Ah, the Kentucky Derby: that one time of year when the rest of the country sees that we are not just the toothless poor. We are the gaudy rich, as well.
The L.A. Times reports that the Kentucky Derby is the only annual sporting event that is watched by more women than men.
Rosie Napravnik becomes the first female jockey to win the Kentucky Oaks.
Hosting a Derby party? Try my recipe for mint juleps, made with 100% sexual harassment–free bourbon!
My belated, brief recap of the Unite Against the War on Women rally, 4/28/12:
Congressman John “Awesome” Yarmuth spoke around 2:30 pm. He was, of course, awesome.
We estimate that there were approximately 300 people present for the Congressman’s address. The crowd size fluctuated after Yarmuth spoke, averaging between 100–150 people in size. Really, it was a great turnout, especially on a day with so many competing events.
The Unite Women Kentucky rally organizers pose with Congressman John Yarmuth.
Amy Shoemaker, Democratic candidate for the KY State Senate, got to speak after all! She, and every single one of the speakers and bands that performed that day contributed something different yet equally amazing to the rally. The progressive organizations that tabled the event made it easy for attendees to get informed and connect with other pro-women people. In times like these, events like this remind us that we’re not alone, we’re not crazy, and we’re not going anywhere.
There will be more pictures and video to follow.
As for Unite Women Kentucky, this rally was only the beginning of our efforts to fight for women’s rights in Kentucky and in all 50 states. Email unitewomenkentucky@gmail.com to join the fight.
HERLINKS
It is on, folks. Tomorrow, Kentucky women and allies will assemble in solidarity against the War on Women.
“Unite Against the War on Women” rallies will happen across the country tomorrow, “as we come together as one to tell members of Congress in Washington, D.C. and legislators in all 50 states, ‘Enough is enough!’” according to Unite Women KY.
This event has something for everyone. From 2–6 p.m., at Fresh Start Growers Supply, you can Protest the nationwide attack on women’s rights. Nom on food from the Holy Mole taco truck. Connect with badass progressive organizations like the ACLU, Planned Parenthood & Obama for America. Jam to performances by awesome local bands. Get fired up by speakers like Congressman John Yarmuth and poet Bianca Spriggs.
Ralliers are encouraged to bring their own signs, sunscreen, water and lawn chairs. There will be parking available on the surrounding streets. Streets will be closed in the morning due to the Derby Festival Mini-Marathon but will reopen at or around 1:30 p.m.
We still need volunteers. Email unitewomenkentucky@gmail.com, comment on this post or simply show up on Saturday and find an organizer (we’ll all be wearing lanyards).
I will be the one shouting into a megaphone. See you there!
Schedule of speakers/events:
2–3 p.m.:HERLINKS
Facebook event page for the Unite Against the War on Women Kentucky
From the Louisville Courier-Journal, “Rally Saturday to protest ‘war on women’s rights’”
Not in Kentucky? Visit Unite Women dot org to find a rally happening in your neck of the woods.
UPDATE: Amy Shoemaker, 2012 Democratic candidate for KY Senate District 19, will no longer be speaking at the rally. Next time, Amy!
We’re waging war against the War on Women 4/28/12.
We need YOU to donate your money and your time. The Unite Against the War on Women rally is less than a week away, and we’re still $1,400 away from reaching our fundraising goal of $2,000. This covers the basic, non-negotiable expenses of staging a rally: fencing, porta-potties, promotional materials, etc. Donate here.
“This event can’t happen without money,” said organizer Eryn Heakin.
The event also can’t happen without people like you. Volunteers are needed to help with the final organizing push this week, and of course to work the rally. Email unitewomenkentucky@gmail.c
Why should you donate your precious time and money? Because Congressman John Yarmuth, that’s why.
Second, women’s health is under attack.
Third, “I would love to show Mitch McConnell that there is a War on Women,” said state leader Leslie Neidig.
Wouldn’t you? Get involved today!
Mark your calendars for the “Unite Against the War on Women” rally to protest the current nationwide onslaught of anti-woman legislation.
We’ll assemble on Saturday, April 28th from 2:00–6:00 p.m. at the Fresh Start Growers Supply in Louisville, KY. Go to the Facebook event page right this second for directions, lots of additional info, and to RSVP for the rally.
Please donate to the cause. Staging a protest of this import requires serious dough, so give whatever you can and urge your family, friends, and co-workers to do the same. I’ll be posting more ways to help organize as I become more involved myself.
Speakers include Congressman John “Awesome” Yarmuth, Dr. Catherine Fosl (Director of the Anne Braden Institute), Amy Shoemaker (state senate candidate), and Derek Morgan of the ACLU. Doesn’t get much better than that, folks.
Don’t live in Kentucky? Don’t worry! “Unite Against the War on Women” rallies are being planned all over the country. Go to Unite Women dot org to find a rally in your neck of the woods.
There will also be a rally in Lexington on 4/28. Unlike the Louisville rally, the Lexington rally is not affiliated with Unite Women (apparently the original group split into two for whatever reason), but who cares? We’re all working for the same amazing cause!
I started my new job yesterday.
At close we gathered for a debriefing, in which we went over pros and cons for the night and sampled the new chocolate ice cream treat–did I mention I love my new job?
Since I’m the new kid, I was asked to tell the group a little bit about myself, and I did so, as awkwardly as possible, because that is just how I do.
I was also asked, “If you could be any superhero, who would it be?”
“Pippi Longstocking,” I answered immediately. I have adored Pippi ever since my father introduced me to her in early elementary school via the 1969 Swedish television series.
“Love that answer!” said one female co-worker.
“That’s a first! And she’s mine, too!” said another, bobbing her head in agreement. I find that Pippi induces instant camaraderie among women. She’s basically secret code for female empowerment, for FEMINISM.
“But what are her superpowers?”
“Well she eats cake for breakfast and nails for lunch, and she’s so strong she can lift a horse over her head,” I said.
We ladies are positively swooning over Pippi when a male co-worker asks,
“Can you give us a male equivalent, you know, for the guys?” Continue reading
One feminist tests the empowering possibilities of burlesque
KP is a 24-year-old graduate student. In her debut post for HerLinked, KP explains why it was feminism that led her both to join and quit a Kentucky burlesque troupe.
Let me start by saying, I am a feminist. This is a label I am proud of, a label that represents equality and justice not only for women, but also for all human beings. Being a feminist, to me, means recognizing the intersectionality of oppression. You cannot combat gender inequality without also combating inequalities based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability status, etc. Feminism is about empowering the masses; it’s about empowering yourself. This was how I approached burlesque dancing.
My reasons for wanting to be a burlesque dancer were complex. I have always had a problem with society’s “Madonna / whore” complex. That is, forcing women to either be pure, virginal goodness or dirty, sexual evil. I wanted to use burlesque dancing as a rejection of this oppressive concept.
Although I have always been a political activist and pushed the boundaries idealistically and academically, I have been accused of being a “goody two shoes” when it comes to sexuality. Let me explain: it is not in my personality to sleep with many men. I have sex only within the bounds of a serious relationship. However, I’ve always been bothered by the fact that my “low number” leads people to believe I’m prudish or didn’t like sex. The other reaction I get from people is, “Good for you for not whoring around.”
To me, while there are a variety of intentions behind these responses, both are problematic. Why is it that in order to be a sexually liberated woman I have to sleep with many men? And why is it that, in some people’s eyes, sleeping with a very small amount of people somehow makes me better than women who sleep with many people? Both of these judgments are two dimensional and limiting.
When I met the women in the troupe..they told me it was absolutely about empowerment, about feeling great about your body and about owning your sexuality. And for a hot minute, that’s what it was about…
I decided to do burlesque because I wanted to throw up the middle finger to this whole line of thought. I wanted to be empowered, to own my sexuality, to prove that you can be a sexually empowered woman without sleeping with lots of men. I also wanted to prove that I don’t gather my worth from the idea that I’ve slept with fewer people than most. I wanted to reject Madonna / whore and I wanted to have fun doing it. Burlesque seemed the perfect venue for this. And when I met the women in the troupe, they confirmed all of my feelings. They told me it was absolutely about empowerment, about feeling great about your body and about owning your sexuality. And for a hot minute, that’s what it was about…
The deeper I got into burlesque the more I realized that it wasn’t quite as idealistic as I’d hoped. Continue reading
The New York TImes has an interesting piece up on the legacy of President Clinton’s welfare reform efforts. These efforts were a part of Clinton’s broader re-election strategy of triangulation: the attempt to co-opt the issues and views of one’s opponents, thus pulling the rug out from under them. In this spirit, Clinton, a baby-boomer, former-hippie Democrat, declared the era of big government over and promised to end “welfare as we know it.” Well, as we now know, the implications of the “reform” of welfare were catastrophic for millions of people and disproportionately affected the poor (duh!) and women:
The poor people who were dropped from cash assistance here, mostly single mothers, talk with surprising openness about the desperate, and sometimes illegal, ways they make ends meet. They have sold food stamps, sold blood, skipped meals, shoplifted, doubled up with friends, scavenged trash bins for bottles and cans and returned to relationships with violent partners — all with children in tow.
Got that? “Mostly single mothers…with children in tow.” Doesn’t sound like barbarians pounding at the gates of the Republic, does it? Clinton’s pursuit of welfare reform was a shrew political maneuver, as he won re-election and increased Democratic numbers in Congress in the 1998 midterm elections, but at what cost? Clinton was cashing in on the conservative rhetorical game surrounding welfare that began in the previous decade when Reagan summarily condemned “welfare queens” in their Cadillacs, running around buying fancy cars and premium cuts of steak on the taxpayer dime.
So while it was a shrewd political maneuver, it was also a crass and despicable act, exploiting the misinformed, racist and sexist hatred against welfare recipients initially ginned up by Reagan and his minions. Thankfully for Clinton he has a legacy to speak of; unfortunately for him, it will be a legacy tainted by the pain and suffering of innocent families forced into the harsh cold by policies he actively pursued, all so he could enjoy “four more years.”
Continuing our ongoing coverage of the labor movement, here’s something interesting for your Saturday morning:
A majority of Lexington city sanitation workers have petitioned the local government for recognition as a union.
On Wednesday, petition cards authorizing the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees to represent city sanitation workers were submitted to the city’s chief administrative officer, Richard Moloney. The authorization cards were signed by more than 60 percent of the city’s approximately 190 sanitation workers.
The workers submitted their petitions on the 44th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was in Memphis that day in April to stand with sanitation workers who were on strike and seeking to form a union to better their working conditions and pay.
Gotta love when history and social justice merge so serendipitously.
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