Why I protest

Photo by Alice Donovan Rouse

Protests, fear, curiosity.
Why do I continue to go? Even though I know that it could get violent; even though I'm tired of the fact that we have to continually fight for what seems like the same things over and over again; even though most of the people in charge won't care that much, etc. Why do I continue to go?
Because it would feel wrong of me not to go. Because I find it one of the best proactive methods of showing your displeasure with a system that I realize was built on social injustice. Because it's effective to a certain extent. Because protesting is a privilege and I should use that privilege often and do it for others who can't be able to make it for whatever reason.
Because I want future generations to live in a slightly better world, even though I know everything won't change overnight that it may not change at all, in fact. I still want to fight for a future that is hopefully a bit better than this current state, for a generation that deserves to be treated like a human being, who shouldn't walk around in fear. And I know it's going to take centuries or maybe even a millennium or never for discrimination to go away, but at least fighting is better than being silent. Silence means that you've given up, that you've sided with the oppressors, that you just don't care for a better world. A better world that can't happen if people don't do anything.

And now the weather:
Surefire by John Legend

~ Stacy N.

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One possible way to approach racist comments

An interesting way to approach racist comments. Engaging in a conversation and asking them why they said it is helpful in making the other person reevaluate their choices. However, only do it when you know you're not going to get hurt (or in some cases, killed.)
No one really learns anything if they aren't taught why what they're doing is wrong.

~ Stacy N.

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Forth of July

Here you go, enjoy a series of videos, while I go into the background and think about what freedom really is, the cost of said freedom, and the millions of people who have been affected by the choices that make up the United States today (Native Americans and blacks in particular.)

Listening to this makes me wonder about the term "honorary white," some Asian American privileges that I have, and my role in the complicated race relations of the U.S.

~ Stacy N.

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I love this country, even though at times it doesn't love me back

• Part of the reason why I stopped putting my hand over my heart whenever I hear the national anthem is because it represents a history that has repeatedly discriminated people who aren't white, able-bodied, males on a systematic level. Whether that was the three-fifths compromise, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850, the Plessy v. Ferguson court case, the Chinese Exclusion Act, Indiana's Religious Freedom Restoration Act, Trump getting rid of the bathroom rules that protects trans* students, the many accounts of police brutality, and more. It's hard to feel patriotic towards a country that actively tries to get rid of the rights of others. 
• Since Trump's election, there seems to be a rise in hate crimes. It's discouraging, heartbreaking, and frustrating whenever I'm looking through my social media, and I see whatever injustice just happened. However, I'm happy when I hear about the community gathering around to protest, to sign petitions, share it on social media, donate, march, etc. to protest against the social injustices.
• It's still a long way to go before we could get rid of prejudice, hate, and oppression (if we ever do fully get rid of it). And that is going to happen long after my lifetime, After all, Rome wasn't built in a day. I just hope that it comes sooner. 

~ Stacy N.

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Women's March SLC style

A month ago, I ended up at the Women's March in Salt Lake by accident. I was supposed to go back to my Vietnamese class but I ended up getting lost and swept in with the crowd. Plus, if I did decide to go back to campus, it would have been too late anyway. So as a spontaneous decision, I decided to join in on the march.

There were over six to ten thousand people marching that day. All of us heading in the same direction, the Capitol building at the top of State Street. It was interesting, weird, joyous, and worrying. I loved all the signs that were up like "I stand with my sisters, not just cis-ters," "If your feminism isn't intersectional it isn't feminism," "I stand with Planned Parenthood" and others. It was also comforting to know how much support there was about our hatred against injustice and the Trump administration. That no matter what, people were and are standing up and opposing the injustice this administration is bringing and the injustice that has always been out there regardless of who's the president.

What I loved about this march, in particular, was that it was organized by a woman of color named, Noor Ul-Hassan, who was a representative for Utah Women Unite. A group that "exists to protect and advance the rights of all Utah women and girls. This specifically includes Utahns from marginalized groups, including women of color, LGTBQIA+ individuals, women of all abilities and socioeconomic statuses" (Utah Women Unite). So from the start, this march's focus was going to be on intersectionality. Even though most women there probably can't identify because they're white and/or straight and/or able-bodied and/or middle class. But this march was important for people like me, in terms of knowing that even though we don't fit the white, straight, cis, able-bodied male model, that we still belong in the fight against injustice, that we still have a voice about what goes on in our future.

Utah Women Unite being who they are also got a lot of diverse speakers. However, it was hard to hear them or see them because I was on the third floor amidst other people trying to listen but mainly just taking pictures to prove that they were there that they do care about social justice or pretend that they genuinely care. That made me feel weird. It also made me wonder how many thought that the whole event was just "cool" or "trendy" and how many others will actually continue fighting against social injustice or just continue to stay silent when they see it happening.

It also felt a bit lonely standing among everyone and this quote by Angela Peoples explains it best.

Angela Peoples holding sign (Kevin Banatte)

"I know that a lot of the organizers, particularly of the D.C. march, did a lot of work to make sure that the speakers were diverse, that the issue points reflected black folks’ experiences; but there’s also this reality that when we talk about feminism in this country, the faces have been white. Without an effort by white women especially to make sure those spaces are reflecting the diversity of women and femme people, we’re not going to make the progress we need to."

So please, engage in social justice by donating to worthy causes, vote in every single election, keep up to date with what's happening in your community, call your representatives, email them, march, speak up when you see acts of injustice, and realize that feminism is more about gender. It's an intersectional movement that seeks to create equity for everyone involved. Also, realize your privilege. There were of course police at the march and they did not make any arrests because of the number of white people who were there. And also because white people aren't normally the target of violence by the hands of police.
As hazel scott said it best:

I wish that instead of congratulating themselves on "peaceful protests" WW would recognize the ability to protest peacefully as a privilege.

— hazel scott (@battymamzelle) January 22, 2017

As others have said, there was little/no violence because the #WomensMarch was coded white from the outset and WW are to be protected.

— hazel scott (@battymamzelle) January 22, 2017

Do you know how useful that privilege, that POWER would be to #BlackLivesMatter or #NoDAPL? To be able to be heard without violence?

— hazel scott (@battymamzelle) January 22, 2017

This is what real solidarity is. Put your bodies on the line for us. Physically be there and use that power to protect us.

— hazel scott (@battymamzelle) January 22, 2017

Use the privilege inherent in your skin colour and extend that protection to us. Show up. Do the work.

— hazel scott (@battymamzelle) January 22, 2017

BLM and NoDAPL would be far less likely to be suffer injuries at the hands of the state if the state has to explain why it's also harming WW

— hazel scott (@battymamzelle) January 22, 2017

The state doesn't see it itself as accountable to black and brown people. It at least feigns accountability to white women though.

— hazel scott (@battymamzelle) January 22, 2017

In other words, please be aware of your privilege and somehow use it to your advantage so you could push back against inequality but at the same time know when to stand aside and let the voiceless have a voice.

The women's march isn't just for women, it's also for everybody else whose voice hasn't been heard by the people who's supposed to represent us. It's also for people of color, disabled people, gender queer, trans, LGBTQIAP+, those who doesn't practice the Christian faith, the poor, and more. Please don't forgot that we also have a voice, one that's just as tired of all the injustices that continually happen around us and to us.
source: my instagram page

Note: Any pictures that I took of the march, I had to take on my blurry camera phone because I forgot to carry my camera with me that day.

And now the weather:
Rise Up by Andra Day

~ Stacy N.

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My Asianess and Sexuality

Photo by Pham Khoai

I’ve never felt broken as an asexual. I’ve never felt the need from American society to have sex or that sex was very important in a relationship. Of course, I do see that American society does emphasize that sex is “important” because it’s everywhere in books, television shows, music, movies, etc. But I’ve never felt broken because I’m an Asian-American who grew up in an Asian household.

In Vietnam, it’s discouraged to show public displays of affection or to be intimately close with your partner. Literally, couples won’t even hold hands when they’re out walking in the streets. Mix in the fact that some/most Asian parents say, “don’t date while you’re in school because they’ll only distract you from your studies.” And I took that to heart (failing a few times here or there). So, I never really felt broken because it seems like the Asian (more Vietnamese) culture emphasized no public displays of affection or to even talk about sex or anything of that sort.

Plus, it was common to meet your partner through a matchmaker. So, feeling like you had to have sex to be intimate with your partner was never there because you only had sex to carry on your family line. So, in the end, what I’m trying to say is, because of my race I’ve never felt pressured to have sex in a relationship to remain intimate with my partner because it seems like sex is predominately used to carry on your family line. That’s why I never felt that I was broken unlike what (it seems) many ace* people experience.

And that my friends is an example of intersectional feminism where my race intersected with my sexuality.
It also explains why I didn’t find out I was asexual until late into high school because I’ve never really thought about my sexuality much because I was mainly worrying about school and some other personal problems.

And now the weather:

Every time I saw someone who identified as ace, they appeared to be white - Shae Collins on “7 Sex Myths I Had to Unlearn When I Realized I Was Asexual” via everyday feminism (Finally, someone else who understands my struggle in the ace community.)

*Ace according to urbandictionary.com (the second definition) is "Asexual to any degree. Using "ace" for "asexual" gained popularity on AVEN (www.asexuality.org) and has inspired the use of the spade as a symbol of the asexual community."

~ Stacy N.

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Tokenism

lyrics

Thoughts:

1. Having one or two people of color in a story mainly full of white people does not make the whole story racially diverse. It just makes those characters token minorities. 
2. Same thing if the one or two people were queer, had a different gender identity, religion, body type, etc.
3. According to Wikipedia, tokenism is "the practice of making only a perfunctory or symbolic effort to be inclusive to members of minority groups, especially by recruiting a small number of people from underrepresented groups in order to give the appearance of racial or sexual equality within a [group]. The effort of including a token [person] to a [group] is usually intended to create the impression of social inclusiveness and diversity (racial, religious, sexual, etc.) in order to deflect accusations of social discrimination." 
4. In my opinion, true diversity is when at least half the group is actually part of the marginalized group, in some way. An example would be the Big Hero 6 movie, Honey Lemon is Latina, Hiro, Gogo, and Tadashi are Asian, Wasabi is black, and Fred is white. That's racially diverse because there are more people of color than white people. And no Fred isn't a token minority because he comes from a privileged group of people who see themselves in the media every day, everywhere, in a wide range of roles. And they're (white people) often are the majority. Another great example is the Broadway musical, Hamilton where the main cast is predominately black or Latino, with the only white guy being King George III.
5. So please, before you say something is diverse look at the number of people in a marginalized group and compare that to the majority (aka white, male, cisgender, straight, middle class, Christian, etc.). If there are more people still belonging to the majority than there are in the marginalized communities then it's not diverse. Also, define diverse, is it racially diverse, sexually diverse, religiously diverse, etc.?
6. And last but not least, listen to this album my friend made. It's about his friend's and his experience about being black and brown in the United States. It's very thought-provoking and relatable to a certain extent. And yes, it is free to download.

~ Stacy N.

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Colorblindness

Thoughts:

1. I wish I could tell past me that yes, even though, biologically, race doesn't exist that doesn't mean that the social constructs of race does not have an impact on you and other people of color. 
2. Colorblindness ignores the problems that people of color face. And unlike teeth with cavities, it won't fall out and magically solve itself. 
3. As I recently told a classmate of mine, not talking about racism won't fix racism itself. 
4. Colorblindness is a white privilege. If you're white then you don't have to worry about seeing color and how that affects you. You don't have to worry about discriminatory remarks like, "Go back to your country" or "You're in America now, speak English" or "No, where are you really from?" Or being called a racial slur that has been used to oppressed you for centuries (and no cracker does not have the same effect as the n-word because of the complicated history and the power it holds.) Nor do you really have to worry about "the talk", how to act around the police, representation in the media and books, and more. 
5. As Trevor Noah once said in an interview with Tomi Lahren, "There's nothing wrong with seeing color. It's how you treat color that's more important." Please, acknowledge the struggles that people of color and marginalized groups face. And please don't tell us that it will get better without making an attempt to fix the problem that's systematically embedded into American society. Actually, make the attempt to fix it and educate people of power about it. Demand laws that are better for everybody. Defend existing laws that help us keep our freedoms. Vote for politicians that are willing to make the change. Be more aware. Learn from your mistakes. Believe people of color and other marginalized groups when we tell our stories. And more importantly don't speak over us, acknowledge our voices. 

Also, everyday feminism has this great article on 7 Reasons Why ‘Colorblindness’ Contributes to Racism Instead of Solves It.

~ Stacy N.

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How to break the model minority stereotype

Me taken from my instagram page here

[x] Get a tattoo
[x] Cut your hair short
[x] Study a subject that doesn't involve the medical, business, engineering (or STEM in general), or law field. (Though, I'm slightly a hypocrite because I am minoring in business.)
[x] Be broke
[x] Not be exclusively East Asian
[x] Procrastinate, go to random events, and not spend every moment of my life studying for school.
[x] Try to be active on issues that I care about like reproductive justice rights, politics, diversity/race, the lgbtqiap+ community, etc.

And now the weather:
How Far I'll Go by Alessia Cara

~ Stacy N.

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Signs that pointed to my asexuality

source

While watching this youtube video about asexuality that got me thinking about my past and how different it was from a non-asexual person. For those of you who don’t know, asexuality is a lack of a sexuality. It’s one where the person doesn’t feel a sexual attraction. Of course, there are variations of asexuality like demi-asexual, where the person only feels sexual attraction once they formed a strong emotional bond with someone; and grey-asexual, whose definition differs for each grey-asexual person.

Now I’m going off course, but what I want to add before I go back to my main topic is that yes asexuality is an actual  sexuality (or technically lack of one) and yes it is important to showcase more asexuals in media and everywhere else to show that it is normal to be one in this sex-crazed part of the world.

And now onto the signs that pointed towards my asexuality:

• If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you know by now that my crushes usually go away pretty quickly. However, now that I think about it, I think I only liked them because they were aesthetically pleasing to look at.
• There were only about two moments in my life when I just “clicked” with someone. When I knew for sure that I wanted to be in some kind of romantic relationship with them. Honestly, I’m not sure what that means. Am I really that choosy; does no one really interest me that much; etc.?
• Whenever friends (especially during those Jr. High school years) asked me who I was crushing on, I would usually lie and say a random classmate’s name. And then I would force myself to like them in that romantic sense so I couldn’t be seen as a liar. And it sucked. Honestly, I felt kind of hollow and fake because I knew for sure that wasn’t what I was actually feeling.
• I’ve only had about two sex dreams in my life. And all I saw was myself doing the act but never getting an orgasm. Plus, they never lasted for long, only a couple of minutes or so. And I know that people (guys, girls, and those in between) my age were having more sex dreams than that.
• Back in 8th grade, my friend said that when a person pulls one of their fingers back, the painful sound they made was what they would also make when they’re having sex. When she pushed my finger back all I said was, “ow” in an anti-climactic way.
• When friends tell me their dreams of who they made out with, I could never relate to them because I never got those dreams.
• Whenever I read posts on tumblr or facebook about being horny, especially when you’re on your period, again I could never relate because I never felt that. Yes, I’ve wanted to kiss certain people but never to the point where I wanted to have sex with them.
• When I was with my last ex, I felt like I wasn’t ever enough because I couldn’t give them what they wanted which was ultimately sex. It was never in my best interest and thankfully they respected that.
• I’ve never felt the urge to join the crowd and have sex with anyone at all, especially during my high school years. Mainly because I live in Utah so the schools were predominately Mormon and I usually hung out with Mormon people. And again, I’m also pretty asexual.
• It was always weird watching people have sex in movies and TV shows or when I was reading studies about sex. I could never relate to them because they seemed like this other in my mind. An other that is predominately the norm in the United States.
• Whenever I read sex scenes in books, I would always put the book down before going back to it later (by then with some force on my part because I wanted to get the whole thing over with.)

Eventually, it clicked that I was asexual when I saw some tumblr posts about it and how it almost perfectly described me. That was when I realized that I wasn't "normal" in the eyes of the world because I don't want or even need to talk about sex, let alone have it. And honestly, I feel better knowing that. During my discovery process, I realized that I'm not alone and that it is completely normal to be asexual. And honestly, you're not broken because of that.

And now the weather:

"Bolt" by Formula Arts

~ Stacy N.

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He will never be my president (thoughts about this year's presidential election)

Snapped by Ryan McGuire under keyword America

Note: There is strong language ahead.

1 AM, I work on my Vietnamese homework while listening to NBC's coverage of the election. Trump won, with glassy eyes, I continue writing.  

Honestly, I'm fucking angry and sad and scared. Angry that he ended up winning despite all his xenophobic, racist anti-LGBTQIAP+, sexist, and overall offensive campaign. Sad that America has come to this and how all the progress Obama has made in the past eight years might be washed away. And sad that no matter what, America will still be stubbornly made for white people. And scared of what will happen next. But honestly, it's not fucking surprising because of how often the media talks about him. Since his name was everywhere, it makes sense that more people remembered his name more than Hillary. And one of the reasons why people vote for a candidate is because they recognize the name. But still fucking Trump? The guy who wants to build a wall along the Mexican border; said grab them by the pussy; wants to get rid of the affordable healthcare act with something "better"; doesn’t want Muslims from entering the country; deport all undocumented immigrants aka undocumented people of color; and more? Versus someone who actually has a plan and is more than qualified to become president.

7 PM election night, a coworker asks me, if I had the money, would I go to Canada. Oh, the hypocrisy here. So, it's okay for us Americans to flee to another country to escape a Trump presidency but not Syrian refugees who are also escaping from a bad government? I said no. I would stay. Past me would have said yes, but I already invested too much into this country. Plus, I would rather try to actively get involved and try to make the US a little bit better, whether it's protesting or donating as much as I can. And despite all its flaws, the United States is home.

Snapped by Ryan Pouncy

On my Facebook feed, the ones who are posting that it's just an election, it will all be fine, just suck it up, or I don’t care are white people. Meanwhile, most of my minority friends are scared, offering support, and trying to cope with the fact that we will have to live in a Trump presidency. Especially since we're the ones who have to deal with it the most. While my white friends have their white privilege protecting them. They also don’t have to deal with racism (and no, fucking reverse racism doesn’t exist), unlike the rest of us. And most of them don’t have to worry much when it comes to surviving the next four years or worry much about if Trump will actually deport almost every undocumented immigrant.

And yes, it’s true that the president doesn’t have much power because they’re kept in check by both Congress and the Supreme Court, but that doesn’t mean that the president doesn’t have some influence over what Congress can do. And since Trump is Republican he holds a lot of influence over the (still) predominately Republican Congress. Which will be hard for those of us who are trying to get America to become more progressive.

Good luck everyone, try to be safe, actively fight for what you believe in, and try to survive the next four years. And just know that you are loved. Also, there's a great resource list by everyday feminism about self-care, systematic oppression, and protests, and just generally trying to understand what has happened. 

And now the weather:

Hillary Clinton’s Concession Speech 2016

I still refuse to have Trump as my president, but at least Hillary is trying to make the best out of a dark situation.

~ Stacy N.

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Asexuality

A great video that talks about asexuality, the LGBTQIA+ spectrum, the romantic attraction spectrum, and more.

~ Stacy N.

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A video about mass shootings & voting

Note: This was written during the time the Orlando Shooting occurred. I wasn't comfortable enough to post it then, however, I'm ready to post it now after doing a lot of thinking (and trying to clean up my drafts folder.)

Content warning: death, mass shootings, guns

When I heard about the Orlando shooting I was scared, sad, and angry. Scared because it affects me on a personal level as a queer person of color. Sad that the shooter thought that this was even okay in the first place. And angry that the society we live in is still for LGBTQIA+ discrimination, from bills that dictate where a trans* person could go to the bathroom to the fact that people could be fired all because of their sexual orientation. As the video says, we're not going to help anything if all we do is change our fucking profile picture on Facebook for a day or two. Yes, that shows "support", but what use is that support if you continually practice LGBTQIA+ discrimination yourself. Whether it's intentionally misgendering someone; refusing to see someone's relationship as valid because you only believe in heterosexuality; believing that a person could only be straight or gay and can't be anything in between; intentionally harass someone because they don't fit your view of what a "normal" male or female is supposed to be; complain about why isn't there straight pride and then using the excuse, "sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I know people who are gay/part of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum." when people confront you about it; and more.
Actual support consists of really learning about the discrimination LGBTQIA+ people face; actually try to not discriminate against people because of their sexuality and gender expression; sincerely apologizing if you do make a mistake, learn why it's a mistake, and then try to not repeat said mistake in the future; signing petitions that attempt to stop discrimination on a bigger systematic level; telling your local representatives to take action on behalf of the people to stop the discrimination; going to vigils; donating and/or helping out groups that actively try to stop the discrimination, and more.
When I saw the Dalai Lama speak live on my college campus, one of the important messages he gave was that if we wanted to see a more peaceful, happy society, then we need to actively take action, not passively pray about it or to talk about it on social media or in real life with no intention of actually doing something about it. And one of the best ways to do that is to register to vote and to actually vote on November 8, 2016. Sure, we may have a small voice when it comes to the federal government but our voice is big when it comes to local, state government.
Vote for people who you want to best represent your district and state. After all, the people in congress are supposed to represent the American people, and that's hard to do if some of them aren't willing to be more open-minded. Also, vote for people who genuinely care about the people they're representing, and who aren't going to turn on the people just to get more power, money, or because their party told them to. So VOTE. And don't forget to tell others to vote.

Some links to help you get more involved with the social justice movement:
The Human Rights campaign 
DoSomething.org

Voting info:
Voting registration dates (the whole site is pretty useful in general because it has other kinds of voting info like state requirements, voting methods, who to contact if you need help with voting, etc.)
Registering to vote

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You're more than that

Photographed by This is Awkward
Creative Commons

1. Look at what makes up you. Your looks, your characteristics, your actions, your thoughts, etc. 
2. Notice how many of them doesn’t fit the typical boxes that are affiliated with you. Boxes include gender, race, economic class, sexuality, looks, religion, where you live, ability, etc. 
3. Now don’t give a care because you’re not defined by a set of attributes that society has set for you. And realize that you’re more than that number, job affiliation, and any other stereotype. You’re an amazing human being with a lot of potential. Now keep it up (and it’s okay if you mess up, just try again). 
4. Realize that it’s okay to be some of the stereotypes that society has placed on you. Embrace it and turn it into a good thing. And then tell other people to fuck off if they try to reduce you to nothing more but a stereotype and only that stereotype. 
5. Don’t reduce other people to nothing more than stereotypes. Instead, notice their humanity, their personality, what makes them them.

And now the weather:
Let It Go by James Bay, Cover by The Fu

~ Stacy N.

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Another poem about society's downfalls

This poem addresses a lot of society's downfalls such as racism, murder, fat shaming, classism, banned books, sexism, rape, and homophobia. So watch at your own risk.

 ~ Stacy N.

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"You know, you'e a feminist."

A little long (about thirty minutes) but well worth the watch. It will make you laugh, think, and feel a bit differently about gender.

Memorable quotes:

"I'm just as human as the man, that I'm just as worthy of acknowledgement"
"We make them feel as though by being born female they're already guilty of something."
"The problem with gender, is that it prescribes how we should be rather than recognizing how we are."
"I have chosen to no longer be apologetic for my femaleness and for my feminity."
"Feminist, a person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes." (where Beyonce originally got her definition from.)
"a feminist is a man or a woman who says, 'Yes there's a problem with gender as it is today, and we must fix it. We must do better.'"

The title and video are from a TEDxEuston talk, "We should all be feminists" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

~ Stacy N.

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Feminism is such a "dirty" word

Feminism ain't a dirty word, people.
Posted by HuffPost Women on Friday, October 9, 2015

Feminism ain't a dirty word, people, video by HuffPost Women.

Source

"But if you say you're not a feminist, at least understand what the term actually means."

"Feminism is a choice, and if a woman does not want to be a feminist, that is her right, but it is still my responsibility to fight for her rights." "Feminism (n.) Plural" by Roxane Gay in Bad Feminist Essays

Personally, I believe that you should look at the whole picture before settling upon a decision. If you really cannot identify as a feminist, then that's okay. It's not my responsibility to tell you what to do with your life. I'm not you. But it is my responsibility to protect and fight for the rights that you deserve. Because you, and every other person in this world deserve better than what society is giving us. You and everybody else deserve equality. 

And that's one of the many reasons why I'm a feminist in the first place. 

~ Stacy N.

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It's okay to make mistakes

source

Humans are inherently flawed creatures. This includes the random person that you meet on the street all the way up to the influential people that you only hear about through the media. So, don’t try to put a person up on a pedestal, like the leader of some country, and then expect them to fix them every single problem. Because they’re only one person, and they could only do so much.
And the person on the pedestal is not a god or Superman. So don’t idolize them to the point where they’re not even human anymore. Because that pressures them to be Perfect. Which is scary and bad, because when they mess up, it’s a humongous deal and they’re now monsters. Even if the mistake was a small one.
Also, learn how to forgive the people you admire for making mistakes. They probably didn’t know that what they did was wrong. And hopefully, they’re taught on what they did was wrong, and then they’ll hopefully learn from that experience and try not to make that same mistake again. Also, as I said before, humans aren’t perfect.
And since humans are not perfect that means that human made groups like feminism are also not perfect. Feminism, like anything else, is flawed. It’s forever changing. It’s complex. And it doesn’t capture everything wrong with the world. However, by addressing what’s wrong with the world, like the double edged sword of female sexuality to the fact that there isn’t enough representation in Western media, Western literature, and anything else, it’s a step towards helping fixing everything that’s wrong with the world.
So learn about the problems that people have to face, come to conclusions with it, address it, and then try to teach other people about it. And remember it’s okay to mess up. As long as you learn from it, you’ll grow as a valuable human being.

Thoughts inspired by “Feminism (n.): Plural” from Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay and my Gender 2500 class.
Also found a version of “Feminism (n.): Plural” that is a bit shorter than the one in the book. http://roxanegay.tumblr.com/post/36978885406/feminism-plural

And now the weather:
Neopolitan Dreams by Lisa Mitchell

I can dream the rest away

It's just a little touch of fate, it'll be okay

It sure takes its precious time, but it's got rights and so have I

~ Stacy N.

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Why I'm a Feminist.

Note: These are my opinions about what feminism is. I'm not claiming these to be right, in fact, my opinions could be completely wrong. If so, please tell me so I could be willing to learn from it. 

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Feminist: A person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.

If you asked me to define feminism, I would say that it’s basic human rights (social, economic, and political) for everyone. Whether you’re a woman, a man, a person who identifies as both male and female, a person who identifies as neither male or female, a person of color, white, lgbtqia+, disabled, able bodied, poor, middle class, rich, old, young, etc.

[But]Discrimination against homosexuals isn't a feminist problem. Yes, it is indeed a feminist problem. There are women and other people who are gay, bi, transgender, etc, and they have to deal with homophobes, misogynists, biphobes, transphobic people, etc.  In fact, any kind of discrimination is a feminist problem, because as this tumblr ask says, the category of women still includes women of color, and gay women, and women with disabilities, and trans women, and poor women, and so forth.

But feminism focuses on women, what about the men? Feminism is also about undoing the harmful effects the patriarchy. It’s about telling men that it’s okay to have emotions, to cry. It’s also about telling them, hey it’s okay to wear “girl” clothes and do “girly” things. Because being feminine does not equate to being weak. It’s also about building more shelters for men who’ve been abused. It’s about protecting those who’ve been raped and laughed at by others (usually men) because they must have wanted it. It’s about tearing down the stereotype that men are sexually hungry beasts, and more. That’s what feminism can do for men.

So all in all, to me feminism is about showing that women are humans and not sexual objects to be ogled at. It’s about letting us have the right to do almost* whatever it is we want with our body, without getting criticized for it. Whether it’s get an abortion, a tattoo, a piercing, cutting our hair short, not shaving, wearing makeup, etc.

Feminism is about being whatever we want, whether it’s masculine or feminine or both or neither.  It’s about choosing whatever we want to do without being criticized for it. Whether you want to be a lawyer who works a lot or a houseparent who loves taking care of kids. To me, feminism helps those who are disabled. And telling them, yes their views do count and that they’re not monsters.

Feminism is about letting people wear makeup, whether it’s because they want to do it for themselves or because they want to do it for other people. It’s about having the right to not shave or to shave because you want to do it.

 Feminism is about showing, hey you’re not weak for being feminine nor are you weak for being masculine either. And any kind of “feminism” which bashes femininity, disabilities, people of color, lgbtqia+ people, men, and/or the poor is not feminism at all.

In general, Feminism is human equality for everyone on all levels.

*I say almost because if it involves any kind of eating disorder, pill overdose, cutting, or self harming in general, then you (or someone you know) should stop and get help immediately. Here are a few hotlines (mainly phone numbers, with a few online hotlines, and emails) that can help you. 

Depression Hotline: 1-630-482-9696
Suicide Hotline: 1-800-784-8433
LifeLine: 1-800-273-8255
Trevor Project: 1-866-488-7386
Sexuality Support: 1-800-246-7743
Eating Disorders Hotline: 1-847-831-3438
Rape and Sexual Assault: 1-800-656-4673
Grief Support: 1-650-321-5272
Runaway: 1-800-843-5200, 1-800-843-5678, 1-800-621-4000
Exhale:After Abortion Hotline/Pro-Voice: 1-866-439-4253
Child Abuse: 1-800-422-4453

UK Helplines:
Samaritans (for any problem): 08457909090 e-mail jo@samaritans.org
Childline (for anyone under 18 with any problem): 08001111
Mind infoline (mental health information): 0300 123 3393 e-mail: info@mind.org.uk
Mind legal advice (for people who need mental-health related legal advice): 0300 466 6463 legal@mind.org.uk
b-eat eating disorder support: 0845 634 14 14 (only open Mon-Fri 10.30am-8.30pm and Saturday 1pm-4.30pm) e-mail: help@b-eat.co.uk
b-eat youthline (for under 25’s with eating disorders): 08456347650 (open Mon-Fri 4.30pm - 8.30pm, Saturday 1pm-4.30pm)
Cruse Bereavement Care: 08444779400 e-mail: helpline@cruse.org.uk
Frank (information and advice on drugs): 0800776600
Drinkline: 0800 9178282
Rape Crisis England & Wales: 0808 802 9999 (open 2 - 2.30pm 7 - 9.30pm) e-mail info@rapecrisis.org.uk
Rape Crisis Scotland: 08088 01 03 02 (every day, 6pm to midnight)

India Self Harm Hotline: 00 08001006614
India Suicide Helpline: 022-27546669
Kids Help Phone (Canada): 1-800-668-6868, Free and available 24/7

Suicide hotlines:
Argentina: 54-0223-493-0430
Australia: 13-11-14
Austria: 01-713-3374
Barbados: 429-9999
Belgium: 106
Botswana: 391-1270
Brazil: 21-233-9191
China: 852-2382-0000
(Hong Kong: 2389-2222)
Costa Rica: 606-253-5439
Croatia: 01-4833-888
Cyprus: 357-77-77-72-67
Czech Republic: 222-580-697, 476-701-908
Denmark: 70-201-201
Egypt: 762-1602
Estonia: 6-558-088
Finland: 040-5032199
France: 01-45-39-4000
Germany: 0800-181-0721
Greece: 1018
Guatemala: 502-234-1239
Holland: 0900-0767
Honduras: 504-237-3623
Hungary: 06-80-820-111
Iceland: 44-0-8457-90-90-90
Ireland: 1800-247-100
Israel: 09-8892333
Italy: 06-705-4444
Japan: 3-5286-9090
Latvia: 6722-2922, 2772-2292
Malaysia: 03-756-8144
(Singapore: 1-800-221-4444)
Mexico: 525-510-2550
Netherlands: 0900-0767
New Zealand: 4-473-9739
New Guinea: 675-326-0011
Nicaragua: 505-268-6171
Norway: 47-815-33-300
Philippines: 02-896-9191
Poland: 52-70-000
Portugal: 239-72-10-10
Russia: 8-20-222-82-10
Serbia: 21-6623-393
Spain: 91-459-00-50
South Africa: 0861-322-322
South Korea: 2-715-8600
Sweden: 031-711-2400
Switzerland: 143
Taiwan: 0800-788-995
Thailand: 02-249-9977
Trinidad and Tobago: 868-645-2800
Ukraine: 0487-327715
Uruguay: 095 73 8483

Online hotlines:
https://www.rainn.org/
https://www.imalive.org/
https://www.safehelpline.org/
http://www.thehotline.org/
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
http://www.crisistextline.org/

And now the weather:
WHY I'M A...FEMINIST *gasp* by Laci Green

~ Stacy N.

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What I want in life

“I think there's just one kind of folks. Folks.”

― Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird

The world to understand that women and minorities and people in general are just, well people.

Someone to say, I’m glad you’re alive and actually mean it.

A deep self-love for myself.

To be a “Doctor’s” companion or to have a companion so the Doctor in me won't be lonely.

Equal rights for everyone.

Someone who I can easily talk to without a worry that they’re going to judge me.

People to admit to me that I’m an idiot sometimes.

The United States school system to change and allow students to learn when they’re ready.

A [romantic] relationship with someone who likes Doctor Who and books and is also generally open-minded and is willing to learn.

To get my driver’s license without fear of failing my driver’s test.

A dog to be there for me when I’m down (and who’s also a good snuggling partner).

People to understand that rape, sexual assault, and abuse don’t just apply to women.

People to understand that feminism is about equality and breaking down the patriarchy.

People to be more open-minded in general.

People to understand that being an ally for the lgbtqa community means more than supporting gay marriage.

Women have a right to do with whatever they want to their bodies without feeling ashamed.

People should do what they think what’s right for themselves without being ashamed in general.

Racism, sexism, and intolerance of any sort should stop in general.

People to be supportive.

People to be kind.

Me to starting writing more often.

Me to read more books.

Eventually to learn some languages again, such as Vietnamese, French, and a little bit of sign language.

Me to be a better friend.

Me to try to become a better person.

To be successful in terms of happiness and contentedness, not in terms of money.

My kids to live freely, yet still knowing the dangers and injustices of this world.

Education to be accessible to everyone.

Higher education to be cheaper.

Schools to start later, like around nine am, because humans function better at that time.

And to live a life that I’m in control of, influenced by many kinds of events, people, ideas, etc.

~ Stacy N.

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