New Year, New Faces... Great things to come!

Hey everybody!

Hope you all had a great summer and are ready for a fantastic school year! We are planning to put on some awesome events this year and can't wait to see our favorite feminists!

As you know, orientation for first-year and transfer students started on Saturday, August 28th, and ends today. As a multicultural club (as of this semester, woohoo!), Mari and I were invited to represent Fem Is at two multicultural events during orientation. It was great! These students are so enthusiastic, and a good amount of students approached us, expressing interest in joining. There were even 3-4 students who said that they heard about our group prior to orientation and wanted to join before meeting us! Exciting, right? It looks we are going to have some great additions to our group this year!

So, with school starting tomorrow, I just want to give you all a quick update:

September 13th: Involvement Fair in Kingsmen Park 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

September 15th: First Fem Is meeting at 7 p.m. in the Center for Equality and Justice
- We will be talking about some of our plans and goals for the year and getting to know one another. It will be a fun meeting and there will be snacks, maybe even a surprise....

September 29th: Campus Organizers from the Feminist Majority Foundation will be on campus!
- They will be making classroom announcements, tabling and hosting an informational meeting from 4 p.m. until 5 p.m. in Swenson 103. Feel free to stop by for a few minutes if you can't stay for the whole meeting.

Looking forward to seeing everyone!

-Sara

FMF Interns won't let Ms. magazines go to waste.

As many of you know, I am interning with the Feminist Majority Foundation in Beverly Hills this summer. The other interns and I were shocked when we were asked to help Ms. interns and the FMF/Ms. receptionist throw away thousands of copies of Ms. Magazine!

Appalled by this task, two other interns and I began loading boxes of Ms. into our cars. There was no way we were going to let so many copies be thrown away even if it meant dumpster diving and sweating outside in the summer sun when we are supposed to be sitting in front of our computers in a nice air conditioned office.

Personally, I think that throwing away Ms. is worse than throwing away magazines like US Weekly or Cosmopolitan because Ms. is made with non-profit dollars! Can't we do some kind of sweepstakes or competition to decrease the number of magazines we have stored?

Unfortunately, we couldn't save them all... Actually, I don't think we even saved half of them. I even had about 300 pounds worth of magazines in the trunk of my car! On a positive note, I will be bringing 5 boxes [of the 10 boxes I shared with the intern I carpooled with and who helped move the magazines] to campus this fall!

Store Promotes Eating Disorder

Urban Outfitters has come out with a t-shirt that reads"Eat Less" on the front. How dare them promote anorexia? They should be ashamed for marketting this distasteful t-shirt.

Eating disorders are a serious problem among young girls and women in the US today. According to The National Institute of Mental Health five to ten percent of girls and women (5 to 10 million) suffer from eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. Eating disorders can lead to serious health problems including but not limited to malnutrition, paralysis, cancer of the throat (bulimia), kidney infection and failure, osteoporosis, liver failure, depression (which can lead to suicide), digestive difficulties, and death.

If their argument is they are just "anti-obesity" then I ask myself why did they choose those words? Why couldn't they say "eat healthy" or "eat less junk"? And why are they only targeting women? There is no "eat less" t-shirt for men. What does this tell you? How does this make you feel?

A song about awesome feminists!

Le Tigre- Hot Topic

Fearless Feminist Photo Contest

So these are two of the photographs that I entered into the Fearless Feminist Photo Contest:

"Change"

"It starts here"

I thought I'd talk a little about each one.

In the first photograph I have a Susan B. Anthony dollar in the midst of other coins. As we all know, those on U.S. currency are mostly past presidents of the United States, who all happen to be men, so I thought it was really cool that we had an influental figure in the Women's Movement on U.S. currency. For those of you who are not familiar with Susan B. Anthony, she was a civil rights leader in the 19th century. She fought for women's rights, especially for women's right to vote. Favorite words by her: "Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less"

What inspired me to take the second picture?
I was thinking about how I grew up and what I learned in school, and looking back I realized that I really did not have an education on women's issues, and I definitely wish that I had. I think that the only way we can empower girls is through teaching them as early as possible pivotal moments in history ESPECIALLY the women's movement. I really don't remember learning anything about the women's movement in elementary school or even in high school and that makes me angry! It was not until college that I took a women studies course and I had learned so much, and I had never felt more empowered. It would have been great feeling empowered at a younger age, it would have definitely helped me out a lot more growing up.
Also, I think that we can start empowering young girls even before they are born by not following gender stereotypes (i.e. boys wear blue jeans, girls wear pink dresses.) Parents have to stop creating expectations (based on gender stereotypes) for their children, and let their children pick what they want to wear, what they want to play with, and who they want to be.

- Mari B.

Story Behind a Tormented Girl's Suicide

Cross-posted of the Choices Campus Blog

In late January, 15-year-old Phoebe Prince made headlines when she committed suicide after prolonged harassment from classmates at South Hadley High School in Massachusetts. Six months later, the town of South Hadley and the blogging community are enthralled with the case. Media sources ranging from the Boston Globe and NBC's Today Show to lesser known sources like The Republican have featured stories about this young teen's suicide.
Phoebe Prince moved from County Clare, Ireland, to South Hadley, Massachusetts, in 2009. Later that year, she began to attend South Hadley High School where she easily made friends and maintained strong academic performance. However, her involvement with an older boy sparks harassment from her peers.
The media portrays Phoebe's story as suicide resulting from stereotypical girl-on-girl bullying, but there is more to her story than mainstream media leads us to believe. In an investigation by Slate, Emily Bazelon challenges District Attorney Elizabeth Scheibel's argument by analyzing information about Phoebe Prince and the actions of the six teenagers who are thought to have bullied her. Bazelon questions the validity of the six teens' sentences which range from stalking and harassment to statutory rape and most serious, civil rights violation involving bodily injury. She suggests that the sentences against the teens could be too severe because Phoebe's cutting, depression and distance from her father may have contributed to her decision to ultimately kill herself.
While reading about this girl's story, I began to question the motive of the teen bullies. As I continued to look through articles about the case, I came across a post written by the Boston Globe that focused on the teens as "The untouchable Mean Girls." These teens definitely fit the Lindsay Lohan Mean Girls definition; vengeance-seeking, name-calling, slut-shaming, mean girls whose football player boyfriends go along with everything they say. However this article's introduction caught my attention:
Like a lot of kids her age, Phoebe Prince was a swan, always beautiful andsometimes awkward. Last fall, she moved from Ireland into western Massachusetts, a new town, a new country, a new culture. She was 15, when all that matters is being liked and wearing the right clothes and just fitting in.
The first thing that bothers me about this is the emphasis that the author puts on her appearance, comparing her to a swan. Secondly, the author suggests that a 15-year-old girl only needs to worry about the superficial. These two issues bring to mind society's obsession with appearance and how much popular culture has sexualized women and girls because the harassment that Phoebe faced was related to her brief relationship with a football player who immediately returned to another girl and consisted primarily of slut-shaming in the forms of internet bashing, name-calling and taunting.
In general, the media's reinforcement of hegemony often leads to internalized sexism, racism and homophobia. Because the media sexualizes women and girls while also shaming women who enjoy sex, women who are subject to internalized sexism often bash other women for being "slutty." In addition, the sexualization of women and girls has influenced teen girls' body image and self-esteem, leading to their emotional vulnerability and even attacks on other girls who are considered attractive.
I seriously wonder if these types of unfortunate events would happen as often if women and girls were not so sexualized... I am curious as to what everyone's opinions are on this subject?

Photo Credit: Brisbane Times

Join the Fearless Feminist Photo Contest!

Dear Feminists,

Capture feminism in action! Join the fearless feminist photo guild with Ms.’ brand new Flickr photo contest, Feminism in a Flash!

Here’s how to take part:
-Upload your photos to your personal account.
-Join the Feminism in a Flash group and add your photos to the pool by following this link: http://ht.ly/24Xfh
-Feel free to tag the photos as FeminismInAFlash.
-Add Ms. Magazine as a contact on Flickr.
*If you have difficulty using Flickr, you may send your photos by email to blog@msmagazine.com. In the subject line, please put the words “Feminism in A Flash.” In the body of the email, please include your name and your captain.

The contest will be judged based on three categories: Ms. Heroes, Street Feminism, and Clever Captain. Category descriptions can be found below.

Winners will receive prizes from an exciting collection of clothing and collectables including, but not limited to, feminist t-shirts, books and cds. Enter as many photographs as you’d like, but you can only win once.

photo credit: Mari B.

Forced Marriage can "Correct" Gay Men

Cross-posted on the Choices Campus blog 07/15/2010

The U.K.'s Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) reports that there was a 65% increase in the calls reporting cases of men in forced marriage in 2009. The unit received 134 calls and emails in 2008, but the following year, FMU received 220 calls and emails reporting male victims.

Last year, men in Britain made up a 14% of the 1,682 forced marriage cases total reported. However, under-reporting has led FMU to believe that there could be a total of 10,ooo British citizens in forced marriage. In addition, they estimate that 20% of these cases involve a male victim.

According to Foreign Office Minister Jeremy Browne, men find it harder than women to ask for help when faced with forced marriage. With few men coming forward, young men between the age of 15 and 24 years continue to face physical and sexual violence, confinement and at times, being sent to other countries for not complying with their families' wishes.

Why is this happening to men? Hasn't forced marriage usually been a problem for women?

While many think of forced marriage as a crime that occurs against women, men also experience this form of human trafficking. Unsurprisingly, men are subjected to forced marriage because they are gay or their families believe that they might be gay. Reinforcing the societal expectation of heterosexuality, families use forced marriage as a means to "correct" a man's sexual orientation.

I also just want to point out that homosexuality is one reason that some women have been subjected to forced marriage. There is no reason that anyone, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation (or any other reason!), should be forced into marriage.

Photo Credit: BBC News

God Has a Plan For Incestuous Rape Victim

Cross-posted on the Choices Campus blog 07/08/2010

Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sharron Angle has been making headlines with her absolutist anti-choice views. This Tea Party favorite has spoken about her belief that all abortions should be illegal, even in the case of rape and incest, on multiple occasions.

Most recently, the buzz has been centered on her radio interview on the Alan Stock Show in late-June. Stock asked about her recent television interview in which the host asked if she would tell a 13-year-old girl that was raped by her father that she has to have the baby. Angle responded with an anecdotal story of how she saved the life of a teen rape victim's daughter from abortion. Angle claimed that "two wrongs don't make a right" in reference to aborting a rape-induced pregnancy and that the people she counseled were able to make "a lemon situation into lemonade."

However, this is extremely problematic. If Angle had her way, girls impregnated by their fathers would be forced to give birth! It is bad enough to deal with the trauma of rape, let alone incestuous rape, but to deal with the government forcing her to give birth to a child that will forever be associated with such a horrendous event is ridiculous! In addition, it can be dangerous. Still developing, teenagers are at a much higher risk of having serious complications.

How is Sharron Angle ok with putting women's lives at risk to save what isn't even a person yet?

Well... She believes that "God has a plan and a purpose for each one of our lives." Personally, I am an Atheist and am accepting of others' religious beliefs, but I take issue with her statement. I am ok with religious individuals making statements like "it's part of God's plan" or "God works in mysterious ways," but would God really want a young teen to be raped and go through a pregnancy to end up dying? Sorry, but isn't God supposed to be just and loving? Why would he want someone to go through so much pain-- is he teaching a moral lesson or punishing these young women?

Sorry, Ms. Angle, but I don't think religion justifies forcing rape victims to give birth. Perhaps, you are confusing religion and politics, or maybe you should let other people worry about their fate and allow them their reproductive freedom.

Photo Credit: Huffington Post

Elena Kagan + No Answer = Ex-gay?!

Cross-posted on the Choices Campus blog 06/24/2010

Supreme Court nominees are often criticized for their views on issues like abortion, the death penalty and so on. In the case of Elena Kagan, there is talk about her possibly being a lesbian because former Harvard classmates claim that they knew her to be a lesbian. While her decline to answer the media's questioning her sexual orientation has caused people to share their ideas about her sexuality, one individual's hypothesis stands out...

Greg Quinlan, President of Parents and Friends of Ex-Gays and Gays (PFOX), recently claimed that Kagan should come out as an ex-gay. As an ex-gay himself, Quinlan suggests that if Kagan is a lesbian she would have come out because President Obama supports LGBT individuals and BECAUSE she has not stated her sexual orientation, she must not be a lesbian! He proposes two possible reasons for her refusal:

1. She is worried that denying rumors could imply that she discriminates against LGBT people-- Quinlan states that to prove her heterosexuality she would need to marry a man which would "be a step backward, and not forward, in liberal gender politics"-- OR,

2. She is an ex-gay!

Oh, really? Refusing to share her sexuality with the media means that she must be or was at one time a lesbian? Sorry, but that's bull. First of all, I must point out that just because she doesn't divulge her sexual orientation does NOT mean she is gay or an "ex-gay"-- maybe, just maybe, she would simply prefer to maintain her privacy. Next, I take serious issue with the term "ex-gay" and organizations like PFOX. PFOX and similar organizations use the term "ex-gay" to describe an individual that has been converted-- CONVERTED?!?!-- from being homosexual to being heterosexual. These organizations that claim to support ex-gays and their loved ones are often ran by religious groups that shame LGBT individuals and attempt to convert them.

Specifically, PFOX claims that individuals choose to be ex-gays yet the organization focuses on providing testimonies and resources that encourage individuals to "leave homosexuality."

According to Truth Wins OUT, PFOX's "goal was to counter PFLAG by providing the media with parents who claimed to love their children-- while rejecting their sexual orientation. Ironically, the group has never been lead by a person who is actually the parent of an ex-gay individual."

Um... Not anti-gay? I disagree-- PFOX's goal is to counter a prominent pro-gay organization! How can an organization whose primary goal is counter a pro-gay organization not be anti-gay?However, this organization's aggressiveness toward PFLAG doesn't surprise me. After all, the organization's founder, Anthony Falarano, claims,

Satan uses homosexuals as pawns. They're in, as you know, key positions in
themedia, they're in the White House, they're in everything, they're in
Hollywood now. Then after he uses them, he infects them with AIDS and then they
die.

This group has been against LGBT individuals from the start. You're not fooling me PFOX. Elena Kagan should NOT "come out" as an ex-gay nor should anyone else.

Interested in learning more?

• Check out Ted Cox and contact him at ted.m.cox@gmail.com to let him know that you're interested in having him speak about his undercover work at on your campus.
• Stay up to date on the ex-gay movement at Ex-Gay Watch.

Thank a Feminist

Thank a feminist if you agree that...

- Women should have the right to vote.
- Women should have access to contraceptives.
- Women should have the right to work outside the home.
- Women should receive equal pay for equal work.
- Women should have the right to refuse sex, even with their husbands.
- Women should be able to receive a higher education.
- Women should have access to safe, legal abortion.
- Women should be able to participate in sports.
- Women should be able to hold political office.
- Women should be able to choose any career that interests them.
- Women should be free from sexual harassment in the workplace.
- Women should be able to enter into legal and financial transactions.
- Women should be able to study issues about women's lives and experiences.

One hundred years ago, none of these statements were possible for women in the United States. Only through the hard work and dedication of the women in each decade of the twentieth century did these rights become available to women.

Taken from Women's Voices, Feminist Visions; Classic and Contemporary Readings, 4th edition.*

- Mari B.

Feminism and Films

So, feel like watching a movie that conveys feminism?
Well, here are a few movie trailers to some of my personal favorites.

1. "Every generation needs a new revolution"



Itty Bitty Titty Committee is your total anti-patriarchy film.
"Anna has been rejected by her college, her girlfriend broke up with her, and her big sister is getting married. She meets Sadie, who invites her to join the Clits In Action, or C(I)A, a radical feminist group. Anna soon gets in touch with her radical feminist side."

2. "It took them 17 years to learn the rules, and one week to break them all"



Angelina Jolie fan? Then you'll love her in this film.
Five teenage girls form an unlikely bond after sticking it to the man (a male teacher who had sexually harassed them.) Angelina Jolie's character, Legs, teaches us that we as much as anyone else deserve to be respected, and that we have to respect ourselves as well.

3. "Real women take chances, have flaws, embrace life..."



"This is the story of Ana, a first generation Mexican-American teenager on the verge of becoming a woman. Real Women Have Curves pays homage to the inner strength and genuine beauty of - women!"


Other films you should consider:
If These Walls Could Talk 2
Killing Us Softly
Fried Green Tomatoes
Mona Lisa Smile
I was a Teenage Feminist!
The Color Purple
The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love
An Angel At My Table
Frida
Antonia's Line
Girl, Interrupted
Whip It

And I'm sure there are more incredible films out there, so feel free to tell me if I missed any :)

- Mari B.

31 Days of Action

During the summer, we take advantage of free time and sunshine: going to the beach, sleeping in, recreational reading, hiking, hosting barbecues. While we have time to enjoy ourselves, do we not also have time for activism? This summer Women Thrive Worldwide is hosting a campaign to encourage Congress to pass the International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA) known as "31 Days of Action."

Women Thrive Worldwide asks that individuals sign up for the campaign and ask that these individuals commit to completing one action each day in the month of July. What's great about this campaign is that anyone can do it, even the person with a million things to do! The campaign involves spreading awareness, educating others and advocating for change. Each week, they send activists emails containing ideas for educating and inspiring others. These ideas range from writing about the campaign on Facebook or Twitter, emailing members of Congress about IVAWA, reading about their featured person of the week, asking friends to sign the online petition and donating money.

With these simple ways to help end violence against women, why not take part?! Every day, women experience violence, such as rape, physical abuse and murder, on the basis of their gender. We cannot allow this to continue... We need to take action!

Photo Credit: Women Thrive Worldwide

Welcome to Our Blog!

Feminism Is has decided to start a blog! Exciting, right? We plan to use this blog as a means to continuing conversation outside of meetings, keep club members updated, connect with other feminist groups, share our opinions and encourage critical thinking. We hope you enjoy the blog!