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canchewread · 3 years

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Editor’s note: this post is part of the Recommended Reading series here on Can’t You Read; an ongoing and evolving feature that combines an easy to swipe info-graphic, a short journal, and a link to an important related discussion I’d like to share with readers.

A Culture of Predation Can’t Stop Fascist Pig Violence

In the wake of the frankly surprising (but extremely welcome) guilty verdicts in the trial of former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, I’ve tried very hard to reign in my cynicism. After all, the conviction of a cop for murder “in the line of duty,” let alone a white cop who murdered an African American man with an impoverished background, is about as common as a goddamn unicorn fart, and on that account alone the verdict is worth commemorating, if not necessarily celebrating.

While it would be unspeakably obtuse to suggest that the verdict represented some sort of positive justice, it’s also undeniable that many feel this moment may indeed be a starting point; a chance to at least begin to imagine what a positive justice for African Americans might look like. In particular numerous observers have pointed to the very public crumbling of the proverbial “blue wall” of silence, the fact that Chauvin’s fellow police officers passionately testified against him with the whole world watching, as a positive omen for the future of police reform.

Unfortunately I (and many other observers) have doubts about this position. I don’t mean to be a downer, but the truth is that nobody, not even immunized murderpigs and their commanders, can justify the horrifying video of Chauvin mindlessly executing George Floyd over the course of nine and a half minutes. Faced with the choice of openly embracing their own “little Eichmanns” in front of an outraged public, the Blue Meanies decided that ultimately it wasn’t worth protecting a fuck up like Derek Chauvin. The cost, both to his fellow thug cops, and the profession of policing as a whole, would simply have been too damn high to justify the reward.

The sad and horrifying truth here is that if Derek Chauvin had simply shot George Floyd, instead of casually kneeling on his neck for almost ten minutes, he’d probably be a free man today; just like so many cracker murderpigs before him. Furthermore, even this smallest of concessions probably wouldn’t have happened without months of nationwide protests conducted under a state of constant assault by violent, openly rioting police officers. That last reality is certainly not lost on fascists and neoliberal authoritarians; why else do you think reactionary lawmakers are rushing to pass legislation that criminalizes mass protest against racialized police violence?

Still, you can’t blame folks for hoping; hope can be a good thing if it gives you the strength and courage to continue a seemingly impossible fight for actual justice. Perhaps some long day from now we will look back on this moment and say “and the conviction of Derek Chauvin was the point when the wave ultimately broke, and the tide of cracker police violence finally rolled back” - even if it’s clear that these convictions, by themselves, do not have the power to enact the change we so desperately need.

Where I can and will find fault however, is with those deluded and disingenuous souls who have used this moment to once again champion the doomed cause of police reform; blithely ignorant or willfully oblivious to the fact that police reforms already failed to prevent the murder of George Floyd, and so many others like him. The bald truth is that the current establishment movement towards police reform is about maintaining the power and funding of the very same violent uniformed thugs who’re murdering poor people on behalf of the capitalist state in the first place; that’s why nobody is talking about removing qualified immunity for police officers, and that’s why even some cops themselves are coming around to the idea of reform at this late a date. In many ways, the real importance of the movement to “Defund the Police” is that the mere threat of taking away the sweet filthy ducats that pay murderpig salaries has already shifted the carceral establishment’s position towards bargaining; albeit, in bad faith.

The road to neofeudalist hell is paved with dark intentions however, and what establishment reformers, even and perhaps especially those who’re prepared to acknowledge the fundamentally racialized aspects of police violence, aren’t prepared to discuss in the open is the nature and purpose of policing itself in a capitalist society. There is no public examination of why it is that we keep hiring folks who turn out to be violent white supremacists to be police; and there certainly will be no discussion about the ways class relationships intersect with race through the designed function of racialized policing.

Despite the pro-police propaganda you’ve been fed all your life to suggest otherwise, the vast majority of what police actually do in America is to protect the wealth, property, and feelings of affluent white people and the corporations they own. Far from solving major crimes and preventing violence, modern policing in the Pig Empire revolves around nuisance violations, so-called broken windows policing, and other methods of harassing poor people for minor infractions of the law; remember, the police encounter that lead to the murder of George Floyd started over the purchase of cigarettes and a dodgy twenty dollar bill. The reason murderpigs can get away with violently assaulting protestors and journalists who threaten the established order is because that is precisely what they’re being paid to do, and indeed what their predecessors before them have always been paid to do.

On the surface, this class and capitalism analysis may appear to create a tension with the narrative that white supremacy and racism are also driving the crisis of police violence, but that’s really just about the same old establishment spin. As I’ve discussed in numerous prior essays, you simply cannot separate capitalism from white supremacy, or even racism, because bigoted ideas are propagated and spread for the specific purpose of marking out certain marginalized groups for exploitation and highly-lucrative (for some) repression.

Do you want to know what systemic racism in policing really looks like? It looks like hiring murderpigs to repress the poor, knowing full well that due to centuries of slavery and exploitation, the nonwhite and particularly African American population will be vastly overrepresented in the targeted communities. It looks like a supposedly colorblind war on drugs, the ongoing use of demonstratively racist stop and frisk practices, and expanded powers for your community’s “gang squad” in pretty much any neighborhood that just happens to be predominantly Black. It looks like literally profiting from these practices in ways that are sometimes extremely brazen and obvious, but sometimes hidden from everyday sight; even if they’re hardly much of a secret. The fact that the police are ultimately enforcers for the capitalist ruling class, also makes them enforcers of the white supremacist order that capitalism is so dependent upon in our society; there is no contradiction involved here.

Look; you don’t get rid of fascist murderpigs and white supremacists in law enforcement by throwing more money at nazi cops. Joe Biden can summon up all the pretty words he likes, but you can’t address the racialized nature of police violence without fundamentally altering either the racialized nature of inequality in American life, or the very purpose of policing in our society; and he’s sure as shit not talking about doing any of that at all. Thus, no matter how surprised and hopeful I am after the Chauvin guilty verdicts, that sense of positivity is ultimately tempered by the realization that “nothing will fundamentally change” - and that includes cracker thug pigs executing unarmed Black men on camera.

Although they might finally be better than openly fascist Republicans, the Democrats still don’t have answers to the problem of racialized police violence because ultimately, they don’t have answers to the crisis of capitalism itself. It’s not a question of reform or changing the law; murder is already illegal, even if you’re a white cop. Inequality, and the security force violence necessary to maintain it, is a festering sore inside the American body politic, and there are indeed consequences for essentially ignoring a crisis now so obvious and enraging to the public at large.

What kind of consequences? Well, let’s ask researcher and professor Temitope Oriola who provides one terrifying answer in the public journal, The Conversation:

“The United States is at Risk of an Armed Anti-Police Insurgency“ by Temitope Oriola

Or, you know, we could just abolish the murderpigs first; your call really - but don’t expect Palooka Joe to be much help, either way.

- nina illingworth

Independent writer, critic and analyst with a left focus. Please help me fight corporate censorship by sharing my articles with your friends online!

You can find my work at ninaillingworth.com, Can’t You Read, Media Madness and my Patreon Blog

Updates available on Instagram, Mastodon and Facebook. Podcast at “No Fugazi” on Soundcloud.

Inquiries and requests to speak to the manager @ASNinaWrites

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“It’s ok Willie; swing heil, swing heil…”

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aggievoices · 6 years

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The Joy Fergoda Library: Bringing the Margins to the Center

Emma Hoppough

Photos by Rafael Velasco

When I was in high school, my mom would wave me out of the car on rainy mornings with a reminder: “Please just go to the library before class!” Instead, I would roll my eyes and meet my friends in the stuffy gym locker room—a place where we could theoretically goof off, but where we usually just complained about the weather before trudging to first period. I can’t explain my past aversion to the library—I always loved books, and English was my favorite class—but something about it, about the eagle-eyed librarians and the textbook-focused collection, never drew me in.

Fast-forward to 2017, when I stepped timidly into the Joy Fergoda Library in the UC Davis Women’s Resources and Research Center (WRRC): immediately, I spotted cushioned chairs, tea and coffee, and studious-looking undergrads dotting the cozy space. Looking more closely, I realized that it was not a typical library at all. The shelves were filled with books written by women authors, and with topics ranging ranging from ecofeminism to Native American mythology. The counter held pamphlets on self-care, and the hallway outside displayed a poster about gender-neutral pronouns. This was a library I felt comfortable in.

Although the library occupies just one room in North Hall, it feature an increasingly large collection and an impressive history. Named for the WRRC’s first full-time librarian, the Joy Fergoda library opened in the 1970s with only 150 books on the shelves. Nearly 50 years later, that collection has grown to hold over 12,000 books, films and more; meanwhile, its mission has similarly expanded to focus on student self-care, intersectional feminism and judgement-free learning. But how can such a small space meet these ambitious goals?

To learn more about the library, I spoke with three people who know it best: Mary Rasooli, the first-ever student library coordinator and a recent UC Davis graduate; Lulu Zhang, the library’s Volunteer of the Year and a graduating US History major; and Jessica Castellon, the assistant director of education for the WRRC. Our conversations showed me that the Joy Fergoda Library’s small-scale collection does not limit its impact, but instead enables it to address large-scale issues one Dewey Decimal number at a time.

Q: IN YOUR OWN WORDS, WHAT IS THE GOAL OF THE JOY FERGODA LIBRARY?

Mary: I think this is a different type of library...Here you can find so much on queer theory, gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity—all these things that affect all of us, that we don't necessarily have access to or that we might not be comfortable going in spaces [to request information about].

Lulu: While students are spending their time here, they get to learn more about gender equity. Even in the restrooms—we have two gender-inclusive restrooms to expose students to the idea that you can challenge the gender binary norms. On the back of the door on each stall, right now, there are two statements: “You are valid,” and “I love you.”

Q: BUT WHY SEPARATE THIS COLLECTION FROM THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY? HOW DOES THE SPACE—THE WRRC—AFFECT HOW STUDENTS INTERACT WITH THESE BOOKS?

Jessica: When it’s a larger collection, it’s easier to get lost. We have some autonomy and agency to pick what goes in our library...For example, we have zines, comic books, poetry books. Sometimes these things aren’t seen as scholarly, but we feel like they are scholarly because it’s knowledge, so we’re bringing the margins to the center.

Mary: We look at what [artists, writers or poets] have released and published recently, and pick and choose what fits for our center. For us, it’s really anything; we want to be able to represent an array of subjects. For the most part a lot of the books we have here, Shields [the university library] doesn’t have. It’s just really new stuff.

Q: GIVEN THAT THE LIBRARY IS PART OF A “RESOURCES AND RESEARCH” CENTER, WHAT RESOURCES DOES IT PROVIDE FOR STUDENTS?

Jessica: We have multiple material resources in the library: coffee and tea, printing services, a charging station, blue books for finals and midterms, a GRE loan program for folks to check out study materials and a reserve library for classes.

Lulu: There are lots of flyers, pamphlets and resources for people of different needs. We don’t just provide people with information on birth control, we also provide them with [information on] how to help yourself and your friends during a crisis: how to fight depression, accidental pregnancy, stalking behavior and more...It’s pretty radical, now that I’m telling you about it.

Q: ARE THERE LIBRARY-SPECIFIC PROGRAMS AS WELL?

Mary: We run the Feminist Dialogues speaker series [a collaboration with the Feminist Research Institute]. We want folks to have access to these individuals who have gotten through academia or maybe aren’t doing stuff in academia but are impacting the way we produce knowledge in some other way...We had someone [participate in the series] who had their PhD in different forms of parenting and mothering, so she gave us a really cool talk about her research. It was a way for people to meet someone who had graduated but was also still doing work in academia—and really cool radical work.

Lulu: The library also has a program called STEM Cafe. It provides free tutoring for people—especially women—in STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics]. Twice a month we have a set date and location; you just come in with your questions.

Q: SO WHO CAN USE THE LIBRARY? WHO CAN COME INTO THE WRRC?

Jessica: So many people use our library. There are particular folks who feel safe in the space—I think queer and trans, femme folks do feel safe in this space to come in, eat their lunch, have dialogue. A lot of our volunteers for STEM cafe are men—but I think they come with the understanding that we’re doing this with a feminist perspective

Lulu: Some male students told me that because it’s called the “women’s” center they thought it was for women exclusively, which is not right...Anyone can come, no matter your identities.

Q: ARE YOU HOPING TO SEE ANY CHANGES IN THE NEXT YEAR?

Mary: I want to see more engagement with students in the library. Students come here for our tea, our coffee, our quiet spaces and printing resources, but I would like to see us do more long-term programming, like ways to engage people with the amazing literature that we have and all the cool stuff we’ve been ordering for the library.

Q: LASTLY, DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE BOOK FROM THE COLLECTION?

Mary: I like Salt, by Nayyirah Waheed. Her poetry is incredible. It’s pretty new, and she’s just someone we wanted to support because she’s amazing.

Jessica: I love the children’s books; I think what’s unique about our library is that we have children’s books that focus on race and class and gender. I love the one called [Morris Micklewhite and] the Tangerine Dress: it’s about a child, assigned “boy” at birth, who plays with gender identity. People, especially first-time parents, are trying to teach their kids these concepts.

Lulu: 100 Most Important Women of the 20th Century—it’s a brief overview of influential women...I remember reading about a Chinese revolutionary woman who I didn’t read much about before I came here. It’s kind of like, if you have a four-year college degree, you should know these women; otherwise, how could you claim that you went through college?

You can find the Joy Fergoda Library, part of the Women’s Resources and Research Center, in the first floor of North Hall at UC Davis. To learn more about the library and the WRRC, check out these links:

Joy Fergoda Library database

WRRC website

WRRC Facebook page (for events & scholarship news)

Emma Hoppough is a recent UC Davis alumna. When she’s not writing or painting, she’s probably planning a picnic or rewatching episodes of The Office.

#ucdavis #goags #WRRC #JayFergodaLibrary #WRRClibrary #womensresources

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sarahsfeministthoughts · 4 years

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Week : Documentary Week: The Hunting Ground

95% of colleges say they handle sexual assault cases “appropriately,” but what does this really mean? According to the documentary, The Hunting Ground, in 2012, 45% of colleges reported no sexual assault. Dr Gail Stern, a sexual assault educator, comments “This is statistically impossible. It makes absolutely no sense. It just tells you the level of denial.” While finding a school with low or no reports of rape may seem on the outside as a positive, the truth is it speaks to deeper levels of injustice going on within the school walls. Many of these schools avoid reporting actual cases with the intention of maintaining a seemingly safe and clean public image, preventing any negative publicity surrounding their prized school brand, and avoiding any expensive lawsuits. However, universities are not just concerned about maintaining their reputation, their brand, and the money behind their brand, but what their brand promises to deliver. Universities that admit that they have a rapist on their football team, for example, Jameis Winston from Florida State University, demystify the appealing advertised promise that states that their campus provides the perfect community, which respects and upholds social justice values. This act of covering up the true reality creates an inviting façade for future applicants and indirectly serves as a form of justification and normalization for the quiet acceptance of misogyny and treatment of victims as “lesser-than” humans, while simultaneously desensitizing the community to the gravity of such violence and disrespect. Furthermore, by remaining silent and inactive, it passively enables this behavior to continue. The concern for maintaining a false image over the health and wellbeing of the student body as a whole, creates a macro problem instead of a macro solution. Colleges are the places where all young adults, regardless of gender, race, sexual orientation or religion, start to define and understand their function and behavior in society. If a college turns a blind eye to this violent behavior, and simultaneously encourages silence from victims and provides a cloak of protection to the assailants, then this becomes a breeding ground for a society that has a tragically weak regard for human life and universal respect for all people.

One of the reasons for low or misreported sexual assault reports is that the majority of the victims are not taught how to report these events. Colleges should provide mandatory rape culture education for every semester attended, instead of allowing it to just be a conversation in which one can choose whether to opt in or not. To report an assault case takes so much bravery and courage, especially in a world in which girls are not believed, or so often blamed, criticized and re-victimized for the outcome. An example can be found at UNC, where a survivor named Annie Clark was finally able to find out how to report a sexual assault case and when she did, the response she received from the administration is unfortunately an all-too-common response for women in our world. Her administrator told her: “Well... Rape is like football, if you look back on the game, and you’re the quarterback, Annie... is there anything you would have done differently?” This exemplifies the culture of victim-blaming and further impedes any momentum to obtain healing, justice, and resolution as colleges shame and blame girls for having been drinking or “going out in skirts” (The Hunting Ground). Through the response and treatment given to the survivors who come forward, the message women receive is essentially to not trust themselves (or worse, to be more responsible to prevent these things from happening in the first place), and this lack of understanding and perspective bleeds into different aspects of their lives. The loss of control of their body often leads to a general lack of control in life when dealing with the aftermath; these results may vary from anxiety, to depression, paranoia, suicidal thoughts, PTSD, or a complete personality shutdown mentally and physically.

Another example of the horrific outcome that is experienced when help and action from the colleges are unavailable can be seen in Wagatwe’s case. While attending Tufts University in 2008, she was assaulted multiple times by a fellow student, and when she tried to report the assaults to campus, they told her that their legal counsel said they did not have to take action. Due to her trauma, her ability to focus in class was completely disrupted and her grades began to falter, so much so that she was told she had to withdraw from the university. By indirectly expelling her, the school sent a strong message that instead of finding a solution to her burden, she was now deemed as too below-average to stay. For a student who at one point at prided herself so much in her intelligence and good grades, and was admitted on such excellence, no help on an academic or psychological level were ever offered and the school took no accountability in their role in the perpetuation of the emotional and physical abuse of Wagatwe. It wasn’t until three years later (2011), that the US Department of Education implemented Title IX, which mandates that all colleges to respond to reported sexual violence and provide support, assistance, and treatment to any victims.

The mistreatment of survivors is not limited to a particular campus; it’s not just something that happens “somewhere else.” This injustice can be found throughout the national college scene, which is why solutions must be both broad and specific, and fully enforceable by all colleges. The solution cannot solely be beared by women by teaching them to carry pepper spray, taking self-defense classes, restrategizing their “football game”, or dressing conservatively. Rather, the solution must come from a fully intersectional education and awareness that is generously distributed throughout the campus on a monthly basis, amongst many other things. This solution is in the hands of the student body, and not just the victim’s body. College Administrations should prioritize creating a safe environment for students from all walks of life to feel safe and explore their transition into their profession/career study, adulthood, as well as teach this incoming generation how to treat all people with respect, and maintain a moral compass that is in alignment with kindness, integrity, and human dignity. Colleges should encourage the student body to protect each other as a community, use the technology that they already use all the time to stay connected (circleof6app and safetrek), provide the students with required captivating and poignant education on rape culture on a monthly basis, and enforce a strict policy of no tolerance for any type of sexual assault.

It is crucial to emphasize the importance of thinking before you speak because one “small” comment can further perpetuate violence against women. Schools must be held accountable and educate people on the truths behind the rape statistics found throughout the college scene. Additionally, it is important to remember that rape is not just a sexual attack that happens to white women, but something that is experienced by all different types of women, regardless of race, orientation, and religion. Wagatwe says: “Rape is an act of putting the marginalized peoples in their place.”

By not enforcing a firmer attitude towards maintaining safety and protection to the student body, rapists will continue to get away with the crime, further demonstrating how normal and “okay” our society perceives sexual assault. If nothing changes, there is expected to be more than 100k students assaulted in the next year (The Hunting Ground). While most people aren’t rapists, most people are so willing to protect them and this is a reality that needs to change. We need to engage bystanders so we can work to shift social and cultural norms that currently help to sustain rates of violence while simultaneously working to reduce risk factors for survivors coming forward. Rapists will continue on through college, free of any punishment or repercussions, while survivors who don’t receive the proper treatment and assistance, will not only fall behind in the academic world, but fail on a personal and professional level as their sense of worth and confidence is devalued; their sense of potential will be destroyed thanks to the absolute lack of attention and care given to them from the college. Survivors will hold their injustices within their minds for the rest of their lives, while their rapists can go on to become the top pick for the NFL draft. College administrations must be willing to expel rapists and/or misogynists to project to the rest of the world that sexual assault can NOT be justified, can NOT be excused and will NEVER be tolerated.

Here is the trailer to the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBNHGi36nlM

Please watch this film.

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biweeklynews · 6 years

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How to Decipher truth and lies: Bi Privilege

“Privilege, what’s that? Does it taste good?”

Ok, it’s time to get controversial. This post is all about bi privilege aka straight passing privilege. If you read my post Dating while Bisexual this idea was briefly touched upon and mentioned. So, what is bi privilege? It’s the idea that bisexuals are straight passing, when with a partner that is, or appears to be the opposite sex. Please get ready this is a complicated issue that I’m giving my opinion on based from what I’ve learned. This is an issue I’ve seen debated outside of even and within the bisexual community. My goal is not to alienate anyone with this post, but to hopefully open a discussion, or provide a new way to see this topic. I’ll admit that often my own view point changes the more I learn.

Privilege Served on a Silver Spoon

Before we can talk about bi privilege let’s talk about privilege. Privilege is a right or immunity granted as a peculiar benefit, advantage, or favor. Privilege in our society is the result of our family and where we live. I don’t know If anyone is familiar with the wheel of oppression and privilege, but it’s good for understanding how privilege works in our western society.

To explain is the picture above, on the top are the aspects of identity that are granted privileges, while diagonally on the same line the opposite aspects that are the oppressed identity. Along the lines you will also notice the many “isms” That are associated with that form of oppression. Of course, privilege is tied up within identity and that itself is a multi-faceted concept, which leads to people falling on different areas of privilege and oppression. For example, a white gay disabled man has a different set of oppression and privileges than an able-bodied queer trans woman of color.

Privilege does not mean that people don’t struggle, or that they coast through life. It just means that throughout life they’ll have benefits that their counterpart will not.

Get ready for Heteronormativity’s New Way of Thinking

Let’s note that LGBT is on the opposite end of the line for Heterosexual. Heterosexism is the discrimination associated with the oppression. Heterosexism is discrimination or prejudice against homosexuals on the assumption that heterosexuality is the default sexual orientation. Colloquially, our society associates this term with homophobia, biphobia, transphobia etc., as well as heteronormative. Heteronormative is denoting or relating to a world view that promotes heterosexuality as the normal or preferred sexual orientation.

In layman’s terms heteronormativity is the assumption that everyone is straight until proven otherwise. Heteronormativity though is not specific to people or places. It’s in how our society creates institutions and rules that support the idea of heterosexual couples and/or denounce other sexualities. A lot of gay couples had hard times visiting their significant other in the hospital when they weren’t considered real family members, as Tara Parker-Pope points out in her article How Hospitals Treat Same-Sex Couples.

Don’t be fooled though heteronormativity does not have to be malicious with its intent. When I was in high school we had a same-sex marriage debate, on whether people of the same-sex should be allowed to get married or not. The way the discussion was held and handled was if there were no members of the LGBT community in the classroom. It was as if LGBT people were something that existed outside and not within the walls of the school. Also, the way the other kids talked about rights that people can and cannot be allowed was very upsetting. I was not out at the time and was not about to out myself in front of high schoolers to prove a point. While I did not like the way the conversation went, I recognize that no one in the class had a good understanding of LGBT issues, not even me. The social ladder of high school is a scary place. However, that situation is an example of how Heteronormativity works in our society. Heteronormativity also feeds directly into the idea of being straight “passing.”

Congratulations You “Pass!”

Straight passing is the idea that a person (a bisexual person in the terms of this post) can “pass” as straight. Usually people argue this because bisexuals have the option to be with someone who presents as the opposite gender, creating a relationship that appears to be straight. They believe in doing so bisexuals will thus, not be a victim to the transgressions that other queer people face.

Heteronormativity’s big role here is that people assume that couple to be straight. In the same way people often assume a single person on the street to be heterosexual. We’re not raised to think about people being queer without having to come out or present their sexuality in some way.

The Term “Passing” for other Identities

Now let’s talk about “passing.” This term and way of thinking stems from the idea of People of color being white passing. This refers to people who appear as or are often mistaken for Caucasian even though they are not. These people tend to be biracial, however that is not always the case. The importance of the term is more about the treatment of people of lighter skin versus people with darker skin. People that pass as white are given privileges as white people even though they are member of an oppressed group. They can benefit from these privileges until the illusion is shattered in which case they are back to being treated as a minority.

Colorism plays a big role in those dynamics, but that’s not the take away here. Instead focus on how members of a minority group are awarded privileges because they appear to be apart of the majority. That’s the issue that many lesbian, gay and other queer people have with bisexuality. They feel bisexuals can pretend to be straight until they choose not to be. So, the” privilege” they get is not being discriminated against for their sexual orientation.

What does this Mean?

Race and sexuality have similarities in the face of discrimination but are not the same at the end of the day. This isn’t to say one oppression is worse than the other. We’re not playing the oppression Olympics. The intersection of these two identities is important especially for members of both communities but understanding the differences might highlight why “passing” doesn’t work as well.

Race is a visual part of one’s identity. It’s something that cannot be hidden. Sexuality is not inherently visual. People can choose to express themselves in a way that makes their sexuality visual. Heteronormativity however, dictates that people see the default sexuality as heterosexual unless that view is challenged. Therefore, anyone not a relationship can appear as straight.

The Verdict

So, does bi privilege exist, or is it a hoax. Does it have any truth, or are people grasping for straws? Well the answer is…

I don’t know.

I know what you’re thinking it sounds like a cop out, but it’s not. This is a very complex and layered issue that I don’t take lightly. I did my research and I’m not afraid to admit that I don’t have all the answers. When I first came out it just made sense that bi privilege existed, and I’ve gone back and forth on it. Personally nowadays, I don’t feel it exists. I can’t imagine people hiding part of themselves ever truly being happy. It just seems they’re still trapping themselves in another closet. However, I see the argument to made for why people think it exist. In 2015, Lindsay Ellis, a movie reviewer and video essayist, formerly known as the Nostalgia Chick published a post called Bisexual Privilege, Bisexual Erasure. It focuses mostly on Lindsay’s journey with her identity but does bring up the idea “passing.” In the article, she states bisexuals reap the benefits of the LGBT+ community, but contribute the least. She also argues that they can contribute the least because they can opt out. The first time I read it, I had mix feelings. She said bi privilege exists. I respect Lindsay and I love her content and the fact she was bisexual was mind blowing. So, I went back reread it. Upon further review I contemplated about what she was saying. I still don’t agree, but I do see her points and the reasoning to how she got there.

I don’t want to present my opinion as fact. I encourage everyone to draw their own conclusions. I’ve given information to present how I’ve come to reach my own understanding. I’m not saying that answer is right, but for me it’s how I feel based on what I‘ve learned. I’m sure as I learn more my answer will change in time. Everyone always remember to question things, sometimes the answer isn’t simple.

A/n: If you reached the end congrats! I thought about splitting it into two different posts but decided against it everyone has waited long enough.

#bisexuality #Bisexual #bi privilege #LGBT #Biphobia #LGBT+#LGBT Issues #lgbt intra community issues #bi erasure

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jeepnest1-blog · 6 years

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Case Studies_1

Case Studies

Sample Case Studies and Diagnoses

Following are four examples of patient descriptions with a link to the corresponding diagnosis.

These sample case studies are for illustration only. They should not be used to make a diagnosis. If the symptoms sound similar to those that you (or a loved one) are experiencing, please contact your primary physician or a mental health professional for an evaluation as soon as possible.

Case Study 1

Jessica is a 28 year-old married female. She has a very demanding, high stress job as a second year medical resident in a large hospital. Jessica has always been a high achiever. She graduated with top honors in both college and medical school. She has very high standards for herself and can be very self-critical when she fails to meet them. Lately, she has struggled with significant feelings of worthlessness and shame due to her inability to perform as well as she always has in the past.

For the past few weeks Jessica has felt unusually fatigued and found it increasingly difficult to concentrate at work. Her coworkers have noticed that she is often irritable and withdrawn, which is quite different from her typically upbeat and friendly disposition. She has called in sick on several occasions, which is completely unlike her. On those days she stays in bed all day, watching TV or sleeping.

At home, JessicaвЂ™s husband has noticed changes as well. SheвЂ™s shown little interest in sex and has had difficulties falling asleep at night. Her insomnia has been keeping him awake as she tosses and turns for an hour or two after they go to bed. HeвЂ™s overheard her having frequent tearful phone conversations with her closest friend, which have him worried. When he tries to get her to open up about whatвЂ™s bothering her, she pushes him away with an abrupt вЂњeverythingвЂ™s fineвЂќ.

Although she hasnвЂ™t ever considered suicide, Jessica has found herself increasingly dissatisfied with her life. SheвЂ™s been having frequent thoughts of wishing she was dead. thesis writing help gets frustrated with herself because she feels like she has every reason to be happy, yet canвЂ™t seem to shake the sense of doom and gloom that has been clouding each day as of late. [Click here for Diagnosis]

Case Study 2

Kristen is a 38 year-old divorced mother of two teenagers. She has had a successful, well-paying career for the past several years in upper-level management. Even though she has worked for the same, thriving company for over 6 years, sheвЂ™s found herself worrying constantly about losing her job and being unable to provide for her children. This worry has been troubling her for the past 8 months. Despite her best efforts, she hasnвЂ™t been able to shake the negative thoughts.

Ever since the worry started, Kristen has found herself feeling restless, tired, and tense. She often paces in her office when sheвЂ™s there alone. SheвЂ™s had several embarrassing moments in meetings where she has lost track of what she was trying to say. When she goes to bed at night, itвЂ™s as if her brain wonвЂ™t shut off. She finds herself mentally rehearsing all the worse-case scenarios regarding losing her job, including ending up homeless. [Click here for Diagnosis]

Case Study 3

Josh is a 27 year-old male who recently moved back in with his parents after his fiancГ©e was killed by a drunk driver 3 months ago. His fiancГ©e, a beautiful young woman heвЂ™d been dating for the past 4 years, was walking across a busy intersection to meet him for lunch one day. He still vividly remembers the horrific scene as the drunk driver ran the red light, plowing down his fiancГ©e right before his eyes. He raced to her side, embracing her crumpled, bloody body as she died in his arms in the middle of the crosswalk. No matter how hard he tries to forget, he frequently finds himself reliving the entire incident as if it was happening all over.

Since the accident, Josh has been plagued with nightmares about the accident almost every night. He had to quit his job because his office was located in the building right next to the little cafГ© where he was meeting his fiancГ©e for lunch the day she died. The few times he attempted to return to work were unbearable for him. He has since avoided that entire area of town.

Normally an outgoing, fun-loving guy, Josh has become increasingly withdrawn, вЂњjumpyвЂќ, and irritable since his fiancГ©вЂ™s death. HeвЂ™s stopped working out, playing his guitar, or playing basketball with his friends вЂ“ all activities he once really enjoyed. His parents worry about how detached and emotionally flat heвЂ™s become. [Click here for Diagnosis]

Case Study 4

Martin is a 21 year-old business major at a large university. Over the past few weeks his family and friends have noticed increasingly bizarre behaviors. On many occasions theyвЂ™ve overheard him whispering in an agitated voice, even though there is no one nearby. Lately, he has refused to answer or make calls on his cell phone, claiming that if he does it will activate a deadly chip that was implanted in his brain by evil aliens.

His parents have tried to get him to go with them to a psychiatrist for an evaluation, but he refuses. He has accused them on several occasions of conspiring with the aliens to have him killed so they can remove his brain and put it inside one of their own. He has stopped attended classes altogether. He is now so far behind in his coursework that he will fail if something doesnвЂ™t change very soon.

Although Martin occasionally has a few beers with his friends, heвЂ™s never been known to abuse alcohol or use drugs. He does, however, have an estranged aunt who has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals over the years due to erratic and bizarre behavior. [Click here for Diagnosis]

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urdearestmom · 6 years

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Lights, Sound, Screwdriver! | Chapter 5

“Alright, so now that we’ve established what this project will be about, I want you to get into groups of at least two, maximum four.”

El looked to her right to see Mike already looking at her. He smiled when they made eye contact, then got up to join her at the empty desk beside her.

“Hey, so which decade do you wanna do?” He asked.

She cocked her head. “I don’t know. I don’t really care, to be honest.”

He shrugged, setting his bag down on the floor and taking out a notebook. “I’ve kind of always liked the fifties, for some reason.”

She laughed a little. “If you had a different haircut, maybe you could’ve been a greaser in another life. You look like the kind of guy that doesn’t own a leather jacket, but if you did it would look insanely good.” Fuck, now I’m imagining it. That’s hot… aaaaaand now he’s blushing. What a cutie.

Mike stammered over his words. “Uh, I don’t- I don’t know, if I would…” He cleared his throat. “Be able to, um, pull that off.”

She winked. “I’d pull it off.” WHY AM I LIKE THIS???????? Now the poor boy was as red as an actual tomato and the pair of girls behind them were giving them a weird look, El could see them out of the corner of her eye.

“Um, maybe we could do the seventies? A visit to childhood, if you will,” he said, changing the subject.

“Sounds good.”

“Great, let’s tell her before someone else takes it.”

The project was for their modern American history class, and they had about two and a half weeks to prepare a period-long presentation on a decade of their choosing, beginning with 1900-1909 and ending with 1970-1979. Technically, their teacher had said they could also do the eighties, but it would be kind of pointless since the decade wasn’t over yet and wouldn’t be on their final exam. The project was meant to help the class review major points of history by revisiting each decade.

Walking out together at the end of the period, Mike turned to El again. “So when do you want to get together?”

She choked. “What?”

“To work on the project?”

Jesus. She closed her eyes for a second, having taken his question in the complete opposite direction. “Uh, does today work? We can get started on an outline at least and my dad’s gonna be out until dinnertime so we’ll have the house empty, no distractions.”

She chanced a quick glance in his direction only to see him smiling at the ground. It put a soft smile on her own face.

“Sounds good. Meet at the bike rack as usual, yeah?”

“Yeah. See you later!” She waved, pausing in the doorway of her math classroom to watch until Mike vanished around a corner on his way to English.

“WOOOOOOOOO!” She sped up Elm Street pumping a fist in the air as usual, but this time she was pedalling as fast as she could because Mike was following and they had to race, of course.

The pair had been trailing along at the back of their group, and had decided to race when they got to Elm. They’d started stupidly fast, if only partially to get away from their friends’ whistling, but El had kept going fast and now her legs were burning. She could feel herself slowing down when suddenly Mike whizzed past her so fast all she saw was the blur of grey, blue, and yellow that was his shirt.

“LAST ONE THERE IS A ROTTEN EGG!” He yelled.

She was not about to let him win, it didn’t matter how nice she wanted to be to him. “YEAH, WELL, FIRST ONE THERE IS GONNA LOSE THEIR SOUL!” She started pumping again, calves feeling like they were a thread away from ripping apart.

“I SOLD MINE TO SATAN LAST WEEK!” At that, she had to stop to laugh. Also, she was in front of her house, which meant she’d won anyway.

“Hey, dipshit, guess who’s a rotten egg!”

Mike was almost at the next intersection, but it was close enough that she could see his utterly defeated expression from where she was standing. He turned around and slowly pedalled back, scowling the entire way. “Just when I thought I did something right,” he grumbled, setting his bike down on the grass next to hers. “But hey, you lost your soul since you got here first.”

She grinned. “Plot twist, I’m Satan.”

“I knew it! I’ve been telling Will for weeks that there’s something different about you!”

“I hope it’s a good different,” she remarked.

El saw him turn pink again. “Yeah, I- um. It’s not bad. You’re, like, the coolest person I’ve ever met.”

She shoved the door open and stepped inside, spreading her arms out. “Welcome to the police chief’s house. No drugs, no drinking, and certainly nothing else illegal!”

Mike stepped in after her, closing the door and taking in the surroundings. He didn’t notice her until she was pressed right up against him with a finger under his chin. What are you doing, El. Literally what are you doing. She didn’t really know, she just wanted to be close to him in that moment. “You better watch it, kid, or it’ll be more than your soul you lose.”

And then she was looking into his eyes, and he was staring back into hers with an intensity that made her feel like she was going to melt into a puddle right there on the floor. His gaze flicked down for a second, so hers did too, which was when she found herself staring at his lips. They looked so kissable in that moment, parted slightly and so pink and inviting. She wanted nothing more than to press hers against them, even for just a second, and they were so close all she had to do was push her face a little further up. It was something she’d definitely dreamed about before; laying up at night wondering what it would feel like, what it would taste like, to kiss Mike. She thought it might be nice. And it was so close…

He leaned his head back against the door, putting his face out of her reach. “Wow, that’s threatening,” he said.

She stepped back, avoiding looking at him. “Did you, uh, want something to eat?” She asked, taking off her shoes and walking into the kitchen. “I can successfully cook three things: scrambled eggs, bacon, and Eggos. Also you can take off your shoes, I’d rather not have to clean the floor later.” God, you dumbass. You gotta remember he doesn’t like you!

Mike joined her, looking around at the shelves while she rooted through the fridge. “You really like breakfast foods, huh?”

“Eggs, bacon, or Eggos, Mike?”

“Whatever you’re having is fine.”

“Eggos it is then,” she answered, ripping four waffles out of the package and popping them into the toaster.

He came and leaned on the counter, observing her profile. “Actually,” he said, “there’s something I want to ask you.” Oh shit.

“Shoot,” she shrugged, turning to face him and copy his position.

“How do you like your eggs?”

El wrinkled her nose. “Why? Are you gonna make me breakfast any time soon?”

He rolled his eyes. “No, I just have a very specific way of eating my eggs and I wanted to know how you like yours.”

She groaned. “God please no, don’t tell me you’re one of those people who thinks putting syrup on eggs is actually acceptable.”

He looked affronted, putting a hand to his chest defensively. “It’s delicious!”

“No, it’s a deal breaker is what it is,” she replied, putting the toasted Eggos on plates and passing one to Mike.

“But we’re not even dating, how is it a deal breaker?” He said.

Oh. Whoops. You’re being forgetful again, Ellie. “Fine, it would be a deal breaker if you asked me out.”

He looked like he was thinking hard about something, but he was just chewing on a plain waffle. “Would you like that?” He asked, raising his eyebrows.

“Maybe.” Aaaaaaand there you go again, you idiot. Might as well have asked him out yourself, you couldn’t have been more obvious.

Mike’s face was bright pink again, but she had to give him credit for not stuttering like he usually did when embarrassed. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

They finished their Eggos in silence.

Over the course of the next few hours, they managed to come up with an outline for what they could talk about and how they’d present it, and decided to include a mixtape of well-known seventies songs. Most of the time was actually spent just goofing off or talking, though, and the two learned some things about each other.

El learned that Mike was pretty sure his parents were going to get a divorce soon, judging by the amount of times he’d had to take his little sister out somewhere in the middle of the afternoon or (if they were really unlucky) the middle of dinner, as of late. In return, she told him the truth about how she came to be adopted by Hopper and living in Hawkins, which was that she’d had a terrible stepfather back in the town she lived in before.

He had threatened both her and her mother a million times before actually doing something, which was poisoning her mother’s cup. It put her in hospital and she died there within twenty-four hours. Hopper had been one of the cops investigating the case, the town’s police force having been unable to take care of it and calling in back up from neighbouring towns, and because little Jane had been left without any family besides her aunt Becky (who couldn’t take her), he had decided to adopt her.

“Jeez, El, I’m sorry. That’s terrible.” He was leaning against the wall as she hung upside down over the side of her bed.

She shrugged, or at least tried to, because it was hard to do when you were hanging upside down. “It’s fine. She was never the best mom, and at least I’m rid of that asshole.” This was her philosophy in life: you always have to look on the bright side of things, because if you only look on the dark side you’re going to end up becoming the dark side.

“Still! You know Dustin actually used to be afraid of you because of the rumours when you got here?”

She laughed. “He’s an idiot.”

“Tell him that!”

The two had never been alone together for such a long amount of time, and so it was on this day that El discovered that she really, truly, deeply clicked with Mike. There was something so inherently familiar about him, about the way he spoke and moved and looked at her, that made her feel like she was home. Like he was her home. Which was weird and very uncharacteristic of her, she thought, because she didn’t really consider herself a people person, and in retrospect they really hadn’t known each other for that long. However, it was a nice feeling, so she let herself bask in it for a bit before she knew she had to start pushing it away. There was no way he’d ever like a girl like her.

“Hey, El, I’m home! What do you want for dinner?”

Shit, she’d completely lost track of time! From the looks of it, Mike had too. The two of them had spent the last hour sorting through hers and her dad’s music collection searching for the perfect songs to put on their mixtape, and had been very enthusiastically dancing around her room to September when Hopper came in the door.

“Uh- hey, Dad!” El winced. She had forgotten to call the station when she got home to let him know that she had someone over. That was mostly because she’d only ever had Max over and Hopper didn’t mind if she was there without him knowing since he basically considered her his second daughter, but also because she'd gotten so caught up in being able to spend time alone with the boy she’d liked for the past three years that it had completely slipped her mind.

She turned to Mike with a frantic expression. “Stay here and don’t come out until I say so, I forgot to tell him you’re here and he might freak out that I’ve had a boy in this house alone all afternoon,” she whispered.

He was staring at her, looking scared. “Right, okay. I will be here pretending I don’t exist,” he whispered back, gulping.

Cursing under her breath, El walked out of her bedroom and to the front of the house to face Hopper. “Hey, Dad. How was your day?”

He was hanging up his coat and hat. “Was fine. Callahan’s an idiot as usual, and Flo’s still trying to convince me to stop smoking and eat healthy.”

She shook her head ruefully. “Smoking gives you cancer and eating healthy is, coincidentally, good for your health.”

Hopper shrugged, and she almost thought she’d gotten away with having Mike hidden in her room when her dad pointed near the door and said, “Whose shoes are those?”

FUCK! “Right, about that… I forgot to call and tell you.”

He raised his eyebrows. “That doesn’t answer the question. I know they’re not Max’s, they’re way too big.”

El sighed, defeated. “They’re Mike’s.”

She chanced a quick look at Hopper to see his eyes had widened almost comically. “The Mike? The one you-”

“Shut up, he’ll hear you!”

“What’s he doing in my house, missy?”

She glanced down the hall in the direction of her room, seeing the door just the little bit ajar she’d left it. “We got assigned a project in history today and we’re partners, so we came over here to work.”

Hopper nodded sagely. “Of course. This project wouldn’t have anything to do with anatomy, would it?”

“Dad!” El felt a flush of embarrassment creep up her face. “It’s not like that at all. Plus I literally said it was history, stop trying to make bad jokes!”

He laughed. “You know I just like to tease, Ellie. Call him out,” he said, gesturing to her door.

She swallowed. “Uh- you can come out now!”

The door creaked open and Mike’s head popped out, the rest of him following when he saw that both father and daughter were staring at him.

Upon arriving in the kitchen, he stuck his hand out to shake Hopper’s. “Nice to, um- nice to meet you, sir.”

Hopper narrowed his eyes, squeezing the boy’s hand. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Mike laughed nervously. “All good things, I hope?”

Hopper didn’t answer, simply staring as if he could see into the kid’s soul, before turning to the fridge and taking some eggs out.

Mike turned to El, who was now freaking out. Oh god, what if Dad scared him and he wants nothing to do with me anymore?

“Was that good?” He mouthed.

She raised her hands in an ‘I’m not sure, maybe?’ gesture. She cleared her throat, trying to rid the room of the awkward silence that had taken over. “So, what’s for dinner?”

Hopper was now looking like he was going to fry some eggs. “I figured I’d fry some eggs to make sandwiches and you guys can get a pizza if you want one,” he replied. “You’re staying, right, Wheeler? I’m sure your mother wouldn’t mind.”

El thought that sounded more like a thinly veiled threat than an invitation to stay for dinner, but she wasn’t about to get in the way of the proceedings.

(Who was she kidding, she wanted him to stay too.)

“Uh, no, I just have to let her know. Is it okay if I use your phone?”

“Sure, kid.”

As Mike went into the hall to call his mother, El sidled over to her dad. “So?” She asked.

“So, what?” Hopper answered.

“What do you think?”

He shrugged, cracking an egg into the hot pan. “Hasn’t spoken enough to make a judge of his character, but he looks pretty harmless. I think I might actually like this kid.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “I told you he’s a good kid.”

“You did,” he agreed, cracking another egg. “Set the table, and when he’s done go order a pizza.”

El wrapped her arms around him in a hug. “Thanks, Dad,” she said, muffled into his shoulder.

He ruffled her hair. “Don’t worry about it, kiddo.”

Over dinner, Hopper made several comments that his daughter felt were entirely unnecessary. For example, did he really need to say that the reason he’d heard of Mike was that she hadn’t been able to refrain from talking about him in the past three years?

Or that he was excited that they were finally getting to know each other?

Or that El was always overly thrilled whenever there were mentions of a hangout, because that meant she got to see Mike outside of school hours?

The boy had gotten redder with every word, until he looked very similar to the sauce on their pizza. By that point, she just wanted him to leave before her dad caused any more embarrassment.

And so it was that as soon as the pizza and egg sandwiches had been finished, El ran to her room and snatched all of Mike’s stuff up before handing it to him and shooing him out of the house. She finished with an “I’ll see you Monday!” before closing the door and turning around to glare at Hopper.

“Why are you like this?” She seethed.

He didn’t turn around. “Like what?”

“Like that! You just had to say all that stuff, didn’t you? If he was ever going to like me before, he’s definitely not going to after that!”

He shrugged, scrubbing a plate harshly to get the dried yolk off of it. “If he couldn’t handle that then he shouldn’t date you. But I think he handled it fine. And he likes you, you’re just choosing not to see it. He’s very obvious.”

She scoffed. “Uh, no, he doesn’t! He’s not the type of guy to like girls like me, okay? We’re just friends and that’s all it’s ever gonna be.”

“I still don’t see what’s wrong with girls like you, Ellie. You’re strong, and smart, and beautiful, what’s there not to like?”

She sighed. Dads are biased, he doesn’t get it. “I’m going to bed, Dad.”

“It’s early.”

“I know, I just- want to go to bed. I’m tired.”

He turned his head to look at her for a second before turning back to the dishes. “Alright, but if you need anything I’ll be here watching Miami Vice.”

“Thanks, Dad. Good night.”

In her bed, wrapped up in the comforter, she was staring at the wall when she noticed a small notebook on the floor near her. It didn’t look like hers, so she must have missed it when she was picking up Mike’s stuff, or maybe it fell out of his bag when she’d shoved other stuff in.

She reached down to pick it up and saw that on the inside cover was indeed written Michael Wheeler. She knew she shouldn’t read it, but she was really curious. Besides, he didn’t need to know she’d read it, right?

The first half or so of the notebook was filled with messy notes about weird fantastical creatures. She thought it might be him trying to plan a ‘campaign’ for that game he and the boys used to play, because she remembered that he said they hadn’t played in a while and he wanted to make a big game for the summer. Then there were blank pages, and she thought that was the end of it until she noticed writing on a page further in.

At the top it read: Dear El, there’s something I need to tell you, but I don’t know how.

Shit. I shouldn’t have read that, she thought. He’s trying to write me something? Should I talk to him about it? No, then he’ll know I read this. Fuck.

El put the notebook on her bedside table and exhausted herself staring at it and wondering what it meant. The last thought she had before falling asleep was maybe Dad’s right…

#lss #lights sound screwdriver #urdearestmom #mileven #high school au #stranger things

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