The Future of Phem!

By: Brook
Recently, through the encouragement and support of Dr. Buchannan and Dr. Fish, I discovered that Phem was awarded $1000 to put towards publication of Phem. I am so excited to see this long held dream of viewing Phem in print materialize! We are hoping to have the realease party in August at a local gallery where my photography and hopefully my fellow journeyers photography from South Africa will be displayed and up for sale to fundraise towards South Africa service learning organizations and future Phem events.

In order to realize this goal on a very strict timeline (everything needs to be lined up in the coming months) I am currently seeking contributors who would like to offer something in the printed version of Phem that include {but is not limited to}

1. Commentary that addresses current and future events/issues that are affecting/influencing the social justice movement.
   
2. Book/movie reviews that reflect a consciousness raising effort towards these issues.
3. Poetry and essays of a personal, political or academic nature that would enhance the scope of Phem's purpose.
4. Photography/sketches/comics and the like that would bolster the visual impact of Phem
5. Personal reflections on activism that have influenced your academic/personal experiences.
6. Ideas towards our "Phemanifesta" statement.
   
7. Contributions towards a resource list for readers to address these topics:
   

• reproductive health
• domestic violence
• sexual assault
  
• health/nutrition
• feminist friendly venues in the area
• women's centered programs in the area

I am interested in hearing all ideas towards a new 'pheminism' that engages the student body to model social change and activism! Below I am including a comic from fellow contributor Justin Sprague who will be donating art to the printed version of Phem. Thank you for your ongoing support, encouragement, ideas, and promotion in this ever evolving project!

In solidarity,
Brook Buesking

click the image for full resolution
artwork by Justin Sprague

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How men can be better feminists/partners/allies

By: Marc
Originally posted on feministing.com in response to recent conversations about men in feminism. It originally had ten points, but I added two more in response to the recent goings-on back home with our local NOW chapter.

I am far from perfect. As a male feminist, I've stumbled, picked myself back up, learned and stumbled some more, and I am still stumbling - that is, to say, I've been in feminist movement for quite a while now and believe that part of being a feminist is about growth. I came to the feminist movement five years ago as a freshman and I am still learning and making mistakes.As such, and in response to recent posts on this site about the involvement of men within feminism and whether they are "overrated," I'd like to make this post about how we, as men, can be better partners and allies to the feminist community.Please feel free to contribute and add your advice. It's the only way we'll learn to be better partners.

One: Look internally. To combat sexism, one has to first understand how, implicitly, one contributes to sexism. While we may feel the desire to point the finger and call out sexism, sometimes we must look within ourselves. Only by understand our own actions and how we interact with women can we engage the world in anti-sexist actions.

Two: Feminism is about the personal just as much as it is about the political. Being pro-choice and supporting gay marriage does not make one a feminist. Being an "activist" is simply not enough to call oneself a feminist. Feminism is also defined by how we interact with others, and especially women and our intimate partners. This goes back to point one of understanding ourselves. It also illustrates what MercurialGirl said in the "Overrated/Underrated" post about some progressive men still being "intimate terrorists."

Three: Don't expect a cookie. You don't get a pat on the back or more dates just because you're a feminist. To expect a reward for being a feminist is sort of like expecting accolades for being a good father, or paying your bills on time. You're a feminist because you see the injustices in the world, and have chosen to take actions because of it. This makes you a good person, and good people are everywhere, you're not special.

Four: Give up your male privilege. When I first entered this movement, I didn't understand what it really meant, but as I grew, I understood that we must give up our sense of entitlement. Unlike women, most of us have never faced the challenges of denied access, and when we are turned away by certain sects of feminism, the answer isn't to get upset, but to find other avenues that we are welcomed in, and can help. We don't deserve anything, other than being treated like human beings; and as human beings, we each have our own privileges, so there's no pouting when a less privileged group denies us access.

Five: Listen to women. By this, I don't simply mean following women's directions, but rather, critically listen to women's personal narratives and thoughts, and critically analyze what they say. This is not so that we can make a counter-argument or to dismiss their experiences, but rather, so that we can see things from their perspectives. Given that our experiences as males (and I am not inclined to say that all men have the same experiences - our sexual identities, education, color and class play a great part) are often much different than that of women, the only way we can be better allies is to listen and learn. While it's important to share our thoughts, it's more important to learn about theirs. Without such, we'll be doing feminism our ways and the way we see fit, rather than doing what women really need us to do.

Six: Put yourselves in women's shoes. Sometimes, as male feminists, we fail to be better partners because we see things from male perspectives. Our lens is a privileged one, and while I don't doubt that the majority of us mean well, even as feminists, we've grown into a male-centered culture in which we view the world through our privileges. Even when we think we mean well in what we're doing, we have to stop and ask, "Well, how would she feel about this?"

Seven: Remember that while we may be equals in feminism, our experiences will dictate that we, as men, as the privileged ones. This means that our gender does matter. While we may see ourselves as "just another guy in feminism," women may not see it as such. I look in the mirror and I see myself a man, but many women, based on experiences, will associate maleness with power, or intimidation, or pain. That said, be aware of your sex, and that you being a man within the feminist movement does matter and have all types of implications of power that can be used to thwart women's voices.

Eight: You don't take the lead. While there are areas in which men can certainly take the lead to combat sexism, being a leader of a feminist organization for women is not one of them. Feminism is about empowering women, and while men can gain a great deal from feminism as well, your involvement in leadership positions will firstly take power away from women; secondly, it will prevent some women from speaking up; and thirdly, from an epistemological perspective, brings nothing positive to the movement. Want to take the lead? You work with men to end sexism. Feminism belongs to you as much as it does to women, but until the violence stops; until one out of four women is no longer raped; when the rest of the world actually sees women as equals, it will always be women-centered. You belong behind and beside women, never in front of them.

Nine: Remember that you're not doing women any favors. You're doing this because you have a stake in it, too. Women are not damsels in distress and you're not a knight in shining armor. The feminist movement thrived without men in the past, and will continue to thrive with or without men. In feminism, we're partners and allies, and until we stop pounding our chests and acting as if we're some sort of heroes (a sign of unresolved masculinity and male privilege), we're still not being good allies.

Ten: Work with other men. Listen to male mentors. There are many out there, and while you (and I) may feel like they're of the "old school" and have nothing interesting to say, they've been through this before and can offer invaluable lessons as to how to be better male allies and partners. No one learns on their own, and just as it's important to learn from women about their experiences, we can learn from men who have come before us about our roles within feminism. Those men include Jackson Katz, Michael Kimmel, George Marx, Jason Schultz and perhaps even your own father, and all the great folks over at the National Organization for Men Against Sexism. Also, engage other men. You have male privilege; you can talk to other men. You don't have to appear preachy, but by just simply engaging other men in conversations about their relationships and views about women, you can influence them to be better men and better feminists. In the end, no matter where you are in life, you're valuable, too, because you've recognized the importance of feminism, and you can do a lot by reaching out to other men. There are millions of young men out there needing directions and waiting for answers, you can be that answer.

Eleven: no using the argument "patriarchy hurts men, too" to emotionally manipulate women or as an excuse for your misogynistic behaviors when you get called out. Sure, patriarchy absolutely hurts men, too, but until men have to deal with the same kinds of shit women are subjected to, there's really no room for complaining.

Twelve: Feminism is not a dating service - if you think women should fall all over you just because you're feminist, you're in the wrong movement. If, in the course of doing feminism, you happen to meet someone and you both want to date, then fine. But if you think feminism is a dating service, it doesn't need you, and you don't need it - you need to learn social skills as to not have to use feminism to get closer to women.

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Masculinity and Pornography

By: Marc
I am sitting in the dining facility here minding my own business, too lost in the root beer float I'd made to worry about anything surrounding me ...when I was tapped on the shoulder by another soldier, pointing out to me a conventional good-looking airman who had just walked by. Already, soldiers sitting at my table are talking about what they'd like to do to her."That's nice," I said, getting back to my root beer float.

"Sergeant, when it comes to talking about women, you're at the level of a 7th-grader," a soldier told me, then went back to talking about the woman.My unresolved masculinity almost got the best of me; I wanted to defend my manhood by talking about the women I've been with in the past - and join in on the conversations, as if somehow it would prove that I am, indeed, a man.But my feminism got the best me and rather than joining in the exercise of objectification, I kept quiet.

On the walk back, however, I began to think about the incident, and what the soldier had meant when he, because of my refusal to join in to an obvious male-bonding moment of objectifying women, equated misogyny with manhood. Perhaps I should have been insulted; but perhaps, just perhaps, the world would be a more equal, pleasant place where women weren't objectified and raped if everyman were to look at women through the eyes of a 7th-grader. After all, as children, we saw our opposite genders as equals and friends.

For the most part - and as long back as I can remember, boys and girls go along. There were no such things as misogyny, and groups of boys never sat around and insulted groups of girls or turned them into objects.As children, boys also looked up to their mothers, believing them to be the women who could do anything; not only did they look to their mothers for comfort and care, but these young boys, and I remember my days as a boy, genuinely loved their mothers, without regard as to their gender.

So, what changed? Where along the road to adulthood do males turn from loving, respectful boys to men who objectify? What are the social forces and rites of passage that turned them from lovers to objectifiers? To be sure, not all men objectify, but those who do objectify, it seems, assert more "masculinity" than those who do not.For me, the masculinity can be attributed to several thing - and porn being among them. After all, pornography is almost every boy's rite-of-passage.

This means, then, that on masculinity, the objectification of women and the consumption of porn go hand-in-hand. That is, where porn paints the picture of women as always readily available, always desiring the same types of sex men want, and never saying no, it also turns women into an accessory. Rather than an equal partnership where sex and pleasure are negotiated and shared, porn makes men assume that he can have sex with women whenever, however and wherever.Further, as boys and young men sit around in front of a television screen, viewing pictures of women in various stages of sexual conducts, the one thing that's removed from porn is the humanity of sex. Thus, at a young age, men are conditioned to believe not only are women there to pleasure them, but that there is no emotion in sex.

It's no wonder why some men can readily objectify and rape women. After all, if women are viewed as 'less-than-humans,' and if it's assumed that all women want sex all the time and that no women ever says no, then the protestations of women mean very little, and further, even when women are drunk and unresponsive, the man would assume (having been conditioned to do so) that she wants sex. Add this to the belief that sex defines a man and the result is what we see everyday - young men, fueled by their own beliefs in masculinity, objectifying and raping women - often without knowing what they're doing is wrong.

So what's the solution here? To be sure, it's not censorship; but I do believe the feminist movement needs more male presence. Often times, we focus on ensuring that young girls have role models who teach them the values of being strong and assertive, yet, even in our movement, we lack the male presence to teach young men to deconstruct their masculinity and deal with women not as objects, but fellow human beings.

Further, given that the major source of women's oppressions and plights are the actions of men, there also needs to be more focus on men's studies - that is, how men fit within patriarchy and what gender roles require of them. After all, if men's actions are causing women pain, then we need to figure why men are taking those actions.

While there are resources out there (the National Organization for Men Against Sexism @ www.nomas.org, as an example), they are far and few between - and if we want to take the next step into not only empowering girls and women, but also teaching boys and men to be loving, caring human beings toward women and themselves, then we need to include them in on not just the social justice movement, but also the academic movement. After all, not only are women's humanities, but also the humanities of men, are depended on it.

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Eye of the Beholder Art Show/Benefit

Please join us May 15 @ 7pm in the spirit of celebration as we promote local art to raise money for fellow Pheminist Teri Sheffield for her studies at the San Francisco State University Summer Institute on Sexuality. Teri will be pursuing the program as a means to enhance her research on gender and sexuality and continue her academic endeavors through new lenses and perspectives.

click on the thumbnail below to view the full size flyer:

Help us celebrate Teri's hard work and continued dedication towards scholarly research alongside the many talented artists that have made this show possible. Let us bring the end of another successful semester to a close in style! The Hershee Bar will be housing this event. For directions, click here. To visit their webpage, click here.

From SFSU's website:

Summer Institute 2009: Race, Gender and Sexuality:The 2009 NSRC Summer Institute at San Francisco State University is a four-week intensive program focused on Race, Gender, and Sexuality in the United States. Featuring preeminent sexuality scholars, Hector Carrillo, Cathy Cohen, and Lisa Diamond, whose research analyze current and historical intersections of race, sexuality and gender, this year’s summer institute will critically examine the cultural, social, psychological, and political implications of those intersections.

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Miriam Perez of Feministing.com On Leadership & Activism

By: Brook

On April 9, Miriam Perez of Feministing.com visited ODU to talk about leadership, feminism and the future of activism, then joined us for some food and conversation at the Tahphouse, a local's favorite.

Miriam Perez was born in Chapel Hill, North Carolina where she was raised in a Cuban immigrant household that she deems ‘extremely conservative’. Throughout her adolescence, her and her father’s polar political views dominated family discourse and ultimately pushed her towards public speaking and debate on issues surrounding multi-cultural identity formation, reproductive rights, sexual identity and feminism. These early debates took her from the living room to the classroom where she travels year round speaking on the politics of reproductive justice and her activism as a radical doula.

Miriam’s social positioning is unique insofar as she is a doula who is also a pro-choice/abortion advocate; typically deemed contradictory to the reproductive health field. Further, she is also a multicultural, gender queer lesbian that seems to challenge all notions of typical identity formation in her fields. These reasons effectively set her apart from the birth activist movement, but also place her in a newly emerging, more progressive subfield of the movement. Miriam talked in great length about how her skills as a doula are more holistic in approach as she utilizes them as transferable to other life transitions outside of simply the reproductive sector.

This positioning allows for numerous positive implications on views of alternative health and wellness and towards the social impact of expanding gender roles/binaries. Her availability as a radical doula allows her to not only engage with women seeking birthing assistants, but also women who are seeking abortions, IVF, or even women transitioning into menopause. Most impactual, I believe, her work allows for interaction with not just women, but men.

To elaborate, our society is experiencing a subtle shift in gender divides that is producing a variety of different gender identities outside of the male/female binary. This shift signals the importance of her work by emphasizing her particular attributes as a gender queer lesbian. Transgendered persons making the transition from male-to-female and female-to-male are establishing necessary space within the reproductive arena for more gender aware, gender sensitive advocates and medical professionals. Many female-to-male (f2m, transwoman) persons who do not undergo hysterectomy/ hormone replacement therapy and/or genital reassignment surgery and thus become pregnant face doctors and other birthing professionals who either refuse treatment, treat them insensitively, and sometimes even treat them aggressively.

Miriam also serves as a bridge between two important reproductive fields for women: the birthing activists [doctors, nurses, midwives, doulas] and the pro-choice activists [policy and legislation, pro-choice organizations: planned parenthood]. These two fields, so important to women’s health and liberation, typically appear antithetical, and due to this assumed opposition, they often work against one another, rarely focusing on possible shared issues and struggles. Shifting the focus from not just the pregnant woman’s journey but the woman choosing not to parent allows for her to exercise her feminist politics and help alleviate the social stigma that women endure when making this choice for their lives.

On a last note, when hearing her hopes for the future trends of birth activism and feminism alike, the one thing left unsaid was the current state of the doula profession as still very woman-identified. The industry endorses the doula as woman, with the popular ‘mothering the mother’ motto as promotion. Gender roles are still deeply embedded in this field and within the provision of alternative birthing assistance. This is a trend I hope Miriam’s gender queer identity brings into check alongside the many other progressive trends she’s brought to the birthing/reproductive movement as a radical doula.

above photo: fellow Phem-ers Teri and Brook join Miriam for a photo op during her Spring 09 visit to ODU.
photo by kelly

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