without a tighter breathing...

Just so we're all aware...

Sun, 23 Jan 2011 08:49:04 +1100

challyzatb:

healingsakina:

challyzatb:

Precisely half of the regular Feministe bloggers right now are white, and half are not.

If I read that Feministe is a white or a mostly white blog one. more. time…

See: Representing.

sorry, it is still a blog that centers whiteness. it IS a white blog. just because some women of color write on it, read it, comment now does not change the reality that it centers a very specific outlook that is entrenched in white privilege and is openly silencing of non-whiteness-centering anything.

ETA: more than feeling erased (which i do understand) by people calling it a white blog despite it featuring some woc writers, you as one of those woc writers should strive to CHANGE how completely fucked up the site is. stop getting pissed at people for seeing it as white because it is so fucked up, and instead get pissed at why you choose to write for such a fucked up site, and work with so much fucked up on-going whiteness.

I’m not sure if you clicked through to that post, otherwise, please see my latest tumblr post.

I am striving really hard, every day, to change the status quo there. I am doing my absolute best, at all times of day, writing as hard as I can about race issues, on the blog and in comments. I’m going to keep getting pissed at people who erase my work, and I’m going to keep getting pissed at that status quo. I don’t see why that work isn’t worth recognising.

i didn’t say it isn’t worth recognizing. i just don’t see it happening. i frankly think it’s sickening that all i see from you is bitching that your work isn’t recognized because you aren’t white and it’s oh-so-wrong for people to view it as a white blog. frankly, not everything is about YOU. i don’t think you challenge the status quo, that’s my personal opinion. i think you are a brown person who is supporting the status quo and the fact that you write shit like this is exactly why i feel that way. you are a token who denies being a token and you put more effort and angst into being pissed that people hate that complete bull-shit blog that you choose to defend than about actually fixing what is really fucked up. we’ve had this discussion before. you contribute to a fucked up system, defend that fucked up system, and then complain that people don’t recognize you as challenging the status quo of that system. but you never seem to recognize that the critiques are valid or to really engage those critiques beyond saying “but i’m brown and i’m there, notice me!”. it has been almost a year since Mai’a wrote there and that site is still just as fucked up now as it was then. so no, don’t tell me what you challenge if none of us can see any actual change happening. don’t make critiques of the site all about you. also - look up the difference between “white” and “whiteness”. whiteness is a system, and Feministe is all about the whiteness, not necessarily the white.

I know that not everything is about me, and I’ve written perhaps two posts total on Feministe which mentioned the erasure, where I’ve written a lot about racial issues that are not that. If you don’t read my other work, or if you don’t recognise it as challenging the status quo, well, of course that is how you see it. But I’ve heard from a lot of people of colour who feel differently. That’s not “none of us,” that is people. And I do spend a lot of time acknowledging those critiques. I know the difference between white and whiteness, hence my complaining about people calling Feministe a white blog. My feelings are not shit, and please don’t call me a token: I’m not a token making no difference, doing what white people tell me. I am not angry that people hate Feministe, I understand, and please don’t tell me how I feel. I put a lot of effort into fixing things, whether you recognise it or not, and a lot less into blowing off steam about it. I’m not defending anything but my existence as a human being.

If you only recognise some of what I write, or don’t think the rest is valuable, okay, but please don’t act as though I am not doign my absolute best to change the status quo, or to ascribe proportions of actions and experiences to me that aren’t actually the case.

Look, I don’t want to engage with someone who calls me a token and describe my feelings as shit or ignores the bulk of what I do.

Just so we're all aware...

Sun, 23 Jan 2011 08:26:26 +1100

healingsakina:

challyzatb:

Precisely half of the regular Feministe bloggers right now are white, and half are not.

If I read that Feministe is a white or a mostly white blog one. more. time…

See: Representing.

sorry, it is still a blog that centers whiteness. it IS a white blog. just because some women of color write on it, read it, comment now does not change the reality that it centers a very specific outlook that is entrenched in white privilege and is openly silencing of non-whiteness-centering anything.

ETA: more than feeling erased (which i do understand) by people calling it a white blog despite it featuring some woc writers, you as one of those woc writers should strive to CHANGE how completely fucked up the site is. stop getting pissed at people for seeing it as white because it is so fucked up, and instead get pissed at why you choose to write for such a fucked up site, and work with so much fucked up on-going whiteness.

I’m not sure if you clicked through to that post, otherwise, please see my latest tumblr post.

I am striving really hard, every day, to change the status quo there. I am doing my absolute best, at all times of day, writing as hard as I can about race issues, on the blog and in comments. I’m going to keep getting pissed at people who erase my work, and I’m going to keep getting pissed at that status quo. I don’t see why that work isn’t worth recognising.

I mean, look. I get that white viewpoints are the ones that are paid attention to there, and I get...

Sun, 23 Jan 2011 08:23:28 +1100

I mean, look. I get that white viewpoints are the ones that are paid attention to there, and I get that non-white folks are shouted down: I’ve been subject to that, I get that. But calling it WHITE is erasing to the work of the non-white people there - and especially work in changing that status quo - and it does have psychological effects on me as someone who gets misracialised a lot.

Just so we're all aware...

Sun, 23 Jan 2011 08:14:48 +1100

Precisely half of the regular Feministe bloggers right now are white, and half are not.

If I read that Feministe is a white or a mostly white blog one. more. time…

See: Representing.

Chally: I think I need to get a marriage contract with this passionfruit slice

Tue, 18 Jan 2011 11:32:06 +1100

Chally: I think I need to get a marriage contract with this passionfruit slice
Dorian: Your relationship is that advanced, eh?
Chally: yeah I think we can go the distance
Dorian: I hope I'm invited to the wedding.
Chally: you can be the Best Pie

Yesterday I was in a government building and, right out at the front, there was a nativity scene. I...

Tue, 21 Dec 2010 08:03:13 +1100

Yesterday I was in a government building and, right out at the front, there was a nativity scene. I was amazed. Then I looked closer and I saw that baby Jesus had strawberry blonde hair.

… and then I stepped outside and came across the entrance to their aged and disability services department. This entrance was set above a step.

challyzatb: why is blogcarnival always down when I am trying to do admin?!

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 08:24:44 +1100

challyzatb: why is blogcarnival always down when I am trying to do admin?!
rabbitarmy: it has a grudge
it is white and wants toast

Sydney people, let's have a meet up!

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 07:17:27 +1100

Sydney people, let's have a meet up!

Calling GLBTQI and culturally and linguistically diverse Sydneysiders...

Sun, 12 Dec 2010 19:32:09 +1100

Calling GLBTQI and culturally and linguistically diverse Sydneysiders...:

An event you might be interested on 14 December.

"The law should not cater to the whims of the female mind and emotional state. Female justice is..."

Wed, 08 Dec 2010 11:03:29 +1100

“

The law should not cater to the whims of the female mind and emotional state.

Female justice is nebulous and above all subjective. Women should not have a say in such matters of justice.

”

- My favourite troll at Feministe today.

rabbitarmy replied to your audio post: Sorry it’s a bit crap, I was super nervous. … Not...

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 10:03:05 +1100

rabbitarmy replied to your audio post: Sorry it’s a bit crap, I was super nervous. …

Not crap at all, you was good!

That’s nice of you, but it actually wasn’t. I can picture my 16yo self slapping me. You would never believe I actually went to drama school. But I was determined to get that thing recorded!!

Sorry it’s a bit crap, I was super nervous. Transcript: Hi...

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 09:48:00 +1100

Sorry it’s a bit crap, I was super nervous.

Transcript:

Hi everyone. This is my contribution to the Great Tumblr Poetry Reading.

The crew was complete: it included a Boots —

A maker of Bonnets and Hoods —

A Barrister, brought to arrange their disputes —

And a Broker, to value their goods.

I totally want to participate in this poetry reading thing but can’t figure out how to record!...

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 09:06:15 +1100

I totally want to participate in this poetry reading thing but can’t figure out how to record! Someone help me out?

Is this really one of those things we want to use Internet cuteification shorthand on?

Mon, 22 Nov 2010 09:49:44 +1100

Over the last few months, I’ve noticed “TW” being used as shorthand for “trigger warning” a lot. I’m wondering why on earth is that? and where did this come from? But mostly, why has it taken off?

Is a trigger warning really something you want ambiguity around? Is it something you really want to use community shorthand for, like it’s something you have to get in with the right spaces and the right people to comprehend? I mean, when I first started reading social justice blogs and saw the term “trigger warning,” I didn’t know exactly what it meant but it was reasonably evident that it was a warning that upsetting reactions could be triggered by the content below. But in just using “TW,” a lot of people unfamiliar with the term are going to sail right on by those two little letters and get triggered.

I don’t mean to say that trigger warnings are perfect or that they necessarily warn for the sorts of things that are going to trigger anyone or anything like that. I mean that this cuteified shortening renders trigger warnings in a way I find really offputting, and a lot of people are going to find not even useless, but harmful.

Library, by Chally and Xands

Fri, 19 Nov 2010 13:40:55 +1100

I am so excited about the library

which is where I am going

I’m glad you are

I eat in the library

what are books

III

what are libraries

how are they

how do you do

i complained about the bagel shop

in my precious library

where dreams are made

then i tasted the bagels

damn sweet capitalism

sweet capitalist librarian

filling our dreams

and our bagels

with cream cheese

and power

POEM BY CHALLY'S MUM

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 09:25:51 +1100

I’m never going to get the internet

Now that you don’t have to study.

Fin.

NEW COLLABORATIVE POEM BY XANDS AND CHALLY: Friendship in Space

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 09:20:00 +1100

you need to buy me a space island

made out of eclairs

eclairs

in space

zero g excess

III

I will surprise you

with our eclair-based

friendship

friendship in a delicious vacuum

surprises

they’re a surprise

Oh wow, everyone

Wed, 17 Nov 2010 08:05:11 +1100

I woke up this morning and realised I have absolutely no pressure on me today. No exams to write, no deadlines until next week, no entertaining required. I can just sit here and eat cake and read novels.

CHALLYMAS KNOWLEDGE, a collaborative poem by Chally and Xands

Tue, 16 Nov 2010 07:09:54 +1100

WOO KNOWLEDGE

IT TEACHES YOU STUFF

NAMELY, ITSELF

SHAPED LIKE ITSELF

WHAT’S A VASE LOOK LIKE

A VASE

"It’s like ‘well I don’t want to give up my internet cool kids friend card sooo’."

Mon, 01 Nov 2010 17:20:41 +1100

“It’s like ‘well I don’t want to give up my internet cool kids friend card sooo’.”

- One of the reasons I can’t take a lot of social media/blogging as seriously as I did anymore. People, really. (via rhymeswithnothing)