In light of Appropriation and Race

Reposting the link to Sylvia’s post about the recent appropriation of Women of Color words. Mainly, the discussion.

This link to the Blog and the Bullet on appropriation and racism.

And this letter to white feminists, from Ico. Read it, read the discussion.

I have more links to add:

Sudy asks if feminism is a movement, and who that movement (or ideology) is really for. The entire post is a must-read, but this paragraph hit me pretty hard:

The question of liberation for privileged feminists will always remain unanswered because they are not equipped, they never learned to self-analyze beyond their own profit and gains. Privileged feminists will remain, I believe, fumbling in the dark with nothing but their oversized dry hands, their desire to be a good ally but inability to acutely challenge their darkest shadows of moral responsibility and fragile egos.   In the meantime, the backs of womyn of color have been broken.

For a concrete example, Amanda Marcotte - when her appropriation was pointed out, she responded by attacking everyone - framing their criticism as “accusations of plagiarism,” or jealous attempts to harm her career. I’m not picking solely on Amanda here, but simply using her as an example. This is simply one more case of a white woman using women of colors’  work as her own and thus erasing their work while taking full credit. She’s not the first, and she won’t be the last, and every time this happens, how many white women  - white feminists - will stand up and do something to ensure the right thing is done? How many will simply fall back to discussing the problem and then forgetting about it until it happens again?

Jill at Feministe wrote an article linking back to Sudy’s post, also linked above.

Cripchick wrote a poem about this. Go read it. I can’t quote just one part.

The Angry Black Woman has a message for Seal Press, Amanda Marcotte, and Salon Broadsheet.

Sylvia wrote this to clarify what the real point is - the history of appropriation, of rendering people of color invisible while white people claim credit for their work.

A few weeks ago, The Angry Black Woman wrote a letter to thank white people. A lot of white people showed up in her comments to completely misunderstand what she was saying and why she was saying it; showed up and tried to make it about them. Stormfront linked to her blog, and white supremacists came to her blog to attack her for daring to have a voice. This isn’t specifically about appropration, but in a more general sense is about white reactions to people of color daring to speak their truths.

Ilyka posted about the message being sent in these discussions.

Twisty posted about how white feminists often wield white privilege against women of color in ways similar to how men wield male privilege against women.

Ico posted about the racist pictures in the book promoted on Feministe. Short version: They feature a blonde woman fighting “savage” black men in a jungle.

blueAlto posted about how questions of appropriation/theft/plagiarism deflect can and do deflect the discussion away from the problem. 

And then there’s the fallout:

Brownfemipower has stopped blogging. She’s taken down her blog, and all of the work she’s done over the past few years. It’s still backed up, but I hope we can see it again. I also understand if we never do.

Some context.

I wrote what I wrote in response to all those feminists who, during the Full Frontal Feminism blow up, kept insisting over and over again that if “WOC” want book deals, they should “go get it them themselves.” That publishers weren’t skimming through the blogosphere looking for just anybody who’s a good writer. That you had to work for a book deal—you had to fight for it, show a little initiative, stop complaining, just do it. JUST. DO. IT.

As if there were no such thing as racism—as if there was no such thing as racism that is alive and well and present in the most cellular of spaces. As if simply opening a proposal and viewing the odd name at the top of the proposal doesn’t influence how the person reading that name will understand the rest of the proposal.

I wrote what I wrote to all those people, to all those feminists, who insist that short of refusing publication (and what good is that?) there is little to nothing feminists can do to stand in solidarity with other feminists who are not as privileged as they are.

I wrote what I wrote to say that there either is a feminist movement or there isn’t—and if feminists can’t even be called on to point to the work that other feminists are doing—if simply pointing to a whole sphere of pro-immigration bloggers (because, to be clear, I stated pro-immigration bloggers and men and women bloggers of color NOT brownfemipower) who have been blogging incessantly about this is too much work for feminism—well, then there’s no fucking feminist movement.

That if dabbling into and getting to know an actual community working in a certain way is too much work for feminism, then there is no fucking feminist movement.

That is what I said.

If you haven’t read the whole thing yet, go read it. If you have read it, go read it again.

And BlackAmazon. After the whole Seal Press mess along with this, she’s taking a break from blogging.

Do you know what it’s like to read the website that helped start your progressive /radical life describe you being disrespected and hurt as a maelstrom?TO mention your name once and magically turn you into women of color while expressing sympathy for people who flat out made you cry. To turn one SINGULAR you into this monolithic beast as if the people who agreed with you couldn’t possibly be diverse interested in their own realities but some side that is being ‘counterproductive” and not ACTUALLY wounded?

And then to say I won’t pick a winner? As if this was some kind of GAME?!

DO you know what it’s like to read time and time AGAIN someone you love dearly be frigging ROASTED in ” polite terms” and have it be okay. To watch people make pledges and commitments that magically disappear the REALITY and specifics of what has harmed you and hurt you in the name of ” objectivity”. Where in objectivity means we’re going to protect HER in expense of HER and EMPHASIZE the power we have by promising that THIS TIME we will give it to you?

As if that doesn’t make us the ULTIMATE OTHER? As if This benevolent desire to lead or to do BASIC frigging research is such a life changing act, and not ANOTHER way of affirming a death grip on privilege power and NON equitable action?

And those are the ” GOOD” responses!

And just in case your wondering in the grand cluster screw of this how many people actively involved with basically screwing me over, making me uncomfortable, or cry have actively in any way tried to CONTACT AND TALK TO ME

Zero.

Read her entire post. Don’t go for the bloodsport.

Oops, you can’t read her post because she took down her blog.

And thank you to littlem on Feministe for putting the first of these three links together and prompting this post. The post on Feministe is about promoting Amanda’s book, but the problem is that we still have this appropriation elephant in the living room, and white people are either avoiding the question or not effectively engaging it. Or they loudly insist it doesn’t exist, and viciously attack all.

Anyway, if anyone has links I should include here, please let me know. I’ll be adding more as I find them.

Femwatch, Episode 1: Say It Ain’t So Feminism

Sudy of A Womyn’s Ecdysis has posted a vlog providing a sampling of the really questionable comments from the feminist blogosphere:

This barely scratches the surface, but some of what she quotes is surprisingly outrageous. I’m looking forward to further installments - not just the outrageous stuff, but positive stuff as well.

An argument against trans-inclusion in the GLBT movement

When gay people think they can write trans humor. I wish I had a racist, misogynist, transphobic combination bingo card for that video. I’d get a blackout, I swear to god. Since we’re on the topic of racism and misogyny, I’d also like to point out Shirley Q. Liquor, who really is a drag queen and minstrel show.

I’m looking for something good to fisk to get back into the swing of things. Something by Julie Bindel, perhaps? I also want a more serious post about the GLBT movement and why we should be seeking out more allies. Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore has a great article I need to dig back up that discusses how the GLBT movement focuses on the needs of white, middle-class, able to pass for straight gay and lesbian people at the expense of the rest of us.

Do I think that trans people don’t belong in the GLBT movement? No, I think we do. But we could use some basic human respect from our so-called allies.

ENDA Discussion

Terrance of The Republic of T has a couple of great posts about ENDA, which he’s also cross-posted to Pam’s House Blend. For that matter, Pam’s House Blend is filled to the brim with ENDA-related posts that are worth reading.

In Terrance’s first post, LGB-T = ENDA, pt. 1, he discusses his experiences with the kind of incrementalism used to justify the removal of gender protections. He says, about the statement, “the implication of gradualism is that some people will have to continue to endure injustice without remedy,”

Its one thing to be an incrementalist and at least be honest about that last sentence. It’s quite another to declare that it is the right thing to do to ask others to continue to suffer injustice without remedy is the right thing to do, that they ought to be glad to do it, and that they are wrong for objecting to it.

That’s what’s asked of of gay folks by progressives on the marriage issue. And now that’s what gay folks are asking of transgender folks on employment discrimination, which for some transgender people is literally a matter of life and death.

That’s it in a nutshell. GLB-rights activists (for they are surely not *T rights activists) who magnanimously sacrifice someone else’s chance at fairness or equality to get theirs first aren’t really making concessions - a true concession requires you to give up something that matters to you.

Terrance continues with LGB-T = ENDA, pt. 2. Here he nails down just what workplace discrimination against trans people means. Seriously, even in San Francisco where trans people have a large number of civil rights protections, you’re looking at something like 75% unemployment. Looking at numbers like that, it’s hard to see how anyone could argue that we don’t need our civil rights yet if it means everyone else waiting an extra year or two. Because, really, unlike John Aravosis’ belief that including T could set his civil rights back decades, we were really close to having enough votes to get a trans-inclusive ENDA passed in the House, and we don’t even know for sure if we didn’t have those votes. People have observed a few irregularities surrounding the alleged whip count.

Terrance mentions how getting employment can be a matter of life or death for trans people, and specifically mentions trans women who had been murdered by men who discovered their trans status, who were in sex work to support themselves because of the difficulty in finding employment. This is called “survival prostitution.” The four women he names are trans women of color, who not only had to deal with transmisogyny, but also racism and sexism. Since transphobia and transmisogyny barely register as unacceptable to many people, it’s also more acceptable to turn up the heat on the racism and sexism.

Terrance highlights that the lack of protection for transgender people really is a matter of life or death. To call us selfish, to tell us we’re holding the gay rights movement back because we are very clear on how badly we need those rights, demonstrates a profound lack of compassion. I would like to know how many trans women have to turn to prostitution to survive, have to live on the edge of homelessness, how many have to die before we’ve earned our place at the table. Is it because the trans people who suffer most - who die most often - are trans women of color? Why is this lack of protection acceptable to civil rights “activists” like Joe Solmonese? Why does John Aravosis constantly characterize our need for these protections as selfish and demanding?

LGB-T = ENDA, pt. 3 further condemns incrementalism as a political strategy, emphasizing the cost to those whose rights are sacrificed “for the greater good.”  As he states in these two paragraphs:

If Democrats and progressives are convinced that righting for legal marriage isn’t effective right now, then we need to find another way to protect our families right now, not ten or twenty or thirty years down the line. We need to do more than shake our heads and say it’s a shame that happens. If civil unions are the answer, then great. Let’s craft legislation, or pour resources into states where it’s achievable. But let’s do something besides “just wait.”

If we believe that employment discrimination transgender persons is wrong and shouldn’t happen, and an inclusive ENDA isn’t gongi to work right now, then we need to find another way to protect transgender persons right now, not ten or twenty or thirty years down the line. We need to do more than shake our heads and say it’s a shame that happens. Let’s start educating Congress on transgender issues now, get a panel of transgender persons who’ve experienced workplace discrimination in front of a committee hearing, or sitting down with key members of congress, or pour some resources into public education campaigns in key states or districts where legislators might be influenced. But let’s do something besides “just wait.”

I wish we had more voices like his.

His posts are also on Pam’s House Blend: LGB-T = ENDA, pt. 1 and LGB-T = ENDA, pt. 2.

On Pam’s House Blend, AHiddenSaint tells her personal story.

Autumn Sandeen discusses the dilemma for some representatives - whether it was worth voting against civil rights legislation in order to oppose the trans-exclusive ENDA.

Daimeon talks about picking up the pieces now that we’ve been thoroughly backstabbed and thrown under the bus.

Also, keep an eye on Donna’s ENDABlog as she posts post-mortem analysis. Donna Rose was on the HRC board until HRC voted to not oppose the trans-exclusive ENDA, at which point she resigned.

Update on Judge Deni and Her Racist Definition of Rape

Along with many other bloggers, I posted about how Judge Deni dismissed rape charges on the basis that the victim was a prostitute. I’ve just beein informed that the prostitute is also black. I suspected this was a possibility, but nothing I read anywhere mentioned her race.

This changes the case’s context, as Renegade Evolution says:

And what we have here is a White Female Judge, who makes a whole lotta money, who has all sorts of advantages, Treating a Black Female who does not have that money, or those advantages like a subhuman piece of garbage. And it is so not an isolated incident. It is also bullshit. This whole thing reeks of the snotty upper-class white lady turning up her nose at the dirty, unseemly single black mother hooker. A woman who does, probably has to do, things that the Refined Judge herself has never had to consider doing, would never considering doing, because she has advantages in life this other woman did not. And yet, she sits in judgment over her, and passes down judgment that is far more reaching than in a legal capacity.

I wish I could say it better, but I’m grateful Ren Ev said it so well.

Sadly, I’ve heard bad news. Yes, Philadelphia voted in favor of rapists:

DENI, TERESA CARR
“Yes” 74,647 (65.9%)
“No” 38,681 (34.1%)
 
(PA elections)

Thank you to Renegade Evolution for these numbers.

The New Jersey 4, Megan Williams, and Dunbar Village.

I missed the “Blogging for Justice” deadline, but now seems as good a time as any to post about this. Brownfemipower has a post about these issues, and how the blogosphere has handled them. Afrospear covers Megan Williams and Dunbar Village, and brownfemipower has links to multiple posts about the New Jersey 4.

The New Jersey 4 were arrested for defending themselves from physical assault and battery. Read the story. These women were harassed and violently attacked - their attacker attempted to kill one. Despite the fact that they fought back in self-defense, four were convicted and sentenced for defending themselves. The message here is that if you’re lesbian and black, you have to just have to passively accept whatever violence comes your way. Being a black woman is probably enough.

Megan Williams was kidnapped for more than a week, tortured, beaten, forced to eat rat, dog and human feces, and raped by six white men and women in West Virgina. They kept her in a shed and taunted her with racial slurs. While the six people could face life sentences in prison, Megan’s family wants to prosecute this as a hate crime - something that the authorities have stopped short of doing.

In the Dunbar Village case, four boys and a man broke into a woman’s home, robbed her, and gang-raped her and her son. More information here. 

Please follow these links - I just can’t go into enough detail here to explain everything without just quoting these other sites entirely. Each of these cases is an example of extreme violence against women of color, and it’s important that people know this is going on, and know to do something about it.

Organizing against police violence against women and trans people of color

Not my originally planned first post, but this is important.

Brownfemipower posted:

The amazing women of Incite! Women of Color Against Violence have created a powerful brochure about how to end police violence against women and trans people of color. My recommendation? PRINT IT OUT AND DISTRIBUTE!!!!! Also, if you would like copies of the brochure, you can also e-mail incite_national@yahoo.com, with the number of copies you’d like and an address to send it to!

Look at Remembering Our Dead and see just how many of those dead are trans people of color. How many of those men and women died because the police did not take their claims seriously or worse? How many trans people of color suffer police violence and abuse? Too many. As a white trans woman, I’ve been fortunate enough to have two near-misses when it comes to police abuse - and in both cases, I had been on hormones for slightly over a year, and looked ambiguously gendered - but I’ve been in many situations where I could have been subjected to it. I know how many times I’ve had to call the police for assistance, and I know how quickly they could decide I was the problem. Fortunately for me, this isn’t a routine danger. As long as I don’t do anything to attract the wrong kind of police attention, I’m relatively safe.

Women and trans people of color are not.