On My Honor

It has become very hard for me to write this blog, because I am extremely frustrated. I'm not sure if I can actually put into words just how much I detest the idea of an honor system. Sure, by all means, be religious, be spiritual, be whatever, but don't you dare use your beliefs as a justification for reckless endangerment. And perhaps it isn't so much religion, but rather deeply ingrained patriarchy that has allowed this horrible, either way there is a problem that needs to be addressed. The idea of honor is being used as reasoning for murder countless women in muslim majority societies. Just earlier this year a woman was killed for defying her parents and refusing to marry the man they had chosen for her.  When asked, her family showed no remorse and felt their actions were just and good. After all, they were simply trying to protect the family's honor.

Murder is not the only outlet for honor protection. In addition to manslaughter, some in these societies practice female genital mutilation (FGM) as well. One of the things that bothers me the most about FGM is when people try to compare it to male circumcision. They are not the same. They will never be the same. Circumcision is performed at infancy, before the little boy has the ability to recall any part of the procedure being undertaken. Furthermore, it is often performed because some believe it improves the cleanliness and overall health of the penis. These are not the ideas applied to FGM, not even close. FGM is all about power and forcing young girls to understand that they are not in control of their bodies. The procedure is typically performed between the ages of 5 and 15, well with in the years when lasting memories are formed. These girls are given no anesthesia and forced to experience every moment of the excruciatingly painful procedure. In some cases the clitoris is simply cut to reduce the possibility of the woman experiencing sexual pleasure, but in others the vagina is sewn almost completely shut, making intercourse and childbirth unthinkable. The point is to secure the honor of the girl and her family but making it damn near impossible for her to have premarital sex. In a society where women are still valued by whether or not a man has had his way with her, a procedure that insures her purity is crucial.

Thank God, Allah, Yahweh, or any other higher power (or lack there of) you subscribe to that there are people out there who realize just how terrible these atrocities against women really are. Recently I watched a documentary called Honor Diaries, which features nine women’s rights activists in muslim majority societies discussing gender inequality. These inspiring ladies are dedicated to bringing light to the plight of women suffering under the idea of honor. I greatly encourage everyone to watch the film. It provides a shocking glimpse into such a tragic world. Luckily, they are not alone in this battle, and organizations like Global Fund for Women have been created to further the success of the movement against barbaric treatment towards women.

I can not say when or what will be the tipping point in this movement, but it needs to come quickly. Women are suffering and it is completely unacceptable.

After Tiller, Before Acceptance

Recently, I watched a documentary called After Tiller, which follows the careers of Dr. Leroy Carhart, Dr. Warren Hern, Dr. Susan Robinson, and Dr. Shelly Sella, the only four doctors in the United States who can perform late-term abortions, after the 2009 assassination of their colleague Dr. George Tiller. Tiller performed late-term abortions and was shot by anti-abortion activist Scott Roeder, while serving as an usher at the Reformation Lutheran Church in Wichita.

Before watching this, I had absolutely no idea such a situation even existed. Obviously I was familiar with the struggle for the rights of women to have the ability to terminate their pregnancies if they so choose, but I had never considered or heard of the struggle of doctors who are tasked with helping women end a pregnancy after the so-called “deadline” for abortions. Most states have time restrictions on what they deem to be a legal abortion, but it can vary greatly from place to place, which only creates more confusion and a greater challenge for people trying to help women who have surpassed the states cut off date (for a list of each states week restrictions follow this link).  

These people really are doing amazing work. They face death threats, frustratingly ridiculous laws, and constant stigma, simply because they are trying to help people. All four doctors unanimously agree that the reason they stay in their field of work, despite all of it’s hardships, is because they know if they were not around to assist women who wish to receive abortions, those women would become desperate and find other, possibly dangerous, ways to end their pregnancies. At one point Dr. Susan Robinson laments that she doesn’t feel she can ever retire because there are so few people who do her work, she worries about what the future will hold for her patients if she is not around. Due to their amazing dedication and constant support of women’s rights, I believe that these four doctors are themselves a small but crucial social movement. They are tireless in their efforts to complete their jobs to the best of their abilities and they constantly push for greater acceptance and support of not only themselves, but the women the work with as well. Their understanding is essential to the welfare of anyone who doesn’t feel they can continue a pregnancy.

So, because they are their own movement, I must ask; what then is the tipping point? When will people understand that there are so many reasons to end a pregnancy and these doctors are simply doing what is best for their patients. The movie interviews several women seeking late-term abortions and each of them has a different and highly personal reason for choosing to do so. A few have babies who will not survive after birth because of various conditions, one woman became pregnant after being rape, another woman does not have the financial means to support herself let alone a child, and the last girl they interview is a teenager who is not ready to become a mother. All of these women have completely valid reasons for wanting an abortion and yet many try to stop them performing an act that has the possibility of bettering the situations of both the mothers and the children. 

In the mindset of Betty Friedan, I am not pro-abortion, I am pro a woman’s right to choose. No one wants an abortion, it isn’t a pleasing or satisfying act, but for many it is necessary and were it not for these four courageous doctors a number of people would be denied the access to their reproductive rights. This is a movement that can not be allowed to die.  

Edit: This is a fantastic spoken-word poem about abortion called "What Women Deserve" by Sonya Renee

C'mon Queens

Today I would like to talk about something near and dear to my heart, and that is drag queen culture. This is a social movement that has been somewhat quieter but incredibly powerful nonetheless. The first real markers of this drag revolution were the Stonewall Inn riots beginning June 28th 1969. Back in the sixties it was illegal for people to wear the clothes of the opposite gender and often people who felt compelled to dress in such a way were the targets of police raids at the few bars that allowed openly gay people to enter.

These riots were the first of their kind and paved the way for men and women to dress in whatever style or gender of clothing they saw fit. Additionally, as they were covered by multiple newspapers, they allowed the American reader a first look at an underground world.

After the Stonewall Inn riots, there were two major events in the 1980’s and 90’s that continued the proliferation of drag culture into mainstream society. The first was the premiere of the controversial documentary Paris Is Burning and the second was the rise of the Club Kid scene. Paris Is Burning was an extraordinary film that followed the lives of the performers of New York City drag balls. It depicted the participants as real people who were simply exploring their identity. Also, fun fact, the movie was the first to show the dance style of “voguing” and a year after it’s release Madonna came out with her hit single “Vogue”.The film did so well and received such high acclaim that it remains to this day one of the most significant  players in the movement towards drag acceptance. Additionally, the Club Kid scene that was created around the same time garnered such widespread attention that some of the key performers, such as James St. James (seen below out of drag), were welcomed onto popular talk shows like Geraldo and The Joan Rivers Show. This showed an opening up of American society to the idea of the drag artform. 

Moving into the 2,000’s there has been an even greater trend towards drag recognition through the work of the smash hit show  RuPaul’s Drag Race (Creator RuPaul is pictured below both in and out of drag)The program began in February of 2009 and on November sixth of this year announced that it would be returning for season seven in January (I encourage you to take a look at that link, it has a very interesting tribute to some of the most memorable drag performances throughout history). Contestants from the show have gone on to be wildly successful. One of the most controversial people to ever compete on Drag Race, Willam Belli, is now an incredible youtube star, where she and singing Partners Vicki Vox and Detox post playful but thought provoking music videos. She has over 318K subscribers and their most popular video has 15 million views and counting. Other performers have also made names for themselves and recently Starbucks released it’s first ever LGBTQIAP (please forgive me if I have failed to include anyone’s gender identity, this is just the most inclusive acronym I know of) commercial which included two of season six’s most popular queens, Adore Delano and Bianca Del Rio. 

All of this represents a growing acceptance of personal identity and the movement that has allowed drag culture to be accepted in “normal” society. Hopefully, the future will bring nothing but continued success amongst all humanity as we strive to welcome people of every shape, style, and personal expression.

Calling All Suffragettes

Today, November 2nd, marks the 34th anniversary of the first presidential election where women were allowed their own vote. Lisa Wade brought this fact to my attention in the lovely blog she posted this morning. To be perfectly honest, I had absolutely no idea today was such a significant day. For me it was just any old Sunday, but from here on out November 2nd will be a day that sticks with me, because it marks the beginning of an amazing chapter in women’s history. For anyone looking brush up on their female suffrage knowledge here is a charming youtube video that does a playful job of detailing important events (thank you John Green).  

I highly suggested everyone read the image of an anti-women’s suffrage poster Wade included in her blog, because parts of it are just down right hilarious. However, for those of who do not feel inclined or do not have the time to do so, do not fret because I will highlight some of the gems. The following quotes are taken from Some Reasons Why We Oppose Votes For Women as printed in 1894 by the National Association Opposed to Women’s Suffrage:

#8- This one cracks me up because it literally states that women should not be allowed to form an identity. It’s as if they believed that a woman understanding who she was would be the ultimate downfall of society.

#11-

This one goes along with number eight. Why have your own identity when you can just live through the men around you?

And my personal favorite #10-

Or in other words “I’m sorry but I’m simply just too busy cleaning my house and popping out children to take 30 minutes out of my day and fill out a ballot”.

It is astounding to think of how far women have come in the last 34 years, and yet equally upsetting to see how little things have really changed. Below are actual quotes from actual human beings and here is the blog I found them on.

Obviously this isn’t about suffrage, but it is about women and their rights which is what is at the root of this matter. The ability to vote was just the first step in a long process of women gaining basic rights and respect. Now that we ladies are able to vote, we mustn’t forget how important it is to get out there and make ourselves heard. Give those suffragettes something to be proud about and fight for the things they were never given, like a voice against people who make ridiculous statements such as the ones above. Suffrage was a powerful, and thankfully successful, social movement that paved the way for the normalcy of female voters, which is fantastic, but it can’t stop there. Those first wavers inspired a long tradition of girl power thats gotta be continued if women can ever hope to tip over into the land of complete and utter equality.  
Have a great day everyone,
Kara

Hop On My Train

To whom it may concern,

“Major social movements eventually fade into the landscape not because they have diminished but because they have become a permanent part of our perceptions and experience”- Freda Adler

At what point does a movement become a norm? An outlier an insider? When does something shift from unacceptable to acceptable? Unfortunately I do not know the exact answers to these questions, but hopefully with a little exploration and some serious social examination I will have at least an educated guess. This blog will therefore serve as the key element in report back and interpreting my findings. Here I hope to discuss how the world has shifted and will shift in its thinking, practices, traditions, and everything else along those lines that I can possibly come up with.

Being a high school senior, I myself am about to embark on some major life changes, and so the topic just seems right. Additionally, with an interest in both psychology and international relations, one fueled by a childhood surrounded by some of the most mentally colorful people you ever could meet and the other by a desire to understand how cultures interact stemming from my experience in a program called Hands of Peace, I plan to focus my writing on not only how the world molds to new information, but why as well.

As the playful imagery of the train in the title suggests, this is not meant to be a place of intense and incredibly detailed examination. I understand that the life is complex and there are somethings that I simply won’t fully grasp or realize within my analyses. However, that certainly won’t stop me from trying to comprehend as much as I possibly can. I hope you will hop on my train and take this journey with me, as we constantly steam forward on the railroad tracks of humanity.

Until next time,
Kara