December 6th Memorial Events in Calgary

Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women is held on December 6th every year. On December 6, 1989, 14 female students were killed at L’Ecole Polytechnique in Montreal, simply because of their gender. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the “Montreal Massacre.”

A number of events are scheduled to happen in Calgary to recognize and remember this important day. Below is a list of the various events. Please leave a comment below if you know of other events that we have not mentioned.

Memorial ceremony at the University of Calgary
Tuesday, December 1
Noon to 1:00 pm in the Rozsa Centre

Film screening at the University of Calgary
“Polytechnique” will be screened with a discussion following
Wednesday, December 2
6:00 pm in “That Empty Space” (located in MacEwan Student Centre, University of Calgary)
Free admission with food bank donation

Film screening, live music and keynote speaker
Sunday, December 6th - 7:00 to 8:00 pm
Temple B’nai Tikvah (900 47th Avenue SW)
Film: “December 6: A Short Poetry Dance Film” by Cara Mumford
Music: Jadesong Ray Marlin
Keynote Speaker: Marsha Ellen Meidow
Free Admission
*Important* If you plan to attend this event, please RSVP to caramumford@gmail.com to reserve your spot. The temple is very small and has limited seating.

Films & Memorial at Mount Royal University
Monday December 7, 10:30 am to 6:00 pm
Location: Wyckham House, Mount Royal University
From about 10:30 am to 2:00 pm, a biography of each one of the fourteen women will be read every 15 minutes and a rose will be placed. Cara Mumford's short poetry dance film, December 6, will be shown between bio readings throughout the day. Drop in as you please.
The feature-length film, Polytechnique, will screen in the second floor Art Gallery room from 4-6 p.m.
All events are FREE.

My Thoughts on Adam Lambert and Bullshit Double Standards

So, remember when Britney Spears and Madonna kissed at the 2003 MTV awards, and everyone was so freekin' excited about it? Well apparently that doesn't go over so well when it's two men kissing. Adam Lambert (American Idol runner up and openly gay singer) recently pulled a "Madonna and Britney," and received some pretty negative feedback.

Lambert was singing his new song "For Your Entertainment" at the American Music Awards when he kissed a male keyboardist, fondled a dancer and had another dancer briefly stuff his face in Lambert's crotch.

Lambert's actions prompted many complaints to ABC, who then canceled his TV appearance on Good Morning America.

Why are Britney and Madonna allowed - even encouraged - to get away with a very public make-out session, while it's completely unacceptable for two men to do the same thing? Why are homosexual acts between two beautiful women applauded, while homosexual acts between two men are shunned? Double standards surrounding homosexuality are really starting to get on my nerves. You know we live in a fucked up society when we're more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than two men holding hands.

So what did Lambert have to say about all this? "Obviously, I respect [ABC's] decision — they gotta do what they gotta do... It's too bad, I think there were a lot of fans who were excited to come see me. [ABC] probably had a lot of pressure coming at them from certain people who weren't happy about it."

He goes on to comment that "there are a lot of double standards as far as that goes... We've seen female pop and rock performers do that for the last 10 years. They've been very provocative, owning their power and sexuality. You just don't see men doing it very often. And I'm hoping to break down that double standard with this number."

All I have to say about this is... You Go, Adam! Own your sexuality and BRING IT! If America ain't ready to handle a gay man spreading some love... fuck 'em.

Tonight's Show - Black / Curly Hair

Tonight we are stoked to be discussing Black hair (and naturally curly hair). In particular, we're digging into the cultural and personal reasons why so many black women spend an enormous amount of time and money relaxing/straightening their hair.

Black hair is a feminist issue because it is inextricably linked to issues of race, privilege, beauty and class. We're gonna get into this tonight, so please tune in from 8:30 to 9:00 pm on CJSW 90.9 fm, or listen via the web at cjsw.com.
And remember... we podcast our shows, so if you miss the live thing, download the podcast!

Here are some articles/websites that will be referenced in our discussion:

The Michelle Obama Hair Challenge
Chris Rock's Good Hair Day - Chris Rock discusses his new documentary about Black hair
Newly Natural - a website for folks with naturally curly hair
Treasured Locks - natural Black hair care
Black British Feminism: A Reader - see pages 114-117

RIP daul kim

i am so sad by this news. a friend of mine showed me your blog when i first started my own. you are funny and precious and hope that you're in a happier place now. you will be missed and remembered.

Next Week's Show, All About Black Hair

This coming week's episode of Yeah, What She Said holds a lot of significance for me personally. We will be discussing black women and their hair, a subject of great intrigue for some and much devastation for others. I won't get into it too much here because I'd like to save all of my thoughts for the show, but there are tons of fascinating, sad and triumphant stories to be told about the complex relationships between black women and their hair (I've been chatting about it with some girlfriends over the last few days). In the past, Jennie and I have posted videos and links to articles regarding this subject on the blog; I've always thought that we should one day use this topic for an episode of the show and that it would be nice to have black women gather 'round and share their thoughts on this particular area of interest.

It looks like the show has been timed perfectly as it has been brought to my attention by a couple of friends that Chris Rock's new comedy/documentary film, Good Hair, is coming out shortly. The trailer tells all and I have posted it below, along with previous posts and clips on black hair from us here on the Yeah, What She Said blog.

Films About Black Women: Kiri Davis' A Girl Like Me

New Black Barbie Dolls: Fab or Flop?

Solange Knowles Chops It: Is She Insane?

Chris Rock's Good Hair (Trailer)


Tune in to CJSW 90.9 FM at 8:30 PM (MST) this coming Monday to catch the show live.

Treat Yourself to Some Feminist Art!

Two art galleries in Calgary's downtown core are featuring exhibits that may be of interest to local feminists! Check them out - you can see both in one day and have yourself a fabulous, fun, feminist day!

If Women Ruled the World: Judy Chicago in Thread
Textiles by Judy Chicago
Art Gallery of Calgary
The exhibit runs until January 23, 2010

War Brides: One-Way Passage
An exhibit that encompasses different formats ranging from paintings and sculpture to multi-dimensional media installations. The exhibit is inspired by the War Brides from WWII.
Glenbow Museum
The exhibit runs until February 14, 2010

Nov. 20 - Transgender Day of Remembrance

November 20th is Transgender Day of Remembrance - an occasion in the GLBTQ community to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice (transphobia).

Tonight we are interviewing three members from the University of Calgary club "Queers on Campus." We will discuss the issues that transgender individuals face, and also talk about the event that Queers on Campus has planned for Friday. Tune in from 8:30 to 9:00 pm on CJSW 90.9 fm, or you can listen online.

What? Transgender day of Remembrance - discussions, vigil and march
When? Nov 20, 2009 5:00 pm
Where? "Bianca" room in MacEwan Student Centre, University of Calgary
Who? The event is hosted by Queers on Campus - everyone is welcome to attend

There will also be a ceremony and film at the old YWCA centre downtown. Details about that event can be found on Gay Calgary's website.

tragic

PierPaolo Ferrari for W magazine.

"I Want To Hear Your Voice" - Help keep young aborigional girls off the street

Come and join us for an incredible, affordable and inspiring night to raise much needed funds for The Stardale Girls. All money raised will help young aboriginal girls (aged 11-17) at risk of sexual exploitation, addiction, homelessness, suicide and death.



Date: Saturday, November 21, 2009
Time: 7:00 - 9:30 pm
Location: The Orpheus Theatre: Inside the Campus Centre at SAIT (1301 16th Ave NW)
Tickets: Blame Betty - 829 17th Ave SW. Pre-buy your tix and be entered to win a $500 shopping spree!

Click here for more details about the event, including the lineup of performers and entertainment.

We Remember

Captain Nichola Goddard was the first female Canadian soldier killed in combat. She was killed on May 17, 2006 during a firefight in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan.

Tonight's Show: The 3 Waves of Feminism

Feminism has a long history in Canada, and tonight we'll give you a brief overview of that history. As most feminists are aware, feminism has come in three "waves." The first wave was our foremothers - those feisty woman who fought for the most basic rights such as the vote. The second wave came along with the civil rights movement in the 1960's. Second wave feminists fought for better child care, reproductive rights, rape crisis centres, equal pay for equal work, and so much more. The third wave of feminism began in the early 1990's and has worked to correct some of the 'mistakes' of second wave feminism. For example, the second wave assumed that the female experience and identity were universal, but third wave feminists embrace diversity, contradictions and conflict.

Also, tonight's show is very special for the three hosts, Jennie, Bee and Geea. That's because this will be the last show in our old CJSW studio! Later this week we are moving all our equipment upstairs to our new location! It will be a bittersweet end to the good 'ol CJSW cave!

Riot Grrrl Tobi Vail on Fashion and Feminism

The ideas and activities surrounding fashion have always played a very important role in my own personal journey as a feminist. I was obviously, therefore, intrigued when I came across a blog entry about fashion and feminism by one of my favorite women, legend of the Olympia Riot Grrrl scene, Tobi Vail on her blog Jigsaw Underground.

The post was about being an anti-fashion feminist. When I first discovered feminism, I felt the somewhat natural urge to ditch the kind of fashion sensibility I had been raised on. The transition from being way-too-made-up and wearing shoes-too-tall-for-comfort to eventually basing the majority of my wardrobe on elements of practicality was a steady one although very complex. I have been the kind of person who has drooled over art and all things visual from a very young age. Expression through personal style has always been important to me and I wondered if becoming a feminist meant that I would be stripped of my right to care about being fashionable. I do accept that there is a point where fashion becomes anti-feminist but I don’t think that being a feminist means any person should disregard fashion as a form of personal expression.

Tobi mentions in her blog post that women are still generally way more concerned with the way we dress than men are. I ask the question, should we or should we not be more concerned than men? In many ways, women have an advantage when it comes to personal style; somehow, we have been given a lot more to work with than men when it comes to apparel and we are often encouraged to make bold statements through the clothes we wear. I think that this can be a positive and healthy practice! On the other hand, I fear that men have been conditioned to observe the opposite. Even though we see more men taking interest in personal style than ever before, there is still quite an undeniable double standard. The problem seems to lie mostly in fashion advertising where women are often portrayed in submissive stances. Of course, the images are largely influential in young womens adaptations of what is trendy. What should be vulgar and degrading is taught to be accepted as sexy. I wonder, if we buy into these images genuinely believing that we are doing so in appreciation of someone’s creative expertise, are we simply being naive?


Anyway, Tobi's post was interesting and got me thinking very deeply about my constantly evolving relationship with fashion. Give it a read.

Rihanna: "I was battered, I was bleeding..."

Rihanna speaks out about the abuse she suffered at the hands of her boyfriend, Chris Brown.

National Men Make Dinner Day

Did you know that the first Thursday in November is apparently “National Men Make Dinner Day”? (So it was yesterday, November 5th). A friend of mind posted this on her Facebook and I was intrigued so I decided to check it out. It turns out that although it may sound like a progressive idea, the whole thing is pretty backwards.



First of all, the website asks men “Are you a man who makes dinner on a regular or semi-regular basis?” If so, they are instructed to read no further… I suppose if you’re a regular contributor there’s no need to participate in National Men Make Dinner Day.



Then, it goes on to list the top ten reasons why men should participate in this event. Some of the reasons listed really play on stereotypes about men, and I think I’d be insulted if I were a man. Here are a few examples:

#10 – While cooking, you can still wear your tool belt, simply replace the hammer with a whisk.

#9 - Several recipes include beer as a legitimate ingredient.

#3 - Some desserts, such as crème brulee, require the use of a propane torch.

#1 - Participating in National Men Make Dinner Day gives you optimum points with your wife. Use those points wisely!



Ok, so the message is this: We need to bribe men with tool belts, beer, propane torches and “points with your wife” just to get them to cook dinner.

Forget it… I’ll do it myself!

Free/Cheap Feminist Documentary!

"ReBELLEs: Feminism Uncensored" Film Screening; a documentary about Canada's first Young Feminist gathering.
-Admission to this event is on a $0-$7 sliding scale (pay-what-you-can-afford)
-There will be baked goods, t-shirts and buttons for sale
-Half of the proceeds from this event will go to the Calgary Anarchist Bookfair, and the other half will go towards travel subsidies for Calgary Feminists wishing to attend the 2011 Winnipeg RebELLEs gathering.

This event is scheduled to begin @ 7pm on Thursday November 12, 2009 at The Good Life Community Bicycle Shop: 202, 200 Barclay Parade SW (inside Eau Claire Market).

Visit www.goodlifebikes.ca for more information.

post dated thanks. ... giving

ahhhh need to get on the bandwagon and stay on it for once. these are pictures from our "friends thanksgiving" aka my lovers in toronto who also have no family here who decided that wine and pumpkin cake are required !!!! loves it! check out the deco me and little B did....we love entertaining. cool idea: stick xmas lights underneath a transparent/translucent glass table. yowza

heres to you sweetie:
MUAH

Monday's Playlist

As the solo show host this week, I decided to play songs that have inspired me as a woman and a feminist. Here were my picks:

1. Tori Amos - Silent All These Years
2. Alanis Morisette - You Oughta Know (Acousitc)
3. Alix Olsen - Eve's Mouth
4. Macromantics - Scorch
5. Bjork - Big Time Sensuality
6. Sarah Harmer - Lode Star
7. Bic Runga - When I See You Smile

Please note that there is NO PODCAST this week. Due to copywrite issues, we are not allowed to podcast songs.