Oklahomans for Reproductive Justice

nprfreshair: How to Help Oklahoma Tornado Victims.

crumeniferus — Tue, 21 May 2013 08:25:31 -0500

nprfreshair:

How to Help Oklahoma Tornado Victims.

emmtotheatt: “The University of Oklahoma is opening up spaces in Housing for the displaced...

crumeniferus — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:37:44 -0500

emmtotheatt:

“The University of Oklahoma is opening up spaces in Housing for the displaced families! Call us 405-325-2511!”

timekiller-s: In case anyone needs shelter.

crumeniferus — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:37:24 -0500

timekiller-s:

In case anyone needs shelter.

Autostraddle — trans*scribe

crumeniferus — Fri, 17 May 2013 08:01:10 -0500

Autostraddle — trans*scribe:

transgirltumbling:

If you are trans*, know or love someone trans*, or are just interested in the subject, I highly recommend reading these Autostraddle articles written by Trans*women (with many of them discussing topics applicable to all trans* people).

Mamas in the South Continue the Fight for Reproductive Justice | Flyover Feminism

cosby--sweater — Sun, 12 May 2013 18:16:07 -0500

Mamas in the South Continue the Fight for Reproductive Justice | Flyover Feminism:

speakjustice:

Bianca is a doula and reproductive justice organizer at SPARK Reproductive Justice Now. She is also proud to be a member of Echoing Ida, using the potential of social media to promote the reflections of Black women.

Too often public discourse on the reproductive and sexual rights issues of women living in the U.S. South, as well as the Global South, describes women as perpetual victims of their location and circumstances—especially Brown and Black women. In an effort to highlight the gross social and economic disparities, these narratives lose sight of the fierce feminist organizing happening in these regions. Even well-intentioned reproductive justice leaders can forgo balanced remarks by focusing on the injustices. This is simply detrimental to our movement.

Instead, let us foreground the dynamic reproductive justice work happening in the South and debunk the myths that we are helpless, uneducated, and in need of rescuing by the North! This Mama’s Day join SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW as we honor three amazing Black mothers and celebrate the resilience of women social justice leaders who continue to pave the way for our reproductive freedom in the South and the nation.

What We Face …

Recently, legislators in Arkansas passed a twelve-weeks ban on abortion care. Doctors, women, and families are already countering this anti-choice measure with public demonstrations and suing the state of Arkansas to repeal the ban. Shortly after the Affordable Care Act was announced, a number of Republican Governors, concentrated in the South, publicly denounced implementation of vital aspects of healthcare reform including opting out of the state exchange programs and refusing to expand Medicaid eligibility. Yet, advocates of reproductive justice are gaining ground and can mark important wins in the current hostile climate.

Women of Mississippi and their families prevented the closing of the state’s last-standing abortion clinic in April. Also this month theSouth Wind Women’s Center, a full-spectrum reproductive healthcare practice including first- and second-term abortions, became available to women in Wichita, Kansas. Wichita and outlying areas have not had access to abortion care since the assassination of Dr. George Tiller in 2009. Finally, Georgia saw less anti-choice legislation introduced this legislative session than in the last two years. Yet, a twenty-week abortion ban did pass. But prepared women and families are gearing up to fight this anti-choice legislation. We have already won an injunction on the law, as the ban is currently being debated in the state court for repeal.

Our past success will influence future victories, so we must always reflect and refuel.

What We’re Working Towards …

A new poll reveals that, despite the tactics by the Right, African-Americans are still overwhelmingly in support of protecting a woman’s constitutional right to an abortion. This poll also reveals that a majority of African-American adults affirm comprehensive sexual health education and access to preventive healthcare. These important survey results demonstrate that we, as Black women leaders, have the needed support to keep advocating for the health issues that members of our communities say they want.

At SPARK Reproductive Justice NOW we situate our work at the intersection of health, economic, racial, and gender justice knowing that today’s freedom fights require fearless dynamic approaches. We know that Cissexism, compounded with other systemic issues, leaves many trans and gender non-conforming people without health insurance to cover their mammograms, prostate exams, pregnancies, abortions, and any other procedure deemed by society to be contained in one gender. Therefore, we are working towards affordable, accessible, full-spectrum reproductive healthcare for all of our chosen families. We continue to create necessary spaces for political and social empowerment for queer and trans youth of color through our media camps and leadership trainings. Finally, in order to actualize legislative change, we must stay involved, so SPARK will continue working with our constituency through our civic engagement initiative.

Celebrating Southern Mamas!

Women in the U.S. South and in the Global South want our expertise, our legacy of resistance, and our bodily autonomy respected. We stand on the shoulders of the brilliant Black women from the South who have long been rebelling and demanding social justice—women like Fannie Lou Hammer, Coretta Scott King, Gwendolyn Zoharah Simmons, Ruby Sales, Tracee McDaniel, Mary Hooks, and Marylinn Winn. We stand on the fertile ground they left for us and recognize them as the greatest Mama’s Day blessing of all!

In the end, as you think about and discuss the South, remember to shift your focus from what is wrong in our parts of the world, and instead, remember and foreground our legacy of success. On Mama’s Day, understand that women in the South have autonomy and refuse to be paternalized by the state, the North, or anyone else. Stand with us and support our leadership, respect our lived experiences, and honor our herstories!

This blog is part of the Strong Families Mama’s Day Our Way celebration. You can read more posts in the series on the Strong Families blog. Strong Families is a national initiative led by Forward Together. Our goal is to change the way people think, act and talk about families.

glitterlion: tranqualizer: cielito-lindo: arialv: I cannot...

cosby--sweater — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:06:59 -0500

glitterlion:

tranqualizer:

cielito-lindo:

arialv:

I cannot get over how beautiful these images are.

I love the first one. Beautiful!

yes

I highly recommend folks check out the Mama’s Day site to see the all the cards up this year. You can even add a personal message to them and send them as e-cards to your families.

For some background info on the campaign.

For info on the artists of the cards. And here.

"If individuals are detached from the community and afraid of interacting with police, that makes..."

crumeniferus — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:58:21 -0500

“If individuals are detached from the community and afraid of interacting with police, that makes them easier targets for all sorts of exploitation. As bad as they often are, law enforcement institutions are still the main way individual infringements on rights are dealt with. Closing off those channels leaves people entirely vulnerable to those with more power than them, e.g. bosses and landlords. Of course, making the lives of the undocumented as hellish as possible is an intentional strategy of the anti-immigrant crowd. They call it self-deportation, and the idea is make things so unbearable for undocumented immigrants that they have no choice but to flee out of the country. It almost certainly wont “work” (work defined in anti-immigrant terms), but it will create maximum human misery in the process of failing.”

- Undocumented Latinos Forced Into Isolation | OK4RJ: Oklahomans for Reproductive Justice

"The L Word’s idea of helping Midwestern youth feels like a seven-season-long “It Gets Better”..."

crumeniferus — Wed, 08 May 2013 12:55:44 -0500

“The L Word’s idea of helping Midwestern youth feels like a seven-season-long “It Gets Better” project. Don’t get me wrong; the show was ground-breaking. Folks living in oppressive environments need to know that another way to experience the world is possible. But Bomb Girls reminds us that even in oppressive environments, queer folks can survive and even thrive. As Betty must do, living in Oklahoma means I’ve got to be calculated in when and to whom I share aspects of my personal life though not to the same extent. It means never knowing when microaggressions will turn into physical aggression. It means toughening up, and it means insulating integral parts of yourself from the world. People here don’t or can’t always acknowledge the pain of living in a society that overwhelmingly rejects a fundamental aspect of their existence. Regardless of this reality, the love (and anger) queer Oklahomans radiate is real and precious. I feel lucky I get to experience it”

- On Bomb Girls, L Word and Helping Those Midwestern Youth | OK4RJ: Oklahomans for Reproductive Justice

"For many people, this request for identification is not a benign moment that blips across your radar..."

crumeniferus — Mon, 06 May 2013 12:28:43 -0500

“For many people, this request for identification is not a benign moment that blips across your radar while running errands; it can put people at serious risk for harassment, oversight by legal and immigration services, misgendering and transphobia, and on top of all that, denial of the services you were seeking in the first place. Medication of any kind is a human right for those who need it and thus any restriction that denies access based on identity, especially those that are highly stigmatized, must be dealt with first. We must question the arbitrary age distinctions in accessing EC, absolutely, but we must also question the arbitrary definition of personhood based on state identification and for whom it grants access to necessary medical care. All people who need emergency contraception should be able to access it, but not all people are considered persons in a meaningful sense when it comes to state regulation based on ID laws. This regulation is not limited to accessing highly politicized reproductive healthcare, but also voting in many states. When acquiring such ID has cissexist and racist implications and impacts, along with the burden it places on the poor, it is a necessary priority when discussing these regulations.”

- I’m Gonna Need To See Some ID: On The Politics of EC Access | OK4RJ: Oklahomans for Reproductive Justice

"In Pride-related rage, the SF LGBT Celebration Committee apparently nominated Private B. Manning as..."

crumeniferus — Fri, 03 May 2013 09:05:05 -0500

“In Pride-related rage, the SF LGBT Celebration Committee apparently nominated Private B. Manning as one of the Grand Marshals for the San Francisco Pride parade this year but walked back this decision after nonsense backlash about it being un-American or what the fuck ever. Let’s not even get into the damage corporate sponsors of big city (and smaller city) pride events do, like marketing alcohol to queer folks who are more likely to suffer from addiction and abuse, or foreclosing on homes that disproportionately displace poor queers and queer people of color, or any of the other awful stuff Glenn Greenwald writes about here (caution, as there’s misgendering throughout that article). It’s yet another example of the conservatism and respectability politics that’s permeated and taken over an event intended to celebrate a police riot started by trans women of color for goodness sake (trying to emphasize my frust-rage here).”

- Rodeo Roundup: Blingee Gifs and Rage News | OK4RJ: Oklahomans for Reproductive Justice

"This whole “going against the gay stereotype” comment and subsequent backhand at the most tender of..."

crumeniferus — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:09:29 -0500

“This whole “going against the gay stereotype” comment and subsequent backhand at the most tender of the tender hearts reads as “at least I’m not a limp wristed pansy,” and that really isn’t gonna work for me. Granted, some of Collins’ mentality comes from being so deeply steeped in the mega-bro world of professional sports. I’ll give the pro’s pro that. And I am probably a little too hard on someone who is just peeking his head out into the big gay existence that I’ve been pretty well dancing around in for the better part of thirty years. But while wearing that shroud of hyper-masculinity must be heavy, how far does that excuse take him?”

- That guy is gay? And other tired bullshit. | OK4RJ: Oklahomans for Reproductive Justice

"These predatory measures directly affect folks’ abilities to take care of themselves and their..."

crumeniferus — Wed, 01 May 2013 13:37:39 -0500

“These predatory measures directly affect folks’ abilities to take care of themselves and their families and communities. ALEC hasn’t technically targeted reproductive rights, but around here we know that the more hurdles a person has to leap in order to be allowed some measure of self-determination, the less control they have over their reproductive autonomy. ALEC is, however, targeting Oklahoma – remember, top 5 in poverty and poor health, and the front line for the battle against the Keystone XL – for environmental deregulation, union-busting, and healthcare denial. This is a totally parasitic relationship. Go home, ALEC, you’re drunk on coal and guns.”

- OK4RJ | ALEC Holds Annual Meeting in OKC, Looms Menacingly Over Flyover Country

Call for Submissions for a New Anthology Featuring Oklahoma Writers of Color

cosby--sweater — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:27:53 -0500

Call for Submissions for a New Anthology Featuring Oklahoma Writers of Color:

Norman, OK March 2013- Mongrel Empire Press, an Eclectic Publishing House specializing in regional and uncommon literary works, is seeking submissions for an upcoming anthology featuring Oklahoma writers of color.

Quraysh Ali Lansana and Dr. Jeanetta Calhoun Mish, in collaboration with Mongrel Empire Press, seek to publish the writing of People of Color born and/or raised in Oklahoma or who have lived in the Oklahoma for five or more years. Though the editors prefer writing that speaks to some aspect of life in the Sooner State (politics, history, culture, the land, etc), all topics and genres are welcome. This anthology will be the first to document exclusively the lives of minorities in Oklahoma. We are looking for essays, interviews, short fiction, poetry and personal reflections for publication that explore life in Oklahoma as well as the state’s rich history.

"I feel like I have heard every argument under the sun from skeptical pro-choice folks about why the..."

crumeniferus — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 12:54:00 -0500

“I feel like I have heard every argument under the sun from skeptical pro-choice folks about why the reproductive justice framework is not strategic. One that I hear frequently working in the places that I do is that reproductive justice is not a suitable strategy for red states. When we say that reproductive justice is too radical for red states, we ignore the critical need for radical intervention in the denial of justice that is occurring in places like Oklahoma right now. We are talking the state with the highest number of abortion restrictions, incarcerates women at a higher rate than anywhere in the world, the number one healthcare reform hater, and a host of other problems. Do we really think that writing to our legislators is the most appropriate response when things have gotten so bad? Not that lobbying efforts are without merit, but if ultimately short-sighted letter-writing campaigns are really the major pillar in our long term strategy, then we are in some serious trouble. If we think that more “business as usual” is the solution, then we are kidding ourselves.”

- The Strategy We Need: Why We Can’t Keep Calm And Carry On | OK4RJ: Oklahomans for Reproductive Justice

"In the end, it also comes down to something Melissa McEwan wrote here at Shakesville: ‘Of..."

cosby--sweater — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:39:00 -0500

“

In the end, it also comes down to something Melissa McEwan wrote here at Shakesville:

‘Of course is to say nothing of the zoning laws that allowed a fertilizer plant to exist in such close proximity to residences and schools. Many residents say they saw it coming, and, naturally, because we live in a garbage culture full of victim-blaming and tasking individuals with solutions for systemic problems, there is already a lot of “why didn’t they move?” where “this plant was irresponsible and deregulation is a fucking nightmare” should be.’

Anyone who lives in a space where they are the political minority and they talk to someone who agrees with their politics but lives in a place where those politics are in the majority have heard the “why don’t you just move?” as if that is a viable or useful response. It is an excuse that refuses to take into account at all people’s lived experiences, their desires to be near family or friends, the pressing issue of finding a new job in a new place, or people’s complete inability economically to just pick up and move (to be able to do that is a privilege). It is a conversation killer and, as McEwan wrote, victim-blaming.

”

- Why Isn’t There More Coverage of the West Explosion?

"Corporate Feminism has a momentum going because it is very marketable. It seems simple enough to..."

cosby--sweater — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 11:32:34 -0500

“Corporate Feminism has a momentum going because it is very marketable. It seems simple enough to yell slogans and encouraging quotes at other women telling them ”YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU WANT, JUST LOOK INSIDE YOURSELF!!!”, but these words are not going to create financial ease for people who are working on minimum wage with a family or all of a sudden create a sense of security for someone who is struggling to pay their rent. Telling people to love themselves for what they are talented at or to believe in their full potential is not a negative notion. But don’t get this part of “The New Feminism” twisted as a portion of a grassroots movement which speaks to the underrepresented.”

- The Corporate Mystique: Numbers Game Equality and “Leaning In”“

"Basically, an internet shitshow erupted (and rightfully so) when Matt Yglesias nonchalantly..."

crumeniferus — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 09:24:56 -0500

“Basically, an internet shitshow erupted (and rightfully so) when Matt Yglesias nonchalantly jerksplained to everyone that calls for higher safety standards for global workers were unnecessary on account of “shit happens” after a factory collapse in Bangladesh left over 250 dead and many still missing. There was some weird rationalizing about “choice” in the article and even stranger references to jobs featured on TLC reality shows. … OMFG. Dialectical materialism, really, Matt Yglesias? Shhhhhh, Bangladeshi workers, slow your roll, the dialectic will unfold when it unfolds. Hey bro, a bunch of super dead old white dudes called and want their theory of social change back.”

- Rodeo Round-up: Side Eye Edition | OK4RJ: Oklahomans for Reproductive Justice

"The experiences you have according to the systemic structure creating your environment should not be..."

crumeniferus — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 09:17:37 -0500

“The experiences you have according to the systemic structure creating your environment should not be at the dismissal of the proponents who only believe an anecdote if there is numerical fact to cover the topic. White Supremacy is real. Can I measure how much I breathe in when I step outside? No, but I can sure as hell tell you about the times I have been called derogatory terms or pulled aside in order to question my existence as a WOC. Does this give you the bigger picture? Certainly not, but it made me curious about the system in existence. My experiences have made me question the folks who spit out quotes about the American Dream and social mobility as if it is an elevator to heaven where the system in place doesn’t matter; it’s all about an individualistic pursuit for success, “if you work hard enough“.”

- The Corporate Mystique: Numbers-Game Equality and “Leaning In” | OK4RJ: Oklahomans for Reproductive Justice

"Residents of Mayflower, Arkansas have already seen what ExxonMobil’s pipelines carry through their..."

crumeniferus — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 09:19:17 -0500

“Residents of Mayflower, Arkansas have already seen what ExxonMobil’s pipelines carry through their town – diluted bitumen sourced in Canada’s tar sands spilled into neighborhoods last month, displacing 22 households and killing 205 wildlife animals from exposure. First Nations people in Fort Chipewyan along the Athabasca River in Alberta (where much of the tar sands extraction takes place) are already reporting elevated cancer rates and contaminated food supply. It’s clear that people are already suffering on an international, immediate level and we shouldn’t have to wait to act in solidarity with the folks dealing with the damage of that injustice. This same bitumen flows through pipelines in Oklahoma and puts larger social issues in our state into perspective. Refusing to invest in public transportation and infrastructure means many Oklahomans will remain reliant on personal vehicles and the fuel required to run them, thus making demand for “non-foreign oil” make sense to those who depend on it. Treaty rights to land in Ponca Territory are ignored and refineries in Ponca City pose unique environmental risks to the people on Ponca land. Corporate interests abusing eminent domain and providing insufficient cash payments for land means Oklahomans have little legal recourse from being pushed off their homes. We are already at the behest of policies and agreements that will result in ambiguous benefit and enormous risk to the people in our state.”

- When The Bitumen Comes Sweeping Down The Plains | OK4RJ: Oklahomans for Reproductive Justice

"This is really only noticeable when contrasted with the highly specialized work of activists in the..."

crumeniferus — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:39:25 -0500

“This is really only noticeable when contrasted with the highly specialized work of activists in the coastal hubs – we have to do EVERYTHING, and we have to do it from scratch. Anyone advocating for social justice in Nowhere has also attended meetings, rallies, and protests for every other progressive organization and cause within 200 miles. We are all active in resistance of almost every kind, because we have to be. Because there just aren’t very many of us here. And that’s why we stay.”

- An Open Letter To New Flyover Allies | OK4RJ