Bloggers Unite for Haiti

Sorted under international, random acts of activism on January 17, 2010

Bloggers Unite for Haiti I already took to my Twitter to spread the word about Bloggers Unite for Haiti, but wanted to make sure as many people as possible know that this is going on and how they can continue to spread the word about how they and others can help the relief efforts.

I found out about this blogging event from Nina Amelia, a wonderful commenter and felt very compelled to spread the word.

Bloggers Unite for Haiti will take place on January 19th, where bloggers everywhere unite for one day to spread the word about current conditions in Haiti, how and where to donate money, supplies and volunteer and personal thoughts about the tragic earthquake that has killed countless Haitians. However, because this is not just an effort to spread awareness of a certain topic or social issue, but a day-to-day struggle for the people of Haiti, this is not a one-day blogging event and they are and will continue to compile lists of blog posts from around the blogosphere that have to do with how to provide aid and relief to Haiti.

Also, while it is tremendously important to raise awareness about relief efforts in Haiti and to donate generously to worthwhile, hard-working charities dedicated to providing much-needed aid to the region, it is also so, very important to learn more about Haiti and to educate ourselves about the region, if just to wrap our heads around as to how dire the situation there was even before the earthquake hit and how much worse the region is now.

If you have not already, sign up for Bloggers Unite for Haiti and start spreading the word about relief efforts before, on January 19th, and after.



Helping Haiti

Sorted under international, random acts of activism on January 15, 2010

Haiti earthquake

Image Credit: CNN

In the wake of tragedy, the first thing most people ask is how they can help. The devastating and deadly, 7.0-magnitude earthquake that hit Haiti on Tuesday and has left hundreds of thousands of people dead and many more suffering, fighting for their lives and wondering how they will be able to piece their lives and their communities back together again has encouraged people to band together in order to provide relief efforts to the people of Haiti. There are still people, days after the news broke of this tragedy, who are asking what they can do to help. The easiest thing you can do to help is to donate money to the myriad of relief funds currently collecting donations, but picking a legitimate and worthwhile charity can be mind boggling, especially when you see the list of the different organizations. So after some research, here is a tidier list of the charities you can assist that are doing some great work in and for Haiti.

For even more charities and ways to donate supplies and volunteer, check out Like a Whisper for an even more comprehensive list and if you know of any additional charities or relief funds, please leave them in the comments to spread the word.



Love Conquers Hate and Together We Have Strength

Sorted under GLBTQ, international on November 27, 2009

Miriam Mercado’s son, Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado, was brutally murdered, dismembered, decapitated, and his remains were partially burned two weeks ago in Puerto Rico. News of this devastating hate crime has sparked outrage within and around the GLBT community and their allies throughout the world and earlier this week, candlelight vigils took place all across the United States. The photos and video footage of those candlelight vigils will be used in efforts for full prosecution in the case, as well as getting this case prosecuted as Puerto Rico’s first ever hate crime on the books.

On the day those candlelight vigils took place, Miriam Mercado spoke out against her son’s murder and she had a sound message to deliver to everyone–that love conquers hate and together, we have strength. I am so in awe of this woman’s strength and the compassion she has that she is sending to those around the world who know her story and keep the memory of her son alive today.

Transcript:
Keep in mind that this is a loose translation from Spanish to English, some sentences frankly don’t make a lot of sense but the tremendous message that love conquers hate and no person, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, deserves to be treated any less than any other person is very much in tact.

Hi. My name is Miriam. I am Steven’s mom. My family and I are incredibly grateful for all the love, the unconditional support that you have given me. That’s what gives me the strength, in part, it gives me the force for me to bring a message: Love conquers hate. And this we have to shout to the world because… Steven was a human being. He was my son. He was a brother. I ask you and beg you, everyone in the world, that we should love everyone else no matter what’s there. Behind of what is there, there is a human being, just like my son, who did not deserve this. In the name of my family and my own, I offer my hand, I don’t have how to pay back every… the demonstrations and the love that I have received. So we are all going to bring a message: Love conquers hate. And together, we have strength.



Help Make Puerto Rico Prosecute the Murder of 19 Year Old Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado as a Hate Crime

Sorted under GLBTQ, international on November 19, 2009

Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado On November 14th the body of 19 year old Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado was found on an isolated road in Cayey, Puerto Rico. His body was partially burned, both of his arms and legs, as well as his torso were dismembered and he was also decapitated. While giving a televised statement, the police officer on this case said that Mercado deserved what happened to him. But in what case would someone possibly deserve to be tortured like this? Well, because he was gay and if that wasn’t heart-wrenching enough, the suspected murderer in the case is claiming self-defense, which will undoubtedly be used to invoke gay panic throughout the communities where this case has spread.

The suspected murderer is 26 year old Juan Antonio Martinez Matos, who has confessed to the murder and torture of Mercado, whom he believed at first to be a female prostitute. When discovering that he was a man, Matos who also claims he had been molested at a young age, thus his immense homophobia and bigotry, stabbed, dismembered and decapitated Mercado; he then set the remains of the body on fire. Where the whole self-defense thing comes in is when he claims that he was almost stabbed by the victim.

The police officer on the case stated during his televised statement, “These types of people, when they enter this lifestyle and go out into the streets know that this could happen.”

Sadly, this police officer’s statement is the same way many Puerto Ricans still feel and never in Puerto Rico has a crime been tried as a hate crime. This is unacceptable; what happened to Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado is unacceptable and incredibly sad. Someone’s sexual orientation or gender identity is never to harm someone physically or emotionally. Luckily, someone is speaking out about the hateful comments made by the police officer in this case. Activist Pedro Julio Serrano said, (this is loosely translated from Spanish to English) “It is inconceivable that the investigating officer suggests that the victim deserved his fate, like a woman deserves rape for wearing a short skirt. We demand condemnation of this investigator and demand that Superintendente Figueroa Sancha replace him with someone capable of investigating this case without prejudice.” Well said.

Because this case has outraged many within the GLBT community and their allies and many have been speaking out about this case, candlelight vigils for Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado will be held throughout the United States. On Sunday, November 22nd a vigil ceremony will be held in New York at Manhattan’s Pier 45 at 5:00pm. The Manhattan vigil will take place in conjunction with satellite Sunday vigils in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, New Orleans, Durham and many other American cities. The photos and video footage of these vigils will be used in efforts for full prosecution in this case, as well as getting this case prosecuted as the first ever hate crime in Puerto Rico.

You can also support the efforts of the prosecution of this case as well the family and friends of Jorge Steven Lopez Mercado by joining the Facebook page.



Amnesty’s Newest Domestic Violence Awareness Billboard is First to Respond to People Looking at It

Sorted under international, violence against women on July 1, 2009

Amnesty International
Click here for larger image

Amnesty International’s newest billboard to raise awareness about the issue of domestic violence is the first billboard in the world to to react when people look at it, by an eye tracking camera that registers when someone looks directly at the poster.

The billboard was created to let people directly experience how domestic violence is hidden from view of the public. It is meant to motivate people to look more closely in the future and help prevent domestic violence. At first, the billboard shows a depiction of what domestic violence looks like; when people look directly at the billboard, the image changed into the same people in the first image pretending to be a normal, happy couple after a slight time delay. The results of the billboard made observers part of the situation, even compelling people to interact with it for several minutes. As you can probably assume, the billboard left a very strong impression on every person who came in contact with it.

I love this new billboard from Amnesty International. It is great to see this kind of technology being used to raise awareness about such an important issuer that more people need to open their eyes and not only see, but know that they can also help prevent it from happening.



Victory for Reproductive Rights in Nepal

Sorted under international, reproductive rights on May 23, 2009

The Supreme Court of Nepal recently ruled in favor of expanding abortion access throughout the country for all women in need of reproductive health services. The legislation requires that the government create a fund that will cover the costs of abortion services for low income women in the country who could not otherwise afford access to a safe abortion procedure. The new fund will also be used to educate health providers as well as the public about the country’s abortion laws, since 80% of rural women in the country are not even aware that abortion is legal.

Abortion only became legal in Nepal in 2002, before then it was common for women to be imprisoned for abortion-related offenses. Abortion is now legal in the country during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and up to 18 weeks of pregnancy in cases of rape, incest, fetal impairment, or risk of maternal mortality. It is increasingly important that the population of Nepal be educated about the country’s abortion laws and their commitment to providing abortion services to all women of all financial classes because it is common for the women of Nepal to suffer extreme health complications and even die due to receiving unsafe and damaging abortion services.

Melissa Upreti of the Center for Reproductive Rights in Asia has stated that this new ruling is one of the most important legal victories for women in Nepal in almost a decade. The country’s decision to expand abortion access shows that Nepal is committed to protecting the health and the lives of the women who reside there. Many women have been forced to suffer in silence before this ruling due to their inability to pay for safe abortion services as well as their lack of information. This new legislation means more than merely keeping reproductive health services legal–It means that every single women in need of those services are able to receive them regardless of financial means.



Born Into Brothels

Sorted under arts, film, international on May 22, 2009

Born Into Brothels I watched the 2004 Academy Award winning documentary Born Into Brothels last night. Yes, I know I’m about five years late with this, but thanks to Netflix I have been watching a ton of movies I should have seen a long time ago–As well as some movies I wish I never came across that left me wondering how they managed to get funding to make it–But that’s what you get when a company tries to cater to everyone–They also cater to people with sucky taste in movies.

Born Into Brothels is a chilling documentary that brings you right into the red light district of Calcutta, India. But instead of its focus being on the lives of sex workers, it brings you into the lives of the children who were born into the red light district; the girls who are being bred to take after their mothers and grandmothers as prostitutes and the boys whose lives won’t be much better. Photojournalist Zana Briski lived in Calcutta for several years and teamed up with Ross Kauffman to make this film. Although the people of the city being enraged over having their pictures taken, or worse, the women being “found out” for being sex workers, Briski found that the children of the red light district were intrigued by the camera; and so she gave a group of eight children ranging in age from 10 to 14 cameras to take pictures of their own with. She also met with the children to teach them more about how to use the camera and how to get the best results when taking pictures of their subjects.

Throughout the documentary, we sit in on the children’s lessons with Briski and we see their creativity soar and their self confidence rises just by being given the chance to experiment with a form of art. Though she has made a tremendous effort to bring art into the lives of these children, Briski knows that there is so much more to be done, saying that without her help, these kids are doomed to fall into the same life of their parents. Lives of prostitution, poverty, and nothing else. Because these kids yearn for a life outside of the red light district, she begins to take measures to help them escape that life and searches for boarding schools that will accept children born to sex workers; but she finds that very few will.

After finding boarding schools that will accept the red light kids, Briski takes the measures to enroll these children into the programs she has found. The filmmakers were extremely respectful of the children’s wishes, they made their own decisions whether or not to attend the boarding schools and by the end of the movie, after filling out endless forms for the children and also ensuring that none of them were HIV-positive, the children did decide to attend the schools and to escape life in the red light district. They were also given the opportunity to travel when their photographs were shown at an art gallery.

By the end of the movie I was full of more questions than I was given answers to. We were caught up on the lives of the children up to the point of when the film came out and most of the children either dropped out of the boarding school they enrolled in or were taken out of school by their parents. I wanted to know what happened to them; if they were taken out of school to follow in the footsteps of the females who came before them and now working as prostitutes to provide for their families. If photography is still a part of their world and if they are still being encouraged to pursue art.

Overall, Born Into Brothels is heartbreaking, especially knowing that most of the children did not get to receive an education, as all of them had seemed overjoyed by the opportunity to do so. However, this is one of the best documentaries that I have seen.

For more information on Born Into Brothels, check out Kids with Cameras for a bio on each of the children, their photographs, and more about the film and you can also purchase the book Born Into Brothels, a book of photographs taken by the children of Calcutta.



Argentinan Bank Ad Promotes Trans Acceptance

Sorted under GLBTQ, international, media on May 3, 2009

This is such a surprising and absolutely phenomenal ad from a bank in Argentina. Hands down, America needs to hop on this acceptance bandwagon.

h/t Babeland Blog



Happy International Women’s Day!

Sorted under international on March 8, 2009

International Women's Day Happy International Women’s Day, all!

International Women’s Day is such a tremendous day for all women everywhere and this year, I was interviewed about feminism, menstruation, and what I blog about here all the time by Renee over at Womanist Musings.

Here is an excerpt of the interview specifically about the name of this website and the natural, normal function of menstruation that so many people seem to have such a problem with:

Your blog is named Menstrual Poetry. What do you believe is the reason that women’s normal biological functions have been constructed as foul and what steps can we take to reclaim this as normal and natural?

Menstrual Poetry has received an extraordinary amount of negativity because of its name. I have had people say “Oh, you blog? What’s your domain name?” and when I tell them, they actually say that they will not go to the site because of its name. I have even had a woman tell me that no one will read what I have to say because of my website’s name. Of course after getting so much negative feedback, even from other women, I realized that the problem is not the name of my website, it is the fact that people are actually afraid of menstruation; even just the word itself bothers people to the point that they must immediately act out and degrade me for what I named my website and it is all because of woman-shaming.

Women have been trained to feel ashamed about something that is natural and it is so unfortunate that women continue to feel that way about their body and natural, normal occurrences in their bodies. As soon as a girl gets her first period, she is immediately thrown into the woman-shaming world that is carried on by men and even other women. We are told that menstruation makes us dirty and undesirable and if that wasn’t bad enough, we have to also be quiet about how insane that frame of mind is.

What keeps this line of thinking alive is advertising companies and the marketing of “feminine hygiene products.” Even that description–”Feminine hygiene products” is shameful to women because it is automatically making us believe that yes, we are dirty and our vaginas are disgusting and must be cleaned by using products thought up by and manufactured by men and no, I do not believe that is a coincidence. There are companies trying to sell a myriad of different products that we are brainwashed into thinking that we need such as douches and soap specifically made for the vagina and there are so many women blindly buying into the fact that they are dirty when what’s really dirty is the fact that there are people profiting off of the shame women have when it comes to their bodies and bodily functions. Companies that are selling pads and tampons are running commercials about how discreet their products are so that no one knows you have your period because I guess in the made-up world these companies live in, if someone knows you’re menstruating they immediately start screaming, flailing their arms about, and running away from you because there’s something very wrong with you.

It is believed that women must always present themselves as pristine and in most cases, it is because we need to find and keep a man and men cannot know that women even have a vagina, unless they are in it. In order to reclaim menstruation as something that is normal and natural, I believe that we need discussion. We need to speak openly and honestly about our periods and about our bodies and we need to discard the shame that we have been brainwashed into believing. I have always been very open about my body and when you think about it, a woman’s body is miraculous. First of all, we represent and give life—That is extraordinary! We really are goddesses and we have to not only know that, but truly believe in it because we have so much power and our bodies represent so much. It is unfortunate that women have been put in the closet of shame for so long and it is even more unfortunate that women are okay with passing along this line of thinking. We need open and honest discussions and we need to stop waiting for the permission to speak about it because the longer we keep silent about the shame of women, the longer it is going to go on and the more companies are going to continue putting out ads that brainwash even more women into believing that they are dirty.

Read the rest of this interview here.



13 Year Old Rape Victim Stoned to Death in Somalia

Sorted under international, sexual assault, violence against women on November 10, 2008

A thirteen year old girl, identified by Amnesty International as Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow was raped by three men while she, on foot, was on her way to visit her grandmother in the war-torn capital of Mogadishu. When she and her parents sought help and justice from the authorities, Duhulow was victimized yet again.

The first reports of this story claimed that Duhulow was not a young girl, but a 23 year old young woman who had confessed to adultery and thus, under Shariah, the legal code of Islam based on the Koran, was sentenced to death by stoning where the young girl was forced into a hole, buried up to her neck and pelted with stones by 50 men in front of a crowd of about 1,000 on-lookers.

This story most certainly does not add up; a child was raped and instead of administering justice, the government made up a warped and untrue story and aged the girl ten years to get away with their conviction because convicting a 13 year old girl for adultery is illegal under Islamic law, while the three men who raped this girl have yet to be arrested.

A human rights activist in the town told BBC that he had received death threats from the Islamic militia for spreading the truth about this incident, accusing him of spreading false information.

Listen to Kate Allen, director of Amnesty International, discuss the stoning and the story behind this young girl here.



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