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High-res →
Alejandra Cruz, who is defending her family’s home from eviction, closes her bank account in full Aztec dancer regalia at Wells Fargo as part of a mass day of action against the banks.
(via tranqualizer)
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High-res →
#wearetrayvonmartin #iamtrayvonmartin #justice4trayvon
“NYS Senator Eric Adams and his colleagues memorialize Trayvon Martin during the March 26, 2012 senate legislative session” via Facebook
I LOVE THIS! I LOVE THIS WITH MY ENTIRE HEART!
until justice.
(via tranqualizer)
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(upon death)
I’m about to set off on my bicycle through the chaos of Brooklyn heading to Work, over the Brooklyn Bridge, past where the Mayor makes bad decisions, onto the river’s edge and up the Island to the Castle on the Hill.
I do this every day. 5 days a week. 25 miles a day. 125+ a week.
I think about dying every day. It’s cathartic, really. To think about dying unwillingly.
Two days ago an urgent feeling swept over me. I thought about what I’ve never told anyone that has been defining of my character. Important decisions I’ve made alone. Secrets.
I suddenly wanted to let go of all my secrets. I hate them, anyway. They’re a remnant of my angsty youth, of wanting You to just know. Ahem, of wanting You to just know. (You were always fictitious). Silly, really. Remnants I’ve not figured out how to circumnavigate when the stakes are too high to Tell.
So I ride off again. Mimicking the seagulls coasting along the water’s edge. Scanning the horizon constantly.
I’m not sure it matters one way or the other. That’s why they’re secrets. Elusive allusions.
And perhaps better left as such.
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shadia mansour, al kufiyyeh 3arabeyyeh, 2010
-stumbled upon this while doing research for an upcoming show i’m a part of. the show is a gathering of 3 queer artists around the song, Greatest Love of All. yes, that song. and through unearthing the history of the song, i realized it was written as an emblem for muhammad ali’s conversion to islam at the height of his career amidst objections, his dissent of the war, and finally his rise to the top of the boxing world again. it went from a song about standing for what you believe in against an oppressive system to a bad pop song whitewashed to stand for children’s futures and… god.
before i gouged my eyes out over endless whitney live renditions of this song, i decided to delve a little into my own attachment to erasing histories, as an immigrant, and an immigrant from a completely different culture. i knew was i was gonna deal with the juxtaposition between the original version of the song to what it’s become. this ‘whitewashing’ is akin to assimilation… the diffusion of difference. i was inspired by listening to to wbai (99.5 here in nyc) while driving around last night. chuck d (yes, that chuck d) has a show on wbai called, ANDYOUDONTSTOP! last night, he played some awesome palestinian rap, including some shadia mansour. i did a little googling, and here i landed. on an incredible and moving song about properly holding fast to a set of history that is eagerly trying to be re-written. ‘kosher kufiyyeh’s’ being suddenly embraced by young israelis as if it hasn’t been a political symbol for palestinians for over 40 years. just google it. then listen to this song.
to shadia mansour: mashalla!
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This list is based on Peggy McIntosh’s White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.
1) Strangers don’t assume they can ask me what my genitals look like and how I have sex.
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2) My validity as a man/woman/human is not based upon how much surgery I’ve had or how well I “pass” as a non-Trans person.
3) When initiating sex with someone, I do not have to worry that they won’t be able to deal with my parts or that having sex with me will cause my partner to question his or her own sexual orientation.
4) I am not excluded from events which are either explicitly or de facto* men-born-men or women-born-women only. (*possibly anything involving nudity)
5) My politics are not questioned based on the choices I make with regard to my body.
6) I don’t have to hear “So have you had THE surgery?” or “Oh, so you’re REALLY a [incorrect sex or gender]?” each time I come out to someone.
7) I am not expected to constantly defend my medical decisions.
8) Strangers do not ask me what my “real name” [birth name] is and then assume that they have a right to call me by that name.9) People do not disrespect me by using incorrect pronouns even after they’ve been corrected.
10) I do not have to worry that someone wants to be my friend or have sex with me in order to prove his or her “hipness” or “good” politics.
11) I do not have to worry about whether I will be able to find a safe and accessible bathroom or locker room to use.
12) When engaging in political action, I do not have to worry about the gendered repercussions of being arrested. (i.e. What will happen to me if the cops find out that my genitals do not match my gendered appearance? Will I end up in a cell with people of my own gender?)
13) I do not have to defend my right to be a part of “Queer” space or movement, and lesbian, gay, and bisexual people will not try to exclude me from our movements in order to gain political legitimacy for themselves.
14) My experience of gender (or gendered spaces) is not viewed as “baggage” by others of the gender in which I live.
15) I do not have to choose between either invisibility (“passing”) or being consistently “othered” and/or tokenized based on my gender.
16) I am not told that my sexual orientation and gender identity are mutually exclusive.
17) When I go to the gym or a public pool, I can use the showers.
18) If I end up in the emergency room, I do not have to worry that my gender will keep me from receiving appropriate treatment nor will all of my medical issues be seen as a product of my gender. (“Your nose is running and your throat hurts? Must be due to the hormones!”)
19) My health insurance provider (or public health system) does not specifically exclude me from receiving benefits or treatments available to others because of my gender.
20) When I express my internal identities in my daily life, I am not considered “mentally ill” by the medical establishment.
21) I am not required to undergo extensive psychological evaluation in order to receive basic medical care.
22) The medical establishment does not serve as a “gatekeeper” which disallows self-determination of what happens to my body.
23) People do not use me as a scapegoat for their own unresolved gender issues. -
tr/antigone. like you’ve never seen before.
we are self-funded. not a silver spoon among us. consider pledging. it’s worth it.
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Guidelines for Parents of Gender-Variant Children || Lynne Michelle Howard, co-founder of Trans Youth Education and Support Colorado, Independent School Journal
speak the truth!
Five years ago my now-13-year-old daughter transitioned to being the girl she always said she was. After having worked with many families with transgender kids and co-founding a support group in Colorado, here is my advice.
- Don’t be afraid to let kids explore gender differences. It’s normal and healthy. Don’t make a big deal out of it. Parents can’t make their kids gender variant.
- If a child tells you s/he is a different gender or that s/he hates her/his body parts, don’t scoff. Kids going through a “phase” rarely use these words.
- Not all children have words for explaining to adults that their brain and spirit do not match their body. Don’t assume they aren’t gender variant if they don’t actually tell you they are.
- Support gender variant kids from an early age. Understand that gender variance is not the same thing as sexual orientation. It is about who people are, not about sexual attraction.
- Studies show that some humans “understand” if they are boys or girls as early as 18 months.
- Don’t let your fears of being judged affect how you decide to support your child. More people than you think are aware of transgender issues, and they are more supportive than you might assume.
- Reach out for those who have been on this path. Croups like TYFA (www.imatyfa.org) and PFLAC (www.pflag.org) can help you find professionals who can help as well.
- Make sure your professional is qualified. Therapists without experience in gender issues can hurt more than they help.
- Your child has more rights than you think. Don’t let one negative school administrator or teacher be the last word. The groups above can help.
- Educate, love, and support. These kids have the highest suicide rates of any youth group. They need support and understanding from everyone.
