Caitlyn
Posts By: Caitlyn Martin
Flint, Michigan: Why Environmental Justice is Reproductive Justice
Michigan has made national news a good bit lately for the water crisis in Flint. For those that are unaware of what is going on, or who haven’t heard much about it, I’ll give a bit of background. In April of 2013, a money-saving decision was made by the state-level officials that Flint residents would no longer receive their water from Detroit, but from a pipeline from Lake Huron. This pipeline would not be completed for a few years, but Detroit cut them off from receiving water a year later. Until the pipeline is complete, the residents have to drink water from the Flint River. Here’s where the situation starts to fall apart. Residents began complaining about the water within a month. Two boil advisories were listed over the course… Read more »
My Experience Calling Crisis Pregnancy Hotlines
Have you ever gone on a road trip that involved northern Florida and southern Georgia? If you haven’t, don’t worry—you’re not missing much. The only interesting thing to look at is the abundance of billboards. They either advertise massage parlors catering to truckers, Jesus and when he’s coming back, or phone numbers to call if you’re pregnant and scared and considering that dreaded word: abortion. Even if you haven’t been on this particular (excruciatingly long) stretch of road, I’m sure you’ve seen similar signs, whether just posted alongside the road or on full-size billboards. The message is usually the same: Pregnant? Scared? Call this number! Sometimes the image depicts somebody with their head in their hands. Sometimes it’s an infant. I decided to give a few ‘pregnancy crisis hotline’ numbers… Read more »
The Feminist’s Guide to Holiday Shopping
It’s that time of the year when we’re making holiday wish lists. Sometimes, we know exactly what we want and can provide our friends and family with a thorough list. Other times, we have no idea what to ask for. If you fall into that second category—or if you have a friend who’s really into reproductive justice and you don’t know what to get them—then this list is for you! So here it is, a list of reproductive justice-related gifts that are perfect for getting or giving! The Repeal Hyde Art Project has great options, from handmade posters to t-shirts. They’re dedicated to raising awareness about how harmful the Hyde Amendment is, as well as creating conversations and making change. The Bitch Media store offers some pretty amazing stuff too,… Read more »
From One Caitlyn to Another: You Can Do Better
My favorite thing about Caitlyn Jenner is her name. Maybe I’m a little biased, but the name Caitlyn just has a certain ring to it. When she first came out as transgender, I was looking forward to a well-known celebrity voice bringing more visibility to the underrepresented and often ignored trans community. When she unveiled her new name, I was excited because I saw the potential for her to have a huge impact on how the world views the LGBTQ+ community and wouldn’t it be cool to share a name with someone like that? When she gave her speech at the ESPYs, I applauded from the couch. But now, those initial feelings have worn off and I have become disenchanted with Ms. Jenner. There are so many reasons that I… Read more »
Don’t Let One Positive Make Everything Negative
There are a lot of reasons I personally don’t like Charlie Sheen. He cheated on his wife. Assault charges. Domestic violence. Drug abuse. He’s an anti-vaxxer. The list goes on. And like most people, he has a few redeeming qualities as well. Major League is one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen, and I don’t think it would’ve been the same with someone else playing Wild Thing. He was also in Eight Men Out, which is my second favorite baseball movie of all time. Even with that to his credit, I am not a fan of him overall. But you know what isn’t one of my reasons? As he announced Tuesday morning and had been rumored prior to this, Charlie Sheen is HIV-positive. Because it’s 2015 and not 1985, I… Read more »
An Apology From a Former White Feminist
Generally speaking, if someone looks back at the things they said and did three years ago, they will at the very least cringe, if not want to go back and berate their former self, or potentially erase entire phases of their life. (Looking at you, blue-haired Caitlyn.) It’s understandable. We’re constantly changing and growing and, most importantly, learning. And you can learn a lot in three years. Three years ago, I was a White Feminist. To say that this makes me cringe is an enormous understatement. A White Feminist is not just any feminist who is white; white people can be feminists without being White Feminists. According to Everyday Feminism, White Feminism is “feminism that ignores intersectionality.” This is a problem because it narrows the focus of feminism to one… Read more »
It’s Okay to be the Squeaky Wheel
When I was in high school, I asked my dad why we hadn’t played tennis together in a while, despite the fact that I had mentioned wanting to months earlier, but that he had gone to the park to play pass with my younger brother multiple times during those months. His response? “The squeaky wheel gets the most oil.” I had no idea what that meant, so he explained. My brother kept asking to go to the park and play, so he kept getting what he wanted. Meanwhile, I had only asked for what I wanted once. I just thought that once was enough and that we would eventually get around to playing. Honestly, that was unrealistic. I’m the oldest of four, and we all have our own needs and… Read more »
The New Problem That Has No Name
In just about every Intro to Women’s Studies class, students read an excerpt of Betty Friedan’s The Feminine Mystique, usually about ‘the problem that has no name.’ It was certainly one of my favorite readings that semester, and I still find myself skimming through it when I want to read something familiar. Over fifty years ago, Friedan wrote about how women were starting to wonder, “Is this all?” They were becoming unhappy with their societally-prescribed roles in life: mothers, wives, caretakers, and very little else. This is how women of the time were taught, though: “They were taught to pity the neurotic, unfeminine, unhappy women who wanted to be poets or physicists or presidents. They learned that truly feminine women do not want careers, higher education, political rights—the independence and… Read more »
Demi-What?
Demisexual: “a person who does not experience sexual attraction unless they form a strong emotional connection with someone.” Is this term new for you? It was new for me not too long ago, so don’t feel bad if you don’t recognize it. I stumbled across the term on tumblr—a place where I have learned many new words and definitions—and, curious, looked it up. And after I read the definition, I had to read it again. And again. And then I looked up more and more about demisexuality because finally, finally, finally, I had found the word that described my sexuality. I had never been sexually attracted to a stranger. I had never had passing thoughts of what it would be like to have sex with an acquaintance. In general, while… Read more »
They Can’t Hyde It From Us
Today marks the anniversary of a dark day in America’s history. On September 30th, 1976, the Hyde Amendment was passed. If you’re friends on social media with anybody with the slightest interest in reproductive justice, I’m sure you’ll hear about this today, and maybe you already know what it is, but if you’re curious, I’ll answer your questions now. Let’s start with the basics. What is the Hyde Amendment? The Hyde Amendment bans federal funding of abortions, with Medicaid being the primary target. Exceptions are made for rape, incest, and danger to the mother’s life. Well that doesn’t seem so bad. Maybe it’s a budget thing. Hasn’t Medicaid funding been banned for other conditions? Actually, no. Abortion is the “only procedure that has ever been banned from Medicaid.” Can’t people find… Read more »
