Gloria Steinem for T Magazine

Gloria Steinem for T Magazine today on women in politics - the main event versus side show acts (or to some freak shows).

We all too often hear about the CRAZY Michele Bachmann's and Sarah Palin's who are fiercely anti-female and little about the Nancy Pelosi's (who has been named by some scholars as the greatest Speaker of the House the US has yet to have) and Gabrielle Gifford's (before she was shot).

Read more from Gloria: http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/page/2/

The Palin Effect

We are elated to hear Representative Gabrielle Giffords is set to leave the hospital and is off to recuperate in Houston at TIRR Memorial Hermann Rehabilitation hospital which specializes in brain injuries.

It's been less than 2 weeks from the shooting and the blame game has been boiling. Everyone is ducking and covering, especially Sarah Palin. Her unapologetic video and claims of "blood libel" by her critics have earned her an all-time low approval rating. Her inability to acknowledge any of her actions, or at the very least not make it about her while a congresswoman is hospitalized from gunshot wounds, is an undeniable turn-off.

Lori at Feministing outlines Loughner's misogynist beliefs that women should not be in politics. That includes you, Sarah Palin. This could be a wake up call in the ways that women in politics are not taken seriously and her role in shaping those ideas as a celebrity first, politician second. But instead it's more of the same, taking the idea of being a rabble-rousing "maverick" and pushing people to their limit. The people have spoken and they want less angry rhetoric and more accountability and humanity.

For your viewing pleasure, Jon Stewart helps us process the hypocrisy of Sarah Palin.

Spanish Orgasm Video: Driving Voters to the Polls

The Socialist Catalonian Party in Spain is causing a stir with this "orgasm" commercial made to drive voters to the polls.  Watch the video below! 

The commercial depicts a woman having just voted turned on to the point of orgasm. It's causing a fuss from both the right & the left in Spain. Some say it's derogatory towards women. What do you think? Offensive, funny, empowering?

Frankly, I think this video is smart and a more empowering look at women as a driving force at the polls, along with making voting far more appealing... Creative concepts like this should be executed more in an effort to reach non-voters.

The big question to me is: Where are the senior citizen volunteers who usually work the polling stations?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mc9eHI3ieQk&feature=player_embedded

Brown Girls Burlesque Presents Culture Classics!

Burlesque is a hot topic right now especially with the unimaginative and sensational "Burlesque" movie starring Cher and Christina Aguilera set to hit theaters later this year. But burlesque is hardly a new phenomenon. Just ask the ladies of Brown Girls Burlesque (BGB), a women of color theatrical troupe, founded in 2007 to create a space for women of color to express their individual stories from a cultural perspective that is often left out of the mainstream burlesque scene. They are proudly presenting their 3rd annual spectacular, Culture Classics (A United Nations of Burlesque), this Friday and Saturday, October 22 and 23 at the Kumble Theater at Long Island University in Brooklyn.
I had the transformational opportunity to study with these ladies this summer, and in the spirit of self-disclosure, I am doing some stage managing for this event. Let me honestly say how I am in awe of their ability to storytell using sass, sex, and satire. This is not just about women stripping and strutting but they are making statements and exploring issues such as colonization and the otherness of the immigrant, the Brown Paper bag boundaries of Blackness, the Filipina mail order bride, and a Creole woman’s knack for enterprise, among others. The production also includes capoeira, poetry and aerial silks performances from some of the finest artists in NYC. For the grand finale, the ladies of BGB perform a Congolese Can-Can dance with ornate costumes designed by BGB core member Dame Cuchifrita and made by "The Ladies of the Room Bali," a cooperative group of talented Balinese seamstresses. This is truly an international production honoring women and our myriad of experiences.
Today is the final day to get discounted tickets for $20 before they go up to $25. It is well worth it, you will certainly be wowed, entertained and aroused. Be sure to support these brilliant and beautiful ladies as they pay homage to brown women around the world! Check out this video for more information about Brown Girls Burlesque and Culture Classics.

Know This: The New Tax Man

Ladies - this is going to creep its ugly head in your life sooner or later. Read about what bailed-out banks are up to now: Quietly buying up tax debt and threatening homeowners with foreclosure. One woman lost a home with a paid-off mortgage -- over a $362 water bill. Story is by Huffington Post Investigative Fund


The New Tax Man

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http://huffpostfund.org/thenewtaxman/

We've Been Robbed: Who Stole Feminism?

Jessica Valenti's recent article from The Nation addresses the appropriation of feminism by the Right. Historically, conservatives have been anti-choice, anti-equal rights, anti-any policy that guarantees women an equal playing field. So why is the Right embracing feminism or the women's movement? The answer rests with the female candidate. Falsely described as feminists simply because of gender, not because of their political philosophies, these female candidates loosely use the term damaging the movement's historical and present day relevancy.

Here's a sample of Valenti's article:

Sarah Palin opposes abortion and comprehensive sex education. While mayor of Wasilla she made sexual assault victims pay for their own rape kits. She also calls herself a feminist. Delaware GOP Senate nominee Christine O'Donnell has said that allowing women to attend military academies "cripples the readiness of our defense" and that wives should "graciously submit" to their husbands—but her website touts her "commitment to the women's movement." Pundits who once mocked women's rights activists as ugly bra burners are abuzz over the "new conservative feminism," and the Tea Party is lauding itself as a women's movement.

Read the entire article here:

http://www.thenation.com/article/155109/who-stole-feminism?rel=emailNation

Valenti offers a solution to the misappropriation of feminism:

If the new wave of feminists—the leaders of small grassroots organizations across the country, the bloggers who are organizing hundreds of thousands of women online, the advocates for reproductive justice, racial equality and queer rights—aren't recognized as the real advocates for women, then the future of the movement will be lost.

So instead of wringing our hands every time a new female candidate with distinctly antiwoman policies pops up, let's use it as an opportunity to re-establish what feminism is about and to support the up-and-comers in our midst.

Read it, post it, pass it along. It's high time we start our own wave of feminism.

Lady Gaga Stands Against "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

You've probably seen this but Lady Gaga takes a political stand by calling on the Senate to vote with Sen. Reid and Sen. Carl Levin in opposing the filibuster, defeat amendments to strike repeal, and defeat any crippling amendments - to put an end to the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy effective since 1993.

If you want equality, you've got to demand it for everyone.

The video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GG5VK2lquEc

Take Action:
http://www.sldn.org/blog/archives/gaga

Health Care Naysayers

This week the United States joined 87gazillion other nations who offer some type of universal health care to its citizens. Granted there are flaws BUT it's a move away from special interest towards people interest. Above is a fabulous map of the world according to universal healthcare coverage. See for yourself WHO is doing it.

Of course the bill barely passed, obviously Republicans were staunchly against anything of the sort. But who were the Democrats opposing the bill? Here's a list of those who voted NAY (we wouldn't be mad at you if you decided to call and complain). Wonder what their re-election stats will be?

John Adler (D-NJ)
Jason Altmire (D-PA)
Michael Arcuri (D-NY)
John Barrow (D-GA)
Marion Berry (D-AR)
Dan Boren (D-OK)
Rick Boucher (D-VA)
Bobby Bright (D-AL)
Ben Chandler (D-KY)
Travis Childers (D-MS)
Artur Davis (D-AL)
Lincoln Davis (D-TN)
Chet Edwards (D-TX)
S. Herseth Sandlin (D-SD)
Tim Holden (D-PA)
Larry Kissell (D-NC)
Frank Kratovil (D-MD)
Daniel Lipinski (D-IL)
Stephen Lynch (D-MA)
Jim Marshall (D-GA)
Jim Matheson (D-UT)
Mike McIntyre (D-NC)
Michael McMahon (D-NY)
Charlie Melancon (D-LA)
Walt Minnick (D-ID)
Glenn Nye (D-VA)
Collin Peterson (D-MN)
Mike Ross (D-AR)
Heath Shuler (D-NC)
Ike Skelton (D-MO)
Zachary Space (D-OH)
John Tanner (D-TN)
Gene Taylor (D-MS)
Harry Teague (D-NM)

Thank you GOOD for providing the full list -- read more: http://www.good.is/post/health-care-reform-we-got-it

Herstory: Emma Goldman

Goldman, above at an unemployed workers rally in Union Square NYC

Emma Goldman, born in to an impoverished Orthodox Jewish family in what is now Lithuania, emigrated to the US as a teen, has been described as—among other things—"the most dangerous woman in America". She was a staunch supporter of anarchism, a political philosophy most people know little about.

During her life, Goldman was lionized as a free-thinking "rebel woman" by admirers, and derided by critics as an advocate of politically motivated murder and violent revolution. Her writing and lectures spanned a wide variety of issues, including prisons, atheism, freedom of speech, militarism, capitalism, marriage, free love, and homosexuality. Although she distanced herself from first-wave feminism and its efforts toward women's suffrage, she developed new ways of incorporating gender politics into anarchism.

As an anarchist, Goldman championed numerous human rights causes, particularly the issue of free speech. Widely persecuted for her advocacy of anarchism and opposition to World War I, Goldman was active in the early 20th century free speech movement, seeing freedom of expression as a fundamental necessity for achieving social change. Her outspoken championship of her ideals, in the face of persistent arrests, inspired Roger Baldwin, one of the founders of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Goldman advocated passionately for the rights of women, and is today heralded as a founder of anarcha-feminism, which challenges patriarchy as a hierarchy to be resisted alongside state power and class divisions. In 1897 she wrote: "I demand the independence of woman, her right to support herself; to live for herself; to love whomever she pleases, or as many as she pleases. I demand freedom for both sexes, freedom of action, freedom in love and freedom in motherhood.”

Goldman was also an outspoken critic of prejudice against homosexuals. Her belief that social liberation should extend to gays and lesbians was virtually unheard of at the time, even among anarchists. As Magnus Hirschfeld wrote, "she was the first and only woman, indeed the first and only American, to take up the defense of homosexual love before the general public." In numerous speeches and letters she defended the right of gays and lesbians to love as they pleased and condemned the fear and stigma associated with homosexuality. As Goldman wrote in a letter to Hirschfeld, "It is a tragedy, I feel, that people of a different sexual type are caught in a world which shows so little understanding for homosexuals and is so crassly indifferent to the various gradations and variations of gender and their great significance in life."

After decades of obscurity, Goldman's iconic status was revived in the 1970s, when feminist and anarchist scholars rekindled popular interest in her life.

Read Emma's writings here: http://sunsite.berkeley.edu/Goldman/

Via WIKIPEDIA

State of the Union Address 2010

Obama went fairly conservative with his State of the Union speech. The middle road seemed to have appeased Republicans & Democrats and perhaps angered many staunch supporters on the left. But bless the man for sticking to health care reform & emphasizing that he INHERITED this economic fiasco from the previous administration.

What was your reaction? Do you still have HOPE?

What did other women have to say about the speech? Latoya Peterson at Jezebel gathered quotes on the reaction from women. Like the one below. For more quotes check out the full length article here.

Danielle Belton:

9:50 PM: Obama points out the whole "we ain't got no money" situation. We has a surplus. We lost a surplus. We got more debt. We didn't pay for wars. Another reminder that we were broke before he even came here. "Just statin' facts!" he says.

9:52 PM: And the spending freeze that doesn't include defense goes over in Busboys like a lead balloon. The guy sitting next to me yells for John Lewis to sit down because MLK wouldn't have stood up for that ish.

10:00 PM: Obama calls out the party of no. Essentially telling Republicans to stop blocking progress for the sake of progress. Then talks about the waging of the perpetual campaign atmosphere in our government.

10:02 PM: Oooo. Did the President just tell the Democrats to stop being perpetual bitches? I'm liking this speech!

One Mistress's Revenge

What kind of revenge would you take if you dated a married man for 10 years who eventually went back to his wife?

Would you spend over $300,000 to post 3-story billboards featuring the two you embraced in major cities like Atlanta, San Francisco & New York City?

Well someone out there did! Here's an image of one of these special billboards.

"The posters, which are three storeys high, show Miss Williams and the senior member of the president's hand-picked Economic Recovery Advisory Board below his initials and a quote saying: 'You are my soulmate forever.' " via Daily Mail

If you'd like to see more pictures and get more info check out:

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1245296/Spurned-mistress-YaVaughnie-Wilkins-takes-revenge-Charles-E-Phillips-plastering-U-S-cities-compromising-posters.html#ixzz0dfbmv0RU

What do you think about her actions?

Iran's Joan of Arc

When viral video hit the internet, slain 27 year old Iranian protester, Neda (above) , becomes a symbol for Iran's current political unrest.

They are shaky, blurred images: A young woman collapses onto the pavement, a dark pool of blood spreads beneath her body. Two men kneel next to the woman and press on her chest, screaming. The camera phone which is filming her zooms in on her face. Her pupils roll to the side, blood streams out of her nose and mouth. "Neda, don't be afraid! Neda, stay with me. Neda, stay with me!" cries one man. Another man beseeches someone to take her in a car. Then the footage stops. (via Salon)

She has become a worldwide symbol of the struggle, for more info visit:

http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2009/06/22/neda/index.html

http://www.inquisitr.com/26883/new-details-image-and-video-of-neda-iran-emerges/

Sotomayor on Supreme Court

susan walsh/ap

Ladies, Obama hooked us up. By nominating Sonia Sotomayor, he hopes to confirm the first Latina to serve on the Supreme Court. A born and raised New Yorker, Sotomayer has literally risen from poverty (influenced by fictional sleuth Nancy Drew) to one of the most exclusive positions in law.

10 Things to Know about Sotomayor via Huffington Post.

Soldier, Soldier

More and more US soldiers returning from combat are committing suicide and MURDER at alarmingly high rates. Salon.com launched an investigative report uncovering the habitual mistreatment behind these preventable deaths. Obama wants to bring back a record number of soldiers, which does raise the question: how is the US government prepared to respond to their needs? Take a look at the article on Salon.com here.

Added bonus, English Punk/New Wave band Spizzenergi's 1979 single Soldier Soldier. Ignore the visuals, listen to the audio...

36 Years Ago

36 years ago today, the United States Supreme Court settled a case resulting in a landmark decision allowing for the legalization of abortion. The decision was based on right to privacy under the Due Clause of the 14th Amendment and overturned state & federal laws effectively ensuring women have the right to determined what's best for themselves (duh).

Nevertheless, it's still a polemic issue but as President Obama stated in his inauguration address, "we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics."

Check out this video from Jean Grae featuring LL's Lynette Astaire addressing the harsh reality many young girls face.

Booty Booty Booty Rockin Everywhere

Move over titties*, Americans have learned to favor another female body part - BOOTY!!!!

It seems over the past decade Americans have learned to love the tuchus. Blame it on Sir-Mix-Alot or J Lo. Whatevs, for those of us who've got junk in the trunk & spilling out of Uniqlos cause they don't cut them right - Halleluyah! It's about time.

Check out this article published on Alternet.org exploring the varying perspectives of booty (including body politics, Brazilian butt-implants, radicalized bodies & sexual stereotypes) in America and around the globe alas emphasizing that women should be based on their character, not their booty.

As an added bonus, Lady Ass Alot for your viewing pleasure. She's proud, so more power to you girl.

*Please note the obsession with titties will not be going anywhere anytime soon.

Call in Gay!!

Where the hell would we be without our gays!? Maybe its mom, a best friend, a hairdresser or the person you see staring back at you in the mirror!? Could you imagine being gayless!? Life would be colorless and dull. Let's face it diversity is pretty awesome, its the spice of life.

In honor of your gays, please support the grassroots initiative "Day Without a Gay" by calling in gay on December 10th! You can lend your fine self to Join the Impact and volunteer your time to a variety of services that will help educate those who under appreciate the gays in their life. We saw what happened when people united for this past election. We can make change!

Spitting 'Till They Shame You

A good friend once said if he ever became a woman he'd be Jean Grae. Her no apologies style has given our generation some of the most authentic hip hop to date. Always at the forefront of women's issues, Jean's songs are narratives every lady can relate to or at least respect.

In Jean's latest video for "My Story" aka "Spitting 'Till They Shame You" she addresses the issues facing unwanted teenage pregnancy, choice and post-abortion trauma. A reality that many face yet what are real abortion statistics*?

• The number of abortions in the US has steadily decreased over the past two decades.
• Fifty percent of U.S. women obtaining abortions are younger than 25: Women aged 20–24 obtain 33% of all abortions, and teenagers obtain 17%.
• Thirty-seven percent of abortions occur to black women, 34% to non-Hispanic white women, 22% to Hispanic women and 8% to women of other races.
• About 60% of abortions are obtained by women who have one or more children

With these stats in mind, check out Jean Grae's new video starring Ladies Lotto member Lynette Astaire.

*Statistics taken from the Guttmacher Institute.

The Manipulator

Photographer Jill Greenberg has a signature retouched style, particularly with her portraits.

When The Atlantic hired her to give John McCain a heroic look for its cover, Greenberg, an ardent Democrat, happily accepted. With only 15 minutes for the shoot, Greenberg certainly got a heroic shot of the Presidential nominee for the cover (see below).

She also captured a more diabolical side while manipulating his image and adding text such as "I called my wife a cunt in front of reporters" which were posted on her website. Seems The Atlantic along with John McCain's campaign didn't appreciate the artistic expression and Greenberg has found herself hit with legal issues as well as surrounded by controversy. Some of the controversial images are below.

See and read more about the issue here.

Reinvigorating Political Action - Back in the Game!

It's been a long week in politics. The RNC came in like Hurricane Gustav. We knew it was coming and thought it'd hit harder than it actually did. However, the damage has been done and the nation has been reinvigorated, albeit be it in fear of another four years of Republican rule.

For the first time in years, I have been moved into going beyond caring about election results but acting upon my convictions. As a once die hard politically minded individual who at the age of 13 subscribed to Mother Jones, The Nation, The New Republic (and of course, SASSY) , who has worked with Arianna Huffington, National Lawyers Guild, Rock the Vote and The Feminist Majority to name a few, I had lost interest in the process. It wasn't a question of apathy but more of a feeling that no one is representing me and others like me. After Bush stole the election in 2000, I lost my faith in America. I will admit it. I know many of you feel the same.

The mantra of our generation: Republican or Democrat - who cares, they are all the same! I spoke it loudly too. But I can no longer only be a critic at the DJ'd brunch I am attending with all of my cool, stylish friends who share the same opinion.

I am not a registered Democrat but this current political climate, in it's continuous shift to the right, it's unbalanced Capitalism and embracing of misinformation, the lack of foresight and world affairs, has moved me to action. After Gov. Palin's stylish speech evoking culture war, I made a donation to the Obama campaign. My first political contribution in years.

Here I am watching Sunday morning political commentary shows, something I haven't done in a while. Joe Biden's interview on Meet the Press was impressive, when asked about his apparent in congruent voting record for choice with his Catholic faith and personal perspective on life beginning at conception his response was what all politicians and people should echo. Faith is personal and should not dictate public policy and other people's right to make choices best suited for themselves. The humility in faith is by all means one characteristic we often forget.

I feel the need to reach out and stress that as a community, we can move mountains! We've done so with art, music, film and other forms of culture already. We can create a better place in this world for not just our children but for ourselves, for our parents and grandparents. A place for our neighbors, our brothers and sisters across the globe. We can rise up and say "we are no longer going to let business as usual happen." Obama will bring change but he is more of a metaphor for us as a community, as a network to create movement and action.

What do I mean by action? Voting, talking to people, blogging, calling your representatives. Sending the right wing part of your family information. Reading! Seeing through the guise of speeches, looking to the real issues, educating yourself about how it all effects you. It all makes a difference, consciousness starts with you.

With that, here are a series of eye-opening articles about the RNC, McCain and Sarah Palin:

Palin Won't Talk to the Press
Cindy McCain's RNC Outfit estimated at $300,000+
Steinem on Palin
Working Class Women Don't Buy Into Palin

And of course, The Daily Show on Palin.