Drew Davies from the Map of Gaps campaign forwarded along an awesome resource. Basically, what the map shows are locations of services meant to help women get out of dangerous situations involving domestic violence of sexual exploitation. What the map ALSO shows is how geography gets political — note that most of Britain is red (meaning zero access to facilities) for many of the resources the map is meant to help you find.

This is both an awesome resource for abuse … READ MORE

Jamaal Young over at NYPress reflects about the holiday season, and the confusing politics of family and “out-ness.” Good times!

Quotes from the post:

The holidays are upon us and that means we’re all prepped to spend some quality time with the fam. In my case, this requires that I hop on a southbound flight and head to the milder climes of the Carolinas. As with all things holiday-ish, it can be a little complicated: who has to … READ MORE

It’s making the rounds – over at Shakesville,The Curvature, Feministing, and Hoyden About Town – as it should be. Most of the sites I’ve linked to have the video of McCain puting scarequotes round the notion that the health of the mother should be a consideration for abortion; as if women’s health is such a joke to him that he can’t even make it through the words.

You’re probably expecting me to call that misogynistic, but really, what’s the point? … READ MORE

From the mailbag, reader Matt reports that the Guardian published an article about a man who furtively took bad photos of women in bathing suits and drew in their breasts and hips when the photos didn’t turn out so well. The article’s author is so busy sympathizing with the photographer’s inability to get laid that he neglects to so much as mention that the women he photographed may have found his coping method more than a little creepy.

You might be … READ MORE

An Open Letter to All Feminists: Statement of Solidarity with Palestinian, Arab, and Muslim Women Facing War and Occupation
by Piya Chatterjee and Sunaina Maira
http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/cm130308.html
As feminists and people of conscience, we call for solidarity with Palestinian women in Gaza suffering due to the escalating military attacks that Israel turned into an open war on civilians. This war has targeted women and children, and all those who live under Israeli occupation in the West Bank, and are also denied the right to … READ MORE

Split This Rock Poetry Festival: Poems of Provocation & Witness

Washington, DC

March 20-23, 2008

www.SplitThisRock.org

info@splitthisrock.org

Split This Rock Poetry Festival calls poets to a greater role in public life and fosters a national network of activist poets. Building the audience for poetry of provocation and witness from our home in the nation’s capital, we celebrate poetic diversity and the transformative power of the imagination. Featuring readings, workshops, panels, contests, walking tours, film, parties, and activism! See the website for the … READ MORE

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/53

 The above is a link to a speaker on environmental activism, gentrification, and its impact on communities of color. It’s very, very good.

EDGEWORKS Dance Theater
Open Call for Discussion Groups

Are You Interested In Participating In An EDT Project On Gender,
Sexuality, And Spirituality?

EDGEWORKS Dance Theater’s Founder & Artistic Director Helanius J.
Wilkins recently launched the determining factor– a work focused on
gender, sexuality and spirituality; and that will be the result of
community collaboration.

The research and development of this work includes organizing intimate
discussion groups reflecting a diverse cross section of the community.
Men and women, heterosexual, homosexual, and transgendered, married
and single, and of a wide age range, will … READ MORE

Check out the new Split This Rock Blog, Blog This Rock! It is edited/curated by Peter Montgomery and will showcase exciting work at the intersection of poetry and social change from all over the country. Building toward Split This Rock Poetry Festival: Poems of Provocation & Witness, March 20-23, 2008, Blog This Rock will be a forum for discussion, networking, and change.

The first post is by guest bloggers Joe Ross and Rose Marie Berger, who edited the chapbook, Cut Loose … READ MORE

The Democrats want to expand US hate crime legislation to include crimes based on sexual orientation and gender identity and those women things, but Bush will veto it because such protection is "unnecessary".

First, let me criticize my supposed allies. In every report I’ve read of this, it’s all about gay rights. In other words, knowing how people here default, it’s all about the menz. That this bill would say something about hate crimes based on gender is just mentioned in … READ MORE