Street Activism

I love to hear (and see!) how you're using your stickers.

Lauren in Seattle just sent some photos showing off how she used her This Insults Women stickers for some awesome street activism.

She's going to get free stickers and you can too! Send me your stories, pictures and ideas. I'll post them in my street activism gallery and give you 10 free stickers.



Here's what Lauren had to say:

"Bought some of your stickers and love them. Hope you don't mind I made some of my own via copymachine so I could make some larger ones of your version. Wanted to send you some pictures for your gallery though!"





"I live in Seattle Washington in a young "urban" club area and all the posters around here for shows and drunken theme nights at bars are covered with totally sexist images of women, not to mention there are plenty of American Apparel stores around here with all of their ridiculous ads."

"I just wanted to show what your stickers have spawned in terms of some feminist activism in Seattle. There is a big group of guys and gals who, after seeing all the stickers I was posting up, tracked me down and joined up in the stickering/postering fun. We've been trying to take pictures of what we do to encourage others to join in too."

Thanks so much to Lauren for all her street activism and for sharing the pictures. I hope you'll get out there with your stickers too! And remember to send your pictures and stories in to get free stickers.

Reason #3051 to Boycott American Apparel

Not that you need another reason to steer clear of this sexist company.

If you're thinking, "What?! I thought American Apparel was this super cool sweatshop free company," please read my post on finding ethically made t-shirts.

A 2004 quote that American Apparel CEO Dov Charney made to The McGill Daily is getting a lot of attention on blogs today. He's quoted in the article saying:

"Women initiate most domestic violence, yet out of a thousand cases of domestic violence maybe one is involving a man. [And this] has made a victim culture out of women."

This is surfacing right now because there is an ad (which might be fake) floating around that incorporates the quote. I hope the ad is fake, but that doesn't make his very real quote any less appalling. As Womanist Musings writes:

"The list of facts debunking his bull*#@& is a mile long. There has been ample evidence of his hatred of women and the only question that remains is what we are going to do about it."

Well, I know what I'm doing about it. Sticker Sisters will remain committed to using blank shirts that are made by sweatshop free & sexism free companies (you won't find any American Apparel here!). I'll continue to steer clear of American Apparel shirts for my own wardrobe. And I'll keep writing and talking about my dislike for American Apparel and suggesting alternatives every chance I get.

**1/30/2009 Update**
American Apparel responds to Bitch Magazine's blog post. Doesn't change my feelings and I hope it won't change yours!

Equal Play

My mentor and friend Farra just shared some awesome videos from the V is for Victory campaign. They're raising awareness about how girls sports still aren't treated fairly at lots of schools.



I could relate to this undercover video showing the drastic differences between the boys and girls facilities at one school. In my high school the gym only had a boys locker room. The coach's changing room (which was the size of a large walk-in closet) had been converted into a makeshift girls locker room. So every class period 40-50 girls had to squeeze into that tiny room to change. Some people changed in shifts and some people resorted to just pulling their sweats on over their street clothes in the hallway.

One day at the end of class we went back to the locker room to change back into our regular clothes and the door had been removed! When we complained to the male gym teachers they brushed us off by saying we better hurry or we'd be late for class. It was pretty unbelievable.

Do you have horror stories about inferior equipment, not having uniforms or unacceptable facilities?

Win a Brave Girl Shirt!

So Women's History Month is coming to an end. But when the month is over please don’t stop celebrating! Women and girls are creating change and making history every day.

I wanted to open this up for you to write about brave women and girls. Please post here about someone you know or someone you admire from a far.

On April 1st I'll pick one of the posts out of a hat and that person will get a free Brave Girl t-shirt!

Shirts come in kids sizes up to Adult XXL.

Happy 35th Anniversary Roe v. Wade!

Lots of great stuff going on today to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the Supreme Court decision to legalize abortion.

Check out all the bloggers taking part in NARAL's Blog for Choice Day.

Also take a look at Planned Parenthood's Wall of Protest where you can "express your outrage over the Federal Abortion Ban." Beware it loads pretty slow. But I guess that means lots of people have contributed images, so slow is a good thing. The one thing I don't really understand is the images of people's pets up there. I mean I've never asked my cat if she's pro-choice, but maybe I should get on that!

I know there's a lot of talk about how Roe v. Wade is being eroded and reproductive choice is in jeopardy, but I've never felt like young people were really behind that. I mean we've grown up our whole lives with Roe v. Wade. I try not to pay too much attention to polls, but I was kind of freaked out to read that teens and young adults seem less pro-choice than older generations.

I read this today in the LA Times:

Looking specifically at teens, a Gallup survey in 2003 found that 72% called abortion morally wrong, and 32% believed it should be illegal in all circumstances. Among adults surveyed that year, only 17% backed a total ban.

The article talks about antiabortion clubs and summer camps for middle and high school students. Really? Antiabortion summer camp?! I had no idea.

Well we better keep fighting. Here's to many more choice filled years!

The Power of Stickers

So last week I went to my first sticker art show called Peel Here 07. The stickers ranged from fancy stickers printed on shiny origami style paper displayed in frames to sharpie doodles on those priority mail stickers you can get from the post office.

A lot of the stuff wasn't really my style. Maybe it was just me, but I couldn't get into the scary clown and one-eyed bunny illustrations. But it was amazing to see the range of stickers and how much they can mean to their creators and the people who see them.

One of the best features of the show was outside where they had set up a bus bench and newspaper boxes for people to sticker. Not that those kept people contained to only stickering the dedicated areas. For blocks around the show you could see small groups of kids lifting each other up to slap stickers up on street signs and light posts.

It was all very inspiring and made me want to make more stickers. And not that this show is representative of the sticker world, but in any case we need more feminist stickers!

Some pictures from the show...

10 Ways to Celebrate Your Body Sticker Sisters Style

October 18, 2007 is the National Organization for Women Foundation’s tenth annual Love Your Body Day.

10 Ways to Celebrate Love Your Body Day:
(adapted from the NOW Foundation's suggestion list with a little Sticker Sisters twist)

1. Go to a Love Your Body Day event or create your own. Sticker Sisters will be taking part in Hollywood NOW’s event.

2. Get some blank t-shirts and decorate them with body positive messages. Or proclaim Action Not Glamour or Girls Rock with a Sticker Sisters tee.

3. Don’t buy products from companies that use negative images of women in their ads. Send them letters letting them know how you feel about their ads.

4. Get a group together and go paste This Insults Women, This insults Girls and This Insults Everyone stickers on everything you find offensive.

5. Listen to positive music that makes you feel good about yourself and your body. Try India.Arie’s “Video,” Northern State’s “Girl For All Seasons ,”and Salt-N-Pepa’s “Ain’t Nothin’ But A She Thing” to get you started.

6. Write down some things you like about yourself. Write yourself a poem or a love letter. If you’re having trouble getting started, our Up Words Girls magnetic poetry kit will inspire your creative juices.

7. Get moving for fun not to fit into a smaller size. Spice up your running shoes with some Girl Power or Action Not Glamour shoelaces and take a long walk, do some bedroom dancing, shoot some hoops, whatever!

8. Throw an indulgence party where everyone wears whatever is most comfortable, eats whatever they want, talks openly, and guilt is left at the door. Pick up some Sticker Sisters party favors for your guests.

9. Don’t talk about your weight or weigh yourself (especially in front of young girls).

10. Spread the word about Love Your Body Day to your family and friends. The NOW Foundation even has some e-cards you can send.

Itty Bitty Titty Committee Movie

Hey, some Sticker Sisters stickers might be coming to the big screen in a town near you!

Our This Insults Women, Action Not Glamour, Defend Yourself, Hello My Name Isn’t Cutie or Honey, It’s…, and A Feminist Was Here stickers decorate the walls in Jamie Babbit’s new movie about a group of feminist activists. These photos from the set are like a treasure hunt for Sticker Sisters stickers. See how many you can count!

The Oct/Nov edition of Bust magazine has a review of the Itty Bitty Titty Committee. And they had this to say: "don't be surprised if you find yourself pasting up 'Riots, Not Diets' and 'This Insults Women' stickers all over your cubicle at work the next day."

Stock up on This Insults Women and A Feminist Was Here stickers so you’ll be ready when the mood strikes you.

I haven’t seen the movie yet, but Feminist Review has a good write-up:

Jamie Babbitt’s directorial follow-up to But I’m a Cheerleader was the dark drama The Quiet, starring Elisha Cuthbert as a popular teen that has a secret sexual relationship with her father. There isn’t much happiness or comic relief in the film, making it a stark contrast to her hit indie, quirky comedy about a camp for ex-lesbians (starring Natasha Leonne and Clea Duvall). Lucky for her lesbian following, Babbitt’s new film, Itty Bitty Titty Committee is almost as gay and hilarious — almost.

From the beginning of the film, viewers are trying to figure out Anna (Melonie Diaz), the protagonist. She’s out to her family, who takes no issue with her sexuality, and spends most of their time doting on her older sister, who is getting married. Anna is quiet and dresses for comfort in jeans, long-sleeved T-shirts and hoodies. She works as a receptionist at a plastic surgery office, uninspired, until she catches Sadie (Nicole Vicius) tagging her office with “A Woman is More than Her Parts” late one night. A Joey Lauren Adams look-and-sound-alike, Vicius is certainly a heartbreaker, but her character is emotionally unavailable, as Anna will come to find out the hard way. Sadie (strangely and without much discourse) invites Anna to a meeting of feminist minds, a group called Clits in Action (C.I.A.) and Anna, with nothing to do on her social calendar, accepts.

The C.I.A. is a tamer version of the Guerilla Girls, an activism-meets-feminist-art gaggle, despite their efforts to make change being distorted or ignored, that is unofficially led by Shuli (Carly Pope), who is a walking encyclopedia of feminist facts and theory to back up any comment or idea in question.

Read the rest of the review.

And watch a preview of the movie:

Another T-Shirt to Hate

Part of what pushed me to start making t-shirts was because there are so many awful ones out there. Well here’s the latest from Wal-Mart that I hope will make you as angry as it made me.

The t-shirt reads: "Some call it stalking, I call it love."

The Charlotte News&Observer says:

Its message was a slap in the face to the woman who called me Thursday after seeing it in her local Wal-Mart.

"Some say it's stalking, I call it love."

For the past two years, this woman has been stalked until she feels like a prisoner in her own life. She has been spied upon, bullied and threatened with her life..."It's reprehensible," said the woman, whose story is well documented but who asked not to be identified for fear that her stalker might retaliate.

"People don't realize how serious stalking is," she said. "You constantly live in fear, look over your shoulder and suffer from psychological and physical symptoms due to the stress of the stalker."

She wondered aloud: What's next? "Some say it's rape, I call it hot sex"? Or: "Some call it domestic violence, I say I'm just teaching her a lesson"?

The N.C. Coalition Against Domestic Violence has already sent a letter asking Wal-Mart to remove the t-shirts from stores.

The Charlotte News&Observer goes on to say:

The question now is how the world's largest retailer will respond. Tara Stewart, a spokeswoman for the company, forwarded me information about Wal-Mart partnering with the attorney general's office in South Carolina on a public education campaign to combat domestic violence.

"We work hard on this issue and do a great deal to bring awareness and help families in need," she wrote in an e-mail message.

And the T-shirts fit into that public education campaign how?

Want to let Wal-Mart know what you think?

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
702 S.W. 8th Street
Bentonville, AR 72716
1-800-WALMART
479-273-4000

Or email them.

Selling Women Short

On Ariel's nightstand:
Selling Women Short
The Landmark Battle for Workers’ Rights at Wal-Mart
by Liza Featherstone

It's been out for a while, but I finally got around to reading Selling Women Short. The stories about women who are battling Wal-Mart's discrimination, sexism, and low-wages read like fiction. I couldn't put the book down. Unfortunately it's not fiction, but that makes it even more important to read.

Whether or not you've read the book, what do you think about Wal-Mart?

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?

Q&A

These are some questions I answered for a “Sociology of the Women’s Movement” class. They were doing presentations on alternative cultural productions that have risen out of the women’s movement.

1) What age group are your products geared towards?

I always say I've got stuff for girls of all ages. A lot of my stuff is geared towards young girls (elementary school age), but some things like the "This Insults" stickers are geared towards teenage girls and adults. Sometimes it's difficult to pinpoint the exact age groups though. I made the "Brave girl-aids" for little girls, but I use them and so do many of my friends (I'm 24). And I have a customer in her 50s who's a quilter and constantly nicking her fingers. She buys the "Brave girl-aids" in bulk and is practically always wearing one. So this question is tough!

2) Do you think that youth today are more aware and supportive of feminist
goals? If yes, do you think this is an important step for feminism?

It's hard to generalize young people as a whole. I think people are more aware of the term feminism these days, but don't necessarily know about the goals/movements behind the word. I'd like to think that most people are supportive of the idea that men and women should be equal. But equality is a vague, safe idea. And I see it as only one small part of feminism. I like bell hooks' definition that "feminism is a movement to end sexism, sexist exploitation, and oppression." But I don't think that notion is all that popular with youth (or people in general) today.

3) Your products both advocate feminism and are sources for creating feminist activism. Do you see your products more as a tool for advocacy or for activism, or perhaps both?

I definitely see my products as advocating feminism as well as being tools for feminist activism. I think these excerpts from a piece I wrote for the book "We Don't Need Another Wave" give examples of both:

A lot of the time it’s hard to speak up. But you can still say "action not glamour" or "my body is mine" with a well-placed sticker until you work up the courage to yell it in the streets.

Magnets and stickers give big sisters, aunts, and mentors tools to help girls speak up and be strong. One young woman used one of my "A Feminist Was Here" stickers to bring up feminism with her teenage sister. The stickers broke the ice, and led to a long discussion about body image and being a feminist.

There’s a long tradition in political movements of using stickers and buttons to make opinions known and start discussions. Stickers aren’t going to change the world on their own, but when girls feel strong and connected with each other, they’ll make improvements and demand respect.