Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Transgender Day of Remembrance


Friday, November 20 is Transgender Day of Remembrance.

Check out this site to see a list of events happening around the world. The University of Kentucky Gay Straight alliance is getting an event together. If you are interested in participating, come to the GSA meeting

Thursday, November 19
7:00pm
357 Student Center

Friday, November 20
2:00pm
Free Speech Area

Friday November 20th is Transgender Day of Remembrance in memory of victims of hate. UKGSA will be preparing Thursday night for an event the this Friday. There will be a variety of tasks to work on in anticipation:
-chalking every blackboard in whitehall with the name and circumstances of a victim's death
-creating signs and posters for tabling on Friday

Friday from 10 to 2 UKGSA will be tabling in the free speech area. In the case of rain we'll move to the patio. If you are able to please drop by or help in whatever way possible. This is an issue that you must bring to the attention of campus.

Witness Exhibit




Opening Reception
J Allen Studio + Spa
527 S. Upper Street
Friday, November 20, 2009
5-8pm



WHAT: a 3-month creative collaboration between 10 specially trained artists and 10 women who have experienced domestic violence and/or sexual assault that culminates in a touring public exhibition

WHERE: Opens at J. Allen Studio + Spa at 527 S. Upper St. in Lexington. From there it travels to the 11th annual Ending Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence Conference at Griffin Gate Marriott at 1800 Newtown Pike. A comprehensive tour schedule will be available at www.lexingtonartleague.org once finalized.

WHEN: Opening reception coincides with Nov. 20 Gallery Hop. On Nov. 30-Dec. 3, Witness will be a feature of the Ending Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence Conference. Other dates will be available at www.lexingtonartleague.org once finalized.

WHO: LAL in partnership with Kentucky Domestic Violence Association (KDVA), Bluegrass Domestic Violence Program (BDVP), Bluegrass Rape Crisis Center (BRCC), Third Street Stuff and Kentucky United Methodist Homes for Children and Youth (KUMH) have selected 10 artists and 10 storytellers from Central Kentucky for participation.

Artist training sessions were designed by LeTonia Jones from KDVA, Maria Almario from BRCC, Diane Fleet from BDVP and Karen Alexander from KUMH. Orientation sessions with all participants were designed by Fran Belvin, licensed and practicing art therapist, and Hui Chi Lee, art lecturer at University of Kentucky.

Paula Zaglul's Solo Show



come see Paula Zaglul's solo show at
Zag's Gallery
222 South Limestone Street, Suite 2
Friday November 20, 2009
6-9 pm
Jack Cofer and Ondine Quinn performing.

Paula Zaglul has done a series of portraits of local people. You may have seen some of her work around town, most recently in soundbar. Zag's Boutique is a wonderful place to find local art, jewelry and clothing. Stop by during the gallery hop!

Voices Against Violence Zine

Description taken from Hermana, Resist:

Voices Against Violence is a small zine-diy style, with work from people of color, indigenous folks, trans people & queer survivors of domestic violence, sexual violence and sexual assault. Included topics can be: healing from trauma, transformative words used as a healing mechanism, enabling healing, life after trauma, self-help guides/resources, self-healing, dancing as means to healing, healing through narration, forgiveness (do we need it?), & collective trauma.

This is an amazing project that I'm planning on submitting work to and I think you should to. Sexual assault and domestic violence happen in every community and we need to talk about it.

**UPDATE** The submission deadline has been extended to February 2nd y'all!

For more information check it out here.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

One step forward, two steps back...

God I'm so fucking mad.

Recently Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich) introduced an amendment to the health care bill that would limit women's access to abortion. Stupak’s bill prohibits abortion coverage in the public insurance option included in the House bill. It would also prevent private plans from offering coverage for abortion services if they accept people who are receiving government subsidies.

From the NY Times:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi desperately tried to deal with an issue that has bedeviled Democrats for more than a generation — abortion.
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Health Care Conversations

After hours of heated talks, the people she was trying to convince — some of her closest allies — burst angrily out of her office.

Her attempts at winning them over had failed, and Ms. Pelosi, the first woman speaker and an ardent defender of abortion rights, had no choice but to do the unthinkable. To save the health care bill she had to give in to abortion opponents in her party and allow them to propose tight restrictions barring any insurance plan that is purchased with government subsidies from covering abortions.

The restrictions were necessary to win support for the overall bill from abortion opponents who threatened to scuttle the health care overhaul.

The results of that fight, waged heavily over two days, were evident as one liberal Democrat after another denounced the health care plan because of abortion restrictions, even though they were likely to hold their noses in the end and vote for the bill itself.

“If enacted, this amendment will be the greatest restriction of a woman’s right to choose to pass in our careers,” said Representative Diana DeGette, Democrat of Colorado, one of the lawmakers who left Ms. Pelosi’s office mad.

Representative Rosa DeLauro, Democrat of Connecticut, said the bill’s original language barring the use of federal dollars to pay for abortions should have been sufficient for the opponents. “Abortion is a matter of conscience on both sides of the debate,” Ms. DeLauro said. “This amendment takes away that same freedom of conscience from America’s women. It prohibits them from access to an abortion even if they pay for it with their own money. It invades women’s personal decisions.”


Now let's think about where we are. Check out what the folks at the Abortion Access Project have to say about the bluegrass:

Women in places such as Mississippi, Kentucky, West Virginia and Arkansas share a troubling commonality – they all live in states with the least accessible abortion services in the United States. Because of where they live, these women face daunting barriers to get safe abortion care if and when they need it. These least access states have the most restrictive laws and the fewest number of abortion providers. These states also share other traits: low levels of contraceptive care, high rates of poverty, and strong anti-abortion cultures. With little help to prevent pregnancy, few financial resources to help pay for abortion care, and the threat of isolation or even harassment within her community, the health and autonomy of a woman living in one of these states is at risk.

I don't know about you, but I'm pissed off, and I'm scared. This is a giant step backward for reproductive rights.

Learn about what you can do by visiting planned parenthood: http://plannedparenthoodaction.org/healthreform/

and the Abortion Access Project: http://www.abortionaccess.org/content/blogsection/7/119/

De Las.