Tue 15 Apr 2008
Angela Davis will be speaking at Central Connecticut State University in New Britain on Thursday, April 24th. She will be taking part in two panel discussions, the first at 2:00 titled “Are Prisons Obsolete?” and the second at 5:30 titled “Race, Class and Gender Issues in American Society.” The talks are in Torp Theatre in Davidson Hall.
Wed 26 Mar 2008
I’m guessing the acronym was chosen because it rhymes with vag.
The Feminism, Autonomy, Diversity, and Gender Expression Fest is this Saturday, starting at 11:30 am, at the Charter Oak Cultural Center (21 Charter Oak Ave). All proceeds from the $10 admission fee goes toward My Sisters Place and Interval House. If you like to roll in late, admission is reduced to $6, or to $5 if you also bring a canned good donation.
They promise that this will be a “female positive day of music, workshops, and art.” There will be a clothing swap, arts & crafts bazaar, self-defense workshop, street harassment and response workshop, and music by Eula, Seeds, Panda and Child, Brazen Hussy (love the name!), Offsides, and The Vagitarians. Food Not Bombs will be preparing dinner.
They encourage males to attend too; there will be a workshop on “feminism for boys.”
Thu 14 Feb 2008
I want to make a joke out of this so badly, maybe refer you to the Sour Grapes’ song that explains how you wouldn’t call something by a wrong name. Except that this is not funny.
Yesterday, the Hartford Courant ran an article that was a slap in the face to survivors and victims of domestic violence. Instead of naming the violence for what it was, writer Charles Stannard went to extremes to avoid being mistaken for a feminist. An abusive relationship became a “troubled relationship.” The murder of a woman became “a tragic end.” It takes five paragraphs before Stannard finally outs David Coulombe as having “a history of domestic violence.” But, you know, the reader might sympathize with Coulombe before getting that title, since his wife stressed him out with a custody battle. That inverted pyramid style of reporting still exists because many people don’t read past the first few paragraphs. If that’s all they do read of this story, then they are left with the impression that the trouble in this relationship was a two-way street.
While it’s not the journalist’s job to condemn, it’s also not his job to soften the truth. Details documenting the abuse that preceded this murder-suicide do not belong buried in the sixth paragraph of an article. (more…)
Thu 24 Jan 2008
January 28th is the submission deadline for the next issue of the print Hartford Undercurrent.
The Hartford Independent Media Center seeks submissions on the topic of sex–however you interpret it. Have you interviewed sex workers on Wethersfield Avenue? Reviewed the gay nightlife in Hartford? Gotten into a discussion with the steady activists who pray outside of the Hartford GYN Center on the corner of Jefferson and Main? Articles should relate to Hartford if possible, and represent your own original work.
Send submissions of 1000 words or less to himc@riseup.net and write “journal submission” in the subject line. Please include a short bio with submission, including your name as you would like to see it in print. We regret that due to space limitations we can’t publish every item received.
Thu 10 Jan 2008
We’ve posted before about how the Courant is running features on Hartford’s “movers and shakers.” Today’s feature is Audrey Conrad, a woman I’ve had the pleasure of chatting with at many a Creative Cocktail Hour. There were two things that surprised me about/in this article:
1. Audrey is about 15 years older than I thought she was. Damn!
2. The author did a decent job of portraying her as a human being, and not as a freakshow, as is what often happens when transgender folks are in the media.
Sat 15 Sep 2007
Thanks to CT TransAdvocacy Coalition, Love Makes a Family, and the Hartford Gay and Lesbian Health Collective for giving me a legitimate excuse to attend a fashion show.
Busted! was held at Tommy’s Restaurant in Middletown, where both the lot and restaurant were packed.There were a few petitions to sign for marriage equality, but really, the evening was about having fun for a change.
Fri 14 Sep 2007
Today’s Courant has an article about the latest outrage by the editor and staff of the CCSU student newspaper, The Recorder.
Seems after sitting down and actually discussing the matter, editor Mark Rowan and his writers concluded that publishing a cartoon “that made reference to locking a teenage Hispanic girl in a closet and urinating on her” would not be offensive. The cartoon appears in the September 12 print edition of The Recorder and can be viewed as a pdf on its website. (more…)
Thu 13 Sep 2007
In an industry where anyone weighing over 90 pounds in heels and full make-up is considered fat, you must have known that exposing your postpartum curves would come close to causing rioting on Rodeo Drive. Performing at the VMAs in that sequined brassiere and panty ensemble has made me a fan.
When you broke out back in the day, I was too old to appreciate the bubblegum flavor you were selling. Too old and listening to Operation Ivy incessantly. At the time I was working at a preschool, and knew of you only through witnessing the impressions that 4-year-old girls (and the occasional boy) would do of you. Since, I’ve been on the sidelines, cheering while you gave props to Madonna, shuddering while you gave a meandering speech about how we all should just support the president.
At the prime of your career, you managed to enter into a series of marriages–not unlike what the non-celebrity does, just more publicized. I got married at 22 and it sucked just as much. I almost wish there were a spotlight on my mess up because I’d get some sick joy out of hearing a million Americans dis the ex. There’s got to be some therapeutic value in that.
Then you went and got yerself pregnant. Rinse and repeat. Spending more time with your kids wouldn’t be a bad idea, but that advice could be given to many, many other people too. It’s not only former child stars who appear to prioritize career over family. Men in our culture have been socialized to do just that. (more…)
Wed 8 Aug 2007
When will we get to hear about someone saying, “It’s not our fault she can’t take a joke,” in response to the latest sexist shit to hit higher ed?
A former Wesleyan (Middletown) employee is suing the college because of the hostile environment she worked in. After several months of experiencing sexual harassment and being witness to misogynist comments, Amy Regan reported to the people who are supposed to help–supervisors and human resources.
In the Courant’s report on this, we learn that:
In spring 2005, Regan says, she heard a co-worker make a death threat against a female supervisor, as well as talk about his desire to kill his wife. (more…)
Sat 4 Aug 2007
Now, before anyone worries her pretty head over the matter, rest assured that this is hardly news. Ladies, if you have taken a breath of air, ever, it should come to no surprise that emotion is considered unprofessional when womenfolk express it; and yet that is the suffering our sex endures. We are regarded as emotional (read: overemotional/reactionary/irrational) beings by nature. This is something we are punished for possessing, and punished in other ways for not possessing. Sweetheart, don’t shed a tear when reading that:
A man who gets angry at work may well be admired for it but a woman who shows anger in the workplace is liable to be seen as “out of control” and incompetent, according to a new study presented Friday.
This is just the way life is. Why fight it? (more…)