May 3rd, 2015
- After years of peaceful protest in response to decades of police brutality towards black and brown citizens in the United States, Baltimore got mainstream media attention, because the broken windows on cop cars seem to matter more than broken backs. There is so much to read and more to do about this ongoing fight for justice. Here are a few places to start:
- Women who are leading and organizing protests and action are persistently underrepresented in the media in favour of young black men. This past week in Baltimore, some organizers called for men to stand on the front lines of blocs for the “protection of women and children” – as one woman said, it’s “kind of a natural habit to not realize the lack of acknowledgment of women”.
- Sister Soliders offers a short history of the incredible work being done by black women organizers in the movement, and this interview with Alexis Templeton and Brittany Ferrell offers insight into the challenges and hopes of black queer women leading this fight.
- Black transwomen killed by police are triply invisible, but they can’t be forgotten
- Collier Meyerson on hope in Baltimore
- In Toronto yesterday, many gathered to show solidarity with those in Baltimore and victims of racist police everywhere, for this is not just an American problem: Desmond Cole wrote beautifully and painfully last week about his lifetime of police detentions and interrogations in Toronto, based solely on race.
- Here’s a public Google doc with an ongoing list of resources on #BlackSpring, #Ferguson, #BaltimoreUprising, #BlackLivesMatter, and more.
- “It’s our dissent, it’s our rebellion, and May 1st is our day”! Friday was May Day, and in Montreal, citizens, workers and students who were marching to protest austerity were violently detained and arrested by police after a huge turnout and set of actions. The Canadian media has by and large simply ignored the ongoing organized resistance to austerity in Quebec happening this spring – if you haven’t been following, take the time to catch up and support!
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Canada’s military is a toxic, sexualized culture where rape, sexual assault and misogyny are commonplace. Former Supreme Court justice Marie Deschamps spoke to over 700 military members and visited multiple bases, coming up with an 88-page report and 10 recommendations for working to change rape culture in the military, most significantly, an independent body to which military members could report abuse and assault. The military’s response to the report and recommendations has been cagy and non-committal, although the report is damning about the ways in which leadership has allowed and encouraged this culture to flourish. Canadians need to press harder on the people who allegedly serve in our names.
- McMaster University will be raising the pay of its tenured female faculty, after a comprehensive review found that female professors were being paid an average of 3,515$ less than their male colleagues, controlling for all variables. This is an important step, and we’ll be watching to see which other universities follow suit.
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In case you missed it, the new issue of cleo is out, and it deals with two of our favourite things: TV and feminism! The whole issue is incredible, we especially love the roundtable on web TV and this close reading of Veronica Mars.
- Lots to think about in this Adult Magazine panel on rape, consent, and ‘dick culture’
- What makes you feel powerful? (some GUTS editors are definitely also in the ‘Nicki/Beyonce on repeat’ camp)
- This was a great week on the GUTS blog! If you missed anything, now’s the time to catch up: Allison Mader gave a brief history of white men talking about the niqab, Liane Tessier detailed her experience with gender discrimination and harassment in a male-dominated workplace, Maria Campbell urged PEI voters to fight for abortion access on the island, and all of you shared what you’ve inherited from your mothers in this installment of Open Secrets.
- Plus, a reminder: the MOMS survey is still open! We’re deleting the questions as we post the responses, so there’s still time to tell us about your mom, or about being a mom. Why not do it today?
- How to do science better? Get a man’s name on it.
- “Time after time… I have had to remind myself that even though I know just how other people see me, I won’t submit to seeing myself that way.” Jenny Zhang on the corrosive nature of white beauty standards, and men with “an Asian thing”.
- Kim Gordon vs. Courtney Love? In praise of Vulgar Feminism
- Finally, our MOMS issue starts rolling out tomorrow! GUTS editors and contributors have been working hard on this issue, and we’re all so excited to share the results with you. Comics, interviews, essays, conversations, photojournalism and more will be rolling out throughout the month of May, and we’ve got an amazing first week ahead. Stay tuned!
Image: #tdottomore protest