Femtastic!

CLPP

2011-03-29T16:28:00.001-04:00

Contact: Lani Blechman

Civil Liberties and Public Policy, Hampshire College

413-559-6834, lblechman AT hampshire.edu

Reproductive Justice Conference Celebrates 30^thAnniversary

With activists around the country focused on recent attacks on reproductive rights, more than 1,000 community activists, students and national and international leaders will gather next month to build new strategies for reproductive justice and social change.

From Abortion Rights to Social Justice: Building the Movement for Reproductive Freedom, to be held April 8-10, is sponsored by the Civil Liberties and Public Policy (http://clpp.hampshire.edu) and Population and Development (http://popdev.hampshire.edu) programs. The conference is held at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts.

The 30^th anniversary conference reflects the significant growth of CLPP and PopDev over the past three decades. The conference will be nearly 30 times bigger than the first, with more than 60 sponsors and a diverse, inclusive range of speakers and activists from different generations, the U.S. and abroad. “There’s so much energy and vibration on the campus,” says Leticia Contreras who is a 2011 student conference coordinator. “With activists, artists and social justice participants of all forms of the spectrum—people who really want to change the world in so many different ways. You feel this energy instantaneously.”

In the face of an emboldened right-wing assault on abortion and reproductive rights, the conference focuses on broadening the fight for reproductive rights and the health of our families by drawing connections between many social justice issues. “Although the Right has been encouraged by legislative gains, we have always been bold,” said CLPP Director, Mia Kim Sullivan. “And our movement is now so deep and strong, we have a new capacity to meet these political and cultural battles, on our own terms.”

Over 180 speakers and 70 conference workshops will highlight successful examples of activism and how struggles for reproductive and sexual rights are intricately linked to movements for economic, social and environmental justice and peace. Topics of workshops and strategic action sessions include abortion access in the U.S. and internationally, alternatives to the prison industrial complex, climate justice, the recent democratic uprisings in the Middle East, resilient community food systems, disability justice and reproductive justice, and organizing in state, campus and spiritual communities.

“We have over a thousand activists from all over the country here, and also international activists,” said PopDev Director Betsy Hartmann. “It’s a space for creative political thinking, for thinking about the future of our movements, for crossing movements, for bridging differences and exploring those differences in a safe space. It’s also a place where people can speak out about their experiences with abortion and feel safe about it.”

The three-day conference kicks off Friday afternoon, April 8^th, at Franklin Patterson Hall, Hampshire College. For a full list of conference speakers and workshops, please visithttp://clpp.hampshire.edu/projects/conference/2011/overview. Friday workshops will run from 4 to 6 p.m., and will be followed by Breaking Silences: An Abortion Speak-Out. Workshops continue on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6:45 p.m. and on Sunday from 9 a.m. to noon.

To mark the 30^th anniversary and launch our fourth decade of activism, the conference includes a celebration ofcollective leadership and strength, honoring CLPP and PopDev founders and supporters, on Saturday, April 9, at 7p.m.

The conference closes on Sunday, with a plenary session around the theme of revolution, re-building community, re-imagining national priorities, and "waging peace” in cross-movement organizing. Speakers include local, national and international activists, among them Anders Wyatt Zanichowsky, a Hampshire alum who has been organizing with Genderqueer Madison and on the frontlines of labor rights in Wisconsin; Loretta Ross, the national coordinator of SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective; and Sylvia "Guy" Claudio Estrada, co-founder of Likhaan, which advocates for women's health issues in the Philippines.

The activism that CLPP and PopDev has fostered over the last 30 years—and will continue to inspire into the future—reverberates in different movements in the U.S. and all over the globe. On April 8-10, celebrate this collective work, find new ways for collaboration, and be part of building the movement for reproductive freedom.

Student conference co-coordinators are available for interviews: contact Leticia Contreras or Emily Ryan at 413-559-6834 or clpp AT hampshire.edu. Conference speakers are also available for interviews upon request. International speakers include reproductive and sexual rights advocates working in the Czech Republic, India, Kenya, the Netherlands and the Philippines.

Planned Parenthood

2011-03-29T10:40:00.000-04:00

In late February a bill was presented which would eliminate all federal funding going to the organization known as Planned Parenthood. Planned Parenthood has been supplying citizens with reproductive health services for nearly 100 years. Free contraceptives, pap smears, breast exams, counseling, and birth control only represent a fraction of things which Planned Parenthood has to offer. This bill will eliminate each one of these programs throwing the millions of Americans without even further under the bus.

Eliminating all funding to Planned Parenthood is a farce, although people will have you believe that it’s an economic decision. This is nothing but an attack on a women’s right to an abortion. During this now lengthy debate of the funding, many people have quoted that they do not want their tax dollars to be put towards funding abortions. Fun fact, the Hyde Amendment, which was passed 3 years after Roe V Wade eliminated federally funded money to go to abortion unless in a case of rape or incest. Currently 0.001% of a penny per person goes to fund abortion each year.

The rest of the money given to the organization goes to something that is completely necessary; sex is something that every person, organism in existence can relate to. We came from sex, eventually we will have sexual urges, and the one organization that is there to help us when we have questions, concerns, health needs, problems is one that is expendable? Last year we spent billions of dollars bailing out banks, and insurances agencies, planned parenthood is falling it does not need more money, we need planned parenthood.

StandUp For Planned Parenthood

2011-03-17T10:55:00.002-04:00

Military Funeral Protest Ruled Constitutional

2011-03-03T21:53:00.000-05:00

On Wednesday February 23 the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Anti-Homosexual protests taking place at military funerals. The court voted 8-1, in support of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, Kansas. The Westboro Church is known for their belief that the deaths in Iraq and Afghanistan are God's punishment for America's view on homosexuality. Rev. Fred Phelps and some member of his family and congregation picketed the funeral of Albert Snyder's son,who died in the Iraq war. They carried signs which proclaimed "Thank God for dead soldiers" "God hates the USA" "Thank God for 9/11".
The Supreme Court upheld a previous verdict by the court of appeals which ruled against the Snyder family revoking a 5 million dollar settlement from a previous court case. Chief Justice Roberts wrote the majority opinion stating that ruling against the church would be ruling against our 1st amendment rights. MSNBC quoted Roberts saying "Speech is powerful. It can stir people to action, move them to tears of both joy and sorrow, and — as it did here — inflict great pain. On the facts before us, we cannot react to that pain by punishing the speaker,". Justice Alito wrote the descending opinion stating "Our profound national commitment to free and open debate is not a license for the vicious verbal assault that occurred in this case,". 48 states and 42 U.S. senators sided with Alito and the Snyder family. Margie Phelps, daughter of the Reverend and lawyer who argued the case had this to say about the courts decision and the public outcry "The wrath of God is pouring onto this land. Rather than trying to shut us up, use your platforms to tell this nation to mourn for your sins."

Redefining Rape (Click here to sign petition)

2011-02-02T21:09:00.001-05:00

Ever since Roe vs Wade legalized abortion, the fight against it has been strong, and in a lot of attempts successful. The Hyde Amendment which prohibited federal funding for abortion, unless it fit certain criteria established in the bill. The Hyde Amendment has fluctuated in severity over the years. This year, a new bill has been proposed by the GOP which will limit the rights of women once again. This new bill proposes a new definition of rape, it states that only women who have been "forcibly raped" will receive federal funding for their abortion. It's very difficult and disturbing to pin point what counts as "forcible rape", because it is my understanding that the meaning of rape according to Merriam Webster is "to seize and take away by force" . There is that word "force" right in the definition, how dare any one try to redefine the word when it comes to a right given to every women by her government. Every women, seeking an abortion after being rape now has fight for her right to choose, she has to prove that her right to choose her sexual partner was taken away from her, in order for her to have her right to choose which was given to her by Roe Vs. Wade. I urge everyone who not only supports abortion rights, but anyone who supports woman rights to sign the petition on moveon.org to stop this bill in its tracks. The passage of this bill, will not only limit abortion rights, but undermine the power of women, by saying putting a price on an event as tramatic as rape.

GirlUp Event

2011-01-15T15:05:00.001-05:00

While girls in the United States are more educated, socially connected, and empowered than ever before, many girls in developing countries still struggle for the opportunity to go to school, see a doctor, or be included in their communities.
Femtastic! wants to help change this reality. So we partnered with the United Nation's Girl Up Campaign (www.girlup.org), which works to provide needed education, healthcare, and protection from sexual violence to some of the world's hardest to reach adolescent girls. We are hosting a benefit concert on Feb 11, which will feature youth from Ithaca and Trumansburg who are donating their talents to raise funds and awareness for this cause. And by attending, donating 5 dollars, relaxing with your friends and listening to some good music, you can contribute as well.
Where will your 5 dollars go? To initiatives to combat child marriage, build schools, and operate health clinics in Malawi. To combat female genital mutilation in Ethiopia. To set up microloans in Guatemala to
help girls set up their own businesses.

We are honored to have Dr Muna Ndulo as our keynote speaker at the event. Dr. Ndulo has served in a number of United Nations peace-keeping missions and is currently the chairperson of Gender Links, a south African NGO that creates initiatives to improve the status of women in Zambia. He is currently a professor of law at Cornell. Read his bio here-http://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/faculty/bio.cfm?id=53

Performers:

Host- Alexi Bouvet-Boiclair

Musical-
Cody Aceto & Sophie Potter
Sarah Beckwith
Jacob Kotler
Maxine Fallon-Goodwin & Sierra Murray
James Eaglesham & Peter Pillardy
Corey Mahaney
Dorian Delfs
Daniela Bizzell & Cassie Engstrom
Jack Gallagher
Emily Behrmann-Fowler
Village @ Bay

Artwork-
Ruthie Grigorov
Chelsea Starkweather
Cassie Engstrom

2011-01-12T11:54:00.001-05:00

I thought this was a great video summarizing the challenges women in developing nations face and solutions that are easily feasible in our time.

Half the Sky, written by Sheryl WuDunn and Nick Kristof is a book highlighting the abuse and discrimination women in developing nations face. The book lays out an agenda for the world's women and three major abuses: sex trafficking and forced prostitution; gender-based violence including honor killings and mass rape; maternal mortality, which needlessly claims one woman a minute.

After the success of the book, the authors, WuDunn and Kristof started a HalftheSkyMovement in which outsiders can help in hopes of making a difference. On the site, they have a variety of resources and forums in which people of all generations can get involved.

http://www.halftheskymovement.org/

I found the authors to be truly inspirational because they are showing real struggle and mistreatment through this book. There is sexism in America and these must be dealt with. However, leaving here, we have a lot more privileges than most and sometimes, it is hard to image the lives of others who are facing something we can't possibility relate to. Through Half the Sky and the Half the Sky Movement, WuDunn and Kristof reminds us the importance of gender equity. Even from a purely utilitarian viewpoint, it doesn't make sense to not utilize 50% of our resources. Eradication of poverty, hunger, and a lack of education will exponentially speed up when equality among men and women exist throughout all regions.

zoloo brown

2011-01-11T21:35:00.000-05:00

"All I have to say about that is it’s every woman’s responsibility once a person cares about social justice, it becomes I believe a woman’s journey to be mindful of good talented women and open, hold hands with, and partner with as many women as you possibly can, because only by women expressing themselves, to themselves, in unison being received by a male & female audience for Talent is the only way I see a possibility of balance in western society as a worldwide example in Media within the Hollywood industry. It’s not about Latino, Black, White, Girl or Boy, I feel the industry is truly about Life, Love, The Pursuit of Happiness in an Art-form that imitates life itself." - Michelle Rodriguez

2011-01-09T00:51:00.002-05:00

"Yes. Yes I am. I am a feminist. I reject wholeheartedly the way we are taught to perceive women. The beauty of women, how a woman should act or behave. Women are strong and fragile. Women are beautiful and ugly. We are soft spoken and loud, all at once. There is something mind-controlling about the way we're taught to view women. My work, both visually and musically, is a rejection of all those things. And most importantly a quest. It's exciting because all avant-garde clothing and music and lyrics that at one time were considered shocking or unacceptable are now trendy. Perhaps we can make women's rights trendy. Strength, feminism, security, the wisdom of the woman. Let's make that trendy."

-Lady Gaga 

Becoming Active by Maxine

2011-01-02T14:35:00.003-05:00

The other day I was sitting at the table talking with my younger sister (age 14) and my little cousin (age 11). After recently aiding in the start of a feminist group at my high school I am often subject to random interrogations from my family about how my group remains active. When I began to explain my groups cause, both of my younger relatives turned to me, with the same disgruntled look on their face and asked a question that was surprisingly difficult to answer. "What is a feminism". I sat there, shocked, angry, and finally incredibly depressed. I have had the tenacity to call myself an active teenage feminist, yet two of the young women closest to me are completely unaware of our campaign.
This is when I realized that coming up with a quick and easy to understand definition of feminism is not that easy. Do I start with the history, explain the suffrage movement, and how much the feminist movement has evolved since then? Do I begin ranting on the under representation of women in politics? Or do I hit them where it hurts, and explain how pop music, " The Real Housewives of (enter major city her)" is actually hurting their gender. I believe, strongly, that to notify our youth of modern women issues, that we must some how find away to infiltrate the media outlet. Whether it be a public service announcement, or getting highly prominent figures in feminism on major news networks. There is so much that we can, and must do in order to actually do something. I do not mean to sound pessimistic about the feminist movement, but my main problem is how do we reach those who actually need our help. That is where we need to put all our energy, into those who, like my sister and cousin, do not even know what a feminist is. We do a lot to educate ourselves on feminist issues, that is the first step, but it is now time to take the second step and engage those who need it most. Send a letter to a major news network, plan an assembly at your school that everyone is required to attend, create a public service announcement and put it on the morning announcements, educate the people who really matter, not people who already call themselves feminist.

RE-BLOG The (Big-Breasted) Curse of Women in Video Games By Danielle B

2010-12-16T23:12:00.000-05:00

Video games. Sweet, succulent video games. Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day . . .?

Um, sorry about that.

Though my gaming experience hardly compares to my brother’s (who I swear was playing Zelda: A Link to the Past in the womb), I still consider myself a full-fledged gamer, and a darn good one at that.

But what does it mean to be a gamer and a girl? “Teenage boy” and “video game fanatic” are often synonymous, but the same can’t be said for someone like myself. In fact, in her article What Women Want, Aleah Tierney suggests that to be a girl and a gamer is to be “a stranger in a strange land . . . a male-created virtual space.”

Unfortunately, I don’t think Tierney is that far off. According to We need more women in games, an article by blogger Jacob Aron, women represent nearly 38% of all gamers, but only 11% of game developers. But when you think about it, is it really shocking that more women aren’t lining up to work at places like Nintendo, Capcom, and Konami (just to name a few)? Childhood I-want-to-be-a-ballerina fantasies aside (hey, don’t look at me!), women are taught to be practical. *Puts on sarcastic tone* Why risk doing something so math- and science-oriented like developing video games when we should be flexing our natural abilities as helpers and nurturers?

Video game developing just doesn’t appeal to most women (sadly enough), and that’s probably why a majority of the game universe has been molded around puke-inducing male fantasies of macho, gun-totting heroes and exotic, large-breasted women.

Though they make up only 49% of the US population, research shows that 85% of all video game characters are male – and that figure rises to 90% for characters that players can actually control. Excluding race as a factor (which is another issue entirely), male characters in video games are as diverse as ever. They can be bulky-as-heck, gaunt, or average-looking. They can be triumphant heroes, shady villains, or your Average Joe off the street. They can be hunky, intelligent, sleazy, or badass – it doesn’t really matter. There’s no end to the possibilities of what male characters can be.

Expectations for female video game characters, however, are much more constricted. They’re often forced to play the “helpless princess” role, giving a male lead the chance to flex his muscles and “save the day.” Female characters are also constantly portrayed as meek, shy, submissive, innocent, naïve – the list goes on and on. I’ve even noticed that 4 times out of 5, fantasy-game-women are given roles as healers or sorceresses rather than sword-wielding warriors. That’s not to say there’s anything wrong with having supernatural abilities (heck, I wouldn’t mind having a few myself), but it makes me think back to the whole “women are supposed to be helpers” theory.

Helpers. Sidekicks. Servants?

Now, for those of you who don’t play video games, I hope you don’t think they’re all sexist piles of crap! On the contrary, there are plenty of awesome, strong women who hold their own against male counterparts (Samus Aran from Metroid and Jill Valentine from Resident Evil both come to mind). But I do have one gripe . . .

Women in video games are always, always, always inhumanly “beautiful.”

Whereas male characters can place anywhere on the scale of attractiveness from “purposefully repulsive” to “god-like,” video game women always have to fall under the latter category. With physiques that make Barbie look average, these characters have impossibly long and slender legs; skinny waists (but wide hips); and breasts that mimic medium-sized watermelons. Just type in “women in video games” to Google Images and you’ll see what I mean!

What the heck? Do you think the people who created these – um – overly-endowed characters just sat down one day and said “so, how big do you think we can get these puppies”?
Because it seems pretty frivolous to me.

I’d say the body proportions of 90% of female video game characters are a huge insult to women in real-life. What is it, video-game-developer-who-lives-with-his-parents, we’re not good enough for you?

Aleah Tierney wrote about her own frustrations when playing Tomb Raider for the first time. The game’s lead (Lara Croft) is often seen as a beacon of female empowerment, but Tierney didn’t exactly see things that way:
“I couldn’t wait to load and play Tomb Raider when it first came out, but when I saw Lara, I just couldn’t take the game seriously. The giant twin pyramids mounted onto her chest look like something she could use to impale her enemies. In many ways her kick-butt presence is a triumph, but the designers’ decision to sexualize her to the point of deformity angered me. I couldn’t get past her proportions, so I put the game away. I’m waiting to see if Lara (or her designers) will evolve in future versions of the game.”

I don’t think Lara’s changing anytime soon, pal. In fact, video games are becoming more and more sexualized as time goes on – and as kids (people in general, actually) are becoming de-sensitized to staggering levels of violence and sexualization in all areas of the media, I don’t see conditions improving for video game gals anytime soon.

It’s kind of funny, actually. I can play the bloodiest, goriest games ever – the kind with chainsaws, zombies, and flesh-eating dogs – and they don’t bother me a bit. Why? Because killing zombies is hardly something I’m going to pick up as an actual hobby (and I don’t foresee a People for Zombie Rights group anywhere in the near future, so I’m not offending anybody by takin’ them out). But the gender stereotypes and hypersexualization in games? That affects us. And it sucks. It really, really sucks. Because no matter how kickass a female character is – like I said before – as soon as you type her name into Google Images you’re going to be bombarded with twenty pages of fan art of the woman flashing her (mutant) breasts. It’s degrading.

So I’ll be sticking to my survival horror games, thank you very much, because zombies don’t care if you’re male or female – or whether or not you have gargantuan jugs – they’ll try to eat your brains either way

Follow Danielle B. on Experimentations of a Teenage Feminist

Science Fiction and Feminism By Maxine

2010-12-15T19:41:00.002-05:00

Science fiction as a genre is known for not being entirely female-friendly. If you enter any video store, or search the genre on netflix many movie covers show pictures of skantly clad women clingy to brawny men for security. This has always been a problem for a young women such as myself to be a feminist, and a self-proclaimed sci-fi geek. When I find myself disapointed by the lack of female representation in a Sci-Fi film or television series, there are two shows that I can revert back to in order to fufil my feminist and nerd void.

Battlestar Galactica

In the original series Starbuck, the hooligan star piolt, was played by a male. The directors of the latest series decided that they wanted to change that. They indroduced us to a new Starbuck, Kara Thrace. Not only does Starbuck fly circles around male piolts, but she also holds her own in any boxing ring. When Starbuck is not shooting cylons out of the sky, she spends her time drinking and beating the crap out of her male peers. Starbuck does not represent the only positively bad ass female role in BSG. The president of the colonies Laura Roslin is also a women. Laura takes on one of most important roles left in the post-appcolyptic world the characters of BSG are living in. Laura calmly and wisely makes many decisions for the betterment of what's left of humanity. Not only does she out-smart male leaders, but she does this all while dealing with a spiritual quest, and breast cancer. So that's a president, and a top notch piolt in one Sci-Fi series, but there is so much more. Sharon Valarie/Boomer/Number 8 is a cylon model who embodies 3 different female characters in one role. Number 6/ Caprica 6 is a very powerful figure in the cylon world, not only does she haunt Gius Batlers everyday life, but she also can kick ass and take names. Dee, works on deck right next to commander Adama punching numbers and saving the human race. As the series goes on there are many minor powerful female roles, whether they are evil robotic cylons, or humans all the female charcters have just as much power if not more than male characters. Many would say that the female characters are hypersexualized, Number 6 being the main victim of the scurtiny. However, as you watch the series you realize that it isn't an over abdunt sexuality with out pleasure from the females like in many other female roles. The women of Battlestar Galactica are sexy, and sexual, they do not let the men of the world dominate their sex lifes and feel free to explore their sexuality freely. Number 6 may be a hyperlysexual character but in this role it is not a negative. She finds the balance between being sexy being powerful. She remains very feminie in fashion and apperance whilst remaining in a powerful posistion. The show is 6 seasons, and besides begin female friendly, it is also filled with action, humor, fear and so much more. I reccomend this show to any science fiction fan out there, or even a fan of top notch television with a positive message.

Firefly

Although the show was banned after just one EPIC season, what it covers in terms of feminism in its short life span are worth disscussion. Firefly follows the life of people living on a space shuttle called Serenity. 4 out of the 9 main characters are all powerful women. Zoe was a fighter in the rebellion against the allance, and now works as Captain Reynolds right hand women. She is also married to Walsh, the ships piolt. They do not have the relationship often portrayed in the media, Zoe is not in any way submissive. The two often joke about their sexual exploits and are completely open about it with the rest of the crew. Not once in the show is Zoe seen as a submissive woemn role, there relationship remains balanced and neither charcter take total control of their relationship. Kaylee is a sweet young women who happens to be in charge of the ships engine. Kaylee is often depicted with a dirty face wearing the average enginers clothing. Kaylee, like other characters, jokes about her lack of a sex life on the ship and often remarks about how close she has become with her "toys." Her personality remains both adorable, and incredably genius. Kaylee works the engine room better than any other engineer shown in the series. River, is the only female character that is portrayed as mentally unstable. But with good reason, the government has been experimenting on her brain, only because she was considered to be a genius. River may be completely insane, but she also is the smartest character on the show. She often will randomly know things that the other character wont understand, and will catch on to just about anything with no practice at all. Inara is the final female character and possilby the most controversial. Inara is a companion, she is the futures prostitute. In this world becoming a companion takes training and much schooling and Anara is the best at her job. There are many differences between the modern prostitutes and Inara's compainionship. The main one being that Inarachooses her clients, they send her a request and she can either deny or accept it. She says that she tries to find out who the person is and lets that guide her to her decision. She is also her own boss, in this world the word pimp is meaningless. Inara's work is not degrading but regarded as a respectable profession. She does not feel guit for her work but it is obvious that she enjoys her job and is good at what she does. Firefly is really easy to get through, considering its one season life span. The female characters drive the plot along, it is also filled with much action and invigirating conflict.

Gender Inequality and Education- Written by Alyssa Pritts

2010-12-14T13:11:00.001-05:00

Although gender inequality is still present in the U.S, women in developing countries are still denied basic rights. Such rights are ownership of property, access to education, reproductive rights, and political influence. How can a country move forward if half it's citizens are left behind?
UNICEF's third millennium development goal is "to promote gender equality and empower women". UNICEF has come to the conclusion that the first step of gender equity is education. Each year of education a girl receives makes her future earning power increase by 10-20%. She is also less likely to marry and have children early, and is better able to control her life. UNICEF wants to eliminate disparity of education at all ages in the next four years. This is a challenging goal considering the status of women's education and with statistics where they are now. In order for that goal to be achieved, it is up to us to educate ourselves and others.
Here is the link for a full comprehensive description of UNICEF's goal for gender equality.
This link is to an essay written by a student named Lazarus Lynch. He discusses gender inequality in Swaziland and what can be done to help improve the situation.
In February, Femtastic will be hosting a Girl-up Campaign, to educate our school and community about the challenges women and girls face in developing countries. If you would like more information or are interested in donating or volunteering at this event, please send us an email at femtastic19@gmail.com

A Visit From Our Local Crisis Pregnancy Center -written by Selena Torrado

2010-12-12T17:49:00.001-05:00

Why the abstinence speakers from Ithaca Pregnancy Center did not belong in our school

Let me start this off by saying that I really, truly believe that abstinence is one of many safe, realistic, and healthy options for teenagers concerning their sexuality. Which is why I am really glad that it is a part of Trumansburg’s sex education curriculum, along with information about contraceptive use and std education. Recently, the high school had guest speakers come in to health classes to talk specifically about abstinence.

The speakers came from the Ithaca Pregnancy Center, a center which provides “alternatives to abortion”. This seems like a needed public service, until you look closer into the background of the organization. The Ithaca Pregnancy Center is a part of a larger network of Crisis Pregnancy Centers, and can be found in listings of Crisis Pregnancy Centers across the United States. CPCs often exist to dissuade women from having abortions by offering information about the “emotional repercussions” of abortion, graphic, exaggerated descriptions of abortion techniques, and ultrasounds. In New York State,there have been probes into these centers in response to complaints of blatant misinformation.

Whatever an individuals personal beliefs about abortion, a factual unbiased approach should be embraced in the classroom. We deserve to learn the facts about intercourse, STDs, abstinence, and abortion from unbiased educators without an agenda. Bringing in speakers who are affiliated with a staunchly anti-choice organization, and presenting them as sex educators (which implies that everything they say is factual), polarizes and adds an element of discomfort to a classroom in which students should be presented with facts that enable them to make their own informed decisions.

The speakers included a married couple in their twenties, a woman in her early thirties, and two teenage girls. They made their message clear from the beginning: Abstinence until marriage is the best option for teenagers regarding their sexuality. They presented marriage as the ultimate and only complete safe haven from the dangers of intimacy. There are two problems with this message.

The first is that assuming that one option (in this case, abstinence) works for all teenagers is wrong. Teenagers are a diverse population of people with a plethora of opinions and backgrounds. Taking a “one size fits all” approach to sex is counter productive and alienating. The second problem is the “until marriage” part of the message. This completely excludes any gay or lesbian student, for whom marriage is not an option. It also idealizes marriage, making it seem as though it magically makes all the risks of sex- STDs, pregnancy, rape, emotional distress- disappear. It is possible to contract an STD, get pregnant before you are ready, and be raped by your spouse, but this was not addressed, which is dangerous.

They also gave the message that abstinence is not only an option, but the ONLY safe option by completely discrediting the use of condoms and not mentioning birth control. One of the speakers said “Condoms are an option, and claim to be effective...but they only are when used correctly so there goes that.” She then said that condoms can allow STDs to be transmitted, and can break. Which is factual, however she did not discuss ways to maximize the effectiveness of condoms (such as the use of spermicide and pulling out before ejaculation), or how to wear them properly. This gave the impression that condoms are ineffective, and therefor the idea of “safe sex” being possible outside of abstinence is false.

Abstinence, like condoms, is also effective only when used correctly. If you slip up once and engage in a sexual act, or use selective abstinence (ex abstaining from genital but not oral sex) then the 100% effectivity rate lowers. If students are under the impression that condoms are ineffective, practice abstinence, then slip up, they are more likely to not use protection. Teaching abstinence in a way that discredits contraceptives is irresponsible and counterproductive to the comprehensive sex education policy that our school follows.

The most important thing for a education program to do is not to idealize sex (marital or premarital), marriage, “love,” a non marital romantic relationship, or fetishize virginity or the loss of virginity. Sex ed should be honest and inclusive, and should provide an unbiased understanding of the multiple theories about sexuality (feminist, religious, etc.). Sex ed should, above all, enable students to communicate and advocate for what they do and don’t want their sexuality to consist of. Comprehensive sex education does this to an extent. These speakers, however did not. They should not have been included in our health curriculum, and should be prevented from being included in the future.

Club Event!

2010-12-12T17:45:00.000-05:00

Help Femtastic! and GirlUp Improve the Conditions of Teen Girls in Developing Nations

During the Month of February, Femtastic! will be hosting a fair to raise money for the GirlUp campaign. This is an exciting United Nations Campaign that “Addresses the needs of some of the world’s hardest-to-reach adolescent girls by channeling the energy and compassion of American girls as a positive force for change.” The money that we raise will go to funds for programs of the UN which work to provide girls in Ethiopia, Guatemala, and other countries with the ability to go to school, see a doctor, have access to clean water, and stay safe from sexual violence.
The fair will feature informative posters on the issues of each country the GirlUp campaign is involved with, and keynote speakers who are experts on issues such as sexual violence and healthcare in developing countries. We also want to highlight the talents and achievements of local teens by showcasing their artwork, having a poetry reading, or live music. If you want to contribute art, poetry, or music to this event, or have some other talent that you think could be showcased, contact us at femtastic19@gmail.com. To learn more about the GirlUp campaign visit www.girlup.org

Student Actors and Writers Wanted!

2010-12-12T17:42:00.000-05:00

Student Actors and Writers Wanted For “I Am An Emotional Creature” Performance

I Am An Emotional Creature is a collection of monologues by Eve Ensler, author of the critically acclaimed play The Vagina Monologues. Each monologue is in the voice of a different teenage girl. Some characters are an American girl struggling with peer pressure at her high school, an anorexic blogging as she eats less and less, a Masai girl from Kenya unwilling to endure female mutilation, and a pregnant girl wondering whether or not to keep her baby.
We at Femtastic! believe that the diversity of the teenage experience is something that is often overlooked. These monologues provide a great opportunity to showcase that diversity and the passion, empathy, and intelligence of teenage girls. We are looking for students interested in performing the monologues or writing their own monologues to be performed. The monologue should be about a page in length, and discuss an experience that has greatly affected you as a teenage girl. If you are interested in or have questions about acting, writing or both, contact us at femtastic19@gmail.com

Unacceptable. written by Selena Torrado

2010-12-02T00:54:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, I found myself stranded at the mall after school with a couple friends. Trying to figure out how to control our growing boredom, we decided to go into Spencer's Gifts, a chain that I thought sold relatively innocuous gag gifts and vibrators. Innocuous these products were not. Never before had I stepped foot in a place where I felt uncomfortable and offended on the basis of my gender. The products shown below are only a sample of the numerous offensive and sexist things that the store sells. I left the store insulted, disgusted, and itching to do something proactive. Blogging seems to be the most immediate thing to do.

***

"I Have The Dick, So I Make The Rules" This was the most blatant among ten or so t shirts which all had pretty much the same sexist message. I am guessing that this is supposed to be seen in a humorous and ironic light. However, we live in a world where this "Men Make The Rules" mentality is a reality. In many countries, most obviously those operating under Sharia law, male power is institutionalized and set in stone in legal documents. In our own country, we have a history of male domination and women having to fight for legal rights. Making a mockery of this is disgusting and socially irresponsible. I was honestly shocked to see this t shirt sold in a store. I imagine that if the t shirt said "I am White, So I Make The Rules" there would be a consumer uproar. I think that this sexist and equally hateful article of clothing merits the same anger.

"Hit Her In The Shitter" Which, I am assuming is a "witty and clever" (that was sarcasm) play on words, meaning both bathroom and anal sex. There is a COMPLETE lack of consent here. The verb "Hit Her" does not sound like a mutually agreed upon act, but rather a violent one. Advocating sex using a violent verb without the presence of or even implied presence of consent smacks of rape. Also, this objectifies women in the use of "her" as something only to "hit", and the placement of the women by the toilet, another object included in this act. So unbearably offensive and sickening.

"JHo Famous Fanny Love Doll: She's Your Puerto Rican Princess!" This pissed me off above all else. It is racial stereotyping and sexism at its worst. The package also reads "J Ho is your Puerto Rican Princess. She's got the most celebrated ass in town and now it's all yours. You can enjoy every inch of this beautiful Bronx bombshell. Her thick, round butt is begging to be squeezed, spanked, and pounded deep. She likes it rough, rugged, and raw, so give her everything you've got and don't disappoint! This doll has 3 tender love holes. This booty from the block will keep you movin' all night long."
This is obviously a mockery of Jennifer Lopez, who is one of the few publicly recognized Puerto Ricans in the US. I was offended by this as both a woman and a Puerto Rican. Most obviously, this is blatant objectification. Determining the worth of a woman by her parts- here, her butt- has the effect of turning her into an object. This "doll" represents a woman whose only purpose is to be penetrated by a penis. It represents sexual intercourse that is completely male-serving and unconcerned with the sexual needs and experience of the woman.
Now, add the racism. She is "Puerto Rican" and here Puerto Rican only means having a large, round butt, hoop earrings, tan skin, and 3 tender love holes. Given the fact that there is very minimal visibility of Puerto Rican women in this country, and the only mainstream visibility is Jennifer Lopez, who is mainly seen as a sex object, this has the result of all Puerto Rican women being sex objects in the minds of the average US citizen. This completely discounts the accomplishments, talents, progress, and struggles of the 3,855,608 Puerto Ricans in the US. As a young Puerto Rican woman who is actively involved in my community, devoted to my education, and accomplished in various academic pursuits, I feel completely misrepresented and insulted by mainstream culture.

What is most alarming to me is that these products are sold in the main mall in my town, in a store open to everyone and frequented by thousands of people every year, and never has anyone spoken up about this. Here is a national chain that makes a huge profit off of marketing sexism and racism as humor. We need to remember that as consumers, we have the right to complain and take action against products that offend us. I am going to call the store and complain, as well as start an email writing campaign. I will post my email on this blog so that anyone who wants to can send a duplicate to Spencer's.

Contact Info for Spencer's in Ithaca:
Phone: 607-257-5955
Email Link: http://www.spencersonline.com/CustomerService.aspx

You Will Get Pregnant, And Die- sex education opinion piece written by Selena Torrado

2010-11-18T22:21:00.001-05:00

    Sex education is an experience that brings one of two memories to my mind- the first of walking, red faced and weak kneed, to the desk in front of the class room, on which a monstrous, purple, shiny, plastic penis stands erect next to a trojan condom. I am expected to slip the condom onto the penis, but my hands are to sweaty to open the wrapper. The class breaks down into hysterical laughter, the kind of hyena like shrieks that only a room full of 12 year old girls can produce. I repeat “this too shall pass, this too shall pass” over and over to myself while trying to figure out how to possibly stretch such a small condom over such a large phallus.
    The second takes place 4 years later in high school. My petite, blonde health teacher is lecturing us on the dangers of premarital sex- emotional distress, pregnancy out of wedlock, STDs-while sitting in front of a large projected image of a vagina covered in red lesions. I feel nauseated and somewhat annoyed as she repeats, for the umpteenth time, that “Abstinence is the only 100% guaranteed protection against STDs and pregnancy.” No. Shit.
    The Abstinence vs Comprehensive Sex Education debate has been covered extensively in the news and watched closely by parents and teachers. Teenage girls themselves are rarely asked their opinion on the matter, even though we are the people who this effects the most. If anyone stopped to ask me, I would tell them that both of these programs have hugely failed me. My real sex education, like the “sex ed” of most teens I know, came from personal trial and error, experiences that felt like stabs in the dark- and this is a shame.
    The downfall of both of the sex education classes I was subjected to were that the teachers treated us like empty buckets that they could fill and mold with information and moral commentary. In order to be successful, Sex Ed programs need to treat their students as intelligent, critically thinking human beings capable of forming their own opinions and acting on their own decisions, while at the same time being conscious of the fact that they are extremely vulnerable to mis information and pressure from their peers, family, teachers, and media.
    Abstinence-only or -primarily based programs do not meet either of these criteria. The idea that we need a whole course in order to understand the obvious- that abstinence is the only 100% effective protection against STDs and pregnancy- is an insult to our intelligence. Abstinence can be completely effective on an individual level, when a person decides for him or herself that they want to refrain from sex. Institutional abstinence, however, fails. This comprises abstinence only sex ed, purity pledges, rings, balls, or any other scenario where the decision to remain abstinence is made by people other than the teen expected to be abstinent. In order for any program to be successful, it needs to engage its students in a discussion, where both parties- the teacher and student- exchange thoughts and ideas.
    Comprehensive Sex education does take this approach to some extent. Providing purely factual information about contraceptives, pregnancy, intercourse, body parts, and STDs honors our intelligence and right to information in a way that repeating the abstinence based slogan does not. The progressiveness, in most cases, ends there. Providing us with scientific facts and the tools to take control of our sexuality is wonderful and necessary. However, we need more information in order to be able to make a completely informed decision about whether or not to have sex. We need to know how to communicate what we want and don’t want from sex with another person, what exactly sex does and does not entail, and all of the external factors (history of sexuality in this country, current societal expectations, family expectations, the media, religion) that contribute to an individual’s sex life. Telling us the ways to have safe sex without explaining the multi faceted and complex nature of sex and sexuality is somewhat irresponsible and by no means comprehensive.
    The success of a sexual education program cannot be measured by the percentage of teens who abstained or delayed having sex, because this does not necessarily mean that their first times engaging in sexual intercourse (married or unmarried) were any less traumatic. In order to reduce the trauma of many girls first times engaging in a sexual act, they need to know exactly what that act consists of. I want to have been taught about the pain and the pleasure, bodily fluids, and noises involved in order to combat the sterilized version of sex that I have been confronted with from an early age, which simply involves kissing, nudity, moaning, dim lighting, and romantic background music. I want to have been taught how to communicate that it hurts when he fingers me, but would feel a lot better if he would rub my clitoris instead. I want to have been taught that, despite what he says happens in porn videos, I am not required to swallow his ejaculate, and need to advocate for myself when I feel uncomfortable.
    The most important thing for a sex education program to do is not idealize sex (marital or premarital), not idealize marriage, not idealize “love”, not idealize a non marital romantic relationship, and not idealize or fetishize virginity or the loss of virginity. Sex ed should be honest and inclusive, and should provide me with an understanding of the multiple theories about sexuality (feminist, religious, etc.). Sex ed should, above all, enable girls to communicate and advocate for what they do and don’t want their sexuality to consist of. This is what I, as an american teenage girl, want from my school. Ya know, in case anyone cares.

Femtastic! interviewed by Danielle Burch of "Experimentations of a Teenage Feminist"

2010-11-14T22:39:00.002-05:00

A few weeks ago, I contacted Danielle Burch, author of blog Experimentations of a Teenage Feminist (featured on our blog roll) and founder of Real Beauty Revolution, a feminist club at her school. Here is the link to our interview on her blog. Stay tuned for her interview on ours! http://teenage-feminist.blogspot.com/

Danielle: What is your club called, and when/why did you decide to start it?

Selena: My club is called Femtastic. I decided to start it after becoming interested in feminism and exploring it on my own for a couple years. When I started high school I started reading books such as Full Frontal Feminism by Jessica Valenti, Female Chauvinist Pigs by Ariel Levy, and Intercourse by Andrea Dworkin. The ideas that these authors presented about gender identity and societal influence made extremely clear sense to me, especially after all of the confusion and mixed messages about gender roles in middle school. Reading these books was really empowering, in that they provided me with a context to view my evolving sexuality and status as a woman. As I found out about feminist blogs and forums such as Feministing and Bitch Magazine, it dawned on me that there is a whole feminist community out there that I really wanted to be involved in. The most accessible way for me to become involved was to create a feminist community in my school, where I spend the most time anyway. I started talking to my friend Zoloo, who is also interested in feminism and gender issues, and the club grew from there.

D: What has your club accomplished so far, and what do you have planned for the future?

S: So far, my club has started our Portrayal of Men and Women in the Media unit. We have discussed messages about gender roles that music videos, tv shows, and advertisements portray. We identified the impact these messages have on our personal lives, and reached the conclusion that the youth needs to be more directly involved in media development, so that the diversity of our thoughts, feelings and experiences are accurately portrayed. We are working on figuring out a concrete way that youth involvement can be implemented by entertainment firms such as MTV, VH1 and Disney Channel.

For the future, we plan to cover many more topics such as, but not limited to, Global Feminism, Teen Sexuality, Reproductive Rights, Prevalence of Pornography in Teen Culture, and the Importance of Comprehensive Sex Education. Our next unit will probably be Global Feminism. Our primary activity during this unit will be to team up with the Girl Up Campaign, a UN organization that works to mobilize American teens to raise money for programs that help combat issues such as Child Prostitution, Early Marraige, and Lack of Education, all of which are issues that girls in developing nations face. We plan to put on a fair which would inform people about the campaign and the issues it tackles. We hope to bring in Cornell professors to speak about some of these issues. All proceeds from this event will go to the Girl Up campaign.

In addition to this, we also plan on developing some kind of middle school outreach. We have all agreed as a club that middle school is the time when many girls question and are bombarded with opinions about how they should act and what they should believe as women. We hope to talk to and support middle school aged girls and boys during this period of huge change and confusion.

D: What is the key to attracting (and retaining) members?

S: I think that the key to attracting members is to advertise throughout your school. I created a bulletin board in a major hallway, passed out fliers, and made announcements on our school TV. Make sure that the student body is aware of the clubs existence. Also, it is important to be prepared to describe exactly what your club is about, what you hope to achieve, and what some of the activities will be, because there is a lot of confusion regarding the word “feminism” that you will need to clear up.

As for retaining members, that is something I am still learning, as my club is relatively new. I try to really involve the club members in discussions and make them feel like their opinion matters. Beyond that, I will learn as I go along.

D: What advice do you have for other high school students who'd like to start a feminism/women's rights club, but don't know where to start?

S: My advice to students who want to start a feminist club is to reach out to your community. I have gotten so much support from my local university (Cornell), Planned Parenthood, and school. I was actually shocked by how supportive, helpful, and excited most people were about the club. The majority of opportunities have come from groups and individuals in the community. For example, our local Planned Parenthood invited us to their yearly celebration, where we got to hear Michelle Goldberg, journalist and author of The Means Of Reproduction: Sex, Power and the Future of the World, speak. The Cornell Women’s Resource Center has been really helpful and offered us access to their speakers and events, as well as a way to apply for co-sponsorship for our own events. Basically, seek out people and organizations in your community who you think would support you, and don’t be afraid to ask for favors and advice.

D: Why do you think girls are sometimes reluctant to call themselves feminists? Is there anything we, as teens, can do about this?

S: I think that girls are reluctant to call themselves feminists because there are so many negative connotations surrounding that word. I think that for most people the word “feminist” evokes an angry, man bashing, bitter female who complains about the “patriarchy” but does not have much to back up her complaints. One way to combat this is through education. This image of a feminist is an ignorant one, and the way to combat ignorance is with information. If you identify as a feminist and have knowledge of specific feminist beliefs, ideals, and progress, don’t be afraid to share it with others. Feminist theory and ideology applies to almost every moral, scientific, economic, global, and interpersonal topic there is, so there are plenty of chances to bring up feminist ideas both in class and in personal discussions.

Event-Love Your Body Day Film Screening

2010-10-25T22:52:00.000-04:00

Love Your Body Day film screening
“Body Typed”
Wednesday, Oct 27
7:00-9:00pm
HEC Auditorium, Goldwin Smith

On Wednesday, October 27th, the WRC will be hosting a screening of the award-winning documentary “Body Typed” from 7-9 p.m. in the H.E.C. Auditorium in Goldwin Smith Hall. “Body Typed,” a series of three short films directed by Jesse Epstein, examines the connections between body image, media, and cultural identity. The films — entitled “False Images,” “The Guarantee,” and”34x25x36,” — use humor to raise serious concerns about the marketplace of commercial illusion and unrealizable standards of physical perfection. The documentary will be followed by a moderated discussion. Refreshments provided!

Sponsored by the Cornell Women’s Resource Center and funded in part by the Student Assembly

Event- Sticks and Stones: Words Can Never Hurt Me?

2010-10-19T15:29:00.000-04:00

Nu Chapter Sisters of Omega Phi Beta Sorority, Inc.
present
Sticks and Stones: Words Can Never Hurt Me?
Tolerance and Support for Your Peers
Friday, October 22
6:30 pm
Latino Living Center Main Lounge
- light refreshments provided -
According to the National Sexuality Resource Center, gay youth are more than 8 times as likely to commit suicide. They are more than 3 times as likely to be physically bullied by peers. In the past 6 weeks over 10 LGBTQ teenagers have committed suicide.
Join us for an eye-opening informative discussion about cyber-bullying, homophobia, and media portrayals of the LGBTQ community. We welcome all perspectives in a judgment-free environment where we can talk freely about tolerance/intolerance and gay stigmas in the minority community.
Following the discussion there will be a candle-light vigil in the LLC courtyard to honor the memory of those who have passed.

Male Feminists: Justin Andrei

2010-10-17T18:14:00.000-04:00

One of the most disputed questions in the feminist world is whether men can be feminists, and what their place in feminism is if they can be. I believe that men indisputably CAN be feminists in that they can identify sexism and decide to act to eliminate it. Because we are so intertwined, I believe that cooperation and dialogue between men and women is crucial to obtaining the goals of feminism.

A common misconception is that the feminist movement is one that preaches the superiority of women and hatred of men. As far as I understand, feminism strives for an egalitarian society and sexuality that benefits both men and women. In order to obtain this, it is crucial that men participate, thereby being "male feminists".

One male feminist that I would like to highlight today is Justin Andrei. Justin and I went to middle school together at Boynton, but he has since moved on to Philips Exeter Academy. He wrote this article about his view on feminism, which was then published in his school newspaper.

      How many people on this campus consider themselves feminists? Now how many men on this campus consider themselves feminists? Practically none. Why is this? Is there something wrong with being a feminist? Can only women be feminists? The answer is that anyone can be a feminist. The first reason that men are so reluctant to label themselves feminists is that they have a skewed idea of what constitutes a feminist. Many men view feminists as radical, elitist, and even as being lesbians. When I spoke with a male student about feminism, he described the idea as women being better than men. When told that feminism was about equality, this student rejected this idea and proceeded to stereotype feminists as bra-burning, man hating whiners. This is not an uncommon view, given that most of society also shares in this misconception.

   The media has successfully grouped, labeled, and dismissed feminists in one fell swoop. In a male dominated society, women are valued for child rearing and tending to their husbands. However when someone dares to pose a contrary role for women insecurity is developed in the male psyche. In order to marginalize the feminist threat to traditional gender roles men collectively dismiss any new ideas through objectification and reestablishment of the traditional roles of women. For example, in 1963 Betty Friedan published The Feminine Mystique, a highly controversial and revolutionary book that detailed how American women became victims of the middle class reality and found their identity through their husband and children. The backlash surrounding this book was extensive, with anger directed at Friedan for daring to question the role women play in society. This deep-rooted fear of change instigated an immediate response by male controlled society to ostracize those questioning traditional beliefs.

   The media took deliberate steps to continue the objectification of women as sex objects. Doing this makes it easy for men to ignore the issues of gender inequality and dismiss the work of feminist scholars as radical and fringe. In turn, society and the medias portrayal of feminists as male-bashing nut jobs discourages men from labeling themselves as feminists or joining the feminist movement.
So what is feminism actually about?

   What is feminism? Feminism is the right for women to have the same rights and protection under the law as men. Feminism is the right for women to be considered equal to men. Feminism is questioning any traditional gender ideas you may hold, as uncomfortable as this may be. Feminism isn’t about crazy women hating men; it’s about celebrating equality and the contribution that women make to society. So if you truly value women, be proud to declare yourself feminist.


Photo of the author. visit his blog

Reblog:Ten Commandments Of Pop Culture Feminism

2010-10-17T00:11:00.001-04:00

1. Thou shalt not see a sexist, misogynistic ad, say “that sucks” and leave it at that.
2. Thou shalt view all media through a critical lens.
3. Thou shalt watch every movie while wondering if it will pass the Bechdel Test.
4. Thou shalt critique media when it portrays women as one-dimensional, second-class citizens.
5. Thou shalt vote with thy wallet (also known as the “I will not pay $12 to see ‘I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell’ commandment.”)
6. Thou shalt consume shitty forms of media (i.e. tabloids, reality TV) to be aware of what the “mainstream media” is saying about (and to) women and girls.
7. Thou shalt write letters, make phone calls, and send emails to let Dodge know you won’t buy their cars or to tell GoDaddy.com that you’ll look elsewhere for a domain (or ? or ?).
8. Thou shalt utilize social media to get the message out.
9. Thou shalt not feel bad for still being influenced by the barrage of unattainable images.
10. Thou shalt criticize the culture, not the women (employ the pro-woman line).
I’ll add an 11th: Thou shalt recognize intersectionality in every component of media representation, sniffing out and calling them out on colorism, homophobia, heterosexism, classism, racism, ageism, ableism etc.
What would you like to add? Lets make it a full-fledged manifest(a).

This post originally appeared on the site feminist fatale.

First Meeting Recap

2010-10-16T23:02:00.001-04:00

Femtastic! had its first official meeting Wednesday, October 13th. This month's topic is Portrayal of Men and Women in the Media. In the meeting, we talked about the portrayal of women and men in pop music. We listened and read the lyrics to Kid Cudi's Make Her Say, Lil Wayne's Poke Her Face and Lollipop, and Trey Songz Say Ahh. We then discussed the sexual power dynamics, issues of consent, and female imagery present in the songs and videos.
After identifying the problems, conversation shifted to how we could make a difference and abolish sexism in the music industry. In the next meeting, we will further organize and plan for activism and outreach programs.

Kid Cudi

We also scheduled fund raising activities. One that will be of interest to the Charles O Dickerson community is the Halloween Dance, scheduled for Friday October 29th in the High School Gym. Entrance fee is $7 for students and $9 for guests. Wear your Halloween costume and dance the night away! All proceeds will go to Femtastic!.

Our next meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Oct 20th from 5-6:30 pm in Ms Riggins' room. Any student at Trumansburg High is invited to attend.

Femtastic! in the Ithaca Journal

2010-10-16T22:42:00.001-04:00

Femtastic! was featured in the Ithaca Journal in a column about the TCSD Board of Education meeting. The board members were all super supportive, and recognized Femtastic as an official school club. Thank you so much for your time and support, BOE! See the article here

Under Construction

2010-09-15T21:53:00.003-04:00

We are a newly formed gender relations and feminist theory group. Our goal is to bring awareness to our school and community about social inequalities, sex and gender symbolism, and social interactions in modern society through the format of a book club, discussion-based meetings as well as the use of speakers, events, and the media. One of our biggest goals is to empower females in our school district as well as the community through discussions and increasing the availability of information that is currently offered in Trumansburg.
Our events throughout the year will include movie nights, caberet nights, book discussions, Love Your Body Fair, Sister2Sister Programs, Middle School Outreach Programs, Sex Education, science workshops, and fun!

Our first meeting is on Thursday September 23rd in Mrs.Riggin's Room.

If you have any questions, everyone is welcome to talk to Zoloo Brown, Selena Torrado, Maxine Fallon-Goodwin, and Alyssa Pritts.