Lots of new people are here today!!!  Hooray!

What Is Feminism? Event on October 20
confirmed panelists:
Mike Q&A/AEPi
person from NOW
Craig from SDS
member of Feminist Majority
fraternity member?

moderator: Rachel Cromidas

Advertising for Event:
chalking
contact Sharlene Holly about putting stuff on quads
fliers
*interactive “What Is Feminism?” poster

Checklist
send information to listhosts—Malic
put up fliers—Chris, Craig
design flier—Wally
event on calendar—Malic
facebook event—Jenny
put stuff on quads Monday and Tuesday morning
buy food—Wally (chips and salsa, plastic cups), Jenny (soda)
tell friends—EVERYONE

Updated Statement of Purpose
“To provide a safe and open forum for discussing issues of gender and sexuality. To organize events to educate the campus community about feminist issues. To raise awareness and support by advocacy for gender equality, in all areas.”

Figure out what to do with the rad stuff in our locker!

-Vagina Monologues
-do a series of Winter Workshops/Discussions to get Femmaj groupies for spring events
-events exploring positive types of masculinity
-get Julia Serano, the author of Whipping Girl, to speak about femininity and the intersections of feminist and queer politics
-co-sponsor events with the Center for Gender Studies?
-sex work panel (Spread Magazine is a good resource—we can also work with Clarisse)
-raise money for Dreamcatchers
-event about free speech and politically correct language
-anti-racism/anti-oppression training (autumn quarter)
-work to change alienating o-week activities (contact CPO)
-inform students about the gender-related demographics in classes
-discuss tokenism in class
-what is a safe space and how do we create one? (work with other RSOs)
-oppressive language

And I will leave with the best quote of the meeting regarding the classroom environment at UChicago:
“You’re supposed to be in a safe space engulfing theory and white men.”

feminist solidarity brightens my day!

- posted by ali

“I attended the recent panel discussion hosted by Men in Power as one of the “demonstrators.”  It was certainly kind of Mr. Saltarelli to provide the audience with that label for us, and even kinder of him to attempt to clarify our intentions in the event of confusion, as we so thoughtlessly neglected to do.  Regrettably, however, although I must confess, not surprisingly, he failed to grasp what may have been a subtle point.

As I heard their panelist say after the event, Men in Power fully understands the historical/social structures, attitudes, and institutions that its name indexes.  According to him, at least part of the reason for the name is that they hope to debunk those references with the mission and content of the group.  While I might question why this dissociation is a good thing, I will (for now) accept at face-value the simplistic answer that I got on Monday night: it would be nice if a man in a position of power was not automatically assumed to be “bad.”  What Men in Power is saying, then, seems to be that we should look beyond the socially-indexed stereotype to the actual content underneath.  I wish they could have done the same for my apron; it indexes the same complicated set of conditions as “Men in Power,” and I wore it, not to point to those stereotypes, but to the problems with them.  Underneath the apron, I was a person with a much more complicated opinion than “this is how Men in Power wants women to be.”  I’d like to thank Mr. Saltarelli, however, for trying.

I’d also like to thank Men in Power for organizing a discussion about “Gender and the Media.”  Unfortunately, none of us got to hear much about this, because Men in Power very literally monopolized the conversation.  Some of this was unavoidable, simply because of the questions asked by the audience, but it was evident even before the floor (so to speak) was opened.  The panelist from Men in Power spoke more, possibly, than the rest of the panel put together.  He took on a highly aggressive role in the conversation, often interrupting other panelists, and displaying obvious irritation on the two occasions when he was himself interrupted.  On one occasion, when the interruption was made in order to note that the panel’s usage of a gender binary marginalizes alternative gender-identities in the same way that the mainstream media does, this irritation caused him to completely sideline (marginalize?) the comment.  Based Monday’s hypertextual performance, which was, frankly, far more telling than anything actually expressed, I find myself less than sanguine about (not their purpose, not their name!) the role that Men in Power will play in the broader performance of social analysis, knowledge-production, and emancipation that we like to believe is taking place around us.  The group’s creation has already instigated a safety-zone for the unashamed expression of latent sexist, anti-feminist, and anti-queer attitudes.  While it may not have been the intention of the group to do this, it is certainly incumbent upon them to address it as an issue.

Less surprising, but still disappointing, was the fact that Men in Power exerted a topical monopoly as well.  Aside from a strange preoccupation with gang violence (strange, insofar as it seems strange for an advocacy group on campus to be concerned with gang violence, which is unlikely to affect any of their demographic except possibly as collateral damage), the group has identified a number of intriguing issues.  However,  it seems questionable whether they will ever actually manage to engage with the important issues they mention, given the amount of time that they have so far spent defending their group relative to its name.  It might behoove them to change, if only in the interests of their stated mission (I suggest “Students for Ideological Stubbornness”)

All this aside, however, I have to admit that I found my apron to be surprisingly comfortable, not to mention utilitarian, and may take to wearing it more often.  Unfortunately, cozy though they are, both apron and the academic/intellectual veneer applied to real-life discussion at this university share a fundamental flaw: neither offers sufficient protection, much less emancipation, from the bigoted and oppressive social conditions that produce and underlie them both.”

in solidarity,

ali

- jenny

Marilyn French, feminist dies.

Hey all,
Great meeting last night! I really enjoyed our conversation , and it was great to see so many faces, both new and old. Just a reminder to come early to help set up for our study break if you can tomorrow (Thursday) in Hutch Commons at 8pm. There will be food and comedy and awesome people there, so you should def stop by!
Here are some other points from the meeting (I was caught up in our conversation, so my minutes weren’t too thorough. Sorry:
-The self-defense workshop, body image/eating disorders workshop, and female pleasure/masturbation workshop are almost ready to go. Tell your friends and get excited!!
-Ali will be making awesome feminist stencils for the Feminist art event next week. Jessica and I will buy spray paint and other supplies for the event soon.
~Audrey

(but first, join the facebook group! that’s the best way to stay updated!)

WEEK THREE, APRIL 16th– Leadership in the Bedroom: a Sexual Communication Workshop
7 PM
Harper Memorial Library Room 103
1116 E. 59th St.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=93576837106&ref=mf

WEEK FOUR, APRIL 23rd: Alternative Menstrual Products Teach-In
7 PM
Harper Memorial Library Room 103
1116 E. 59th St.
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=92010115521

WEEK FIVE, APRIL 30th: Women’s-Interest RSO Study Break and Open Mic Night!
8:30 PM
Hutchinson Commons

WEEK SIX, MAY 7th: Feminist Art
7 PM
Location TBA

WEEK SEVEN, MAY 14th: Female Masturbation Workshop
7 PM
Harper Memorial Library Room 140

WEEK EIGHT, MAY 21st: Eating Disorder Discussion and Documentary
7 PM
Location TBD

WEEK NINE, MAY 28th: Self-Defense Workshop
8 PM 
Henry Crown

get juiced! get pumped! get excited! get involved!

please email femmajboard@lists.uchicago.edu with any questions, comments, sexy photos, advice, prose, ideas, anything!

this post will be updated and so will the facebook group,
so stay tuned!

STACEYANN CHIN! Wednesday (tomorrow) night! Meet at 6:00 at 55th and Ellis; we will catch the 55 bus to the red line. Call eliza at 7082097119 if you are late/confused. The show starts at 7:30. Be there. (Here’s a link to info about the event)

Want to participate in a feminist focus group? Wednesdays at 6

Events We Discussed
Molly’s event: Self-Defense Workshop: 7-8 on April 30^th in Ratner

Wally’s event: The Feminist comedian is on a comedy hiatus—Feminist Open Mic Night instead?

New Events!!!!
Eighth Week (May 21): Eating disorder/body image panel?
Point person(s): Lindsay/Jess

Ninth Week (May 28): Teach-in: learn about feminist art, make cool stuff
Point person(s): Audrey/Jess

Really Important Event
Next Tuesday: Molly’s birthday.  Oh yeah.

Next Tuesday’s Meeting
Documentary/discussion about Bisexuality at Hull House
Meet in front 5710 at 5:30.  Documentary starts at 7.
We’ll have a mobile meeting on the bus.

Feminist Moments
Eliza saw a play.  Yay Eliza.

Audrey is writing a feminist BA because she is a BAMF.

Chris read an article about “buying” sex.  He might bring it in.  That would be sweet.

Audrey informed us that you can’t buy sex the way you buy a table.

Future Meetings
will not be lead; they will be facilitated by a rotating cast of characters. Wally will be next meeting’s facilitator. Remember that this meeting is MOBILE and will take place on the bus/train. Bad-ass.

>>here is the google calendar for our events this quarter<<