Posts Written by radicallyqueer

Deaf school closings as a feminist issue

An SYTYCB entry

It seems these days that every time I watch an ASL news program or Deaf vlog, there’s another call to protest the closing of a school for the Deaf somewhere in the US. Last year two residential schools for the Deaf faced possible closings in my home state of North Carolina, and now the Iowa School for the Deaf, in the state where I attended law school, is at risk of closing. While there’s no inherent reason that a recession should lead to mainstreaming Deaf students in hearing schools, states are jumping to that strategy in a climate of heavy budget cuts.

Many who are uninformed about Deaf culture, education, and language would assume that mainstreaming is a good idea because Deaf people will have to live in the hearing world as adults and should learn to adapt as best they can.  For some students, mainstreaming IS the right choice.  I would never argue that Deaf students and their families shouldn’t have this option.  But as with many questions we ask ourselves as feminists, this one relates to choice, as well as to the autonomy of a marginalized group and the importance of community formation as a means of resistance to structural inequality.
The ASL sign for a school for the Deaf translates to “institution.” These schools are in fact the primary community institution for those who participate in Deaf culture and primarily use ASL to communicate. Deaf communities spring up around ...

Creativity and Community in Femme-inism

This is a SYTYCB entry.

This past weekend I attended the 2012 Femme Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. Time and time again, I heard femmes discussing how wonderful it was to be able to express freely and build community in such a safe space. Often, the discussion centered around the power of creativity and play. As queer femmes, the process of identity formation can be very powerful, and a chance to engage our playful sides that aren’t necessarily valued in mainstream culture. Every sort of femme expression was on display this weekend, from high designer femme fatales in patent leather stilettos and mini dresses to fat leather femmes in corsetry and clunky boots to diesel femmes with punk haircuts and button-downs. As ...

This is a SYTYCB entry.

This past weekend I attended the 2012 Femme Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. Time and time again, I heard femmes discussing how wonderful it was to be able to express freely and build community ...

Calling All Heterosexual Sex Transactional Perpetuates Rape Culture

[crossposted from Sex Positive Activism]

An article in today’s Huffington Post has me absolutely livid.  The author, HuffPo contributor Toni Nagy, presumably is trying to make a point about how “dry humping” is a good idea for feminists (read: heterosexual women) as a way to draw out the courting ritual and be more selective about sexual partners.  What she in fact manages to do–all in a 723-word article–is essentialize gender, turn women into hollow stereotypes, and perpetuate rape culture.

How many people’s mouths would you stick your finger in? A lot. I would stick my finger in a lot of people’s mouths. But how many people would you let stick their finger in your mouth? Not as many! There is a ...

[crossposted from Sex Positive Activism]

An article in today’s Huffington Post has me absolutely livid.  The author, HuffPo contributor Toni Nagy, presumably is trying to make a point about how “dry humping” is a good idea for ...

Review: Captive Genders

[crossposted from Radically Queer]

I received a review copy of Captive Genders: Trans Embodiment and the Prison Industrial Complex (coming out this month from AK Press) at the perfect time.  I’ve been frustrated by the growing focus in recent months on two of the things I care least about when it comes to queer rights, the two things that the mainstream LGBT movement seems most adamant about: marriage and the military.  It’s impossible to get away from those two topics if you’re following LGBT news, but this book also turned my focus to another problem–that the most-covered “alternative” issues, those focused on individual rights, are still not the most important priority.  Employment and housing discrimination are important but they focus ...

[crossposted from Radically Queer]

I received a review copy of Captive Genders: Trans Embodiment and the Prison Industrial Complex (coming out this month from AK Press) at the perfect time.  I’ve been frustrated by the growing focus ...

Johnny Weir Comes Out: Why We Need a Queer Movement

[crossposted at Radically Queer]

“We’re here, we’re queer, get over it!”

This used to be a rallying cry for the gay and lesbian liberation movement, but I think it’s high time we appropriate it for something different. “Liberation” is supposed to be a lofty goal, a formative moment in the life cycle, but in fact it’s become a prison cell.  The more I hear from the gay and lesbian movement, the more disillusioned with it I become.  It’s time for something new.

Johnny Weir Comes Out, Gay Media Pitches Fit

Damned if you do, damned if you don’t.  For years, the gay media has been annoyed with American figure skater Johnny Weir for refusing to self-define as gay, while mainstream journalists can’t say ...

[crossposted at Radically Queer]

“We’re here, we’re queer, get over it!”

This used to be a rallying cry for the gay and lesbian liberation movement, but I think it’s high time we appropriate it for something different. “Liberation” ...

Women’s Equality Day: What Is Suffrage, Anyway?

[cross-posted at A Lesbian & A Scholar]

I think most of us who grew up in the United States in the late 20th century have a limited understanding of what the right to vote actually means.  As we celebrate 90 years of women’s suffrage this year, it’s interesting to look back to the founding of the US and consider what voting, and democracy, meant to early Americans.

I’ve been reading Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States this week, and its chapters do a great job of putting democracy in perspective.  The Founders, lauded in our classrooms as almost omnipotent men, benevolent providers of justice and equality, were actually concerned at ...

[cross-posted at A Lesbian & A Scholar]

I think most of us who grew up in the United States in the late 20th century have a limited understanding of what the right to vote actually ...

Blogging Yes: A Project for Sexual Assault Awareness Month

Hello, Feministing readers!

I just wanted to give you all a heads up about a project I’m doing for Sexual Assault Awareness month.  The anthology Yes Means Yes was a huge lightning-bolt moment for me a couple of years ago, both in understanding rape culture and in becoming a feminist.  In recognition of Sexual Assault Awareness month, I’m coming back to the book two years later, re-reading the essays, and blogging about them.  Each day I’ll read an essay and post some thoughts on it or vibe off a particular topic that was mentioned in the essay. 

I wanted to let you all know about this project, since many of you have read and loved Yes Means Yes .  Feel free to ...

Hello, Feministing readers!

I just wanted to give you all a heads up about a project I’m doing for Sexual Assault Awareness month.  The anthology Yes Means Yes was a huge lightning-bolt moment for me a couple of ...

Call for Posts: First Blog Carnival on Privilege

What: Posts on any aspect of privilege.

When: Due March 28, 2010.

Where: E-mail post links to judithavory at gmail dot com and see the carnival at A Lesbian & A Scholar.

Note: The following text is re-posted from my blog.  I thought Feministing readers might like to get in on the fun!

I’ve been trying to find some good blog posts about privilege recently, and so I tried Googling for a blog carnival on privilege to find a round-up.  I was surprised that there doesn’t appear to have been a blog carnival on privilege yet, with the exception of one carnival specifically exploring white privilege from a Muslim perspective.  So I decided to host the first Blog Carnival on Privilege.  Here’s how it ...

What: Posts on any aspect of privilege.

When: Due March 28, 2010.

Where: E-mail post links to judithavory at gmail dot com and see the carnival at A Lesbian & A Scholar.

Note: The following text is re-posted from my ...

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