OUR SUNDAY LINKS

Sunday, July 5
by CJ

• The report from the external task force on misogyny, sexism, and homophobia in Dalhousie’s faculty of dentistry was released this week, finding that the university made a series of mistakes in responding to a complaint of misogynistic Facebook posts. “Everyone connected with this experienced damage and harm,” said Constance Backhouse, the chair of the task force. The university’s sexual and gender resource centre’s statement on the report calls for everyone to take systemic misogyny seriously.

• At York, a graduate student has filed a human rights complaint against the university, alleging that, in her experience, it’s policy on sexual assault descriminates against victims and women.

• “We are talking about women who have to exit the institution to survive the institution. We are talking about missing women.” Sara Ahmed on an academic culture that positions students and their complaints as threats to education and free speech: Against Students. 

• #WhoisBurningBlackChurches? At least seven black churches have been burnt in the southern US since the Charleston massacre. The Toast has a good roundup of important news, links, and readings.

• Last weekend, activist Bree Newsome was arrested after she scaled a flagpole in Columbia, South Carolina, to take down the Confederate Flag. Read the statement she gave after being released on bail.

• “Faith in public can look like a demand – for justice, for recognition, for grace. Faith in public can look like calling white supremacist evil exactly what it is and “coming against it.” Faith can look like a Black girl climbing a pole.” Bree Newsome’s Politics, Theory, and Theology of Resistance.

• Looking forward to the Women’s World Cup finals today? First check out Autumn Whitefield-Madrano’s brilliant TNI piece on women athletes and the different ways female desire can be focussed, and then let’s watch some women want.

• Greece votes in a referendum today on the country’s bailout conditions. If you want to learn more about the situation, here are 11 things  about the Greek crisis you need to know. Also, this dispatch from Athens gives voice to some of the conversations happening on the ground,  this podcast from Novara Media gives a good overview of the historical context and politics of the situation, and this interview with Syriza central committee member Stathis Kouvelakis gives insight into what’s at stake.

• Figures released by the Jubiliee Debt Campaign show that the IMF has made €2.5 billion of profit out of its loans to Greece since 2010.

• “In a city so often banking on our brand as a young, changing place, what do we lose during the Stampede? What do we lose when we stroll into the Cowboys tent under the words: THROUGH THESE DOORS WALK THE MORE BEAUTIFUL WOMEN IN ALBERTA?” This one is for all our Alberta friends who might be trying to avoid Stampede this week along with the rampant sexism that takes over the streets of Calgary and normalizes violence against women: “Herd Mentality” via Maisonneuve. 

• The Grassroots Indigenous Water Defence is organizing a Water Walk in Treaty 3 territory on August 3-7, 2015 to protect Anishinaabek communities’ water from Transcanada’s proposed Energy East pipeline. Participants will walk along the proposed pipeline route from Eagle Lake to Shoal Lake. Find out how you can support and participate here.

• Why I choose not to celebrate Canada Day: Fireworks block out the suffering of Canada’s colonial past.

• Read Delilah Saunders’ beautiful and devastating Toast piece on remembering her sister, Loretta, one of Canada’s MMIW.

• Christi Belcourt and Italian fashion designer Valentino join forces to bring environmentalism, Indigenous activism, and fashion together in their collaborative 2016 Resort collection.

• Rihanna released the much anticipated video for BBHMM this week. Now that we have some visuals for the song, it’s worth  revisiting Doreen St Felix’s “The Prosperity Gospel of Rihanna“:
  

   “As a black woman whose artistic inventiveness outpaces her peers and music executives by what feels like whole years, she will also perpetually be owed. To be a black woman and genius, is to be perpetually owed.”

• “The rise and expansion of the institutions of marriage and the prison industrial complex/border security state are actually intimately intertwined.” The High Cost of Marriage “Equality.”

• “Even if [my partner] and I can legally marry, we really don’t have the option to. That is, we don’t have the option unless we want to risk losing the disability benefits that sustain our survival.” 

• Domestic partner benefits are under threat in the wake of last week’s marriage ruling: Why employment protections must be the next step for LGBTQ Americans. 

• “The difference between “MOM” and other compliments women—especially famous women—get is that “MOM” is ultimately about respect. In reality, Moms don’t get enough respect.” On Mom culture and fandom.

• Read Thabadu Gordon’s Rookie piece on the right to be a black girl: “Being ‘well-spoken’ and ‘acting white’ doesn’t protect me.”

• On the beginnings of the end of privacy, and the political possibilities of confessional culture.

• “Once I started using Twitter regularly, I encountered misogynist trolls almost immediately.” A conversation with women writers on Twitter. 

• Like everyone else in the world I just read an Elena Ferrante novel and can’t wait to get my hands on another one and so I revisited this n+1 review of her work and it’s really great, maybe you should too.

• Finally, the GUTS blog is looking for writers! Check out our call for submissions and send us your pitch. We are also launching an advice column this summer. bb will be answering your burning questions on how to navigate the world with fierce empathy: ask her anything! We can’t wait to hear from you. Happy Sunday xo.

Image by Micadew via Flickr