i was never good at tumbling

… the socialization of boys regarding masculinity is often at the expense of women. I came to realize that we don’t raise boys to be men, we raise them not to be women (or gay men). We teach boys that girls and women are “less than” and that leads to violence by some and silence by many. It’s important for men to stand up to not only stop men’s violence against women but, to teach young men a broader definition of masculinity that includes being empathetic, loving and non-violent.

“

—	Don McPherson, former NFL quarterback, feminist and educator (via albinwonderland)

Gaslighting

createsomething:

Gaslighting is a form of mental abuse in which false information is presented with the intent of making a victim doubt his or her own memory,perception and sanity.^[1] Instances may range simply from the denial by an abuser that previous abusive incidents ever occurred, up to the staging of bizarre events by the abuser with the intention of disorienting the victim.

humansofnewyork:

Last night I was at a YMCA event celebrating the success of its annual Strong Kids fundraising campaign. A video was shown where a man named Anthony explained how he got brain cancer, was paralyzed on the left side of his body, and was rehabilitated by trainers at his local Y. The climatic moment came when Anthony explained how he was so happy that he could hold his son again, because he’d been so afraid that his son would think that he didn’t love him anymore. During the video, Anthony’s son ran out of the audience and started clapping at the screen, Anthony followed close behind him.

Um? I’m glad this guy got so much function back. Truly. And i understand his fears. But disabled parents show our kids that we love them every day whether we can hug them or not. Fully-functional arms are not a requirement in dispensing love.

bloomsburyist:

Nineteen-year-old Willa Cather, looking snappy in a production of The Fatal Pin (1892).

PETITION FOR GINA TORRES TO PLAY WONDER WOMAN

nudiemuse:

jmrichards:

connivingwitch:

barbie-wears-pink-aviators:

BECAUSE

AND ALSO

JUST

LET ME JUST SAY

IF YOU DON’T ALREADY THINK THIS WOMAN IS AN AMAZONIAN PRINCESS

YOU ARE DOING IT TOO WRONG FOR WORDS.

ahhhhh fuck please

OMYGOD YES

YES PLEASE

NO ONE WOULD MAKE ME HAPPIER

YES SOMEONE IN CHARGE MAKE THIS HAPPEN.

OH HELL YES

Feminism has fought no wars. It has killed no opponents. It has set up no concentration camps, starved no enemies, practiced no cruelties. Its battles have been for education, for the vote, for better working conditions, for safety in the streets, for child care, for social welfare, for rape crisis centres, women’s refuges, reforms in the law. If someone says, ‘Oh, I’m not a feminist’, I ask, ‘Why? What’s your problem?’

“

—

Dale Spender, Man Made Language. (via dumbledoreisabamf)

the feminist movement has supported wars (afghanistan to liberate the poor brown women, anyone?) and the cruel medical use of the bodies of women of color (history of how the pill was developed, anyone?) and the murder of trans women (the transsexual empire, anyone?) among other… failings, shall we say, to put it lightly

feminism as an institution has colluded with white supremacy, with heterosexism and cissexism, with ableist power structures, with imperialism to bring “liberation” to white, western, christian, cishet, abled, thin women at the expense of women who can’t climb that ladder and cling to any part of that power structure as easily as they can

anyone who feels that feminist is a dirty word because ~ew won’t the women just shut up~ is a misogynist, plain and simple. but to pretend that there is no reason to eschew the label of feminist erases the violence done to many women in the name of feminism.

(via withlovethelavendermenace)

i know i should let this go…

but i guess i’m a little cranky today.

“practised no cruelties”

None? The person above me mentions the transsexual empire, which yes was really bad. But worse was her article on why the state shouldn’t support medical transition. It had the direct effect of pulling funding for any trans related health care, including the penal system. Only now are some incarcerated trans women winning the right to have appropriate medical care, as dictated by the us constitution. only now are states finally passing laws that prevent insurance companies from excluding trans related health care from their coverage.

This alone is responsible for the death of thousands of trans women. Women, who without access to social service like the very same rape crises centres, shelters, or any other social welfare type service, have been put into a situation where mos trans women of colour are forced into sex work. Where Black and/or Latina trans women have the highest rates for HIV contraction. Trans feminine people, who without access to health care simply die (far too often from their own hands).

Feminism has literally built itself on the blood and bones of #girlslikeus, of all woc, of disabled women, on sex workers, etc.

My problem is that I want to live and be free and that feminists have been trying their fucking hardest since the beginning to ensure that #girlslikeus are never free.

(via biyuti)

THANK you; this is what I have been saying. I’m fine with friends who acknowledge this history and fight to make feminism more inclusive and to claim it. I respect them. But to say that feminism is a basic requirement and anyone who isn’t one is just silly and thoughtless is crap. There are real, deeply troubling aspects to the feminist movement. Rejecting feminism because of this is a principled stance, not a type of ignorance.

yoisthisracist:

anonymous asked: Yo, you don’t need to do swears to be cool and have friends.

Haha, but for real tho, this is obviously completely untrue.

Disabled People Are Sexy: To the anon who had a problem with me reblogging posts from devotee(s). »

disabledpeoplearesexy:

I’m not really sure what to say to you. (Some of the terms you use in your message make me think I probably can’t say anything adequate, because they are terms that indicate ways of thinking/communicating that I really don’t understand. But I feel I need to respond somehow. That’s also why I’m not…

This is a really, really, thoughtful, nuanced, and intelligent piece. Made me change some of my thinking, and it’s on a topic that I’ve always mentally shied away from. Thanks for posting this. It’s really good, and important to talk about.

5,000-year-old ‘transgender’ skeleton discovered »

nudiemuse:

le-kif-kif:

neutrois:

transsuccess:

While this may not be one of our traditional success stories, this is quite possibly further evidence that we have always been here and that in and of itself is a success for our community.

transawareness:

Archaeologists have discovered a 5,000-year-old skeleton which they believe may be the remains of a transgender person.

Men’s bodies from that age and culture are usually found buried with their heads towards the west and with weapons.

But this skeleton was found with its head towards the east and was surrounded by domestic jugs – as women’s bodies from the time are usually found.

At a press conference in Prague yesterday, archaeologists theorised that the person may have been transgender or ‘third sex’.

Kamila Remišová, the head of the research team, said: “From history and ethnology, we know that when a culture had strict burial rules they never made mistakes with these sort of things.”

The article also states that:

This is not the first time a skeleton has been found buried as a member of the opposite sex. One woman from the Mesolithic period, who was assumed to be a warrior, was found buried with weapons.

Pretty cool!

gender variant people can certainly claim this as a success story because gender is far more complex than western hegemony allows, and this is an awesome example. but this is not a ‘transgender skeleton,’ and trans itself is a politically loaded term that gains meaning in a specific historical moment.

BUT WAIT TRANS* PEOPLE ARE TOTALLY A MODERN INVENTION OF TUMBLR RIGHT?

AMIRITE?