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{ minor linkspam - please circulate }

FireDogLake - Letter to stop the inhumane treatment of PFC Bradley Manning (DEADLINE Friday): http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/bradleymanning?source=em20110120

Rabbis for Human Rights North America* - Tell the President to close Guantanamo Bay detention center: http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5149/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=5220

The TransGriot - Nikki Araguz Trial Links (Trigger Warning: links describe transphobia): http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2011/01/nikki-araguz-trial-links.html

…& There They Go Pushing Gay Marriage Over ENDA Again: http://transgriot.blogspot.com/2011/01/there-they-go-pushing-gay-marraige-over.html

Angry Asian Man - Rush Limbaugh mocks Chinese President (Trigger Warning for racism): http://blog.angryasianman.com/2011/01/rush-limbaugh-mocks-chinese-president.html

Two orgs that come highly recommended: http://colorofchange.org/ & http://getequal.org/

—————————————

* I’m not religious.  Is it okay for me to circulate petitions/email campaigns from RHRNA and like groups?  Do you think it’s okay for me to participate in their campaigns, so long as I leave out the “as a person of faith”-type language?

haterina: tranzient: samarasage: is this supposed to be funny? I’m seeing all these notes about “japan lol” and isolationism. just because it’s not western doesn’t mean that it’s less important or less impressive than a David or a Hogarth. I assume this is intended to be insulting and belittling because the Japanese painting isn’t in a the ‘western tradition’ and because it looks different from something people in the west are used to looking at. if you’re able to, please make use of your public library at once and save yourselves some embarrassment in the future. also, whoever created this is probably an asshole.  How dare the Japanese artist not draww like the Europeans? Doesn’t he know white is right? I guess he will when Commodore Perry kicks down his door and eats his knees. Oh, why, would you look at that - some perfect art history fail for you! If you are able to source and date a series of paintings by dead white European men, can you also not do some basic research about Japanese painting and prints? I am sure it makes you feel ever so fancy to be able to chat shit about ~*~*art*~*~ (as long as it is the art by the dead white European men of course!) but, you know, some of the effort and time expended doing that could also be dedicated to learning about something called “Eurocentrism”. The idea that White European Art flourishes and is ~great~ simply buys into a prescriptive and teleological narrative of art. White European Art progresses. It goes forwards — up, even! Ah, single-point perspective, modelling, naturalism, light, colour, history painting, the Lives of the Artists… Now, in terms of the rest of the world of art out there (once we begrudgingly acknowledge it): The story of Indian art is written in decline. It goes backwards. Needs civilising imperial influence. The art of China is static and doesn’t go anywhere. It is an example of sino-stagnance. The art of Africa? What is that? Egypt isn’t a part of Africa, don’t be silly! Not quite yet sure about the rest of the continents so let’s just erase them. If you actually believed any of that, you’re a victim of Eurocentric historiography. Unlearn it, please. De-colonise your mind.Now, how can I put this in a way so as to not offend or un-nerve…? I am not going to deny the historical fact of strict foreign policy. However, I do think much of the LOLJAPANESE coming from this is just whitey being miffed that someone doesn’t want whitey to come in and ransack their place willy-nilly. They’re just not used to this level of resistance to imperialism! Anyway, it wasn’t as if Japan was completely isolated or that contact with only whitey was restricted. Now, in terms of the art: it is not due to some especial Oriental perversity/stagnance/decline that the Japanese people produced art using different artistic technique, different artistic aims, different relationship between artist and audience, different ways of consuming art. I don’t want to frighten you with the idea that, um, Japan is kind of far away from Europe. Would they obliged produce art like the Europeans even if they were next-door neighbours? Perhaps. The reason 18th century Europe had this sense of That Which is Art is because, well… European countries are relatively near each other. They had established centres of production such as London, Venice, Florence. Also it is relatively easier to travel, say, between England and Italy. Artists came and went from workshop to workshop, court to court. Artistic treatises were published and circulated, translated into different languages. The rich began to collect art in the early 17th century, creating a way of controlling and exhibiting taste and power. Also, the Royal Academy in London opened a few decades earlier than the paintings shown here, a place where artists studied and held exhibitions. There was a concern with a particular standard of excellence and a consciousness of creating oneself as an enlightened and much-patronised artist. So you see, there’s a particular world of art in Europe, mediated by the production and display of artwork. Now, what countries are near Japan? China and Korea. Would it therefore be more reasonable to also look at them when evaluating how and why Japanese art came to look that way? Well, it would certainly be more rational than comparing it to European art just by some colonised aesthetic. It shows huge history and geography fail to not take the above vague but basic background into account. If the person who made the graphic took a class in art history then I should like to box the tutor’s ears, that’ll learn them. Shit, even I could be a better teacher! Awesome haterina is awesome.  You’re a fair sight better than most teachers out there, I’ll bet, as well as better than the History Channel.

haterina:

tranzient:

samarasage:

is this supposed to be funny? I’m seeing all these notes about “japan lol” and isolationism. just because it’s not western doesn’t mean that it’s less important or less impressive than a David or a Hogarth. I assume this is intended to be insulting and belittling because the Japanese painting isn’t in a the ‘western tradition’ and because it looks different from something people in the west are used to looking at. if you’re able to, please make use of your public library at once and save yourselves some embarrassment in the future. also, whoever created this is probably an asshole. 

How dare the Japanese artist not draww like the Europeans? Doesn’t he know white is right?

I guess he will when Commodore Perry kicks down his door and eats his knees.

Oh, why, would you look at that - some perfect art history fail for you!

If you are able to source and date a series of paintings by dead white European men, can you also not do some basic research about Japanese painting and prints? I am sure it makes you feel ever so fancy to be able to chat shit about ~*~*art*~*~ (as long as it is the art by the dead white European men of course!) but, you know, some of the effort and time expended doing that could also be dedicated to learning about something called “Eurocentrism”.

The idea that White European Art flourishes and is ~great~ simply buys into a prescriptive and teleological narrative of art. White European Art progresses. It goes forwards — up, even! Ah, single-point perspective, modelling, naturalism, light, colour, history painting, the Lives of the Artists…

Now, in terms of the rest of the world of art out there (once we begrudgingly acknowledge it):

  • The story of Indian art is written in decline. It goes backwards. Needs civilising imperial influence.
  • The art of China is static and doesn’t go anywhere. It is an example of sino-stagnance.
  • The art of Africa? What is that? Egypt isn’t a part of Africa, don’t be silly!
  • Not quite yet sure about the rest of the continents so let’s just erase them.

If you actually believed any of that, you’re a victim of Eurocentric historiography. Unlearn it, please. De-colonise your mind.

Now, how can I put this in a way so as to not offend or un-nerve…?

I am not going to deny the historical fact of strict foreign policy. However, I do think much of the LOLJAPANESE coming from this is just whitey being miffed that someone doesn’t want whitey to come in and ransack their place willy-nilly. They’re just not used to this level of resistance to imperialism! Anyway, it wasn’t as if Japan was completely isolated or that contact with only whitey was restricted.

Now, in terms of the art: it is not due to some especial Oriental perversity/stagnance/decline that the Japanese people produced art using different artistic technique, different artistic aims, different relationship between artist and audience, different ways of consuming art.

I don’t want to frighten you with the idea that, um, Japan is kind of far away from Europe. Would they obliged produce art like the Europeans even if they were next-door neighbours? Perhaps.

The reason 18th century Europe had this sense of That Which is Art is because, well… European countries are relatively near each other. They had established centres of production such as London, Venice, Florence. Also it is relatively easier to travel, say, between England and Italy. Artists came and went from workshop to workshop, court to court. Artistic treatises were published and circulated, translated into different languages. The rich began to collect art in the early 17th century, creating a way of controlling and exhibiting taste and power. Also, the Royal Academy in London opened a few decades earlier than the paintings shown here, a place where artists studied and held exhibitions. There was a concern with a particular standard of excellence and a consciousness of creating oneself as an enlightened and much-patronised artist. So you see, there’s a particular world of art in Europe, mediated by the production and display of artwork.

Now, what countries are near Japan? China and Korea. Would it therefore be more reasonable to also look at them when evaluating how and why Japanese art came to look that way? Well, it would certainly be more rational than comparing it to European art just by some colonised aesthetic.

It shows huge history and geography fail to not take the above vague but basic background into account. If the person who made the graphic took a class in art history then I should like to box the tutor’s ears, that’ll learn them.

Shit, even I could be a better teacher!

Awesome haterina is awesome.  You’re a fair sight better than most teachers out there, I’ll bet, as well as better than the History Channel.

(via torayot)

{ BUT Dusty People ARE Delicious, no? }

haterina:

jaded16india:

haterina:

juthikalalaa:

when white men refer creepily to dark skin as caramel or chocolate they have to have it makes me want to punch them so hard they can’t be fertile anymore

oh my shit I once read this awful awful awful comment where a white guy was like “Why try and get one of those awful stinky white womens as a girlfriend when you can get your cock sucked by a caramel-skinned beauty in Bangkok for $5?”

Phust of all, dusty skin is way more delicious. OF COURSE IT IS. Which is why sex-workers in India are one of the lowest-paid in the world. Oh, are you saying these two don’t match? Well, then it must be my govt’s fault.

Anyway, I’ve come to see “Caramel” as a compliment*, because being reduced to a flavour, a shade, a easy infinitely-accessible-possessable object is now foreplay. OF COURSE IT IS! Don’t you know, we never really have sex? It’s just done to us? Right now I’m shaking my reverse-racist head at your ignorance, tumblr peeps.

The crux of the matter is, White Dude fixes price of Dusty Lady, always. Otherwise it will be like doing porn without the added pleasure of pornificated poverty.

Some days, I feel lyke doing the reverse-racist so, so hard. But then I just sit all nice and quiet in my ditch, otherwise NICE WHITE GUY will feel teh sads. And I for one will not allow such injustice**. 

———-

*Dedicated to the Anon who hates teh jokes. 

** This is also dedicated to the same anon.

I just needed this on my blog ok

Is it okay for a white girl to reblog this in the name of hurting Nice White Guys’ feelings?  Because I love to do that.  (I’ll take this down if it’s not okay)

(via torayot)

{ LINK: click here if you haven't read enough bigoted whining lately (*trigger warning* for a wide variety of ism-y language) }

(via genderbitch, who got it from an Anon)

Richard Littlejohn, everyone.  This guy’s a real piece of work — he’s been slinging his bile all over the UK and apparently he wants to start writing in the US.  As if we yanks haven’t got enough trouble with Glenn Beck and O’Reilly and Coulter and Hannity and all the other FOX News motherfuckers and their ilk we have to put up with, goddamn.

lucypaw:

taniada:

Philadelphia Police Violently Attack Gay Couple

queerwatch:

[TRIGGER WARNING: hate crimes, police brutality, homophobia, racism, slurs]

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – A gay couple are filing harassment and brutality charges against the local police department, after they say they were taken out of their homes and beaten in the snow by 10-12 officers with batons. Several neighbors have pictures and video.

In late December, police were called to the home of partners Luis Berrios and Jason Mendez after a neighbor heard what they thought was a domestic dispute. Officers immediately handcuffed Jason Mendez and dragged him outside, shoved him in the snow and started beating him with their batons, screaming “Nigger” and “Faggot.”

When Mr. Berrios demanded that the police stop beating his partner, they did the same thing to him. Eventually, police picked the men off the ground by their shirts and pants and threw them head-first into the squad cars (missing the first time so they landed on the ground face-first). Berrios and Mendez say that several neighbors were watching, crying and have photos and videos of the event.

Berrios filed the complaint with Internal Affairs on Dec 30th, and then again on Jan 13th after he was told they had not received his complaint. No official action have been taken as of yet. Mendez is still in jail.

[…]

Ah, Philadelphia, I can always count on you to give me reason to say “(Un)Fuck the Police!”

No official action has been taken as of yet.  No official action has been taken as of yet.  No official action has been taken as of yet.

Motherfuckers.

{ amanda palmer is a shit }

genderbitch:

The Hyper-politicking Progressive Siamese: aintitgrand: Life is No Cabaret.: EXCUSE ME…

aintitgrand:

Life is No Cabaret.: EXCUSE ME RANT.

punkcabaretisfreedom:

PEOPLE WHO PRETEND TO BE AMANDA PALMER FANS PISS ME OFF SO MUCH.

PEOPLE WHO PRETEND TO BE FEMINISTS PISS ME OFF SO MUCH

By saying you are a FAN of AMANDA PALMER you are FAN of body acceptance and fucking the…

To clarify (because the “Like” system isn’t so clear here): I Like the anti-Palmer sentiment in the reblogs rather than the pro-Palmer rant.  Palmer’s such an asshole.

Especially love this from haterina:

To dismiss people with disabilities and minimise the terror that people of colour live with in their lives is absolutely politically correct as it supports the current status quo.

“Going “Native” is shaped by and refigures another phenomenon as well: the completion of the military conquest of Native Americans. Throughout the twentieth century, this event (or, more accurately, this series of events concluding in North America in the late nineteenth century) has also proved a source of collective anxiety, as persistent denials of the nature of American history attest. Going native constitutes a series of cultural rituals that express and symbolically resole this anxiety about the nation’s violent origins. At the same time, however, forms of going native reflect the changing relationship of the dominant, colonizing culture to Native America in the twentieth century. …. conquest did not end with white America’s military triumph. Rather, through out the twentieth century, white America has repeatedly enacted rites of conquest to confirm and extend its power over Native America, and these racial dynamics continue to shape contemporary American life. This power has taken a variety of forms. Whereas Native land and resources have long comprised the primary objects of the dominant culture’s desires, more recently, Native cultures and even identities have provided newer domains of conquest. Changing forms of going native map these transitions and link these events to better-known expressions of colonialism. Furthermore, going native articulates and supports other forms of imperial, gender, and racial domination within the broader American culture as well.”

—Shari M. Huhndorf, Going Native: Indians in the American Cultural Imagination  (via adailyriot)

(Source: rematiration, via genderbitch)

{ LINK: Radical Hott Off Notes: one reason why feministe is in a folder in my google reader titled "we say feminist but we really usually only mean... }

blackamazon:

healingsakina:

mewmewfoucault:

transartorialism:

feministe has this post up with about ten comments about a pregnant woman getting kicked out of a bar.

all the comments are something like, “that’s ridiculous!” (which it is)

however earlier last year there was a guest post by a woman named mai’a who…

i am SHOCKED. SHOCKED, I TELL YOU!

no, i’m not.

and this is why i only went to that crappin’ site because Mai’a was writing for it. (traumatizing as that whole time was for me, imagine for a minute what it could have done to Mai’a to deal with that shit.)

and this is also why i do not identify as feminist. all this, right here.

damn soul-killing is what *F*eminism is…

Do Tommorow is a cussing Out folk day yes!

{ Dear White Feminists }

jaded16india:

This letter is specifically directed to several white feminists — self-identified as such — who wrote to me in OUTRAGE! that I shouldn’t have suggested a non-English term for “genderqueer” because then I’m doing teh reverse-racist and it’s just plain rude. This is my answer:

————-

Hello.

I know you don’t like talking to me, just the person you’ve constructed as me and taken tufts of my culture’s stereotypes and your view on these stereotypes, but at one point you will have to realise your words are not reflecting back. Ekschully, you might not, considering you haven’t seen it yet. Because I’m such a unicorn, I’ll continue anyway.

At this point, you’re like Sarah Palin to me. Good, I’m sure I have your attention now considering I used a metaphor nice imperial people like you can understand. So, I understand you lyke talking about dusty hijras a lot¹ and it’s like teh povertyporn to you, talking about those poor, intersexed “menwomen” as they’re shunned by society. And you seem too find them adequately exotic, to make them into footnotes; for which I’m eternally grateful, for had it not been for you, no one would know about Indian culture, no? What? Surely we must have our identity through you. Glad we could settle that.

I am writing to you because you decided to write to me, telling me I’m being a “bad feminist” by suggesting that perhaps we need our own terms and definitions for dusty Queer people, because the terms ‘lesbian’, ‘gay’, ‘trans’, ‘queer’, ‘asexual’ etc are all encompassing. But then you forgot one leetal thing, this ‘all encompassing’ definition and terms sometimes stretch only across the US or European borders and as most dusty queers I spoke of in the post, and the dusty queers who squat in ditches next to mine don’t live in the US or Europe! Isn’t that a big surprise, that Indian queers — well, a lot of them anyway — are from India? So we have a leetal different problems than you do. Don’t believe me? I have an extremely Western list to prove to you²:

  • Phust of all, in most parts of the country being queer is still a criminal act as the Delhi High Court has only struck down Section 377.  The Supreme Court is still ‘thinking’ about this issue. So for us, we still have to decriminialise and destigmatise queer identities, than say, fight for marriage rights.
  • Terms such as “corrective rapes”, ‘yoga practices to cure teh queer’ and other quack-y measures are something Indian queers, especially women have to go through a lot. I’m sure fundamentalism exists Over There as well, all I’m saying is you need to acknowledge that dusty Queers do have it much worse. 
  • We’re not privileged enough to have ‘help-centers’ for queer people, not even in major cities or towns. We do have several NGO’s and Queer-based organisations³ who do as much work they can, unfortunately most work revolves in circles of privilege. I don’t blame them for this, they do all that they can, just hope that one day they’ll have the ability to be more inclusive. YOU however, sitting at the center of privilege don’t get to advocate what dusty queers should do, how they should go to help and support centers or ‘educate themselves’ and not get HIV/AIDS. 
  • Coming out as queer is a privilege so many people out here simply don’t have, caste-class-religion-societal pressure all tie into it. It’s not just ‘adherence to tradition’ as you keep on saying this is. 

THIS is why we need to re-write what being queer is, as dusty peepal squatting in ditches, okay? Now stop infesting my blog with your privilege.

————-

1. Gloria Stienem, Germaine Greer, Naomi Wolf all have at least one reference to “I’ve stood between hijra communities and have felt their potent magic” in perhaps more culture-appropriative terms. I’m not joking, go look it up, I’ll wait here in my ditch. Also, other feminists online have made some off-hand remarks too along similar tropes. 

2. Imagine this in a British accent like this is a BBC documentary. Every time I have trouble believing any news, I think of it in a British Dude’s voice and it seems like the ONLY AND HOLY TRUTH for me, I suggest you should try doing this too. This tried and tested method is brought to you by 200+ years of colonialism in the Indian Subcontinent. 

3. I’m not going to name any organisations out here. In case anyone wants to know, please drop a non-anonymous message in my Ask box or write to me via e-mail (the address is on the front page of my tumblr). I wouldn’t want trolls to get wind of organisations I’m talking about. 

(via bigbadcolored-deactivated201104)

{ LINK: Genderbitch Lite: Now With More Rambling!: malefeminist: Just a few things… research-and-destroy: If you’re brown... }

malefeminist:

Just a few things…

research-and-destroy:

If you’re brown and you shoot a politician, it’s terrorism and ‘the problem with these people’; if you’re white, it’s ‘strange’. If you’re brown and you wipe your nose in public, it’s because you’re ‘dirty’; if you’re white it’s…

This is awesome.  The subject is horrible but the thing itself is awesome.

(Source: iwaslisteningtotherain)