College Feminists Connect!

"Embracing Female Masturbation", by: Chloe Vraney... (also, last week was Clitoris Awareness Week!)

Female masturbation is perhaps the “last sexual taboo,” according to Globe writer Zosia Bielski. Whereas male masturbation is often the butt of jokes, is part of a coming-of-age process in movies and literature, and even has its own physical hand signal, many consider self-stimulation of the female genitals to be shocking and sickening. Society has created excuses for the male's need to ejaculate, as demonstrated in Bielski's research, whether for biological reasons or due to the claimed "superior male sex drive."

Oppositely, many works of literature and film such as Goobie's Hello Groin and Apatow's The 40 Year Old Virgin that actually do include a female protagonist masturbating give these characters a marginalized identity so their sexual behavior is considered abnormal and freakish. Studies such as those in Michael Gordon's Women and Language even show that the language we use is systematically more inclusive of male autoeroticism, with both sexes more familiar with its informal language than with that of the female counterpart.

So why is this biologically normal, sexually safe, and immensely self-pleasurable act so stigmatized for women? Due to its liberating qualities that imply that women can be sexually satisfied without any part of the male, let alone his penis, female masturbation is a powerful and self-determining act, addressing the woman's needs and only the woman's needs. Women who masturbate rebel against the patriarchal system, rejecting the phallic penis in exchange for their own sexual self-exploration on a healthy quest to connect body and mind by establishing and fulfilling their own sexual needs. Although masturbation in general is very stigmatized, feminists are aware of and challenge the fact that sexual self-exploration for men is more socially accepted. This social acceptance is proven in studies that show that males masturbate more than females, and there are several different hypotheses as to why.

Awesome Scholarships for Mankato State University Students!

Women's Scholarships
due April 25, 2013

Below you will find information about specific scholarships and how to apply for them. If you have questions please call 507-389-6146, or email sandra.bunde@mnsu.edu

Mary Jane Young Scholarship for Re-Entry Women

Learn about Mary Jane Young

These scholarships are for $1,000 each. The number of awards varies from year to year. The deadline for this scholarship is April 25, 2013. 

Eligibility requirements:

• Re-entry, single student with custody of children; or re-entry, married who have delayed their own education to raise a family with an inadequate income of their own, from their partner's income, or their partner's income make them ineligible for other financial aid.
• Full-time undergraduate student in any major attending MSU both fall and spring semesters 2013-2014.
• In good standing with Minnesota State University, Mankato

How to apply:

• Print and fill out the Mary Jane Young Scholarship form
• Write a personal narrative describing yourself, your family, why you are working to obtain a degree, and your plans for the future.  What caused you to want to continue your education now and how this scholarship will help you continue your education.
• Include an unofficial copy of your college transcripts.

Coplan Donohue Single Parent Scholarship

Learn more about Diane Coplan Donohue. These scholarships are for up to $1,000 each. The number of awards varies from year to year. The deadline for this scholarship is April 25, 2013.

Eligibility requirements:

• Non-traditional/single-parent student with primary physical custody of children.
• Commitment to parenting.
• Full-time undergraduate or graduate level student in any major attending MSU both fall and spring semesters 2013-2014.
• In good standing with Minnesota State University, Mankato

How to apply:

• Print and fill out the Coplan Donohue Single Parent Scholarship form
• Write a personal narrative describing yourself, your family, your parenting philosophy, why you are working to obtain a degree, and your plans for the future.
• Include one unofficial trasncript of your college courses 

More scholarships and scholarship information at www.mnsu.edu/wcenter/scholarships/ 

My Sheroes Part III

Continued...

 

I am stoked that it is still Women's History Month (and last week was International Women's day, with which I made many rants about intersectionality and appreciating and recognizing women from all over the globe and their tremendous efforts to promote women's roles, etc, as well as to progress all of our respected women's movements, etc). So in this week's "Sheroes" blog post, I'd like to focus on two international women who held significant roles in social justice movements in their communities:

 

Ani Pachen:

Ani Pachen(1933–2002) was a Tibetan Buddhist nun who led her clan in armed rebellion against China. She is known as the Tibetan Joan of Arc due to her peaceful protest and revolution against the Chinese invasion in Tibet. At the age of 17 she took her future into her hands and fled to a monastary after hearing of plans of an arranged marriage. She spent 18 years in the monastery. She inherited the leadership of the Lemdha Clan after he father died (and would also inherit accusations from the Chinese, due to her father's connections, helping to land her in jail). She led her clan in rebellion against the Communist Chinese. She led a guerrilla campaign of 600 fighters on horseback againstChinese tanks until her capture in late 1959. Pachen was released from prison in 1981, having endured many painful years full of torture (starvation, physical torture, etc). She dedicated her the rest of her life to resisting the Chinese in Lhasa and pushing towards Tibetan independence. She fled to the border upon learning that she was to be arrested again and wandered for several days in deep snow. She walked 25 days to Nepal and her lifelong dream to meet the Dalai Lama came true after she was granted a personal audience shortly after her arrival.

Her autobiography Sorrow Mountain: The Journey of a Tibetan Warrior Nun is one of my favorite reads. Much like the autobiography of the Dalai Lama, it portrays a young individual not much different than myself and my peers (snobby, selfish, rude) who learned from their mistakes and passions and grew up into one of the greatest heroes of our time. She pioneered the way for many revolutionists and is still a wonderful symbol of peace and justice.

 

 

 

 

Ani Pachen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wangari Maathai:

(1 April 1940 – 25 September 2011) was a Kenyan environmental and political activist. In the 1970s she founded the Green-Belt Movement, an environmental and non-governmental organization focused on planting trees, conservation and women's rights. In 2004 she became the first African woman to win the Nobel peace Prize for "her contribution to sustainable development, democracy and peace.". She was an elected member of parliament and served as assistant minister for Environment and Natural Resources in the government of President Mwai Kibaki between January 2003 and November 2005. Furthermore she was an Honorary Councillor of the World Future Council. In 2011, Maathai died of complications from ovarian cancer.

 

I highly recommend reading Unbowed: A Memoir which highlights much of her achievements. Maathai was extremely involved in, not only her government, but globally, as well. In topics such as AIDS awareness, women's health, environmental justice, issues of racism, governmental/politics, etc. A prominent figure of the world.

 

 

 

 

 

Wangari Maathai

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Anna Ruhland

My Sheroes: Part II

Continuing on with my woman fighters, rebel rousers, top notch scientists, creative minds, goddesses and all the like (women I admire and aspire to be like) from last week (in celebration of Women's History Month), I would like to recognize the awesomeness that is...

Jane Goodall (or, Dame Jane Morris Goodall)

Jane Goodall is a British primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace. She is considered the foremost leader and expert on the study and preservation of chimpanzees. Having never had a formal scientific background, she championed her way into the field and research. She is known for her 45 yr study of social behaviours of chimpanzees, as well as being the founder of the Roots and Shoots program, apart of the Jane Goodall Institute. She travels several times a year to give talks all around the world (I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEE HER in CHICAGO!!! xoxoxoxo), hardly ever being able to take a break, to advocate for animals and the environment. 

Faith Ringgold

Faith Ringgold is an African American artist, best known for her painted story quilts. She is professor emeritus in theUniversity of California, San Diego visual art department. She was born and raised in Harlem, NYC. She was greatly influnced by fabric because she lived with her mother who worked as a fashion designer. This interest in fabric and textile arts would transfer into her later years and creations. She is well known for her collage/combination creations that integrate "high-art" and "craft" by telling stories through quilts and painting. She modeled these quilts off of the Buddhist Thangkas. She has also written over 17 children's books and received the Coretta Scott King award or one of them (Tar Beach). She is a prominent individual in the African American/art community. She has also been very active in multiple feminist and anti-racist organizations and movements. She formed the Ad Hoc Women's Art Committee which protested the Whitney Museum and demanded that more woman artists be represented. She also founded/helped form:Women Students and Artists for Black Art Liberation, National Black Feminist Organization & "Where We At" Black Women Artists (a NY based black women's art collective of the Black Arts Movement). She is an awesome woman, artist, activist and individual of this earth who greatly empowers many 

 

 

 

 

 

Faith Ringgold

 

 

 

 

 

 

-Annah Ruhland

Women's HERstory Month

Each year, I am ashamed to say, it always slips my mind that March is Women's History Month. I just totally forget that there is a month dedicated to the history of women. Why is that? It isn't because I don't think it's a good idea. It isn't because I don't love women (I think I have made it very clear that I do). It isn't because I don't consider myself a feminist (I mean...obviously...I'm interning at the Women's Consortium. I'm a die-hard feminist). I think the reason I forget is because, quite honestly, as a woman, as a women's studies student, EVERYday and EVERYmonth is Women's History month to me. I think about women, my makers and educators and those powerful individuals that have shaped me, I think about them and the stories they created, every waking second. These women are so powerful to me that they transcend a month of dedication. I'm not saying I disagree with this. I think it's wonderful (just as with Black History Month) that we have four weeks dedicated to the greatness of these oppressed peoples. I would hope, though, that after March (or February) is done that this awareness would continue on. However, despite the memoriams throughout these months, we tend to slip back into the rut of ourselves, of a patriarchal hegemonic society, once they are over. So I want to inspire us to notice these people (and, just in celebration of the impending month I will focus solely on women) in our everyday lives because, in all truth, they have impacted us in every way (even when we do not realize it).♀ I love ALL women (both transgender and cisgender women). I love womyn of all sizes, colors and sexualities. I love womyn of all ages, classes, nationalities and abilities. From all political backgrounds and passions. Women are my friends, my lover, my mentors and advisers, teachers, heroes, mother/grandmothers/aunts. I love women because they are strong, intelligent, capable and beautiful beings. I love women because they teach me how to be the woman I want to be. I love working with women, playing with women, collaborating with women, learning with women, talking to women and being artistic with women. Although the feminist movements had&have flaws, I am still proud to say that I am an advocate for feminism trying to champion and fix those failures. Because my love for all women is so strong, enduring, intense and true ♀ xoxo 

My SHEroes are the women who pioneered for me the notion that a woman is so much more than what societies allow her to be. A woman is more than a textbook history, more than a media portrayal. More than any of us may even know about ourselves. These women taught me how to be more...

♀♀♀♀For each week of this month

                  I will post a miniature bio

           of 2 of the women I most admire.♀♀♀♀

 Here is the beginning of the list of some of my personal SHEroes...

 

• Willa Cather: Was an American Novelist. Her stories detailed life on the Great Plains (some of her greatest works are O' Pioneer, Song of the Lark and My Antonia), her protagonists almost always were young women. She grew up in Nebraska, attended the University of Nebraska (where she often used the name "william", dressed in "man's clothes" and cut her hair short) and, later, won a Pulitzer Prize for her novel One of Ours (set during WWI). There is a lot buzz around whether or not Cather was a lesbian, but not much proof either way. Some debate that her writings had queer tendencies or could be applied to queer theory. Despite whether or not these accusations are true Cather's most significant and impactful friendship was with the editor Edith Lewis of whom she lived with for 39 years, until her death. Towards the end of her career she started receiving negative criticism that attacked her supposed "romantic" (etc) manner of writing. This criticism was hard on her and she became reclusive. Due to this she destroyed most of her drafts, letters, notebooks, etc. Her style of writing can be dubbed romantic (which has negative connotations), but I believe it is better described as poetic and detailed. Her depiction of women is that of strong individuals who hold powerful positions (they aren't made out to be bimbos or femme fatales). As a young girl in home-school my mother had me read My Antonia, and later I would be drawn to O, Pioneers as well as Song of the Lark. As a thirteen year old I loved having a strong, literary, woman figure to idolize and admire (the way they adventured, made friends, followed their dreams, kept the farm running, held a business, inherited their father's land, etc). Her characters made me dream of this life. They inspired adventure in me.

                                                        Willa Cather

• Sophie Scholl: *9 May 1921 – 22 February 1943* (along with the other members of the White Rose non-violence resistance group). Executed because she was convicted of high-treason, because of her/their resistance and revolutionary ideas/actions against Nazi Germany (non-violent opposition). Initially the group just consisted of her brother and his friends, they later realized what a vital role S.Scholl would have in the movement (being a woman, she was less of a suspect for the SS). They co-authored several anti-Nazi pamphlets. One of my greatest heroes & role models. She taught me the power of peaceful resistance and dedication to what you believe in. A wonderful, inspirational and brave individual to recognize and look up to.

                                                            Sophie Scholl
        

 

To be Continued...

-Anna Ruhland

My Ode to Menstruation

Usually I am not the biggest fan of Vice Magazine, --->but this article<---Usually I am not the biggest fan of Vice Magazine, but an article that was posted on their blog brings up some issues/ideas/opinions that I don't normally feel towards most things written for/by them. It's an article that consists of everyday images of female/woman-bodied individuals, doing monotonous, mundane things. The aspect of these photoraphs that is so "unique" or, "unusual", however, is that they are all bleeding/menstruating and the blood is soaking their garments or dripping down their legs. At first I thought 'wow, cool, this is advocating for women to embrace their natural, bodily function rather than hide it away!" but again, I thought "but would I do that? I'm very open about my period and am verbal about how much I love and embrace it but I would never let it drip all over me for everybody to see, just like I would never let any of my bodily fluids drip all over me and my clothing". But I'm hesitant to liken menstruation to other natural bodily fluids or excrements, bowel movements or urine, which are dirty soils and are associated with dirty things, things our bodies want to dispose of, things that pop-culture and the media like to make fun of and use as fodder for crude jokes. I want periods to be discussed in a manner that provides an arena for this beautiful, natural occurence to receive the recognition and acknowledgement that it deserves. I don't want it to be made into a joke, to have to go as far as to be made into this intense-in your face-sexualized bodily function or to have to stoop to the level of being subdued or stiffled. I want menstruation to be something that women can talk about comfortably, ask questions about. Maybe not necessarily blab about it at volume 10 in their co-ed classroom. But, then again, maybe male-bodied individuals need to learn how to respect menstruation enough to understand that it isn't something to be grossed or weirded out by. That, even if you ignore it or don't want to listen to people talking about it doesn't stop it from happening ALL THE TIME. I want women to be able to understand their bodies, to leave shame behind and learn how to completely and totally feel free and one with their physical selves. I want women to know how to adequatly take care of themselves, dote on their bodies, know what the different textures and colors mean, what varying menstrual products are best for their bodies, for the environment. I also want female/woman-bodied individuals to feel comfortable reading about their periods, looking at art creations (see: May Ling Su "On My Period", Carolee Schneemann *pulling a scroll out of her vagina*, Zanele Muholi, Ingrid Berthon-Moine, Judy Chicago "Red Flag", etc etc) that depict periods in an aesthetically beautiful, abstract and artistically rendered way. I want women to know where to search these resources out. I want women to come together and embrace one another and their shared, united similarities/experiences as well as their wonderful, apparent differences. I want women to be able to feel whole, welcomed, to realize that NO aspect of their body is wicked or dirty. To be able to sucessfully do this, however, we need to find a means in which we can talk about menstruation but also avoid conflict. How can we create a menstrual imagery without simultaneously creating menstrual hate, or, furthering societal/media stereotypes? Many artists have tried and succeeded, but many have also been silenced and, in their wake, have left behind a movement, despite it being one that is equally silenced. I despise how I feel like my period is pornographic, X-rated. I hate how, even posting this, I feel like I need to censor myself. Replace "period" with childish, flowery phrases like "my monthly visitor" or "when mother nature calls". It's called a PERIOD, dammit! There is nothing wrong or evil about that. There is nothing shameful or wrong, and this is what I am thankful for these artists, social media (some) and individuals for attempting to do. I love my period because it reminds me of who I am, who the women before me were. And this is my personal account, because I am fortunate enough to have been born in a body that I feel right in. Menstruation is a constant reminder of that. I celebrate when it arrives, despite my groaning. I look forward to it coming because it makes me feel alive, like a woman, like a functioning body that operates the way I want it to operate. We need to reclaim menstruation, for ourselves (if our bodies are those that we are comfortable living in), and for others and to recognize the constant beauty and wonderful functions and creations that it can and does provide.

 

-Anna Ruhland

Alumni Spotlight: Catherine Scallen

Hello all!

My name is Catherine Scallen, and I interned with the Minnesota Women’s Consortium the summer of 2010, right before my senior year in college. Meghan asked me to speak a little bit about what I’ve been up to since graduating college, and how my feminist beliefs have played out in that, so here I am!

Catherine when she began at the MWC

I graduated from Notre Dame in 2011 with a degree in American Studies and a minor in Spanish. While I don’t have Gender Studies on my degree, the American Studies major is the greatest thing since sliced bread (seriously—check out this link to understand why I’m so obsessed with my major), and I kept a heavy focus on Gender Studies classes throughout my undergrad experience. 

This culminated in my honors senior thesis—which I ADORED. I know everybody talks about how horrible writing a thesis is, and yes, there were definitely long sleepless nights and mental breakdowns alone in the library, but you can ask any of my friends—I’m completely obsessed with my thesis. Its official title is Bitch: Contemporary Feminism in American Consumer Culture, but I prefer to affectionately refer to it as The Bitch. You can find that little guy here. Good times.

Leave the NFL Alone; Gun Control Will End Domestic Violence, Just Be Careful Dumping Your Boyfriend

On December 1st, Jovan Belcher shot and killed his long-time girlfriend and mother to his child, Kasandra Perkins, before shooting himself. 

While it is not clear the exact catalyst for this murder, apparently the couple's relationships was strained and they had been arguing frequently. It would be unsurprising to discover Perkins had attempted to initiate a break-up before Belcher had shot her. Eight times. Clearly there was a lot of anger involved in this situation, and according to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, women who leave their batterers are at a 75% greater risk of severe injury or death. Belcher's mother, who was living with them, reported hearing him say "You can't talk to me like that" shortly before shooting Perkins. The couple had also been getting counseling.

NBC's Bob Costas' response to the tragedy was a call to action for gun control. This is a huge problem. The response of the media blames weapons and excuses domestic violence as the root of the problem. Remember the old adage 'Guns don't kill people, people kill people'? True story. 

Anything can be a deadly weapon, including a person's bare hands. Gun control will not eliminate domestic violence or murders, these horrible things will still happen via different means. The root of the problem needs to be addressed, and the root is domestic violence. 

Approximately 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence during there lifetime. Domestic Violence results in nearly 2 million injuries and 1300 deaths in the US every year. 31% of all women murdered are killed by a current or previous intimate partner.

It is extremely unfortunate that Costas didn't take advantage of such a prime opportunity to address the dangers and unacceptability of domestic violence. He had millions of viewers tuned in, a large percentage of which who would likely not otherwise be reached by anti-violence campaigns. 

The NFL itself may be an important target area for addressing domestic violence. While many NFL coaches claim to uphold certain standards for their players, ultimately those players are hired who will be the best athletes, not the best role models. 21 of 32 NFL teams, at one point this year, had employed at least one player with a domestic violence or sexual assault charge on his record.

Fake Website Campaign Calls Out Victoria's Secret for Condoning Rape Culture

At first glance, the website PINK Loves Consent appears to be genuine. Could it be that Victoria's Secret is actually starting a campaign raising awareness about sexual violence and rape? It sounds too good to be true, and unfortunately it is. 

After further inspection of the website, one finds statistics, a page called 'Then and Now' that calls out misogynist underwear slogans that Victoria's Secret puts on panties and displays an alternative slogan, and some suspiciously photo-shopped looking underwear, but the real giveaway that this site is a commentary on Victoria's Secret is the range of women used to model the 'new campaign. On the home page is a curvy African-American woman, and other pages feature plus-sized white women. All of the women on the website are beautiful, of course, but would Victoria's Secret really go so far as to change their slogans, provide education on healthy sex, AND portray an array of body types? Not likely.

It is obvious this website is attempting to bring awareness to some of the issues with Victoria's Secret, such as the unattainable sizes of the models and promotion of rape culture. Perhaps  you're wondering, what is this 'rape culture' I keep mentioning. Well, let me explain:

"Rape culture is a concept used to describe a culture in which rape and sexual violence are common and in which prevalent attitudes, norms, practices, and media normalize, excuse, tolerate, or even condone rape."

Some indicators that you may live in a rape culture include: victim blaming, sexual objectification, and trivializing rape. An example of trivializing rape is rape jokes; rape jokes are not only disrespectful and potentially harmful to victims' feelings, but also communicate a social acceptance of rape as a behavior and may communicate to rapists that their actions are acceptable or even normal. In a rape culture, sexual violence towards women is commonplace and women's bodies are regarded as sexually available by default. 

While there is some debate over whether or not America constitutes a rape culture, personally I believe that it doesn't take a whole lot of thought and observation to recognize that it does. Rape culture is a problem because the behaviors that characterize it are correlated with not only increased sexual violence, but also increased racism, homophobia, ageism, classism, and other forms of discrimination.

Women Leaders: Geena Davis, Coolest Actress Ever

We all are familiar with how fantastically badass Geena Davis is (and if you're not, you should work on that). She's been a baseball player, a pirate, an outlaw, and president. She portrays female leaders who fight against stereotypes, oppression, and occasionally marauders.

Geena Davis goes further than just portraying powerful women, however; she works to advance women in the real world as well.

A little background on how awesome Geena Davis is:

• She was a women's Olympics archery team semi-finalist, placing 24th out of 300 auditioners.
• She is fluent in Swedish.
• She's won an Oscar and a Golden Globe.
• She is a member of Mensa, a social organization whose members are in the top 2% of intelligence as measured by an IQ test entrance exam.
• She portrayed the first female president of the United States.
• She's been awarded the Women in Film Lucy Award
• She received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Bates College

In addition to all these fascinating facts, Geena Davis is a prominent activist. 

Geena Davis is a trustee of the Women's Sports Foundation and the face of Geena Takes Aim, a 2007 campaign raising awareness about Title IX and equal opportunities for girls to participate in sports.