ff

{emma sulkowicz in new york magazine}

ooof, guys. this week. there are so many things, i can't decide which to write on, so we're gonna just go links-a-palooza up in here. clickity-click.

* how to start a revolution - vanessa grigordiadis

{e.r. kennedy's tweet on sarah woods state recreation site}

* e.r. kennedy's twitter (trigger warning)

* we don't have to do anything - sophie katz (trigger warning)

* sarah jean alexander on sophia katz's piece

{andi zeisler for salon}

* stop telling women not to 'take things personally' - andi zeisler

* why we need to fight online trolls, not just ignore them - emily gould

{sandra leong & kerry j. sulkowicz, parents of emma sulkowicz for the columbia daily spectator}

* an open letter to president bollinger & the board of trustees - sandra leong & kerry j. sulkowicz

* 'yes means yes' law passes in california!

* why can't you track periods in apple's health app? - nat buckley

* texas, the 2nd most populous state in the country, loses all but seven abortion clinics - maya dusenbery

* 'science' centre teaches boys rocketry, girls makeup - doctor zoom

{laura clawson for daily kos}

* voting is like wedding dress shopping? - laura clawson

 

happy friday, i want my mommmmmmm.

ff

a while back i did a fake-jury-thing for some of the law-student-types and on this fake-jury i met this dudette who seemed super cool and thoughtful and i liked her and stuff.

well i just found out that she made a video about sex-jam (you'll see) and it is a great thing. watch it!



yup, looks like i was right about her being super cool and thoughtful. as i've said before, i think there is a lot of work to be done in the way we approach sexual education in this here country (and oh god, the states). it's not terrible across the board - some of my friends seem to have received amazingly open and comprehensive sex ed in school - but there is definitely still a giant 'AHHHHHH!' stigma in a lot of schools. like. say. the one i went to. (did you know that holding a roll of tape between your knees is the ONLY real way to prevent pregnancy? and also a totally condescending way to teach abstinence-only to girls cause girls are the only ones responsible ever, amiright??) i appreciate that she covers a lot of ground quickly and light-heartedly - including the concept of asexuality as a real and acceptable thing.

happy long weekend, lovers and loners alike!

ff

this week has heralded a few great conversations about rape and rape culture. (some not so great, too, but let's not focus on those right now.)

people outside of the feminist blogisphere have been engaging in rape culture discussions triggered by the horrible so sad awful rage-tears-inducing gang rape in india. and. while i do agree with the following...

{@pushinghoops}

i am still grateful that soooomething is happening and people are thinking and speaking and learning.

jill over at feministe links to two really thoughtful pieces that discuss purity and virtue. read them both. they're worth spending some time with.  

{from e.j. graff's piece for the american prospect}

and then, too, mom sent me this little dude which is very yes and i like it very much. (because, say it with me friends, feminism is not about women wiiinnnnnning, its about gender equality and a world that is accepting of masculinity and feminity that fall outside of the rigid little set of descriptors we're all supposed to adhere to.)

and also, this video which a dear old friend (hi jess!!) sent me.

somedays my heart hurts so bad for the state of the world, and somedays i have slivers of hopefulness and somedays... and everydays i am thankful and thankful and thankful for my own personal world, where, jokes aside about 'erin's silly feminist posts', i am loved and respected by my friends and family and given autonomy. if only everyone was so lucky. (if only that, then... universe fixed...)

**and as always seems to be the case when i write an ff post that isn't 100% angry-sad a little in advance of friday, i came across this piece last night about two young men raping their jiu-jitsu teammate in a parking lot instead of driving her home safely like they said they would do. and oh, fuck it. ow. oh. my heart. my angry-sad heart.**

ff

what up, rape culture!? whatcha been up to lately? cool, cool.

* how's about you give this a read?

okay, jokes aside (HAHA RAPE!) this is a solid piece. all academic in nature. thanks thomas!
it is longish, but well worth the time. there are statistics and percentages, guys! NUMBERS! and, too, some very good advice. i just want to cut-and-paste it all, but i'll try to limit myself to:

something that i'm finding terrifying and shocking as i learn more and more about rape culture is how many people i actually know who have been sexually assaulted. i always thought the list was too long when i was looking at the 'society-confirmed-rapes', but now as i think back on stories i have been told over the years... there are so many i never classified correctly. never truly appreciated the extent of damage and violence. so so many. and i shudder to think about what my reactions were when i was told about these assaults. did i listen openly or did i try to excuse the acts - try to empathize with the bad guy because, you know, he was a 'nice guy'? did i build one more tiny wall against a victim classifying her assault as just that? god i hope i didn't. but i probably did. even though there was always a banging in my gut i didn't understand. all i can do is know what i know now and never ever ever put up such a wall again. let's all be that way, okay?

happy friday, my lovely internets.