Just hanging around...

A little primer on how to be a good ally:

First, DON’T demand that those you are supporting produce proof of the inequality they are working to resist.

DO recognize that the shield of your privilege may blind you to the experience of others’ injustice.

DON’T offer up your relationship with a member of the marginalized group as evidence of your understanding.

DO be open to learning and expanding your consciousness by listening more and talking less.

DON’T see yourself as the Kevin Costner in “Dances with Wolves” or the Tom Cruise in “The Last Samurai.” You are NOT the savior riding to the rescue on a white horse. DO notice that you are joining a group of people who are already working to save themselves.

DO realize that the only requirement you need to enter ally-ship is a commitment to justice and human equality.

-

Melissa Harris-Perry (The MHP Show for March 30, 2013)

Yes !

(via queerinthesheets)

(Source: inquisitivebibliophile)

Once in a while it really hits people that they don’t have to experience the world in the way they have been told to.

- Alan Keightley (via fuckyeahbrownpigeon)

(Source: runtowardsyourfear)

A catcall is entirely about reminding you that you are not yours. The purity myth is entirely about reminding you that you are not yours. The fetishization of female purity in a world where catcalls are an acceptable form of communication telegraphs one thing very clearly:

“Women, stop sexualizing yourselves—that’s our job, and you’re taking all the fun out of it.”

The sexualization of women is only appealing if it’s nonconsensual. Otherwise it’s “sluttiness,” and sluttiness is agency and agency is threatening.

- Lindy West, “Female ‘Purity’ is Bullshit” (via perfect)

(Source: fictional-clue)

I rang the literary editors of a few ‘respected’ papers and asked them how much space they were giving to women writers in their ‘review’ sections. Perfectly predictable response. They all said the allocation was fair. One said it was equal, and one prominent editor went so far as to say women are dominating the reviews!

… What happened when I asked who was doing the talking in mixed sex conversations? Well, it was the women of course. And then when you get to measure it you find that women get to talk about 10-20% of the time in conversations with men. A woman who talks about a third of the time is seen to be dominating the talk.

And what happened when I asked teachers who got their attention in class? Well, it was all equal, wasn’t it? No preferences there. And you measure it and find that girls get about 10-20% of the teacher’s attention. Any more, and the boys think it unfair - and go into revolt.

So what do you think I found with the reviews?

I would have predicted about 10-20% of the space went to women’s books. Well, it is less than 6% of the column inches. And the reasonable editor who thinks that women are getting more than their share is one of the worst offenders. Poor boys! It really tells you something when they think only 94% of the review section is not enough, doesn’t it? When 6% for women is too much you get some idea how much men think they are entitled to - as a fair deal.

- Dale Spender, correspondence, in Dale and Lynne Spender, Scribbling Sisters (Camden Press, 1986), pp. 31-32 (via radtransfem)