Links round-up: Week ending November 5th

[also-warriors.livejournal.com]

Welcome to our new weekly links round-up. This is a compilation of items from the past week that may be of interest to VPers.
As a reminder, in lieu of trigger warnings, I use keywords describing the themes of the piece. Please skim these before deciding to read the excerpt or click through for the full article. Outside sources are not safe spaces, and mainstream source's comments should almost always be avoided. The links I highlight don't necessarily reflect VP's views, or even my own, for that matter. 

This week's round-up includes: Foreclosure firm threw a homeless-themed Halloween party; the trope of the unwed Black woman; Healing and unity at Occupy Wall Street; Racism at SlutWalks; a review of "What You Really, Really Want" by Jaclyn Friedman; a look at the Gay Lifestyle.

1. Top Foreclosure Firm Threw Homeless-Themed Halloween Bash at Gawker (Keywords: US, homelessness, foreclosure, banks, economy, lack of human decency, the Other )
   

   If you're one of the nation's top "foreclosure mill" law firms-- representing Citigroup, JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and Wells Fargo in their attempts to foreclose on homes and evict homeowners-- what better way to celebrate Halloween [2010] than by throwing a party where everyone comes as a dirty, homeless victim of your practice?




2. Three Feminists Talk About The Media’s Obessession With Unwed Black Women at Colorlines (Keywords: US, marriage, monogamy, romantic relationships, Black women )
   

   I think we’re at a point where there’s literally been a commercial commodification of black women’s expressions of pain or loneliness. Those are very real, if not always racially specific, difficulties that we’re having navigating relationships.
   This whole industry is approached from the idea that there’s something wrong with black women and that we need to be fixed. And even more offensively, "I can provide you the solution for that." Is Steve Harvey really the guy you wanna end up with? Like, truly, is that your ideal?




3. What does healing look like?: To all the white people talking about unity in the Occupy movement at Bodies of Story (Keywords: US, racism, "colorblindness," Occupy Wall Street, social justice, White privilege)
   

   The only way we can build this is if we only call healing what is actually healing: creating space to acknowledge our different experiences of global capitalism, of the economic crisis, of histories of economic crises that last for generations in communities of color. Yes, healing comes from unity, but not unity that only comes from silencing. It comes from unity that is built, that is carefully, slowly, and painfully constructed, by listening to each other and realizing we have a lot to learn. Unity-as-a-healing-process is built on spaces that center those most impacted by the systems of oppression that harm all of us. It doesn’t always feel good, it is not always easy and it is NOT constructed on anyone’s back or at anyone’s expense, or by leaving anyone behind and telling "them" "we" will "deal with their issues later, once we fix this more important thing."





4. Racism and Anti-Racism: Why they matter to SlutWalks at SlutWalk Toronto (Keywords: Canada, racism,the N-word, slurs, SlutWalk, whiteness)
   

   From the beginning of SlutWalk, this has been about fighting sexual violence and damaging ideas around victim-blaming and slut-shaming. We have supported an interrogation of the language used to address these issues and the idea that ‘slut’ can be, and has been in some instances (including years prior to any SlutWalks), reappropriated but this has never been something that everyone must agree with or support to participate in SlutWalk. People, sexuality and experiences of sexual violence are not monolithic, nor should identity be monolithic. We have always respected that many people hate the word ‘slut’ and do not want it used upon themselves in any way. We try to acknowledge the privileges we do have (if we are white, able-bodied, cisgendered, heterosexual, class privileged, etc.) and the oppressions we may face and in what ways this affects our activism and identity. We also support critical reflection and discussion around SlutWalk, because criticism is necessary in continuing to grow, evolve and do better.





5. A Sex Guide for Today's Girls at Salon via a contributor (Keywords: US, book review, Jaclyn Friedman, interview, sex, sexuality, SlutWalk)
   

   Too many books in this genre promise certain drive-your-man-wild tricks, or they take a side in the politicized debate over hookup culture. Friedman instead has one thing on her agenda: Getting girls to explore and embrace their own authentic sexual identities without shame, fear or guilt. Instead of arguing for empowerment through one-night stands or, conversely, abstinence, she leaves it up to young women to decide what it is that’s best for them. But she also offers guidance along the way, urging them to critically examine the social pressures and media messages that have shaped their understandings of sexiness, sexual fulfillment and love.


I am excited about this book, so here's another review



6. My Gay Lifestyle at Huffington Post via viellen (Keywords: US, gay, queer, satire)
   

   7:00 a.m. I wake up, and just as I have done every morning since puberty, I choose to be gay today. This will come as a great relief to my gay, homosexual, male lover who lies beside me. Because being gay is a choice, our relationship is a gamble day to day. Even though we have both chosen to remain gay and to be together every day for the past 16 years, we never take anything for granted. One of us just might throw in the towel one day and give up the lifestyle.

What have you been reading (or writing!) this week?

If you'd like to see an article included in next week's round-up, send me an e-mail at recidivist@vaginapagina.com . Non-US and positive links are especially appreciated. (I can't fit all the awesome links people send, but I'll try to post any that I don't include to Facebook, Tumblr, or Twitter.) You can also just take matters into your own hands and post in the comments!

Comments

[frolicnaked.livejournal.com]

I wrote a guest post over at Fit and Feminist called Hating Gym, Menarche Edition (http://fitandfeminist.wordpress.com/2011/11/02/hating-gym-menarche-edition-guest-post/) about my 9th grade PE teacher and the first appearance of my MenstroMonster.

Also, I'm starting a series of posts on the pelvic floor with this introduction to it.

(Also too, for anyone who's been reading, there's Unwisely: Part 5 (http://anytimeyoga.wordpress.com/2011/11/02/unwisely-part-5/) [relationship abuse, self-harm].) (http://anytimeyoga.wordpress.com/2011/11/06/core-anatomy-pelvic-floor/)

[fireaphid.livejournal.com]

I just read your menarche post and just wanted to offer you a big hug over the Internet. *hug* It reminded me of a lot of my own painful memories and made me wonder if VP has some centralized place for sharing menarche stories. I imagine that could be cathartic for a lot of people.

[atalanta0jess.livejournal.com]

I just read this story about "gaslighting" and how it makes women (and others, but the article is about women) see their natural and healthy reactions to things as "crazy," irrational, or stupid. (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/yashar-hedayat/a-message-to-women-from-a_1_b_958859.html?ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false#sb=1394815,b=facebook)