not so mainstream… mainstream media

Glamour Magazine, a relatively mainstream women’s publication recently published an article on the experiences of one transgender person… Just Another Girl (Who Used to Be a Boy) http://www.glamour.com/sex-love-life/2010/04/just-another-girl-who-used-to-be-a-boy. While the article offers a rather positive perspective on the struggles of transgender people, it is nonetheless a step that at least some in the transgender community appreciated, when the level of violence and discrimination against transgender people remains high, and sometimes seems to be increasing.

For something far more lighthearted, an interview with Ellen Page about abortion, roller-derby and many things in between. http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2010/apr/04/ellen-page-interview

de-ale romanticizarii si exotizarii prea des intilnite

“Ce misto e viata de tigan” la un beso

[…] Si ma tot gandesc, ca intr-o tara in care “Inima de tigan” bate toate ratingurile, “tiganca imputita” e atat de acceptat….

Si ca tot scriam aici de minoritati, un articol interesant pe tema romi si vizunea romantic-idioata asupra lor (si nu numai) de g.m.tamas.

referinte recomandate de asemenea:

“Sexy-minoritati” @ un beso

“Hei, ţigane!” de G.M. Tamás in Observator Cultural

[…] Cînd cei care se află sus le recunosc celor de jos meritele care n-au de-a face cu Raţiunea, atunci este vorba întotdeauna de subjugare.

Nu a fost oare lăudată timp de milenii frumuseţea femeilor, disponibilitatea lor amoroasă, cuvioşia, smerenia lor, dragostea de mamă, în timp ce li se negau capacităţile raţionale şi chiar sufletul uman? Oare nu e ilustrată şi astăzi, în revistele onorabile, orice temă despre femei cu imagini seminude ale unor fete frumoase? Oare nu apreciază orice idiot homofob meritele designerilor de interior, ale creatorilor de modă, coaforilor sau cîntăreţilor de operă homosexuali? (Care sînt conotaţiile? Senzual, alunecos, frivol, fapt divers, secundar.)

Nu sînt oare emoţionaţi adepţii romantici şi conservatori ai ierarhiei şi ai sistemului de caste de truda agricultorului, care lucrează din zori pînă la apus? Ei sînt de fapt emoţionaţi de hărnicia lor simplă, de „frăţia cu natura“, de umilinţa lor superstiţioasă şi de supunerea faţă de preoţi şi stăpîni. Oare nu se înduioşează şi jurnalismul burghez de disciplina şi rezistenţa celui ce lucrează din greu?

Poporul este, precum ştim, o adunătură de fraieri de bună credinţă, atîta timp cît agitatori nemiloşi, pe ungureşte lelketlen izgatók („subversivi fără suflet“ – expresie minunată de pe vremea monarhiei cezaro-crăieşti), nu îi îndeamnă la grevă.

De minte, raţiune şi de aripile imaginaţiei conceptuale cei asupriţi şi prigoniţi nu au parte. (Critica intimă nazistă a „hiper-raţionalităţii“ evreilor nu este nici ea altceva decît mirarea că cei condamnaţi îşi permit să gîndescă – chiar mai mult, îşi permit să gîndească conceptual.)

Susţinătorii romilor văd foarte des în aceştia (la fel ca în indienii americani sau în eschimoşi) o enclavă premodernă, precapitalistă, şi astfel găsesc în ei pretextul pentru exprimarea antimodernismului şi a anticapitalismul lor romantic. Evident, după părerea lor, acest lucru nu e valabil în privinţa noastră, a albilor. Albii sînt, desigur, moderni şi raţionali. Ce putem asculta la întruniri antirasiste? Muzică ţigănească, folclor. Ce iubesc la romi cei care pretind că îi iubesc? Obiceiurile poetice, credinţa, legendele, melodiile, muzicalitatea religioasă. Inima, nu mintea. Romul (precum şi femeia, indigenul sau cel cu pielea colorată) este ori infantil, ori de o „sălbăticie nobilă“. Este nestricat, nereglementat, spontan, needucat, instinctiv. Într-un cuvînt, iraţional.

Convieţuirea cu romii (a se înţelege: siguranţa albilor alături de romi) trebuie să fie un compromis între indivizii raţionali (cei care respectă regulile juridice şi sociale) şi protejaţii lor iraţionali şi infantili. Evident, conform „elitei“ albe. Conflictul milenar dintre sedentari şi nomazi colorează acest lucru. Limba străină, predominarea oralităţii, portul tradiţional, călăritul – lucruri cunoscute din mitul nobilului beduin şi din povestea despre ultimul mohican, precum şi din dulcea şi nostalgica complezenţă a westernului în privinţa genocidului. […]

o resursa: Dosta! / Is this a stereotype?, Stereotye n° 10: Women

fw: European Feminist Forum publishes “A Herstory”

Over the past several years, feminist women and men throughout Europe came together to meet as part of the European Feminist Forum. In the European Feminist Forum, they exchanged ideas about issues that face women in Europe today, with the goal of creating a new European feminist agenda. The discussions are now collected in the book “A Herstory (2004-208)”. Download the book (PDF)

The new Europe

Women in Europe still often do not enjoy the same opportunities as men. And the newly expanded Europe brings with it entirely new challenges – a new dynamic in the area of economic migration, for example, and also an increase in the trafficking of women from Eastern Europe.

Time for a new feminist agenda
Continue reading

May 17, International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia / Moscow marchers arrested. Appeal to boycott Eurovision

today is International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (“IDAHO”)

news from Russia: “Moscow marchers arrested on IDAHO. Appeal to boycott Eurovision”

Up to 80 people arrested as Moscow anti-riot police use violence to break up Slavic Pride march

Boycott Eurovision, say Pride organisers
Pride organiser Nicolai Alexseyev to be kept at least 2 days in jail

more

also, this year IDAHO highlights transphobia: below is an appeal that can be signed: add your voice!

“Join 300 organisations in 75 countries, 3 Nobel Prize Laureats and many more. Sign our International Appeal to Reject Transphobia and to Respect Gender Identity”

THE APPEAL: (SIGN IT HERE)

Reject Transphobia, Respect Gender Identity: An Appeal to the United Nations, the World Health Organisation and the States of the World [PDF]

Continue reading

about not walking on eggshells

“Walking on eggshells”: an excellent, profoundly thought-provoking essay @ The F-Word

Where’s the liberation in walking on eggshells? Where’s the empowerment in feeling equal only to adolescent boys and women?

So what happens if I not only leave the realm of object, if I focus on men but I’m not deferential, submissive or flirtatious either? I have stopped walking on eggshells as much as I can bear to. I follow my fear into situations of potential male violence and disapproval: situations where passivity, acquiescence and submission feel safer or more appealing than taking control. I take note. […]

To be treated as an equal I need to say what I want, express all the things I feel about men, even if some are critical, do what I want, and above all stop walking on eggshells and start tackling men. All that and accept – welcome – his disapproval and anger because it means I’m finding something out about him. I’m finding out if he wants a human or an object. And when I don’t get control, disapproval and anger I know I’ve found equality.

by Alex Brew, author “Asking for It” project, cofounder FemAdLib Kolektiv

five sexist trends the advertising world just can’t shake

This was a big year for women: The first serious female presidential candidate, the first predominately female state senate, the first female Top Chef. Yet the advertising world has not caught up to the advances of half our population and continues to use stereotypes and violence to prey on our most vile desires. Here are the worst of them–the trends that won’t die despite our cultural outrage, and personal boredom.

read the article

scrisoare deschisa catre clubul fire

Scrisoare deschisa trimisa de catre o fata…

Stimati administratori si nu in ultimul rand, oameni. Obisnuiam sa-mi beau cu placere cafeaua sau berea in cadrul clubului Fire, pana nu demult. Pana in seara asta (joi, 30 octombrie), cand am aflat ca va avea loc un concert a unor persoane de care nu as fi vrut sa aud vreodata.
Niste oameni (daca pot fi numiti asa) care isi vand muzica prin umilirea altor oameni, mai precis, prin umilirea femeilor.Astfel de persoane, care promoveaza violenta intr-un mod atat de evident … si brutal, nu fac decat sa ma raneasca, sa ma umileasca si sa-mi afecteze stima de sine, ca femeie, ca OM.

restul scrisorii se poate citi aici

Upcoming screenings of “Trial of a Child Denied”

“Trial of a Child Denied: An investigation into the coerced sterilization of Roma women in the Czech Republic”

Document 6 Film Festival
Friday 17th October at 9.30
Centre for Contemporary Arts Sauchiehall Street
Glasgow, Scotland

The Frontline Club
Preceded by a short feature – Sanctuary directed by Lovejit Dhaliwal
Followed by Q&A with director and producer of Trial of a Child Denied, Michelle Coomber and Dana Wilson
Tuesday, 21st October, 7.30pm
13 Norfolk Place, London, W2 1QJ

Golden Wheel Film Festival
29th to 31st October (exact date TBA)
Skopje, Macedonia

fwd from c.

violence at bosnian gay pride

“Historic Pride Event in Sarajevo Canceled” @ WOC PhD

It took only one night of violence at the historic Gay Pride Festival in Sarajevo for the events weekend long schedule to be shutdown.

prideakcija3.jpg
(Organization Q Awareness Graffiti 2007)

250 people attended the opening night event yesterday to celebrate queer sexualities and equality. 70 men stood outside the event throwing rocks and yelling homophobic slurs. A small group of these were Muslim chanting about offense on Ramadan, while 12 others came from the anti-gay group Horde of Evil. The latter yelled “death to gays” and smashed the window of the Sarajevo Academy of Art while throwing rocks at art exhibit windows.

Although the event was heavily policed, and officers were able to push back protesters the violence did not end there. Several people returned at the end of the night to beat up attendees as the left. Some were even dragged from their cars. At least 10 people were seriously injured by night’s end.

5 men face charges. That is less than 10% of the total protesters involved in homophobic verbal assaults and an untold percentage of those involved in the physical violence later.

The message, which began with posters saying “Death to Gays” and escalated through the Muslim Imams and then across religious and secular political parties, including acting members of the government, condemning the event, was clear: constitution or not, the queer community is not safe in Sarajevo. This sentiment backs up an earlier study of queer life in the post-conflict region that said gay people were being actively harassed and beaten and/or feared for their lives at night on the streets in parts of the region.

Svetlana Djurkovic, a member of one of the NGOs who planned the event, announced that it would be canceled. She had initially hoped the event would highlight human rights and encourage people to think of what they have already survived because of intolerance and make the connection to why homophobia is equally unacceptable.

see earlier news: “Death Threats in Sarajevo on Eve of Pride” also on WOC PhD

and a “Report from Queer Sarajevo opening”

sarajevofest.jpg On September 24th, the first Queer Sarajevo Festival was opened.
The opening started with a magnificent exhibition at the Academy of Arts. The turnout was great, it was so genuine and touching at the same time.
There were more than 300 people at the opening, and their sexual orientation was of no relevance, as well as their religion or their sex and gender. The most important thing was that they were there to support a great event, a fabulous festival, wonderful people. Art, joy, life, freedom…

However, the reality was not very bright. In front of the Academy, just before the very opening, a group of aggressive religious extremists started gathering. There were about 150 of them, holding stones, some of them with knives, even guns.
Seven activists and visitors of the festival , as well as one policeman have been injured. These people have been brutally attacked and have suffered severe injuries.
These groups of extremists were following people to their cars, pulling them out, kicking and hitting them. They also pulled one of the taxi drivers out of his car, told him to back off and started kicking the people in the car. They hit a young man so hard that they broke his nose and continued kicking him him with a gun, after which the man lost consciousness.
Few more people were attacked and suffered head injures. One man suffered internal bleeding.
The police has registered the festival as an event with a high level of risk, but unfortunately have not treated it as such. The police have allowed 100 to 150 football hooligans and religious fundamentalists to push their way through to the very enterance of the Academy. Then, the private security guards had to deal with the situation and the extremists.
The police didn’t even care to disperse the crowd and the gathering which had not been previously announced. This is a great failure of the police.

Again there was not only a failure to grasp who the endangered party was, but the violence was also allowed and supported.
The great responsibilty of the police and the institutions that have not reacted timely and properly, allowing football hooligans and religious fundamentalists to gather will not be undermined. They claimed that thay couldn’t have stopped them due to the freedom of movement.

If this is the case, then why don’t queer people have the right to freedom of movement?

After QueerBeograd festival, where I have experienced the same example of intimidation and violence, where people have been brutally beaten up, here I am in Sarajevo at the first proud Queer festivalu and I am reliving the same story, where it is being said that a person who is beating me up has the right to walk freely and kill me. And I am being pushed into a room and victimised just for being a lesbian, a queer feminist and a proud activist.

Well, there will be no stopping, we will keep on living, rejoicing and fighting.

despre decretei

recent, am reusit sa vad si eu filmul “decreteii”. din pacate nu se poate viziona nicaieri online, dar aici se gasesc un fragment din film si comentarii (in engleza) de la unul din doctorii intervievati in film.

eu nu ma asteptam ca documentarul sa fie atit de bine realizat… mai jos sint citeva opinii, dintr-o discutie cu o amica:

… legat de filmul decreteii, a avut comentarii:) filmul intr-adevar ofera multe informatii, e un documentar care tb facut si da, e bine lucrat. Apar in film multe de stereotipurile de gen, regizorul a consultat-o mult si pe [Gail Kligman] care a documentat teoretic toata povestea cu avortul si e specialista feminista pe tarile din esteul europei.

Dar pe de o parte trateaza avortul, arata drama femeii dar povestea de ansamblu e a copiilor care au fost nedoriti. Adica tratezi avortul, care a fost o mare trauma colectiva a femeilor, si scoti in fata copii nedoriti care l-au raspurnat pe Ceasca. Si daca e ceva simbolic, se putea inventa o poveste a femeilor -asa de fundal, care sa lege povestile individuale. Adica pe scurt, problema mea e ca povestea de fundal, backup, e scoasa in fata drama copiilor. Defapt, sunt doua variante de film: una in care apare mlt la final si drama copiilor cu handicap crescuti lasati sa moara in orfelinate, una fara. Si, da e o mare problema ca, copiii cu handicap erau pur si simplu ucisi, dar asta din nou e alt subiect care ar mertita documentat separat. Abandonul copiilor in institutii, la fel…

da, … nu e un film doar despre drama femeilor. motivul pentru care mie mi se pare ok totusi e ca subiectul filmului e avortul si decretul 770 SI cum au afectat societatea, contextul “comunist”, cum s-a terminat perioada aia etc. – e logic sa vorbeasca si despre “decretei” si dupa parerea mea nu e o ignorare a dramei femeilor, dimpotriva. da, e drept ca sint mai multe aspecte combinate in film care ar putea fi si trebuie sa fie tratate (si) separat. Continue reading