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links for 21-7-2011

Anoushka

A must read piece on the harmful policies affecting women living in poverty in america.

Police crack downs on immigrant communities in Spain have been met with protests, cop watches and community resistance.

In Indiana, a man was turned away from donating blood because apparently he “looked gay”. Yeah. The man identifies as straight, but that’s really not the point. The point is: who the fuck is anyone to decide whether or not someone “looks gay” and more pertinently why is this incredibly discriminatory policy still in place? If you are a man who has had sex with another man JUST ONCE your blood is considered tainted forever, even if you have been tested, practice safe sex, are in a monogamous relationship etc.

The TSA is installing less invasive body scanners in some american airports.

The agency says the change is intended to protect travelers’ privacy rights while securing commercial air travel. It will be used in 40 airports, including in Chicago, Dallas, Detroit, Miami and Newark.

The body scanners have been a big issue for people with marginalized bodies, especially women and trans folks and anyone who has survived sexual or other abuse, for whom a body scan (or a pat down) can be triggering, or prompt an non-consensual outing. Plus, the TSA hasn’t exactly been known for it’s discretion with the images in the past.

People often ask me why I “need to look” for queer or gender bending characters/relationships in pop culture, literature, etc., or why I assume so many characters/relationships in pop culture, literature, etc., are queer/gender bending. My first answer is usually- why do you assume heteronormativity/cisnormativity in the majority of characters/relationships in pop culture, literature etc.? Riddle me THAT, and then we can have a mini-workshop about the cis-hetero-patriarchy. My second answer is usually- because that homoerotic subtext is usually all I have to grasp onto, as a queer person, in terms of representation. We don’t have as much text as we should. BUT LOOK! DC is letting some of their characters out of the subtextual closet and queering up their pages! Huzzah for a more queer, binary smashing comic universe! (Or universes).

Adrienne at Native Appropriations takes on “the spirit hood”. I have to be honest, I was out of the loop on this one. Apparently it’s some kind of headgear with ears on it? And at first glance most people would think it’s a cute and harmless accessory. But holy crap. Here’s Adrienne’s deconstruction of the description of the “Navajo Wolf” spirit hood. (YEAH. IT’S REAL.)

Black Wolf-Navajo
Mysterious » Shapeshifter » Beauty

The black Wolf spirit has unmatched ferocity, cunning, stealth, confidence, and loyalty. They howl at the moon and are great communicators with a strong appreciation of music. This animal spirit feels at home within order and chaos. Often a teacher or dancer with keen senses, these warrior spirits will also defend their ground. The Black Wolf is in touch with lunar influences and the shadow within. This healer brings the magical spirit-medicine.

How many stereotypical “Indian” traits can we fit into a short paragraph? So apparently Navajos are described by the terms “mysterious, shapeshifter, beauty”–because we’re all like twilight and turn into wolves. Though, it’s an interesting reference to skinwalkers too (f you want to be scared s***less, have a Navajo tell you some of those stories. ::shudder::). Then we’ve got the “warrior spirit” and “brings the magical spirit-medicine”–basically every line of this description reads like a bad Indian fantasy novel. We’ve got the warrior stereotype, the connected with nature and the environment stereotype, the wise teacher stereotype, the mystical healer stereotype, the musical stereotype…on and on and on.

Okay, so, not everyone living in the “first world” can relate to this video, because of pesky things like capitalism, colonialism, etc. But I still found this pretty hilarious. Oh, privileged problems.

18 thoughts on links for 21-7-2011

  1. About the “spirit hood” stuff: I am not sure they are even trying to reference Native American culture. Ok, so they have the “Black Wolf – Navajo”, but it just appears to be a new design of their old “Black Wolf” (they are even using the same text).

    Still very weird. These are faux fur constructs that are supposed to give an “un-definable” experience. I have my doubts…

  2. matlun:
    About the “spirit hood” stuff: I am not sure they are even trying to reference Native American culture.

    They definitely are, on purpose. Check out the link.

  3. Thanks for posting the INCITE! article. Just this morning I saw this awful Facebook status in my news feed again:

    Florida is the first State that will require drug testing when applying for welfare (effective July 1st)! Some people are crying this is unconstitutional. How is this unconstitutional? It’s OK to drug test the people who work for their money but not those who don’t? Re-post if you want all states to follow…

    I’m so, so tired of this attitude towards those in poverty. Have people always hated welfare recipients this much?

  4. Brandy: They definitely are, on purpose. Check out the link.

    Yes. I did check http://spirithoods.com/ and also noted the quote on the linked analysis from the “Co-Founder of Spirit Hoods”.

    If anything we are inspired by native culture and their respect for the land and it’s animals, but not just Native American’s, native’s all over the world.
    The animal headdress is seen in many cultures, Alaskan natives, American natives, South American natives, African natives etc. The Spirit of the animal and our connection to it is seen in cultures all over the world and we believe it is innate within us. Hence the importance of Product Blue and why we give back to non-profits that help in the rehabilitation of these animals.

    I read this more as a “New Age”-ish home made spiritualism not directly trying to claim to be Native American.

    They claim to be “inspired” by Native Americans (among others), but as far as I know they made up the symbolical meaning of the different animals on their own. But I am not an expert and may be mistaken.

  5. I may have misunderstood the complaint, though. I read a bit more on http://nativeappropriations.blogspot.com and noticed that the blog focuses a lot on misappropriations (as opposed to misrepresentations) of Native American cultural heritage.
    That would certainly be a fair line of criticism in this case.

  6. It’s OK to drug test the people who work for their money but not those who don’t?

    Simple. A job is voluntary, it’s not owed to you. Plus, with most jobs it affects your performance of the duty to be under the influence. On the contrary, welfare is a right enshrined by law, or at the very least an entitlement. That’s the whole point of welfare: the requirements to receive welfare are less than the requirements for getting the vast majority of jobs. You aren’t expected to perform complicated tasks in return.

  7. Just wanted to throw out a WOOHOO!! re: the scanners. Those fuckers are the reason I started xanax whenever flying. Hopefully I won’t need to take it anymore.

  8. Pingback: “Playing Indian” « WIT

  9. Tony: Simple. A job is voluntary, it’s not owed to you. Plus, with most jobs it affects your performance of the duty to be under the influence. On the contrary, welfare is a right enshrined by law, or at the very least an entitlement. That’s the whole point of welfare: the requirements to receive welfare are less than the requirements for getting the vast majority of jobs. You aren’t expected to perform complicated tasks in return.

    If you’re not a pilot or a brain surgeon, I don’t think it should be “OK” to drug test workers either. If I appear to be impaired at work, then by all means it should be addressed. But my boss has no right to know what I’m doing with my body on my time off.

  10. @6 or in general.

    I’m not so sure i would call “a job”, which i assume your referring to as jobs in general, as voluntary. I don’t want to play with semantics, but I think it is necessary to evaluate how the meaning of “voluntary” actually manifests in the daily lives of people living under capitalism and other economic/social systems.

    In our economic system, people have to pay for shelter, for food, for water, for health care, for education, etc. Plus the privatization of public spaces means that more than ever, the right to simply exist is being limited.

    Obviously your quality of life is tied to your ability to pay for those said necessities. Your access to good jobs are deeply tied to your position within a class system which privileges a great handful at the expense of an even greater handful. Also consider that capitol is highly mobile whereas labor is fairly stationary, leaving workers tied to the jobs that exist within their vicinity.

    Someone flipping burgers or slitting throats in the slaughter house would probably prefer another job, but they have to work what is available in order to survive. Plus most workers, especially those without unions, don’t have a say in conditions, pay, or in wording the contract of the place they work. For many low-skilled, underprivileged or simply working class Americans, jobs are voluntary only to the extent that they are “free” to quit and be impoverished or become dependents upon the state. Thats not much of a choice.

  11. haley,

    I should have been more clear. I actually meant voluntary from the standpoint of the employer.

    Siobhan,

    I’m inclined to agree. Unnecessarily intrusive employer tests don’t seem ok.

  12. As a DC fan generally and a Batwoman fan specifically, I kinda hate how the brass are handling the relaunch re LGBTQ characters. Kate Kane and Renee Montoya have both been out of the closet for about five years. Apollo and Midnighter are, all things considered, the franchise’s most faithful couple. Didio is trotting them out like they’re shiny and new and a great example of the “new directions” the comics are going, but the fact is that Voodoo is the only NEW LGBTQ character so far (having never been previously written as gay or bi to my knowledge). Batwoman’s book was supposed to have launched last October; I suppose I should be glad that she’s finally getting her title THIS fall. And Renee as the Question has yet to be confirmed–The Advocate’s reporting indicates that she is, but Didio hasn’t said anything concrete about it.

    …climbing off my box now. But I really love these characters and I’d love to see more new queer heroes and villains, and DC just ain’t providing.

  13. Marvel did lesbian characters years ago, if I recall correctly. Mystique had a lover named Destiny. Chris Claremont wanted them to be lovers but the comic code prohibited portrayals of gay and lesbian characters but apparently years later storylines confirmed they were lovers.

  14. Tony: Simple. A job is voluntary, it’s not owed to you. Plus, with most jobs it affects your performance of the duty to be under the influence. On the contrary, welfare is a right enshrined by law, or at the very least an entitlement. That’s the whole point of welfare: the requirements to receive welfare are less than the requirements for getting the vast majority of jobs. You aren’t expected to perform complicated tasks in return.

    I’m not sure where you live but in Colorado Case Workers for TANF are taught that cash benifits are not an entitlement program. If a person “wants” benifits (i.e. wants to survive) then they need to take part in a work program. There are different kinds of work programs: looking for a job, volunteering, going to school for GED, going to counseling for d.v. issues, etc, but they all need to completed on a time sheet much like a regular job. If the recipiant of TANF does not comply they will be sanctioned until their TANF is denied at which point they’ll have to apply again. Food Assistance and Medicade are entitlement programs, though; but, that’s not what the Florida bill addresses from my understanding.

    My thing is why is everyone so happy about this bill? Like Brandy said, *do* people really hate TANF recipiants this much? Why do they care? Furthermore, do people really think people on TANF can afford a drug habbit and shelter and utilities? It’s ridiculous. Why don’t people care about reducing poverty IN GENERAL??! It’s enraging.

  15. Rachel,

    That’s true, I knew that TANF recipients were required to go through some sort of program since the 1996 welfare reform. But it’s still an entitlement in the sense that it gets those people more than they would get otherwise for the same amount of “effort.” Welfare reform reformed welfare, but didn’t kill it. And that’s what makes welfare, welfare. If it didn’t give out more than it required, then no one would participate in it. Which is why giving out more than it requires of participants is the whole point.

    The drug test laws seem vindictive, narrow minded and unlikely to solve much. But, there is an alternative model of intruding into the lives of welfare recipients– the controversial Hartz IV model in Germany. This consists of severely restricting aid (including unemployment benefits) based on personal need, plus setting up a government bureaucracy to match recipients with jobs, after which you must accept any job matched by the agency to continue to receive benefits. This includes jobs that pay below livable wage and jobs in distant geographical areas. For those jobs that pay below livable wage, workers continue to receive unemployment benefits while technically counting as employed. It sounds like a nightmare law, but it’s far more insidious because when liberals celebrate the economic successes of Germany, many times they don’t realize that it’s Hartz IV that has allowed Germany to bring down its unemployment rate so much and maintain is economic strength in the downturn. And Germany is now exporting its Hartz IV model to the rest of Europe via the euro, forcing down labor protections and wages across the continent.

  16. They claim to be “inspired” by Native Americans (among others), but as far as I know they made up the symbolical meaning of the different animals on their own. But I am not an expert and may be mistaken.

    They totally made up the Navajo Wolf stuff, in a really disgusting way. The Navajo Wolf, or “skinwalker,” is a witch that has the power to change into animal form in order to do black magic, like perverted versions of rituals, done to hurt instead of cure, or killing people with a powder made from the bodies of the dead (people who follow the Navajo Way cannot touch the dead; for instance, Navajo EMTs will wear 2 pairs of gloves so they don’t even have to touch the gloves that touched a dead body). They gained this power by breaking taboos, like committing incest.
    From the ad:
    The animal headdress is seen in many cultures, Alaskan natives, American natives, South American natives, African natives etc. The Spirit of the animal and our connection to it is seen in cultures all over the world and we believe it is innate within us.
    Innate my ass. The skinwalker is a disgusting, malevolent figure, and to use its name for a cute line of headgear that purports to tap into the superior “spirituality” of the people who invented the concept is the lowest form of cultural appropriation.

  17. matlun: Yes. I did check http://spirithoods.com/ and also noted the quote on the linked analysis from the “Co-Founder of Spirit Hoods”.

    I read this more as a “New Age”-ish home made spiritualism not directly trying to claim to be Native American.

    They claim to be “inspired” by Native Americans (among others), but as far as I know they made up the symbolical meaning of the different animals on their own. But I am not an expert and may be mistaken.

    So, I’m not Indigenous, and will be replying as an ally, but I’m standing firm behind Adrienne’s analysis over at Native Appropriations. This is a clear case of the fetishization and branding of a homogenized idea of what it means to be Indigenous (because apparently the company is “inspired” by “natives” from all over the world). The fact is Indigenous communities on Turtle Island alone (aka colonized and occupied north america) are incredibly diverse, have different relationships to the land and the animals living on it, especially considering the fact that Indigenous peoples once had this entire continent to themselves. Peoples historically from the coast would and still have totally different relationships to the land than peoples living in the plains for instance. And then there are the experiences of Indigenous Australians, Inuit peoples, Mayans, Aztecs… this company is even drawing Africa into the mix and to think of Africa as a singularity is a whole other problematic kettle of fish that the west does CONSTANTLY. Anyway, this whole thing stinks of massive over-generalization to me.

  18. Are SpiritHoods bad? They help people who believe in them. They give money to protect wildlife? What are doing to really help anyone?

    Elizabeth Johnson December 30, 2010 at 9:09pm Report
    Oh my gosh! What an honor,k seriously, to Fb meet you! I am in love with my Spirithood. I am speechless you would like to know more about me. I am pretty much an open book so I would be more than happy to tell you anything. But, I will give you a run down.

    I grew up on an Indian Reservation in Montana, so Native American culture is very important to me. I have always been a mega nerdy, overachiever. My luck sort of changed when I got out of high school, I moved away from the reservation and married a man who was very abusive and almost killed me. But I survived, moved back onto the reservation, finished college and tried to put my life back together.

    My health had started seriously declining the past two years. I have had 19 surgeries, many abdominal, three on my brain, for various problems. There were days when I felt like I was going to die and several times I almost have. But I have tried to keep a positive attitude and always reach out to help people in need. I always try to spend time with sick children, help shelter animals, donate to good causes, I know there are people a lot worse off than me.

    I was at a doctor appointment on a particularly bad day when I ran into an elderly Native American gentleman. He looked at me, took my hand, and sat, “Don’t worry child, you will survive. You have the spirit of the wolf inside.” Even since then I have been trying to do what I can from home to help with wolf conservation. I feel such a connection to them.

    When I first heard about Spirithoods from Jen Friel, I fell in love with the wolf! I had to have it! After surgeries, wearing my bit of love and connection to my spirit animal really gives me strength to fight. I think you guys are an amazing company that connects people from all over and from all walks of life. So incredible. What a gift to share.

    I currently am the proud owner of the red wolf Spirithood. Which I basically live in! I would truly be honored if you guys would like to gift me any of the other wolf hoods.

    If there is anything else you would like to know, please just ask, and thank you so much for connecting. ♥

    SpiritHoods December 30, 2010 at 10:23pm
    Elizabeth you are amazing! Your attitude, strength , and courage is beautiful. SpiritHoods can learn from you. We evolved from the basic principal of forming a “Tribe” and spreading something that we didn’t fully understand but knew was positive. Hearing your story and how you are connected and inspired by the animal spirit gives us even more clarity in our vision. The symbol that you represent is the essence of what we believe in and what we want to share with other humans and animals. You are a warrior….a peaceful warrior. All of us would love to continue to hear you thoughts and support you in anyway possible.

    Elizabeth Johnson December 30, 2010 at 10:28pm Report
    Thank you so very much! That means so much to me. I really think you guys have an amazing vision. I am happy for you to share whatever you would like to. And I would be happy to share whatever you would like me to in the future.
    Elizabeth Johnson

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