Watch "No Easy Decision" Online

If you live an analog life as I do and missed "No Easy Decision" for lack of access to cable, or a TV that doesn't use rabbit ears you may watch it here:

No Easy Decision - MTV Shows

No Easy Decision/16 & Loved: MTVs Airing of Teen Stories About Abortion

This post will be cross posted from my Media Justice column.

This week I’ve come back to DC to be with my family for the end of the year. It’s a tradition that I’ve done since moving back to NYC. One of the saving graces from the stress of holidays, family expectations (being in your 30s and not being partnered or have babies is kind of an issue as some of ya’ll can imagine), not having public transportation similar to NYC, and generally being back in the south (DC is below the Mason Dixon line, the sweet tea line, and it’s the south!), is cable television!

I haven’t had cable since leaving the area, so 5 years I’ve been sans cable, as well as still using rabbit ears for a TV that has survived the conversion of 2010. I’ve shared before that I live an analog life and it’s still true! The first thing I try to do when I get home is not get sucked into the Law & Order: SVU marathon that is a black hole, instead I peruse the music video channels and steadily stay watching Vh1 Soul. This morning (Thursday) they had a Prince block that gave me life!

All this to say, I was way behind in discovering that MTV is having a show “No Easy Decision.” l about teens who have chosen abortion when they have discovered they are pregnant. The show will air Tuesday December 28, 2010 at 11:30pm. This week I began to see a ton of tweets from my homies on Twitter about supporting the youth who share their stories of abortion on the television show. The hashtag being used is “16 & Loved” and I went to the MTV website and couldn’t find the show by that name.

I sent a tweet asking folks who are promoting the show to please see the class privilege in having access to cable. That’s when my homegirl Shelby Knox replied and sent me the links folks can show support if there is no cable access. MTV has partnered with Exhale and there is a website that folks can share their own stories of abortion and show support for the teens sharing their story at 16 & Loved. The website mission reads:

16 & Loved is a campaign to give our public support to the three young women who told their abortion story on the MTV special – “No Easy Decision” - created for the popular series “16 & Pregnant.” Markai and several other young women did their part to let others know: “you are not alone. I’ve been there too.” Now, it’s time to do our part. We need to make sure these brave young women feel our unconditional love and our support. 16 & Loved sends love and support to Markai and the others on the show, and, in the process, lets every young woman who has had an abortion know that she is not alone. She is loved.

I write this post because I won’t be home in DC after Monday and will miss the airing of the show as it’s back to rabbit ears TV for me. I’m loving the movement of youth and people that have come out to support young people and all of their decisions when facing an unplanned/expected pregnancy. It’s time we see that there are options and all young people must know what they are and that they are available. This is media making.

There’s also a ton of class privilege that I think can also be interrogated, and that we don’t usually see (but I’ve seen it vividly in Teen Mom especially with Tyler and Catelynn in Michigan). MTV is not the best at showing working-class White people like American Idol, but their story really is one that I find important to this narrative and testimony of youth and relationships.

Part of this class privilege is also having access to the Internet, which is completely connected to Net Neutrality (which is something we MUST get up on as a community of reproductive justice activists!) I’ll be honest with ya’ll, I “borrow” WiFi to write a majority of my Media Justice columns as well as other spaces where I do my online work. The Internet and access to it is a privilege. It’s a privilege that I don’t know how or when I may lose or have it and I for that reason I’m also thinking of the youth who may be in a similar situation and not be able to support and/or watch the show.

The hands of the many young clients I’ve held because they have accepted me as their abortion doula during their termination; hearing their stories; knowing some of their histories, I know they do not have cable. Their stories are theirs to tell and they won’t be told in this capacity. This is one of the reasons I see the importance of “speak outs” that happen at many feminist/gender-centered conferences.

I’m not a huge fan of the “speak outs” especially when connected to abortion, personally. Part of this stems from seeing people who are not prepared to hear those testimonios respond to them, youth thinking they are expected to share when they are not prepared or ready to do so, and the somewhat voyeuristic space that may be created. However, I have not ever spoken out against these spaces existing, or the importance and need they fill for many people. Any way for such healing and consciousness-raising to occur is essential. There is enough space for all of us to heal and build together.

I’m in support of this show, as well as the TV series 16 & Pregnant and Teen Mom. Unlike others (mostly adults that I’ve spoken to) who have issue with the shows and the possible glorifying of the situation, I have a different perspective. I actually try to watch the shows when I can get access to the site and full episodes. I find the shows useful tools for discussion, activism, and education.

To be honest, I can’t wait for the show when a teen that chooses to carry a pregnancy to term also chooses to be in a birthing center, have a midwife and/or doula help them through their birth. Now that is a story that is not being told either: birthing options. Instead we’ve seen all the young people give birth in hospitals, with medications, and on their backs. There’s been no connection or education to the ways young parents/pregnant people are informed about the health care industrial complex, profit-driven advice by physicians, and learning how to navigate these spaces.

Hopefully those of you will join in watching the show, join other folks who will be live tweeting and show your support through the facebook group or the 16 & Loved website.

Devastating A Dream & Witnessing Another

cross posted from my Media Justice column

I’m really devastated right now and that kind of distracts me from writing from a certain space and perspective. Knowing that the Senate blocked the DREAM Act really bothers me (and if you think it was all Republicans who were against it think again). Here at Amplify we’ve covered the DREAM Act for the entire year, and the work and activism many of our peers are doing to fight for this act passing.

So what messages are we receiving when DREAM Act is not passed? What questions do we have to ask ourselves about the people who we democratically elected and put in power? How will the continued works of activists shift? What role do we now all have to play to ensure this passes? Are we each willing to donate or volunteer directly with DREAMers?

One of the first messages I think this sends us is that the US does not value knowledge or education. Now, we already know this to be true, especially with the lack of comprehensive sexuality education. After all, many of us know that education is a form of power. Being able to produce knowledge, inside and outside of a ‘traditional’ classroom is power. Creating a community of critical thinkers is seen as a threat.

This is the message I get when DREAM Act is not passed. Knowledge and critical thinking are power, and when young people have those things they are a threat.

It’s as if the folks in the Senate were never young, never a part of any movement over the past 40 years (ok maybe some of them weren’t). To live in a country where youth have been at the front and center of movements in this nation from the Civil Rights Movement, Disability Rights, Reproductive Rights, and Immigrant Rights, and have established some of the most amazing parts of this country, then to have that history ignored is devastating and shameful.

We need to remember this. We need to remember for when we are older not to ever do the same thing that has happened here. We cannot become those adults who misuse their privileges, lack empathy, and turn away from establishing and upholding the right to knowledge and power that is transformative.

My homegirl Paz mentioned on Twitter: “The DREAM [a]ct would have passed if the military enlistment requirement were the only condition for residency.” I have to admit that I agree with her. We live in a country that values the lives of our youth enough to send them to war, hope they become Veterans and then can have access to “socially acceptable welfare benefits” as my homegirl Kim B. states. Yet, the US don’t value our youth enough to educate them, encourage them to read, learn to write, and challenge themselves, their peers, and educators.

And the US definitely doesn’t value queer or LGBTQ youth or people enough to want them educated, but they can serve in the military. Make no mistake that DREAMers are queer too! I’m not knocking peoples’ choices to volunteer to join the US military. They are doing work that is incredibly important, even though they will not always be loved and supported the way they should/need to be. That is an amazing act of love and pride. What does it mean that the US won’t allow that same type of love by people who were brought to this country as minors by their parents, or who fled war, rape, murder, abuse, and have created a home here and want to do the same?

It is difficult to separate these issues because they are one in the same. The nation-state has chosen to allow the people they value the least to risk their lives for a set of laws and rules that won’t protect them if they come back alive. There is not too much I can celebrate right now.

On a positive note, one that reminds me that change is possible, that love is revolutionary and transformative, and that the work we do as a community is powerful: my homegirls Stacey aka Cripchick and Mia Mingus have found an accessible place to live together in the Bay area! They chronicled their search and fundraising efforts publicly for us to witness on their Tumblr page The Other Side of Dreaming. As two young women of Color with disabilities living in the US south and wanting to move, they knew the challenges they would face. As Stacey had written, it is rare for people with disabilities to move their geographic location in such ways; especially to establish an independent living space that centers them.

This week Stacey wrote to Mia and shared with us that they have found a space to call home. This is part of their dream and knowing they have achieved it with the support and love of their community allows me and reminds me to dream bigger. When you reach a goal/dream, it’s permission to keep dreaming and to imagine a new dream that is larger and grander than the last. Now that is inspiration! It’s that inspiration that I know DREAMers and the dreamers in us all will continue to fight for the power we all have, deserve and will not misuse, but use to create new spaces for others to grow.

Contraceptives, STIs & HIV: Songs That Gives Me Life

cross posted from my Media Justice column

A week after World AIDS Day and I’m exhausted. The beginning of December has got to be one of the busiest days for us sexual and reproductive justice activists. While having a bit of downtime from speaking to hundreds of youth about HIV/AIDS and teaching my usual class, I started to think about messaging we receive about HIV/AIDS today. I wrote about the media messages from the past last year for World AIDS Day,but this year I had a specific focus: the music industry.

I remember growing up listening to music and hearing a lot of messages about HIV, STIs, and using condoms. Today, such conversations and messages are not always present, if at all. Perhaps these messages were so present because HIV/AIDS two decades ago was a “bigger deal” than it is today. But, I find that hard to believe, especially when the communities that are rising in new infection are youth, youth of Color, working-class communities and communities of Color. Perhaps there is a shift from wanting to hear about our reality to wanting to hear an illusion constructed for us to escape our reality for a moment?

I’m not sure when the disconnect and shift occurred, but I do know I long for it and miss it terribly. As a result I took that bit of downtime I had to consider some of my favorite songs that address and discuss various aspects of sexuality in a positive way. Yes, I have written about this before in some way, but this is focusing specifically on when birth control, STI, HIV, and contraceptives is mentioned. As a reminder/refresher, here are a few of the articles I’ve written about media, music and messaging: La Femme Fetal I wrote last year and this is specifically about abortion access, being pro-choice, and how Rosie Jimenez’s death impacted my life. The song presented and discussed remains the ONLY song I’ve ever heard that provides a pro-choice position on abortion.

Earlier this year I wrote about Kiely William’s song “Spectacular Sex” and asked what do we think or are taught is considered spectacular sex? There was a lot of talk about this video and the song, but none whatsoever about what messages we get about pleasure and intimacy especially as centered on youth. A month later I reflected on my sexuality education experience in the classroom and how I presented abstinence to students. In Teaching Abstinence I share what some of those song selections are and the discussion I have with students regarding abstinence. Finally, in Celebrating Hip-Hop and Sexuality Messaging I share some songs that I love and wanted to share that are sending positive and important messages about sexuality and relationships at a time when there is a dearth.

One of the first songs that came to mind were by groups of Black men producing music together. Although vastly different in some of their musical styles and production, A Tribe Called Quest and Wu-Tang Clan have given some of the most important songs that I’ve encountered that feature messaging about responsibility, accountability and sexual health.

Let’s start with Bonita Applebum off the album People’s Instinctive Travels and The Paths of Rhythm. Now, I have this album on cassette tape and it still works! Not only is this song adorable about courting among heterosexual men and women, but it’s also simple and to the point. It’s a perfect example of assertive and honest communication in my opinion. I also wanted to briefly point out how the women in the video (and in a majority of their videos) actually look like people I know, not some dolled up version of what we may see today as someone a group or lead is courting. My favorite line: “I like to tell you things some brothers don. If only you could see through your elaborate eyes, Only you and me hon, the love never dies. Satisfaction I have the right tactics, and if you need them I got crazy prophylactics (yeah the radio edit version bleeps out the word).” The image of the group wearing helmets that say “jimmy” as in jimmy hats, a slang terminology at the time that meant condoms. I like to think some of the things he wants to tell her that some brothers don’t is that he carries condoms with him that are not expired and he knows how to properly use them in case he has consensual sex. Ok, maybe that may be a grandiose fantasy, but I think it is definitely possible!

To the surpise of no one Wu-Tang Clan has produced several songs that discuss various aspects of sexuality. However, there is only one that I can think of (I’m sure there may be others) that discuss specific STIs, having multiple partners, and protection. That song is Maria off the Wu-Tang Forever album. I’ve used this song in my teaching about STIs and the narrative that is presented, also how each women discussed may be racialized just by her name. We also sometimes discuss how “Maria” is a name that is connected to so much imagery in our society (i.e. the Virgin Mary etc.). This song has the most overt use of profanity so it’s definitely NSFW and there are sexist scenarios. So, knowing this, listen when you are ready or can and hear the message about using condoms and get tested. (And yes, I do realize there are complicated contradictions as this crew has some of the same member who produced “I Like It Raw.”)

TLC’s I Ain’t Too Proud, was one of their first singles when they came on the scene with their album Oooooooooooh On The TLC Tip. One of the first groups to incorporate hip-hop music, rapping, R&B by all women identified members really set the stage for similar women singing groups to be formed. This was also a time when gender expression was very much played with among some women MCs, and Lisa Left Eye Lopes was no different. Her attire during the entire song is clad in condoms. The song does take on a more sex-positive take representing women of Color asking for their needs to be met, which is often an anthem in many hip-hop songs by women. Yet, their inclusion of condoms makes their song stand out.

Earlier this decade I got more into the west coast crew The Coup. Their latest album Pick A Bigger Weapon has amazing songs, and I mean ah-mazing! Yet, all their songs are stunning and exactly what I need all the time. On this last album they had a song called BabyLet’sHaveABabyBeforeBushDoSomethin’Crazy with Silk-E as the lead singer. What I appreciate about this song is that there is a discussion about planning a pregnancy. A discussion that also has connections to choosing to stop using a birth control method, in this song it’s the contraceptive patch.

One of the things I also adore about this song is that there is an affirmation in building a family in a world that is unclear and confusing. Unfortunately, a world where bodies and people of Color are not valued in the same way other bodies are. Silk-E sings:

Baby, let's have a baby Before Bush do some, somethin' crazy

I don't want the world to blow Before we get a chance to let our love grow

I don't really wanna fuss and fight Baby, we might have numbered nights We might never get our money right We could take off this patch tonight

It’s rare when we hear songs about a young woman of Color politicizing her reproductive health choice, building with her partner, and choosing to have a child. We often are sent specific messages about what is considered the “right” way to plan a family. There are even attempts at movements to tell Black women how to plan a family! Yet, many of us know that families can be created in various ways and this song gives us one of those narratives.

Finally, the ultimate song I’m often quoting when teaching sex ed (at the college level) when discussing condoms and the importance of testing is by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dog. This was when we were first introduced to Snoop back in the 90s and it was on Dr. Dre’s song Nothin But A G Thang. For these lines alone:

“from a young G’s persepective and before me dig out a &*%$# I have to find a contraceptive, You never know she could be earnin’ her man, and learnin’ her man, And at the same time burnin’ her man Now you know I ain’t with that &^%# Lieutenant Ain’t no &^%$#@ good enough to get burnt while I’m up in it”

Crass? Yes. Problematic with the name-calling? Yes. Important message about why to use condoms with people regardless of who they are? Yes. Hopefully we can recognize when conversations like this occur in the media, and apply a more nuanced analysis of what is going on (and not going on) and being represented in certain genres. At the same time, I hope we are able to find value in certain forms of media and not just completely toss them out. Do I think we can and should do better in producing messages that can save lives, YES! Can we learn how to embrace complex parts of our identity and the representations we are consuming in the media to take the strong and important messages and support those? I think we can do that for sure!

This is in no way an exhaustive list of songs. Yet, they are the main ones that came to mind. It would be wrong to not point out the entire album American Is Dying Slowly (an acronym for AIDS) that was produced by the Red Hot AIDS Benefit. A compilation of songs by various musicians in the hip-hop genre discussing HIV and AIDS and was released in 1996. I’ve wanted this album for over a decade and I just got it this year for $1 at the local thrift store and I couldn’t believe it! For those of you who want this album and may not be able to find it you know how to reach me!

What are some songs you’ve heard or enjoy to listen to that discuss HIV/AIDS, STIs and/or contraceptives and birth control? I’d love to have a much more inclusive and extensive list.

Media Making: Snail Mail

cross posted from my Media Justice column

I love sending and receiving mail. This week I canceled class for the entire week (we only had on day of class but I gave that day off as a gift to my students) because I knew I needed some self-care. One of the things on my list of things to get done because I want and enjoy doing them, versus because I have to do them, is send the people I love and care for mail.

Now, when I write mail, I mean snail mail, mail that you have to put a stamp on, or walk to the post office, stand in line to get stamped, and put in the mailbox. Mail that you have to wait until the person receives it to know it arrived. It’s a form of art for me, a form of sending a message that someone doesn’t know is coming, or if they do, they have no idea when it will arrive!

Think about the last time you got a letter in the mail. How did it make you feel? I’m not talking a bill, or a reminder of some sort, or a menu from a restaurant, or a credit card application. I mean a letter, something that someone addressed to you and wrote a message in that they wanted just you to see. It’s thoughtful and it really is a way to make people feel special.

I know when I had my birthday I was really less than impressed when people sent me Facebook messages instead of sending me cards, especially when they had my mailing address! Perhaps this is me being old(er) but I really do think there is nothing like a tangible card that you can save and keep for as long as you like to remember that someone thought of you.

It was an amazing feeling when I realized I was not alone in my joy of sending mail. My homegirl Erika Lopez wrote in her first novel Flaming Iguanas this about mail:

I just wish people would write back for a few minutes and 32 cents.

I don’t think they truly understand the joy of writing a letter on cool paper, putting it in an envelope, and address it in a funky way that challenges postal workers. The stamp validates the whole thing somehow, and whew!-Putting it in the mailbox and hearing that blue metal flap swing shut is just about the prettiest sound in the natural world. /The universal sound of closure. And a canceled stamp is just about the prettiest sight. It’s almost love and sometimes it really is love. (Unless it’s a val-u pak of coupons.) It means someone thought of you for more than the fifteen seconds it took to dial your number and leave the message for you to call them back.

Plus mail is such a good deal.

Page 118.

When I read this I thought “exactly!” There is still so much truth to this. Some of my favorite parts about sending mail are to be able to pick a stamp. There are several stamps that I love, for example the love stamps with the King and Queen of Hearts where you can put two Kings or two Queens for the same gender loving couple in your lives. I also love the Black Cinema stamps and the set of Abstract Expressionists stamps.

Then I love finding my wax seal and getting a long match and watching the seal drip on the edge of the envelope and putting my stamp with my initial in it and seeing the wax spread. I’ve been really proud of some of the mail I’ve created and sent. It really is a dying art form and I want to encourage you all to think about sending some mail sometime soon, even if it’s to people you talk to every day.

Recently, I taught myself how to make pop-up cards simply by watching a YouTube video. I made my first pop-up card and it was a hit! I’m working on two more right now, and you’d be surprised how easy they are to create! Not only that, but people really appreciate handmade cards, especially when they are different from 2-dimensional cards but most especially when they are personalized. Here’s the video that I learned from:



When I shared with friends that I was considering writing this column today on snail mail they laughed at me. The same people who love receiving mail from me, laughed at this form of media. I started to wonder what that is about. What is it about being thought of in such a way that makes people feel uncomfortable but brings them a sense of being special? I think it’s our society that does not always allow us to value the people we love and adore in the ways that make us feel joy as well. All of the consumerism, the big sales on tangible items, and the commercialization of many holidays seem to also play a role in this outcome. This idea that we need to show someone you love them by giving them something you bought, versus something you made. But it doesn’t have to be like that all the time.

Here’s some of the mail I’ve sent to friends that really makes me happy. Many of these cards were less than $1 to create. It did take some time, but what I needed was a newspaper or magazine (they give these away for free during rush hour in NYC usually), scissors and some tape and/or glue. I often cut up magazines and collect pieces of art from them or words and phrases to save for different mail I’ll send in the future. I usually keep them in envelopes and even if the only card I have is a holiday card from years ago, I can make a collage on the front. Here’s the first pop-up card I made (the people pop-up as do the balloons which move when move the card slightly):

Sometimes I make postcards if I have a ton of tape and make a collage and then tape it all around to laminate it and send. The more I wrote about all the forms of mail I send, the more I realize maybe this is really a dying art form, a dying form of media.

Here’s a postcard I made and even added a bit of grittiness by coloring my fingertips and putting my fingerprints on the card:

Giving really is a gift that we give to ourselves and to others. There’s no reason to wait for special days or occasions to give ourselves and the people we care for gifts. I encourage you all to send some mail the “old fashioned” way. Make a ritual out of the process and savor it and sit back and wait until the recipient has thanked you. It will be unlike any other form of thanks, I promise!

Making Media To Expose Abstinence-Only-Until-Marriage Messages

cross posted from my RH Reality Check blog

Many readers may know that I write a column on Media Justice at the Amplify Your Voice site, which is supported/led by Advocates For Youth. The site is focused on youth-led writing around sexuality, sexual health, and reproductive justice. The handful of older adults who publish there, like myself, do so on topics affecting youth and providing spaces to have their opinions and ideas shared.

This week on Amplify, staff presented a new series of media-making that I adore. Using actual lesson plans, scripts, expected outcomes and goals of abstinence-only-until-marriage curriculums and programs taught in the United States, staff are creating animated videos. The animated videos are created through a (somewhat) free service called XtraNormal. Check out the first video they have created called “Drink The Spit” below:

As someone who values art in various forms and when community members and providers begin to create their own media, I find this new project exciting. I see this as one way to use the Internet and popular media outlets (YouTube, XtraNormal) to reach out to youth who may not already be connected to the Amplify site. When I first was introduced to the XtraNormal site it was through created animated conversations about instant messages some of my friends were having. They encouraged me to do my own video, which is one of the ways I found out the site is somewhat free, and attempted to create a similar video.

This approach is one I think can be useful for many of us working with youth and with technology. The site XtraNormal allows users to choose from various settings and characters (I picked robots for my trial video), and also provides options for dressing the characters, altering their voices, and choosing their location. These features can be useful tools for also discussing gender identity, roles, and expectations.

When producing and creating our own media, how do we express gender with the options we are provided in the program? In what ways do we choose to represent gender and why are those our motivations? What types of messages do we construct and what is our goal in doing so? These are questions I can see being useful in guiding such an activity as they are also centered in media literacy.

Watching the video above again, I asked myself what were some of the stereotypes I had listening to the animated cartoon bears speaking (that sentence makes me laugh). I assumed the three people that were characters (a daughter, a mother, and the teacher) were all women. The only character I can say I understand to be a woman is the teacher as the pronoun used is “she” and “her.” However, I assumed the student in the scenario was a young woman because of the voice and what looked to me as hair ribbons near the ears. The other character I now realize could be a friend or family member. The clothing sends a gender-neutral vibe and I thought about why I assumed all characters to be women.

There are many reasons I can think of for why I made such assumptions. I think it’s important to share with others that even educators and those of us who practice the skills we wish to teach youth, in this example media literacy, that sometimes we too get “caught up.” The way we have been socialized is still a process to be mindful of, especially when trying to create change.

The way I was socialized led me to the assumption that women speak openly and with one another in such scenarios about sexuality and health. That a parent would be the one who would be surprised/disgusted/frustrated at hearing such a story from a student or young person in their life. However, I know that young people talk with one another often and about the same topics. My first viewing of this video was from the perspective that I bring as an older adult working with youth and I had to remind myself that my perspective is just one, and that others exist and are just as correct and valuable as my own.

I’m hoping there will be at least one new video a week, but for now this is the first one. Check back at Amplify Your Voice to see when new videos are posted.

Prevent, Don't Manage: Women of Color on HIV/AIDS

Please join me and several other activists and educators for an important conversation and action planning regarding HIV/AIDS in communities of Color. Bring a young person with you!

Tickets are FREE and you can reserve yours here. Donations are accepted and 100% goes to Love Heals The Alison Gertz Foundation for AIDS Education and the Black Girl Project After School Initiative. The agenda is as follows:

Keynote: Carmen Mendoza; Ms. Kings County 2011 "The Stigma Around HIV/AIDS Testing"
Short Independent Film Screening: "Prevent, Don't Manage" by Aiesha Turman
Roundtable for Activists and Educators

Sunday December 12, 2010
2:30PM-4:30PM
Center Stage
48 West 21st Street
4th Floor, Buzzer 401#
New York, NY 10010

World AIDS Day

Today is World AIDS Day and a busy week for me. So I wanted to highlight some of the writings I've done over the years on this space and encourage you all to get tested to know your status.

Find locations to get tested for FREE and anonymously here (US only).

Read about my last HIV test.

Video: F&#% You AIDS a video from the Spanish-speaking Americas that takes a proactive stance of AIDS and HIV infection and education.

Reflecting On HIV With Oprah where a town hall discussion about HIV and AIDS was revisted. Taped in the 80s, it's very interesting to see and hear where we have come from and where we remain today.

Latina Feminist Thought & Popular Culture

cross posted from my Media Justice column

This week I visited Ramapo College of New Jersey to give a presentation on Latina Feminist Thought for their Latino Heritage Month activities. My contacts at the Women’s Center had saw me speak at the CLPP Conference earlier this year, and when they contacted me earlier this semester I was really excited at working with them and their students.

When I think about a lecture/presentation/workshop on the topic of theories it kind of makes me anxious. Theory is something that can be so dense and boring, that I was happy to hear they would love for me to incorporate some aspect of popular culture in my presentation. When I first came to theory I was really intimidated! It was like learning another language to me and I felt dumb, especially when I didn’t know what some of the phrases or terms meant. It was a huge culture shock for me, but something that I was able to overcome and am now a part of creating and building theories and practices.

I had decided to discuss the evolution of Latina Feminist Thought over the past 5 decades in the United States for the purposes of time. Yet, I was struggling with how to incorporate the popular culture aspects. Finally, I decided that I would do two things: 1. Find films for each decade that were important to me in creating my own understanding and identity as a Latina and with a gendered lens, and 2. Include theorists who utilize various forms of media and art to create their theories and move the field of women, gender, Latin@, and ethnic studies forward.

I spent several weeks putting my thoughts together, and spent a good amount of time thinking about my own trajectory as a Latina “feminist” thinker. To be very honest, it was a difficult yet rewarding exercise. Sometimes we don’t often document why or how we come to a particular level of consciousness because when we shift our thinking or widen our lens we get distracted with the new knowledge. Reminding myself to write things down and spend time outlining how I came to certain ideas and understandings is something I still need to do (and encourage the rest of you to do the same especially if you are thinking of graduate school as it will help out a lot!).

Some of the media that I included in the presentation was poetry and how many Latin@s theorize their existence and experiences through poetry and other forms of creative writing. Also included were cartoons and artwork that have been created to share ideas and to make some theories and ideas more accessible in different ways for various communities. Then, of course I had more “traditional” forms of media such as films and the Internet.

What I created was a PowerPoint presentation that I’m really proud of completing. Not only was I proud to complete this in a PowerPoint format, since I’m such a dinosaur I rarely ever use this format, but I also had the opportunity to highlight amazing people in my community and whom I know personally and introduce their work to folks who have yet to hear of them. I included folks who are some of the foremothers of Latina Feminist thought (or using a gendered lens to examine and theorize about our lives and experiences), such as Gloria Anzaldúa, and Maxine Baca Zinn. I also introduced some of my amazing friends and media makers such as Erika Lopez, Sofia Quintero, and Ivan Velez, Jr. (interviews with them for the Media Makers Salon coming soon!). And yes, that’s right I had a whole discussion of including Latino men as being important to theorizing using a gendered lens. What I’m most proud of is to have had the opportunity to include youth media makers in the 2010 decade. I put Espie Hernandez, who was the first person I interviewed for the Media Makers Salon, and her documentary MARIPOSA. Espie’s film makes a really important connection between the topics that we are still discussing and needing to change as a community: gender roles and expectations, sexual orientation, gender expression, and Latino identity. Espie’s documentary and Anzaldúa’s work are in conversation with one another in amazing ways.

Prior to finishing my presentation, I outlined areas that I think Latina Feminist Thought will move towards and some areas that we still need to create spaces to discuss. Several of the conversations that I believe we need to be having and for whatever reason we are not, is including youth in theorizing their own experiences without having to have an adult “approve” or deem appropriate their narrative/testimonio. There was one theorist who I discussed that examines the Internet and how it is used to create activism and community (several reasons to support Net Neutrality), but who also sees several flaws in using the Internet for such work. I shared that this is one area that I find young people’s work being isolated and seen as less than exceptional which is not creating a space for future discussions with them. I also discussed including trans people of Color and examining how we create an atmosphere and environment that makes it difficult for trans people to live safely, share their ideas and experiences, and have the same rights we expect to have for ourselves.

Finally, I discussed how we could theorize about silence. I find that silence is something we are told is bad and negative and as Audre Lorde wrote “your silence will not protect you.” Yet, how is silence something that is very important and that represents us doing some really important and hard work? Let’s admit that thinking is hard work sometimes! Also, how can silence save some of our lives? Silence is very complicated and I think it needs to be examined more seriously and in a comprehensive way.

Below is the slide show that I compiled that you can check out and share if you’d like. I created a Latina Feminist Thought Tumblr page for folks to manage and submit anything they like to the page and encourage you to do the same!

This week I visited Ramapo College of New Jersey to give a presentation on Latina Feminist Thought for their Latino Heritage Month activities. My contacts at the Women’s Center had saw me speak at the CLPP Conference earlier this year, and when they contacted me earlier this semester I was really excited at working with them and their students.

When I think about a lecture/presentation/workshop on the topic of theories it kind of makes me anxious. Theory is something that can be so dense and boring, that I was happy to hear they would love for me to incorporate some aspect of popular culture in my presentation. When I first came to theory I was really intimidated! It was like learning another language to me and I felt dumb, especially when I didn’t know what some of the phrases or terms meant. It was a huge culture shock for me, but something that I was able to overcome and am now a part of creating and building theories and practices.

I had decided to discuss the evolution of Latina Feminist Thought over the past 5 decades in the United States for the purposes of time. Yet, I was struggling with how to incorporate the popular culture aspects. Finally, I decided that I would do two things: 1. Find films for each decade that were important to me in creating my own understanding and identity as a Latina and with a gendered lens, and 2. Include theorists who utilize various forms of media and art to create their theories and move the field of women, gender, Latin@, and ethnic studies forward.

I spent several weeks putting my thoughts together, and spent a good amount of time thinking about my own trajectory as a Latina “feminist” thinker. To be very honest, it was a difficult yet rewarding exercise. Sometimes we don’t often document why or how we come to a particular level of consciousness because when we shift our thinking or widen our lens we get distracted with the new knowledge. Reminding myself to write things down and spend time outlining how I came to certain ideas and understandings is something I still need to do (and encourage the rest of you to do the same especially if you are thinking of graduate school as it will help out a lot!).

Some of the media that I included in the presentation was poetry and how many Latin@s theorize their existence and experiences through poetry and other forms of creative writing. Also included were cartoons and artwork that have been created to share ideas and to make some theories and ideas more accessible in different ways for various communities. Then, of course I had more “traditional” forms of media such as films and the Internet.

What I created was a PowerPoint presentation that I’m really proud of completing. Not only was I proud to complete this in a PowerPoint format, since I’m such a dinosaur I rarely ever use this format, but I also had the opportunity to highlight amazing people in my community and whom I know personally and introduce their work to folks who have yet to hear of them. I included folks who are some of the foremothers of Latina Feminist thought (or using a gendered lens to examine and theorize about our lives and experiences), such as Gloria Anzaldúa, and Maxine Baca Zinn. I also introduced some of my amazing friends and media makers such as Erika Lopez, Sofia Quintero, and Ivan Velez, Jr. (interviews with them for the Media Makers Salon coming soon!). And yes, that’s right I had a whole discussion of including Latino men as being important to theorizing using a gendered lens. What I’m most proud of is to have had the opportunity to include youth media makers in the 2010 decade. I put Espie Hernandez, who was the first person I interviewed for the Media Makers Salon, and her documentary MARIPOSA. Espie’s film makes a really important connection between the topics that we are still discussing and needing to change as a community: gender roles and expectations, sexual orientation, gender expression, and Latino identity. Espie’s documentary and Anzaldúa’s work are in conversation with one another in amazing ways.

Prior to finishing my presentation, I outlined areas that I think Latina Feminist Thought will move towards and some areas that we still need to create spaces to discuss. Several of the conversations that I believe we need to be having and for whatever reason we are not, is including youth in theorizing their own experiences without having to have an adult “approve” or deem appropriate their narrative/testimonio. There was one theorist who I discussed that examines the Internet and how it is used to create activism and community (several reasons to support Net Neutrality), but who also sees several flaws in using the Internet for such work. I shared that this is one area that I find young people’s work being isolated and seen as less than exceptional which is not creating a space for future discussions with them. I also discussed including trans people of Color and examining how we create an atmosphere and environment that makes it difficult for trans people to live safely, share their ideas and experiences, and have the same rights we expect to have for ourselves.

Finally, I discussed how we could theorize about silence. I find that silence is something we are told is bad and negative and as Audre Lorde wrote “your silence will not protect you.” Yet, how is silence something that is very important and that represents us doing some really important and hard work? Let’s admit that thinking is hard work sometimes! Also, how can silence save some of our lives? Silence is very complicated and I think it needs to be examined more seriously and in a comprehensive way.

Below is the slide show that I compiled that you can check out and share if you’d like. I created a Latina Feminist Thought Tumblr page for folks to manage and submit anything they like to the page and encourage you to do the same!

Net Neutrality: 50th Media Justice Post

Cross posted from my Media Justice Column

Since April I’ve wanted to write this article. While on a panel at the CLPP Conference on Media Radicals, there was an interesting conversation about Net Neutrality. During that time I realized three things about this topic 1. I did not know anything about it or why I should, 2. There were few young people involved in the education and movement around Net Neutrality and 3. The language of the conversation was not as accessible as I thought it could be for different communities such as youth, people whose first language is not English, older adults, and people without regular access to the Internet.

With those three things in mind I took some time out to investigate what goes into this topic of Net Neutrality, why there was a disconnect, and what we at Amplify can do to help spread the word. The Detroit Digital Justice Coalition’s zine really helped me and I encourage you all to read them as well as they had a great glossary of technology terms and tips for all sorts of technology questions! I’d like to think this article could be an accessible piece of information that can reach different people, but I also recognize that I write a lot and this post is no different. My hope is that this may lead to some more activism by many of us who write and read at Amplify because we care about the work we do and the information we can access.

I also want to put a disclaimer on this 50^th post for this column (!): There’s a huge learning curve here for me, and part of that learning curve is that we are talking about airwaves and I don’t understand completely how an airwave, something we can’t see or touch, can be regulated and restricted. But I know this happens and hopefully some of you readers can also help build on this conversation and teach me something and we can build new knowledge together! Oh, and if you didn’t notice by now, or didn’t guess from the title of this column, I support Net Neutrality!

What Is It

Net Neutrality is basically a free and open Internet and views communication as a human right. It is anti-censorship and pro-equality for all Internet and websites. It’s about choice. A Columbia Law Professor named Tim Wu created the term. As many of you know, our First Amendment right is freedom of speech and using and accessing the Internet falls under that Amendment. Having an open Internet allows anyone from any computer (except for certain areas such as public schools and libraries) to access any information they choose to or to provide and share information of their choice (think blogs). Here’s a video created by theSave The Internet campaign:

Why Is This An Issue

A bit of history: In short, Comcast did some ish that led to the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) sanctioning them in 2008 because Comcast had unfairly slowed traffic to the website BitTorrent, a file-sharing website. Reporter Cecilia Kang at the Washington Postwrites:

“The FCC's predicament stems from a 2008 sanction against Comcast for violating the agency's open Internet guidelines, which were meant to force broadband providers to treat all network traffic equally, so as not to put any Web site at a disadvantage. In a 3 to 2 vote, the FCC found that Comcast had improperly slowed traffic to the BitTorrent file-sharing site and urged the company to halt the practice. It did not impose a fine. Comcast appealed the FCC sanction, saying that the agency's order was outside the scope of its authority. The court agreed on Tuesday, saying the agency relied on laws that give it some jurisdiction over broadband services but not enough to make the action against Comcast permissible.”

President Obama is interested in making high-speed Internet (not just dial-up) available nationwide, so when the US Court of Appeals in DC ruled in favor of Comcast in April of this year, many activists, who had already started to make moves on this topic, put this issue as a top priority for communities and Congress.

New York Times reporter Edward Wyatt states that Net Neutrality is when “no form of content is favored over another. In its [Net Neutrality’s] place, consumers could soon see a new tiered system, which like cable television, imposes higher costs for premium levels of service.

Why You Need To Care

If we don’t care about Net Neutrality we don’t value producing and accessing knowledge. Net Neutrality, in many ways can be seen an issue of the “elite” or of the “privileged” and I do not argue against this. It is a privilege to have access to a computer, a space where you can use it, to have electricity, and the ability to care for the equipment, as well as use the equipment correctly.

At the same time we can use our privilege to ensure that this is a privilege that can one day expand to all people, or that can one day be available to help anyone who needs it around the world. Stephanie C. Webster wrote in her article “After committing to ‘Net Neutrality’, Rep. Waxman pushes bill to kill it” that Net Neutrality proponents argue “that bloggers or whistle-blowers publishing content the network providers object to could simply be deprioritized, leaving their material in a gray zone devoid of traffic, which many Internet users cannot easily access.” When I read this article I immediately thought about howWikileaks has been used. My homegirl Barbara shared with me “wiki leaks has been an invaluable resource for journalists - it's a place where whistleblowers can put information or documents that would usually be too sensitive for people to give to journalists ‘on the record’.” Other communal sharing spaces, like blogs, Wikipedia, and other such spaces are also going to be limited. Be critical in consuming what this Verizon ad tells you! This is when y/our media literacy skills become invaluable!

What Are Some Challenges

There are some folks who argue that Net Neutrality is not the main issue for them and their communities. For folks who can’t even access the Internet, their main concern is simply getting the Internet in the first place! This is for sure a class issue. This is an area that is a challenge for me, because I realize that many working class and working poor people, of which I am, don’t have access to Net Neutrality even now, or even access to the Internet. So why push Net Neutrality agendas forward if this is the community we are from?

I think of myself and the community I am a part of. I’ve got no problem saying I’m working class, that there are times when I (still) find myself living below the poverty line (yes even college professors don’t make a lot of money) to get the work I’m dedicated to do (there is not lots of money in sexuality education as many of you already know). However, as someone who has access to the Internet, I have been able to create my own website, create a blog and share my radical opinions on sex, race, gender, disability, and class which has helped me apply for paying jobs like writing this column on Amplify. An open Internet has really helped me go from working poor to working class, and I know I’m not the only one.

Take for example two sites I have contributed to in the past: Vivir Latino andRacialicious. Many writers have discussed Racialicious in their posts, and currently the staff there is using the Internet to raise funds for future projects (they call it the $2 Challenge). At Vivir Latino we are currently doing this as well to move to a more secure and working server. Doing this fundraising on the Internet allows the content of these two sites to continue. My homegirls and activists Cripchick and Mia Mingus are moving to California to create “a living record of two queer disabled korean american radical women of color being intentional, vulnerable, fierce and loving with each other” and have used the Internet for similar purposes. The book sale to help cover costs of the move, open (love) letters to one another, and support of their radical and revolutionary love has been possible because of Net Neutrality.

Net Neutrality is the one issue many communities, often on opposite sides of several debates, agree on. Supporters of Net Neutrality include people from various religious organizations, politicians of every political party, youth organizers, non-profit organizations, media outlets and sex workers.

There are also people who are against having the Internet regulated in a particular way as we regulate telephone lines. One of the reasons they are against this, which many Net Neutrality proponents are for, is that if we treat the Internet similarly to telephone “airwaves” new rules apply. Some of these new rules are maintaining an open Internet. I’ve already stated my bias in support of Net Neutrality; I mean this column is called “Media Justice” for a reason. I’m also totally in support of each of you reading what all sides have to say about their positions before making a final decision if you are still on the fence. One way to continue investigating this topic is by understanding the Internet Freedom Preservation Act of 2009 (H.R. 3458) and its connection to the Communications Act. Also check out wikipedia’s entry on Net Neutrality which has various positions presented.

What Could Happen When spaces are privatized (hospitals, the postal service, et.al.) their services are limited to those people that can access them and they are monitored. The same thing will happen with the Internet. Here are a few things that could happen if we no longer have an open Internet:

• You will not be able to access some or any pages that you often visit, like Amplify.
• Users will have to pay for accessing some online information.
• Like cable channels, users will only be able to access from SELECT sites and online resources their provider approves.
• Paying online bills or sending money/remittance via the Internet will be limited
• Long distance and international telephone calls using phone cards may be impacted if they use the Internet to use the service. (Skype would be affected too)

What YOU Can Do NOW

There are several organizations you can join and support that are working towards ensuring Net Neutrality for everyone. Check out some of these spaces doing amazing work, including working with migrant populations, communities of Color, older adults, and Spanish-speaking communities.

Free Press http://www.freepress.net/ Latinos For Internet Freedomhttp://www.latinonetlibre.com/ Network Neutrality FAQ with Tim Wuhttp://www.timwu.org/network_neutrality.html NNSquad (Network Neutrality Squad)http://www.nnsquad.org/ Open Internet Coalition http://www.openinternetcoalition.com/Save The Internet http://www.savetheinternet.com/ The Center For Media Justicehttp://centerformediajustice.org/

Consider attending the Allied Media Conference and meet other media makers, media radicals, and folks creating and challenging media representations! And. as the folks at SaveTheInternet.com write: Urge your member of Congress to support this important piece of legislation today!

Make your own media like these local youth activists did and share it with us!



Many thanks to Misty Perez Trudeson who facilitated the Media Radicals discussion and shared several resources with me to write this piece! Thanks to Cripchick who shared the Detroit Digital Justice Coalition zine’s with me earlier this year!