Feminist Monday-December 12th

Good morning, y'all. I hope you had a great weekend, and I hope your Monday is a good one too. Shall we get that blood pumping with positive power and righteous anger? All right-y then. :)

Action Items: Here's Jen Hofmann's to do list for this week. I'm going to add that if you're one of those going on about how you're willing to grab a gun and rise up against the evil empire and you're too chicken to pick up a phone and call a Congressman? You're 100% full of shit. How to find your representative: WHOISMYREPRESENTATIVE.COM

Today's video:

I cannot wait to see this film. Here's a review: Hidden Figures review – black women Nasa boffin pic defies its formula. Based on the review, I've only two disapointments.[1] Nonetheless, I'm so seeing that film--probably three or four times.

And now, on to the links.

Entertainment/Literature: I'm dropping this link here because of the gaming-speak, but it expresses exactly how I feel when I'm wearing my motorcycle jacket in public. I'm Tanking Bigots. Mind you, as a long time goth/punk I've a lot of experience doing it.[2] How Media Prevents Us From Truly Empathizing With Disabled Characters. Then read Sarah Chorn's On Dehumanizing the Disabled. After that, give some thought about how disabled characters are portrayed. It's important to be aware--particularly if you're a creative. Your work does affect people's perceptions. Jim C. Hines is still running that fundraiser for Transgender Michigan. Today's offer is for a signed book from Stephen Gould. Women-Centered Creative Studio in Portland seeks funding. (Thanks, Cory.) Kate Elliot talks about The Savage Other as a Stereotype in Fiction. Also, I admit I haven't watched the Westworld remake in spite of the fact that I liked it as a kid. A lot of it is that I remember it being particularly violent toward women. (Most "gritty" westerns are.) In addition, there are reviews like this one: HBO’s Westworld Is a Terrible Video Game Metaphor. Yeah. [sigh] Have some sexism in videogames: How RimWorld’s Code Defines Strict Gender Roles. Casting Directors Under Pressure to Represent Today’s America in Film, TV. Yay! 26 Badass Women In Comics Who Aren't Harley Quinn.

General: From the Southern Poverty Law Center: Ten Ways to Fight Hate: A Community Response Guide. Have a fascinating NPR article from Reporter's Notebook: What It Was Like As A Muslim To Cover The Election. See a preview of life in a world where embryos are considered people. Sofia Vergara’s Frozen Embryos, “Emma” and “Isabella,” Are Suing Her. It's obvious that the embryos are being used by her ex to manipulate her. And that is bullshit. People who actually care about their kids do not use them as pawns in financial wars against their partners. Help fund NETIZENS - a documentary about women and online harassment. (Thanks, Cory.) And a great example of how to dismantle the idea that women are somehow more moral than men. And this is an older article, but still worthwhile: That Male Birth Control Story? Women Are Laughing Because We’re So Fed Up. See also: Yes, contraceptives have side effects – and it’s time for men to put up with them too. Smashing the Silicon Valley patriarchy: anti-Lean In strategy puts onus on men. And this one is connected to Saturday's blog post about the holiday song Baby, It's Cold Outside: 7 Reasons So Many Guys Don’t Understand Sexual Consent. The next link is appalling: In one corner of the law, minorities and women are often valued less. From the article: "The 4-year-old’s case is a rare public look at one corner of the American legal system that explicitly uses race and gender to determine how much victims or their families should receive in compensation when they are seriously injured or killed.As a result, white and male victims often receive larger awards than people of color and women in similar cases, according to more than two dozen lawyers and forensic economists, the experts who make the calculations. These differences largely derive from projections of  how much more money individuals would have earned over their lifetimes had they not been injured – projections that take into account average earnings and employment levels by race and gender."

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[1] The first has to do with the tone re: the bathroom issue--mentioned in the review. The second is the impression I get that white men are, of course, their allies, and white women are the enemy. Hey, I will not deny that that dynamic exists sometimes. Racist white women are a huge problem within Feminism. I wish that weren't the case, but it damned well is. However, I do have a problem with white men being given a pass when historically, they're the ones in power, and thus, driving the the system of oppression to begin with. Ultimately, I see this as one of those instances where we've very few stories of this type out there, and thus, the narrative is seen as the only narrative. [shrug] It doesn't bother me enough that I won't see and support the film. I absolutely will. I love the whole idea of it, and I want everyone to see it. These women deserve credit for the wonderful work they did. I don't object to white women being called out either. Because, damn it, we should be. 

[2] Like, having assholes dump cold water on me on dark streets and laughing experience. People getting in my face and shouting. [shrug] I'm not bragging. I'm just saying I know what I'm signing up for.