Posts Categorized: Uncategorized
Having Pride in Wichita
On September 29th, URGE Kansas members had the opportunity to be part of Wichita Pride and march in the parade. For me, it was my first time at Pride in Wichita, and for many of our members, it was their very first Pride! It was also the first time that URGE has had an official presence in the parade here. Overall, we had so much fun together, and we even had a few people shout out in support of our #AbortionPositive banner. For me, it was so transformative to see this side of Wichita. For too long, the local queer community had felt like it was only the small group I’d come to know through my time at college. And while there were many familiar faces, there were so many… Read more »
White supremacy is on your campus. What next?
Systems of white supremacy lurk insidiously and are upheld daily in various institutions—higher education is no exception. Earlier this year, at my sizeable urban university in the deep South, there was an explosive unveiling of active white supremacists and nationalists on the university’s payroll. The controversy began with one man. Fliers produced by an unknown source were posted all over campus. They listed the man’s name, position, and evidence of his involvement with the noted hate group, Identity Evropa. Since then, two more people were exposed. The exposure has led to a more significant discussion about my university’s non-action and inability to disavow white supremacy. The Anti-Defamation League has noted that white nationalists and supremacists are increasingly targeting universities and colleges, with their materials appearing on campuses since 2016. I remember when I… Read more »
San Antonio’s Economic Segregation Was and Still Is Intentional
The 210. Countdown city. Dueces dimes. San Anto. San Antonio, Texas is the 7th most populous city in the United States. It has ranked both 1st and 2nd place in reports on projected city growth across all America. The city is often promoted as family-friendly, and a great place to settle down and retire. I was born and raised in San Antonio, and currently, work and go to school here. The city has changed before my eyes, and sometimes I wonder if it was for better or for worse. It is well known amongst San Antonians, other Texans, and people across the U.S., that San Antonio is one of the most economically segregated cities in America. Median household incomes, the percentages of people living at or below the federally recognized… Read more »
Let’s not forget about Anita Hill when we think of Christine Blasey Ford
It has been a year since Dr. Christine Blasey Ford appeared in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee, testifying to the panel and the millions of people watching the televised hearing, that the then-Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh sexually assaulted her in the summer of 1982 when she was 15. I vividly remember the morning of Thursday, September 27th, 2018. It was a pleasant day; the fall season was just setting in. I started listening to Dr. Blasey Ford’s testimony while doing work. I listened to her quiet and gentle voice recounting her experience, stumbling over words sometimes. At one point I switched the browser tab over and started watching the hearing. I watched from that moment on to the end, feeling glued to my seat, unable to look away. … Read more »
You’re Corporate Feminism. I’m Reproductive Justice. We not the same, sis.
For the past 3 weeks, I’ve been gaining skills in tech after spending the last 3 years gaining experience in reproductive justice. The latter is a field where most people involved actively work to dismantle white supremacist, sexist, ethnocentric, heteronormative, cisnormative, and capitalistic notions of professionalism. The former is a profession that actively perpetuates this brand of professionalism, despite claims from many tech CEOs that they are “disrupting” it–[whisper] they’re not. This is not to say that reproductive justice as a profession is immune to harm or the abuses of capitalism, but we tend to be more aware of it. In my experience with reproductive justice, we’re asked to bring our full selves to work. I was once told as a volunteer for Feminist Women’s Health Center that I could wear what… Read more »
Why Chanel’s Asian-ness Matters
People v. Turner has been widely deemed a failure of justice since the Stanford University attacker’s sentencing three years ago. Brock Turner was given six months in jail—of which he served only half—and three years of probation. His sentencing continues to be used as an example of white privilege and rape culture today. Recently, the sexual assault survivor from the case revealed her identity. Her name is Chanel Miller. Chanel is Asian. Since the former Emily Doe’s identity was kept a secret from the public, this part of her identity went unrecognized. Even now, at the time of writing, I haven’t seen any major media outlets discussing why Chanel being Asian matters. Why is it important? Because her Asian-ness adds another critical layer to consider when looking at his motivations,… Read more »
Instead of Trying to “save” Sex Workers—Pay Them
Saturday, September 14th, 2019 was the first-ever Sex Worker Pride day. The day was aimed at highlighting the beauty and self-told stories of sex workers and bringing positivity around a career that is often stigmatized and criminalized by the media and the general public. I saw so many beautiful posts about the love, support, and sexual liberation that many sex workers have experienced and have been surrounded by. Launched by the Global Network of Sex Work Projects, this day of pride is focused on these tenants: Sex Worker Pride is an opportunity to celebrate and share stories of sex workers’ self-determination and the achievements of the sex worker rights movement over the last year. Sex Worker Pride extends to all marginalised by criminalisation, discrimination and stigma across the sex worker movement… Read more »
#NoGagRule: Ohio is just the beginning
Last week, Senator Sherrod Brown expressed concern over access to reproductive healthcare in Ohio. He estimated that nearly 100,000 Ohio women are in danger of losing their healthcare as Planned Parenthood was forced out of the Title X Family Planning program and lost federal funding. For residents in Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio, losing access to healthcare has just become a real problem. This week, two Planned Parenthood clinics serving nearly 6,000 patients in Cincinnati, Ohio are forced to close their doors after providing services like birth control, breast and cervical cancer screenings, and STI testing and treatment for almost nine decades. This is devastating news to patients who relied on these two clinics for their reproductive healthcare, as there is no infrastructure to immediately absorb them at other health centers. The closures will… Read more »
Organizing Around Public Transportation
As school starts up, my attention has been turned towards public transportation. Since I am a college student without a car, that means I have to take the bus to school. Well, more like two busses to get there and two to get back. For my area, public transportation means the bus system, paratransit (for those with disabilities that prevent them from using typical routes), and a few trolleys covering the center of the city. Right now I’m navigating the city while living at the corner of “you need a job to get experience, but they won’t hire you without experience” and “you need a car to get a job, but you need a job to get a car.” So when I saw this video from Patriot Act about public transportation, it… Read more »
7 Ways to Make Your Activism More Inclusive of Activists with Disabilities
In April, I broke my ankle which severely limited my normal activity and opened my eyes to how ableist the world is. That includes activist spaces. Yes—even yours. It was a temporary disability, but I also was diagnosed with a long term (invisible) disability two years ago. I’ve also had a chronic disease since childhood that sometimes makes activists and social spaces inaccessible to me. I am a chapter leader for URGE ATL, the Atlanta City Activist Network for URGE and participate in reproductive justice work with other organizations in Atlanta. This means I have experienced what people have done right by disabled people and what they can improve on. So, here is a list of ways folks can make their activist spaces more inclusive of disabled activists. 1. Recognize that… Read more »
