[zina lf-ro#2] Despre stereotipuri cu Guerilla Girls

Stereotipurile feminine sunt asemeni tic-tac-ului pe care il auzi zilnic de cateva zeci de ani al unui ceas de perete: te obisnuiesti atat de mult cu ele incat uiti ca exista, dar devin suparatoare cand le constientizezi. Sunt atat de bine imprimate in mentalitate si, pe deasupra, nu fac parte din nici un cod al vreunui limbaj corect politic incat e extrem de greu de scapat de ele. Cand trebuie sa descrii o persoana de sex feminin, vei folosi aproape inevitabil unul dintre ele. Am intalnit chiar si feministe “cu experienta” care le folosesc cu nonsalanta. Sigur, se poate spune ca exista si stereotipuri masculine, cine nu a auzit de “baiatul mamei”, “himbos” sau ca “toti barbatii sunt porci”? Dar turul stereotipurilor care urmaresc femeile “din leagan in mormant” pe care ni-l propun Guerilla Girls in Bitches, Bimbos and Ballbreakers te fac – asa cum spune si coperta – “sa razi, sa te enervezi sau poate chiar sa te razgandesti”.
Guerilla Girls pornesc de la ideea de diferenta intre stereotipuri si arhetipuri si atrag atentia ca, despre oricare dintre ele ar fi vorba, fie pozitive sau negative, canoanele pe care le presupun sunt rareori alegerea proprie a unei femei.
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some anti-violence history

from Rethinking Rape – A Site for Resistance and Activism:
(Laws and Definitions)

History of Rape Laws in the US:

In the mid-seventeenth century, Sir Matthew Hale introduced the idea of “a woman scorned” into English common law. The myth of the woman who is rejected by a man and then seeks revenge by falsely accusing him of rape remains prevalent in society even today. The creation of the myth of this vindictive woman serves to exonerate perpetrators of rape and in essence, perpetuate the notion that real rape is a rare offense that occurs between strangers. Until the 1970’s in America, jurors in rape cases were read Hale’s warning that although rape is a horrific crime “it is an accusation easy to be made, hard to be proved, but harder to be defended by the party accused, though innocent” (Reeves Sanday, 1996). Until only recently in our nation’s history, women in the United States were subject to male violence and had little to no recourse or any means of achieving justice.

The women’s movement of the 1960’s spawned the anti-rape movement which incited change in the legal arena and was the first time that acquaintance rape was identified and studied. Rape crisis centers, Take Back the Night marches, Speak Outs, feminist organizations, and published research accounts challenged the public’s ideologies regarding the definitions as well as the prevalence of the act of rape.

Rape law reform was an important aspect of the anti-rape movement. At this time, many traditional ideas and commonly held notions about rape were challenged; such as, the idea that the degree of a woman’s resistance was the deciding factor as to whether a rape occurred. Since the 70’s, resistance has become a less important determining factor in the law and the issue of verbal consent has become increasingly significant. The link between rape and alcohol, as well as other sedating substances, has only recently come into the anti-rape discourse and laws. Even today, the idea that a man could rape his wife is considered impossible to many in our society; in fact, marital rape remains noticeably absent from many state’s rape laws.

For a more thorough account of the evolution of rape laws in America check out Peggy Reeves Sanday’s amazing book: A Woman Scorned: Acquaintance Rape on Trial (1996)

OTHER HISTORIES:

More from the history of the movement, its impact on laws, policies and public views and attitudes, its successes and failures:
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[zina lf-ro#2] “Reimaginarea justitiei sociale de jos in sus: Includerea experientelor femeilor rome”

Pentru note de subsol, referinte si intregul text al lucrarii:
– http://projects.essex.ac.uk/EHRR/archive/pdf/51.pdf –
Alexandra Oprea, “Re-invisioning Social Justice from the Ground Up: Including the Experiences of Romani Women“

[Lucrarea se concentreaza pe excluderea femeilor rome din discursurile feministe si anti-rasiste dominante (in mainstream) in Europa. Aceasta excludere este atribuita intersectionalitatii si politicilor de identitate problematice. Autoarea discuta invizibilitatea femeilor rome perpetuata de programe si rapoarte ale organizatiilor ne-guvernamentale (ONG-uri) si explica absenta femeilor rome din discursuri rome si feministe, privirea ne-critica asupra culturii rome si vulnerabilitatea femeilor rome din Romania la violenta domestica. Textul pune accentul pe faptul ca analiza problemelor sociale trebuie facuta de jos in sus, luand in considerare experientele celor care intampina greutati multiple, cum ar fi femeile rome sarace. In concluzie, lucrarea discuta importanta recunoasterii privilegiilor ca fundatie a unor discursuri si a unei cercetari atotcuprinzatoare.]

Femeile rome neglijate de politicile anti-rasiste, politicile feministe si ONG-uri locale si internationale
Dinamicile care tin de rasa, clasa economica si gen plaseaza femeile rome intr-o pozitie precara, a carei consecinta sunt de multe ori casatoria timpurie, lipsa de acces la munca decenta, la servicii de sanatate si la educatie precum si o vulnerabilitate mai mare la violenta domestica. Date statistice dezagregate, o unealta esentiala pentru a adresa acest tip de subordonare structurala, s-au dovedit a fi greu de colectionat in cazul femeilor rome. Deoarece astfel de date sunt adeseori colectionate pe criteriul rasa sau pe criteriul gen, ele nu reflecta cu exactitate situatia femeilor rome. Excluziunea ubicua produsa de rasism, sexism si saracie inseamna de multe ori un acces redus la sfera politica pentru femeile rome. In afara de barierele de rasa, clasa si gen care le impiedica pe femeile rome de la a deveni activiste, odata ce au inceput sa-si implementeze propriile idealuri activiste anti-patriarhale, constructia problematica a politicilor de gen si rasa, in Europa si in alte zone, face ca, in cel mai bun caz, munca lor sa fie relegata la periferie. Cand femeile rome reusesc sa treaca peste aceste obstacole si sa participe in ONG-uri, ele descopera ca problemelor lor nu li se acorda aceeasi importanta ca problemelor “mainstream” ce ii privesc pe romi. Munca efectuata de femei rome pentru a combate tripla marginalizare nu este considerata a face parte din “politici rome”. De asemenea, nu i se acorda respect ca politica de gen, din moment ce priveste romnia [femei rome], care sunt considerate “tigani” si nu femei. Practic vorbind, discursurile feministe din Europa ignora existenta femeilor rome si altor femei minoritare atunci cand propovaduiesc doctrinele de “imputernicire” de gen. Cei doi termeni, “roma” si “femei”, au fost construiti in asa fel incat nu sunt considerati a avea intersectii.
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adresind violenta normalizata

doua initiative importante:

  • Nothing But Red
  • “Because it’s no longer enough to be a decent person. It’s no longer enough to shake our heads and make concerned grimaces at the news. True enlightened activism is the only thing that can save humanity from itself. I’ve always had a bent towards apocalyptic fiction, and I’m beginning to understand why. I look and I see the earth in flames. Her face was nothing but red.” – Joss Whedon, May 20 2007, Whedonesque.com

  • UK feminists — protesting against rape, male violence and injustice to women
  • Yet more evidence as to why the newly devised Anti-Rape Demonstrations are so important when the legal system actively condones and promotes male sexual violence against women and girls. No clearer message than this can be sent to all men and boys that they can continue committing rape and sexual abuse with impunity. As regards women and girls – well, make-up, clothing, sexual precociousness etc. are the REAL RAPISTS not men. Yet another male judge believes and actively condones myths concerning male sexual violence against women and girls. Continue reading

    Call for Papers : heterosexuality

    HETEROSEXUALITY
    Editor: Yasco Horsman
    Book Series: Thamyris / Intersecting: Place, Sex, and ‘Race’
    Publisher: Rodopi (Amsterdam / New York)
    Series Editor: Ernst van Alphen
    Deadline for Proposals: July 1, 2007

    “Thamyris / Intersecting,” a book series on place, sex and ‘race’ seeks contributions to an upcoming volume on heterosexuality.

    Heterosexuality has long been considered the norm, the unmarked category from which all ‘perversions’ deviate – in short, something that is in itself not in need of an explanation. With the emergence of queer theory in the 1990’s, and its insistence on the constructed and flux nature of all sexual identities, straightness itself was shown to be neither as monolithic nor as stable as had once been assumed. This opened the doors for a project that Calvin Thomas has recently dubbed ‘straight queer theory,’ a rigorous analysis of the cultural and social construction of heterosexuality that refuses to take sexual identity as fixed.

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    Radical cheerleaders need your help: fwd widely

    Dearest Ladyfest,

    Radical Cheerleading is often a part of workshops and performances at Ladyfests across the world and we were hoping for some help through your vast networks to get the word out about our project to document the last 10 years of Radical Cheerleading. Could you please post the following information on your myspace and/or pass the “call for submissions for the Radical Cheerleading Anthology” on to all those that you may think would be interested. Our first deadline for submissions is June 1st and is approaching fast.
    If you have any suggestions on how to get more publicity and involvement in our book through feminist networks we would most appreciate your advice. look fwd to your response.
    thanks so much.
    cheers, brackin firecracker, jeanne vaccaro, aimee and cara jennings
    please fwd/ post the following:

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    down the global feminist wire

    wikipedia, women, feminism links

    biblio for workshop:

    zine symposium in warsaw

    – announcement via chaosXgrrlz zine

    Grrrlz and boyz!
    On 19th of May we organize first zine symposium in Warsaw, and we wanna invite you for that event.

    Basically, a zine (pronounced “zeen”) is a publication that is created by someone – or a group of like-minded people – who wants to express themselves in a cheap, personal, DIY format. As a zine editor (or “zinester”), you have complete control over the production, design, and content of your zine. It’s pretty fun. It may surprise you, but in Poland zine culture is quite strong, and the symposium will be a great chance to get know about it a little bit more.

    On the whole world there are regular meetings of zine makers and zine lovers. Our zine symposium will be a party by which we wanna present the zine culture, independent book and comic publishings, distributions and zine makers and other paper-art creators. Also it which be a chance to get to know lots of independent initiatives and political, non commercial ideas.

    We plan a whole day, free entrance party, during which there will be some workshops, lectures, presentations, as well as exhibitions, film presentations, freeshop, zine reading room and, last but maybe most important, zine and book fair
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