Posts Written by sarahstumpf
By sarahstumpf • 15 years ago

Feminist Weddings, the “Goddess”, and Jessica’s latest article at The Guardian

So I’ve really been enjoying all the talk about feminist weddings in the blogosphere — because I’m in the middle of planning my wedding. It’s nice to know that I’m not the only one trying to balence my beliefs with all the wedding industrial complex bullshit. And mine is a same sex wedding (in a place where it is currently not legally recognized), which just makes the planning full of extra difficulty.
So I was really excited to read Jessica’s latest article at The Guardian about planning her feminist wedding . Overall, the article was great. At least until I got to this part of the last paragraph :

So, while our wedding will be politicised, it won’t be a feminist caricature: I won’t be sporting Birkenstocks under my dress and we won’t ask the “Goddess” for a blessing.

That’s when I started to see red. Because both my fiancee and I are Pagan. And we will be asking the Goddess for a blessing on our marriage — and we won’t be doing it in “scare quotes”.
It makes me really angry to see my faith thrown out there, by someone who doesn’t share it, as a caricature. The definition of caricature is ” exaggeration by means of often ludicrous distortion of parts or characteristics”. And for some of us, invoking the Goddess at our wedding isn’t ludicrous or distorted, its a fundamental part of our spiritual belief.
By sarahstumpf • 15 years ago

After Ellen’s “The Trouble with ‘Bisexual'” and why I am not a Cheeto

(Cross posted at Pam’s House Blend )

As a bisexual woman I’m constantly finding myself having to negotiate the flood of prejudices, stereotypes, and restrictive expectations of others.  It is difficult and overwhelming at times.  Which is one reason why I rarely go to AfterEllen.com honestly – because every time I go there, I find things that range from problematic to outright offensive.  I want to respond to the latest example. The title of the article is The Trouble with "Bisexual" and the author is "Senior Writer" Malinda Lo.  The most problematic part is :

When I say that I am a lesbian, my ex-boyfriend — my first love, my first adult relationship — is erased from the picture. Yet ...

(Cross posted at Pam’s House Blend )

As a bisexual woman I’m constantly finding myself having to negotiate the flood of prejudices, stereotypes, and restrictive expectations of others.  It is difficult and overwhelming at times.  Which is ...
By sarahstumpf • 15 years ago

The anti-Twilight : YA Feminist Lit

In light of beka’s post about Twilight and the fishy ‘independence’ of it’s heroine and the fact that the movie is making wheelbarrows full of cash , I wanted to pass on some recommendations for good feminist-friendly YA books.  They would make good stocking stuffers for any teen girls or boys in your life, Twilight obsessed or not, that enjoy reading and that you would like to indoctrinate/influence with feminist leanings.  And yes Virginia, you can read them too because these are some awesome stories. 

A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray is a wonderful book for anyone who liked the magical worlds and supernatural romance of Twilight , but prefers that ...

In light of beka’s post about Twilight and the fishy ‘independence’ of it’s heroine and the fact that the movie is making wheelbarrows full of cash , I wanted to pass on some recommendations ...