1. 18 May



    The thing about cultural appropriation is that the appropriator does not have to face the same consequences that we do for practicing our culture or faith. For them, it is an accessory that can be taken on or off at will, while for us, it is a way of life. …in a society where immigrants and communities of color are marginalized at every level, we can’t pretend that power relations do not exist when we have this conversation about appropriation. Sharing and exchanging cultural and spiritual practices is great, but it gets more complicated when we’re not all on equal footing. It gets more complicated when meaningful things are taken, commodified, and exploited for a profit, with little respect shown to the community they were taken from.
    — 

    - Turbans on the Runway: What does it mean for Sikhs? by Sonny Singh Brooklynwala (July 10th, 2012)

    ^^^this^^

    (via thisisnotindia)

    (via fuckyeahcracker)

     

  2. 18 May


    (via marvelous-merbutler)

     

  3. 6 May



    Women who are too sexual aren’t taken seriously, and women who aren’t sexual enough aren’t taken seriously. Women who are conventionally attractive get valued solely for their sexual appeal; women who aren’t conventionally attractive get dismissed for their lack of it. Women who are conventionally attractive are assumed to be dumb bimbos; women who aren’t conventionally attractive are assumed to be either bitter or desperate. Women who are conventionally attractive get trivialized; women who aren’t conventionally attractive get treated with pity and contempt. We can’t win.
    — (via ceedling)

    (Source: zesticola, via stfusexists)

     

  4. 18 Apr


    missmisandry: Okay, while I’m always willing to pass on what I know, I usually prefer if people ask, rather than demand :) I guess to me, being an intersectional feminist is the simple matter of not being a douche bag. It’s about thinking about how your actions affect others, and how the words you say can either be inclusive of others, or exclusive. And you don’t want to be exclusive. Here are some tips that I try to follow on Tumblr: Follow a lot of blogs run by POC, particularly WOC and queer MOC. Many write posts regarding their experiences and the challenges they face. Read them. Don’t send them questions asking them to explain things to you, because they aren’t here to be your teachers. They’re here to have a safe space to write about their day, and they don’t need someone in their ask box asking to be educated about matters that are really important to them. I’ve seen many of them say that it’s mentally exhausting. So just read, and if you have a question—google is your friend.  If you see a post written by a POC (particularly WOC) pertaining to their struggles or their point of view regarding their own community, don’t jump in. It’s not your place.  Especially if you have different views. I don’t know for certain, but going by your icon, you look white. Which is cool, but just know that your opinion in these matters means nothing. You don’t have the experience or the understanding to comprehend what they are talking about. And a huge problem of white feminism is talking over WOC and their experiences.  I’m not saying you can’t reblog their posts— you can, as long as they’ve signified they’re okay with that post being reblogged. But just know that the moment you put a post on your blog, you’re responsible for what your followers do with it. If one of your followers is super racist on the post, it’s your responsibility to shut that shit down. You’re the reason the OP is getting hate on their post from that person, and you need to make it right. When criticizing men in the media for violence against women, or violent lyrics in music, consider who you are going after. If the only people you are attacking are Chris Brown and Tyler the Creator, consider why that is. Because even if you don’t think you’re being racist, if you’re giving passes to the likes of Sean Penn, John Lennon, Avenged Sevenfold, and Eminem, that’s a big problem.  When talking about the wage gap, keep in mind that the 77 cent figure only relates to white men and white women. The figures for WOC and MOC as related to white men are much lower.  DON’T compare any oppression you faced with things like slavery, lynchings, the Holocaust or anything like that. Don’t culturally appropriate, or excuse/celebrate people who do. Cissexism & Heterosexism Acknowledge the existence of trans* people and don’t leave them out of your discourse. Follow a lot of blogs run by queer people, and follow the same rules listed above about respecting their boundaries. Remember that not all women have vaginas, and not all men have penises. This is particularly important considering feminism’s tendency to relate penises with manhood. Having a penis =/= being a man. A lot of feminists will mock penises as a way to cope with living in the patriarchy, but that completely disregards women with penises. Trans* women are REAL women. Trans* men are REAL men. Jokes like “justin bieber looks like a woman!” are transphobic. Saying you can practically see a woman’s adam’s apple is transphobic. Respect a person’s preferred pronouns. If you don’t know, ask. If a person says they are agender or genderfluid, or any other gender configuration, then they are.  Know that marriage equality is a priority, but it’s not the most important issue regarding the queer communiity. Respect a person’s sexual orientation. They aren’t lying about who they are or are not attracted to. People have the right to act as masculine or femme as they want. Religion This is particularly important with Islam. Radfems LOVE to bag on Islam as a woman hating religion when that absolutely is not true. The vast majority of women who wear head coverings are doing so electively. In the words of Ainee, don’t confuse culture with religion. Respect the validity of other religions, even if they are not mainstream.  Body positivity Being fat is PERFECTLY OKAY. Fat people don’t owe their health to you. They can dress how they want, go where they want, do what they want and eat what they want without any judgment. The same goes for thin people, but know that thin people, while they will experience body policing to a certain degree, will never face the same kind of discrimination fat people do. Don’t compare the two situations. Body hair on women is not disgusting. Women have no obligation to shave their legs/underarms/genitals. Similarly, they don’t have any obligation to remain hairy if they’d rather shave. Disabilities and mental health Be really mindful of the language you use. Ableist language is something I personally struggle with. Words like dumb, stupid, idiot, lame and other things are ableist. Don’t describe yourself as depressed, bipolar, schizophrenic, or having any other mental affliction if you are not diagnosed so. It trivializes the experiences of those who are. Sex positivity As a feminist, you probably already have a pretty good idea about sex positivity. But you need to acknowledge that the way sexuality is applied to other groups is different. White women can participate in things like slutwalks without even realizing that words like that can be empowering for them, but have been used to shame and hypersexualize WOC from a young age. Ditto trans* women. Also note that people have the right to be nonsexual if they want to. There is nothing wrong with being a virgin or abstaining from sex. There’s nothing wrong with bdsm and other kinks as long as the people involved are consenting to it. Nothing is degrading if the person wants it to happen. Supporting sex work is great and all, and individuals who want to participate in sex work willngly should be supported. But in your support, don’t ignore the fact that many people are forced into sex work and are not consenting in what is happening to them. Classism/education Don’t assume that because somebody hasn’t had a formal education they are somehow less intelligent than you. Their points are still valid, and often stem from personal experence, which is a thing no classroom can teach you. Dictionary definitions don’t mean shit. Because something was written in a history book, it doesn’t mean it happened that way. History is written by the oppressors. When advocating for a more eco-conscious lifestyle, remember that not everybody has the ability or resources to live the way you are suggesting. It doesn’t make them a bad person for doing it. A couple of other things: Know that you’re going to mess up. You can try as hard as possible not to, but it’s going to happen. You’ve been raised with several privileges that pretty much guarantee you’ll fuck up once. If someone calls you out for it, don’t get defensive. Apologize and learn. And don’t do any of those bullshit apologies like *I’m sorry you got offended* because that puts the responsibility on the person you upset. Just apologize for what you did and learn from it. Hell, I’ve probably fucked up a gazillion times in this post without realizing it. Recognize that none of the categories above are exclusive. There are black muslims and disabled trans women and Latin@ bisexuals and all the combinations in between. Don’t ignore their existence. Don’t be offended by posts calling white people crackers, or saying things like ‘die cisscum”. They are writing things such as that for a reason and no matter how much it might sting to read, nothing they write in their posts will ever inflict the amount of pain they have suffered in their lifetime just for being different than you. Don’t be a radfem and look down on women who choose more traditional lifestyles. Their choice to get married and have kids is just as valid as whatever choice you make for yourself. In the future, don’t come to me to tell you how to deal with groups I am not part of. I have absolutely no authority to tell you what will or will not offend people. I can only tell you what will or will not offend me. And last thing, feminism doesn’t mean jack shit if you’re not intersectional.

    missmisandry:

    Okay, while I’m always willing to pass on what I know, I usually prefer if people ask, rather than demand :)

    I guess to me, being an intersectional feminist is the simple matter of not being a douche bag. It’s about thinking about how your actions affect others, and how the words you say can either be inclusive of others, or exclusive. And you don’t want to be exclusive.

    Here are some tips that I try to follow on Tumblr:

    • Follow a lot of blogs run by POC, particularly WOC and queer MOC. Many write posts regarding their experiences and the challenges they face. Read them. Don’t send them questions asking them to explain things to you, because they aren’t here to be your teachers. They’re here to have a safe space to write about their day, and they don’t need someone in their ask box asking to be educated about matters that are really important to them. I’ve seen many of them say that it’s mentally exhausting. So just read, and if you have a question—google is your friend. 
    • If you see a post written by a POC (particularly WOC) pertaining to their struggles or their point of view regarding their own community, don’t jump in. It’s not your place.  Especially if you have different views. I don’t know for certain, but going by your icon, you look white. Which is cool, but just know that your opinion in these matters means nothing. You don’t have the experience or the understanding to comprehend what they are talking about. And a huge problem of white feminism is talking over WOC and their experiences. 
    • I’m not saying you can’t reblog their posts— you can, as long as they’ve signified they’re okay with that post being reblogged. But just know that the moment you put a post on your blog, you’re responsible for what your followers do with it. If one of your followers is super racist on the post, it’s your responsibility to shut that shit down. You’re the reason the OP is getting hate on their post from that person, and you need to make it right.
    • When criticizing men in the media for violence against women, or violent lyrics in music, consider who you are going after. If the only people you are attacking are Chris Brown and Tyler the Creator, consider why that is. Because even if you don’t think you’re being racist, if you’re giving passes to the likes of Sean Penn, John Lennon, Avenged Sevenfold, and Eminem, that’s a big problem. 
    • When talking about the wage gap, keep in mind that the 77 cent figure only relates to white men and white women. The figures for WOC and MOC as related to white men are much lower. 
    • DON’T compare any oppression you faced with things like slavery, lynchings, the Holocaust or anything like that.
    • Don’t culturally appropriate, or excuse/celebrate people who do.

    Cissexism & Heterosexism

    • Acknowledge the existence of trans* people and don’t leave them out of your discourse.
    • Follow a lot of blogs run by queer people, and follow the same rules listed above about respecting their boundaries.
    • Remember that not all women have vaginas, and not all men have penises. This is particularly important considering feminism’s tendency to relate penises with manhood. Having a penis =/= being a man. A lot of feminists will mock penises as a way to cope with living in the patriarchy, but that completely disregards women with penises. Trans* women are REAL women. Trans* men are REAL men.
    • Jokes like “justin bieber looks like a woman!” are transphobic. Saying you can practically see a woman’s adam’s apple is transphobic.
    • Respect a person’s preferred pronouns. If you don’t know, ask.
    • If a person says they are agender or genderfluid, or any other gender configuration, then they are. 
    • Know that marriage equality is a priority, but it’s not the most important issue regarding the queer communiity.
    • Respect a person’s sexual orientation. They aren’t lying about who they are or are not attracted to.
    • People have the right to act as masculine or femme as they want.

    Religion

    • This is particularly important with Islam. Radfems LOVE to bag on Islam as a woman hating religion when that absolutely is not true. The vast majority of women who wear head coverings are doing so electively. In the words of Ainee, don’t confuse culture with religion.
    • Respect the validity of other religions, even if they are not mainstream. 

    Body positivity

    • Being fat is PERFECTLY OKAY. Fat people don’t owe their health to you. They can dress how they want, go where they want, do what they want and eat what they want without any judgment.
    • The same goes for thin people, but know that thin people, while they will experience body policing to a certain degree, will never face the same kind of discrimination fat people do. Don’t compare the two situations.
    • Body hair on women is not disgusting. Women have no obligation to shave their legs/underarms/genitals. Similarly, they don’t have any obligation to remain hairy if they’d rather shave.

    Disabilities and mental health

    • Be really mindful of the language you use. Ableist language is something I personally struggle with. Words like dumb, stupid, idiot, lame and other things are ableist.
    • Don’t describe yourself as depressed, bipolar, schizophrenic, or having any other mental affliction if you are not diagnosed so. It trivializes the experiences of those who are.

    Sex positivity

    • As a feminist, you probably already have a pretty good idea about sex positivity. But you need to acknowledge that the way sexuality is applied to other groups is different. White women can participate in things like slutwalks without even realizing that words like that can be empowering for them, but have been used to shame and hypersexualize WOC from a young age. Ditto trans* women.
    • Also note that people have the right to be nonsexual if they want to. There is nothing wrong with being a virgin or abstaining from sex.
    • There’s nothing wrong with bdsm and other kinks as long as the people involved are consenting to it. Nothing is degrading if the person wants it to happen.
    • Supporting sex work is great and all, and individuals who want to participate in sex work willngly should be supported. But in your support, don’t ignore the fact that many people are forced into sex work and are not consenting in what is happening to them.

    Classism/education

    • Don’t assume that because somebody hasn’t had a formal education they are somehow less intelligent than you. Their points are still valid, and often stem from personal experence, which is a thing no classroom can teach you.
    • Dictionary definitions don’t mean shit.
    • Because something was written in a history book, it doesn’t mean it happened that way. History is written by the oppressors.
    • When advocating for a more eco-conscious lifestyle, remember that not everybody has the ability or resources to live the way you are suggesting. It doesn’t make them a bad person for doing it.

    A couple of other things:

    • Know that you’re going to mess up. You can try as hard as possible not to, but it’s going to happen. You’ve been raised with several privileges that pretty much guarantee you’ll fuck up once. If someone calls you out for it, don’t get defensive. Apologize and learn. And don’t do any of those bullshit apologies like *I’m sorry you got offended* because that puts the responsibility on the person you upset. Just apologize for what you did and learn from it. Hell, I’ve probably fucked up a gazillion times in this post without realizing it.
    • Recognize that none of the categories above are exclusive. There are black muslims and disabled trans women and Latin@ bisexuals and all the combinations in between. Don’t ignore their existence.
    • Don’t be offended by posts calling white people crackers, or saying things like ‘die cisscum”. They are writing things such as that for a reason and no matter how much it might sting to read, nothing they write in their posts will ever inflict the amount of pain they have suffered in their lifetime just for being different than you.
    • Don’t be a radfem and look down on women who choose more traditional lifestyles. Their choice to get married and have kids is just as valid as whatever choice you make for yourself.
    • In the future, don’t come to me to tell you how to deal with groups I am not part of. I have absolutely no authority to tell you what will or will not offend people. I can only tell you what will or will not offend me.

    And last thing, feminism doesn’t mean jack shit if you’re not intersectional.

    (Source: marrymejasonsegel, via brashblacknonbeliever)

     

  5. 17 Apr



    Clearly folks need a guide or something for when this happens, because the amount of bullshit that spawns from it each time is sickening.

    inkplink:

    inkplink:

    Oh no! A celebrity you like has fucked up! They have said something bigoted! What ever shall you do?!

    Step one: Acknowledgement.

    • Acknowledge that they are not perfect. But them being only human is not an excuse. They need to apologize sincerely for their fuckup, and not be treated as infallible gods just because you like/are attracted to them.
    what does this mean? It means not attacking threads where people are talking about that fuckup, or expressing their feelings about said fuckup. It means holding them accountable, and not dismissing the fucked up thing they said/did just because you like them.
    Step two: Accountability.
    • Has your celeb apologized sincerely? Just saying “GAWD I’M SO SORRY I OFFENDED THE PC POLICE” doesn’t count as a real apology, and in fact removes said celeb’s accountability for their mistake, by placing the blame for their bigoted remark on the people it targets, instead of on themselves for making the comment in the first place. 
    • If your celeb HAS INDEED apologized sincerely, so what? No one is required to forgive them, and kiss the ground they walk on. If your celeb has fucked up, people (especially the people it affects) are allowed to recall the event in question, and criticize the celeb for making said comment, even if they apologized afterward.

    what does this mean? It means that people recalling bigoted things said by a celebrity you like and having negative feelings about them because of it is valid. And you are not allowed to whine and complain about it just because “BUT THEY’RE SO HAWT”. Are you five? No one is preventing you from liking them, however, valid concerns or criticisms aren’t the fires of hell. Deal with it. 

    Step three: Do not whine. 

    • Stop whining because people are angry that someone you like did something fucked up. You’re not five years old, you should be able to understand that not everyone is able to blindly hero worship the celebs you like. We are all different people, and we’re not going to be able to up and forget things that added to the already numerous amount of bullshit the rest of us have to deal with. Just because your “Asian friend” wasn’t offended by a racist joke doesn’t mean that every other Asian PoC now has to forgive them by default. And if you’re citing your friend’s opinion as though it somehow validates racist behavior, you need to sit in a corner by yourself until you stop being a fuckhead. 
    • it is not “hating” on the celeb you love to talk about past mistakes they made. 
    • Lastly, no one wants to hear how disappointed YOU as a fan are that they made the mistake. Don’t enter threads talking about their bigoted/oppressive behavior to whine about how it affects you (especially if it doesn’t.) 
    what does this mean? It means making posts whining about how hurt you are that people are “hating” on So-and-so is inappropriate, because legitimate criticisms of bigoted behavior are not hate. And if you’re seeing it that way, then perhaps a step back is in order, because your personal feelings don’t make it okay for you to attempt to silence valid complaints about a famous person.

    Step four: It’s not about you.

    • After the fuckup, it is not appropriate to bring up other good things this celeb has done as a counter argument as to ‘why this isn’t so bad’. If you are not in the group affected by the fuckup, it is not up to you to determine how bad it actually was. Just because So-and-so saves puppies in their spare time doesn’t make their racist comment any less fucked up. Clearly the puppies didn’t stop them from saying it, so how is their existence relevant to the conversation?
    • Someone disliking a celeb you like is not a personal affront. It’s not your job to insult them because “oh come on that was so long ago”, especially if no apology was made, or if further fuckups ensued. 
    It’s not about you. It’s not about you. It’s not about you. It’s not about you. It’s not about you. It’s not about you. It’s not about you. It’s not about you.  It’s not about you. It’s not about you. It’s not about you. 
    And if your response to their fuckup is to talk about how it’s “sew mean and reverse raysist that people are even bringing it up like this”, have your mother tuck you in, because it is far past your bedtime, fetus. 

    I forgot the fifth step:

    Step five: yes, saying something bigoted makes you a bigot. 

    • If your celeb has said something racist: yes, they are racist. If they say something cissexist or transmisogynist: yes, they are cissexist. You liking them does not change reality. And the reality is: clearly they espouse problematic ideals, and no amount of hero worship will change that. And if people call them on their behavior, your response should not be “BUT THAT DOESN’T MAKE THEM A BIGOT”. Yes it does. It absolutely does. 

    (Source: deliverysuspended, via brashblacknonbeliever)

     

  6. 16 Apr



    The Beauty Binary, Street Harassment and Rape Culture

    gradientlair:

    Street harassment, just like many other activities where men perform patriarchal masculinity, involves a binary where beauty is concerned. I tweeted about this today during a conversation about street harassment that I had with a Black woman, a mutual follow on Twitter:

    The beauty binary places women at blame for men’s reactions to their appearance. If a woman is considered beautiful, she is supposed to accept that the burden of beauty is harassment. If she is not considered beautiful, she is supposed to accept that any comment at all can only be a gift. Notice the sexism (i.e. women are only valuable for their appearance) and misogyny (i.e. men have a right to say/do whatever the hell they want, no matter how aggressive or threatening, because of women’s appearance) involved in the beauty binary.

    Beauty is subjective and transitional. It’s never a true absolute in a general sense and it is not in regards to street harassment either. At the same time, opinions on beauty are not arbitrary and can be shaped by stereotypes based on race or weight, for example. Certain constructions of beauty are inherently involved in street harassment situations. Since most (not all, but well over 90%) of the street harassment that I experience (and have for over 20 years) is from Black men, I will discuss the beauty binary in relation to them.

    In regards to race, Eurocentric beauty dominates media and culture and impacts everyone. Thus, by design, I am already not considered beautiful to some Black men. They harass me from the angle that I am “not pretty” and should be “grateful” for their harassment, and view it as a “compliment.”  At the same time, some Black men treat White women with respect (but distance) as they walk by and only harass me as I walk by because they think that only Blackness is attractive, and thus I am “attractive” to them and should accept their harassment. (Historical factors are at play as well; Black men have a history of being beaten or lynched/murdered for even speaking to White women and worse, false or real claims of speaking to or raping them were death sentences. The message that speaking to them is a greater risk versus speaking to me is a factor; this coupled with the notion that Black women are inferior to White women and deserve less respect, is also a factor.)

    In regards to weight, some Black men engage in street harassment against a curvier or heavier Black woman from the angle that she should be “glad” to be spoken to; conversely, some will engage in street harassment because they are sexually attracted to her because of this very shape/size, and make comments about her breasts, hips or butt. 

    As many Black women can attest to, we can go from hearing “beautiful queen” or “aye sexy” (which I do not want to hear) to “fuck you, ugly Black bitch” (which I especially do not want to hear) in under 4 seconds. (And no, the former statements are not “nice.”) This again reveals the sexism and misogyny involved in the beauty binary and street harassment itself—the idea that the most/only important thing about us as women is our beauty so the most important thing to attack is our beauty. Since Black women by large are not deemed beautiful in mainstream media, we are expected to accept “any” declaration of beauty (or related comments) from Black or other men, even if we want to be left alone in public. (The idea that since mainstream media paints me negatively, I should accept harassment from Black men if they, not me, think the harassment is “positive” reveals an intersectional experience for Black women, where street harassment is concerned.)

    Despite the existence of the beauty binary, the primary motivation for street harassment is not the attractiveness of women; it is POWER. This power is fueled by patriarchy, patriarchal masculinity, phallocentrism and the general entitlement that men have because of this that they do not even realize they have because of male privilege.

    Many times when I am harassed, I am in poor areas (including where I grew up) and being harassed by Black men, who are also harassed by the police. This includes men who face great socioeconomic challenges and may detest racism but applaud sexism and misogyny, and cannot see how they are doing the latter because of male privilege. Their problematic stances on street harassment as “harmless” exist because it is in the interest of rape culture, and patriarchy by proxy, to make it seem this way. This hierarchical reclamation of power makes street harassment about more than attractiveness, obviously. However, most men are NOT going to admit to the facet of reclamation of patriarchal power and do not know that they are in fact performing patriarchal masculinity. They will say that they have every “right” to talk to a woman and it is her fault/she should expect it based on her attractiveness. They will acknowledge the beauty binary—and continue to place blame on women and their appearance. Clearly, it is much deeper than this.

    Whether a woman is deemed “beautiful” or “not beautiful” men can view her appearance as permission to engage in whatever behavior they choose, while still placing accountability for this behavior in her hands, not their own. The beauty binary is such that men can ALWAYS have an excuse for street harassment, one that ignores their behavior, accountability and differences in reclamation/manifestation of power based on race and class. It really is a tangent to the even more problematic binary involving rape—that women who are considered attractive and/or “dress sexy” “deserve” or “ask” for rape and women who are considered unattractive or don’t “dress sexy” are just liars. Rape culture is such that men can always view street harassment as harmless and always view themselves as blameless.

    (via notesonascandal)

     

  7. 15 Apr


    blackinasia: queerfemmefatale: infamousnfamous: “Hey sexy lemme talk to you”“No thanks”“MAN FUCK YOU YOU UGLY ANYWAY HO I WAS JUST PRETENDING TO LIKE YOU 1 CAN GET 3 MORE BITCHES THAT LOOK BETTER THAN YOU” Oop. Reblog everytime.

    blackinasia:

    queerfemmefatale:

    infamousnfamous:

    “Hey sexy lemme talk to you”
    “No thanks”
    “MAN FUCK YOU YOU UGLY ANYWAY HO I WAS JUST PRETENDING TO LIKE YOU 1 CAN GET 3 MORE BITCHES THAT LOOK BETTER THAN YOU”

    Oop.

    Reblog everytime.

    (Source: everythingrhymeswithalcohol)

     

  8. 15 Apr



    If you think that the nice guy ranting only happens on the internet, you’ve never had to deal with your thoroughly drunken friend shouting about how no girls would go out with a nice guy like him, even though he’s surrounded by single women he ignores because they aren’t attractive enough for him.

    If you think guys getting pissy and escalating matters because you told people to stop making sex jokes is a feature of the internet, well, you’ve never asked anyone to stop making jokes that make you uncomfortable.

    If you think that inappropriate comments and requests for sex are an internet thing, you’ve never tried to stop a coworker or boss from hitting on you repeatedly, or a head of security, or the guy at the convenience store across the street.

    If you think that being shouted at and asked to show people your tits just because you present as a woman only happens in chat rooms and online games, you’ve never walked past a frat house, or, unfortunately, through the main thoroughfares of either university I’ve attended.

    If you think unasked for commentary on a woman’s looks only happens because girls post pictures on internet forums (which probably means they’re asking for it), you’ve never been at a bus stop, or the city square, or a mall, or… well, anywhere, really.

    If you think insecure men trying to drive women out of activism only happens in online male-dominated communities, you’ve never paid attention politics. Or Fox. Or CNN, sadly.

    If you think the reaction to rape victims is bad on twitter, try sharing that experience in person. Or try even standing up for a rape victim. Count how many minutes until someone points out “but men can be falsely accused! The woman just changed her mind! You just can’t believe those drunk *insert varying level of insulting reference to gender*!”

    — 

    It’s Not Just the Internet. It Never Has Been.

    (via loveyourrebellion)

    (via buttcleavage)

     

  9. 15 Apr



    Monsanto, why must y'all be so foul?

    moniquill:

    flowerfood:

    Seed giant Monsanto has won more than $23 million from hundreds of small farmers accused of replanting the company’s genetically engineered seeds. Now, another case is looming – and it could set a landmark precedent for the future of seed ownership.

    The lawsuits concern Monsanto’s patent rights as the company strives to prevent farmers from replanting crops grown from the company’s seeds. It’s a concept that a study published on Tuesday – titled ‘Seed Giants vs. US Farmers’ – referred to as creating a “seed oligarchy.”

    In the report, the Center for Food Safety (CFS) said it discovered 142 patent infringement suits against 410 farmers and 56 small businesses in more than 27 states as of December 2012. The amount of money pocketed by Monsanto comes to a whopping $23 million. The study was co-produced by the Save our Seeds (SOS) campaign.

    Another case is now on the horizon, and it’s drawing wide public attention: The verdict of the trial will determine who controls the rights to seeds planted in the ground.

    It will also determine whether patent owners of other products which can make copies of themselves – such as stem cells and strains of bacteria used for medical research – and can continue to control the use of their products after selling them. It’s a scenario that wasn’t even considered until recently.

    “We’re dealing with laws and doctrines that were developed in the 19th century, where the idea of self-replicating technologies didn’t exist,” Jorge Contreras, associate law professor at American University in Washington told Bloomberg Businessweek.

    It’s been dubbed a ‘David and Goliath’ trial by many, as multi-billion-dollar Monsanto goes head to head against 75-year-old Indiana farmer Vernon Hugh Bowman, who said that fighting for justice is his main concern.

    “I really don’t consider it as David and Goliath,” Bowman told the Guardian. “I don’t think of it in those terms. I think of it in terms of right and wrong.”

    Casual reminder that Monsanto is responsible for Agent Orange and that we shouldn’t be surprised at their foulness.

    (via glitterlion)

     

  10. 14 Apr


    (Source: fuckyeahkawaiiblackgirls, via strugglingtobeheard)