Minglehart

blua: What the city is missing: Thierry Cohen photographs...

Wed, 22 May 2013 20:22:16 -0400

San Francisco

Paris

Tokyo

Los Angeles

Hong Kong

Rio de Janeiro

New York City

What the city is missing: Thierry Cohen photographs cityscapes and then photographs deserts at night, combing the two to show us what our cities would look like with the lights off. The stars are not enhanced, they are actual photos from relative latitudes that would expose the same starry sky view if it weren’t for light pollution. Click on each photo to see which city it is.

Near the top of the very short list of things I miss in New York.

"The German government regards its years of outright racial wars with inexorable guilt, while the..."

Tue, 21 May 2013 13:48:32 -0400

“The German government regards its years of outright racial wars with inexorable guilt, while the white [United States] South… often celebrates its Confederate and pre-civil rights past with heroic pride and nostalgia. In 2011, one hundred and fifty years after secession and the start of the Civil War, many Southern states celebrated the date with balls and festivities. In distinct contrast, it is unimaginable that any reputable German political or social leaders could honor and commemorate the passage of the Nuremberg Laws and the erection of a German racist state.”

- by Judith Goldstein

This quote from one of my fellowship readings really stood out to me. As a German-American, the contrast between how Germany and how the United States deal with their pasts has always struck me as bizarre. Both nations have horrifying, violently racist pasts (and still deal with racism today), but in Germany it is an issue of enormous shame, with the evil of the acts widely acknowledged and the government working to address this time and its effects (though some ultra-conservative, white supremacist groups certainly still remain unashamed). In the US, however, we barely speak of the millions killed through the slave trade, slavery itself, lynchings, deprivation of resources during Jim Crow, and so on, not to mention centuries of rape of Black women and other horrors. Another reading mentioned that although there is a Holocaust museum in Washington, DC, there is no “museum dedicated to the history of Black/White relations in the US,” though memorials and museums dedicated to the Holocaust exist in Berlin. Is it wrong to think that a little more shame would be healthy for the US?

cordjefferson: James Baldwin in Turkey, tho.

Sun, 19 May 2013 00:39:44 -0400

cordjefferson:

James Baldwin in Turkey, tho.

My mom’s initial reaction to tattooed, super androgynous, undercut’d, assumedly...

Sat, 18 May 2013 14:29:56 -0400

My mom’s initial reaction to tattooed, super androgynous, undercut’d, assumedly queer waitress at lunch:

“Oh, you and my daughter have something in common!“

For the briefest of moments I thought my mom was playing matchmaker, but apparently she was just commenting on our hair.

newmodelminority: thelingerieaddict: New blog post! When Body...

Sat, 18 May 2013 11:38:14 -0400

newmodelminority:

thelingerieaddict:

New blog post!

When Body Snark Becomes Even Uglier: The Problem with Calling People ‘Tr*nny’

Dear Followers, this is a really good post. Please read it. ~RCJ.

partybarackisinthehousetonight: im going to open a literature-themed coffee/dessert shop called...

Mon, 13 May 2013 11:04:27 -0400

partybarackisinthehousetonight:

im going to open a literature-themed coffee/dessert shop called “Lord of the PIes” and some of the flavor names will be:

the grape gatsby

lime & punishment

the adventures of blackberry finn

the crepes of wrath

the catcher in the pie

war and quiche

around the world in eighty buffets

20,000 leagues under the tea

the call of the wildberry

ppgfreak85: One of the BEST ad campaigns about representation I...

Mon, 13 May 2013 00:29:08 -0400

ppgfreak85:

One of the BEST ad campaigns about representation I have seen.

Everyone has a backbone. Use yours.

just reblogging because of the gay party picture.

My legs are sore tonight for the first time in a long time, but instead of being from a run...

Sat, 04 May 2013 23:37:09 -0400

My legs are sore tonight for the first time in a long time, but instead of being from a run it’s from playing frisbee and soccer with my nieces, rolling around on the lawn until it was too dark to see and we had to go inside. If dodge gym were like this I would go every day.

Life Returned: An Open Letter to Eve Ensler

Sat, 04 May 2013 13:22:24 -0400

Life Returned: An Open Letter to Eve Ensler:

chiefelk:

Dear Eve Ensler,

I want to start off by saying thank you. I appreciate the time you took to reach out to me, because I know you’re incredibly busy. I know there are much more important people in this world than myself, so I appreciate you engaging in dialogue with me and my colleague Kelleigh…

bluestockingsredux: INTERNET, NO. I would play it.

Sat, 27 Apr 2013 12:13:08 -0400

bluestockingsredux:

INTERNET, NO.

I would play it.

julianahuxtable: “ACTUALLY”

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 16:24:48 -0400

julianahuxtable:

“ACTUALLY”

"Sometimes while I ride the subway I try to look at each person and imagine what they look like to..."

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:19:25 -0400

“Sometimes while I ride the subway I try to look at each person and imagine what they look like to someone who is totally in love with them. I think everyone has had someone look at them that way, whether it was a lover, or a parent, or a friend, whether they know it or not. It’s a wonderful thing, to look at someone to whom I would never be attracted and think about what looking at them feels like to someone who is devouring every part of their image, who has invisible strings that are connected to this person tied to every part of their body. I think this fun pastime is a way of cultivating compassion. It feels good to think about people that way, and to use that part of my mind that I think is traditionally reserved for a tiny portion of people I’ll meet in my life to appreciate the general public. I wish I thought about people like this more often. I think it’s the opposite of what our culture teaches us to do. We prefer to pick people apart to find their flaws. Cultivating these feelings of love or appreciation for random people, and even for people I don’t like, makes me a more forgiving and appreciative person toward myself and people I love. Also, it’s just a really excellent pastime.”

- Dean Spade - “For Lovers and Fighters” (via gaobaby)

Transgender couple on life, love and legal rights

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 12:27:11 -0400

Transgender couple on life, love and legal rights:

I just want to go to Thailand and bring them flowers and have dinner with them and tell them they’re wonderful.

thatneedstogo: 10 Ridiculously Offensive Things People Tell...

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 20:29:05 -0400

thatneedstogo:

10 Ridiculously Offensive Things People Tell Asian Women on OkCupid [Buzzfeed]

Absolutely terrified for my nieces to grow up and start dating and to have to deal with these kinds of people (my nieces are Asian American, to clarify). Need to do some more thinking about allyship and how it works within families.

"The entire premise of the song, right from its very title, is garbage. There is no such thing as..."

Tue, 09 Apr 2013 17:09:16 -0400

“

The entire premise of the song, right from its very title, is garbage. There is no such thing as “accidental” racism. On an individual level, a White person may unintentionally say or do something racist, because they are cloaked in the ignorance of unexamined privilege. But that doesn’t make it accidental. That is the result of an entire culture carefully built around structural racism that privileges Whiteness and viciously defends White people’s ability to coast through life never having to become familiar with any perspectives or lived experiences but their own. That is no goddamn accident.

It is also the result of individual White people choosing to lazily bask in the luxury of their racial privilege, despite the fact there are all kinds of opportunities to question the white supremacist narratives with which we are all socialized. The luxury to know those narratives are bullshit is not one that it shared by people of color, and it is a choice to start the lifelong journey toward understanding (and not trading on) one’s Whit privilege, or to sit in the comfortable easy chair of unexamined privilege. That, too, is no goddamn accident. It is a choice.

It isn’t a fucking accident for a White man to put on a shirt with a Confederate flag. It isn’t a fucking accident for a White man to say he’s “got a lot to learn BUT.” It isn’t a fucking accident for a White man to whine about “walkin’ on eggshells” and “fightin’ over yesterday,” as if racism is a thing of the past and not something active and present in the here and now. It isn’t a fucking accident for a White man to say “we’re still paying for mistakes / that a bunch of folks made long before we came,” as if White Southerners’ lingering discomfort with slave history is the same fucking thing as the structural effects of slavery that inform the lives of Black USians’ to this very day. It isn’t a fucking accident to compare the Confederate flag to a do-rag or saggy drawers. All of this is thoughtfully conceived and deliberate bullshit.

Marginalized people don’t owe privileged people non-judgment and tolerance and indulgence of their gross redefinition of symbols of oppression in exchange for basic decency. The inherent power imbalance between privilege and marginalization makes the entire idea of an “equal exchange” of good will reprehensibly absurd.

If White people want Black people to trust us, then we should make ourselves fucking trustworthy. That means releasing our stranglehold on a lot of symbols and images and words and practices with racist origins, even if we like them a lot—boo fucking hoo!—instead of trying to argue selective context. Especially when there are always plenty of White folks who still value the embedded racism in those things. Brad Paisley, you are literally expecting Black people to be able to read White people’s minds and magically discern whether this one White guy is wearing a Confederate flag just because he has Southern Pride, ahem, or because he hates the fuck outta Black people.

That wildly unreasonable expectation is no accident, either.

”

- Melissa McEwan, “Whoooooooooops I’m A Racist!”, Shakesville 4/9/13 (via racialicious)

Navigating Masculinity as a Black Transman: “I will never straighten out my wrist.” by Kai M Green

Sat, 06 Apr 2013 13:25:55 -0400

Navigating Masculinity as a Black Transman: “I will never straighten out my wrist.” by Kai M Green:

queerxxxboy:

Please read and share this article!

Much love to Kai M Green for sharing this with the world.

Terrible moments in student government

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 12:56:17 -0400

Terrible moments in student government:

So it looks like students at Texas A&M can now opt to get a refund of the money from their student life fee that would have gone to their LGBT center. I know there are a lot of other really wonderful queer organizations that need funding, but damn, now I just want to raise a ton of money and send it to the Texas A&M LGBT center as a big fuck you to those awful senators.

madamethursday: [Image: A graphic of words on a white...

Mon, 01 Apr 2013 19:59:34 -0400

madamethursday:

[Image: A graphic of words on a white background in a scratchy font that read: “It’s hard to see racism when you’re white.” The word “white” is in very, very light gray.]

vasundharaa:

This is a resource post for all the Good White Person™s out there. You know, the ones who say things like “It’s not my fault I’m white! Don’t generalize white people!”, or “I’m appreciating your culture! You should be proud!”, or “Why do you hate all white people, look I’m a special snowflake who’s not racist give me an award for meeting the minimum requirements for being a decent human being”.

Well, if you are actually interested in understanding racism and how it ties into cultural appropriation, please read instead of endlessly badgering PoCs on tumblr with your cliched, unoriginal arguments and repeating the same questions over and over.

On White Privilege
aka don’t blame me just because I’m white:

It’s Not My Fault I Was Born White: Basics of White Privilege x

Racial Divide x

Endless Examples of White Privilege x

You Cannot Know What It’s Like To Be A Racial Minority x

Intersectional Feminism x

White Privilege Does Not Mean White People Have Perfect Lives x

White Privilege and White Supremacy: A Presentation x

You Will Never Experience Racism x

Understanding White Privilege x

White Privilege and Double Standards x

Systematic White Ignorance x

The Invisibility of White Privilege x

The Luxury of White Privilege x

White Privilege: The Harry Potter Analogy x

Privilege Denial Bingo x

Privilege and Cost x

Check Your Privilege 101 x

Whiteness x

Whiteness is Not A Culture x

White Privilege and Racism x

Deeply Embarrassed White People Talk About Race x

When White Anti Racists Talk About ~Their Struggle~ x

White Privilege As A System x

On Reverse Racism
aka you are being racist against white people:

Are White People Racially Oppressed x

White People, the new Racial Minority x

People Don’t Value Pale Skin!! x

There Is No Such Thing As Reverse Racism x

Racism vs. Not Racism x

But White People Are Discriminated Against In Foreign Countries x

The Myth of Reverse Racism: Why Cracker is Not N**** x

Satire: A Step Wise Guide on Being Reverse Racist x

Racism Against White People vs. Racism Against POCs x

On Cultural Appropriation
aka I’m just appreciating your culture:

The Basics x

Identifying Appropriation x

But When We Wear It … x

Why Can’t I Wear It (Hipster Headdresses) x

Not Yours x

If You Take The Bindi x

White People Do It Better x

Multiculturalism and Appropriation x

Cultural Appropriation and Portrayals In Print Media x

Diminishing the Cultural Significance of the Bindi x

The Cultural Appropriation Bingo x

Why We’re Fed Up of Your Responses x

Identities Are Not Costumes x

Hinduism And Appropriation x

Religion and Privilege x

Bindis Are Cool x

Exotic India x

What’s Wrong With Cultural Appropriation x

Racism, Bindis and Ganesh Tattoos x

BUT YOU’RE SPEAKING ENGLISH! x

Cultural Appropriation Trolls x

Guide to Being An Appropriating Douchefuck x

New Age ~Culture Mixing~ x

In case you’re tired of the prose, here’s poetry x

Why You Shouldn’t Wear A Bindi x

Appropriating and Sharing x

Our Culture is A Punchline Until It’s a Trend x

Homage Or Insult x

Tattoos and Appropriation x

Bollywood is Not Synonymous With Indian x

College Party Costumes and Stereotypes x

Dotheads x

Bindis and Racist Humour x

Hindu Iconography x

Misuse of Hindu Iconography x

Your Appreciation Doesn’t Help Us x

Assorted Vials of White Tears and Miscellaneous Antidotes
aka I can’t change that I’m white/not all whites are racist/we are all humans:

Unoriginal Arguments Refuted x

Quick Checklist: You Might Be Racist If x

Your Opinion Isn’t Necessary x

I’m Not Responsible For My Ancestors x

The Kumbayah Myth x

Proud to Be White x

Good White Person x

We Don’t Hate White People x

Brutality of Colonialism And Why You Can’t Tell Us To Forget the Past x

People Who Claim Not To See Race Are More Likely to Be Racist x

All Races are Beautiful Said the White Girl x

Race Blindness Is A Luxury x

Well, You’re Racist For Calling Me Racist x

I’ve Read About Its Significance, I Know What It Means

Angry Because Someone Called You Racist x

We’re Not All Like That x

People Only Care About This Trivial Shit On The Internet x

I Can’t Apologize for Being Born White, It’s Not My Fault x

Why Can’t You Tell Me What I’m Doing Wrong x

It’s Easy to Be Color Blind When You’re White x

A Diagrammatic Guide To White Tears x

Conversations I’m Sick Of Having With White People x

Why Do You Hate White People x

I’m Trying To Be Cultured x

Sisyphean Conundrum x

What is Your Problem x

We Are All Human, We All Bleed Red x

It’s Just A Bindi x

How Not To Respond To Accusations of Racism x

I’m Italian And 0.009% Native American x

What White People Think Racism Means: A Venn Diagram x

White Guilt x

White Pride!!!111!!! x

I Like *Insert Foreign Country* I Want To Live There x

You Have So Much Hate, Fighting Fire With Fire Won’t Help x

BooHoo, Don’t Call Me Racist x

Not Everything Ended With Your Ancestors x

The Racist Reaction x

I Don’t See Why That Is Racist x

Crummy Apologies x

Okay. I agree. I’ve been socially conditioned not to notice racism and recognize my privilege. What can I do?

Listen x

A Step Wise Guide x

I don’t care about this bullshit; you’re making a big deal out of nothing, go home and delete your blog:

The Clueless White Person Bus x

"When Audre Lorde made that much quoted yet often misunderstood cautionary statement warning us that..."

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 11:24:19 -0400

“When Audre Lorde made that much quoted yet often misunderstood cautionary statement warning us that “the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house,” she was urging us to remember that we must engage in a process of visionary thinking that transcends the ways of knowing privileged by the oppressive powerful if we are to truly make revolutionary change. She was, in the deep structure of this statement, reminding us that it is easy for women and any exploited or oppressed group to become complicit in structures of domination, using power in ways that reinforce rather than challenge or change.”

- bell hooks in essay “feminist theory: a radical agenda” (via daniellemertina)

wait I’ve also totally misunderstood this before. truth bombs.

(via genderevolution)

thatneedstogo: 29 Glorious Takedowns of #SafetyTipsForLadies -...

Mon, 25 Mar 2013 17:23:59 -0400

thatneedstogo:

29 Glorious Takedowns of #SafetyTipsForLadies - Buzzfeed