infohunter: thecsph: “You’re so pretty for a dark skinned girl!”“Stop calling yourself fat, because you’re not - you’re beautiful!”“You have incredible boobs for an Asian girl!”“You can’t even tell that you’re trans*, you’re so gorgeous!” Thanks for trying to be nice, people, but this isn’t the way to do it. People aren’t attractive in spite of these qualities…nor is it helpful to imply that they’re beautiful because they are so different from the normal stereotypes we associate with POC/trans* people/fat people. All that does is reinforce beliefs that the default state for dark skin, fatness, or being trans* is somehow physically and noticeably inferior. In short: Good effort, and you might really mean well - but we’d rather you not have said anything at all. No, I don’t think its better if you have not said anything at all. Often times a person is beautiful because of their unique characteristics. The beautiful bronze glow a dark brown skinned black woman has in her skin. The way kinky curls feel in your fingers. The soft sensuousness of a fat girls thighs on your shoulders. Kissing your lover with her glasses on. Kissing all the dimples on her heart shaped booty. I don’t care what thecsph says. I’m going to continue to give credit where credit is due and accept compliments from those who appreciate my beautiful, black, kinky haired, fat, gay self. I think we’re actually on the same page here. We are all about appreciating, complimenting, and valuing unique features - we don’t think that we should just ignore those characteristics and features in order to be accepting. People look different and we’re not about ignoring that or pretending specific skin colors/sexual expressions/body shapes/races don’t exist when we form compliments. We just argue against people using backhanded compliments with sting in their implications, along the phrasing of “You’re pretty FOR a dark skinned girl” rather than “You’re a pretty dark skinned girl”, or “You have pretty dark skin, etc.” Those last two, as well as all the other beautiful things you mentioned in your post, are joyful compliments that we’d love to see in the world - while the first statement implies that it’s out of the ordinary to find dark skin so attractive. We feel uncomfortable about people saying that “You know, dark skinned girls aren’t usually so cute, but you, the exception to that rule, are gorgeous.”  Your beautiful, black, kinky haired, fat, gay self is beautiful for all of those things, not in spite of those qualities :)

infohunter:

thecsph:

“You’re so pretty for a dark skinned girl!”
“Stop calling yourself fat, because you’re not - you’re beautiful!”
“You have incredible boobs for an Asian girl!”
“You can’t even tell that you’re trans*, you’re so gorgeous!”

Thanks for trying to be nice, people, but this isn’t the way to do it.

People aren’t attractive in spite of these qualities…nor is it helpful to imply that they’re beautiful because they are so different from the normal stereotypes we associate with POC/trans* people/fat people. All that does is reinforce beliefs that the default state for dark skin, fatness, or being trans* is somehow physically and noticeably inferior.

In short: Good effort, and you might really mean well - but we’d rather you not have said anything at all.

No, I don’t think its better if you have not said anything at all. Often times a person is beautiful because of their unique characteristics. The beautiful bronze glow a dark brown skinned black woman has in her skin. The way kinky curls feel in your fingers. The soft sensuousness of a fat girls thighs on your shoulders. Kissing your lover with her glasses on. Kissing all the dimples on her heart shaped booty. I don’t care what thecsph says. I’m going to continue to give credit where credit is due and accept compliments from those who appreciate my beautiful, black, kinky haired, fat, gay self.

I think we’re actually on the same page here. We are all about appreciating, complimenting, and valuing unique features - we don’t think that we should just ignore those characteristics and features in order to be accepting. People look different and we’re not about ignoring that or pretending specific skin colors/sexual expressions/body shapes/races don’t exist when we form compliments. We just argue against people using backhanded compliments with sting in their implications, along the phrasing of “You’re pretty FOR a dark skinned girl” rather than “You’re a pretty dark skinned girl”, or “You have pretty dark skin, etc.” Those last two, as well as all the other beautiful things you mentioned in your post, are joyful compliments that we’d love to see in the world - while the first statement implies that it’s out of the ordinary to find dark skin so attractive. We feel uncomfortable about people saying that “You know, dark skinned girls aren’t usually so cute, but you, the exception to that rule, are gorgeous.” 

Your beautiful, black, kinky haired, fat, gay self is beautiful for all of those things, not in spite of those qualities :)

shahzadgai: My friend Emmad and i did a series of photos for my burqalesque routine’s promos. This is one of the shots. The whole set is about reclaiming the muslim female sexual identity. So often are muslim women shown in a non sexual, oppressed manner when portrayed in a burqa. Sexual liberation doesnt have to mean putting your sexuality on obvious display, sometimes just little gestures make something erotic.  This is one in fifty pictures we have taken together. I am hoping to get a grant and run a gallery exhibition about the new muslim identity/the female muslim identity (emphasis ours) Absolutely stunning. It’s not up to any one culture to dictate what sexuality/sexual liberation looks like for everyone.  High-res

shahzadgai:

My friend Emmad and i did a series of photos for my burqalesque routine’s promos. This is one of the shots. The whole set is about reclaiming the muslim female sexual identity. So often are muslim women shown in a non sexual, oppressed manner when portrayed in a burqa. Sexual liberation doesnt have to mean putting your sexuality on obvious display, sometimes just little gestures make something erotic. 

This is one in fifty pictures we have taken together. I am hoping to get a grant and run a gallery exhibition about the new muslim identity/the female muslim identity

(emphasis ours) Absolutely stunning.

It’s not up to any one culture to dictate what sexuality/sexual liberation looks like for everyone. 

(via butwewereokay)

“AIN’T I A WOMAN: RACE, FEMINISM AND SOCIAL MEDIA” CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Morgane Richardson,
Professional Feminist, Founder of Refuse the Silence and Ain’t I a Woman Events

and 

Jessie Daniels,
Associate Professor, CUNY – Hunter College and the Graduate Center

Overview

We are currently seeking essays on the importance of social media for, by and about women of color within the feminist movement.  In 2011, feminists gathered in New York and Los Angeles at Ain’t I A Woman (AIAW) events to discuss race, feminism and social media.  The discussions started at those events have continued through a wide range of outlets, both online and offline, challenging conventional notions about feminist activism, women of color and technology. The AIAW events made it apparent that social media has opened up new possibilities for connecting feminist activists across racial lines while at the same time perennial struggles around racism, class privilege and sexuality continue to undermine those alliances.

While there are books about young feminists (e.g., Full Frontal Feminism, Valenti, 2007) and about young feminists of color (e.g., Colonize This! Hernandez and Rehman, 2002), to date, there are no books that explore the experiences of young feminists of color using social media to engage in feminist activism.  Ain’t I A Woman: Race, Feminism and Social Media will be the first volume to focus attention on the innovative resistance by women of color in feminist political struggle through social media.

Panelists from the AIAW events are strongly encouraged to submit to the volume, but submission is open to anyone engaged in social media around issues of race and feminism.  Ain’t I A Woman is intended to include a range of perspectives by and about women of color, race, feminism and social media. We are interested in contributions on a broad range of topics related to race, feminism and social media, including but not limited to the following:

  • Activism, Online Grassroots & Community Organizing
  • Race, Feminism & Pop Culture
  • Health and Reproductive Rights
  • Race and Racism in the Blogosphere
  • Sexuality & LGBTQ Issues
  • Higher Education and Social Access

The Details

Length:  2,000-3,000 words (10-12 pages, double-spaced, 12pt. Font).

Style:      Thoughtful, engaging, critical, and accessible

Format:  Please submit electronically as .doc, .docx, or RTF files.

Relevant dates:

  • Abstracts (300-500 words) due: September 15, 2011
  • Decisions & Requests for full drafts: September 30, 2011
  • Initial drafts due:  November 15, 2011
  • Editors reviews: January 15, 2012
  • Final drafts due:  February 15, 2012

Contributions and queries should be sent to:

Morgane Richardson

Founder, Ain’t I a Woman Events
Founder, Refuse The Silence
Email: Morgane.richardson@gmail.com