#feminism
A Hidden Suffragists Portrait Studio Discovered in a New York Attic
California sues "crisis pregnancy centers" for offering harmful abortion-pill reversal. Attorney General Rob Bonta is suing Heartbeat International and RealOptions Obria for violating California’s false advertising and unfair competition laws.
The drug the defendants tout and offer is progesterone. Both the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologists and the AMA, have spoken out against it as an #abortion pill reversal.
#GiftLink https://www.mercurynews.com/2023/09/21/california-sues-bay-area-crisis-pregnancy-centers-for-offering-abortion-pill-reversal/?share=woncoswsarn0eecasarh #healthcare #feminism
While reading Naomi Klein’s new book, Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World this morning, I was taken with this passage:
In her landmark 1984 book, Feminist Theory: From Margin to Center, hooks cautioned readers to “avoid using the phrase ‘I am a feminist’” and opt instead for “I advocate feminism,” explaining that unlike the “I am” label, which triggers the listener’s prior beliefs about what and who is a feminist, the latter is far more likely to begin a conversation about what concrete changes feminism is trying to achieve and “does not engage us in the either/or dualistic thinking that is the central ideological component of all systems of domination in Western society.
So yeah, I’m totally using this now. And I guess I’m adding yet another book to my to read pile.
#Actress and #WomensRights and #ReproductiveRights #activist #MarthaPlimpton: We Must #Fight for #Abortion and #LGBTQ #Rights—and Our Own #Bodies
The #HumanRight to #bodilyautonomy is #sacrosanct, whether you’re someone who needs an #abortion, #genderaffirming #Healthcare, or simply want to #liveyourtruth #openly.
#Women #Transgender #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA #Allies #Feminism #Activism #Politics #Representation #Culture
‘Pop feminism’ is the subject of Lily Alexandre’s latest video: https://youtube.com/watch?v=bmnsK74khNw
Not only does she expose the movement for the feminism-lite, protect-the-status-quo flash in the pan that it was
She also draws attention to the futility of situating the means of political change in awareness-raising and small personal actions
This applies as much to systemic gender-based oppression as it does to oppression of other groups, and even to issues like climate change
#feminism #PopFeminism #wealth #poverty #power #control #oppression #marginalisation #microaggression #privilege #ClimateCrisis
https://www.return2senderpodcast.com/new-blog/2023/9/19/book-episode-with-allyson-shaw-about-ashes-amp-
Listen to me talk about my book Ashes and Stones with Katie and Allie of Herstory on the Rocks. I love that Ashes & Stones actually has a cocktail now! I’m a huge fan of Katie & Allie’s podcast—every week they talk about different women in history, and their take is always surprising and engaging, excited to be in conversation with them. #Histodon #history #feminism #WomensHistory #Witches #Scotland #ScottishHistory #podcast #podcasts #Bookstodon #WritingCommunity
#女权学论 博客
『新书资讯：妇女/性别/性/女权——华语世界、理论争辩与全球视野（2023年，更新中）』
两岸四地的妇女/性别/性/女权 《人物》杂志：《女性是一束光：16位女性和她们所拥有的丰沛可能》（上下册）（东 …
https://chinesefeminism.org/2023/08/21/newbooks2023/
:sys_link: https://chinesefeminism.org/2023/08/21/newbooks2023/
#女权学论 博客
『Yaya：中国网络女权二十年：从边缘到焦点』
国内互联网上的女权（性别）议题起步于二十多年前，大致从上世纪九十年代末互联网进入中国后开始，最初是一个比较边缘 …
https://chinesefeminism.org/2023/07/19/yaya%ef%bc%9a%e4%b8%ad%e5%9b%bd%e7%bd%91%e7%bb%9c%e5%a5%b3%e6%9d%83%e4%ba%8c%e5%8d%81%e5%b9%b4%ef%bc%9a%e4%bb%8e%e8%be%b9%e7%bc%98%e5%88%b0%e7%84%a6%e7%82%b9/
@Jedigirl I am white, straight, cis, male, old, and boring, and I strongly support #blacklivesmatter, #feminism, and #pride, because it's about supporting people I love and making the world a better place for all.
🎵 :anarchismred:
SILNA WOLA - I'm not a rib from your body (1997)
🌐 https://inv.tux.pizza/watch?v=sSr1-mB9ctM
#DIY #muSICK #music @music #crust #punk #feminism #anarchism #anarchofeminism #Słupsk
No one said #AllLivesMatter, before they heard #BlackLivesMatter.
No one championed #StraightPride, until there was #GayPride.
No one cared about #WhiteHistoryMonth, before we had #BlackHistoryMonth.
No one mentions #MensRights or #Egalitarian, until there’s talk about #Feminism.
Sorry, the good ol’ days, when women and black people knew their places - and Queer was just the dirty family secret no one ever talked about - are over. Welcome to the 21st century.
Ms. Magazine Wins PEN America’s Impact Award for ‘Contributions to Journalism, Feminism and Social Change’ 👍️ 🙏
https://msmagazine.com/2023/09/20/ms-magazine-pen-america-impact-award-50-years-of-ms/
“It seems audacious, even today, that one could start a revolution by telling stories often ignored in the mainstream, written by voices that have been cast aside. And yet, that is the very model that has allowed Ms. to serve as a catalyst for social change.”
#journalism #InvestigativeJournalism #feminism #WomensRights #advocacy #IndepentJournalism
People may think I’m timid but as my momma reminded me, I wouldn’t be in a male dominated field if I didn’t have a lot of confidence.
Many women express their confidence differently than men and I wish that was accepted. But once again, I just see men defining the standards of being human.
Looking forward to our Exhibition 'Manifestations' tonight at @SussexUni: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/manifestations-full-stack-feminism-conference-exhibition-tickets-662302433407?aff=oddtdtcreator
#Feminism #DigitalActivism #Archives #FemFuture #DigitalArt @SussexHumsLab
Today is LAUNCH DAY for an anthology I edited!
#RosalindsSiblings: Fiction and Poetry Celebrating Scientists of Marginalized Genders.
The Rosalind Franklin memorial anthology!
ToC + direct purchase from publisher:
https://www.atthisarts.com/product/rosalinds-siblings/
#SFF #ScienceFiction #Fantasy #Anthology #Science #SciComm #RosalindFranklin #QueerBooks #Feminism #AtthisArts @bookstodon @shortsff @shortstory #Bookstodon #Books #SpeculativeFiction #SpeculativePoetry #PoetryCommunity #WritingCommunity
4) I should be unmolested in exercising my rights as a whole person, equal in the eyes of society, including complete bodily autonomy across all aspects.
I think that covers it, of course there's more to #Feminism but in my own personal version, the fight for equal pay in the US, and rights for women across the globe, is implied. This is the condensed version of what I live by.
My #feminism, the ~ with which I grew up, is that women are people too.
What I've taken that to mean and have refined over my years traveling on this globe, are these simple boundaries.
1) I have every right to the air in the room as any other being in it, assuming I have something worth saying
A woman with a mind is fit for any task.
-- Christine de Pizan (1364-1430 CE)
Women's independence is the problem
https://www.salon.com/2023/09/19/lauren-boeberts-sexy-adventure-conservatives-push-for-traditional-marriage/
#gender #marriage #feminism
Last chance to get your tickets for our Exhibition and Conference 'Manifestations' this week at @SussexUni. Book now to avoid disappointment: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/manifestations-full-stack-feminism-conference-exhibition-tickets-662302433407?aff=oddtdtcreator
#Feminism #DigitalActivism #Archives #FemFuture #DigitalArt @SussexHumsLab
"Does she know that the light shines only on her? Does she know that, far from being alone, she is being spied on, by two old men peering from behind both ends of the trellis? Does she know that I stand on the other side of her pond?"
Esme Garlake considers herself, looking at Susanna looking at herself in the latest article for Signifier:
https://medium.com/signifier/susanna-and-the-elders-she-is-never-alone-edc6fcbe553f
This:
👇🏼 👇🏼 👇🏼
@feministforeveryone
Just watched Russell Brand: In Plain Sight by Channel 4 Dispatches. Russell Brand is not stupid. He knew this day was coming. #womenempowerment #womenempoweringwomen #metoo #sexism #equality #feministtiktok #feminism #feminist #russellbrand
https://www.tiktok.com/@feministforeveryone/video/7279804806061968672
The death of Noe Ito, a Japanese anarchist, author and social critic of the Meiji and Taisho periods, is being marked, 100 years since her murder. https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/09/11/japan/history/anarchist-murder-century/?utm_content=buffere89db&utm_medium=social&utm_source=mastodon&utm_campaign=bffmstdn #japan #history #greatkantoearthquake #feminism #noeito
“The MV Louise Michel is a former French Navy boat we’ve customized to perform search and rescue. Measuring 30 meters in length and capable of up to 28 knots, she was bought with proceeds from the sale of Banksy artwork - who then decorated her with a fire extinguisher. She is operated and crewed by a team of activist rescue professionals drawn from across Europe. Named after the French anarchist Louise Michel, she aims to combine sea rescue with the principles of #feminism, #antiracism and #antifascism. She runs on a flat hierarchy and a #vegan diet.”
Bari Weiss' big L.A. debate was less 'free expression' than self-promotion
“Former New York Times opinion writer and full-time agitator #BariWeiss moderated the most-certainly-not-right-wing-how-could-you-even-suggest-such-a-thing event, which kicked off with comedian #TimDillon joking about transgender teens and how bored he was with the war in Ukraine.”
#Grimes #LouisePerry #AnnaKhachiyan #SarahHaider #RedScare #DailyMail #feminism #latimes #freepress #sexualrevolution
https://lat.ms/3EIAdq0
I am really upset to see so many #women of my #generationX jumping to the defense of #RussellBrand, claiming 'these women knew exactly what they were letting themselves in for". Nevermind being a living proof of how slowly #feminism has progressed, they display an understanding of #sexualassault & #consent BELOW the very #legal definitions, ignoring it ain't just PIV (penis in vagina) or not having awakened to marital r*pe law (voted in 1991 in the UK).
"Refusing Cochlear Implants: Is It Child Neglect?"
By Julian Savulescu at Practical Ethics Blog
https://blog.practicalethics.ox.ac.uk/2009/07/refusing-cochlear-implants-is-it-child-neglect/
This is an interesting blog post. I would like to reconcile the discourse over childhood surgeries, children's rights, parental responsibilities, and limitations on parental interests.
What are the standards for decision making and are these actualized in a coherent way?
I finally saw the #BarbieMovie, and I'm kind of glad I saw it alone, because I cried a lot.
Art and literature after the flu #pandemic didn't directly address the flu, but it was there in the background, and #Barbie feels like that with #covid19 and with #ClimateChange—who are we and what does life mean now? What does it mean to be human when the parties, popularity, validation and shiny, fun distractions are stripped away? Yes, there's a lot of privilege to having those things to lose, but we still have to #grieve the loss and build not just a new world but new selves. We're in a very #existential moment.
Also, okay, yes, the movie is very #Feminism 101, but given that the point is that we haven't even achieved that, I think #feminist films are worth celebrating.
And the soundtrack is great. I'm going to go listen to "What Was I Made For?" and feel my Feelings™️ for a bit and then listen to #Aqua's "Barbie Girl" because it's fun!
#BarbieMovie2023 #existentialism #CovidIsNotOver #Grief #Mourning
https://jacobin.com/2023/09/ursula-le-guin-space-crones-review-science-fiction-feminism/
Ursula Le Guin Has Given Us a New Posthumous Collection of Writings
Legendary science fiction writer Ursula Le Guin has a new posthumous collection out called Space Crone. Sometimes polemical and often hilarious, it discusses feminism and radical alternatives on an intergalactic scope.
Now that my kids are FINALLY in school again, I'm tentatively starting to schedule some long-delayed #interviews again for my #toplessEquality / #feminism / #mentalHealth / #sexwork decriminalization / #racialEquality / #LGBTQ and #queer advocacy / #antiCapitalism / many other #progressive issues-focused video series #ToplessTopics !
You don't have to be focused on any of the above topics, just have something interesting to say, and a decent webcam to record with (unless you live near #Portland and want to record an interview in person!) Bonus points if you're willing to appear nonsexually topless on screen with me, but definitely not required. I'm also happy to blur your face out or whatever else you need, if you want to keep your identity anonymous.
We can start the process of setting up an interview if you'd be so kind as to fill out the #collaboration form I have here: https://www.toplesstopics.org/contact/collaborate/
And if you'd like to check out previous interviews I've done, you can see them here: https://www.toplesstopics.org/interviews/ (please keep in mind some of these are really old when I was a lot worse at conducting interviews, I think they're better now 😅 )
Currently fighting my #bodyImage issues as I try to film my daily Tiktok/Instagram/YouTube shorts despite having a fking #acne breakout, yet feeling the fierce need to reject #sexist #misogynist #patriarchy #doubleStandards that dictate a woman should have a full face of #makeup (but look "natural") to be allowed to show her face online and in public 🙃
Addendum 2
Naomi Klein on New Book “Doppelganger” & How Conspiracy Culture Benefits Ruling Elite
https://www.democracynow.org/2023/9/14/naomi_klein_doppelganger
* Naomi Klein, Doppelganger: https://naomiklein.org/doppelganger
* explores "mirror world:" growing right-wing alternate universe of misinformation & conspiracies
* while identifying real problems opp. exploits them to advance hateful & divisive agenda
#NaomiWolf #NaomiKlein #Doppelganger #neoconservatism #CultureWars #ConspiracyTheorists #populism #feminism #disinformation #elitism
I am looking very much forward, of all games, to the #PrincessPeach one, that "Princess Peach Showtime!" game, mainly out of feminist curiosity:
How will she be portrayed? What will be the gaze of other characters within that universe?
Cultural and linguistic walls will be hard to cross since it's a Japanese game and I'll play in French (a language struck with more gender details than English), but it will be interesting to explore and analyze. #literature #feminism #nintendodirect
Can #scicomm benefit from #feminism? How do advocacy and science go together? Bruce V. Lewenstein, professor at Cornell University, shares his ideas on a feminist agenda for science communication in the latest instalment of our ongoing series focusing on #diversity: https://www.wissenschaftskommunikation.de/a-feminist-agenda-for-science-communication-70691/
Colonialism Modernism and Erosion: A Letter to My African Queer Siblings https://africanfeminism.com/colonialism-modernism-and-erosion-a-letter-to-my-african-queer-siblings/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=mastodon #feminism #africa
From 12 Sep: The Impotent Whining Of Privilege - It’s not fair. So use your privilege to do something about it. https://ideatrash.net/2023/09/the-impotent-whining-of-privilege.html #bigot #diversity #essay #ethics #feminism #homophobia #privilege #racism #bigots #sexism
Addendum 1
From Feminist to Right-Wing Conspiracist
What Naomi Wolf’s odyssey can teach us about seeing patterns where they don’t exist
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2023/10/naomi-wolf-klein-doppelganger-book/675120
* Naomi Wolf’s descent into conspiracism, and collateral damage it inflicted on Canadian climate activist & anti-capitalist Naomi Klein
#NaomiWolf #NaomiKlein #neoconservatism #CultureWars #ConspiracyTheorists #populism #feminism #capitalism #ClimateChange #socialism #DefundCorporations
What's Happened to Iran a Year After Mahsa Amini's Death
#politics #iran #feminism #democracy
https://time.com/6312691/mahsa-amini-death-anniversary-iran/
Me, an anti #censorship #genderEquality activist: *posts a short video expressing frustration that so many #nudist / #naturist men completely ignore my fight for THE EXACT SAME PUBLIC TOPLESS RIGHTS THAT THEY HAVE to jump to "we should normalize full body nudity (so that my ween can be as free as my male nipples)!"
A man: "or, let's normalize full body nudity 😜"
Why are men
#feminism #freeTheNipple #toplessEquality #topFreeEquality #equalRights #nudity #naked
When I became a mother, I lost my body – and realized it never belonged to me
'The lack of autonomy I felt as a mother reiterated everything society taught me to believe about myself since I was a girl'
I feel that all men ought to read this. And maybe very young women. Older women know about it all too well.
#motherhood #feminism #parenting #BodyImage #BodyAutonomy
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2023/sep/11/motherhood-parenting-body-autonomy#SelfCare
I heard about the "canary girls" over the weekend at a #Hack613 hack613.com meetup.
I found this video excellent. I know it just scratches the surface, but there's still a lot of fundamental ideas and questions in it. I've been wanting for years to read Butler's "Gender Trouble," but haven't yet. Someday soon, probably.
#gender #freedom #justice #sex #genderTheory #feminism #gayRights #sexuality #person #human #JudithButler #socialNorms #queer #sociology #psychology #philosophy #deconstruction #performative #transRights
Hey! Do you like #Feminism? How about #Biking? #ScienceFiction?
Cool! This kickstarter has you covered my worldly wheely peeps, and they need your help to get over the edge to fully funded. There are only a couple of days left, so back it and boost it, please & thank you!
Is there any #research on #Apple ‘s lockdown mode as a #cybersecurity tool as it intersects with required irl safety measures? Preferably performed by #women, but not necessarily? #infosec #Pegasus #feminism #safety #tech @citizenlab
(The restrictions in it are so great as to not leave enough evidence of what happened, from my estimation...)
Feminist pioneer #MoniqueBégin dies at 87
«In 1966, she was a signatory of the founding charter of the #FederationDesFemmesDuQuebec, for which she served as the first vice-president.
The following year, she was named secretary general of the #RoyalCommission of Inquiry into the Status of #Women in #Canada. The report it published in 1970 remains important to this day.»
#FFQ #Quebec #Feminist #Feminism #CanadaHealthAct #ChildTaxCredit #OrderOfCanada
Read more here:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/feminist-pioneer-monique-b%C3%A9gin-dies-at-87-1.6962053
✊:anarchismred:
SMASH PATRIARCHY & CAPITALISM!
#graphic #anarchofeminism #feminism #anarchism #struggle #patriarchy #system
Today in Writing History September 10, 1960: Alison Bechdel, American author and illustrator was born. She is most famous for her “Dykes to Watch Out For,” comic strip. And for her “Bechdel Test,” originally intended as a joke in one of her comics, but which has since become a routine metric used by critics as an indicator for the active presence of women in a film.
#WorkingClass #lgbtq #lgbtqia #AlisonBechdel #women #feminism #DykesToWatchOutFor #comics #artist #writer #author #books @bookstadon
The stage is set for a potential first woman president for #Mexico
This is a very good article by @rtraister about #feminism, consent, and the gender gap in sexual experience that’s worth everyone’s time to read, every once in a while.
https://www.thecut.com/2015/10/why-consensual-sex-can-still-be-bad.html
does anyone on here want to be my friend?
I know how it sounds. I am just trying to find someone to talk to.
Im oversharing with baristas.
Things i love:
#fashion #dogs #macos #beach #food #hairstyles #comedy #art #bladerunner #startrek #california #mentalhealth #feminism #chess #animalcrossing #dancing #science #space #hugs #travel #theatre #debate #deutch
Lesbians problems am I right ?
#lgbt #lgbtq🌈 #lgbtq #lgbtpride #lgbtcommuntiy #lgbt🌈#trans #transgirl #transwoman #transisbeautiful #transgender #transpride #female #transmodel #transbeauty #femme #feminism #feminist #feminineenergy #femaleentrepreneur #femininity #femmefatale #femaleartist #gay #gaypride #gaylife #laughs #funnymoments #meme #memes #funnymemes #dankmemes #memesfordays #lesbians
continued: “This mailing list is one small part of a larger, community-generated #information #infrastructure behind lesbian-feminist movements and their transitions to digital technologies. Although it is much less exciting and less sweaty than the collective din of #consciousness-raising circles and other embodied forms of #activism, information has been just as critical to late twentieth-century #feminism.”
reminds also of the cultural continuity to livejournal communities, to tumblr, et al.
@rabbijill #Feminism #CallMeByMyName
I'm surprised that this is still an issue.
Women have been continuing to use their "maiden" names after marriage for a long time.
At least as long as when I was 1st (and the only time that I was) married back in 1973. Yike, I just relalized that that was 50 years ago!!!
Anyway, my ex & I had a discussion about this and it was her choice to take my last name, which was still the convention at that time, because our names were phonetically similar and she felt that it would cause unncessary confusion not to make the change.
I know that some women "reclaim" their maiden names after divorce but my ex still uses my surname even though we've been divorced for 25 years.
To each her own. 🤷♂️
A delightful way to start the day by Connie Schultz. I highly recommend. #feminism #writing https://connieschultz.substack.com/p/married-19-years-still-not-changing?utm_source=substack
“Half of Mexico’s Congress is #female. The cabinet is #gender-balanced. And now, #women have won the primaries of the two leading political blocs—making it likely that this traditionally macho nation will elect its first female president, ahead of the United States…
#Mexico ranks fourth in the world in female participation in national legislatures, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union. The US ranks 71st—just below Iraq.”
Today in Labor History September 3, 1838: Frederick Douglass escaped from slavery in Baltimore, Maryland to freedom in the north, where he became a leader of the abolitionist movement. During his lifetime, he wrote 3 autobiographies and became a best-selling author. He also fought for women’s suffrage and was the first black man nominated to run for vice president. Douglass opposed colonialism and segregated schools. He was the most photographed American of the 19th century, never smiling once for the camera so as to not play into the racist myth of the happy slave.
#WorkingClass #LaborHistory #slavery #Abolition #FrederickDouglass #feminism #segregation #education #colonialism #author #writer #biography #BlackMastadon @bookstadon
OK, so as a feminist and anticapitalist, I obviously have to be critical of the (toxic) genius Walt Disney.
Disney is well known as a union buster. The pays were very unequal and chaotic. Disney promised to pay the animators great bonuses after the release of Snow White, but instead of bonuses, he treated his employees (especially the unionised employees) with layoffs; he even took all ending credits for the movie himself.
It all lead to the great Disney Cartoonist Strike in 1941:
https://libcom.org/article/disney-cartoonists-strike-1941-sam-lowry
Although little is known about the (un)equal payment of women, it's reasonable to assume that the (mostly female read) cosmeticians, who meticulously applied makeup to each frame with Snow White, were probably less paid than most of the (mostly male) animators who did more or less some same work.
#WaltDisney #Disney #ToxicGenius #unionBusting #laborHistory #labourHistory #strike #CartoonistStrike #feminism
If Andrew Tate & Jordan Peterson represent what modern Capitalism wants to prop up as a voice for Men™, Im happy / proud to be both unpropped up & an anticapitalist Feminist crank.
#Incels #fascism #feminism #CapitalismKills #latestagecapitalism #misogyny #techbros #EcolePolytechnique
New Episode of Gender Sex and Tech!!
Relying on work by Hilde Lindemann, I work through some of the ethical and existential questions that arise as more people form relationships with chatbots. This episode is part of #TBRpodcastcarnival2023
#feminism, #GenerativeAI, #Lindemann, #Love, #PersonalIdentity, #Philosophy, #Relationships, #Replika #TBRpodcastcarnival2023 #aiapplications #aitrajectories
Get it here, or wherever you get your podcasts!
I HAVE MORE NEW STUFF FOR Y’ALL!
Introducing the “do it with the confidence of a mediocre cishet white man” enamel pin.
Excellent reminder for frustrating days when you just can’t with the fucking patriarchal bullshit.
Moreover, it has glitter and is holographic too ✨😍
Available for purchase at: https://fluffmallow.com 😊
#fedigiftshop #smallbusiness #enamelpin #feminism #mastoart #art
I'm Chris. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, work with animals, play with tarot cards, and I absolutely love books! Posting about tarot and TTRPG games mostly, but expect dog pictures.
Artistic and creative aspirations include creating tarot cards, collecting magpie #tarotdecks, and writing small RPG games with friends.
Reading: #scifi #fantasy #AppendixN #science #psychology #compassion #tarot #occult #shortstories #history #feminism
Wouldn't it be even better to stop using the word "feminine" pajorattively?
Instead, let's call the dumb Bubbas "inadequate".
this is an excellent video about the relationship between patriarchy & the global biocide we're currently experiencing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddyOe7vm5R0
this video is feminist praxis for real.
#patriarchy #feminism #ecomodernism #environment #ClimateChange
change my mind: women, stop having babies #feminism #climatechange #actuallyautistic
Women must stop having babies. Normalize vasectomy.
We need women. We need women to lead the way. We need women to take charge of their energy, that bleeds out of them in unpaid work. We need women to direct that heartfelt, deeply rooted, wholesome unconditional care and love towards the survival of humankind. And we need them to lead.
In a normal woman's life. All her energy drains into a work that is never done, a work that can never be finished, a work,that's increasingly becoming a form of torture as the system is snatching your children right from your arms, destroying their future, confronting them with the violence of this world.
We don't need more children. We cannot transfer this weight onto another generations shoulders.
We need to focus all our energy onto this task of finding a way forward from a near hopeless situation. It is no longer in the interest of humankind, that women would bear children. Instead they must bear goddesses that save us. They mus become those warrioresses that they are in everyday life, for their children. They must become that for life itself, Life needs us.
I had a talk with my kid. As a neurodivergent single mum of a neurodivergent child I have seen life from the underside. Raising a child in this marginalized situation: It's a life for a life. We need one woman to keep one such child alive and whole. It sucks up all of her energy and shortens her lifespan.It crushes her dreams. We all know that.
I talked to my female friends.
Not one of them that did not experience trauma. Systemic patriarchal violence. It begins with medical violence during childbirth (or lack of any medical assistance at all) and it does not end. Not ever.
And we bottle this up because we cannot burden our children with it. We need to be loving mums. My friends are all over 50. the hormones have changed. The pink glasses came off. We are finally old enough to admit the exhaustion and able to take some space to evaluate. And we have this to say:
If you are a young woman: Don't get pregnant. Be pregnant with the future. We could do a lot , if we focused all our unconditional love onto having this flawed species survive. Into stopping the intrinsic violence we are submersed in. And we'd finally be able to realize our self- love. Because we would be able to pace ourselves. We'd have some measure of agency over our own lifeblood and energy.
It's a life for a life. And the cost is rising with the mounting pressure of poverty and fascism.
It's a life for a life. It's not romantic. It's hard. And increasingly irresponsible. We need that energy. It's the true lifeblood of change. The most precious thing you will ever give.
Men -women relationships are not romantic. They only appear to be. The statistics say otherwise. Your partner does not have to raise a finger in order to be exploiting you. He needs an incredible amount of determination, undying love and an advanced consciousness in order to not be doing that. Very few of them pass that test. On a lifetime basis. Even after they stopped being in love with you. And now want to make more babies with someone else.
Let's face it: The responsibility is with you. In most cases, that checks out. In the long term. The statistics give testimony to that. Most mothers acquire a chronic illness over the time of their motherhood.
So I've read all of these books. I've had my experience, I've talked to my friends. This is my conclusion.
I love motherhood. It's so glorious. It could save us all.
We need to honor ourselves more than we do. We need to realize that we can actually do great things. That we are here to save all children and ourselves in the process.
Don't get pregnant.
And if you don't want to listen to an older woman: found that fucking community first. It needs at lest 10 supportive people for a mother to have half a chance at a decent life. The only sustainable way to raise a child is within a circle of support. And no one has that nowadays. We are being atomized. And the grind of raising a child isolates you even further.
Don't fall into that trap.
Mother that woman that you can become, instead.
I think this can be a really positive, life affirming choice. ( and it's no coincidence the christofascists don't want you to have that agency)
Change my mind. Just throwing this out there. It's been boiling in me for a long time. I had to reckon with all my own scars. My body, my health my hormones, my feelings towards my kid, who is a wonderful person and whom I love dearly. I am in full agreement with him over this. He sees this world. he will not father any children.
The default pattern for a woman and mum is codependency. Even if you're free of that in individually-psychological terms ( no woman is). The way the system is set up pressures you into it. On the male side, it's the opposite pattern. Narcissism. And you have to actively resist that systemic suction. It's a battle.
That love is unconditional. It will tear you apart, trying to lay the world at your child's feet. A world that does not exist. Because the world is burning.
Stop having children. Give birth to the world instead. And be realistic. The chance that you will have it in you, to do both at the same time are nil right now.
I'm sorry. My hair is grey. I can confidently say that.
I believe that we need to come together as human beings and expand this love. So that we can all experience it. And not inside the confines of patriarchal, binary families. But as communities. It's the only way we will be healing fascism. And this is what we need to pour ourselves into.
And if we weren't brainwashed by barbie we'd have realized this a long time ago. Our human community is sick. It must be nursed back to health. We can't do this individually. We must break up the patriarchal family compartments. The core family is core hell. No woman my age will contest that. Individual romance notwithstanding. The concept of it brought us were we are. We must take a different route now. Give birth to the future.
@actuallyautistic
If you're writing about an issue that particularly impacts women and girls, please take a moment to consider if it would be more accurate to use language that includes all AFAB people, and not just women and girls.
Latest comic: Self-parodic Sages
...& if you're in San Francisco on Thursday (Aug 17), I'll be leading a discussion largely based on this essay at Bi The Way (at LGBT Center, 5:30pm) – the event is free, but you'll need to sign up in advance at Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/queer-well-x-the-optimist-collective-bi-the-way-tickets-523138259617 #trans #transgender #bisexual #LGBTQ #queer #feminism #sex
"Penises, Privilege, and Feminist & LGBTQ+ Purity Politics" may be my best essay of 2022 – it explains how heteronormative beliefs about sex & penises shape stereotypes of both bisexuals & trans ppl (including claims that we are "perpetually privileged") within cultural feminist-leaning queer spaces...
https://juliaserano.medium.com/penises-privilege-and-feminist-lgbtq-purity-politics-bafd1f25fe3e?sk=5098f46767404745b65d298b79aa8066
#trans #transgender #bisexual #LGBTQ #queer #feminism #sex
Apropos of nothing in particular:
The word "sexualize" means to apply a sexual lens to a person who didn't want to be treated or perceived in a sexual way
The word "objectify" means to treat a person as an object
It is impossible for a person to "sexualize herself" or to "objectify herself"
Therefore you can safely, immediately dismiss anyone who's talking about this or that woman (it's almost always a woman) "sexualizing herself" or "objectifying herself"
I can't remember where I saw it, but the quote was something like "this is street theory, it's gonna be messy". I think it's one of the best things I've read recently, and really describes the challenges of navigating theory that is being created by the people who are living it as we're defining it. Is every trans person going to express themselves in a perfect way? No. And I think we need to allow room for that.
#feminism #transFeminism #transmascFeminism #intersectionality #intersectionalFeminism
