Posts Categorized: Uncategorized
Hasty Hypocrisy: A look at Trump’s Executive Orders
In the 6 days following the historic inauguration of former reality television turned president, Donald Trump, 12 executive orders have been signed and there is no telling if the number will grow. The signing of these executive orders signify much of what can be expected of the new Trump administration. The administration would, for one, rather utilize federal tax dollars in order to fund a border wall between the U.S. and Mexico than support organizations that provide or even discuss abortion. And while the decision to reinstate the Global Gag rule and “build the wall” are not surprising after the last year of Trump’s campaign, they are important insights into who and what will be valued over the next 4 years. President Trumps decision to move forward with the building of… Read more »
‘Twas the day before the Inauguration
On January 20th, Donald J. Trump will become the 45th President of the United States. In response to his upcoming presidency and administration, thousands of organizers, advocates, and activists are mobilizing their communities and making their resistance known. From the resistance manual released from Deray and Campaign Zero, the vision for Black Lives released from the Movement 4 Black Lives, and the policy platform released by the Women’s March on Washington; citizens refuse to stay silent and allow Trump’s administration to continue the violation of human rights and legacy of systemic inequalities that exist within this nation. These next four years are going to be a continued battle for humanity. We’ve seen from the confirmation hearings, the policies his nominees support and want to enforce upon us. We’ve seen protestors… Read more »
Here’s What I’m Doing While the Country Gets Sh*ttier
With the inauguration coming up in several days, life has been pretty bleak. As an organizer, a Black person, and someone with a vagina, I can only imagine how our next four years will go. However, in 2017 I’ve made the resolution to actively practice self-care. I’m relatively good at this by now, but I wanted some self-care that was sustainable and could last me through our already wack country burning to the ground. Here are 5 things I’m doing this week instead of crying. 1. Binge watching Degrassi. Whatever it takes! Seriously though, I watched Degrassi for a while, but fell off. However, after the new season premiered on Netflix I was hooked! I’ve been watching past episodes on YouTube, and the drama is such a good distraction from… Read more »
Thanks, Obama: My Christmas Present from POTUS
After eight full years of the Obama administration, December 2016 marked the last full month of Obama as the POTUS. In his last weeks, his desire to pass as much protective legislation has been in overdrive. Protections for woman’s health, DAPL, and sexual assault survivors have been on the list of protections, all of which bring a small amount of security in a time of uncertain future. An amendment that brought a special amount of holiday joy was attached to the Frank R. Wolf International Religious Freedom Act, which outlines foreign policy in regards to religious persecution outside of the United States. The amendment clarifies and added specific language to not only protect different theistic religions, but also protect nontheistic religions and the lack of religion as well. This provides… Read more »
White Feminism and the 2016 Election
These past few weeks have been riddled with many emotions: white supremacists are enthused that they get to reclaim a country that never belonged to them, marginalized communities fear for their safety in this new world order, where racism and bigotry are being normalized, and neutral white people are just now realizing that our country is fucked up. While most media sites are ignoring the people Donald Trump is appointing to his cabinet to focus their headlines and leads on celebrity relationships, I’m still unpacking the racist ideologies behind white women’s support for the future president. White feminism centers on gaining equal rights for white cisgender women (preferably middle class) that align with the same rights granted to white cisgender men. They are willing to shun their gender by neglecting the intersections… Read more »
White People: Here’s How to NOT Respond to the Election
Sit down and buckle in, because this past week has proved to be extremely bumpy with extreme turbulence between activists and “activists.” After the election, we have a president-elect in Donald Trump, and the world has not slowed down ever since. Protests have been popping up, news outlets have been voicing their disappointment, and — of course — many people have found the worst way to attempt solidarity and allyship. Just one week and the conversation has largely shifted to calling-in those that do more harm than good with their efforts, enforcing and encouraging damaging ideas and false narratives to avoid discomfort, accountability, and conflict. I’ve unfortunately noticed a lot of reoccurring patterns in white people that not only prove being an ally is a walk and not a talk, but… Read more »
Voting Obstacles Then and Now
Social media outlets have become major instruments to explore people’s deepest thoughts during this election cycle. Many people, some of them trolls, utilize social media as a mic to air out personal feelings about the election, whether they are positive or negative (which most of them are). Throughout the election cycle, there have been discuss over the voting obstacles that various groups of people face across the nation. One thing that has stood out is the idea of voter suppression among people of color and other members of marginalized groups. Concepts, such as this one, are quite familiar, especially during the start of the Jim Crow era where black men were granted the right to vote through the passage of the 15th amendment. However, we all know that just because a law says… Read more »
Friend or Foe: Believe Survivors
The Department of Justice defines sexual assault as, “any type of sexual contact or behavior that occurs without the explicit consent of the recipient.” What that definition fails to encompass is what comes with sexual assault and the complexities of survivor stories. No, sexual assault is not a new topic and though it has been receiving much more attention due to sexual assult accusations coming up in the presidential election, it is still a highly stigmatized and taboo topic of discussion. I was reminded of this after hanging out with a friend and having her reveal that her assaulter attended a party in her own home. When she told me who he was and what happened I found myself feeling cold and confused. Anger washed over me and I felt… Read more »
The Battle of Birth Control
Birth control is a reality that many people take into consideration each day, with almost sixty two percent of reproductive age women taking a contraceptive and ninety nine percent of sexually active women ever using a contraception. Since it’s creation and distribution, the hormonal birth control pill has been revolutionary, giving many women a new freedom when it comes to their bodies. It has also had effects that were not so welcomed by many women, and it’s been a struggle that only those who are able to take it must deal with. Until recent years, at least. Male birth control has been a hot topic on the rise, with more and more trials starting to test the effects of possible methods. Injections, implants, and pills are among the methods being… Read more »
Sooner Rather than Later: Your Guide to Early Voting
The horse is dead. It has not only been beaten to death but rather beaten, revived, and then beaten again. And that horse is people telling you to vote. Yet, even though the horse no longer exists it leaves in its afterlife a new horse, early voting. While the feeling of voting on the ever-exciting Election Day can perhaps never be replicated it is important to acknowledge the many downfalls to waiting until November 8th to vote. There are always the possible accidental flat tires or sick days which could prevent you from voting but there are also the possible restrictions imposed by nasty voter id laws that could impact you on the big day. Nothing would be more annoying and possibly devastating than standing in the huge lines at… Read more »
