Fabulous and Fierce

Thanks for the good times. The crazy community drama. The learning. The support. Everything.

And thank you, LJ friends. I'm doing a huge cleanup--this journal is becoming a place where I'm a lot more raw again, and I'm moving the political to Facebook and the spiritual to my Wordpress blog. So if we're friends over there--or you're interested--leave me a comment for FB info/go to godlivesinlongbeach.wordpress.com. I'm whittling this list down to the folks I keep in touch with regularly. Take care and see you around! :)

How do you define your femme identity?
Glitter. Lots of glitter. Femme, for me, is what I make of it. I don’t believe in defining femme for anyone else, and I wouldn’t presume to impose my definition of femme on anyone.

For me, though, femme is:
Fishnets and 6” stilettos… and worn-out, dirty Chucks.
Perfecting a look with peacock-inspired eyeshadow.
Proudly walking my son to school in PJs, boots, and a stocking cap with no makeup on, not even to cover my blemishes.
Baking the perfect dark chocolate-bottomed pie wearing a sheer, red vintage apron.
Building an outfit around hot pink earrings, hot pink shoes, and the perfect sheer hot pink lip gloss.
Boldly occupying my space in the world and generously making room for others to occupy it with me.

Read the rest at http://www.homofactuspress.com/index.php/hfpspotlight/femmethology_contributor_lucy_marrero/

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 2/23/2009

Visibile: A Femmethology, Volumes One and Two

Edited by Jennifer Clare Burke

Price: U.S. $19.95

Volume One ISBN-10: 0-9785973-4-6
Volume One ISBN-13: 978-0-9785973-4-4
Volume Two ISBN-10: 0-9785973-5-4
Volume Two ISBN-13: 978-0-9785973-5-1


"Femmethology is essential—a roadmap of Femme Nation, an index, an anthropology, a manifesto, and a googleology." - Dorothy Allison, Bastard Out of Carolina


"I feel like I just ate stars, my body and its gender readjusting to the supernova questions, queries, answers, and truths in these pages. I am so grateful for this book - as a transman, as a femme, but mostly as a human being who values femininity, good writing, and the powerful brilliance that shines at the intersection of both." - Scott Turner Schofield, Two Truths and a Lie


"[Visible: A Femmethology] is an absolute tribute to the depth and power of Femme. In these essays, you will see Femmes explode the idea of Femme on many levels, both in personal and public spaces. These pieces insist that Femme is a position of self-empowerment, that being Femme is about finding one's voice and being unafraid to use that voice in radical ways." - Christina De La Rosa, Conference Chair of Femme 2008, and Jessica Eve Humphrey, Conference Coordinator of Femme 2008

Homofactus Press proudly announces that Visible: A Femmethology, the only two-volume anthology devoted to femme identity, is coming in March. Visible: A Femmethology calls the LGBTQI community on its prejudices and celebrates the diversity of individual femmes. Award-winning authors, spoken-word artists, and new voices come together to challenge conventional ideas of how disability, class, nationality, race, aesthetics, sexual orientation, gender identity and body type intersect with each contributor's concrete notion of femmedom.

Visible: A Femmethology is the latest work from Homofactus Press, a publishing house dedicated to creating complex works for complicated people.


Publisher Jay Sennett is thrilled with Burke's book: "This collection is already the talk of the femme community, and it's worth every bit of the attention it's receiving and then some!"

Burke: "As a queer femme, I was reassured and relieved by the strong, unique, fearless, complex viewpoints in these essays. I saw peers who couldn't - and frankly wouldn't - play by any perceived status quo rules for How to be Femme, How to Look Femme, How to Act Femme, and so forth. I found individuals who were just as concerned about disability rights, body politics, transphobia, class differences and biphobia. I found writing that dissects the impact of race and national identity on queer politics as well as the politics of marriage, sex work, sexism and misogyny in our communities. Through editing Femmethology, I realized I wasn't alone."

Jennifer Clare Burke has been editing for academic and business purposes and instructing writing for sixteen years. Jennifer will edit the new edition of Queer Shorts to be released by Homofactus Press in 2001. Her book, A Life Less Convenient: Letters to My Ex, will be re-released by Homofactus Press in 2010.

Contributors:
Alex Holding . Alisa Lemberg . Allison Stelly . Allison Wonderland . Amy André . Ann Tweedy . Anna Watson . Ariel McGowan . Asha Leong . August Nightingale . Brook Bolen . Caitlin Petrakis Childs . C.T. Whitley . Carol Mirakove . Cherry Bomb . Clairanne Brown . Daphne Gottlieb . Darrah de jour . Emjāen Fetherston-Power . Gina de Vries . Hadassah Hill . J.E. Franet . JD Dykes . Jennifer Cross . Josephine Wilson . Joshua Bastian Cole . J.C. Yu . Julie Jordan Avritt . Katie Livingston . Katrina Fox . Kimberly Dark . Kpoene' Kofi-Bruce . Leah Lakshimi Piepzna-Samarasinha . Leslie Freeman-Dykesen . Lisa Papez . Lucy Marrero . Margaret Price . Maria See . Maura Ryan . Mette Bach . Miel Rose . Moonyean Grosch . Peggy Munson . Rachel Hurst . Ryn Hodes . Sand Chang . Sascha Elise Cohen . Sassafras Lowrey . Serena Mawulisa . Sharon Wachsler . Sheila Hart Nelson . Sherilyn Connelly . Sinclair Sexsmith . Stacia Seaman . Tara Hardy . Traci Craig . Yael Mishali

Please contact Maria Carbone at maria@homofactuspress.com for promotional needs, such as a digital review copy of Visible: A Femmethology, contributor/editor interviews, and other information.

ONLY ONE WEEK LEFT! Get 28% off February pre-orders of both Femmethology volumes when purchasing at HomoFactusPress.com. Use the coupon code FemmesKickAss28 at checkout for Volume One. Use the coupon code FemmesRock28 at checkout for Volume Two.
Homofactus Press ● 1271 Shirley ● Ypsilanti, MI 48198 ● 734-635-1404 ● homofactuspress.com

Femmethology is available for pre-sale!

If you'd like to purchase the books during February, sign up for the Homofactus Press newsletter and order using these instructions:

1. Sign up for the newsletter at www.homofactuspress.com. Scroll all the way to the bottom of the home page and look for "Subscribe to our newsletter."

2. Order the books at:
Pre-order Vol. 1: http://tinyurl.com/ad36kg
Pre-order Vol. 2: http://tinyurl.com/cv346c

3. The discount codes to enter during purchase are:
Vol 1: FemmesKickAss28
Vol 2: FemmesRock28

So... Our President shut down Guantanamo and is overturning the ban on federal funds for programs that support or perform abortions.

I am definitely not mad at him for that.

Jonathan Adams
5 Things You Can Do Right Now About the Oscar Grant Shooting

Oscar Grant, an unarmed man, was killed by an Oakland police officer. Here are five things (compiled by Makani Themba-Nixon) that you should do right now to respond to the senseless death of this 22 year old Black man. Video footage of the shooting recently surfaced.

1. Digg the story so that the national media can pick up on it

2. Contact BART Director Carole Ward Allen and demand that 1) the officers involved be taken off duty without pay and charged and fully prosecuted; 2) there be an independent investigation of the shooting that includes a review of training and hiring practices; and 3) BART establish an independent residents’ review board for the police Call her at 510-464-6095 or email the BART Directors at BoardofDirectors@bart.gov

3. Call the BART police to complain about the officers’ conduct and demand immediate action: Internal Affairs: Sergeant David Chlebowski 510.464.7029,dchlebo@bart.gov; Chief of Police: Gary Gee 510.464.7022, ggee@bart.gov

Call them toll free at 877.679.7000 and press the last four digits of the phone number you wish to reach.

4. Talk it up on your blogs, networks and talk radio shows (call Michael Baisden 877-6BADBOY or Rev. Al, etc. to get this on the national radar)

5. Stay tuned for other actions, protests, etc., especially if you are in the Bay.

Click through to watch video of the shooting:

The complexities of living in a colonizing, globalizing world. 4:45pm
I am fond of saying that "Everything we do is problematic in some way." I buy products purchased with the blood of those less fortunate with me. Clothing sewn by workers locked into their "offices" and forced to urinate in diapers. Strawberries picked by workers who have died of heatstroke, who work insane hours only to come "home" to a board held up by milk cartons in the canyons below multimillion-dollar homes.

I live on land that has been stolen, paid for only in blood and rape, in the loss of indigenous lives and the richness of countless cultures, traditions, and ways of life.

I drive a car that pollutes the air that does not belong to me.

I am a citizen of a country that has murdered enough human beings--poor, brown human beings--to redden all the seas of the world.

I was blind to these complex ways in which I participate in injustice for many years. It is what I was taught, what my school books, teachers, and spiritual leaders encouraged. Even as I became aware of the ways that the world I inhabit is made possible because of the blood of many, I struggled to hold onto the belief that I was without blame. I am certain that this is because as I faced the harsh truth of my culpability, it broke my heart.

It continues to break my heart. I believe in justice, I believe in freedom. I believe in life. This in direct conflict with the truth that I am culpable for the blood shed, the land stolen, the air polluted.

Yet this conflict of truths allows me to struggle, to learn, to fight for justice in a way that is meaningful... in a way that is profound. It is a conflict that asks me to question who I am and how I became that way and to ask, even more importantly, "And what, now that I know, will I do?"

It is an internal conflict of the most disruptive sort if one is incapable of integrating it into one's sense of self and understanding of the world.

When I think of the situation in Gaza, I think of this conflict. I think of my struggle to understand the plight of Jews forced from their homes in Hitler's Europe in the face of the current bloodshed. I think of the difficulty of my commitment to fighting antisemitism and my guttural hatred of oppression and those who infiltrate and occupy the lands of others. And I struggle to hold all of that in my consciousness, and not let it break me.

I ask those of you struggling with these truths--the antisemitism, the struggle for a nation that will cherish its people, and the tragedy--past and ongoing--inflicted on the Palestinian people, to consider the nature of these seemingly unresolvable truths. I ask that you consider holding back the comparisons, the placations that war is complex and the situation unknowable and simply look at the images and see.

See the babies' bodies gray with ash and death. See the lacerated faces of the wounded. See the baby boy pulling his dead father's hand, begging him to get up. See the triumphant faces of the soldiers who have done this.

Hold this truth for a moment, feel it, and let it permeate your awareness and your later thinking on the complexity of the situation. Honor the dead, and let them change you.

Femmethology Email List & Homofactus Press Newsletter
Thursday, January 1, 2009 at 8:18pm
Hey everyone,

Welcome to January '09! You know what immediately follows January? That's right: February. And in February, Homofactus Press will offer 28% off each Femmethology pre-order for the entire month. A coupon code will be provided in the February Homofactus Press newsletter. You must use the automated newsletter sign-up address (newsletter@homofactuspress.com) to subscribe to the newsletter.

Please share the automated newsletter sign-up address with friends, family, and anyone who might like to purchase one or both Femmethology volumes at a discount in February. Customers *must* be newsletter subscribers to receive the discount.

The Homofactus Press newsletter, written by moi, includes all Homofactus Press news.

We also have an email list exclusively for Femmethology updates and developments, which you can join by emailing me (maria@femmetop.com) directly.

That's all for now, folks!

Best,

Maria See
Marketing & Public Relations

--

Visible: A Femmethology (Coming March 2009)
femmethology.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Femmethology/55323285990?ref=nf
Twitter: twitter.com/femmethology
MySpace: myspace.com/femmethology

Jan. 10: National Day of Emergency Mass Action
Regional Mass March & Rally in Los Angeles
Stop the U.S./Israeli War on Palestine! Let Gaza Live!

Saturday, January 10, 12 noon
Westwood Federal Building
11000 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles (at Veteran)
Click here for map and directions

Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest the Israeli government's criminal aggression against the Palestinian people. This Saturday, January 10, will be the biggest mobilization yet. Jan. 10 is a National Day of Emergency Mass Action. Join us in Los Angeles for a Regional Mass Protest at the Westwood Federal Building. Gather at 12 noon. People are organizing to come from L.A., Orange, San Diego, Ventura, Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Bring all of your family, friends, coworkers, fellow students and everyone you know.

The Free Palestine Alliance; Al-Awda, the Palestine Right to Return Coalition; ANSWER Coalition, Palestinian American Women's Association, National Council of Arab Americans, Council on American-Islamic Relations, Islamic Shura Council of Southern California, Muslim American Society Freedom and others are calling on people to take to the streets to show solidarity with the Palestinian people in Gaza and to demand an immediate end to the murderous attacks carried out by the U.S.-backed Israeli military. On Jan. 10, along with the L.A. march, there will be a National March on Washington, D.C. and a major regional protest in San Francisco.

Click Here to Endorse & Volunteer Click to Download Jan. 10 Flyer

If you are organizing transportation to Jan. 10 in L.A., fill out the Jan. 10 Transportation Form. If you are organizing carpools, buses, vanpools or meet ups to take public transportation, let us know by filling out the form.

Over 600 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed and thousands more wounded by the massive bombing campaign and ground invasion carried out by the Israeli government. On Jan. 6, Israeli warplanes bombed a U.N. school where Palestinians were told they could take refuge. The bomb killed 40 civilians. All of these acts by the Israeli government must be recognized for what they are: not a war, but a massacre of the Palestinian people. Because of the U.S.-backed Israeli blockade and strangulation of Gaza for the past 18 months, there is little or no medicine to treat the wounded, electricity for hospitals, or food or clean water for much of the population.

Israel is the largest recipient of U.S. aid in the world. It gets more than $15 million every day from the United States. The F-16 fighter jets and apache helicopters that have rained down hundreds of tons of bombs and missiles on Gaza are made in the United States by the Pentagon and provided to the Israeli government. It is inconceivable that this military equipment and the Israeli aggression in Gaza could have taken place without the explicit consent of the U.S. government.

Transportation Info to Jan 10. Rally

Check answerla.org regularly this week for updated transportation information.

Los Angeles
PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION: Visit http://www.mta.net, enter your starting point in the "From" box and enter "11000 Wilshire Blvd." in the "To" box on the top right-hand side of the page.

Ventura County
CARPOOL: Thousand Oaks, 10:30 am at TO Trans Center, Rancho & Hwy 101
Contact ANSWER Ventura County at 805-241-0708 or answervc@riseup.net for more info.

Riverside
CARPOOL: Meet at 10:00 am at the corner of University Ave. and Iowa Ave. (behind the Spanish Book Store)
Contact Riverside Area Peace & Justice Action at 951-275-3501 for more info.

For more info contact ANSWER at 213-251-1025 or answerla@answerla.org or Al-Awda at 949-510-2925 or mahmud@al-awda.org.

--------------------------------------------------

A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
Act Now to Stop War and End Racism
213-251-1025
http://www.answerla.org
answerla@answerla.org
137 N. Virgil Ave., #201
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Join us at ANSWER meetings - contact us to get involved!
---------------------------------------------------
A.N.S.W.E.R. COALITION LA (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism)

TO DONATE CALL 213-251-1025. YOU CAN USE MC/VISA OVER THE PHONE OR MAIL CHECK TO ANSWER-LA, 137 N. VIRGIL AVE, #201, LA, CA 90004

TAX DEDUCTIBLE CHECKS OF $50 OR MORE CAN BE MADE TO
PROGRESS UNITY FUND

EMAILS ARE OBTAINED THROUGH ANSWERLA.ORG. THIS IS A LOW-VOLUME LIST WITH EMAILS 2-4 TIMES PER WEEK.

Press Release

January 3, 2009


California Scholars for Academic Freedom
Condemn Bombing of Gaza Educational Institutions


Contacts:
Sondra Hale, 310-836-5121 (UCLA) [sonhale@ucla.edu]
Rabab Abdulhadi, 914-882-3180 (AMED-SFSU) [amed@sfsu.edu]
Sherna Berger Gluck, 310-455-1028 (CSULB) [sbgluck@csulb.edu]
Jess Ghannam, 415-726-3951 (UCSF) [jess.ghannam@ucsf.edu]


CALIFORNIA SCHOLARS FOR ACADEMIC FREEDOM (CS4AF), a group of 100 scholars at 20 California institutions of higher learning, condemns in the strongest possible terms the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip that have targeted the Islamic University and other educational sites.

While we decry Israeli war crimes and violations of human rights, and condemn the massive Israeli bombardment of Gaza which has caused hundreds of deaths, as educators in California institutions of higher learning, we are especially appalled at the destruction of educational institutions and student casualties.

On December 27th, Human Rights Watch reported that an Israeli air-to-ground missile struck a group of students leaving the Gaza Training College, adjacent to the headquarters of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in downtown Gaza City, killing eight students and wounding 19 others. Two days later, on 29 December 2008, Israel bombed the Islamic University of Gaza, destroying the science laboratory block and destroying or damaging other blocks of buildings, including the library. Although Israel has claimed that the science laboratory facilities were used as "a research and development center for Hamas weapons," this claim has been denied by officials of Gaza Islamic University, and according to the NY Times of 01/01/09 Israel has not produced any evidence for its claim.

These direct assaults on Palestinian students and educational institutions are only the latest chapter in Israel's ongoing denial of the right to education guaranteed in international conventions. Since the first uprising in 1987, Israel has systematically frustrated or denied Palestinian students their right to study, not just in the Occupied Territories, but at universities abroad, as most recently demonstrated by the Israeli government's refusal to allow students awarded prestigious Fulbright fellowships to leave for the United States. University students living in Gaza have not been able to leave in order to attend universities throughout the world, let alone Birzeit University, and students in the West Bank itself have to negotiate roadblocks and checkpoints to get to their classes – often never making it.

The background to the current crisis is too complicated to detail in a press release. It is, however, important to note, first, that under international law, Israel is still an occupying power, maintaining control of Gaza's borders, air and water space. It has completely isolated Gaza and wrought a humanitarian catastrophe, as noted by UN Special Rapporteur Richard Falk. Second, the current bombing campaign by Israel constitutes collective punishment, which is a violation of international law. Third, HAMAS won the majority of seats to the Palestinian Legislative Council in the internationally acknowledged fair election of January, 2006.

As CALIFORNIA SCHOLARS FOR ACADEMIC FREEDOM, we will continue to play our mandated role to educate the international public about the right to education and the egregious violation of that right by the Israeli government. We will participate in campaigns aimed at exerting pressure on international authorities and the governments of Israel and the U.S. to implement an immediate cease-fire and begin preparations for an end to the blockade and the occupation of Gaza and the West Bank.

We insist that Israel has the responsibility to ensure the right to education as mandated in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which Israel ratified in 1991. The undermining and disruption of Palestinian education as a result of the deliberate destruction of academic facilities constitutes a violation of a basic human right that will have long-term negative political, economic, and humanitarian ramifications for all people involved.


____________________________________________________________________________
CALIFORNIA SCHOLARS FOR ACADEMIC FREEDOM is a one-year-old group of 100 academics who teach in 20 California institutions. The group formed as a response to various violations of academic freedom that were arising from both the post-9/11/2001 climate of civil rights violations and the increasing attacks on progressive educators by neo-conservatives. Many attacks were aimed at scholars of Arab, Muslim or Middle Eastern descent or at scholars researching and teaching about the Middle East, Arab and Muslim communities. Our goal of protecting California Scholars based mainly in institutions of higher education has grown broader in scope. We recognize that violations of academic freedom anywhere are threats to academic freedom everywhere.

For statements by other academicians see Neve Gordon and Jeff Halper's "Targeting Islamic University: Where's the Academic Outrage Over the Bombing of a University in Gaza?"

http://www.counterpunch.org/gordon12312008.html

Get your copy of Sinister Wisdom 74 at Atomic Books.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Joanna Gerber
Director of Communications & Public Relations
Phone: 310.578.1080 x119
Joanna_Gerber@antiochla.edu


Antioch University Los Angeles Announces Free Sinister Wisdom Reading, Sponsored by the LGBT Specialization
The event features Latina lesbian authors featured in the Sinister Wisdom magazine's Latina lesbian edition (74).

CULVER CITY, CA-December 17, 2008-The LGBT Specialization in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University Los Angeles invites the public to a free reading of Sinister Wisdom Issue #74, Latina Lesbian edition. The event will be held at A Different Light Bookstore in Hollywood on Saturday, January 17, 2008, at 7:30pm.

The issue features the passion and vision of 76 Latina lesbian writers and artists born in 12 Latin American countries and the U.S. The contributors, of varying ages and backgrounds, weave poetry, essays, short stories, letters, and artwork to portray the myriad challenges they have confronted throughout their lives. The collection provides readers with a striking array of perspectives written in Spanish, English, and Spanglish, that delve into topics like gender and sexual identity, heterosexism, race, nationality, class, and the challenges of coming out in Latin American and U.S. communities. This unique issue describes the various types of support networks Latina lesbians build to empower themselves, their loved ones, and their communities. Equally important, they speak about the triumph of spirit that defies adversities and strengthens their struggles for human rights. SW 74 is the most geographically diverse Latina lesbian collection to be published in the U.S since Ramos’s 1987
anthology, Compañeras: Latina Lesbians.

Juanita Ramos states, "This issue of Sinister Wisdom is dedicated to: the memory of all the Latina lesbians who have come before us; incarcerated women, who comprise a third of Sinister Wisdom's readerships; and those who, inside or outside the closet, continue to struggle around the
world for our voices to be heard and our rights respected."

The event will include an introduction by Juanita Ramos, editor of SW 74 and Director of Latin American and Caribbean Area Studies Program, and readings by contributors, including Lucy Marrero, Antioch student of clinical psychology and writer/activist. Following the presentations, we
will open up a discussion based on the readings.

The reading-event will take place on Saturday, January 17, 2008, at A Different Light Bookstore in West Hollywood beginning at 7:30pm.

"The LGBT specialization, within the Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology program at AULA, is the first such specialization in the country," says Lauren Costine, Ph.D. "We are proud of the work it has done to provide students with proud lesbian voices like Lucy with opportunities to be activists in the LGBT community, and to empower Lesbian heroism and love not just on our campus, but in the wider community."

Antioch University's new Master's level specialization in LGBT studies is the first such graduate program in the nation focusing specifically on LGBT counseling theory and practice. Launched in 2006, the program has already received strong reviews for its innovative curriculum, and generation's awards from the Johnson Family Foundation (with the help of alumnus Paul Hokemeyer) and the Ladd Family Foundation (with the help of Jessie Jacobson). In addition, it has developed a rigorous teaching staff (The Founder's Group) and an Advisory Board made up of national figures. The overall goal of the specialization is to strengthen the competency, clinical skills, and sensitivity of students to issues of LGBT-pride, diversity, dignity, self-respect, self-esteem, and cultural awareness.

The Sinister Wisdom #74, Latina Lesbians Edition event is free and open to the public. Light refreshments and hors d'oeuvres will be served. A Different Light bookstore is located at 8853 Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood.

To order copies of SW 74 please write to Fran Day, Sinister Wisdom, Inc., at .
For more details on the event, please contact Joanna Gerber, Director of Communications and Public Relations at (310) 578-1080 x119 or Joanna_Gerber@AntiochLA.edu

Additional information on Antioch University Los Angeles can be found online at www.antiochla.edu.
###

Get your copy of Sinister Wisdom 74 at Atomic Books.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/pages/Femmethology/55323285990?ref=ts

http://femmethology.com/

Femme--an identity that has caused controversy, celebration and ridicule--is now the topic of a two-volume set from Homofactus Press and editor Jennifer Clare Burke titled Visible: A Femmethology. Femmethology calls the LGBTQI community on its own prejudice and celebrates the diversity of individual femmes. Award-winning authors, spoken-word artists, and totally new voices come together to challenge conventional ideas of how disability, class, nationality, race, aesthetics, sexual orientation, gender identity and body type intersect with each contributor's concrete notion of femmedom.

Note: I don't know much about CARE itself, although I really like their mission statement.

--Chree
 

===

War has ravaged the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for more than two decades. Almost 5.5 million are dead. Untold millions have been brutally attacked, mutilated and displaced.

Women and young girls, in particular, are singled out for one of the most heinous tools of war — rape.

Speak out now and tell Congress to stand up to gender-based violence and pass the International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA).

IVAWA will increase protection and services for women and girls facing gender-based violence, and direct more U.S. funding to violence prevention abroad. Do your part today and tell Congress to support IVAWA.

CARE staff has been on the ground in the DRC working with local community members to address the causes and consequences of violence against women and girls; however, much remains to be done to address this humanitarian crisis. Please, tell Congress to take action now and do everything in their power to stop the rape of women and girls in war-torn regions around the world like the DRC.

The targeted nature of this violence, especially in the context of war, is devastating. Rape survivors' scars and other physical disfigurements tell only half the story — the emotional traumas that accompany them are unfathomable. You can help protect women and young girls around the world from gender-based violence — send a letter to your member of Congress today and urge them to pass the International Violence Against Women Act.

Thank you for your support.

Sincerely,


Helene D. Gayle MD, MPH
President and CEO, CARE
===

GABRIELA Network (GABNet) is taking part in the 16 Days of activism against gender violence which happens each year from November 25 - December 10. Our goal is to arouse, organize, mobilize, and incite women to take action against gender violence.

We will be blogging, protesting, writing, and educating in our communities wherever we have chapters. Please join us! Comment! Take part in the action! We have 16 days to illuminate the injustices of gender violence. Here we go!

Please email losangeles@gabnet.org with any questions or more info.

http://16daysofgabnet.tumblr.com/

P.S. Watch for an upcoming statement by INCITE! LA about ending gender-based violence.

=====

Also, just an announcement about an upcoming community meeting, December 6.

http://www.wlbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=9315082&nav=2CSf

Students can't talk about President-Elect Obama

Posted: Nov 7, 2008 08:34 PM

Updated: Nov 8, 2008 12:46 PM
2008 Elections better organized and executed
Students not allowed to speak about Pres. Elect-Obama

By Julie Straw - bio | email

PEARL, MS (WLBT) - Teachers are prohibiting students from talking about President-Elect Barack Obama. WLBT's newsroom has been flooded by calls and emails from angry parents in several cities. These parents say their children were threatened with suspension if they said Obama's name or wore clothing that supports him.

A historic presidential election leading to the appointment of the United State's first African American President Barack Obama has everyone talking, but students at some Mississippi schools are being prohibited from doing just that.

"It's like they've taken their rights way," said Natalie Taylor. She decided not to show her face because she is afraid of retaliation against her son who attends Pearl Junior High School.

"He told me he was warned by one of the teachers before school started that he could not mention the name because he would get in trouble," said Taylor.

Taylor's calls to the school principal have gone unanswered. "I thought Mississippi had come a long way and for this to happen? It is unbelievable," added Taylor.

We received this statement from Superintendent John Ladner; "As adults and professionals we are not going to deprive anyone of their excitement over the current election of President-Elect Obama, or any other candidate. The whole nation was excited, and in no way and at no time will children be disciplined for saying the name of the President-Elect of the United States. Any employee who would attempt to do that would be corrected and disciplined. We expect professional behavior, respect and demeanor of staff and students. It is unfortunate that some employees mishandled this situation, but they have been disciplined and I have spent the day clarifying our policies."

"Racism at its best, that's really what it is," said Paula Loften of Magee. She has two children in the Simpson County School District in Magee. She is angry that students are not allowed to wear any clothing that supports the new President-Elect.

"One student was sent home to change because she had on a Barack Obama T-shirt and on the back it said "yes we can," said Loten.

Magee High School teachers read a memorandum in class the day after the election. It stated, "Seeing history in the making and being a part of that process is a wonderful thing. Many of you are excited because of this. Others are not. It is absolutely critical that we not use this election as a divisive event. We should respect one another by not saying or doing things in the wrong way that would take away from this historical event and possibly cause a disruption here at school. Celebrations at school that cause disruptions are not acceptable and against the law therefore, this should not occur. Please by mindful of this and respect one another regardless of differences in opinion." Simpson County school officials say a disruption on campus led to the statement.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi is also expressing concern over violations of students' ffree speech. The ACLU is encouraging students and parents to contact the group if they are subjected to or witness any form of restrictions on speech, discipline, or santions in response to protected speech activities. Call (601) 354-3408 or 888-354-ACLU (2258).

Did a bit of a friends cut. It was a hard one, because this round I lost folks I've known on here for years. I just know I've been scrolling through lots of stuff and not really commenting or even reading well and missing out on important stuff because I'm scrolling too fast. Grad school PWNS me. So vaya con dios and see you round the ether. XOXOXOXOXOOXX

What a year. I swear I've lost friends and allies left and right first with the Hillary/Obama thing and now with the Prop 8/Black people thing.

It really makes me crazy to hear the shit going on right now. I mean REALLY, people! You would think folks would know better, but no. The larger gay movement [and I say "gay" and not LGBT or "queer and trans" purposefully] really reminds me so much of the white feminist movement. Assimilate, separate, annihilate anyone too different, and sell each other out in an appropriated three-snap flash. The people at the bottom are still the people at the bottom, and it's no different with the gays. They'll sell out transfolks, too-queer queers, queers/transfolks of color, poor queers/transfolk, sexworker queers/transfolk, and queers/transfolk with disabilities faster than you can say, "Mary." And that's especially true if you're Black.

It turns my stomach to see how quickly pretty much everyone seems eager to sell Black people down the river to inch their way up. Disgusting.

To that I say: I am queer and I am not Black. And I will NOT accept this from the hegemonic gays. Fuck you all. We win nothing if we do it at our brothers' and sisters' expense. There are only a few situations in which I advocate an us/them polarizing standpoint, and this is one of them. If THEY create the polarization in order to further their own agenda? Then it's us vs. them.

Get your game face on, Gay America, cuz we're fighting back.

So, HQ is saying that they're not conceding until the provisional and absentee ballots are in, but that doesn't mean it won't pass or that this protest is unneeded. If you can make it, please be a part of the momentum that's building!

Emergency Protest & Rally
No More Hate! Overturn Prop. 8!
Equality for All! Same Sex Marriage Rights Now!

This Saturday, November 8, 6pm
Gather at Sunset Junction in Silver Lake
Corner of Sunset Blvd. and Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles 90029
Map and directions   Public transportation   

Endorse the Nov. 8 Protest   Download flyer for distribution   

All progressive people who stand for equality and against discrimination should come out this Saturday in Los Angeles to protest the passage of California' Proposition 8. The well-funded right-wing campaign of bigotry is trying to push millions of LGBT people back into the closet. We can't let this happen. Everyone should have the right to marry. The LGBT movement and its allies won same-sex marriage rights and only a militant movement will ultimately prevail. Gay or straight, documented or undocumented; Black, Latino, Asian, Arab or white—Prop. 8 is a slap in the face of equality for everyone. Let's unite and fight back! An injury to one is an injury to all!

An Injury to All
Civil rights are non-negotiable and must be enjoyed by all same-sex couples seeking to marry. Millions have gone to the polls to vote for same-sex marriage rights. Now the fight must go on. Together we will win.

'Till Every Battle's Won
The well-funded forces of bigotry and discrimination think they have turned back the clock of history. Wrong! The struggle for full equality for the LGBT people will continue until the right to marry is won—in California and under federal law throughout the U.S.

Stand Up! Fight Back!
The victory at the polls by opponents of civil rights for LGBT people will not stand. From Stonewall to full equality, our movement is growing as millions say "yes" to marriage equality. With greater unity and greater determination, the fight must and will go on. Victory is certain.

No to bigotry and homophobia! No to sexism! No to racism! Equal marriage rights now!

For more info call 213-251-1025 or email answerla@answerla.org.

--------------------------------------------------

A.N.S.W.E.R. Coalition
Act Now to Stop War and End Racism
213-251-1025
http://www.answerla.org
answerla@answerla.org
137 N. Virgil Ave., #201
Los Angeles, CA 90004
Join us at ANSWER meetings - contact us to get involved!

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A.N.S.W.E.R. COALITION LA (Act Now to Stop War & End Racism)

TO DONATE CALL 213-251-1025. YOU CAN USE MC/VISA OVER THE PHONE OR MAIL CHECK TO ANSWER-LA, 137 N. VIRGIL AVE, #201, LA, CA 90004

TAX DEDUCTIBLE CHECKS OF $50 OR MORE CAN BE MADE TO
PROGRESS UNITY FUND

EMAILS ARE OBTAINED THROUGH ANSWERLA.ORG. THIS IS A LOW-VOLUME LIST WITH EMAILS 2-4 TIMES PER WEEK.

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Tim Wise breaks it down:

First and foremost, please know that none of these victories [related to Obama's win] will amount to much unless we do that which needs to be done so as to turn a singular event about one man, into a true social movement (which, despite what some claim, it is not yet and has never been).

Read the rest here:
http://www.racialicious.com/2008/11/05/good-and-now-back-to-work-avoiding-both-cynicism-and-overconfidence-in-the-age-of-obama/#more-2031

(I love how he talks about cynicism.)

SisterFire began as a successful national women of color multimedia arts tour in 2004. This weekend, Young Women United (an INCITE! affiliate in Albuquerque, NM) and the INCITE! Los Angeles chapter are keeping the sister fire lit, bright, and fabulous by producing SisterFire events in their local communities!!  Below is more information…

 

SISTERFIRE IN ALBUQUERQUE, NM

YOUNG WOMEN UNITED

 

Sister Fire is almost here!  Only three days away, it'll be here before you know it!  Sister Fire only comes but once a year, so don't miss the revolutionary art of the Women of Color movement.

 

This Saturday, October 25, 2008
7:00pm to 10:00pm
Doors open @ 6:30pm

Sheryl M. Williams Stapleton African American Performing Arts Center
310 San Pedro NE
At the New Mexico Fair Grounds

$10 Suggested Donation
For more info call 505.831.8930

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

 

SISTERFIRE IN LOS ANGELES, CA

INCITE! LA

 

PLEASE DISTRIBUTE WIDELY.  SAVE THE DATE ~ THIS SUNDAY OCTOBER 26, 2008! THANK YOU!

 

Call out to Womyn & Trans People of Color, Family, Organizers, Activists, Artists, Lovers, Intellectuals, Parents, Survivors, Community, Warriors, Healers, Comrades, Musicians, and Friends... We invite you to SISTERFIRE LA.

 

It all started In 2004, INCITE! organized SisterFire, a national women of color multimedia arts tour that traveled across the U.S. INCITE! members organized SisterFire because of how powerful cultural work can be. SisterFire was a very successful project with that drew hundreds of women of color in Portland, OR; Bay Area, CA; Los Angeles, CA; Albuquerque, NM; New Orleans, LA; Seattle, WA; Washington, D.C.; New York City, NY; Chicago, IL; and Pierre, SD. Young Women of United (YWU), an affiliate of INCITE has also been doing a yearly Sisterfire annual event in Albuquerque, New Mexico and now successfully organizing their 5th this year in 2008. Also, in New York City, the Sisterfire NYC collective was born from the original Sisterfire. (check out http://incite-national.org/index.php?s=56 )

 

Now, INCITE! LA Women of Color Against Violence, the LA Chapter of INCITE, brings you SISTERFIRE LA, a Womyn of Color and Trans People of Color multimedia art perfomance showcase, organized by and for Womyn of Color. This event is co-sponsored by the Education Department and Celter for Cultural Fluency, Mount St. Mary's College. Please check out www.myspace.com/incite_la  for further details, if you have specific questions please email at l.a.incite@gmail.com  We are asking Donations of $5-$10sliding scale, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

 

When: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2008 Doors open at 3:30pm-Show starts @ 4pm

 

Where: Donohue Center, Mount St. Mary's College, 10 Chester Place, Los Angeles, CA 90007

Between Hoover & Figueroa, Enter from St. James Place

 

Emcee by: D'Lo 

Performances By:

Jungli

Ching-in CHen

S Aakash Kishore

Honey Crawford

Reina Fukuda

Felicia Montes

Alicia Virani

Miwa Lyric

and More.....

Visual Art By:

Sarah Zia Ebrahimi

Toni Cannon

Sunshine

Ajtun

Tani Ikeda

Mujerez de Maiz

and More........

 

 

          

 

Graphics by Favianna Rodriguez, http://www.favianna.com/

 

For more historical info about SisterFire, please visit:

http://incite-national.org/index.php?s=56

 

 

~~~

INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence
PO Box 226
Redmond, WA 98073
phone: 484-932-3166
incite_national@yahoo.com
www.incite-national.org

INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence is a national activist organization of radical feminists of color advancing a movement to end violence against women of color and their communities through direct action, critical dialogue and grassroots organizing.