mici istorii feministe – din seria “povesti despre noi spuse de noi”

DESPRE MOBILOBIBLIOTECA FIA

pun mai jos un text din 2014, scris cuiva care parasise cercul de lecturi feministe dupa ce Claca a plecat in 2013 din spatiul de pana atunci al Bibliotecii Alternative unde noi am stabilit tot in 2013 Centru Feminist Sofia Nadejde si care povestea – cum faceau multi altii pe-atunci prin Bucuresti, cu diverse povesti si naratiuni de-ale lor despre noi – ca cercul de lecturi luase cartile FIA de la B.A…. naratiuni ce continua pana azi:

“stiu ca zici ca nu te intereseaza istoria asta, dar ca sa nu existe nicio neclaritate in privinta acestui punct din ea: nu a existat nicio “impartire a cartilor intre BA si FIA”.

cartile si zinele fia au fost intotdeauna cartile si zinele fia. aceasta “mobilobiblioteca” riot grrl, queer si feminista pe care am inceput s-o adunam din 2005 de la ladyfest timisoara a fost gazduita de biblioteca alternativa din aprilie 2010 cind 3 din noi din fostul colectiv ladyfest-ro (transformat prin 2008 in fia) ne-am implicat activ in grupul bibliotecii alternative, dupa care intreg proiectul fia a devenit cumva aliat acelui proiect si s-a intersectat dupa o vreme cu cercul de lecturi feministe, care se tinea la biblioteca alternativa. dar mobilobiblioteca a fost intotdeauna autonoma, cartile fia n-au fost niciodata printre cartile bibliotecii alternative, au avut cota separata, au fost impreuna intr-o sectiune separata, numita sugestiv “mobilobiblioteca fia”.

dupa retragerea citorva dintre noi de la cercul de lecturi feministe din grupul bibliotecii dupa ce am fost puse la colt pentru atitudinea necorespunzatoare de feministe lesbiene isterice si radicale prea sensibile la rasism si alte optiuni identitare, dupa separarea cercului de lecturi atunci cind biblioteca alternativa s-a transformat in claca si in sfirsit dupa plecarea clacii din spatiul existent si inchiderea in acel moment a bibliotecii alternative, claca a luat toate cartile care faceau parte din catalogul bibliotecii alternative iar mobilobiblioteca fia a ramas in acelasi spatiu.

decizia despre ce se intimpla in continuare cu mobilobiblioteca a fost luata de colectivul fia, de care apartin aceste materiale, astfel incit acum ele sint date in gestiune cercului de lecturi si centrului feminist [Sofia Nadejde].

colectivul fia este momentan in hiatus dar lucram la repunerea lui pe picioare, iar asta e strict treaba lui. in concluzie, e ok sa ai o parere, asta e treaba ta. dar nu e ok sa sugerezi in primul rind ca cercul sau eventual unele din noi au plecat cu carti din “biblioteca alternativa”, indiferent ca tu esti sau nu de acord sau ca ai fost vreodata.”

povestile din aceasta serie vor fi naratiunile noastre despre propria noastra experienta din vremea aia, pentru ca aceste povesti sunt necesare, pentru ca au lipsit pana acum, pentru ca sunt “studii de caz” si pentru ca experienta noastra poate ii va ajuta si pe altii.

new book: girls to the front … the true story of the riot grrrl revolution

Riot Grrrl roared into the spotlight in 1991: an uncompromising movement of pissed-off girls with no patience for sexism and no intention of keeping quiet. Young women everywhere were realizing that the equality they’d been promised was still elusive, and a newly resurgent right wing was turning feminism into the ultimate dirty word. In response, thousands of riot grrrls published zines, founded local groups, and organized national conventions, while fiercely prophetic punk bands such as Bratmobile, Heavens to Betsy, Huggy Bear, and Bikini Kill helped spread the word across the US and to Canada, Europe, and beyond.

Girls to the Front, the first-ever history of Riot Grrrl, is a lyrical, punk-infused narrative about a group of extraordinary young women coming of age angrily, collectively, and publicly. A dynamic chronicle not just of a movement but of an era, this is the story of a time when America thought young people were apathetic and feminism was dead, but a generation of noisy girls rose up to prove everybody wrong.

more about the book here: http://www.girlstothefront.com/

GRITtv: Kathleen Hanna: Three-Dimensional Role Model


Kathleen Hanna came into a music scene in the 90s that was angry, violent, and full of men. She and her bandmates in Bikini Kill, along with the rest of the riot grrrl movement, pushed back against that culture and helped usher in a new “wave” of feminism. After Bikini Kill, Hanna went on to make feminist dance music with Le Tigre and has kept pushing boundaries ever since. Recently, she donated her zine archive to NYU’s Fales Library as part of its new Riot Grrrl collection. She joins Laura (GRITtv) in studio to talk feminism, rock’n’roll, and why she’s hopeful for the future.

And for those who want to find out more about what Kathleen Hanna is up to, her blog is here!!!

changing things? opting out? (punk rock and hip-hop too)

interesting discussion over here: “It Ain’t Sexism, It’s Punk Rock!”

which goes over the same ground we covered in the past couple of years in discussions within the ladyfest collective:

and i’ve got “punk rock is ice cream-eating macho guys” and also “remember, kids, punks are macho!” :)
oh, yeah, and “ziua barbatului, yaaay” (with some examples of feminist punk guys/songs)

looking at the comments over at bastante already, i can’t help but be surprised (and kind of saddened) by how little of an opportunity people seem to have had for these kinds of discussions, how little information there seems to be out there about books like Pretty in Punk or even about the riot grrrl movement… again, i find “Results of a misspent youth” so useful to revisit:
Continue reading

interview lf-ro: “how to intervene”

Ladyfest Romania contribution to the book:
Are you talking to me? Discussion on Knowledge Production, Gender Politics and Feminist Strategies,
eds H.arta/Katharina Morawek

How to intervene?
Practices of her-stories

A conversation between Veronika E., Regina W. and Andreea, Ruxandra from the Ladyfest Collective Bucharest.

“A grrrl from Timisoara—who is involved in the local “underground” scene there—decided to start a Romanian Ladyfest after attending the one held in Amsterdam in 2003. Impressed by the premise of a feminist festival showcasing woman artists and by her whole Ladyfest experience, she felt that it would be a good idea to also try something like that, infused with the riot grrrl spirit, at home. Finally, in late 2004, she started planning the festival together with a girlfriend of hers who is the bass player of a political punk band from Timisoara and a few other grrrls they knew; in time the two of them were able to spread the word and get more help from several Romanian girls and women living in different regions and even outside of the country. Ladyfest Timisoara 2005 was a small scale event, but it was a much needed action that brought together Romanian feminists of various ages and younger ones especially, and everyone involved felt that it should be kept going. Afterwards, the organizing collective decided to stay together to plan more events and ultimately a second Ladyfest in October 2007.” Ruxandra

Ladyfest is one example of (re)claiming feminist/queer spaces through a collective process where different structures enable self educational space. For us Ladyfest is an intervention which re-appropriates and re-claims (public) space to inscribe an anti-discriminatory space to secure a feministic queer space that is able to provide structures through which “counter” knowledge is transmitted and produced. It can and should work as a tool, backed by a big network. There are different Ladyfest events with local priorities which are shaped by the people who plan it.
Most of them have in common that they are self organised gatherings with non hierarchical structures working non-institutionalised and including workshops, bands, talks, performances, debates, films, marches to struggle together against homophobia, sexism, racisms, anti-semitism, capitalism, discrimination…

The first Ladyfest in Romania was in 2005 in Timisoara. The second Ladyfest was organised in 2007 and took place in the capital of Romania. We talked with Ruxandra and Andreea about their experiences organizing Ladyfest Bucharest 2007…
Continue reading

Call for Rebel Girl, Rebel Worlds: An Anthology of International Grrrl Zines

Rebel Girl, Rebel Worlds: An Anthology of International Grrrl Zines

By Elke Zobl (Austria) with Red Chidgey (UK), Sonja Eismann (Germany/Austria) and Hayde Jimenez (Mexico/USA)

DO YOU PUBLISH A ZINE WITH A FEMINIST TAKE AND WOULD LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE TO AN INTERNATIONAL ANTHOLOGY OF GRRRL ZINES?

We are zine activists who believe that the cut’n’paste revolution is an important part of contemporary movements for social change; whether it’s talking about messed up beauty standards, how to change rape culture, or how to fix the wheels on your bike, zines are crucial documents for everyday change, empowerment, and education.

To create a living archive of feminist zines from across the globe, we are working on an overview of the international Grrrl Zine Network; bringing together primary documents on a wide range of topics with analyses of the strengths and challenges of the Third Wave feminist movement. Based on Elke’s web site GRRRL ZINE NETWORK – A resource site for international grrrl, lady, queer and trans folk zines, distros and DIY projects (http://grrrlzines.net ), we are compiling this anthology to document the variety and fierceness of pro-girl zinesters’ voices and are looking for your contributions!
Continue reading

international women’s day in bucharest

March 8th – Day of Women’s Activism vs Romanian Woman’s Day

8 martie – Ziua femeilor militante vs Ziua femeii in Romania  

9 martie, in Underworld, str.Atelierului nr 14 

WORKSHOP SUSTINUT DE F.I.A.

Pe tot parcursul serii va asteptam sa veniti cu idei creative pentru a face o zina ad-hoc. Pornim de la feminism si putem ajunge… oriunde! 

PROIECTIE FILM LIBERTARIAS (1996, regia Vicente Aranda)

Filmul prezinta dintr-o perspective feminista conflictul dintre fascisti si comunisti in timpul Razboiului Civil Spaniol, concentrandu-se pe un grup de femei gata sa moara pentru cauza lor. Tanara calugarita Maria se alatura gruparii anarhiste “Femei Libere” si ajunge sa adere la dorinta acestora de a crea o societate bazata pe libertate. 

Dupa proiectii, muzica si party.

9martiesmaller.jpg