Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Could(n't) Care Less

I grew up thinking the phrases "could care less" and "couldn't care less" were equivalent in meaning. I know that logically, they are opposites. But I assumed it was an idiosyncratic thing. Am I wrong? Do I care?
Love to hear your opinions!

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Breathing

Easter has passed, and with it my biggest event of the year at work: the Good Friday Prayer Vigil. It's been a busy few weeks, and my time off has been limited. Now I'm sitting at home, watching Clementine poke my belly. This is my writing day, so I will spend some time writing today, but not yet. First I will treat myself to relaxation. I've read my blogs, supervised the install of a closet system in the nursery, and am heading towards a nap. Then it's a long delayed trip to the chiropractor, hurrah! And possibly a trip to the library as well.
I've been uninspired lately, although I have been writing. I have Baby Brain, so most of my life is very uninteresting compared to the life I'm creating within. And that's OK. My writing career is not on a timeline.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

My friend's blog about gay vs. homosexual

It's not just semantics, is it?
Hugh Hollowell published this blog post recently, about how the term "homosexual" is perceived by the gay community. There's a lot of pushback in the comments, some saying that they use the word out of ignorance, or an attempt to be respectful, others saying that it's all individual preference, etc.
I was looking through the news today and noticed this: Kobe Bryant is getting a lot of press for using the word faggot during a game, as an insult. The media is choosing, almost universally, to call this a "gay" slur, not a "homosexual" slur. If the media uses this term, perhaps the rest of us should catch up?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/13/kobe-bryant-gay-slur-acti_n_848906.html
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/early-lead/post/kobe-bryant-words-arent-license-to-degrade-or-embarrass-or-tease-others/2011/04/13/AFh7PoYD_blog.html?hpid=z3

Note: I'm not making a comment about Kobe Bryant's actions or words. I'm just observing that perhaps the word "homosexual" isn't just offensive, it's also outdated.

great post

http://feministswithfsd.wordpress.com/2011/04/01/a-change-of-pace/

Monday, April 11, 2011

women's clothes, again

France bans veils
OK, I understand why France decided to ban headscarves and veils. I get that they consider it degrading to women and a security risk. I also understand that many people consider this a cultural assimilation issue: as Muslims assimilate, they should discard their cultural customs to fit in with France cultural customs.
But I'm not comfortable with a blanket ban. Let me try to be succinct in explaining why.
1. Men make up the majority of the French government, which means that men had a larger voice in this decision which affects the clothing of women.
2. Not all Muslim women are forced to wear a veil: many Muslim women enjoy the modesty and privacy afforded by headscarves and veils.
3. While security issues are certainly a valid concern, this law goes far beyond security issues: how is it a problem for a veiled woman to walk her children to school, or to a park, or to go shopping?
4. The cultural assimilation argument shows a lack of understanding of healthy assimilation, which ultimately ends up with the minority culture being accepted. Assimilation is a two way street. I mean, does anyone seriously regret the fact that Italians chose to continue making their own food, even when American officials pushed them to eat an American diet?

At its most basic and simplified: I see this ban as an attempt to make women dress according to the desires of men. True freedom and respect would allow women to choose their own clothing, veil or no veil. If there's a security concern, then sure, require a full face photograph. At that point, it is the woman's choice whether or not she will comply - if she chooses not, she will forego the privileges of a full face photograph ID. But it is still her choice.

And yes, I also think that Muslim men should not require Muslim women to wear veils. It's just a shame that the French government is trying to do the same thing that the Muslim men are: make women dress according to THEIR customs.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Want to stir up Facebook? Try women's clothes!

My Twitter feed is tied to my Facebook page. Generally my friends respond to a fairly high percentage of my tweets. But last week I tweeted about swimwear for little girls and started a long and, at times, intense conversation!
It strikes me that it is much easier to discuss an issue like sexism when we deal with seemingly inconsequential matters, like clothing. I'm very pleased that my last post, talking about sexism and rape, got some comments (Thanks to Wes and Rachel!). But I wonder if talking about sexism and clothing might be a less daunting topic?
So, let's talk about it!
I'm a feminist, and I'm soon to be a first time mother of a little girl. I'm thrilled to be having a daughter, and I confess that I have already bought very girly clothes for her. I plan to give her headbands, and cute shoes, and a purse if she wants one. I have a whole box of dress up clothes and a fabulous doll house that I hope she will enjoy one day.
I know I can walk the line of teaching her to be feminine without teaching her to be weak. But that's a pretty thin line. Especially given that I'll be battling most of American culture and media...