Fight Like a Girl: How to be a Fearless Feminist

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal

2011-07-04T16:05:00.000-07:00

On the 4th of July I thought what better time than to reprint this...

Seneca Falls Declaration, 1848

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one portion of the family of man to assume among the people of the earth a position different from that which they have hitherto occupied, but one to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes that impel them to such a course.

We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of those who suffer from it to refuse allegiance to it, and to insist upon the institution of a new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they were accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their duty to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of the women under this government, and such is now the necessity which constrains them to demand the equal station to which they are entitled.

The history of mankind is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman, having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over her. To prove this, let facts be submitted to a candid world.

He has never permitted her to exercise her inalienable right to the elective franchise.

He has compelled her to submit to laws, in the formation of which she had no voice.

He has withheld from her rights which are given to the most ignorant and degraded men--both natives and foreigners.

Having deprived her of this first right of a citizen, the elective franchise, thereby leaving her without representation in the halls of legislation, he has oppressed her on all sides.

He has made her, if married, in the eye of the law, civilly dead.

He has taken from her all right in property, even to the wages she earns.

He has made her, morally, an irresponsible being, as she can commit many crimes with impunity, provided they be done in the presence of her husband. In the covenant of marriage, she is compelled to promise obedience to her husband, he becoming to all intents and purposes, her master--the law giving him power to deprive her of her liberty, and to administer chastisement.

He has so framed the laws of divorce, as to what shall be the proper causes, and in case of separation, to whom the guardianship of the children shall be given, as to be wholly regardless of the happiness of women--the law, in all cases, going upon a false supposition of the supremacy of man, and giving all power into his hands.

After depriving her of all rights as a married woman, if single, and the owner of property, he has taxed her to support a government which recognizes her only when her property can be made profitable to it.

He has monopolized nearly all the profitable employments, and from those she is permitted to follow, she receives but a scanty remuneration. He closes against her all the avenues to wealth and distinction which he considers most honorable to himself. As a teacher of theology, medicine, or law, she is not known.

He has denied her the facilities for obtaining a thorough education, all colleges being closed against her.

He allows her in Church, as well as State, but a subordinate position, claiming Apostolic authority for her exclusion from the ministry, and, with some exceptions, from any public participation in the affairs of the Church.

He has created a false public sentiment by giving to the world a different code of morals for men and women, by which moral delinquencies which exclude women from society, are not only tolerated, but deemed of little account in man.

He has usurped the prerogative of Jehovah himself, claiming it as his right to assign for her a sphere of action, when that belongs to her conscience and to her God.

He has endeavored, in every way that he could, to destroy her confidence in her own powers, to lessen her self-respect, and to make her willing to lead a dependent and abject life.

Now, in view of this entire disfranchisement of one-half the people of this country, their social and religious degradation--in view of the unjust laws above mentioned, and because women do feel themselves aggrieved, oppressed, and fraudulently deprived of their most sacred rights, we insist that they have immediate admission to all the rights and privileges which belong to them as citizens of the United States.

In entering upon the great work before us, we anticipate no small amount of misconception, misrepresentation, and ridicule; but we shall use every instrumentality within our power to effect our object. We shall employ agents, circulate tracts, petition the State and National legislatures, and endeavor to enlist the pulpit and the press in our behalf. We hope this Convention will be followed by a series of Conventions embracing every part of the country.

Source: E.C. Stanton, S.B. Anthony and M.J. Gage, eds., History of Woman Suffrage, vol. 1 (1887), 70.

What women deserve

2011-06-21T08:49:00.001-07:00

Ya! Sonya!

Check this out!

2011-06-18T10:25:00.001-07:00

Infantilizing women....a global issue

2011-05-29T15:30:00.000-07:00

Took this picture in the metro station at Montparnasse in Paris, France. I was a little shocked at how balant it is. Then I noticed the same Evian ad all over Paris and even on a guy walking around one day. I teach my students about advertising and its use of women as objects. We talk about how often women are depicted as sexualized infants...this should prove my point!

Do It Anyway

2011-04-19T11:33:00.000-07:00

The lives and activisms that Courtney Martin shares in Do It Anyway are inspiring in many ways...but mostly in the belief that activism comes in many forms and at many levels. Inspiring stories of making change in 'your own backyard' Check it out! A good read.

"A War on Women" is an understatement

2011-03-09T21:40:00.000-08:00

I am starting to feel insane. I think I am going mad. What the WHAT?! Is this moment, I’ve heard so often referred to when people say ‘it has to get a lot worse before the masses wake up and take action’? Is this it? Is this ‘the worse’ some were waiting for? Are we finally ready to collectively take to the streets?

On the one hand my activist soul is deeply moved and nourished by the women of Egypt who were in the streets creating their country’s revolution and then yesterday returned to the streets to make sure that world hears that they will settle for nothing less than being an integral part of designing where their nation goes next. I’m thrilled by the thousands of activists who are in the streets in Wisconsin fighting attempts to take away collective bargaining and the gutting of unions (and yet as I write this reports are in that the Wisconsin State Legislature passed a bill stripping nearly all collective bargaining rights from public workers[1]). And I was moved by the speech that Rep. Jackie Speier gave about her own abortion experience, making the political personal as her colleagues in Congress attempt to de-fund, limit, and criminalize abortion in this nation.

But day after day I’m flooded with updates, blogs, reports, articles…to say it is like a train wreck you can’t turn away from is an understatement.

Iowa, North Dakota, and Georgia are all pushing bills referred to as “Personhood legislation” that attempt to criminalize abortion and various birth control methods. In Iowa’s case their bills would do two things…1) the state would be mandated to recognize and protect “life” from the moment of conception (House File 153) and 2) would expand state law to allow reasonable force (including deadly force) for the protect of an individual or third party. Criminal defense attorneys have argued that take together these bills allow for the legal and justifiable killing of abortion providers.[2]

Georgia has a bill proposed (by Rep Bobby Franklin who is also responsible to trying to make rape and domestic violence ‘victims’ into accusers last year) that would make both miscarriages and abortion criminal and illegal…even carrying charges of a felony with a penalty of life in prison or death.[3]

Ohio is having zygotes testify in favor of their House proposed bill, the “Heartbeat Bill” which would outlaw abortion as soon as a fetal heart beat is audible.[4]
20 states are currently putting up bills to outlaw abortion after 20 weeks (Nebraska has already passed such a bill based on an argument of ‘fetal pain’ which has never been proven and completely negates the woman’s experience)

New York Times reporter, James C. McKinley, reported on the brutal gang rape of an 11-year old girl in Texas by writing “They said she dressed older than her age, wearing makeup and fashions more appropriate to a woman in her 20s. She would hang out with teenage boys at a playground, some said.”[5] As if any of these things justify or excuse rape…EVER, for any woman, of any age!

And the Congressional bill getting a lot of air time but is not explained fully is HR.1 that the U.S. House has already passed and goes to the Senate for a vote next week. This bill would eliminate Title X funding for health care providers that also provide abortion services (even though Title X funds are strictly separated from abortion services and goes solely to contraceptive care and education). The bill also prevents any abortion provider from receiving Title X funds in the future. And while much of the nation is talking about the impact on Planned Parenthood, who is named specifically in the bill, an important fact to note, by the way, is that many reproductive health centers also receive Title X funding and will be devastated by the passage of this bill…and don’t have the ‘household name’ for fundraising the Planned Parenthood does. This will absolutely devastate access for women nationwide! Especially poor, young, and rural women.

Other cuts included in HR.1 are teen pregnancy prevention grants, maternal and child health block grants, substance abuse treatment programs, job training programs, WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) nutrition programs, AND a variety of housing programs, educational programs, and workforce preparedness programs[6]

And unfortunately I could keep going with my list…and I haven’t even begun to mention international issues (despite yesterday’s 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day). What strikes me particularly hard is that these attacks are not even attempted to be covert or veiled. Oh no…these are BLATANT attacks on women. Even the New York Times posted an article declaring that the Republicans are waging a WAR on women…hardly a radical feminist source of information.

So are we ready? Will we take to the streets? Will we take stand? Raise our voices? Legislators left the state of Wisconsin in protest to the attacks on labor issues….do we have legislators willing and ready to do the same for women’s rights? What will you do? What is your action? If not now, when? What more has to be lost before we finally stand collectively and say NO MORE?!

Actions to take right now:

Click HERE to sign the petition to tell the New York Times to Apologize for Blaming a Child for Her Gang Rape
Get educated and take action...See NOW's overview of the impacts of HR.1
Click HERE to find out how to contact your Congressional Representative
Join the campaign, "I Stand with Planned Parenthood" but also remember your local, and especially feminist women's health centers...in Northern California, for example, Women's Health Specialists
Speak Out! Share this information with friends, family, colleagues...anyone!

I never tire of the famous Margaret Mead quote...and it seems ever so relevant now...

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”

___________________________________________
[1] NPR, March 9,2011
[2] Reported in Right Wing Watch, Feb 24, 2011 and The Iowa Independent
[3] Mother Jones, Feb 23, 2011
[4] The Nation, March 7, 2011
[5] NY Times, “Vicious Assault Shakes Texas Town” March 8, 2011
[6] See NOW.org overview of cuts in HR.1

2011-03-08T23:01:00.000-08:00

Open Letter to Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Calif.

2011-02-20T14:08:00.000-08:00

Dear Rep. Speier
I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for sharing your story Friday (2/18/11) and in doing so, standing up for women every where who make the decision to terminate a pregnancy for a wide array of personal reasons. Sometimes sharing our most personal stories are the scariest but most powerful. I tell my students to speak up even when their voices shake. Thank you for giving them a role model to look up to. And thank you for taking on a battle that impacts women lives in the most profound ways.

With the embattled culture we have surrounding reproductive rights in this country it is no wonder that there are rampant mis-conceptions about abortion and the women who have them. I believe that the mystery around abortion and politics that have ensued are the result of a targeted campaign by anti-choice extremists and politicians who wish to convolute the issues and remove women from the debate. We so often talk about abortion in this nation with a failing to recognize that behind every abortion is a woman making the best decision she believes she can at the time. When we remove her from the discussion we create an debate that is impersonal and hypothetical. We lose any compassion or recognition of women themselves at the very heart of the issue. Abortion is neither something one believes in or not, it is a reality in the nature of who we are. Women have had abortions since the beginning of human time, and will continue to have them until the end of human time. We have abortions for as diverse of reasons as we ourselves are diverse. Not all women choose abortion and not all women find that they have a choice. To deny women accessible and safe abortion, is to deny women dignity and self-determination. A fact, given your story, I am sure you are aware.

Often those who represent us hear only from us when we complain. I wanted to take a moment publicly to thank you. So thank you...thank you for standing up and speaking out and for doing so even though it may put you into a firestorm of anti-choice harassment. Know that many support you.

Sincerely,
Megan Seely

P.S. Readers...Often we are motivated to contact representatives when something is wrong, when we want to protest. I encourage this! But I also think that it is important to let representatives know when we like something that they have done. Especially, when their actions have likely made them the target of harassment. So on this note, I encourage you to thank Rep. Speier and recognize the incredibly brave act she did in speaking out. To contact Rep. Jackie Speier, click here.

For all those who believe in equality...a powerful new film

2011-01-22T23:28:00.000-08:00

Miss-Representation
Click here for the trailer

"Writer/Director Jennifer Siebel Newsom brings together some of America’s most influential women in politics, news, and entertainment to give us an inside look at the media’s message. Miss Representation explores women’s under-representation in positions of power by challenging the limited and often disparaging portrayal of women in the media. As one of the most persuasive and pervasive forces in our culture, media is educating yet another generation that women’s primary value lies in their youth, beauty and sexuality—not in their capacity as leaders. Through the riveting perspectives of youth and the critical analysis of top scholars, Miss Representation will change the way you see media."
From the website

Book recommendation

2011-01-08T11:58:00.001-08:00

"...decades of experience have taught us that gaining reproductive rights is not a simple answer to the bigger problem of ensuring reproductive justice for all women." Started reading a new book this morning...In Our Control by Laura Eldridge. Only a chapter or so in but already want to recommend!

Wikileaks, Assange, and Michael Moore

2010-12-21T20:57:00.000-08:00

When I first heard that Michael Moore posted the bail of Julian Assange after two separate allegations were filed against him by women in Sweden I was outraged. I wondered, once again, how it is that we continue to discount women's voices and the global epidemic of violence against women. While appreciate the work that Assange has done to expose secrets and to tell the truth of governmental actions I am endlessly frustrated that we are so often willing to cast women aside for the 'greater good.' And I am exhausted by the men who fight for justice socially and politically but violate the human rights of women they encounter personally. OK, even if only 'presumably' in Assange's case. Regardless, women's lives are not expendable.

I was happy to come across this blog from the ever fabulous Rachel Maddow who interviews Michael Moore and discusses this issue further. And while I would have like to hear Michael Moore address the allegations against Assange and the impact his endorsement has on public perception, I do agree with him that despite the good work that Assange has done, the wikileaks founder must address the allegations of rape that stand against him. Take a look...Click HERE for the interview.

Great article...must read

2010-12-05T15:30:00.000-08:00

Fighting the Black Anti-Abortion Campaign: Trusting Black Women
by Loretta J. Ross

Mother Jones article

2010-12-05T15:29:00.000-08:00

The GOP's New Abortion Agenda
12/2/2010

Feminist for Choice

2010-11-22T13:45:00.001-08:00

Check out my new interview with Feminist for Choice!

Today I wore purple

2010-10-20T21:12:00.000-07:00

Children, young people, are dying. They are so alone, so afarid, tormented and fearful that they see no way out, no better way. They take their own lives. Homophobia killed them. Hatred killed them.

Today I wore purple, along with students and faculty at Sierra College, to raise awareness, to start a conversation...to take an ever-so-small stand.

Resources:

GLSEN
The Trevor Project
Reach Out

What does Peace mean to you?

2010-10-14T18:32:00.000-07:00

Check out this living project from Sierra College students

The Status of American Electra?

2010-10-13T13:05:00.001-07:00

Recently Susan Faludi wrote a controversial piece in Harper's Magazine (October 2010). The article, "American Electra: Feminism's ritual matricide" , has elicited a great deal of response in the feminist community--most notably from active young feminists. I share the frustration of many bloggers who have responded to Faludi, who seems to argue that the only goal of third-wavers in feminism is to discard older feminists. This is hardly my experience. While there are indeed issues of conflict intergenerationally, I rarely encounter feminist women my age (or younger) who don't care about, or recognize, the work of women before them. I don't think it is about disregarding 'veteran' feminists as much as it is about wanting to be listened to as well. To continue this movement we must foster an exchange of ideas and an appreciation for our generational realities. I wrote extensively about intergenerational feminism and intergenerational partnerships in my book Fight Like a Girl. In a chapter addressing these very issues I argued "to foster intergenerational leadership is to recognize the contributions that young activists have to bring to the table while honoring the work and perspectives of those who have built the modern movement. It is both of these sets of experiences and perspectives that collectively strengthen and further the women's movement." It is an exchange that is needed, not a further pitting of young vs. old that Faludi seems to perpetuate.

I also agree with bloggers that argue that Faludi's mis-characterization of young feminists as focused on popular culture, sexual escapades, and shopping is, as Jennifer Baumgarder responds, "as accurate as saying that, after 40, a woman is more likely to be killed by a terrorist than find a husband." As the writer and teacher of a new class at my college entitled "Feminism and Social Action," I witness every week the energy, the engagement, and the political awareness of students. They bring their activism into our discussions, into their assignments, and out into our community (a community by the way that constitutes some of the most conservative political attitudes in the country).

Having been a leader in the National Organization for Women (NOW) I certainly confronted entrenched authority that refused to incorporate young feminist activism beyond a supportive role. I have long since left the organization and therefore can't speak specifically to the O'Neil-Lyles election. However, I would hesitate to point to NOW as the primary resource for what young feminist activism looks like today, or as an example of intergenerational leadership. Instead I would encourage Faludi to take another look at bloggers who use the internet as a venue to vet ideas, raise consciousness, and organize. I would encourage her to look in community college classrooms all over the country that are bridging academics with community and civic engagement. Or to community-based activism that is challenging environmental racism, fighting for better access to health care, working for solutions to homelessness, or raising awareness of queer youth experiences. The examples are endless. And feminist activism is everywhere.

Here are a few blog responses to Faludi's article:
Reported by Maya on Feministing.com: Responding to Susan Faludi: On mentoring and “being seen” and Jennifer Baumgardner on Feministing.com

‎"It's like Princess Jasmine showed up drunk to the Little Mermaid's birthday party." —Tiny Michael Kors

2010-10-12T17:37:00.000-07:00

Kids reenact "Project Runway" Click here.

Reclaim the name!

2010-10-04T12:33:00.000-07:00

This is a student project from one of my students at Sierra College. Join her campaign! www.facebook.com/reclaimthename

Rescuing Princes

2010-08-01T12:16:00.001-07:00

Getting dressed up in princess clothes (again) Molly puts an item of clothing on and says "this is for rescuing princes from the dragons."

Maybe her self concept while a princess is intact.

Looking for resources

2010-07-23T19:15:00.000-07:00

I need your input...

I'm looking for great books and/or articles highlighting feminist activism and activists...any suggestions?

Send suggestions to megan@fightlikeagirl.org

Thanks!

Take a Peek!

2010-07-20T10:09:00.001-07:00

Wednesday, July 21 -

WHS is giving away free self cervical exam kits in honor of founder and visionary Dido Hasper at the Sacramento, Chico, Redding, Santa Rosa and Grass Valley clinic locations.

Come in and be a part of the Annual Dido Hasper Community Speculum Giveaway Day and take control of your bodies through self-help!

See More
By: Women's Health Specialists - Feminist Women's Health Centers of California

What is a feminist mama to do?

2010-07-10T15:40:00.001-07:00

(Earlier today at the store...note the look of longing)

This afternoon:
Molly: "I'm pretending to be a Barbie Princess."
Mommy: "Why?"
Molly: "Just to bug you."

What is a feminist mama to do? I've surrounded my daughter with 'alternative' toys--imaginative, wood, Waldorf-y, gender neutral...but there seems to be a force outside us both that draws her to these Barbies and all things Princess. Thinking myself savvy I conceded to the princesses as long as they were strong and capable princesses (i.e. Paper Bag Princess, Princess Fiona, Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots? books, etc). We talk all the time about the merits of being capable and smart. She understands that I don't like (or approve of) Barbie and she concedes to that...mostly, if not for the occassional request to 'visit' the Barbie aisle.

I knew the Barbie obsession was likely inevitable. And I appreciate that I am hardly the first mom to confront this battle with her daughter. But on the other hand, I really thought that I was creating an alternative culture for her. And yet, the power of our own mainstream culture is seemingly unavoidable. As such, I guess my best 'defense' is to keep her talking about why she likes/wants the dolls? what do they do? what does she like to do?

I remember a friend once telling me that she explained to her daughter that Barbie is so unreal that she couldn't support her own head if she was an actual woman. I tried telling Molly that, I don't think she cares. Not as long as there are pretty dresses, pretty shoes, and sparkles.

Oh, what is a feminist mama to do?

My Commencement Speech for Sierra College

2010-05-15T13:36:00.000-07:00

Congratulations on all that brought you here today—family and friends; teachers and mentors; those late night study sessions and lots caffeine…And kudos to that place inside you that pushes you to finish that project, write that paper, go to the class…especially when you really didn’t want to. Today you see it all come together. Today you graduate. You leave here to continue your education---at universities, in the workforce, and hopefully throughout all aspects of your life. My great grandma used to say as long as you have options you are doing OK. Graduating today gives you options. Where you go, what you do with those options is up to you. No one can take away from you, where you have been or the accomplishments that led you to today. But let me remind you that with your degree you also earned a responsibility. You have something that people around the world fight for, something many of you had to fight for…you have an education. No one will ever be able to take that away. But for that education to really serve you, you must also pass it on.

As I was preparing my remarks for today I came across a quote from Tom Brokaw who said about graduation, “You are educated. Your certification is in your degree. You may think of it as the ticket to the good life. Let me ask you to think of an alternative. Think of it as your ticket to change the world.”

We often look to leaders for inspiration. They are the icons who created change and fought for the opportunities we benefit from today. Whether enduring hunger strikes to protest unjust laws like Gandhi, or being the first to picket the White House like Alice Paul who stood up for the belief that women should have their voices counted, or empowered workers to fight for fair and safe labor practices as Cesear Chavez and Delores Huerta did in organizing farm workers, or marched, organized, and motivated masses like Martin Luther King Jr. who fought for a dream of seeing and treating one another as equals. These are the legends that we look to for vision and hope.

But what do all these people have in common? Whether fighting for freedom, equality, or justice they are all people who believed in a vision of a just society. Who decided to take a stand. To use their voice. To put their passion into action. They were each ONE person who inspired another. Who then inspired another and another, until change happened and justice was realized. You each have this possibility in you. Poet and activist Audre Lorde said “Our visions begin with our desires.” What is yours?
You may already have your passion—maybe you discovered it while here at Sierra. Some of you are still searching…but it is there. You just have to listen.

You graduate Sierra College today with a greater knowledge than you had coming in—the knowledge of your disciplines but more importantly the knowledge of yourselves.
Where ever you go from here, whatever you do, you take with you a better you. Among you are the Alice Pauls, Martin Luther King Jrs….. of this time. As Eleanor Roosevelt once said “the future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” What is your vision? What will you do to create justice, equality, and a world that is about us all? How will you lead the way? What is your dream?

I leave you with this….Nelson Mandela said “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” This is your chance. May you use your experience from Sierra College as a foundation. May you have the courage to find your voice, use it, and make a commitment to bettering the world.

On behalf of my fellow faculty, and of Sierra College, I celebrate you today. We can’t wait to see the world you help to create.
Happy Graduation.

May 14, 2010

Furious with Arizona

2010-04-28T20:47:00.000-07:00

Yup. Mad at an entire state. Or at least the government of the state of Arizona. Because I just can't believe the people would support such outright and blatant racism.

A new law just passed mandating that law enforcement question anyone who appears to be undocumented by 'reasonable suspicion.' Seriously? What would constitute reasonable suspicion? If you look like an immigrant you will be questioned and must show documentation. But any immigrant? No I don't think so. I doubt the state of Arizona is pulling over anyone who looks Canadian or French or Swedish...no they are looking for brown people. They are 'cracking down' on immigration from Mexico, Central and South America. Oh the irony!

Why irony?...well, unless you are part of the less than 1% who claim Native American heritage living in this country then you too have immigration in your familial history, and likely illegal immigration given the history of our country. We are a nation built on immigration. And despite all the negative press, there are many positives to this--not the least of which includes diversity of culture and a hard working and honest labor force. With undocumented workers we also have a population of people who contribute largely to services, though they are often denied these same services because of lack of legal status and/or lack of resources. Undocumented workers are in many ways the backbone of our economies--certainly true in California with our agriculture and construction industries--yet they are subject to prejudice, discrimination, and laws that prohibit their full participation in society.

It is also important to note that many undocumented workers are working illegally in the U.S. because their home economies are so poor they can't survive or raise a family. Not your problem? Think again. These economies are largely impacted by colonization by countries like the U.S. With this, wealthy nations (again, think U.S.) go into poorer nations and take over, setting up export industries that support the U.S. and in turn deplete resources, farm land, and economies. Left with little option, workers travel, moving around farm to farm, every few months, looking for work--jobs that usually consist of substandard working conditions, unfair labor practices, no safety precautions, no health care, and extremely poor wages. And they leave loved ones, missing years of time with their families. They do this to survive.

And most Americans benefit greatly from this system. We love to yell and scream about the impact on our health care system (well Universal Health Care would solve that), the impact on our schools (prioritize and fund education adequately and then we'll talk), and other services (again, many of which undocumented workers contribute to via sales tax and workers' taxes but then don't have access to) but we rarely recognize the numerous benefits we reap off the backs of these workers. Consider the cost of basket of strawberries without this system in place. And for that cheap basket of strawberries we are willing to allow atrocities of unsafe, unfair, and often violent work environments for farm workers. Shamefully we are not only willing to allow this, we add to it an arrogance of labeling people illegal and treating them worse than animals.

The Arizona law takes this practice to a whole new level.

I commend Mayor Gavin Newsome (San Francisco) for taking a stand. I commend California Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg for taking a stand. We must send the message to Arizona that such laws are wrong.

Seriously??

2010-04-21T23:49:00.001-07:00

A bra for your butt? Will this crap ever stop?

For more on the butt bra, click here

Can we perhaps move our focus from 'boosting saggy bums' and 'shrinking our backsides' to a focus on 'boosting' the self esteem of women and girls, 'boosting' wages for working women, 'boosting' representation of women in politics and 'shrinking' discrimination, sexism, homophobia, violence, and inequity?

Another reason for Feminism and Justice

2010-04-10T22:33:00.000-07:00

This blog post, Shocking Photos of Corrective Rape Victim, came across my facebook tonight. My immediate reaction was tears....but then rage took over. The violence, hate, brutality that continues to plague women and girls around the world overwhelms me. If ever there was proof that sexism and homophobia are alive and well...here it is. If ever we need to recommit to feminism, activism, and justice...here is the call.

My thoughts are with Millicent Gaika tonight, I'm in awe of her strength and her survival.

My daughter's logic

2010-04-06T21:03:00.000-07:00

My daughter, Molly, wanted to visit the girl toys in a store today. I explained (again) that there are only toys, not boy and girl toys, and that anyone can play. She looked @ me and said, "OK, then, I want to go where the pink and purple toys are." Geez...

Re-Post from Ms. Blog

2010-04-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

When Infidelity Becomes “Sex Addiction”

Check this out!

2010-03-29T20:01:00.001-07:00

Trailer for new documentary...a must see!

March On

And Ms. Blog What Prop. 8 Defenders Don’t Want You to Know

Did you know...

2010-03-22T20:01:00.000-07:00

Supporters of the Equal Rights Amendment march down Pennsylvania Avenue, Aug. 26, 1977.

Read this article: On This Day: Congress Passes Equal Rights Amendment

by findingDulcinea Staff

I am so proud to stand with students today!

2010-03-22T19:46:00.000-07:00

With Sociology Club students at the March in March Rally today at California's State Capitol.

Molly and I at the March in March Rally

I'm often asked how I will raise my daughter to be an activist. As with most things, living the example is the best education. I take my daughter to most all events that I attend. In her two and a half years she has gone to every vote I have cast; to Take Back the Night rallies to watch me speak; to walk with students at the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk and fundraiser; to rallies and protests against ballot measures that prohibit marriage equality; to Martin Luther King Jr. community celebrations; and today she attended the March in March rally for education at the state Capitol in California. We marched, we rallied, we chanted. My baby girl chanted "Si Se Puede" and made my heart sing and since coming home from the rally today she has been running around the house yelling "No More Cuts!" and "Power to the People!" with her fist in the air. I imagine the day she'll come out of her room with self-made signs protesting some injustice she believes her dad and I have imposed (like bed time, for example).

We had many conversations today about activism and why we go to rallies. What it means to stand up and raise our voices. How people can and do make change. I'm not sure the true extent she understands it all, and yes, I am choosing for her the issues we focus upon. But as I responded to a reporter today, I take my daughter to these events so she grows up knowing that people do act, that change can happen, and that her voice is important. So that when she is older and finds an issue that impassions her, she will know that activism belongs to her.

Californians...See You Tomorrow

2010-03-21T23:05:00.000-07:00

March in March

I will march, will you?

Health Care Reform...just not for women

2010-03-21T22:44:00.001-07:00

The Democrats are rejoicing. Many of my progressive friends are tweeting and facebooking their excitement. I am disgusted. And frustrated. And exhausted. Once again we see 'progress' gained on the backs of women. Once again women are told to sit back and wait...that steps forward count even if they leave women behind. The arguments to passing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act are so similar to the many we've seen in the past (uhm...ya like the right to vote)--something is better than nothing. Unless you are female in this country. A country where 87% of counties have no abortion provider. Where women travel extended distances-cross county, city, and state lines--and have to cross picket lines just to get the care they need. And now this nation claims victory and reform but we are no where near health care for all. This bill further stigmatizes women who not only have predict the possibility of abortion but request special and separate coverage from their employers (don't we have something in the Courts about separate is not equal??); allows for higher premiums for women when women already pay an estimated 65% more in out of pocket medical costs; restricts care to immigrants; and provides no real public option or single payer system (despite many accounts that countries with Universal health care actually have fewer abortions...shouldn't that be a motivator to these law makers who argue for less abortion, as if it has anything to do with over 90% of them!)

I just can't celebrate. I can't settle. I can't support a measure that leaves women behind...again.

For your reading pleasure....
Michael Moore's Letter: My Congressman, Bart Stupak, Has Neither a Uterus Nor a Brain ...a letter from Michael Moore
NOW statement: Health Care Reform Victory Comes with Tragic Setback for Women's Rights

Love Your Body

2010-03-18T20:35:00.000-07:00

Sierra College will host its 4th Annual Love Your Body Week, next week, March 22-25, 2010. Lots of great speakers and workshops planned. Click here for more information.

In addition to coordinating the event, I'll be presenting a workshop entitled Taboo: The Politics of Women's Blood. I'll explore the historical roots of menstrual taboos and rituals and investigate current day attitudes--do taboos and rituals about menstruation still exist today??

Kathryn Bigelow is the first woman to win an Oscar for best director

2010-03-07T21:51:00.001-08:00

Tonight, herstory is made...Kathryn Bigelow won an Oscar for her film, The Hurt Locker, becoming the first woman ever to win an Oscar for Best Director. Woo Hoo!

Histories of Women...a rant

2010-02-15T19:17:00.000-08:00

I was so excited to see the new movie about Amelia Earhart (I know it came out a bit ago but I have a 2 year old so I wait for everything to hit Netflix). I grew up with a passion for flying and travel. I grew up in awe of Amelia.

I shouldn't be surprised. Seems this happens with every mainstream film about women. But there I was last night watching the story of Amelia Earhart unfold before me. And the focus? Her romantic life and managing a jealous and very threatened husband. Blah!

Why must Hollywood "romance-up" nearly every film about women? Do they think that we wouldn't be interested in the telling of a female historic figure unless we also know about the men in her life? Would the accomplishments that made her film worthy not be sufficient enough?

I've heard some argue that the same is done with men...I don't buy it. The first time I see a scene of Nelson Mandela masturbating in his jail cell (see similar story line about Alice Paul in Iron Jawed Angels) then we can talk about whether Hollywood treats the biographies of men in the same manner as those for women!

Shopping...

2010-02-15T19:12:00.000-08:00

Sugar, Spice, and Everything Nice

Seriously??

"Dr. Mrs. Potato Head"
Really???

Spring is coming

2010-02-11T19:29:00.001-08:00

Abortion and the Super Bowl...hmmm?

2010-01-26T20:32:00.000-08:00

Focus on the Family is at it again...getting ready to spend nearly $3 million on an anti-abortion ad during February 7th's Super Bowl. And despite previous decisions not to allow 'issues ads' CBS is planning to air the ad, which tells the tale of Tim Tebow's mother's decision against abortion. So what's the point...I haven't yet seen the ad but isn't abortion rights about choice--the choice to have an abortion or not to? But that is most likely too idealistic of a view, given that it is Focus on the Family who created the ad. Pay attention folks...using popular culture (i.e. media and the super bowl) to target issues like abortion is very intentional. Also interesting is that the super bowl watchers are predominantly male--all of which will never become pregnant. The red flag is up, why this ad, this topic during the Super Bowl??

Here are few articles/commentaries to check out:

Huffington Post
Take action with the Feminist Majority

Seneca Falls Film

2010-01-26T20:31:00.000-08:00

Check it out!
Seneca Falls Film

Celebrating Martin Luther King Jr.

2010-01-18T13:21:00.000-08:00

Woke up this morning to my very talkative 2 1/2 year old daughter. We sat together and watched Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous I Have a Dream speech. And we talked. We talked about people and all that we have in common, we talked about freedom and what that means, and we talked about justice and the role she has in living her life for justice. OK she's 2 but I believe that she needs to grow up with an appreciation of history and a consciousness for community. I believe that these conversations, even at 2, inform who she is and who she'll become. And I believe that children are underestimated every day and that they understand far more than adults generally give them credit for. And so we talked. And we will keep talking every day--even when I lose her attention and the pre-teen eye rolls begin, and when she has 'better things to do' than listen to me...we will talk.

Fight Like a Girl...2nd edition!

2009-11-17T15:30:00.001-08:00

I'm working on a second edition to Fight Like a Girl and am looking to enlist your help! Send me an email to megan@fightlikeagirl.org and let me know what you'd like me to keep, change, update, and/or get rid of in the next edition of the book. I'm very interested in your feedback. Thanks!!

Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

2009-10-18T16:17:00.000-07:00

October 18, 2009
Sacramento, CA

Supergirl vs. Strawberry Shortcake

2009-10-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

My 2 year old daughter wants Strawberry Shortcake (how she knows about her is beyond me). At the store today I wandered down the 'boy aisle' to see what dolls (hmm...excuse me, 'action figures') were offered. A possible alternative to Strawberry Shortcake?? And I found SuperGirl! I snatched her up and presented her to my daughter. She screwed up her face and asked me where Strawberry Shortcake was. I begin to highlight Supergirl's powers, strength...and the awesome fact that she could change the world. I mean c'mon she has both heat vision and freezing breath. My daughter's response...but you can brush Strawberry Shortcake's hair and she smells like fruit. My heart sank...what is a feminist mom to do? Can Supergirl compete with those qualifications? Should she have to?

As if I were not distraught enough...upon closer inspection of Supergirl I was devastated. Not only is she the only girl in the line up of Marvel figures on this particular store's shelf but she has breasts that give Barbie a run for her money. The size of her waist line makes you wonder if she could even hold up those ginormous breasts! And the main movement she can do is bend her knees (as in get down on her knees). And let's not forget that I found her in the 'boy aisle'-- she is marketed to boys...young boys. Package says ages 4+ Seriously?

Strawberry's body is much more girl like (despite the size of her head). And she has a community of young women around her...Plum Pudding, Raspberry Torte, Lemon Meringue, Orange Blossom, & Blueberry Muffin. They come in different colors...a rainbow--gay friendly? A sign of diversity? So they flit around, dress up, and have tea parties...it could be worse, right?

Has it come to this? Am I honestly arguing the redeemable points to Strawberry Shortcake and her girls because Supergirl in toy form is so disappointing? Can there be no mainstream action figures/dolls that support girls as girls? Highlight their strength? Teach them to be empowered by their capabilities? Is this asking too much?

30th Annual Women Take Back the Night

2009-09-27T20:09:00.000-07:00

Join me
for the 30th Annual
Women Take Back the Night
march and rally
Saturday, October 3, 2009
6pm at the West Steps of the State Capitol
Sacramento, CA

Women Inform the Reform!

2009-08-20T12:44:00.001-07:00

From ACCESS:
Women Inform the Reform!
Health Care Reform Campaign
Due to the economic downturn, hundreds of thousands of Californians are joining the ranks of the uninsured or are looking to publicly financed programs for their health coverage. President Obama and Congressional leaders have pledged to seek the adoption of major health care reforms at the national level. Based on this promise, we’re committed to raise our communities’ voices on this issue affecting so many of us!
Photogram Project ACCESS is working in partnership with Raising Women’s Voices, a national initiative to support quality, affordable health care for all, to bring California women’s voices into the national heath care reform debate. We are collecting photos of women displaying their hopes and dreams for health care reform. The photogram will be delivered to members of the California Congressional delegation who play key roles in crafting heath care policy.
If you’re interested in participating in Women Inform the Reform! , please tell us:
What would you like to see in a Health Care Reform plan?
- Accessible, high quality, comprehensive health care for ALL residents
- Affordable for individuals and families in relation to income.
- Culturally appropriate, to vulnerable and underserved communities.
- Address community as well as individual health.
Be sure to include your name, city, state and zip code following the format indicated below. For example: [Your Photo and Comment] [Your Name] [Your City] [Your State] [Your Zip Code] *These photos will be published and or used for the Health Care Reform campaign purposes only* All Rights Reserved. http://www.whrc-access.org/ http://www.RaisingWomensVoices.net

Available on Amazon's Kindle

2009-06-26T00:05:00.000-07:00

Fight Like a Girl is now available on Amazon's Kindle!

Purity and Abstinence?

2009-06-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

Check out Jessica Valenti's article in The Nation, The Virginity Movement, Rebranded

What is on your summer read list??

2009-05-19T11:46:00.000-07:00

I'm reading...
Naomi Klein, The Shock Doctrine
Riane Eisler, The Real Wealth of Nations
Tilar Mazzeo, The Widow Clicquot

to name a few. Check out GoodReads to keep up with other books on my list.

California Special Election

2009-05-19T08:00:00.001-07:00

If you are in California...don't forget for vote today!! For more information about the election, go to California Voter Guide

An amazing journey...

2009-03-12T20:59:00.000-07:00

Check this out Beautiful Cervix Project

and learn to love your cervix too!

For cervical self exam kits, contact Women's Health Specialists

Check out my article in Skirt Magazine!!

2009-02-02T19:10:00.000-08:00

"Can We Claim Our True Selves?"

Rosa Sat--song for Obama

2009-01-26T21:59:00.001-08:00

Written and performed by Amy Dixon-Kolar (c) 2008 Asharta Music/ASCAP. This was written a few days after November 4, 2008 and was inspired by the quote used as the chorus and the celebrations and photos of this historic day

Woo Hoo! Off to a great start!

2009-01-23T17:55:00.000-08:00

Did you hear?? President Obama reversed the Global Gag Rule today (also known as the "Mexico City Policy"). The global gag rule would prohibit U.S. funding for international organization that provide or mention abortion.

Obama is quoted as saying that "it is time to end the politicization of this issue." (cnn.com)

I couldn't agree more! Click here to thank President Obama

For more on the story, see Obama reverses abortion-funding policy on cnn.com.

Have you seen this?

2009-01-23T17:37:00.001-08:00

"America's Song"

Statement of President Obama on the 36th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade

2009-01-22T19:07:00.001-08:00

"On the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we are reminded that this decision not only protects women’s health and reproductive freedom, but stands for a broader principle: that government should not intrude on our most private family matters. I remain committed to protecting a woman’s right to choose.

While this is a sensitive and often divisive issue, no matter what our views, we are united in our determination to prevent unintended pregnancies, reduce the need for abortion, and support women and families in the choices they make. To accomplish these goals, we must work to find common ground to expand access to affordable contraception, accurate health information, and preventative services.

On this anniversary, we must also recommit ourselves more broadly to ensuring that our daughters have the same rights and opportunities as our sons: the chance to attain a world-class education; to have fulfilling careers in any industry; to be treated fairly and paid equally for their work; and to have no limits on their dreams. That is what I want for women everywhere."

Blog for Choice: My hope for a new day

2009-01-22T11:16:00.000-08:00

My hopes are many. Like numerous others, I see President Obama’s election as a new day in this country. We have survived, barely, these last eight years. And now much remains to be undone – the economic crisis, the devastation of the Iraq war, the global gag rule, the inaccurate, false and misleading SPRANS Abstinence-only program, the wide-reaching and deeply impacting restrictions to abortion access and services, the establishment of “fetushood” as personhood (i.e. see the Unborn Victims of Violence Act)…and the list can go on. But this new day, this new hope brings with it dreams of where we can go from here. Beyond what must be undone, what can we build?

My hope lies here…in what we can build. Not only do I want to see structural changes but I also hope for socio-cultural changes. I want structural changes in the form of federal funding for all reproductive health services (from birth control to abortion to well woman services to prenatal care), fair and unbiased courts, the prioritization of women’s health issues in research funding, stronger oversight and accountability to the FDA, and government subsidies for menstrual health products and baby diapers that are biodegradable and eco-friendly. I also hope for changes in the ways in which our culture, both its people and its government, views women’s health, bodies, and experiences. I want a culture that empowers women and girls in who they are instead of judging them on their appearance. I want a culture that values women’s experience as legitimate information and knowledge. I want a culture that teaches children about their bodies in a non-judgmental, non-heterosexist manner. I want a culture that embraces comprehensive sex education which includes body information, sexualities, gender identity, the full range of reproductive options, and incorporates relationship negotiation skills and personal empowerment training. I want a culture that values women enough to provide accurate, unbiased, and non-judgmental information and then respects them enough to make choices in their lives without shame or blame.

Finally, as we collectively embrace a revitalized sense of community, democracy, and civic commitment I hope for a community who stands together, supports one another’s issues, fights for justice and equality, and refuses to settle for less until we are all afforded the same access and opportunity.

Lofty ideals? Perhaps, but what better time to dream than now?

Click here for other Blogs for Choice

Molly celebrating the inauguration of President Barack Obama!!

2009-01-20T10:16:00.001-08:00

Give to Women's Health Specialists!

2008-12-13T12:44:00.000-08:00

Greetings! I've been working with Women's Health Specialists since college. I now sit on their board of directors. Women's Health Specialists is truly a non-judgmental, non-profit, women-centered health organization. Not only do they provide direct health services to anyone who needs them but they also have a number of educational and advocacy based programs. For example, the Young Women's Leadership Program--truly remarkable! Our program was chosen by the Global Living Challenge to receive matching funds of anything we raise online by Monday. And if we get 50 donors we receive an additional $5000 dollars--oh the women and girls we could serve! Please help up take advantage of the matching funds and bonus--make an online gift by MONDAY!!! Click below:

See this link for more on Women's Health Specialists

What a woman must do

2008-12-09T20:46:00.000-08:00

Ursula Rucker--Def Poetry

Prop 8--The Musical

2008-12-04T17:17:00.000-08:00

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die

Repeal 8!

2008-11-17T18:52:00.000-08:00

Repeal Proposition 8!!

2008-11-10T15:26:00.000-08:00

I just signed a pledge to repeal Prop 8 and I thought you might be interested in joining me and over 100,000 Courage Campaign members across California.

We have to come together right now to say that we refuse to accept a California where discrimination is enshrined in our state constitution.

Please sign the "Repeal Prop 8" pledge now and forward this to your friends as soon as possible:

http://www.couragecampaign.org/RepealProp8

Thanks!

Mixed emotions...

2008-11-06T22:42:00.000-08:00

Don't get me wrong, I'm elated that Obama is our president-elect. What a thrilling time in this country. So much talk of hope and progress. I am in awe of the history that was made on November 4th.

In California, we defeated Prop 4 and guaranteed young women access to safe and legal abortion...at least for a bit longer. Similar initiatives and propositions were defeated in Colorado and South Dakota. We have much to celebrate.

But my celebration is hampered by the numerous anti-gay propositions and initiatives that did pass around the country on Tuesday. From Arkansas' ban on adoption among gay couples to Arizona, Florida, and California's ban on gay marriage I find myself struggling to embrace the progress and hope the nation is talking about. I do get it, the first bi-racial man, the first black man elected to the presidency...huge historic event. But how does this country celebrate when we continue to disenfranchise some of our people? When we called out throughout the campaign, "Yes, we can" who did we mean? I thought we were fighting for us all but these state initiatives seem to suggest otherwise.

I look forward to the day we can fully celebrate--all of us, standing together truly as one nation, equal in this land. We need to pass a Constitutional equality amendment--let us build upon the efforts of the ERA and incorporate not just women, but guarantee equality regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Let that be my generation's legacy.

VOTE!!

2008-11-04T08:24:00.000-08:00

At the polls this morning with dad! Molly's 3rd trip to the polls in her short life! Voting Obama this morning!! May we make history this day! No on 8! No on 4!

John McCain has finally put the concerns of women where they belong: in derisive air quotes.

2008-10-29T21:36:00.001-07:00

Barack Obama's Primetime message

2008-10-29T21:24:00.000-07:00

seriously folks...

2008-10-19T23:41:00.000-07:00

Sarah Palin cannot be the first woman in executive office!

American Prayer - Dave Stewart (Barack Obama Music Video)

2008-10-10T22:05:00.001-07:00

New resources from Michael Moore

2008-10-03T13:05:00.001-07:00

Two new resources have come out recently from Micheal Moore--his free & downloadable film, Slacker Uprising and his new book, available now, Mike's Election Guide. Check 'em out soon!

Local Eating!

2008-10-02T23:07:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, officially kicked off the Eat Local Challenge! Hope you join in!

I started preparing my challenge a few weeks ago, scouting out local food resources in the Sacramento area. I already go to the local farmer's market so that was an easy commitment but I started to pay attention to the other places I shop. I've stopped going to some of my regular haunts and now try to shop at local marketplaces--the Sacramento Co-op, Taylor's (which I can walk to...definitely an added bonus!), and the Nugget. In addition to accessing locally grown products, it also feels good to support non-corporate (or less corporate) options for where my dollar is spent!

However, what I am finding utterly fascinating is how many products are stocked in California stores that come from far away lands! I began to wonder, other than bananas and exotic fruits, chocolate (although check out Yummy Dummy), and coffee, what would I need/want that isn't produced in California--or better within a 150 mile radius of Sacramento? I am so very lucky to live in California! I've found local sources for most of what I stock my frig...thank you Strauss, Clover, and of course, the farmer's market. But I was shocked in looking at labels these last few weeks, that despite the abundance of California agriculture so much of what our stores stock is from New York, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Colorado...The carbon footprint for the travel of these goods alone is crazy! And even locally owned stores are partipating in the import of simple goods--cheese, chicken, milk, etc.--from other states. Although I recognize that they are probably responding to what sells, but as we raise awareness can we change the demand?

I'm thankful to stores, like Taylor's Market that posts little maps next to their local products to identify that which comes from within 100 mile radius. And I'm thankful to organizations like the Eat Local Challenge and Locavores who are raising the issue and encouraging folks to change their habits. I love what I have learned and how it is changing my approach to what I buy and where I shop. I've told everyone I can get a hold, including my students! And I offer you the same challenge I offer them...check labels, pay attention to where your favorite products come from, and eat locally!

Bon Apetite!

L.A. Times article from Gloria Steinem on Sarah Palin

2008-09-08T19:17:00.000-07:00

What a turn of events! Palin for vice president? Really, McCain? Who do you think you are fooling? Are we supposed to believe that you, or the Republican party for that matter, has had a change of heart and now believes in women's equality? What a thinly veiled stunt!

And if I hear one more person tell me that now Hillary voters have someone to throw their support behind, I'm gonna...I don't even know what! What a joke! Do people actually believe that Pro-Choice, Pro-Woman, Feminist fighters for equality are actually going to be duped into believing that Palin is a legitimate alternative? Excuse me, but one woman does not equal another--Hillary Clinton and Sara Palin could not be further apart on issues. I guess women really are interchangeable in the minds of Republican strategists!

Here is a link to a great article in the L.A. Times by Gloria Steinem-- "Palin--wrong woman, wrong message"

Media, Girls, and what to do!

2008-07-09T20:00:00.001-07:00

Forever in the quest of building my repertoire of information I recently discovered that Jean Killbourne (of the Killing Us Softly films) , along with Diane Levin, has a new book coming out. And ever so timely! So Sexy So Soon: The New Sexualized Childhood and What Parents Can Do to Protect Their Kids looks great. And while it is not out until August 5th, Jean Killbourne is a resource I trust. I've already pre-ordered my copy.

In a related note, I just came across this organization--"Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood" Diane Levin is on their Steering Committee and their founder, Susan Linn has a new book entitled The Case for Make Believe: Saving Play in a Commercialized World Check them out!

Finally, to encourage play and make-believe, the last resource I'll share for now is Sarah's Silks. My cousin just started working for them and loves her job. Sarah's Silks are primarily made by women working from home in Sonoma County, California. The idea behind Sarah's Silks is to allow children the freedom to create their own worlds, enjoy and expand their imaginations, and to "capture the magical soul that lives in young children." So we can combat the bombardment while encouraging our children's imaginations and supporting women's work! Sounds like a win, win...win!

Yummy Dummy

2008-06-21T19:35:00.001-07:00

I happened upon these amazing girls this morning at the Davis Farmers' Market (in California). These seven girls created, and manage, their own chocolate company, Yummy Dummy. They are remarkable... they created a company, learned to work together, and personally design, create and sell their product. But most impressively, they also live a socially conscious life, choosing organizations and efforts to which they donate 10% of their proceeds. In a sea of corporatized business and the rapidly shrinking local merchant, Yummy Dummy was a sight for sore eyes.

And...after partaking in the sweet wonder of their dark chocolate, marshmallow, and almond bar...I must say a very rewarding company to support!!

the passing of Barbara Seaman

2008-02-28T19:08:00.000-08:00

Veteran Feminists of America Announcement

February 27, 2008

Remembering Barbara Seaman

We are sad to report that Barbara Seaman, founder of the National Women's Health Network, noted feminist, women's health activist, and author, died this morning. Seaman's life and work leave much to be celebrated, as she was a tireless advocate for informed consent and exposing information on hormonal medications, including publication of the breakthrough 1969 book "The Doctors' Case against the Pill," which led to Congressional hearings on oral contraception and ultimately to the first safety warning on the drug.

Barbara's Memorial Service will take place on Thursday March 6th, 2008 at the Riverside Memorial Chapel. 180 West 76th St NYC at 5:30pm.

Hillary Clinton--"You Have to Dare to Compete"

2008-02-26T16:10:00.000-08:00

Go Hillary!

2008-02-25T21:24:00.000-08:00

Check out Hillary Speaks for Me!

I "Heart" Consensual Sex

2008-02-23T20:42:00.001-08:00

Join California NOW's new campaign!!

On their website, they explain "Here’s our definition of consent: To actively and willingly participate in any given activity, without coercion or force. Consent is a powerful way to say, 'This is my body and I have the right to decide with whom, how, where and when I choose to have sex.'...

So, join our "Sex Drive" to bring our consensual sex campaign to college students throughout the state."

Turn it off!

2008-02-23T20:08:00.000-08:00

Join me for "Earth Hour" on March 29th!!! For one hour--between 8-9pm--let's turn off all our electricity (you can find many ways to turn up the heat...be creative!) We all have a role in promoting, protecting and extending sustainability. Join me, and many around the globe, in making a difference and raising awareness. For more information and/or to formaly sign up visit my page at Earth Hour

Had to share this message from Robin Morgan

2008-02-03T15:01:00.000-08:00

FEEL FREE TO SHARE WITH YOUR NETWORKS AND LISTSERVS, TO POST ON YOUR WEBSITES, TO PASS IT ON . . .

GOODBYE TO ALL THAT (#2) by Robin Morgan

"Goodbye To All That" was my (in)famous 1970 essay breaking free from a politics of accommodation especially affecting women (for an online version, see http://blog.fair-use.org/category/chicago/).

During my decades in civil-rights, anti-war, and contemporary women's movements, I've avoided writing another specific "Goodbye . . .". But not since the suffrage struggle have two communities--the joint conscience-keepers of this country--been so set in competition, as the contest between Hillary Rodham Clinton (HRC) and Barack Obama (BO) unfurls. So.

Goodbye to the double standard . . .

--Hillary is too ballsy but too womanly, a Snow Maiden who's emotional, and so much a politician as to be unfit for politics.

--She's "ambitious" but he shows "fire in the belly." (Ever had labor pains? )

--When a sexist idiot screamed "Iron my shirt!" at HRC, it was considered amusing; if a racist idiot shouted "Shine my shoes!" at BO, it would've inspired hours of airtime and pages of newsprint analyzing our national dishonor.

--Young political Kennedys--Kathleen, Kerry, and Bobby Jr.--all endorsed Hillary. Sen. Ted, age 76, endorsed Obama. If the situation were reversed, pundits would snort "See? Ted and establishment types back her, but the forward-looking generation backs him." (Personally, I'm unimpressed with Caroline's longing for the Return of the Fathers. Unlike the rest of the world, Americans have short memories. Me, I still recall Marilyn Monroe's suicide, and a dead girl named Mary Jo Kopechne in Chappaquiddick.)

Goodbye to the toxic viciousness . . .

Carl Bernstein's disgust at Hillary's "thick ankles." Nixon-trickster Roger Stone's new Hillary-hating 527 group, "Citizens United Not Timid" (check the capital letters). John McCain answering "How do we beat the bitch?" with "Excellent question!" Would he have dared reply similarly to "How do we beat the black bastard?" For shame.

Goodbye to the HRC nutcracker with metal spikes between splayed thighs. If it was a tap-dancing blackface doll, we would be righteously outraged—and they would not be selling it in airports. Shame.

Goodbye to the most intimately violent T-shirts in election history, including one with the murderous slogan "If Only Hillary had married O.J. Instead!" Shame.

Goodbye to Comedy Central's "Southpark" featuring a storyline in which terrorists secrete a bomb in HRC's vagina. I refuse to wrench my brain down into the gutter far enough to find a race-based comparison. For shame.

Goodbye to the sick, malicious idea that this is funny. This is not "Clinton hating," not "Hillary hating." This is sociopathic woman-hating. If it were about Jews, we would recognize it instantly as anti-Semitic propaganda; if about race, as KKK poison. Hell, PETA would go ballistic if such vomitous spew were directed at animals. Where is our sense of outrage—as citizens, voters, Americans?

Goodbye to the news-coverage target-practice . . .

The women's movement and Media Matters wrung an apology from MSNBC's Chris Matthews for relentless misogynistic comments (www.womensmediacenter.com). But what about NBC's Tim Russert's continual sexist asides and his all-white-male panels pontificating on race and gender? Or CNN's Tony Harris chuckling at "the chromosome thing" while interviewing a woman from The White House Project? And that's not even mentioning Fox News.

Goodbye to pretending the black community is entirely male and all women are white . . .

Surprise! Women exist in all opinions, pigmentations, ethnicities, abilities, sexual preferences, and ages--not only African American and European American but Latina and Native American, Asian American and Pacific Islanders, Arab American and—hey, every group, because a group wouldn't be alive if we hadn't given birth to it. A few non-racist countries may exist--but sexism is everywhere. No matter how many ways a woman breaks free from other oppressions, she remains a female human being in a world still so patriarchal that it's the "norm."

So why should all women not be as justly proud of our womanhood and the centuries, even millennia, of struggle that got us this far, as black Americans, women and men, are justly proud of their struggles?

Goodbye to a campaign where he has to pass as white (which whites—especially wealthy ones--adore), while she has to pass as male (which both men and women demanded of her, and then found unforgivable). If she were black or he were female we wouldn't be having such problems, and I for one would be in heaven. But at present such a candidate wouldn't stand a chance—even if she shared Condi Rice's Bush-defending politics.

I was celebrating the pivotal power at last focused on African American women deciding on which of two candidates to bestow their vote--until a number of Hillary-supporting black feminists told me they're being called "race traitors."

So goodbye to conversations about this nation's deepest scar—slavery—which fail to acknowledge that labor- and sexual-slavery exist today in the US and elsewhere on this planet, and the majority of those enslaved are women.

Women have endured sex/race/ethnic/religious hatred, rape and battery, invasion of spirit and flesh, forced pregnancy; being the majority of the poor, the illiterate, the disabled, of refugees, caregivers, the HIV/AIDS afflicted, the powerless. We have survived invisibility, ridicule, religious fundamentalisms, polygamy, teargas, forced feedings, jails, asylums, sati, purdah, female genital mutilation, witch burnings, stonings, and attempted gynocides. We have tried reason, persuasion, reassurances, and being extra-qualified, only to learn it never was about qualifications after all. We know that at this historical moment women experience the world differently from men--though not all the same as one another--and can govern differently, from Elizabeth Tudor to Michele Bachelet and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

We remember when Shirley Chisholm and Patricia Schroeder ran for this high office and barely got past the gate—they showed too much passion, raised too little cash, were joke fodder. Goodbye to all that. (And goodbye to some feminists so famished for a female president they were even willing to abandon women's rights in backing Elizabeth Dole.)

Goodbye, goodbye to . . .

--blaming anything Bill Clinton does on Hillary (even including his womanizing like the Kennedy guys--though unlike them, he got reported on). Let's get real. If he hadn't campaigned strongly for her everyone would cluck over what that meant. Enough of Bill and Teddy Kennedy locking their alpha male horns while Hillary pays for it.

--an era when parts of the populace feel so disaffected by politics that a comparative lack of knowledge, experience, and skill is actually seen as attractive, when celebrity-culture mania now infects our elections so that it's "cooler" to glow with marquee charisma than to understand the vast global complexities of power on a nuclear, wounded planet.

--the notion that it's fun to elect a handsome, cocky president who feels he can learn on the job, goodbye to George W. Bush and the destruction brought by his inexperience, ignorance, and arrogance.

Goodbye to the accusation that HRC acts "entitled" when she's worked intensely at everything she's done—including being a nose-to-the-grindstone, first-rate senator from my state.

Goodbye to her being exploited as a Rorschach test by women who reduce her to a blank screen on which they project their own fears, failures, fantasies.

Goodbye to the phrase "polarizing figure" to describe someone who embodies the transitions women have made in the last century and are poised to make in this one. It was the women's movement that quipped, "We are becoming the men we wanted to marry." She heard us, and she has.

Goodbye to some women letting history pass by while wringing their hands, because Hillary isn't as "likeable" as they've been warned they must be, or because she didn't leave him, couldn't "control" him, kept her family together and raised a smart, sane daughter. (Think of the blame if Chelsea had ever acted in the alcoholic, neurotic manner of the Bush twins!) Goodbye to some women pouting because she didn't bake cookies or she did, sniping because she learned the rules and then bent or broke them. Grow the hell up. She is not running for Ms.-perfect-pure-queen-icon of the feminist movement. She is running to be President of the United States.

Goodbye to the shocking American ignorance of our own and other countries' history. Margaret Thatcher and Golda Meir rose through party ranks and war, positioning themselves as proto-male leaders. Almost all other female heads of government so far have been related to men of power—granddaughters, daughters, sisters, wives, widows: Gandhi, Bandaranike, Bhutto, Aquino, Chamorro, Wazed, Macapagal-Arroyo, Johnson Sirleaf, Bachelet, Kirchner, and more. Even in our "land of opportunity," it's mostly the first pathway "in" permitted to women: Reps. Doris Matsui and Mary Bono and Sala Burton; Sen. Jean Carnahan . . . far too many to list here.

Goodbye to a misrepresented generational divide . . .

Goodbye to the so-called spontaneous "Obama Girl" flaunting her bikini-clad ass online—then confessing Oh yeah it wasn't her idea after all, some guys got her to do it and dictated the clothes, which she said "made me feel like a dork."

Goodbye to some young women eager to win male approval by showing they're not feminists (at least not the kind who actually threaten the status quo), who can't identify with a woman candidate because she is unafraid of eeueweeeu yucky power, who fear their boyfriends might look at them funny if they say something good about her. Goodbye to women of any age again feeling unworthy, sulking "what if she's not electable?" or "maybe it's post-feminism and whoooosh we're already free." Let a statement by the magnificent Harriet Tubman stand as reply. When asked how she managed to save hundreds of enslaved African Americans via the Underground Railroad during the Civil War, she replied bitterly, "I could have saved thousands—if only I'd been able to convince them they were slaves."

I'd rather say a joyful Hello to all the glorious young women who do identify with Hillary, and all the brave, smart men—of all ethnicities and any age--who get that it's in their self-interest, too. She's better qualified. (D'uh.) She's a high-profile candidate with an enormous grasp of foreign- and domestic-policy nuance, dedication to detail, ability to absorb staggering insult and personal pain while retaining dignity, resolve, even humor, and keep on keeping on. (Also, yes, dammit, let's hear it for her connections and funding and party-building background, too. Obama was awfully glad about those when she raised dough and campaigned for him to get to the Senate in the first place.)

I'd rather look forward to what a good president he might make in eight years, when his vision and spirit are seasoned by practical know-how--and he'll be all of 54. Meanwhile, goodbye to turning him into a shining knight when actually he's an astute, smooth pol with speechwriters who've worked with the Kennedys' own speechwriter-courtier Ted Sorenson. If it's only about ringing rhetoric, let speechwriters run. But isn't it about getting the policies we want enacted?

And goodbye to the ageism . . .

How dare anyone unilaterally decide when to turn the page on history, papering over real inequities and suffering constituencies in the promise of a feel-good campaign? How dare anyone claim to unify while dividing, or think that to rouse US youth from torpor it's useful to triage the single largest demographic in this country's history: the boomer generation--the majority of which is female?

Older woman are the one group that doesn't grow more conservative with age—and we are the generation of radicals who said "Well-behaved women seldom make history." Goodbye to going gently into any goodnight any man prescribes for us. We are the women who changed the reality of the United States. And though we never went away, brace yourselves: we're back!

We are the women who brought this country equal credit, better pay, affirmative action, the concept of a family-focused workplace; the women who established rape-crisis centers and battery shelters, marital-rape and date-rape laws; the women who defended lesbian custody rights, who fought for prison reform, founded the peace and environmental movements; who insisted that medical research include female anatomy, who inspired men to become more nurturing parents, who created women's studies and Title IX so we all could cheer the WNBA stars and Mia Hamm. We are the women who reclaimed sexuality from violent pornography, who put child care on the national agenda, who transformed demographics, artistic expression, language itself. We are the women who forged a worldwide movement. We are the proud successors of women who, though it took more than 50 years, won us the vote.

We are the women who now comprise the majority of US voters.

Hillary said she found her own voice in New Hampshire. There's not a woman alive who, if she's honest, doesn't recognize what she means. Then HRC got drowned out by campaign experts, Bill, and media's obsession with All Things Bill.

So listen to her voice:

"For too long, the history of women has been a history of silence. Even today, there are those who are trying to silence our words.

"It is a violation of human rights when babies are denied food, or drowned, or suffocated, or their spines broken, simply because they are born girls. It is a violation of human rights when woman and girls are sold into the slavery of prostitution. It is a violation of human rights when women are doused with gasoline, set on fire and burned to death because their marriage dowries are deemed too small. It is a violation of human rights when individual women are raped in their own communities and when thousands of women are subjected to rape as a tactic or prize of war. It is a violation of human rights when a leading cause of death worldwide along women ages 14 to 44 is the violence they are subjected to in their own homes. It is a violation of human rights when women are denied the right to plan their own families, and that includes being forced to have abortions or being sterilized against their will.

"Women's rights are human rights. Among those rights are the right to speak freely--and the right to be heard."

That was Hillary Rodham Clinton defying the US State Department and the Chinese Government at the 1995 UN World Conference on Women in Beijing (the full, stunning speech: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/hillaryclintonbeijingspeech.htm).

And this voice, age 22, in "Commencement Remarks of Hillary D. Rodham, President of Wellesley College Government Association, Class of 1969" (full speech: http://www.wellesley.edu/PublicAffairs/Commencement/1969/053169hillary.html)

"We are, all of us, exploring a world none of us understands. . . . searching for a more immediate, ecstatic, and penetrating mode of living. . . . [for the] integrity, the courage to be whole, living in relation to one another in the full poetry of existence. The struggle for an integrated life existing in an atmosphere of communal trust and respect is one with desperately important political and social consequences. . . . Fear is always with us, but we just don't have time for it."
She ended with the commitment "to practice, with all the skill of our being: the art of making possible."

And for decades, she's been learning how.

So goodbye to Hillary's second-guessing herself. The real question is deeper than her re-finding her voice. Can we women find ours? Can we do this for ourselves? "Our President, Ourselves!"

Time is short and the contest tightening. We need to rise in furious energy--as we did when courageous Anita Hill was so vilely treated in the US Senate, as we did when desperate Rosie Jiminez was butchered by an illegal abortion, as we did and do for women globally who are condemned for trying to break through. We need to win, this time. Goodbye to supporting HRC tepidly, with ambivalent caveats and apologetic smiles. Time to volunteer, make phone calls, send emails, donate money, argue, rally, march, shout, vote.

Me? I support Hillary Rodham because she's the best qualified of all candidates running in both parties. I support her because her progressive politics are as strong as her proven ability to withstand what will be a massive right-wing assault in the general election. I support her because she's refreshingly thoughtful, and I'm bloodied from eight years of a jolly "uniter" with ejaculatory politics. I needn't agree with her on every point. I agree with the 97 percent of her positions that are identical with Obama's—and the few where hers are both more practical and to the left of his (like health care). I support her because she's already smashed the first-lady stereotype and made history as a fine senator, and because I believe she will continue to make history not only as the first US woman president, but as a great US president.

As for the "woman thing"?

Me, I'm voting for Hillary not because she's a woman--but because I am.

RM
February 2, 2008
New York City

[Also posted on www.womensmediacenter.com]

Official Site:
www.RobinMorgan.us

A message from the Feminist Women's Health Centers

2008-01-22T19:22:00.000-08:00

The Feminist Women’s Health Centers of California Pioneered Women-controlled Abortion Services. We need your help to continue. Make a donation today: www.cawhs.org

What is the meaning of the historic Roe v. Wade Supreme Court Decision which legalized abortion across the country thirty-five years ago? Feminists working with Carol Downer started the first women-run clinic offering abortion. Across the country other feminists opened health centers responding to the needs of women to get abortion care with dignity. Women here in Northern California and across the country have benefited from this court decision, but the right of women to choose abortion is an uphill battle. In South Dakota, Georgia, Colorado and Montana there are proposed ballot measures that could outlaw abortion. If any one of these passes and goes to the Supreme Court, the Roe decision could be overturned outright.

In 2007, the Supreme Court decided (Gonzalez v. Carhardt) to criminalize a medical technique used for abortion services in a frontal challenge to women’s dignity and physician’s judgment. In a political move, they overturned their own precedent and significantly curbed women’s right to privacy.

The world changed for women when Dido Hasper and the founders of the Chico Feminist Women’s Health Center made abortion services available by opening a women-run clinic. Until then, the 1973 decision did not change women’s access to abortion locally. Modeled on a woman-centered, participatory, self-help approach, the goal has been offering respect, dignity and self-determination for all who came through the door.

This is the guiding vision of Women’s Health Specialists, the Feminist Women’s Health Centers of California. We continue to offer all options to all women and listen to each woman’s needs. Here in Northern California we serve 50,000 women and men a year in the eight sites that grew from the first one in Chico in 1975. Birth control, pregnancy testing, sex education, abortion services, adoption, sexually transmitted infection services, and pap smears offered with client-centered support. The attacks on women by politicizing health care are held at bay within our four walls. Thanks to the community, we make change together.

Regardless of the Supreme Court’s new direction, we need your help right now. Even with the existing legal structure, there is no freedom of choice without services. What makes us all stronger? Expose anti-woman stigma by sharing your stories with other women. Join us in organizing against the California ballot measure seeking mandatory parental notification. Give time, talent and resources to support rural women’s health care and make women’s lives better right now. Support our Young Women’s Health Institute to promote leadership and self-power for teenage girls. Only with dignity and freedom of choice can women achieve their true potential. www.cawhs.org We are a non-profit 501 © (3) organization. Donations are tax exempt. Tax ID #94-2259357

Women's Health Specialists,
the Feminist Women's Health Centers of California

Celebrating Women's Health in Women's Hands since 1975
Chico . Redding . Sacramento . Santa Rosa . Petaluma . Grass Valley .
Rancho Cordova

Celebrate the anniversary of Roe v. Wade!!

2008-01-22T18:58:00.000-08:00

January 22, 2008--Thirty-five years of legal abortion! Roe v. Wade has always been a particularly special anniversary to me as I was born the year that the decision was won. And while Roe did not accomplish all our goals for accessible, affordable, politic-free abortion it is a significant statement respecting women to make the choices that are right for them. So today we take a moment to recognize the tireless work that has gone into winning this decision, protecting this decision, and providing the essential service of abortion. Blog for Choice is happening all over the country today. Check out the many who blogged today.

I have been a pro-choice activist for many years. And I have worked for, and now proudly sit on the board of, a feminist women's health center. I have done outreach, I have run education programs, I have talked to many women about abortion...from this and from the examples of countless women in the U.S. and around the globe, one thing that I know for certain is that women who want abortions will find a way to have them. Legality, and even safety, are neither a deterrent nor a motivator of abortion. Abortion is a truth in our lives as women. Indeed, not all women will choose abortion but many do. Each of these choices must be respected if women are ever to experience true self-determination. I believe we must not just advocate for the right to abortion, but the right to make that choice unapologetically, unashamedly.

In addition to celebrating this landmark decision, today (and every day) it is also important that we support our local, community, feminist health centers that provide our services. Their history is incredible and their daily work even more so. If you don't know already find out who your local & feminist provider is and thank them! Better yet, write them a check if you can afford to or volunteer your services if you have the time. Don't lose sight of the fight that continues every day to protect a woman's right to choose. It is a fight I certainly will continue so that my daughter, and the daughters of us all, grow up respected with options.

In choice!
Megan Seely

Check out blogs at CA NOW

2007-12-13T18:50:00.001-08:00

I've been guest blogging for California NOW. Check them out! The site has great up-to-date information and commentary from fabulous feminists.

Intergenerational Dialogue with Bettina Aptheker

2007-12-03T22:56:00.000-08:00

November 29, 2007
I had the thrill and honor to engage in an intergenerational dialogue with Bettina Aptheker at the Capitola Book Cafe. Bettina is a professor at UC Santa Cruz and a long time activist. She is a phenomenal woman! She recounts her life in her new memoir, Intimate Politics, which I highly recommend.

Earlier the same day I had the opportunity to speak in Bettina's Intro to Fem class at UCSC. I walked into the very same lecture hall that my mom used to take me to when I was fourteen. My mom was with me this day, as was my 4 month old daughter. Talk about a full circle moment!

Anyhow...pick up a copy of Bettina's new book--it will prove to be an inspirational read!