Ezekiah
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2 months ago
in Sarah Palin is Not a Feminist on Menstrual Poetry
While this is a small distinction (and weeks after the post, I've been without internet and have been trying to catch up), and not related to the main thrust of the post, I still have to say it.
Brandon Teena wasn't gay. (At least, since his murder happened because of his sex with women, I'm going out on that limb there).
The fact is, being trans is not like being "extra gay" as an acquaintence of mine once asked me. Transmen and women have as many sexual identities as cisgendered women and men (which is to say, a whole hell of a lot). And while it is gratifying to see feminist writing acknowledging transphobic murders, it is less exciting when writing on the topic overlooks the difference between gender and sexual identity. (On that note, I'd like to preemptively point out that Gwen Araujo, another tragic victim of transphobia, was also not a gay man).
(This isn't meant to be too much of a rebuke, just a gentle reminder) When writing about trans individuals, please be sure to get pronouns checked, and not assume sexualities. Thank you!
Brandon Teena wasn't gay. (At least, since his murder happened because of his sex with women, I'm going out on that limb there).
The fact is, being trans is not like being "extra gay" as an acquaintence of mine once asked me. Transmen and women have as many sexual identities as cisgendered women and men (which is to say, a whole hell of a lot). And while it is gratifying to see feminist writing acknowledging transphobic murders, it is less exciting when writing on the topic overlooks the difference between gender and sexual identity. (On that note, I'd like to preemptively point out that Gwen Araujo, another tragic victim of transphobia, was also not a gay man).
(This isn't meant to be too much of a rebuke, just a gentle reminder) When writing about trans individuals, please be sure to get pronouns checked, and not assume sexualities. Thank you!
5 months ago
in Is the Media Promoting Teen Pregnancy? on Menstrual Poetry
You forgot (for me) another fairly big problem. It does include the media, but not in any: "they made a movie about it! run for cover!" type of way.
There is some serious double standards about celebrities who get pregnant.
I'm talking about the focus on how bad a mother certain celebrities are (fill in the blank with whichever newest "bad mom celeb" you'd like), while simultaneously holding up to the light the idea that motherhood can save you (I recently heard something about that and Nicole Ricci [no idea how to spell her name]). I'm also talking about the constant "look for the bump!" attitude of magazines that talk about how pregnancy is making certain celebrities "glow". As if pregnancy gave Jennifer Lopez magic fairy dust or something.
The magazines are probably both a symptom and a cause. But what's always pissed me off about them is when people who are "disgusted" about what's in them (but not the magazine itself, just the "scandalous" things inside), buy them, and then perpetuate this cycle.
An additional caveat. I'm interested in the lack of "what were the children thinking!?!" that occured when Jamie Lynn Spears (yes?) announced she was pregnant and keeping the child. Maybe I'm imaginging it, but I seem to remember talk show hosts congratulating her. Certainly now they are reporting on her giving birth as though it were any other celeb baby. Yeah there was certainly a little: "what example will this set for the kids?" but definitely none of this: "what is the world coming today?" attitude that we see now. Is it that only rich people are allowed to get pregnant as teens?
I do think that sex ed needs to be better. For example, when I was in high school, I definitely didn't have the necessary skills to communicate about sex (which put me in at least one really unfun situation). However, I think some blame should be placed squarely at the feet of consumers. Consumers of the media that they then despair over. Who'd have thought, that after shelling out money to read magazines all about (sometimes young) celebrities getting pregnant, those magazines would do positive stories about people getting pregnant? And then, who'd have thought that young people reading those magazines would hear the tropes about how "my baby saved my life" and "doesn't she glow?" and decide that they applied to real life!?! Bizarre isn't it.
There is some serious double standards about celebrities who get pregnant.
I'm talking about the focus on how bad a mother certain celebrities are (fill in the blank with whichever newest "bad mom celeb" you'd like), while simultaneously holding up to the light the idea that motherhood can save you (I recently heard something about that and Nicole Ricci [no idea how to spell her name]). I'm also talking about the constant "look for the bump!" attitude of magazines that talk about how pregnancy is making certain celebrities "glow". As if pregnancy gave Jennifer Lopez magic fairy dust or something.
The magazines are probably both a symptom and a cause. But what's always pissed me off about them is when people who are "disgusted" about what's in them (but not the magazine itself, just the "scandalous" things inside), buy them, and then perpetuate this cycle.
An additional caveat. I'm interested in the lack of "what were the children thinking!?!" that occured when Jamie Lynn Spears (yes?) announced she was pregnant and keeping the child. Maybe I'm imaginging it, but I seem to remember talk show hosts congratulating her. Certainly now they are reporting on her giving birth as though it were any other celeb baby. Yeah there was certainly a little: "what example will this set for the kids?" but definitely none of this: "what is the world coming today?" attitude that we see now. Is it that only rich people are allowed to get pregnant as teens?
I do think that sex ed needs to be better. For example, when I was in high school, I definitely didn't have the necessary skills to communicate about sex (which put me in at least one really unfun situation). However, I think some blame should be placed squarely at the feet of consumers. Consumers of the media that they then despair over. Who'd have thought, that after shelling out money to read magazines all about (sometimes young) celebrities getting pregnant, those magazines would do positive stories about people getting pregnant? And then, who'd have thought that young people reading those magazines would hear the tropes about how "my baby saved my life" and "doesn't she glow?" and decide that they applied to real life!?! Bizarre isn't it.