In defense of the sanctimonious women's studies set || First feminist blog on the internet

Tag: Events

Bon Voyage, Bush!

Planned Parenthood of New York City is throwing a great inauguration bash in New York. I will sadly not be there because I’m heading down with the hordes to DC on Saturday for the inauguration (anyone have an extra ticket?), but it sounds like a great event, so spread the word. Plus there will be buses from the event down to Washington, so it’s the best of all worlds:

New York (NY): On the eve of the biggest political event in at least eight years, Planned Parenthood of New York City will be hosting a cruise-themed Bon Voyage Bush party. With comedian Jeff Hiller MCing and set around Galapagos’s large pond, the event will feature politically-themed cruise games such as shuffleboard and lame ‘rubber duckie” races, as well as drink specials, comedians, musicians, DJs and hundreds of young activists. After the party, buses will be leaving at 1am to ferry partygoers down to DC for the inauguration.

WHO: Jeff Hiller (UCB, Ghost Town, 30 Rock, MTV) as the MC
Other Comedians, Musicians, DJs and Live Performers
Young Progressive New Yorkers
Planned Parenthood of New York City

WHAT: Bon Voyage to Bush Party, including
Shuffleboard competition
Rubber Ducky Races through Galapagos’s pond
Drink Specials
Live Performances
1AM Buses down to DC for the inauguration

WHEN: Monday, Jan 19, 2009
7:00PM

WHERE: Galapagos Art Space
16 Main Street at the Water
Dumbo, Brooklyn

WHY: Because after eight years of the Bush administration, isn’t it about time we celebrated?

Cruisewear is encouraged.

Tonight and Wednesday: Yes Means Yes in NYC

Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and A World Without Rape is on tour, and will be in New York tonight and Wednesday. I’ll be at both readings, and would love to see some of you there. The details:

Yes Means Yes reading
TONIGHT, Monday January 12th, 7pm
Bluestockings
172 Allen Street between Stanton and Rivington
At this event you’ll hear from and get to talk with Yes Means Yes editors Jaclyn Friedman and Jessica Valenti, plus contributors Anastasia Higginbotham and Jill Filipovic.

Yes Means Yes Launch Party
Wednesday, January 14th, 7pm
KGB Bar
85 East 4th Street (between 2nd and Bowery)
At this event you’ll hear from and get to talk with Yes Means Yes editors Jaclyn Friedman and Jessica Valenti, plus contributors Jill Filipovic, Brad Perry, Rachel Kramer Bussel, Anastasia Higginbotham & Thomas Millar.

Hope you can make it! And if you’re a Feministe fan, please come say hi.

WAM! 2009 Registration Now Open

Registration for the 2009 WAM! conference is now open.

WAM! stands for “Women, Action & the Media” and is a huge event in the feminist blogging/media community every year.  I’m thrilled to say that this will be my first year attending, and even happier to say that I will be presenting (in a session about rape culture and the media, with Marcella Chester, Ashley Burczak and Ashwini Hardikar)! Feministe is a proud sponsor of the event, and our own Jack will also be presenting in a different session. Looking over the list of absolutely amazing presenters and sessions, I’m already excited and think it’s going to be an all-around wonderful experience.

From the site:

If you care about amplifying progressive women’s voices in the media, WAM! is for you, whether you’re a media producer or a PR strategist, a journalist, an activist, an academic, a community organizer, a feminist, a funder or philanthropist, a “citizen” media watchdog, a media policy advocate, an alternative-network-builder, a blogger, writer, teacher, artist, technology trainer, cartoonist, deejay, or anything else!

The goal of WAM! is to bring together everyone who has a stake in achieving gender justice in media, in order to share facts and ideas, develop skills, build collaborations, bridge differences and create action plans. We’re bringing together more than 600 participants to exchange observations, ideas, experiences, opinions, and tools for change—and plan together for action.

In my attempt to convince you to attend, I have only two more words: Sarah Haskins.

The conference runs from March 27-March 29 in Cambridge, MA.  The schedule information is here. Registration is $145, or $45 for students and $80 for seniors; scholarships are also available.  Register ASAP, because the fees increase on February 14.

I hope to see a lot of you there!

[Note: For those who don’t know, I’m seeking financial assistance to help with my travel to WAM!  The registration fee is comped for presenters, but I still have to pay for travel, a hotel, and food.  I may seek financial assistance from WAM! directly if necessary, but would prefer that that funding goes to those who don’t have amazing resources like Feministe at their begging disposal.  For more info and to donate, check out this post.]

Fem2.0!

Feministe is co-sponsoring the Fem2.0 conference in Washington D.C. this February, and I hope some of you will consider coming. The purpose of the Fem2.0 conference is to bring together leaders of feminist organizations with feminists who have built communities and politicked online, so that we can pool resources, discuss goals, and create stronger connections between the issues women actually face and the policy goals that feminists espouse. The conference goals are:

To harness the power of women on the Internet to promote women’s issues.

To create a forum – starting with the Fem2.0 website and continuing through the event – for women to discuss the issues that are of most concern to them today, and to encourage them to use the Internet to learn more, express their opinions about them and advocate for policies that benefit women and families.

To create an opportunity for a “meeting of minds” across generations and media platforms.

To unite women’s voices behind the issues that the vast majority of women support, such as education, healthcare, workplace fairness and economic security.

To position women’s issues and their advocates for the incoming administration.

To draw new audiences to women’s issues, especially those who are Internet-focused and can cross-pollinate to increase activism.

Expand the audience of women engaged in online media activity and activism.

And some amazing feminist activists are going to be there, from big-org leaders like Kim Gandy and Eleanor Smeal to inspiring bloggers and writings like Maegan Maegan “la Mala” Ortiz and Carol Jenkins.

Register here.

ROCKRGRL Presents “I Will Survive: Making a Living in the Music Business”

There is so much to love about this. ROCKRGRL Magazine – this already makes me want to woo, and I’m not a big wooer – is hosting a day-long symposium, “I Will Survive: Making a Living in the Music Business,” on December 6 at the Institute for Musical Arts in Goshen, MA. If my career as an internationally known, wildly successful hip hop star (“Short Stack”) wasn’t, you know, all in my head, I’d be there in a heartbeat.

From the release:

ROCKRGRL Day’s Keynote Speaker is the legendary Robin Lane, recording artist and iconic fixture in the Northeast’s music scene of the early ‘80s. As the charismatic voice behind Robin Lane and the Chartbusters, she released three albums on Warner Brothers and her video for the hit song, “When Things Go Wrong” was the 11th video ever played by MTV on its first day of broadcast on August 1, 1980. Robin was dropped from her label when she decided to have a child. Today, she lends her talents to A Woman’s Voice, a songwriting program she created and facilitates for trauma survivors in prisons, women’s centers, senior centers and at-risk youth programs. A documentary about her life is currently in the works.

Robin Lane will be interviewed by ROCKRGRL Magazine founder Carla DeSantis, an advocate for women in music.

The all day symposium will continue with three panels:

  • Yesterday: Are the Glory Days of the Music Industry Behind Us?
  • Today: How To Make a Living In Tough Economic Times
  • Tomorrow: What Will a Career in Music Look Like in the Future?

Click here for more information and tickets.

There’s a new girl in town with a brand new style

For the past few years I’ve been working in the press shops of DC national non-profits, getting after the likes of Jill, Lauren, et.al to come on, post on my issue, post on my issue, POST ON MY ISSUE, please? These days most of the advocacy groups have a me, someone who does the blog outreach. We’re a needling bunch, but what are you gonna do.

So, maybe you could call it karma, or penance, that I’m joining the Feministe team, serving as the “organizational liaison.” I’ll be lending a hand with all the asks from the groups, posting on events, new campaigns, that sort of thing.

But enough about me (for now). Time is tight, let’s get started!

I don’t need to tell you how important these last few days before the election are. I’ve worked some campaigns, national and statewide, and I can tell you, the weekend before Election Day is madness. It is pure adrenaline, passion, commitment, caffeine, sugar and pizza. Anything you can do to get involved helps. Give a couple bucks if you can. Make some phone calls, knock on some doors, hand out some literature. Anything.

I really have just a few things to kick off with, but I’ll post more as I get it. Also, you can always reach out to local campaign offices, the Obama campaign or the DNC for ways to get involved in your community.

NARAL Pro-Choice New York and Planned Parenthood of New York City Action Fund are both canvassing and phone banking throughout the state, now through Election Day.

Birth Control Watch posted an audio news conference yesterday on their No on 48 campaign – this is the state amendment that would define the term person to include a fertilized egg in the Colorado state constitution. Click here to get involved if you live in Colorado, but anybody can donate money to stop this dangerous measure.

NARAL Pro-Choice America has this “TXT Out the Vote” tool where they’ll text your friends and family to remind them to get out and vote. I can’t imagine anyone forgetting Tuesday is Election Day, but your mileage may vary.

Medical Students for Choice is looking for med students and residents to help with their statewide campaigns against the South Dakota abortion ban, Prop 4 in California, and Prop 48 in Colorado.

If you know of more, post them in the comments!