the Daily Telegraph, featured in the book:
Red Zone: Five Bloody Years in Baghdad by Oliver Poole

For more information or to RSVP please contact Lola Ibitoye at middleeast-se@afsc.org or at 404-586-0460 x21

Host: AFSC Middle East Peace Education Program-Atlanta

Type: Music/Arts - Preview

Network: Global
Date: Thursday, June 25, 2009
Time: 7:00pm - 9:30pm
Location: Atlanta Friends Meeting meetinghouse
Street: 701 West Howard Avenue 30030
City/Town: Decatur, GA

Phone: 4045860460
Email: middleeast-se@afsc.org

***************************************
Students for a Democratic Society's 4th National Convention!!!
Host: Students for a Democratic Society

Type: Education - Workshop

Network: Global
Start Time: Friday, July 10, 2009 at 10:00am
End Time: Sunday, July 12, 2009 at 12:00am
Location: Middle Tennessee State University
Street: 1301 East Main Street
City/Town: Murfreesboro, TN

Email: sdsnationalconvention@gmail.com

Description
Join students and youth from across the United States for Students for a Democratic Society's 4th National Convention. This year's convention will be in the lovely town of Murfreesboro, Tennessee (nearest airport is Nashville), on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University.

It's just six weeks away on the weekend of July 10 - 12, so make your travel plans now! The convention will begin Friday during the day and run through Sunday, so try to arrive Thursday night and plan on leaving Sunday afternoon/evening.

Please register using this form: https://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=cm84c0dGU29va1JFb1p4dnZremJ0VkE6MA

In addition to discussing SDS work over the past year, we'll have lots of exciting workshops, anti-oppression and collective liberation work, trainings, and discussions of campaign strategy for the future. You don't want to miss it!!

We'll send out more information in the next two weeks with information about how to submit workshop, discussion and campaign proposals. In the meantime, if you'd like to get involved in the nuts and bolts of planning the convention, click on this link to get connected with the national convention planning group: http://groups.google.com/group/sds-national-convention

Don't forget to check out our website for updates:
http://www.newsds.org

And follow us on Twitter!:
http://twitter.com/newsds

*******************************************************
"Outside Blackness" at America, I AM
The Artistry of Josephine Baker, James Baldwin, and Alice Walker
Host: D. Dionne Bates
Type: Music/Arts - Exhibit

Network: Global
Date: Saturday, July 11, 2009
Time: 2:30pm - 4:30pm
Location: Atlanta Civic Center
City/Town: Atlanta, GA
Email: advertising@pridetv.org

Description
Dr. Dionne Bates proudly announces her partnership with the International Federation of Black Prides and PrideTV.org for the presentation of "Outside Blackness: The Artistry of Josephine Baker, James Baldwin, and Alice Walker." This thought-provoking dialogue explores the creativity, courage, and activism of artists who boldly spoke truth to power and whose cultural imprint helped change the image of what it means to be Black in America.

Presented by the International Federation of Black Prides and PrideTV.org, "Outside Blackness" serves as a supplement to the African-American traveling exhibit, America, I AM.

Date: Saturday, July 11, 2009
Place: Atlanta Civic Center, Atlanta, Georgia
Time: 2:30 p.m.

Doors will open at 1:30 p.m. to allow attendees time to walk through the America, I AM exhibit.

For tickets, please contact: advertising@pridetv.org

Thursday, June 25 - Suicide Prevention Teleconference - FREE!

2009-06-19T07:23:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry for the late notice, but I just got this in an email myself! If you want to attend, you have to register by 5pm today!!!***

SAMHSA’s Resource Center to Promote Acceptance, Dignity and Social Inclusion Associated with Mental Health invites you to register now for a free teleconference training titled, “Suicide Prevention and the Role of the Social Determinants of Health.”

Date: Thursday, June 25, 2009
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM (Eastern Time)

To register for this training teleconference, please click here for the registration page.

Please note: Registration for this teleconference will close at 5:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on Friday, June 19, 2009.

Training Summary
Social determinants (e.g. lower economic status, poverty, substandard housing, unemployment, and poor nutrition) can lead to anxiety, insecurity, low self-esteem, social isolation and a range of health and mental health disorders. Long periods of anxiety and insecurity and the lack of supportive friendships are damaging in whatever area of life they arise. The lower people are in the social hierarchy of industrialized countries, the more common these problems become.

Economic turmoil (e.g., increased unemployment, foreclosures, loss of investments and other financial distress) can result in many negative health effects - impacting both physical and mental health. It can be particularly devastating to a person’s emotional well-being. Although each of us is affected differently by economic troubles, these problems can add tremendous stress, which in turn can substantially increase the risk for developing such problems as:

Depression
Anxiety
Substance Abuse
Compulsive Behaviors (over-eating, excessive gambling, spending, etc.)
Suicidal thoughts and behavior

Unemployment and other kinds of economic distress do not "cause" suicide directly, but they can be factors that interact dynamically within individuals and affect their risk for suicide. These financial factors can induce strong feelings such as humiliation and despair, which can precipitate suicidal thoughts or actions among those who may already be vulnerable due to life-experiences or underlying mental health concerns that place them at greater risk of suicide.

Suicide reaches across invisible lines that exist in all communities. Since communities are made up of several networks including education, health, judicial, family, faith, and social systems, it is important for organizations to work together across fields and disciplines to educate people on the importance of overall well being including mental health. Building communities and environments that support wellness, will deliver improved outcomes for people with mental health problems, and in turn affect the manner in which suicide prevention efforts are conducted and the success of those efforts.

Sources:
1 Friedli, Mental Health, resilience and inequalities. London, Social Exclusion Unit, Office of Deputy Prime Minister, World Health Organization, 2009.

2 Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. A SAMHSA Guide: Getting Through Tough Economic Times, Suicide Warning Signs, Last accessed May 2009.

This training will:

Discuss the impact of economic turmoil on mental health and suicidal thoughts and behavior and the strategies and coping techniques that may be used to manage that impact.

Share effective public health strategies in working with the network of community-based organizations and groups to provide increased levels of wellness programs and support to those who are severely affected by the economy.

Share effective strategies for building resiliency, and promoting social inclusion and wellness among at risk populations.

Send in Your Questions
We invite you to send in your questions in advance of the teleconference. Please submit your questions by e-mail to promoteacceptance@samhsa.hhs.gov Please note that sending a question does not guarantee that it will be addressed directly during the teleconference. We will provide the speakers' contact information so that you may contact them directly for a response to your question or for additional information.

You also will have an opportunity to ask questions after the speaker presentations. Speakers will answer as many questions as possible during the question and answer session. Please note that if you provide your name and organization at the time you ask your question, we may use it during the call. Anonymous questions may be submitted.

Training Sponsor
This teleconference is sponsored by SAMHSA's Resource Center to Promote Acceptance, Dignity and Social Inclusion Associated with Mental Health (ADS Center), a project of the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The session is free to all participants.

Woman of the Week - Sojourner Truth

2009-06-17T13:23:00.001-07:00

At least once a week, I am going to post about a womyn who has worked hard for equal rights. This womyn may be famous or she may be obscure, she may be alive or dead, but she will be someone that everyone needs to know. At first, I was not going to start with Sojourner Truth, because I assumed that every feminist knows who she was and likewise, thinks of her with the utmost respect. Unfortunately, a few months ago I discovered that I am wrong! The counselor that I used to see in Milledgeville, who claims to be a feminist and has taught feminist classes, did not know who she was, and I must say, in my opinion, if you do not know, then you cannot claim to be a feminist. *I do not say womanist, because it is inconceivable to me that there could be a womanist who does not know and honor Sojourner Truth.

I remember reading about Sojourner Truth in school during history class and I thought she was the coolest person I had ever read about. Sadly, it was only a two-page spread in my history book. Her famous speech, "Ain't I a Woman?" was printed and it was noted that when she was once questioned on whether she was "a man in disguise" she showed her bare breasts to the crowd. It silenced her misogynistic oppressor, but it unleased a hunger for justice and an admiration for an unbeatable womyn that will never die. I framed her speech and wonder with agony why one never finds her speech on educational or inspirational posters. Here it is:
(as adapted to poetry by Erlene Stetson, from the book, "Ain't I a Woman! - A Book of Women's Poetry From Around the World")

Ain't I a Woman?

That man over there say
a woman needs to be helped into carriages
and lifted over ditches
and to have the best place everywhere.
Nobody ever helped me into carriages
or over mud puddles
or gives me a best place...

And ain't I a woman?
Look at me
Look at my arm!
I have plowed and planted
and gathered into barns
and no man could head me...
And ain't I a woman?
I could work as much
and eat as much as a man-
when I could get to it-
and bear the lash as well
and ain't I a woman?
I have borne 13 children
and seen most all sold into slavery
and when I cried out a mother's grief
none but Jesus heard me...
and ain't I a woman?
that little man in black there say
a woman can't have as much rights as a man
cause Christ wasn't a woman
Where did your Christ come from?
From God and a woman!
Man had nothing to do with him!
If the first woman God ever made
was strong enough to turn the world
upside down, all alone
together women ought to be ale to turn it
rightside up again.

Sojourner Truth is originally named Isabella and is born a slave in upstate New York in 1797. During late 1826, she escapes to freedom with her infant daughter, Sophia. Sadly, she had to leave the other children behind because they were not legally freed in the emancipation order until they had served as bound servants until their twenties. Then, around 1828, she wins a law suit to recover son Peter, who had been illegally sold into slavery in Alabama. She also converts to Christianity around that time. In 1846, Isabella adopts the name Sojourner Truth.

During the years of 1844-45, she joins the utopian Northampton Association in Northampton, Mass., where she meets the anti-slavery reformers Giles Stebbins, Wendell Phillips, William Lloyd Garrison, Parker Pillsbury, Frederick Douglass and the health reformer Sylvester Graham. She also meets Olive Gilbert, an abolitionist-feminist who later wrote the Narrative of Sojourner Truth.

In 1850, Truth starts attending anti-slavery and women's rights conventions. In 1851she joins abolitionist George Thompson's speaker's bureau, traveling to Rochester, NY, where she stays with Underground Railroad leader, Amy Post -- in May, attends women's rights convention in Akron, Ohio, where she delivers the famous "Ain't I a Woman" speech, later recorded by Frances Gage.

In 1852, she became famous for asking Frederick Douglass at an abolitionist meeting, "Is God gone?" Truth continues to wow audiences and it is in 1858 when she bares her breasts to an audience in Indiana.

In 1862, the London World Exhibition awards a prize to William Story's statue, Libyan Sibyl, which was inspired by Harriet Beecher Stowe's romanticized description of Sojourner Truth.

The next year, even though Truth is ill, she writes for the "Anti Slavery Standard" and also brings food that Thanksgiving to the soldiers of the 54th regiment, Mass Volunteers (the "Glory" regiment), as her grandson, James Caldwell, is a member.

In 1864, while employed by the National Freedman's Relief Association, she visits Abraham Lincoln. In 1865 she works at the Freedman's Hospital in Washington and while there, rides the Washington, DC, streetcars to force their desegregation. (She was only a hundred years ahead of her time!)

Truth keeps on speaking during the 1870s on giving freedmen their land out West, on temperance, on female suffrage and against capital punishment.

In 1883, Sojourner Truth dies due to tumors in her leg. She lived a long life, but her legacy is not over!

1890 Frances Titus collects $44 from Truth's friends around the country, along with funds from Battle Creek community leaders, and uses the money to erect a monument on Truth's gravesite. The inscription reads, "Born a slave in Ulster Co., New York in the 18th century, died in Battle Creek, Mich., Nov. 26, 1883, aged about 105 years. -- 'Is God Dead' --" Francis Titus had been Truth's traveling companion and biographer and a few years later, she commissions artist, Frank Courter, to paint the meeting between Truth and President Lincoln.

In 1961 an historical marker, commemorating the members of Truth's family who are buried with her in the Oak Hill cemetery plot, is erected by the Sojourner Truth Memorial Association, at the urging of local historian Berenice Lowe.

Before 1961 and after, Sojourner Truth receives many honors, including the honor of having a Mars probe named after her in 1997. To find out even more about her life visit this website: http://www.sojournertruth.org/Default.htm

Why I plan to emulate Dr. George Tiller

2009-06-10T22:00:00.000-07:00

By Rozalyn Farmer Love

For the AJC

Tuesday, June 09, 2009

If I’d passed her on the street, I probably wouldn’t have known her. Her gait is a bit stiff and her left eye somehow different from her right. She’s not famous, exactly, but some people might know her name: Emily Lyons. She’s the nurse who survived the 1998 bombing of an abortion clinic in Birmingham at the hands of Eric Rudolph.

I was 14 years old when that clinic was bombed, killing a police officer and spraying Emily’s body full of hot nails and shrapnel. Back then, I lived in a small Alabama town, went to church every Sunday and was adamantly opposed to abortion. But by the time I met Emily last year, I was president of the Birmingham chapter of Medical Students for Choice, a group supporting abortion rights. Watching her walk slowly into our fund-raiser on her husband’s arm —- a woman who’d endured more than 18 operations —- I thought of all she’d been through and knew that I’d come to the right decision in my support of reproductive rights.

That conviction only became stronger after I read that Kansas physician George Tiller had been murdered at his Wichita church.

I’m a third-year medical student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I plan to become an obstetrician-gynecologist. I dream of delivering healthy babies, working with families and supporting midwifery. But as part of my practice, I also envision providing abortions to women who need them.

The road I took to get here isn’t your stereotypical one. My parents are conservative Christians who believe abortion is wrong. Growing up, I naturally shared their view. But I’ve also wanted to be a doctor since I was 4 years old, and in high school, I began to feel drawn to issues of women’s health. In college, I designed my own major to broaden my understanding of women’s health by including psychology, sociology and women’s studies.

I also served as a counselor for a volunteer organization that helps victims of rape. I sat in hospital rooms with young women who would look at me and say, “I just couldn’t carry his baby.” I could feel their desperation.

At the same time, I found myself shocked at how little many of my friends —- women who were studying biology and planning to become doctors —- knew about their own sexual health. They didn’t know about or couldn’t get the reproductive health care they needed because of barriers put up by their culture, their religion and their parents.

I began to feel as if I were leading a double life. At school, the choices I saw women struggling with were forcing me to question my old convictions. When I went home, I’d go to church with my parents but would find that my views contrasted starkly with those I heard in the sermons. It was a difficult time, because I felt that neither my family nor my church would welcome my questions or understand my struggle.

For the most part, I don’t talk to my parents about those beliefs. They already feel as though I’ve turned my back on much of what they taught me because my husband and I bought a house and lived together for a few months before we were married. Two and a half years later, that rift isn’t fully healed. I know that my views on reproductive rights would be another blow.

But ultimately, we have more in common than they might think. I agree that ending an unwanted pregnancy is a tragedy. When I advocate for reproductive rights, for choice, I don’t claim that abortion is morally acceptable. I think that it’s a very private, intensely personal decision. But I was stunned when one of my professors, a pathologist and a Planned Parenthood supporter, told me that decades ago, entire wings of the university’s hospital were filled with women dying from infections caused by botched abortions. It’s clear that women who don’t want to be pregnant won’t be deterred by limited access to providers or to clinics. And I believe that it’s immoral to let them die rather than provide them with safe, competent care.

I still have a long way to go in my medical training. I’ve never witnessed an actual abortion procedure, though I have been trained, through my work in Medical Students for Choice, in manual vacuum aspiration, a simple procedure used for both incomplete miscarriages and elective terminations in the first trimester. I plan to choose a residency program that provides further training —- a place where I won’t worry that asking to be taught to perform an abortion could somehow limit my future options. At the start of medical school, I was very careful about how I presented my views to the faculty for fear that I could jeopardize my grades or hurt my chances for recommendations or of being accepted into a program run by any of the professors.

As I continue my education, my views on abortion are still evolving. Take late-term abortions. When I first heard about them, I was horrified.

It wasn’t until I spent time in ultrasound rooms in graduate school that I began to see late-trimester abortions in a very different light. In one case, the patient’s baby had just been diagnosed with a lethal congenital anomaly. The high likelihood was that it wouldn’t survive after birth for more than a few minutes. As long as the baby remained in her mother’s womb, however, she would live. I asked the physician what this woman’s options were. The answer was, not many. She could choose to continue the pregnancy, but then she might be waiting for almost 20 more weeks to give birth to a baby that would never take more than a few breaths on its own. She was past the point where she could legally terminate the pregnancy in Alabama. If she could get an appointment in Atlanta within the next week, she might be able to have the procedure there. Beyond that, there were only a few physicians in the nation who would perform an abortion in such a case.

I could hardly wrap my mind around the agony that this woman and her husband must have been facing. They needed a caring physician to help them through this dark moment, and if they chose not to continue the pregnancy, they also needed a physician who was both skilled enough and brave enough to provide them with the care they needed. They needed Dr. Tiller.

I can’t yet imagine doing the kind of work that he did. When I think about my future practice, I think about a doctor I met at a conference who spoke candidly about the harassment his children endured at school because of what their father did. I wonder what seventh grade might be like for my children if I choose to provide abortions.

I’m not the only one with questions. Once, after Medical Students for Choice co-hosted a panel discussion on reducing the number of abortions by providing better education on reproductive health, some of my classmates approached close friends of mine. They were puzzled that an abortion-rights group was talking about wanting to reduce abortions —- and that it viewed ending unwanted pregnancies as a tragedy. Mostly, though, they were confused about what I was doing there. “I know Roz goes to church every Sunday and that she’s a good person,” one classmate asked. “Why would she be involved in a group like this?”

I know my answer to that question. Someday I hope my classmates will understand, too.

Rozalyn Farmer Love is a third-year medical student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine.

"Making a Way out of No Way - a Womanist Theology"

2009-06-10T16:24:00.000-07:00

Today, which happens to be Thursday, June 11, my good friend Monica A. Coleman is going to be at Charis Books & More at 7:30pm delivering a discussion about her new book, "Making a Way out of No Way - a Womanist Theology." I have not read the book yet-I will after I finish my current-but I will go ahead and advise you to attend if you are in the area. I promise you will not be disappointed!!

There is something you should know about Monica Coleman - she is smart. As in WOW! smart. As in, when she graduated from Harvard she was named one of the twenty-five “intellectual elite” of her graduating class. And yet, I know firsthand from talking with her that the words she uses are easily understood. Coleman is not someone who wants to sit aloft on her intellectual pedestal, but instead wants to spread her message to all.

Karen Baker-Fletcher, Ph.D. Professor of Systematic Theology at Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, says this about Coleman's book: “Monica Coleman’s elegant prose makes Making a Way out of No Way a clear and accessible introduction to postmodern womanist theology. This book is a wonderful synthesis of the best of the past with attention to the foibles of our twenty-first-century present and realistic hope for creative future possibilities.”
(Did I mention that she's gorgeous too?!)

Coleman's newest book-she also wrote the book, "The Dinah Project," about how the church can help heal victims of sexual abuse-articulates the African American expression of "making a way out of no way" for today's context of globalization, religious pluralism, and sexual diversity. Drawing on womanist religious scholarship and process thought, Coleman describes the symbiotic relationship among God, the ancestors, and humanity that helps to change the world into the just society it ought to be. "Making a Way Out of No Way" shows us a way of living for justice with God and proposes a communal theology that presents a dynamic way forward for black churches, African traditional religions and grassroots organizations. And please come to the discussion, even if you are not Black or female, for womanist theology applies to everyone! We should all look into the ways that our society can be made into the "just society it ought to be."

*Much of the material for this post was gathered from her website, which is linked to on the right side of the page, under the "Support Your Community" section. Just click on her name, Monica A. Coleman to learn more about her and her work. Or come tonight! (Or come visit Circle of Grace Community Church in Atlanta, of which she is a member!)

Body Outlaws: Rewriting the Rules of Beauty and Body - a Book Review

2009-06-09T17:30:00.000-07:00

I also have a blog called, "Hope is Real!" about feminism and mental illness, with a particular emphasis on eating disorders. Some of my posts from that site will also be posted here, like this one was a few weeks ago:

A very important aspect of recovery is learning about your disorder, but I have found most material about eating disorders to be 1) extremely triggering, as they describe in detail the self-loathing thoughts and behavior practiced, and 2) written for someone else, i.e. family, friends, caregivers, therapists, the next door neighbor's dog... which does, at least, explain all the heavy descriptions. But I, as a person in recovery from an eating disorder, want a book that is written to be read by me. I want material that is empowering, that addresses the deeper issues, and that does not remind me of the all the harmful behaviors that I already know I can do myself. Fortunately, I found a fabulous book that is not triggering at my favorite bookstore, Charis Books & More, in Atlanta called, "Body Outlaws: Rewriting the Rules of Beauty and Body Image,"

The book is a collection of short essays by different women and a few men about their relationship with their own body. I could not put the book down! While each person chose to center their essay around a different body part or feature that they felt uncomfortable or awkward about, what the book ultimately reenforces is that everybody in this society has body issues and that the biggest thing that we can do as a society, and as feminists, to break the insanity is for us as individuals to start loving and accepting our own body. A radical notion, I know, but oh, so worth it!

Another thing I love about this book is that the writers are a diverse group, from every race, ethnicity, region, religion, and sexual orientation in the United States. This how the book describes the writers, "The writers assembled here celebrate the body in all its splendored shapes, sizes, colors and textures. In doing so, they expand the national dialogue on body image to include race, ethnicity, sexuality and power-issues that, while often overlooked, are intimately linked to how women feel about their bodies. Body Outlaws offers stories by those who have chosen to ignore, subvert or redefine the dominant beauty standard in order to feel at home in their bodies."

I am also glad that one of the writers is Diana Courvant, who is also a transwoman. Her story, "Strip!" is for me, one of the most powerful. In it, she strips in front of a large group of people, while giving a talk about being trans, in order to show that having a body in transition is not "freakish," which sadly, are using her therapists' own words. Trans people are not freaks and neither are those with disabilities, or who are queer, or who are abormally short, tall, have a large nose, or an enormous butt! We are who we are and that is all we should ever have to be, for that is hard enough.

Reporting on Human Trafficking in North Korea Equals a 12 Year Sentence?! Free Ling and Lee!!!

2009-06-08T07:06:00.000-07:00

Lee and Ling, two American journalists were near North Korea reporting about the horrible female trafficking going on there, who were most likely captured, brought into North Korea, and imprisoned. There are those who are going to blame the two journalists and say they should not have even been near a hostile land. I say they are brave women who deserve honor and freedom. More complete news is below.

Journalists get 12 years in N. Korean labor camp

By VIJAY JOSHI, Associated Press Writer Vijay Joshi

SEOUL, South Korea – North Korea convicted two American journalists and sentenced them Monday to 12 years of hard labor for crossing into its territory, intensifying the reclusive nation's confrontation with the United States.

The Obama administration said it would pursue "all possible channels" to win the release of Laura Ling and Euna Lee, reporters for former Vice President Al Gore's San Francisco-based Current TV media venture.

There are fears Pyongyang is using the women as bargaining chips as the U.N. debates a new resolution to punish the country for its defiant May 25 atomic test and as North Korea seeks to draw Washington into direct negotiations.

Washington's former U.N. Ambassador Bill Richardson called the sentencing part of "a high-stakes poker game" being played by North Korea. He said on NBC's Today show that he thinks negotiations for their "humanitarian release" can begin now that the legal process has been completed. Other South Korean analysts also said they expect the two to be freed following negotiations.

The journalists were found guilty of committing a "grave crime" against North Korea and of illegally entering the country, North Korea's state-run Korean Central News Agency said.

North Korean guards arrested Ling and Lee near the China-North Korean border on March 17. The two were reporting about the trafficking of North Korean women at the time of their arrest, and it's unclear if they strayed into the North or were grabbed by aggressive border guards who crossed into China. A cameraman and their local guide escaped.

The Central Court in Pyongyang sentenced each to 12 years of "reform through labor" in a North Korean prison after a five-day trial, KCNA said in a terse, two-line report that provided no further details. A Korean-language version said they were convicted of "hostility toward the Korean people."

The ruling — nearly three months after their arrest on March 17 — comes amid soaring tensions fueled by North Korea's nuclear test last month and signs it is preparing for a long-range missile test. On Monday, North Korea warned fishing boats to stay away from the east coast, Japan's coast guard said, raising concerns more missile tests are being planned.

Over the weekend, President Barack Obama used strong language on North Korea's nuclear stance and said his administration did not intend "to continue a policy of rewarding provocation."

Verdicts issued by North Korea's highest court are final and cannot be appealed, said Choi Eun-suk, a North Korean law expert at the Institute for Far Eastern Studies at South Korea's Kyungnam University. He said North Korea's penal code calls for transferring them to prison within 10 days.

The United States, which does not have diplomatic ties with Pyongyang, was "deeply concerned" about the reported verdict, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said in Washington. He said officials would "engage in all possible channels" to win the reporters' release.

At the White House on Monday, deputy spokesman William Burton said in a statement: "The president is deeply concerned by the reported sentencing of the two American citizen journalists by North Korean authorities, and we are engaged through all possible channels to secure their release."

The families of Lee, 36, and Ling, 32 had no immediate comment, spokeswoman Alanna Zahn said from New York. Gore also had no comment, spokeswoman Kalee Kreider said.

Lee is Korean-American and speaks Korean, but it is not clear how well. She lives in California with her husband and 4-year-old daughter Hannah. Ling is Chinese-American and a native of California. Her sister is National Geographic "Explorer" TV journalist Lisa Ling.

Kim Yong-hyun, a professor at Seoul's Dongguk University, said the 12-year sentence — the maximum allowed under North Korean law — may have been a reaction to recent "hard-line" threats by the U.S., including possible sanctions and putting North Korea back on a list of state sponsors of terrorism.

But he predicted the journalists' eventual release following diplomatic negotiations.

"The sentence doesn't mean much because the issue will be resolved diplomatically in the end," Kim said.

Just weeks after arresting the women, North Korea launched a multistage rocket over Japan in defiance of international calls for restraint. The U.S. and others called the launch a cover for a long-range missile test, and the U.N. Security Council condemned the move.

The U.N. censure enraged Pyongyang. North Korea abandoned nuclear disarmament talks, threatened to restart its atomic program and vowed to conduct nuclear and long-range missile tests if the Security Council failed to apologize.

The North followed through with its threat and staged its second-ever underground nuclear test. U.S. officials say the North appears to be preparing another long-range missile test at a west coast launch pad.

Some analysts called the arrest of the Americans a timely "bonanza" for Pyongyang as the impoverished regime prepares to negotiate for aid and other concessions to resolve the tense standoff over its nuclear defiance.

"North Korea refused to release them ahead of a court ruling because such a move could be seen as capitulating to the United States," said Hajime Izumi, professor of international relations and an expert on North Korea at the University of Shizuoka in Japan.

But now, "North Korea may release them on humanitarian grounds and demand the U.S. provide humanitarian aid in return," he said. "North Korea will certainly use the reporters as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the United States."

Their release could come through a post-negotiation political pardon, said Yang Moo-jin, a professor at Seoul's University of North Korean Studies.

The sentence is "a terrible shock for all those who have repeatedly insisted on their innocence," Reporters Without Borders said in a statement, noting that North Korea is ranked as Asia's worst country for press freedom.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists urged South Korea, Japan, Russia and the U.S., the five countries involved in the stalled disarmament talks with North Korea, to work for the journalists' release."

The sentencing comes a month after Iran released Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi, who had been sentenced to eight years in prison for on a charge of spying for the United States. An appeals court reduced that to a two-year suspended sentence and she was freed May 11.

Little is known about prison conditions in North Korea. But Rev. Chun Ki-won, a South Korean missionary who helped arrange the journalists' trip to China, said inmates in North Korean labor camps frequently face beatings and other inhumane treatment while being forced to engage in harsh labor such as logging and construction work.

Chun, however, predicted the North would send the journalists to a labor camp.

___

Associated Press writers Jae-soon Chang and William Foreman in Seoul, and Shino Yuasa in Tokyo contributed to this report.

Mission Statement

2009-06-05T19:36:00.000-07:00

Feminism, at its core, is a critique of power. ~ Rev. Connie Tuttle
(founder of Circle of Grace Community Church, the world’s only feminist Christian church)

Feminism should be an inclusive community!

But unfortunately, all too often it is not. Whiteness also has a privilege and white womyn, glad to have the luxury to enjoy some of the benefits that men enjoy, often use their own to diminish other womyn of color. Other womyn try to diminish each other daily too-those who are thin, healthy, wealthy, more educated, gender normative, more spiritual, come from the “best” country, and the list goes on…

This has to stop!

We must stop tearing each other down and start building each other up!

And so I have started this blog as a way to build an inclusive, supportive, feminist community. This is a place where I want womyn from all walks of life to post about anything related to feminism, as long as it is promoting sisterhood and not privilege. I want this site to promote not just womyn’s posts, but also their own artwork and events.

This is a trans, womanist, mentally and/or physically disabled, fat, religious, atheist, poor, uneducated, and yes, even male, friendly blog!

I want this to be a place of dialogue and that means no hate speech is allowed. Disagreements? Sure! Obscene language? Okay! Hate? No! I’ve found that when hate speech is allowed, meaningful dialogue dissipates. I am the moderator, so my judgement is final.

If you have any ideas, send them to me at femination@yahoo.com

If you would like to submit a post, event listing (for any area), or artwork, send them to me at femination@yahoo.com

If you know of any links that I should add, send them to me at femination@yahoo.com

If you have any questions or comments, send them to me at the same address: femination@yahoo.com

Please remember that I have just started this site AND I am already incredibly busy, so if I do not have something on this blog that you think is crucial, try not to get upset, but send me the link or the post yourself to the address (do I REALLY need to type it again?!): femination@yahoo.com

This is a place for marginalized voices! Let them be heard!!!