Torontonians, see you there:
Native Students Assoc., U.T.S.U., RSU, YFS, Canadians who stand for justice
Friday, June 29, 2007
Time: 12:00pm - 5:00pm
Location: Kings College Circle to Queens Park
Description
This will be a peaceful demonstration supporting the National Day of Action.First Nations are calling for immediate action to improve their quality of life. This Day of Action is an opportunity for all Canadians to stand together in support of a better life for First Nations Citizens in Canada.We call upon the government to work with First Nations so they can take more control of the programs, services and decisions that affect their lives and to honour and implement First Nations rights.Join Canadians across the nation in peaceful demonstrations for First Nations rights. We will march from King's College Circle to Queens Park; demanding a better quality of life for all First Nations. Once there, there will be an opportunity to enjoy music, food, dance and inspirational words as we come together to address issues, unified as Canadians.Strong First Nations mean a stronger Canada-- An outcome of good for all Canadians.
More Info.
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Happy Pride Toronto!
Sorry, I haven't been posting lately. I'm just living in the real world more often I guess. It's summer after all.
So to kick it off right, I went to the Dyke March today - and it was fun! There were so many women from "Dykes with Tikes" - way to go mommies!
Tomorrow is the Pride Parade and I"ll definitely be there too.
I want to write something more thoughtful about these events though. One really can't help but notice all the sponsorship from large corporations and namely banks, something does leave me restless about all this.
So here are some more 'radical' links regarding the recent corporatization of Toronto's "Pride".
Limp Fist (Toronto specific)
Gay Shame
I really have come to believe that all 'politics' have been co-opted by neoliberalism. Namely anything that came out of the early years 'identity politics' era... feminism of course included.
Case in point, Toronto has a 'gay radio station'.... This could be viewed as a great thing... but I have to wonder if a new Pakistani immigrant gay man is seriously listening to 24 hours of Gloria Estefan, Beyonce and disco anything.... And I wonder why they aren't playing more Queen (fronted of course by the very gay Freddy Mercury) or Judas Priest (fronted by Rob Halford). An argument could of course be made that they were both in the closet at the peak of their careers.
But I guess my problem lies more with how 'gayness' or the much touted term "pride" is defined, and on whose terms.... but I could be making something out of nothing.
I dunno, makes me wonder....
discuss
So to kick it off right, I went to the Dyke March today - and it was fun! There were so many women from "Dykes with Tikes" - way to go mommies!
Tomorrow is the Pride Parade and I"ll definitely be there too.
I want to write something more thoughtful about these events though. One really can't help but notice all the sponsorship from large corporations and namely banks, something does leave me restless about all this.
So here are some more 'radical' links regarding the recent corporatization of Toronto's "Pride".
Limp Fist (Toronto specific)
Gay Shame
I really have come to believe that all 'politics' have been co-opted by neoliberalism. Namely anything that came out of the early years 'identity politics' era... feminism of course included.
Case in point, Toronto has a 'gay radio station'.... This could be viewed as a great thing... but I have to wonder if a new Pakistani immigrant gay man is seriously listening to 24 hours of Gloria Estefan, Beyonce and disco anything.... And I wonder why they aren't playing more Queen (fronted of course by the very gay Freddy Mercury) or Judas Priest (fronted by Rob Halford). An argument could of course be made that they were both in the closet at the peak of their careers.
But I guess my problem lies more with how 'gayness' or the much touted term "pride" is defined, and on whose terms.... but I could be making something out of nothing.
I dunno, makes me wonder....
discuss
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Help Yolanda & others get to the AMC!
Dear Friends,
As you know many WOC bloggers want to go to the AMC. Some of the bloggers have managed to get funds, I have posted the link in the sidebar to bfps blog which has the links to those bloggers that need funds. I believe Black Amazon is now covered (for the most part).
I'm just putting the word out for Yolanda as she asked me if there was some way I could make an announcement (she has been running around a lot lately). But you can still contribute to the other bloggers, which as I've mentioned, the link is in the side bar.
Here is the link to Yolanda's Paypal.
Thank you
-AD
As you know many WOC bloggers want to go to the AMC. Some of the bloggers have managed to get funds, I have posted the link in the sidebar to bfps blog which has the links to those bloggers that need funds. I believe Black Amazon is now covered (for the most part).
I'm just putting the word out for Yolanda as she asked me if there was some way I could make an announcement (she has been running around a lot lately). But you can still contribute to the other bloggers, which as I've mentioned, the link is in the side bar.
Here is the link to Yolanda's Paypal.
Thank you
-AD
Monday, June 11, 2007
You are too generous, no really....
A quick response to:
The Thinking Man's Guide to Bachelor Parties
Whom to invite, where to have it, and more.
By Troy Patterson
Article otherwise known as Trickle-down economics meets empowerment meets cooptation of feminism meets benevolent male consumer meets "the global south" meets white male privilege. Bah, nuff said.
you SHOULD ALWAYS treat dancers with respect (was there a time where you weren't supposed to, I guess so cause it's now 'progressive'?)... but that's not your real point is it?
Right, because how much of your money actually is going to support the women and not larry flynt.
What's so funny is that the only women who were really welcome back into new orleans during the initial devastation were the strippers, I remember reports detailing how uncomfortable female relief workers felt at that time, so much so that many of them returned.
And you care so much about the feminist cause, no?
I love the idea of 'trickle-down' economics, the whole problem with it is - nothing ever trickles down anywhere until you, the supposedly humanitarian-turned activist consumer, get something out of it. If you are a dude, that's most likely a good old blow-job.... This could of course be anywhere; in the American "global south", thailand, India, the eastern block, hey and now Iraq!
Cause you know, wherever tragedy hits - uncle sam and his henchman will always be there with a bucket ready to collect the sweat and tears of women and children everywhere! (you did say 'barely legal' right?).
PS. If you were really a 'thinking man', I would say - wouldn't you think to ask your fiance/SO what she thought of this? This is of course the wedding issue. Considering that it's women who do most of the wedding planning - maybe this was supposed to be a spot where you exert male entitlement to 'barely legal teens' and by killing two birds with one stone you get to tell women readers what they really ought to expect their future spouses are into. Cause you aren't really addressing a male audience. If you were I'd think that you'd think - that might be something a fiance might be offended by.... But that's an afterthought for the 'thinking man'.
The Thinking Man's Guide to Bachelor Parties
Whom to invite, where to have it, and more.
By Troy Patterson
Article otherwise known as Trickle-down economics meets empowerment meets cooptation of feminism meets benevolent male consumer meets "the global south" meets white male privilege. Bah, nuff said.
Naturally, "the arts" include exotic dancing: The bachelor should be teased, humiliated, and possibly oil-wrestled by a professional ecdysiast. Some of you may object on feminist grounds, but strippers claim to find their work empowering, and this is no time for a debate. It is sufficiently progressive to treat the dancers with respect and to tip generously.
you SHOULD ALWAYS treat dancers with respect (was there a time where you weren't supposed to, I guess so cause it's now 'progressive'?)... but that's not your real point is it?
Adventuresome sorts might consider a trip overseas, or at least to Montreal, home of Club Super Sexe and its DJ, who brings the most charming Quebecois lilt to such phrases as "Lesbian show, lesbian show!" Amsterdam, Ixtapa, Reykjavik, and Cartegena have also become popular, but who can keep up with extradition treaties? Why not see America first? There's always New Orleans, a jaunt with a humanitarian vibe: The tragedy of Hurricane Katrina may have slipped from the front pages, but the ladies of Larry Flynt's Barely Legal Club still need your support.
Right, because how much of your money actually is going to support the women and not larry flynt.
What's so funny is that the only women who were really welcome back into new orleans during the initial devastation were the strippers, I remember reports detailing how uncomfortable female relief workers felt at that time, so much so that many of them returned.
And you care so much about the feminist cause, no?
I love the idea of 'trickle-down' economics, the whole problem with it is - nothing ever trickles down anywhere until you, the supposedly humanitarian-turned activist consumer, get something out of it. If you are a dude, that's most likely a good old blow-job.... This could of course be anywhere; in the American "global south", thailand, India, the eastern block, hey and now Iraq!
Cause you know, wherever tragedy hits - uncle sam and his henchman will always be there with a bucket ready to collect the sweat and tears of women and children everywhere! (you did say 'barely legal' right?).
PS. If you were really a 'thinking man', I would say - wouldn't you think to ask your fiance/SO what she thought of this? This is of course the wedding issue. Considering that it's women who do most of the wedding planning - maybe this was supposed to be a spot where you exert male entitlement to 'barely legal teens' and by killing two birds with one stone you get to tell women readers what they really ought to expect their future spouses are into. Cause you aren't really addressing a male audience. If you were I'd think that you'd think - that might be something a fiance might be offended by.... But that's an afterthought for the 'thinking man'.
Wednesday, June 06, 2007
Open call for submissions: "Leftist" Movie Reviews
It's really hard for me to keep track of who writes what, it seems everyday I want to add another 2-3 blogs to my blogroll.
I started "Leftist" movie reviews back in January, I would really like for it to be an aggregate of the best movie reviews in the blogosphere. The more contemporary the better!
I get a lot of hits here at LLL with the search terms "leftist movies", so I figure there are enough people interested in this.
If you have blogged about a movie and would like to see it cross-posted at LMR, please email me at aradhana4[AT]hotmail[DOT]com
If you send me your post via email, please include the HTML version of it with the url links/photos embedded in the post.
All critical opinions and perspectives are welcome at LMR. We appreciate 'non-english' film reviews too. You may write in any language of your choice. No Porn/erotica reviews please.
Thank you!
-AD
I started "Leftist" movie reviews back in January, I would really like for it to be an aggregate of the best movie reviews in the blogosphere. The more contemporary the better!
I get a lot of hits here at LLL with the search terms "leftist movies", so I figure there are enough people interested in this.
If you have blogged about a movie and would like to see it cross-posted at LMR, please email me at aradhana4[AT]hotmail[DOT]com
If you send me your post via email, please include the HTML version of it with the url links/photos embedded in the post.
All critical opinions and perspectives are welcome at LMR. We appreciate 'non-english' film reviews too. You may write in any language of your choice. No Porn/erotica reviews please.
Thank you!
-AD
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
National Hunger Awareness Day
I would write more - but I won't have a chance. Sign this quick online petition.
As most of you may know we have a conservative government in Canada now, and this of course means cuts to social spending.
From having volunteered at a food bank in the past - I could just quickly say the following:
1) All people of all ages, of all racial backgrounds go hungry daily, many of them are young children. Sometimes you'd see entire families coming into the food bank. In fact, if my memory serves me correctly 2/3 of the hungry in Canada are children.
2) Food banks are sad. When we used to sort the 'good' produce from the 'completely inedible'. Many of us middle-class kids would walk away with the heaviest heart. Because we knew what was 'good' was something we'd never have in our kitchen, something our parents wouldn't feed us. In fact, what was good produce at the food banks was often the stuff that we'd throw out in our own homes. The place where I volunteered even had rats in the produce. Food banks are underfunded places in general. In TO - there aren't many of them, the ones that exist, exist in a sad sorry state.
3) Mac n cheese - is not food, stop donating it. There's no nutrition - it's the equivalent of cardboard. Save some money to buy peanut butter and canned beans.
4) The long-term goal should not be to have more food banks - the goal should be to get rid of the need for food banks.
5) It's hard for women (I.e. this usually ends up being 'women's work') to get to the food bank. It really is, it's this trap between deciding whether you ought to use your $2.50 for the subway to get to the food bank in the dead of winter, get someone to watch the kids, or go to the foodbank - or straight up use the $2.50 to buy a carton of milk instead of getting much needed groceries from the foodbank. You're only allowed to 'take' so much food from the food bank as well. This is even tougher for new immigrant women who are rarely even familiar with the food bank or the city.
Sorry this is a little messy...
ETA: At Professor black woman's suggesetion, here is a list of most needed items. I'm guessing this is common amongst most food banks. Note: this food bank does state mac n cheese. At the foodbank I was at - this was a staple, but definitely other products were a necessity and most people tend not to donate them as much (hence my previous comments).
As most of you may know we have a conservative government in Canada now, and this of course means cuts to social spending.
From having volunteered at a food bank in the past - I could just quickly say the following:
1) All people of all ages, of all racial backgrounds go hungry daily, many of them are young children. Sometimes you'd see entire families coming into the food bank. In fact, if my memory serves me correctly 2/3 of the hungry in Canada are children.
2) Food banks are sad. When we used to sort the 'good' produce from the 'completely inedible'. Many of us middle-class kids would walk away with the heaviest heart. Because we knew what was 'good' was something we'd never have in our kitchen, something our parents wouldn't feed us. In fact, what was good produce at the food banks was often the stuff that we'd throw out in our own homes. The place where I volunteered even had rats in the produce. Food banks are underfunded places in general. In TO - there aren't many of them, the ones that exist, exist in a sad sorry state.
3) Mac n cheese - is not food, stop donating it. There's no nutrition - it's the equivalent of cardboard. Save some money to buy peanut butter and canned beans.
4) The long-term goal should not be to have more food banks - the goal should be to get rid of the need for food banks.
5) It's hard for women (I.e. this usually ends up being 'women's work') to get to the food bank. It really is, it's this trap between deciding whether you ought to use your $2.50 for the subway to get to the food bank in the dead of winter, get someone to watch the kids, or go to the foodbank - or straight up use the $2.50 to buy a carton of milk instead of getting much needed groceries from the foodbank. You're only allowed to 'take' so much food from the food bank as well. This is even tougher for new immigrant women who are rarely even familiar with the food bank or the city.
Sorry this is a little messy...
ETA: At Professor black woman's suggesetion, here is a list of most needed items. I'm guessing this is common amongst most food banks. Note: this food bank does state mac n cheese. At the foodbank I was at - this was a staple, but definitely other products were a necessity and most people tend not to donate them as much (hence my previous comments).
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Women's housing takeover (ETA: SALCO)
Updated with info from Red Jenny, via WOC blog:
The women's housing takeover resulted in four arrests. This is really disturbing on so many levels. Read more here and here.
Check out WAPC's blog itself.
1) I saw some posters and also heard about this from a friend. It looks totally awesome, but unfortunately I have more trivial things to do today, so I can't go.
Do check this out, it is truly awesome, and I wish I was so there right now, this minute.
From their website:
Support this exciting work by women and trans people in Toronto to set up housing for those of us experiencing violence and our children.
Sunday, June 3rd, Noon
Rally: 12 noon at Cawthra Square, Toronto (North of 519 Church Street Community Centre)
March: 1:00 pm- Led by women, trans people and our kids
ALL ARE WELCOME
HOUSING BY WOMEN 4 WOMEN NOW
What is the Women’s Poverty Collective Women’s Housing Takeover?
The Women Against Poverty Collective (WAPC) is a group of women and trans people who have been meeting regularly since March 2006. We are working together to advocate for safe, affordable, and accessible housing for women experiencing violence. Poverty is one of the biggest concerns identified by women living with violence, and coupled with a lack of access to housing, it keeps women stuck in abusive situations.
Women living in poverty have repeatedly identified the important, but often unrecognized, links between poverty and women’s experiences of violence, asking for policy changes such as those that are being advocated for by the current Raise the Rates and the Ontario Needs a Raise Campaigns. The Women Against Poverty Collective is organizing in solidarity with the Step It Up! Campaign, a broadly based effort that aims to address the link between poverty and gendered violence, organized by Ontario’s women’s equality-seeking groups, shelters, rape crisis centres, unions, anti-poverty groups, and community groups.
-----------------------------------------------------------
2) Quick online action - to support SALCO (South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario):
Please take two whole seconds to fill out this letter to the Ontario Provincial Parliament:
Their funding hasn't been renewed and they may end up closing.
From their site:
ACCESS TO JUSTICE!
Funding for the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO) from Legal Aid Ontario comes to an end in September 2007. After September 2007, the fastest growing community in the GTA – the South Asian community – will be denied access to legal services that are affordable and that meet the community’s needs in a linguistically and culturally sensitive manner. The Ontario Government and Legal Aid Ontario refuse to make a commitment to our community in the shape of a fully funded and permanent legal clinic. While the Government and Legal Aid Ontario rightly made such commitments to Aboriginal, Francophone, African Canadian, Chinese and Spanish-speaking Ontarians, they have not extended the same right to South Asian Ontarians.
Sorry, this post is so short, I'm very busy lately.
-AD
The women's housing takeover resulted in four arrests. This is really disturbing on so many levels. Read more here and here.
Check out WAPC's blog itself.
1) I saw some posters and also heard about this from a friend. It looks totally awesome, but unfortunately I have more trivial things to do today, so I can't go.
Do check this out, it is truly awesome, and I wish I was so there right now, this minute.
From their website:
Support this exciting work by women and trans people in Toronto to set up housing for those of us experiencing violence and our children.
Sunday, June 3rd, Noon
Rally: 12 noon at Cawthra Square, Toronto (North of 519 Church Street Community Centre)
March: 1:00 pm- Led by women, trans people and our kids
ALL ARE WELCOME
HOUSING BY WOMEN 4 WOMEN NOW
What is the Women’s Poverty Collective Women’s Housing Takeover?
The Women Against Poverty Collective (WAPC) is a group of women and trans people who have been meeting regularly since March 2006. We are working together to advocate for safe, affordable, and accessible housing for women experiencing violence. Poverty is one of the biggest concerns identified by women living with violence, and coupled with a lack of access to housing, it keeps women stuck in abusive situations.
Women living in poverty have repeatedly identified the important, but often unrecognized, links between poverty and women’s experiences of violence, asking for policy changes such as those that are being advocated for by the current Raise the Rates and the Ontario Needs a Raise Campaigns. The Women Against Poverty Collective is organizing in solidarity with the Step It Up! Campaign, a broadly based effort that aims to address the link between poverty and gendered violence, organized by Ontario’s women’s equality-seeking groups, shelters, rape crisis centres, unions, anti-poverty groups, and community groups.
-----------------------------------------------------------
2) Quick online action - to support SALCO (South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario):
Please take two whole seconds to fill out this letter to the Ontario Provincial Parliament:
Their funding hasn't been renewed and they may end up closing.
From their site:
ACCESS TO JUSTICE!
Funding for the South Asian Legal Clinic of Ontario (SALCO) from Legal Aid Ontario comes to an end in September 2007. After September 2007, the fastest growing community in the GTA – the South Asian community – will be denied access to legal services that are affordable and that meet the community’s needs in a linguistically and culturally sensitive manner. The Ontario Government and Legal Aid Ontario refuse to make a commitment to our community in the shape of a fully funded and permanent legal clinic. While the Government and Legal Aid Ontario rightly made such commitments to Aboriginal, Francophone, African Canadian, Chinese and Spanish-speaking Ontarians, they have not extended the same right to South Asian Ontarians.
Sorry, this post is so short, I'm very busy lately.
-AD
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