Getting to Zero!

Tomorrow is World AIDS Day! This year, the worldwide theme is "Getting to Zero." The goal of this theme is to achieve three targets: zero new HIV infections, zero discrimination, and zero AIDS-related deaths. These goals are impressive, almost to the point of being intimidating. How can we possibly eliminate the stigma associated with an AIDS diagnosis? How could we ever prevent all AIDS-related deaths, in addition to all new diagnoses?! I think the ambitious goals of 2011 are designed to be a wake up call to the world. YES, it would be impossible to achieve these things with just a few people. BUT think of what we could do TOGETHER! If everyone unites to contribute a portion of their time and passion to the cause on December 1st, imagine what we could accomplish. Getting to Zero? WE CAN DO IT.

The Women's Center has been preparing for this day of strength and remembrance for quite some time now. As always, we will have a beautiful panel of the AIDS quilt hanging in the Berrie Center all day for students to visit and pay respects to. Pamphlets and information will also be available all day. In the evening, keynote speaker Anthony Rapp will be speaking (also in the Berrie Center). Anthony Rapp is best known for originating the role of Mark in RENT, and can be seen here performing "What You Own" with Adam Pascal. "Without You: A Memoir of Love, Loss, and the Musical RENT" is anticipated to be the perfect closing to World AIDS Day at Ramapo. Tickets are available at Roadrunner Central for only $5. After the show, Anthony Rapp will stay to meet audience members and sign copies of his book. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet a broadway legend!

Please do involve yourself in World AIDS Day in any way you can--together, we really can beat AIDS.

OCCUPY L.A. says stop evictions

Los Angeles protesters are asking the courts to address the reason they are being deprived of public forum. On Monday, November 28th a complaint sent that protesters felt they were unconstitutionally being deprived and wanted their access granted.

According to CNN Wire Staff, the city police are forming an anti-camping provision for the protesters due to all the chaos the protest is causing. At the opening of Twilight there were so many people on the sidewalk camping out the street had to be closed. A city council member stated, "Each of these 'camping' events is highly publicized in the media, takes place in highly-trafficked areas and could not possibly be an unnoticed and unintentional exception to enforcement of the municipal code." With all the protesters outside of Occupy Wall Street getting their stories out why would the actions of these people against the system be denied the same right to get noticed. These protesters are not only demonstrating within their first amendment rights, but they feel they have been forced to do so. Authority telling these protesters they cannot perform such acts, or that they are being outrageous, is their opinion, and doesn't matter. They aren't taking into consideration the pain these people are going through and the detrimental effects this denial of access has been to them.

With all the other problems that L.A. has going on the only one they care about is the fact that people are being peacefully disobedient to unjust laws. They are portraying these actions for a response which authority is giving them. However they are attending to the issues that are not at hand as in how dirty the parks have become or how many people are in the way instead of thinking WOW that is a lot of people out there maybe we should do something. The primary concern is not about the people as it should be, but instead they are worried about just getting the people out of the way. They are not protesting so that you say let's move them but so that you say let's help them. With anybody being subject to getting arrested, the allegations of health and safety issues and the police rallying to get rid of these people soon cities will have to get further involved, what would you do to make history when they come for you? This movement is outstanding and for so many great reasons they deserve to get what they wish and if it ends we are all in danger injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere- Martin Luther King Jr.

Thoughts on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving. A holiday based upon food, awkward family interactions, and getting a few days off from school. At least, that's what it always meant to me. I've spent many a Thanksgiving eating myself to sleep in my most comfortable sweat pants while actively trying to ignore the conservative jargon that is thrown around my family's dinner table. However, for many, Thanksgiving isn't about grabbing all the rolls before one of your other siblings can. It's a reminder that the history of our county, like anywhere else, isn't always completely factual. So many things that we're taught growing up are sometimes left unquestioned, but this Thanksgiving, maybe it's time to think about what you're really celebrating.
I was taught that Thanksgiving is a time to give thanks (duh) because the Pilgrims gave thanks to God for having the Native Americans bring them food to survive the winter. Even if this story was completely factual, and the Native Americans and Pilgrims did sit around a giant wooden table covered in green bean casseroles and canned cranberry sauce, this brief hiatus in their conflict wouldn't have last long. In fact, in some Native American cultures, Thanksgiving is a day of morning for their ancestors who lost so many so the early English settlers could prosper. In this sense, is it right to celebrate this holiday by having a third piece of pumpkin pie? The Native Americans who tried to help the settlers were often shot, clubbed to death, or wiped out by disease. They lost many while the settlers thrived.
Think about it tomorrow so you're sitting down to a delicious meal. I'm certainly not saying to stop celebrating Thanksgiving (it's my favorite holiday), but maybe as you're giving thanks for your friends, chocolate, family, and health, think about all the Native Americans who lost their lives for you to be here... then eat enough mashed potatoes to feed twelve people.

Planned Parenthood and Thanksgiving

Check out this article by Planned Parenthood regarding reproductive rights and health, and how to broach the subject at Thanksgiving dinner. This topic is often hard to talk about on any other day, so on a major holiday it can be even more difficult. Families with diverse viewpoints and ideologies gathering at one location can be a breeding ground for arguments, so learning how to effectively navigate these conversations while maintaining peace is important. Give it a read, and maybe it will help diffuse tension or open new doors for families at Thanksgiving!

You Can't Evict an Idea Whose Time has Come

ATTENTION RAMAPO:

If you've managed to stay away from all forms of news media, including our own school newspaper, over the past two months, here's the deal about the Occupy (Wall Street) Movement:

Over two months ago a diverse group of Americans took to the streets in nonviolent protest of the gross inequalities and wealth mal-distribution that have come to characterize our country. The original encampment, at Liberty Square (Zuccotti Park) in Manhattan, has served a model of community organizing, direct democracy and nonviolent insistence that something is wrong and our world needs to change. The catchy slogan of "We are the 99%" has spread across the country and around the world.

No, there is not a central list of demands. No, there are not "Occupy" political candidates. That's part of the point. The Occupy Movement, especially in light of recent evictions and worldwide solidarity protests, proves that the anger is global - the problem is structural - and the answer must be as well. We will not stop until how we think about wealth, about community action, about governmental responsibility and about personal restraint for the good of all (do you really need that fourth Porche?) has radically changed to match the needs of all people. The Occupy movement is bigger than any one movement - bigger than environmentalism, bigger than feminism, bigger than the push for true LGBTQ+ equality, bigger than immigration rights, bigger than healthcare reform, bigger even than financial regulation. The Occupy Movement is about building a better world where people matter more than profits and common respect for all individuals replaces divisive identity politics on the right and the left.

Check out these additional resources about OWS:


The Guardian: OWS and wealth distribution in the U.S.

OWS.org: Day of Action 11/17

OWS.org: The World is With Us!

- One of the 99%

Death in the Desert!

Fred Pleitgen and Mohamed Fadel Fahmy, CNN states that hundreds of African refugees have been released from captivity in the Sinai Peninsula and allowed to cross from Egypt into Israel, shortly after the CNN documentary Death in the Desert aired detailing the horrendous conditions the migrants face.

The documentary exposed human trafficking in Sinai of people from Sudan and Eritrea. Their were women being raped, servants being abused and organs being extracted, something known as organ harvesting. These horrible traffickers were enslaving these people and if they did not abide by their rules were killing them in an abundant amount. There was a graveyard formed to hold these deceased slaves and after CNN released this film speaking of such issues surrounding these countries over 600 slaves were freed. It is sad that it took them to see what they were doing as wrong until the public got involved. African refugees have had human rights activist fight for their freedom for years in groups like New Generation Foundation for Human Rights and EveryOne Group, an Italian non-profit organization. Some have died dedicating their lives, reaching out for help and now their is finally a film to express the pain.

As a community, society, a nation we should act as CNN did and expose situations like these not only when it comes to sexual violence and abuse but to all injustice. Serve your community and make others aware. Unfortunately had it not been for a big name as CNN these odious events would not have been discovered. However, if we make the efforts we can raise awareness about issues like these in our everyday lives. One voice can lead a nation, one action can save a life, one person you reach can lead to a movement. Take a stance and stop oppression everywhere.

Let's Be Real.

Have you ever seen an ad featuring a model that has obviously been photoshopped? I don't know about you, but that always strikes me as false advertising.


See what I mean? Is that really necessary?

Granted, the product itself may be represented accurately, but there is still that undeniable feeling that the company is lying to us. If the point of the ad is to feature the product, then why does the model need to be tweaked at all? This question goes into some deep issues about body image and the "ideals" presented by the media. I won't address this topic here and now, but rather the fact that governments across the world are finally taking notice of this ill effects photoshopped models are having on the young populations of all nations.

Just recently in Norway, it was proposed that all photoshopped advertisements must have a disclaimer printed at the bottom. The goal is to make it evident to the audience that the model in the photograph is not necessarily an accurate representation of the model in real life. A similar law was proposed in France, where the penalty would be up to half of the cost of the campaign. If there is anything that will make businesses obey laws, it's a hefty fine like that! The United Kingdom has had success with their slightly different version of this idea. There, photoshopping is BANNED from all ads with a target audience of people sixteen years or younger. All other ads must feature a disclaimer. Thus far, two companies have had their ads banned due to failure to adhere to these new regulations. It is too soon to say whether or not these policies are effective in regards to young people's ideas of body image, but I believe the simple recognition that photoshopping pictures of models is a negative thing is a step in the right direction. Let's keep on making steps like this!

If you are interested in reading more about this topic, a more detailed article can be found here.

"Buffy" slaying inequality way ahead of it's time.

“Buffy the Vampire Slayer” is my favorite show of all time. It is the first television show that I really followed week to week, up until the show’s series finale in 2003. While I was admittedly a little young for the show, they seemed to tackle difficult issues in a way that I could comprehend, and also have me the action sequences that I so craved as a middle school student.

One of the things that “Buffy” did way before it’s time was have a queer couple majorly featured on the show. In fact, the relationship between Willow and Tara was groundbreaking for the time, including the first same-sex kiss featured on prime time television at the time. What is even more impressive is how much creator Joss Whedon cared about this relationship- not using it as merely a ratings booster or to get straight male viewers into the show. In fact, the first time the couple kissed on screen was in Season 5 episode “The Body” when Willow was mourning the death of a family friend. Tara kissed her on screen to comfort her; a true expression of affection and love that was not sexualized in anyway.

I’ve written on this blog throughout the years about queer portrayals in shows like “Glee” and “Grey’s Anatomy”, but none have affected me, and television as a whole, like the first one represented in “Buffy”. To queer television followers: if you haven’t checked out the show before DO IT! You’ll be pleasantly surprised at how accurately and respectfully queer folks are portrayed in the show.

Breastfeeding: A Social Norm or Taboo?

A trending topic in today’s news is the story of a mother who was in a court and began breastfeeding her 5 month old, only to be “called out” by the judge for being “inappropriate”. Mom Natalie Hegudus had brought her newborn with her to the court hearing because the child had an ear infection, and when he became hungry, she moved to the back of the courtroom, covered her breasts and began feeding. When the court bailiff noticed what she was doing, he wrote a note to the judge. When Hegudus was called up, the judge condemned her behavior and asked if she thought it was appropriate. The mother responded, “Considering the fact that my son is hungry, and he's sick, and the fact that it's not illegal, I don't find it inappropriate ... And the judge said something to the effect of 'It's my court, it's my decision and I do find it inappropriate.’”
This topic of breastfeeding in public is something that I never really agreed with. Although it is totally legal to do so, I never felt it was socially acceptable for women to expose themselves in public. Even if a mother is covered up, I still always find it a tad awkward.
For people who are in support of breastfeeding in public, there is an organization called National Alliance of Breastfeeding Advocacy. This group advocates for women at the state and federal levels and gathers statistical information from reports of women who have felt discriminated against because they choose to nurse in public.
So what’s your feeling on this subject? Is women breastfeeding in public totally normal or a taboo?

Personhood and Feminism

This week local elections were held across the country*. Two ballot initiatives in particular received national attention: Ohio’s “Issue 2” would repeal the law enacted by Gov. John Kasich which greatly limited the collective bargaining rights of public employees, and Mississippi’s “Initiative 26” would define fertilized embryos as persons under the law – meaning abortion would be legally considered murder in that state. Labor supporters passed “Issue 2” in Ohio (Four for you Labor! You go Labor!) and Mississippi’s anti-abortion effort failed.

Several articles I have read about this ballot measure have included some line to the effect of: if this had passed it would have sparked a renewed debate about abortion. I think it has to some degree regardless, and I think it raises some challenging questions for the “third wave” feminist movement. Third wave is all about choice, right? Our generation of feminists champion personal expression, freedom of all peoples, individual agency and autonomy and all that awesome jazz. Right?

In my experience, unfortunately, even feminists and choice advocates can fall into the trap of “I respect you and your rights and your opinions – unless you disagree with me.” Let me just say, if you support “pro-life” measures doesn’t mean you are automatically and necessarily anti-woman or anti-feminist. I know pro-life feminists: the idea of life beginning at conception is a religious issue for many people and you can support equal pay, equal access, gay rights and many others things while holding this religious belief. Conversely, you can believe life begins at conception for religious/spiritual reasons and still be pro-choice (I am). My point is that not everyone is pro-life or pro-choice, Democrat or Republican (some of us are socialists), man or woman, etc. – life is complicated and everyone has the right to complex opinions.

On the question of personhood, I think legal definitions are tricky because all situations where the rights of more than one person (or groups of people) are potentially at odds are tricky. For example, if a fertilized embryo is a person, then when abortion is medically necessary to save a woman’s life, her doctor must consciously choose to break all sorts of ethics codes by letting a patient die (and face mal-practice suits) or break the law by terminating the fetus. That’s a shit choice without the hovering penalty of a murder charge. I’m glad the ballot measure failed because I think implementing that sort of law would be incredibly problematic and it may have fueled the anti-choice fire, encouraging other pro-life advocates to bring similar extreme measures in their states.

The world is too small for us to keep up these divides. We need to be able to talk to each other without screaming, cursing or condemning. If our generation wants to be serious about feminism and human rights, we all need to remember that everyone is human – even when they piss us off.


*For more information about the local level elections, click here.

- One of the 99%

Thoughts on the Situation at Penn State

The internet is abuzz with activity surrounding the issues that have arisen at Penn State, namely the firing of university president Graham Spanier and decorated football coach Joe Paterno. The two men, along with other officials, were implicated in having knowledge of child sexual abuse perpetrated by a former football coordinator. As it seems, Paterno was given information that the perpetrator in question, Jerry Sandusky, was seen sexually assaulting a child at the school. Paterno took the information to his officials and apparently never pursued anything beyond that initial report. Last night, in response to the news of Paterno's firing, Penn State students began to gather in the streets, rioting and protesting the decision given Paterno's long tenure as a football coach.

In what world is a man's status as a sports coach more important than holding people accountable for the sexual abuse of children? His defenders claim he did his part by reporting what he knew to his supervisor, and his responsibility ends there. That is a load of garbage. When a person knows that children are being abused, they have an obligation to call the police to investigate the charges. The only previous response to the incident Paterno reported was that Sandusky was not allowed to bring kids to campus with him. How can a man continue to work with someone who has a documented history of abusing children? How could you look someone like that in the eye and not feel that you should do more to help the children that you KNOW are being abused? The students protesting Paterno's firing really shock me; how can someone think that football is more important than stopping sexual abuse? His past career as a coach, however illustrious it may be, is immaterial in this situation - the man knew abuse was going on and did not report it to the police. He was arguably one of if not the most powerful figures at Penn State, it would have been so easy for him to do more.

My heart goes out to those affected by the awful things that took place under the knowledge of those disgraced school officials; I hope people are able to get over their initial anger over the firing of a beloved coach to understand that it was the best thing to do (Even though it does nothing to remedy the abuses that occurred under his watch) and that there are much more important things in the world than football. For the future's sake, I really do hope people are able to do that.

Love yourself.

There was a time when I did not feel right within my own skin.
I felt as if everyone was staring at me because of my size.
I would have done anything to go from a size 18 to a size 6.
I stopped eating and started working out harder,
all that did was make me sick and not lose any weight.
My mother, being the kind woman that she is, saw that her child was going through something.
She sat me down to remind me how beautiful I am and that GOD made me this way, and said it’s a wonderful way to be,
that I’m no different than other women.
It was all in my mind.
So remember this: EVERY BODY IS BEAUTIFUL, AND THE WAY YOU ARE IS THE WAY YOU ARE MEANT TO BE. NEVER CHANGE.

I LOVE YOU FOR WHO YOU ARE AND YOU SHOULD TOO.

Riot Grrrl: Then & Now with Kathleen Hanna

Yesterday Kathleen Hanna delivered an awesome talk, called Riot Grrrl: Then & Now, at Ramapo.

She took the audience through the history of the Riot Grrrl movement, which came into existence very organically as the result of Kathleen and other awesome musically-inclined feminists trying to change the punk scene to one that was safer for women.

Through out the talk she asked the audience to think about our "breaking point," the moment(s) in our lives that inspire us to action. This, also, helped to put a lot into perspective for me.

I think my biggest breaking point was finding out that I could have had another aunt, had my family not lost her to depression and anorexia before I was born. Learning about my Aunt Jody as a teenager is what made me strong in the face of all the insecurities that growing up had to offer... it's what allowed me to love my body even when it was the last thing I wanted to do. Helping other people to stop hating their bodies and themselves as well is what initially drew me into the Women's Center and feminism.

Volunteering at the Bergen County Rape Crisis Center is another sort of breaking point. Each time I speak to a survivor or someone close to someone who has been assaulted I am reminded again why this work is so important. Being able to help someone feel even just a little bit more empowered after an assault is such a powerful thing, despite how emotionally taxing it can somehow be.

I have a million breaking points, if I am being honest. Each day seems to bring a new reason to keep fighting, keep working to change the world around us... yet each day also brings new reasons to feel tired and burnt out. It can be a struggle sometimes.

Luckily for me, at the speech Kathleen also gave some of the best advice I have ever heard in regards to being an activist without burning out. Towards the beginning of the presentation Kathleen spoke about volunteering at a shelter in Olympia, helping survivors of sexual and interpersonal violence. She talked about how important that work is, but also how draining it is. When she recognized herself burning out Kathleen decided to try and make her work more sustainable, by injecting something she loved (designing flyers, zines, making music...) into the mix. This combination of advocacy & art is what eventually helped to inspire the Riot Grrrl movement.

(Did you know that the people involved didn't call it Riot Grrrl at first... that was actually the name of a zine that a few of the original Riot Grrrls were producing. When the press started calling them Riot Grrrls, because it was catchy, they just went with it!)

Kathleen encouraged those of us in the audience to figure out what makes us angry, what we want to change, and then to figure out how we can combine that with something we never tire of doing to help create powerful actions that we can sustain. This honestly blew my mind... to realize that Kathleen and the other awesome people involved in Riot Grrrl weren't setting out to create a MOVEMENT and CHANGE THE WORLD... they were just trying to do what they loved and make their communities a bit better.

They made history without even trying to.

I'm not sure about anyone else, but I know that when I think about the future I often find myself getting intimidated by the pressure I feel to make "something" of myself by making some sort of HUGE impact on my community. To realize that one of the people I have looked up to in my feminist journey never set out to become a major figure in feminism's history... she was just trying to make & perform music, but to do that she had to fight to make some major changes to the punk scene that was (and often still is) hostile towards women.

This may sound a bit idealistic, but to me the Riot Grrrl movement shows how people like you & me can come together and use our own unique skills to change our communities in meaningful ways. All it takes is recognizing our breaking points, and then doing something (anything!) about it.

So, I want to know... what's your breaking point? What do you want to change? And what's stopping you from getting out there & doing it?

(Check back in a few days for the video interview that Kathleen was nice enough to stick around for after the talk!)

Modern Familia

Saying that I love Modern Family definitely doesn’t fully describe my obsession. I adore almost every aspect of it. From the sharp, witty dialogue coupled with the extremely important message that there are so many different kinds of families out there, and that’s okay. You can have two moms, two dads, a mom and a dad, or one parent, and your family doesn’t have to be labeled as “dysfunctional” or weird. I was extremely young when I became one of the many children of divorce all over the world, so maybe that’s why I find a lot of comfort from a show that’s trying to change how society views families. In Catholic school, I can remember being in a debate about gay marriage. My teacher made the argument that a lesbian couple shouldn’t have a daughter because a little girl, in order to develop into a well adjusted woman, needs a father figure. This was appalling to me because in one sentence, a teacher told me that I had no chance at having a normal adulthood because I had an absent father. Looking back at it now, I realize how trivial that really is. I, like many other people, might be missing a person from my family, but there’s still a whole lot of love there. And isn’t that more important? I think that’s the great thing about Modern Family. It depicts a group of people who fight with each other, like a normal family, but will also always fight for each other. It shows that you can love whomever you want, in whatever way you want, and you still have a family at your back to annoy the crap out of you. Plus, it’s just freaking hilarious, so if you haven’t already started watching it halfway through this great blog post, START NOW!

Women's Center Coffee Talk

If you're free this Monday at 2pm, you should try to check out the Women's Center's weekly Coffee Talk. Every Monday we have a new topic related to our mission to discuss, with delicious food and drinks! This upcoming Coffee Talk is going to be based around Disney and its depictions of race and gender in its feature films. Check out these videos to get a feel for what is going to be discussed!

Looking at pop culture from a feminist point of view is always interesting, and these movies are well-ingrained in our country's culture. Many people our age have grown up with these movies, so taking a more critical look at them can be both fun and eye-opening. I know that I watched Disney all the time as a child, so when I started to realize as I grew up that certain things in the movies were sexist/racist/etc., it kind of made me feel differently about these hallmarks of family animation. I have reached a point where I feel I can appreciate the artistic/cultural importance of certain movies, but while still remaining critical of the more negative aspects present in them. Although Disney may never quite live up to feminist ideals, that does not mean we should not analyze their works and push for less discrimination and stereotypes in popular media. Since their movies impact children at such an early age, it is important for everyone to take a step back and look at these beloved films through a different lens.

This discussion is sure to be a great one! If you like feminism or Disney (Or even just coffee!), definitely try to make it to this event!

(Click to enlarge!)

Feminism in YOu and Me!!!

Feminism, a word that once meant empowering women, creating equal rights for all, pursuing strength in the community has been ignored and even disclaimed by the new generation. When a man believes women should have equal rights why are they bashed for being a feminist or even dehumanized as a man? Why is it when a woman expresses her desire for equal rights for woman she most often follows it up with “but I am not a feminist?” It has come to a point where women are judged and misrepresented by a title created to bring women and men together not single us out. The title has swayed so many people away from the idea of feminism, and created a stigmatized symbol of negativity in the feminist movement.

Misconceptions about feminism cause blurred ideals of what a feminist is and what their appearance may be. What does a feminist look like might you ask? According to the stereotypes we would believe in order to be deemed as a feminist you must be loud and abrasive, a man-hating lesbian, give up makeup and skirts, stop shaving everything, and abandon your religion. Now as it may be realistic that some feminists choose to behave and appear in this manner, but they should not box all feminists into this category of behavior. A woman or man should not be judged, discriminated against, or misrepresented because they believe in equal rights. Also, if feminists did all happen to look and behave in such manners, they have the right to be. If the characteristics I stated above were the actual representation of a feminist is that a legitimate reason to disclaim your beliefs? Has society become so dazed by image and so afraid to be different that we deny our true feelings and silence our opinions because we are seen as “weird.”

I believe feminists come in all shapes, sizes, colors, ethnicities, those who shave, and those who don’t: by all means are we really characterized by our arms and legs. It has been a fight for so long to provide equality, be respected as women, and be seen as a powerful force in the world, and to be along side men, maybe even ahead of them, but definitely not behind them. Stereotypes are negative and insulting to any group, feminists included. A core belief within the ideals of feminism lies in personal choices and individuality. No woman or feminist fits neatly into any mold; feminists celebrate the personal freedom to look, live, and just be the way that they are most comfortable. What does a feminist look like to you? It can be me, you, your brother, uncle, mother, grandfather, grandmother, no one is rejected from believing in rights to all.

The Women's Center on the Internet!

Check out this blog post that our publicist, Jill, wrote for xoJane.com about safer sex & condoms. That picture ought to look kind of familiar... our condom box is internet-famous! :)