laurenfelton

medusalaughs: As a queer transperson who lives in an urban, low...

Thu, 08 Sep 2011 18:52:59 -0400

[Flash 10 is required to watch video.]

As a queer transperson who lives in an urban, low income environment, it is difficult to fully express my identity and do as I please without opening myself up to danger. My friend has used me as a subject for her Visual Anthropology class. Here is the finished product.

While I appreciate the It Gets Better campaign, I cannot respect Dan Savage.

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 14:05:22 -0400

villiljos:

laurenfelton:

Even his campaign is problematic if you ask me. I’m more fond of the “MAKE it better” campaign created in response to it…

I’m really out of the loop here. What has he done to earn disrespect, and what is the problem with the campaign? I’ve only seen a couple of videos, but I thought they were quite moving, and with a positive message.

I dislike him largely because of his unrepentant racism, transphobia, misogyny, and white, male, gym-body privilege — qualities that are hardly redeemed by this campaign. While there are people out there who find the videos inspiring, the ones I most appreciate are coming from those who recognize that “it” DOESN’T get better — especially not for those who lack the white, male, middle-class, gym-body privilege that “good gays” like Dan Savage have. The fact that he’s preaching to us that “it gets better,” all the while remaining defensive of his biases and oblivious to his own privilege demonstrates exactly what’s wrong with this campaign and gay rights causes in general: same-sex marriage and the repeal of DADT doesn’t mean that it’s getting better — all this means is that our community is hindered by the same problems evident in social movements throughout history: black people were left out of the women’s suffrage movement and gays were left out of the Civil Rights Movement in the same way that people of color, trans people, working class people, and others are left out of the LGBTQ movement.

In my opinion, it doesn’t just get better. Through the tools of social action, political organizing, and community building, we have the power to make our society better, and in the process, we get better. But as long as there is racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, and other forms of prejudice in the world, no member of our community is free, and “it” hasn’t gotten better. Queer liberation will not happen until we see human liberation — until we stop meeting homophobia with racism and classism, until women are no loger blamed for being sexually assaulted, until our country stops fighting these endless wars, until Palestinians have stood at their very last checkpoint, until trans people are no longer cheated by organizations HRC, until intersex infants are no longer mutilated, until queer youth stop turning up dead… this campaign doesn’t address any of that. It simply suggests that somehow, magically, it gets better all on its own, despite the fact that we continue to live in an unequal society.

Here’s one of my favorite “it gets better” videos — from a woman of color who points out that the campaign videos are well-intentioned, but problematic:

My Moment? Whaaa...

Thu, 21 Jul 2011 11:53:48 -0400

I’m all for telling off the ~haters~ when they deserve it, but Rebecca Black’s new video about how big and famous she is such a joke. The lyrics might as well be “I’m a privileged little white girl who can get anything she wants, so all of you low-lives can suck it.”

Newsflash: You’re not better than everyone else just because people know your name. They know you’re name because you have rich parents willing to finance your joke of a music career.

I know I said something defending Rebecca Black when she was receiving death threats over Friday, and I stand by that, but she’s just as blind and pathetic as the “haters” if she thinks being a bad singer with enough privilege and wealth to make up for it is somehow groundbreaking. The music industry is already full of bourgeois fucks who are famous for being famous.

Honestly, I don’t give a shit about Rebecca having a terrible singing voice - I’m certainly no singer myself. But this song should seriously be renamed “Throwing My White Privilege in Your Face.”

Photo

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 22:42:33 -0400

Casey Anthony deserved her verdict of 'not guilty'

Sat, 09 Jul 2011 00:20:00 -0400

Unlike many others, I’m not distraught over the Casey Anthony verdict. I’m sick of how the media sensationalizes stories about “bad” mothers, and on the off chance that the defense’s story was true, I’m glad she’s not facing the death penalty based on the world’s gut feeling about a case with very little evidence beyond hair fibers and an unknown cause of death. This country has sent enough innocent people to death row based on evidence that SEEMED obvious but didn’t tell the whole story.

What I find most absurd about public reaction to this case is the constant comparisons to the O.J. Simpson trial. Their similarities begin and end with the fact that both Simpson and Anthony were acquitted of first-degree murder. Anthony is not Simpson in white, female face—in face, those characteristics alone change everything about this case. The O.J. trial was complicated by his celebrity status, a racist cop, and irrelevant evidence, while Casey’s case was instead underscored by the kind of misogynist slut-shaming that is common in cases involving women (rape cases in particular). The prosecution couldn’t prove that Caylee was murdered—and instead, Casey’s abilities as a mother, her lifestyle, her clothing, and her sexuality were on trial. While there was more than enough evidence, in my opinion, to prove foul play in Caylee’s death, there is no objective proof that she was murdered or how she was murdered, or that Casey played a part in it aside from her subsequent cover-up—which is certainly deplorable, but still not proof of murder.

All in all, I’m glad she was convicted of lying, especially given the implications of her lies, but I’m also glad she was not convicted of first-degree murder. Beyond that, all I can say is that I don’t know for sure whether or not she’s guilty—and although I’m inclined to believe she is, I don’t know this for a fact. There’s nothing more that can be said of her case when we don’t know. On another note, everything about her screams abuse victim and major personality disorder to me, and for that, I sincerely hope she seeks help. While I understand that her obvious lies anger people, I’m bothered by how quick people are to discard the defense’s allegations of childhood molestation simply because they do not like her. That’s all I’ll say about that, because it truly sickens me when people minimize that kind of trauma in such a heartless manner.

I’m not writing this in support of Casey Anthony, nor am I trying to argue that she was, in fact, a “good” mother. I’m more concerned with the larger implications of this case for the countless innocent victims who have been convicted based on shoddy evidence and for any woman who has ever had her sex life put on trial. As for the public’s reaction to the jurors involved with this case, I’m going to end with a quote from a Facebook friend who very insightfully and succinctly summed up her thoughts in this post: “I have no opinion about the Casey Anthony jurors. I wasn’t one of them.”

delbeans: hi everie1 its pinky with a heart. delly bear and i...

Wed, 06 Jul 2011 12:52:46 -0400

delbeans:

hi everie1 its pinky with a heart. delly bear and i went to ASBORY-PARK for firewurks last night!!! it was our first time seeing firewurks and they were so awesum!! lauren and rob and their friend dudley brought us and we sat on the beach and held paws. also we had nice nay-bors hoo gave us SMORES! i never had a smore before. if u don’t know a smore is chocolate, gram cracker, and marsh-mellow. it was realli good. and the firewurks were pritty so i uploaded a pitcher that lauren took of them!!

ok its bedtime so i will rite tomorrow. love pinky

Thank you, Pinky, for blogging my photo! Glad you and Delbert had a good time with us :)

spensieratezza: First photo shoot in … Oh god, I don’t know how...

Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:56:23 -0400

spensieratezza:

First photo shoot in … Oh god, I don’t know how long…

Gorgeous, as always!

The #fatpeoplenightmares tag on twitter (TW for fat shaming)

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 19:32:42 -0400

theinbetweenie:

It’s not even creative. How hard do you have to think to regurgitate the standards?

Fat people are scared of food running out.

Fat people are scared of having to eat “healthful” foods.

Fat people are scared of exercise.

Fat people are scared of getting stuck places.

repeat ad nauseum.

I’m curious if any of these people have ever tried critical thinking. Are they even capable of it?

Probably not. Twitter has at least 5 horribly offensive TTs a week.

While I appreciate the It Gets Better campaign, I cannot respect Dan Savage.

Sun, 03 Jul 2011 19:32:02 -0400

Even his campaign is problematic if you ask me. I’m more fond of the “MAKE it better” campaign created in response to it…

lgbtlaughs: Along the lines of the most recent...

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 12:48:23 -0400

lgbtlaughs:

Along the lines of the most recent post.

[Three-panel comic showing two views of the London Eye. Panel 1: I don’t understand your complaint. Panel 2: There totally is a straight pride march. Panel 3: That same day, too. On all the other streets.]

(Submitted by milqueyway)

anarchofeminist: youdontlooklikeafeminist: All day, err’ day....

Sat, 02 Jul 2011 12:47:28 -0400

anarchofeminist:

youdontlooklikeafeminist:

All day, err’ day. Fuck.

The funny thing about this graph is that it says nowhere that the person speaking is a woman. And yet it is completly obvious to any reader that it is the case. That’s what one might call collectively internalized heteronormativity. Ethnomethodologists such as Harvey Sacks, Harold Garfinkel, or anthropologist Bruno Latour, have demonstrated how society is made through interactions and communication. If one obverses and analyses closely what people say and do, or more precisely what they do not say, but is implicitly understood, one will find the fondational structures of normativity which are intrinsic in the building of social stuctures. This graph, although it is meant to be feminist and in some regards possibly lgbt friendly, it technically reproducing a social structure that defines heterosexuality as the norm, homosexuality as a deviance. Furthermore it reproduces the notion that “feminist” is an attribute that is implicitly feminine, which is by my standards quite un-feministic actually.

You’re welcome. =P

felldowntherabbithole: June 2, 2000 What does that day, month...

Tue, 28 Jun 2011 20:39:00 -0400

felldowntherabbithole:

June 2, 2000

What does that day, month and year mean to you? President Bill Clinton used that particular day to declare ”Gay and Lesbian Pride Month”. Nine years later, on June 1st, President Barack Obama spoke to incorporate an even wider group. Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered citizens alike could all have this month for recognition, respect and appreciation. However, I am aware that not all minds meet equally about the rights and respect that we should pay to others. As each generation leaves their footprints, and paves the way for what is to come…to some, change is an impossible idea or action to put in motion.

You know what? Often, this unfortunate reality is because of learned behavior! As much as we may often preach that we like to speak for ourselves, or outside the box, how many times have you caught yourself, or someone you know repeating the thoughts of another before them? Sometimes without proper information? And how many times have you felt that perhaps further knowledge on an issue or subject matter might result in a different voice, a different understanding? Perhaps even going against the ideas they’ve learned, heard, or grown up around? We have the ability to fly planes, send astronauts into space, develop technology such as cellphones! Things that once were unfathomable. I can sit at this small computer and type this message. Once I push send, this message can be seen by anyone who’d like to engage, all across the WORLD.

As many of you know, we (the Glee cast) have been storming the country at whirlwind speeds to put on a forty-two show, month-long tour. It has been a constant reminder of why we do this. We’ve witnessed the impact our show has had, from the very beginning, to these moments, three years later. You LOVELY & AMAZING fans! Just indescribable. The love, affirmation, and dedication you provide! We see it all, value it all. Trust me, we do! On stage, the excitement that we absorb from your ball of energy brings our adrenaline levels to highs that often-times, we aren’t sure we can reach. Bottom line, we love you guys. And our crew! Without this diverse group of hard-working people, this venture would be impossible.

Yesterday was June 11th, and we were tackling our newest location, Toronto! We had finished our first concert of the day, and I was about to take a moment to relax before the second. On the way to our dressing rooms, I passed a stack of shirts lined up on the merchandise tables. The white T’s were modeled after shirts we wore in a performance set to Lady Gaga’s, “Born This Way.” In case you are not familiar here are the lyrics:

[Verse:]
My mama told me when I was young
We are all born superstars

She rolled my hair and put my lipstick on
In the glass of her boudoir

“There’s nothing wrong with loving who you are”
She said, “‘Cause he made you perfect, babe”

“So hold your head up girl and you’ll go far,
Listen to me when I say”

[Chorus:]
I’m beautiful in my way
‘Cause God makes no mistakes
I’m on the right track, baby
I was born this way

Don’t hide yourself in regret
Just love yourself and you’re set
I’m on the right track, baby
I was born this way

Beautiful. True. Words to remind yourself, words to live by. Doesn’t matter if you’re not a Gaga supporter, or one of her “Little Monsters” as she lovingly refers to her fans. Kindness moves mountains. Acceptance opens doors, makes room for change, diffuses misunderstanding. Every day, people commit hate crimes because of misunderstandings. Hate effects the target, and consumes the person behind the gun. It is crazy to realize that we have been in war for almost our entire existence on this planet. Many times for reasons of greed and hate.

Anyone that has experienced the death or abuse of a loved one can tell you that, “IT HURTS BEYOND EXPLANATION!!! AND WE SHOULD DO EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO MAKE ANY CHANGE POSSIBLE.” Raise your hand if you’ve spent nights crying yourself to sleep, raise your hand if you’ve felt as if you’d rather hide in bed all day than face the people that make you feel small or powerless! Raise your hand if you’ve felt as if you’d rather lie to people than tell them the truth about who you really are, because at least you wouldn’t be the victim of hateful behavior or prejudice! And raise your hand if lying feels almost as bad.

I was not raised in a family that accepted prejudice or hatred. For that, I thank my Mom and Dad each and every day. Look, we are human, we make mistakes. I will gladly shout from the rooftops that I AM NOT PERFECT. Nor will I ever be. But I can happily say that to my knowledge, I do not ever intentionally cause people pain. I love my family, my friends, my co-workers…and they all consist of girls AND boys. I do tell them that I love them. Yesterday, during our second show, Instead of wearing my usual shirt during “Born This Way” I decided to wear one that said “Likes Girls”. It should actually have read, “Loves Girls”, because I do. The women in my life give me things that the men in my life can’t. And vice-versa. No, I am not a lesbian, yet if I were, I hope that the people in my life could embrace it whole-heartedly. And let me tell you, I can easily spill (quite comfortably) what I admire, respect and think is beautiful about any of the women in my life. Piece of cake!

Last night, I wanted to do something to show my respect and love for the GLBT community. Support that people could actually see. Which is why I decided to change my shirt for the show. I happened to read a few comments that were posted on twitter. Many of you asked, “why?” This is my response. I am not asking for you to agree with what I am saying, but if you are listening, thank you. That is all I can ask. And a step further would be to take a moment to (honestly) answer the questions that I have raised. We can’t always put ourselves in someone else’s shoes. But we can try.

I am lucky to live in a place where I can wear almost anything that I want to express myself, and that jail is not a probable consequence. Which makes me feel as if I should exercise my right to do so every now and then. Think of the people that have died because of their passion and heartfelt hopes of change? So many good men and women. All because of an inherent wish for tolerance, love and support.

Our show celebrates the GLBT community. We are proud to be a part of something that embraces an often avoided topic. Hate is terrible, especially when we pass it down to a new generation of innocents. Recently, I heard a lament about San Francisco. How SFO just didn’t sound like a fun place to be, or visit, because that person wasn’t gay. Wait, really???? I wanted to laugh! But that would have been a response that wouldn’t have encouraged that person to be open-minded. To see that perhaps, their statement was foolish? Why won’t San Francisco be fun for you? Do you think the whole city is gay? Do you think they will judge you? Won’t feed you good food? Perhaps they won’t let you have fun, the way THEY have fun?

Sadly, we’ve gotten letters from people who explain that they love the show but hate the gay story-lines. That we shouldn’t be polluting their children’s heads. To this I’d sometimes like to sarcastically reply, would you also like us to tell them that a stork is dropping off our offspring? That the sky is purple? That it is not practical to be true to yourself, because there are mean people in this world that will make them feel wrong for being honest? That instead of embracing themselves, they should lie to the world? THEY should be the ones being untrue and unhappy?

I believe that if you are bringing a child into the world, you should be willing to accept them in any reality. Whether they are Black, White, Asian, have four fingers, are disabled, gay….that the only wish should be for a happy and healthy baby. We are each other’s children. Unless someone has committed a violent or hateful act, why should we judge? We can so quickly resort to anger, often, the product of a whole other issue. Most often, an issue with our own self.

I understand that I am sitting behind the protection of this computer screen, in this hotel room, and to many I might sound “preachy”. Especially now that I have written an essay. I hope my intentions sound pure, and just. I speak, because I am passionate. I write with this passion because I know how it feels to be hurt, to be depressed, to not value yourself, or your feelings. If any of this has inspired or moved you, even just made you think….I encourage you to tweet or reblog a picture, quote, anything that you feel will continue to spread the love. And if any are interested in tracking the chain, perhaps visualizing the greater collective, include the hatch tag, #letlovein.

Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives. - C.S. Lewis

Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage. - Lao Tzu

Fortune and love favor the brave. - Ovid

AND remember that sometimes….

People need loving the most when they deserve it the least. - John Harrigan

To thine own heart be true. Many thanks for your time, your love, and the gift you’ve given me.

Sincerely,

Dianna Elise Agron

Thank you for sharing this with fans of the show! I’ve never had a problem with the “gay” storylines, with the exception of them not being progressive ENOUGH (believe it or not…) for queer people like me. Glee tackles a lot of issues that other shows are unable or unwilling to do, and for that, I really respect the show. However, there’s more to the queer community than gay men or even lesbian and bisexual women. Too often, political moves intended to be supportive of the LG (sometimes) B (rarely) T (never) Q community ignore a large part of our diversity and the struggles we face.

That said, I squealed with joy when I saw Dianna Agron (the actress who plays Quinn on Glee) wearing this shirt, and this is in no way a critique of her as a person - more of an overall critique of the way media and even mainstream “LGBTQ” (translation, once again: L, G, sometimes B, rarely T, never Q) organizations treat queer issues. Why, for example, all the focus on same-sex marriage in NY? Where is the critique of marriage as a privileged institution used to validate and invalidate certain relationships? We, as queer people and activists, don’t need to assimilate to this system of privilege—we need to focus on de-privileging an institution rooted in a racist, sexist, homophobic, and classist history—and one that still perpetuates these attitudes, regardless of who is now allowed to marry.

From local gay and lesbian organizations, I’ve seen nothing along the lines of political action with respect to anything outside of DOMA or DADT. Translation: any issues that reach beyond the focus of privileged, white gay males never enters the picture. What about queer, working-class people? And queer people of color? And trans people? Why aren’t we focusing our energies on youth homelessness—many of whom identify as queer—or HIV/AIDS and health care needs? What about attacks on womyn and trans exclusion (e.g. ENDA). What about gentrification and racism and the epidemic of queer youth suicide?

TL;DR version: there’s more to the LGBTQ community than L and G. While more widespread acceptance of gays and lesbians is certainly a wonderful thing, like in any social movement, may of us have been left behind. Progress for gay-identified people should not come at the expense of every other letter of the acronym—or those who do identify as gay but face a form of interlocking oppression due to racism, sexism, insufficient healthcare, poverty, etc. These are ALL queer issues—because progressive queer politics extend beyond L and G. It’s about HUMAN rights as a whole.

Again, this isn’t a direct response to the post I’m reblogging, and I fucking adore Dianna Agron. It’s just something I’ve been thinking about with respect to issues highlighted both on the show Glee and elsewhere, given my experience in local queer groups, the political organizing in NY around the issue of same-sex marriage, and so on.

Bearly Literate: hello its PINKY!

Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:48:48 -0400

Bearly Literate: hello its PINKY! :

delbeans:

hi everie one! this is pinky with a heart. del is not updating 2day because he was beeing a BAD BEAR and lauren and ralph put him in time out!! i told delly bear that he shuld stop using bad words. maybe then he will get out of time out and we can play.

so since del is in time out me and maxi…

Yes, even my stuffed animals are blogging about So You Think You Can Dance. We’re all addicted!

Photo

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 12:48:37 -0400

Beyond Marriage

Sun, 26 Jun 2011 00:44:26 -0400

Beyond Marriage

roberttobrien: Just so we’re QUEER: I do not give a fuck that I...

Sat, 25 Jun 2011 11:45:59 -0400

Jose, ACT UP, and Health GAP r queer...

Leslie Feinberg is queer...

Queers for Economic Justice is queer...

Sylvia Rivera Law Project is queer...

Queerocracy rocks my world!

Kenyon Farrow is queer...

Sylvia was queer...

Gender Just is queer...

Pres. O, uv a "queer" way to equality!

roberttobrien:

Just so we’re QUEER:

I do not give a fuck that I now have the same rights as other bourgeois, privileged fucks to join an institution that is oppressive. Nor do I want the right to go and serve an imperial power, fucking over some other oppressed group of people so that I can have the “equality” to be an oppressor in this way.

Marriage is STILL not the right answer. It’s not even the right fucking question. The right question is: “Why do people think that supporting the rights of (well-behaved, cis-gender, monogamous, bourgeois, mostly white) gay people makes them (or “gay” people) progressive?” The right question involves remembering how we got here — through intersectional politics that recognized that oppression on the basis of sexuality, gender, class, race, abled-ness, nationalism, etc. was WRONG and both the gay liberation and lesbian feminist movements knew this. Don’t piss on the rest of those who still struggle for “equality” and tell them it’s raining men (hallelujah), find a queer political organization and do something that actually fucking matters.

Yes, I’m saying “fuck” a lot because I’m pissed. But I also like fucking: I like fucking men. I like fucking women. I like fucking gender-queer folk like myself. And my heart and my social life are both large enough to love and make love to all kinds of people as well.

So, fuck, NYC! Fuck a lot! Fuck the whole state, if it’s consensual! Practice safer sex, but fuck. And, fuck, Mr. Obama. You’re such a Republican in Dem clothing (just like Bill Clinton, our greatest Republican president), that you must have an intern or a wide stance or an Appalachian trail that you’re interested in trying out.

No one is “equal” — or free — so long as it is only possible because others are oppressed.

We’re here! We’re QUEER! And we ain’t done yet!

Heck Yeah Tumblr Challenges!: 5 things that sum you up as a person. Things you are grateful...

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 11:53:31 -0400

Heck Yeah Tumblr Challenges!: 5 things that sum you up as a person. Things you are grateful...:

heckyeahtumblrchallenges:

5 things that sum you up as a person.

Things you are grateful for.

How you do your makeup/hair.

How you lost your virginity/ your current feelings on still being a virgin.

Your fears.

A sentimental possession and the story behind it.

A habit you can’t stop.

The story behind your URL,…

broptimusprime: Why is this so true?

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 11:50:39 -0400

broptimusprime:

Why is this so true?

Photo

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 11:42:09 -0400

sexisbeautiful: lawsonry: “How to tell when you’re about to...

Fri, 10 Jun 2011 15:32:00 -0400

sexisbeautiful:

lawsonry:

“How to tell when you’re about to say something stupid”

welcome to conversations with my boss/ brother/ professors ugh.