March 2012
Just a reminder for everyone.
Some femmes are dominant and some butches are submissive. Some men have vaginas and some women have penises. Sometimes what you call a clit is called a dick by it’s owner, and sometimes a dick is really a clit. Some straight men want to be penetrated and some straight women want to do it. Sometimes people aren’t men or women at all and sometimes genitals aren’t a black and white issue. Sometimes people are different to you, and always will be, we need to accept this.
13 Year Old Jada Williams Persecuted by the Rochester City School District Over her essay on Frederick Douglass. →
fdfny.org
“On Saturday, February 18, 2012, the Frederick Douglass Foundation of New York presented the first Spirit of Freedom award to Jada Williams, a 13-year old city of Rochester student. Miss Williams wrote an essay on her impressions of Frederick Douglass’ first autobiography the Narrative of the Life. This was part of an essay contest, but her essay was never entered. It offended her teachers so much that, after harassment from teachers and school administrators at School #3, Miss Williams was forced to leave the school.
We at the Frederick Douglass Foundation honored her because her essay actually demonstrates that she understood the autobiography, even though it might seem a bit esoteric to most 13-year olds. In her essay, she quotes part of the scene where Douglass’ slave master catches his wife teaching then slave Frederick to read. During a speech about how he would be useless as a slave if he were able to read, Mr. Auld, the slave master, castigated his wife.
Miss Williams quoted Douglass quoting Mr. Auld: “If you teach that nigger (speaking of myself) how to read, there will be no keeping him. It will forever unfit him to be a slave. He would at once become unmanageable, and of no value to his master.”
Miss Williams personalized this to her own situation. She reflected on how the “white teachers” do not have enough control of the classroom to successfully teach the minority students in Rochester. While she herself is more literate than most, due to her own perseverance and diligence, she sees the fact that so many of the other “so-called ‘unteachable’” students aren’t learning to read as a form of modern-day slavery. Their illiteracy holds them back in society.
Her call to action was then in her summary: “A grand price was paid in order for us to be where we are today; but in my mind we should be a lot further, so again I encourage the white teachers to instruct and I encourage my people to not just be a student, but become a learner.”
This offended her English teacher so much…”
February 2012
“I’ll get us that oil from Canada that we deserve.”
—Mitt Romney, during his victory speech Tuesday night. WTF? (via politicalcanuck)
A Radical Transfeminist: Things I'm Expected To Do for Cis People in Return for Their Not Hating Me: An Angry List →
radtransfem.tumblr.com
After seeing bidyke’s remix of sanctimonioussilentagony’s list, I thought I’d sketch out the beginnings of one for transsexual folk. Improvements welcome:
- Answer any and all questions about my body and my medical treatment no matter how invasive
- Answer questions about my partner’s sexuality
“
I was a winger for years, and we can discuss that particular psychosis at a later date, but what I can explain to you right now is that they fucking hate you.
They just do.
They hate you because you respect gay people as normal human beings.
They hate you because you respect African-Americans as normal human beings.
They hate you because you respect Asians, Latinos, and everyone else who isn’t a straight white male.
They hate you because you respect a woman’s right to choose.
They hate you because you respect the right of people to be with who they love.
They hate you because you respect the right of anyone to adopt a child.
They hate you because you respect international law.
They hate you because you believe in economic and tax fairness.
They hate you because you respect the right of anyone to worship any way they want.
They hate you because you respect scientists and their collective knowledge.
They hate you because you respect teachers and the work they do educating Americans.
They hate you because you respect the human dignity of every American.
They hate you because you respect the rights of people over corporations.
They hate you because you respect nature and think we have a duty to take care of the environment.
They hate you because you respect your right to vote, and they don’t think you deserve it.
They hate you because you respect the constitution and the rule of law.
They hate you because you respect laws against torture.
In short, they hate you. Period.
They masquerade their bullshit in the words of Jesus and the all-knowing free market, but it is transparent what motivates them. Not love for their fellow man, not love for their fellow citizen, not love for country- what motivates them is hate for the other.
You.
” —John Cole, “They Fucking Hate You” (via icantbelieveitsalawblog)
WOW…
(via nonplussedbyreligion)
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Lawful Access, But Were (Understandably) Afraid To Ask →
michaelgeist.ca
Remember when the Conservatives were all about getting rid of the long form census because it was an invasion of privacy? I’ not sure how the fuck you spin this exactly. It’s a one giant bill full of creepy-ass-creep.
Canadians on tumblr, pay attention to this. This is a really massive and unprecedented expansion of police surveillance capabilities. If you’re not the political type and therefore figure this doesn’t affect you - well, you’re most certainly wrong, because this new legislation allows the police to acquire the names and addresses of everyone who was near any given location on a given date, with no court oversight, just on general principles.
Walk past a protest march or find yourself at a street party turned violent? Congratulations, you could now be a person of interest, with no judicial oversight and no recourse.
Bill C-30 is absolutely terrifying and frankly requires far more attention than the copyright bill (not to say the copyright bill is not problematic, but BILL C-30 IS REALLY PROBLEMATIC EXCLAMATION MARK EXCLAMATION MARK ELEVENTY ONE!)
It’s kind of scary how often I think this, but god, I hope the Supreme Court of Canada saves us from this one. The idea that we remove judicial oversight by allowing police the ability to retrieve this data without a warrant is concerning, never mind the idea of real time tracking, the fact that this invasion of privacy is to occur after the long-gun registry is being scrapped due to privacy concerns, as was the long-form census.
TL:DR: Harper Government, you are hypocritical, inconsistent and you are scaring me.
To speak out against Bill C-30:
- Ontario Privacy Commissioner Ann Cavoukian has a form to send a message to your MP
- Open Media is running a petition
(from the blog post linked above)
“Only hang around people that are positive and make you feel good. Anybody who doesn’t make you feel good, kick them to the curb. And the earlier you start in your life the better. The minute anybody makes you feel weird and non-included or not supported, you know, either beat it or tell them to beat it.”
—
Amy Poehler (via funkyfest)
Great advice.
(via becauseiamawoman)
“The U.S. and its Western allies are sure to do whatever they can to prevent authentic democracy in the Arab world. To understand why, it is only necessary to look at the studies of Arab opinion conducted by U.S. polling agencies. Though barely reported, they are certainly known to planners. They reveal that by overwhelming majorities, Arabs regard the U.S. and Israel as the major threats they face: the U.S. is so regarded by 90% of Egyptians, in the region generally by over 75%. Some Arabs regard Iran as a threat: 10%. Opposition to U.S. policy is so strong that a majority believes that security would be improved if Iran had nuclear weapons — in Egypt, 80%. Other figures are similar. If public opinion were to influence policy, the U.S. not only would not control the region, but would be expelled from it, along with its allies, undermining fundamental principles of global dominance.”
—
Noam Chomsky: Article (via stay-human)
And, if anyone is remotely surprised by this? you have not been paying attention.
(via politicalcanuck)
Odofemi: Xtra Exposed →
odofemi.tumblr.com
This afternoon I happened to be sitting on a train on the way home from a conference when I overheard a conversation. My friends and I tried to ignore the people who were talking loudly, until we heard one of them nearly shout, “We’re not transphobic!” A silence fell over me and my…
“People talk about sexual assault like it’s a bad habit that men have.”
—Jon Stewart (via deathofadollmaker)
Play
“When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living in society, they create for themselves, in the course of time, a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.”
—Frederick Bastiat (via sexgenderbody)