NOW Conference 2007 Report
It's taken me some time to recover and catch up from the NOW conference in Michigan. My mom and grandma came to help me at the booth. We're spread across the country so it was great to make a mini family reunion out of the conference.I met cool feminists of all ages and had a great time. But I have to say that I was a little disappointed with the workshops I went to this year.
One was on "Sex, stereotypes, and beauty." They pointed out a lot of unbelievable stuff out there for little kids and adult women. Like did you know that Disney is now making princess wedding dresses for brides? They also showed a onesie (pink of course) that has a personal ad on it that says "Adorable future model seeks attractive boy with wealthy father. Call me: 123-CUTE." Jeez the baby's barely born and already she's having beauty expectations placed on her ("future model") and being told to find a man.So in this workshop they spent pretty much the whole time pointing out examples like these. A few examples were good to get everyone into it and riled up. But that would have been plenty. It didn't seem like they were prepared to speak to a group of feminists who are already pretty aware of the problem. They only started to answer the question "So, what do we do?" in the last five minutes. And that was a very brief, standard "write letters to companies, get involved with things like love your body day, be a mentor" spiel. Where's the mention of the Allegheny County Girls as Grantmakers who organized a girlcott against Abercrombie & Fitch's offensive t-shirts? How about all the ways About-Face suggests taking action? How about some This Insults Women stickers?
I don't mean to rag on this one workshop, because this seemed to be a problem in several sessions--they would leave the making change part until the end and then run out of time. Even in a session called "Vision. Action Justice. Your Campaign for Change," some of the presenters started going off on tangents and they never even got to creating the "concrete plans" that the workshop description promised.Those workshops are over, but I want to get the discussion going. What concrete actions have you done or thought of doing to make change?
Labels: activism, feminism, NOW, this insults
posted by Ariel Fox @ 4:14 PM
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5 Comments:
arrived here through your wonderful article in "we don't need another wave." bought some stuff for granddaughters. now,responses from second wave grandma to ideas raised in blog.
wanting to make their point, presenters often overkill to describe the opposition. i agree that we need more focus on action. it is so hard to get off their butts that the major energy must go there! presenters need to think of interactive approaches with audiences. "here's a piece of paper...write three messages you would wear on a shirt to your school/office/hangout."
my own action: saying i'm a feminist in public, whenever there's slightest opportunity. and my work creating Condom Amulets, mostly knit, to raise consciousness about HIV over 50. we need more intergenerational connections, so glad to find you, your excellent work. yours, naomi
www.alittleredhen.com
p.s. your anonymous commenter needs spelling lessons even though literacy would not enhance her faulty thinking.
My boyfriends mom picked me up some of your "punk rock isnt just for your boyfriend" stickers and a shirt, gave them to me as a present and i LOVED them. I found the website printed on the back of a card and decided to check it out, and im very proud to know there are wonderful women out in the world like you. This site and these products are amazing. keep up the good work!
-Aimee
Love the pix of my daughter!
Have received many compliments on my t-shirt. Now sending the 3rd one out as a gift.
Elaine
As a fellow vendor and attendee, I agree. I was expecting more, too. I thought the explaining of things took-up entire sessions, and there was no time left for ACTION AND IDEAS.
I wonder what other attendees thought?
By the way, my little daughter would wear her GIRLS ROCK tee every day if I would do laundry that often. It feels so good!
Happy to have met you inn person, Stephanie
www.MLouIsPink.com
It is unfortunate that you did not make it to the workshop that I co-presented - Silent Majority:Adult Victims of Clergy Sexual Abuse - our main premise was to encourage and lay out plans for others to go back to their states and start the process to get clergy added to the list of professionals on their state's fiduciary duty laws. The ammended fiduciary duty bill in KS is HB2206.
HB 2206 would add the following to the definition of unlawful sexual relations: a member of the clergy, who is acting as a member of the clergy carrying out pastoral duties by engaging in consensual sexual intercourse, lewd fondling, or touching. The bill also defines clergy. You can go to the KS legislation website and read the entire bill if you would like by just typing in 2206 in the spot to search bills.
http://www.kslegislature.org/legsrv-legisportal/index.do
You can also watch a portion of the workshop on my website at www.educatingtoendabuse.com
I should get the video uploaded this week.
My girls love their 'Girl's Rock' t-shirts and brave girl band-aids and buttons that they have loved showcasing since school started last week. Keep up the good work!
Girl Power!
Peggy Warrem
Wichita, KS
www.educatingtoendabuse.com
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