No words needed

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Danger in Complacency

Last night, I went with friends to see the movie "The Hangover." After the film, however, the topic of conversation ended up being about a preview for the film, "Bruno" (being released on July 10th, 2009.) "Bruno" supposedly documents the antics of a gay australian fashion writer while simultaneously perpetuating the stereotype associated with a flamboyantly gay man. Of course, much controversy surrounds the films release as people ask the question of whether or not this is good for the LGBTQ community? Many involved in the film's production argue that by being so over-the-top the film exposes homophobia instead of perpetuating stereotypes. Hmmm....tell that to the 8th graders who will undoubtedly use lines from the film to taunt and tease any guy who displays even the slightest bit of effeminate behavior. In other words, a fine line exists between encouraging stereotypes and using hyperbole to expose prejudice. In my opinion, one main factor in crossing that line might be THE AUDIENCE. And, who is seeing these films? Sure -- adults, members of the LGBTQ community, but, undoubtedly a large percentage of people who may not understand that we are laughing at exposed homophobia instead of the homosexual character. (right, I know the movie is rated "R" but I also live on the planet earth where somehow underaged people STILL make their way into the theater...what.a.shock.)

Now, to be clear, this does not mean that I believe the film should not be released. In fact, I am truly excited to see it. But, I also believe some are undoubtedly going to take the wrong message away from the film and I wonder what can be done about this? Should the film have a disclaimer, as has been suggested by some, stating that the film does not encourage bigotry of any sort? I don't know.

What I do know is that there is certainly a little too much complacency--people have been to quick to assume that audiences will laugh at homophobia instead of homosexuality. Read some hate crimes statistics, talk to LGBTQ youth who have come out in junior high and high school, talk to the activists who are still working on EQUAL RIGHTS for the LGBTQ community--opinions might change. I am all for a good movie and a great laugh, but let's also realize that real lives can and will be affected by the sensitive subject matter and it would be nice to hear a little bit more about that and a little less about how this is just a flat-out WIN for LGBTQ visibility.

Here is a NYTIMES article that discusses some varying perspectives.

The women in Iran

I have been waiting to hear a woman's perspective on the turmoil in Iran, and finally found this article on Forbes.com. As we know, journalists in Iran have been censored, imprisoned or worse, so coverage has not been complete through no fault of the journalists.

The woman interviewed in this article has not returned to Iran since 1984, and although I appreciate her perspective, I would like to hear more from women protesting in the streets. Who knows how this will end, and where women will stand after the ash has settled, but they are absolutely part of the fight.

This just might make you smile

A blog about global feminism may be many things, but a humor factory it is usually not. The stories we post here often leave me thoughtful, angry, or sad, but rarely amused. I really wanted to post this story, therefore, about a 17th century nun who defied gender norms and played by her own rules. Sister Mary Ward sounds like an intelligent, funny and entertaining woman. And I can't help but laugh at the fact that the same church that imprisoned her and called her a heretic is now considering giving her their highest honor- canonization. I hope her story makes you smile too

Legal Reform and Women's Rights

I had a professor at Georgetown, somewhat famous for throwing chalk at us in fits of literary excitement, who was a Muslim woman. When we covered "women" briefly in her history of Islam class, she told us that most Muslim women viewed feminism as an exclusively western movement that would destroy families. I desperately wanted to talk about this further, but trying to cover the entire history of Islam in one semester is a bit daunting, so we moved right along.

I thought of her tonight when I read this article, and really wish I could discuss it with her in class (minus the flying chalk). There is often a discrepancy between law and practice, but I do still hold some belief that the laws on the books have some power. I felt encouraged by this article, especially the grass roots, localized movement that inspired the legal reform.

The State of Reproductive Rights in Latin America

This article was a very informative and quick read about the legislation limiting women's reproductive rights in several Latin American countries. I greatly appreciate that they mention the percentage of women raped or sexually abused as children in Honduras, as these are important facts to remember. (I wish that they had identified the "Honduran NGO" though!)

Congratulations to CNN Women's Refugee Commission Honorees

Two women were honored for advocacy and services to their communities. Here are the official, and inspiring, bios:

Dr. Shamail Azimi was the first woman physician to return to Afghanistan after the fall of the Taliban in December 2001, leading a team of female doctors who delivered life-saving maternal and child health care services.

Mariatu Kamara was 12 years old when young rebels in Sierra Leone captured her and cut off both her hands. Now 22, Mariatu is a successful college student in Toronto, Canada, where she is studying to become a counselor for abused women and children. Her personal experiences of war and its aftermath are the subject of her new memoir, The Bite of the Mango.

Machismo: The "Hidden Genocide" in Latin America

Whenever women's rights activists compare sexism to something genderless (genocide) they are bound to draw immediate criticism of exaggeration. After all, if it were truly a genocide it would affect more than just one targeted group of people, right?

I do take particular interest in this region, as I work with primarily Latina women who have been victims of gender based violence both here and in their home country. Every woman's story is unique, but the almost unanimous opinion is that the reaction to and criminalization of gender based violence is much stronger and more condemning here than in any of their home countries. (The unanimity might only be disturbed by the few who feel that the police here don't protect them either.)

I would love to hear readers' opinions on this article. Do you think Ms. Ruiz Diaz is exaggerating for shock value? Do you think Latin America's chauvinism and gender based violence are more pronounced/prevalent/ accepted than in other regions in the world?

The Perils of Pregnancy

On April 6, I posted about the mortal dangers facing pregnant women caught in the violent civil war in Sri Lanka.

I was going to post about the Four women elected to Kuwait's parliament, but NY Times OP ed columnist Nicholas Kristof's piece about maternal morality rates in Sierra Leone caught my attention. One in ten pregnant women dies in childbirth there. One in ten.

If you're interested in learning more or taking action, check out the following websites:

White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood

CARE

Averting Maternal Death and Disability

Also read the bill introduced in Congress meant to increase the United States' awareness and financial commitment to solving this problem.

Read the full OP ed piece here.

The Power of the Powerless

There are many different ways to be a dissident. Most think of protests, yelling, confrontation, even violence. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has been forced to dissent differently than most, but in doing so has created an opposition harder for the military junta in Myanmar to erase. Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi has been under house arrest for the past 13 years. She has not been able to lead any rallies or march on any capitols, but she cannot be ignored. She was released briefly in 2002 but the overwhelming support, demonstrated by people cheering her on the streets when they saw her, was too disturbing to the junta and thus she was returned to house arrest.

I have spoken with male friends before about the difference between some men and women and their styles of dissent, so this article was particularly intersting to me. How many ways can we fight for change before it finally comes?