Glittt.

May 18, 2013

"… the socialization of boys regarding masculinity is often at the expense of women. I came to realize that we don’t raise boys to be men, we raise them not to be women (or gay men). We teach boys that girls and women are “less than” and that leads to violence by some and silence by many. It’s important for men to stand up to not only stop men’s violence against women but, to teach young men a broader definition of masculinity that includes being empathetic, loving and non-violent."

— Don McPherson, former NFL quarterback, feminist and educator

(Source: spikyhairjon, via edibleornotatall)

12:18am | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z3z8yxlEGbnZ

(Notes: 17,862)

May 16, 2013

"A vested interest in general human welfare is an implicit goal of feminism. If you’re helping women, you’re helping people. Some might prefer to call this humanitarianism, humanism, or being-a-decent-human-being-ism, but many of us are content to call it feminism. And there’s nothing exclusionary about that."

— Why Not Say Everyday Humanism Instead of Everyday Feminism? — Everyday Feminism (via brute-reason)

(via brute-reason)

8:56am | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z3z8yxl6SBAR

(Notes: 36)

Filed under: feminism quote

May 15, 2013

"What if all women were bigger and stronger than you? And thought they were smarter? What if women were the ones who started wars? What if too many of your friends had been raped by women wielding giant dildos and no K-Y Jelly? What if the state trooper who pulled you over on the New Jersey Turnpike was a woman and carried a gun? What if the ability to menstruate was the prerequisite for most high-paying jobs? What if your attractiveness to women depended on the size of your penis? What if every time women saw you they’d hoot and make jerking motions with their hands? What if women were always making jokes about how ugly penises are and how bad sperm tastes? What if you had to explain what’s wrong with your car to big sweaty women with greasy hands who stared at your crotch in a garage where you are surrounded by posters of naked men with hard-ons? What if men’s magazines featured cover photos of 14-year-old boys with socks tucked into the front of their jeans and articles like: “How to tell if your wife is unfaithful” or “What your doctor won’t tell you about your prostate” or “The truth about impotence”? What if the doctor who examined your prostate was a woman and called you “Honey”? What if you had to inhale your boss’ stale cigar breath as she insisted that sleeping with her was part of the job? What if you couldn’t get away because the company dress code required you wear shoes designed to keep you from running? And what if after all that women still wanted you to love them?"

— For The Men Who Still Don’t Get It, Carol Diehl (via pegthepatriarchy)

(Source: sassysluteverforever, via sexxxisbeautiful)

11:59pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z3z8yxl5IHP8

(Notes: 68,228)

Filed under: quote feminism

May 15, 2013

"We have to consciously study how to be tender with each other until it becomes a habit."

— Audre Lorde

(Source: ryanbhilliard, via beatboxgoesthump)

11:54pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z3z8yxl5H3jY

(Notes: 2,462)

Filed under: quote relationships

May 13, 2013

"The question why I would LET Willow cut her hair. First the LET must be challenged. This is a world where women, girls are constantly reminded that they don’t belong to themselves; that their bodies are not their own, nor their power or self determination. I made a promise to endow my little girl with the power to always know that her body, spirit and her mind are HER domain. Willow cut her hair because her beauty, her value, her worth is not measured by the length of her hair. It’s also a statement that claims that even little girls have the RIGHT to own themselves and should not be a slave to even their mother’s deepest insecurities, hopes and desires. Even little girls should not be a slave to the preconceived ideas of what a culture believes a little girl should be."

— Jada Pinkett Smith

(Source: princesslilitu, via meekmade)

3:36pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z3z8yxkvfm7v

(Notes: 8,713)

Filed under: quote feminism Willow Smith

May 1, 2013

"The Bangladesh garment factory collapse that killed hundreds made super-cheap clothing destined for American stores. Research shows customers will pay more for safely made clothes, but only to a point."

— Would You Pay A Higher Price For ‘Ethical’ Clothing? (via npr)

(via npr)

10:21am | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z3z8yxj_48eA

(Notes: 245)

Filed under: consumerism capitalism clothing class human rights working conditions cheap clothes quote NPR

April 23, 2013

"But it’s not really as easy as blaming Michelle Obama for not being as radical as we want her to be. Racist constructions of black motherhood play a large role in how she is perceived, and she has to work double time to avoid being cast as an “angry black woman.” Michelle Obama had to win the appeal of the American mainstream with qualities that make her seem like she’d be a good First Lady: being feminine, appeasing, and focused on home; being successful in her own right (but willing to give it all up for her husband’s career and her children’s well-being) is just an added bonus. Her choice (even if on behalf of their PR team!) to play up her more traditional leanings has a lot to do with the fact that American conceptions of black motherhood not only are racist, but harmful in how they position black motherhood in opposition to white motherhood as a type of failure.

Don’t believe me? Think about how differently Sarah Palin’s campaign coverage would have looked had she been a black woman. Palin was a working mother with five children, one of whom, Bristol, was a teenager and pregnant while Mom was on the campaign trail. If Palin had been black (or Latina for that matter) she would have been cast as ignorant and uneducated and characterized as a drain on the system. Heteronormativity is not just about being straight; it is also about class, race, and lifestyle choices."

— Samhita Mukhopadhyay (via honeyandsun)

(Source: wretchedoftheearth, via emilyakaedward)

10:35pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z3z8yxjPStuw

(Notes: 3,123)

Filed under: quote politics women racism black motherhood

April 23, 2013

We like to think of abortions as these things that women turn to in times of distress and crisis. You all know the story of the typical lady getting an abortion. She’s young. The condom broke or she skipped her pill or it was a one-night stand and they were drunk or they’re in love and they didn’t think it could happen. But now she’s a week late and she’s spent 4 days crying on the floor of her bathroom wondering why her period is late and why she’s throwing up so much and she’s afraid to tell her mom. So she ditches chemistry and goes to the pharmacy and buys a pregnancy test while wearing sunglasses and a hoodie and goes home and it’s positive so she takes 10 more tests (despite the fact that these things can cost $14+ a pop) and she crumbles onto the bathroom floor, AGAIN, because now she has to make a truly difficult decision. Is NOW the right time to become a mom? Now or do I wait? I want to go to college first. I want to get a job first. But here I am, with this baby. WHAT DO I DOOOOOO? Finally, after weeks of careful thought, and tons more crying, bravely and heartbroken, she makes the decision to MURDER HER BABY… so she can have the future she dreams of. And then she has to disclose to every boy she dates in the future that she had an abortion and her life is always kind of empty forever. The end.

But that’s not really how it works. Sometimes it happens like that. But not always. Not even usually… Let me personal-anecdote you for a second.

I am a 35 year old, married, mother of two. I’ve been pregnant four times. The first time I was pregnant, it was a surprise. Not a OOOOOHHH NOOOOO surprise, but a “we’ve been trying for over a year and we’ve seen a reproductive specialist and we’re giving up” kind of surprise. The short story is that this pregnancy was ectopic. It wasn’t really a heartbreaking decision to abort as much as a “what is going on? what is happening? is this real? am I going to die?” decision. My “choice” was A. save myself or B. save neither myself nor the baby. Mostly it was just scary that the first time I tried to reproduce, the first thing my “baby” tries to do is fucking kill me. But it was a baby we wanted. It wasn’t an accident. It was planned… ish. And yet we aborted.

Plenty of women who have planned pregnancies end up having to terminate for a number of reasons—medical or otherwise. Abortions aren’t a thing for the irresponsible and reckless and clueless. They’re part of the reality of simply having a working uterus.

Fast forward two live births and one heart-breaking miscarriage later. Now I’ve had all the pregnancy I can handle. I am done with that shit. That part of my live is over over over. I love my kids… at least half of the time. But I have limited amounts of money and time and sanity and patience. And of those resources, I’ve allotted all I’m willing to allot for children. If I were to get pregnant today, I wouldn’t have to think about it. I would have an abortion. It’s not that I’m “not ready” to be a mom. It’s not that I’m waiting for the right time. It’s not that I’m single. It’s that I simply detest being pregnant and I don’t want more kids. And my husband (quietly) detests when I’m pregnant and doesn’t want more kids. There will be no crying. There will be no hand wringing. There will be no thoughtful contemplation. There will be no more kids. Not in my body. Not in my house.

And the idea that women think long and hard and have to make a difficult decision that sometimes must end, tragically, in abortion is one that many of us are taught is true. (Admittedly, it took me a long time to shake.) It certainly has roots in Christian ideals that conception=life, and clings to the falsehood that all women are somehow biologically programmed to be maternal, that we all will become mothers, God willing.

It also, sadly, perpetuates a damaging untruth that good women are good mothers and good mothers love their children instantly and unconditionally and begin bonding from the first drop of pee on that stick. To not have that bond makes you damaged. You are unloving. Unfit. When the reality is that most women do not bond with their babies for weeks, even months. after they are born. They don’t fall in love with the stranger who declared squatters rights in their womb. And that most certainly includes women who had planned and wanted pregnancies. Not bonding with an unwanted clump of cells threatening to ruin your life isn’t really un-maternal or un-womanly. It’s pretty fucking normal. Not every pregnancy is a blessing.

—

Skepchick | AI: Abort? Retry? Love forever?

Literally couldn’t find a shorter part of this to quote. It’s all brilliant.

(via brute-reason)

9:01pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z3z8yxjOyvra

(Notes: 90)

Filed under: abortion quote bodies pregnancy babies

April 23, 2013

ancailleachmuir:

certain queer girls dont get read as queer by fellow queers because

straight girls invade lesbian spaces because

straight men assault all girls in all spaces

(via sexxxisbeautiful)

4:53pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z3z8yxjNm1hd

(Notes: 212)

Filed under: hmmm quote queer

April 21, 2013

"I always wanted genderqueer to unite me with other transgressive queers. Note that I said to unite, not to find people who identify exactly like me. People don’t get me, and that is okay. I am not holding my breath for a place where I do not have to explain myself. I am just working on creating a space where the explanation is welcome. That’s what I want genderqueer to be about. I want genderqueer to be not only an umbrella term for those who reject M or F, but also an umbrella term for all those who queer their gender. And remember that thing I mentioned about caring for each other and sharing a commitment to gender liberation and social justice? Maybe these qualities are lacking and that’s where the movement has become a scene. Exclusivity and attitude are qualities of a scene, not a revolutionary subculture. Genderqueer was my movement, but it’s definitely not my scene."

—

Rocko Bulldagger, “The End of Genderqueer,” in Nobody Passes: Rejecting the Rules of Gender and Conformity (edited by Mattilda, a.k.a. Matt Bernstein Sycamore

(via brute-reason)

12:37pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z3z8yxjCu_rc

(Notes: 49)

Filed under: gender politics quote genderqueer

April 20, 2013

"There is no prize for being the most world’s most accommodating person. And if there were a prize, it would be “hanging out with people who walk all over you, being afraid to speak up, and silently seething at them, forever."

— Captain Awkward

(Source: scoutington)

12:43pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z3z8yxj7jgar

(Notes: 319)

Filed under: quote speaking up self-confidence accommodating relationships

April 18, 2013

"Even when a person is dead, bodily autonomy trumps right to life. After all, they still need permission to harvest organs from a corpse to save other lives. I just think that women should at least have the same right to bodily autonomy as a corpse."

—

A quote I just read in relation to abortion. Very well put.

“Body Autonomy” or “Bodily integrity” is self-determination of human beings over their own bodies. You can’t be forced to give blood, bone marrow, or any part of you to another. You can’t even have them taken from you after you die without permission. The fact that you can save a life is irrelevant, nobody can forcefully take something from you.

Yet, there are people out there who believe 50% of the population *must* give up their body for 9 months, even if there’s risk of it killing them.

This is my new favourite “anti-choice folk are ignorant, sexist, idiots” argument.

(via kamface)

(Source: justcarl, via kamface)

8:05pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z3z8yxi-rspp

(Notes: 18,049)

Filed under: abortion deceased human rights bodies quote politics

April 16, 2013

In the United States there are plenty of music and other venues open to those under 21, but there are just as many that limit their shows to 21 . This has less to do with protecting the underage from drinking and more about ensuring that everyone who attends is also of the age to bring in revenue by buying drinks. Instead of X-ing the hands of underage attendees, they just aren’t allowed to experience the events at all.

As a result, there is a huge alienation of young people and especially of young adults between the ages of 18 and 21. We are often considered adult enough that we are able to live on our own and provide for ourselves, yet we aren’t allowed into “adult spaces” or “adult culture”, because we can’t legally drink. Simultaneously we no longer fit into the circles that teenagers inhabit. It’s a weird double standard that isolates young adults based on a perceived level of maturity and also suggests that consumption of substances is inherently a mature practice. It also leaves people who are sober, no matter what their age, unable to find music venues or events that aren’t drowning in alcohol.

[…]By so closely tying intoxication with adulthood in our culture, we have effectively removed most adult spaces that don’t involve drinking.

— Social and Sober: Can We Have Fun Without Getting Trashed? ‹ Feminspire (via brute-reason)

(via brute-reason)

7:17pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z3z8yxisE8s2

(Notes: 44)

Filed under: especially in queer communities why I left Boston drinking 21 adult isolation teen adulthood locking out quote

April 9, 2013

"You can’t pick and choose situations you want to apply your reasoning to; ethics is about consistency. If your logic only works some of the time, then it is the logic that is flawed, not the situations. Unwanted pregnancies aren’t always the result of ‘acting stupid’. One shouldn’t have to be raped in order to justify what they can or cannot do with their body."

— Mimi

3:48pm | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z3z8yxiIfnxe

(Notes: 107)

Filed under: quote abortion storyslut ethics politics

April 3, 2013

But anyone who knows anything about the tech biz knows that this is a (social) media side show, and that feminism will never be one of the “disruptive” values of Silicon Valley so long as Silicon Valley is principally a machine for producing wealth for the few. (See: the story of Katherine Losse, an early Facebook employee who also crossed paths with Sandberg.) To the extent that someone who so benefits from that business culture espouses feminism, it will be ruthlessly friendly to the corporate environment in which it is exercised.

It’s this limitation that concerns me about the brand of feminism we see in Sandberg – because it’s gaining ascendence, and because we’ve been here before. It’s a trickle-down feminism that centers the concerns of an elite minority of women, and it repeats losing tactics in the history of feminist movements. Sandberg is far from the only prominent feminist who supports these tactics, which – despite their intentions – have been insufficient in addressing inequalities among women. If the book and its attendant publicity had only framed Sandberg’s contribution as something “by and for women in positions of corporate leadership,” I doubt we’d be having this conversation.

— “Like” Feminism | Jacobin (via brute-reason)

(via brute-reason)

11:16am | URL: http://tmblr.co/Z3z8yxhozEvC

(Notes: 10)

Filed under: Silicon Valley tech industry tech palo alto geek culture feminism class assholes privilege quote