All posts tagged: featured

File No. 13: Odiosas

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Community organizing is more necessary than ever before. Creating safe spaces to debate and educate folx is essential to move forward in this state of collective uncertainty. Odiosas, a Bronx female collective, has been on this mission since 2016, coordinating panels and art exhibitions that offer healing and expression from an intersectional, working-class perspective. You might recall Odiosas from a previous post: You remember that first time I went to the Bronx? I spoke at a panel hosted by Odiosas, a collective of women who aim to create safe spaces for marginalized communities. At that point, I must admit, I still didn’t get it. The women around me felt comfortable with their identities. They knew exactly what pronouns people should use when referring to them. They knew if they were white, black, afro-latinx, native American, Eastern European. But me, I was the epitome of the Puerto Rican identity crisis. I felt strange answering questions about race and wouldn’t admit that I, too, was mixed. But, there was a moment I turned to myself to admit who …

10 Quotes To Gear You Up For the Women’s March (And Resistance)

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What started as a Facebook event has become a monumental, historic wave of resistance. The Women’s March in Washington will take place on Saturday with an expected turnout of over 200,000 people. Speakers will include feminist icon Gloria Steinem, actress America Ferrera, Planned Parenthood President Cecile Richards and activist Angela Davis. More importantly, women, men, LGBTTQ and non-binary Americans will be there to resist the imminent threat Donald Trump’s administration poses to women’s rights. It’s safe to say that without a single day in office, Donald Trump has managed to anger all of us by shaming women, risking women’s healthcare and reproductive rights, attacking Planned Parenthood and basically opening his mouth. And yes, we are right to be angry because the fight for women’s equality is not over, and we cannot take the chance of losing it all now. So, be angry, be very fucking angry, scream, focus of self-care, rally others around you and aim to include everyone (please, be mindful of inclusiveness, not just of color but class, gender and sex) in our fight because it’s far …

The Problem With Being A ‘Gentleman’

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Last night, Donald Trump threw a hilarious joke: “I’m a gentleman.” We all laughed. Some people in the audience cheered. Yet, it felt so wrong because it was. I think we can all agree that Donald Trump thought he was being a gentleman when he took a woman furniture shopping. I think we can all agree that his definition of gentlemanliness includes grabbing women by their pussies and move on them. But, Donald Trump is not the only one claiming to be a gentleman. Every man is. The inherent characteristic of gentlemanliness is sexist. It includes actions such as opening doors, pulling back chairs, paying for dinner and proposing marriage. In the traditional sense, being a gentleman is an acknowledgment of power, and that is a problem. To Donald Trump being a gentleman includes letting Hillary Clinton answer questions first promulgating the sexist practice of “Ladies first.” It’s providing expensive gifts for women to be impressed by his success, instead of his brain (that would be difficult, though). It’s being a “macho” who is stronger, …