TeeYiYi
TeeYiYi's Journal
The 'for profit' prison system...
...is disproportionately affecting young black men and people of color in general.
Americans who live in a vacuum are averting their eyes to avoid facing the harsh reality that corporate America is grooming certain segments of society for a life behind bars. It begins at the grade school level and it's wreaking havoc on minority families and entire segregated communities in general.
I wish Obama would use his last two years in office to take a definitive stand against the disparity of racial injustice and police brutality in America; and the mushrooming war on poor people and minorities.
Endless respect and gratitude goes to the people of #Ferguson for daring to stand up and make their voices heard in the face of violent, militarized police retaliation.
TYY
Here's my revolutionary costume for today...
The best kind of clothes for a protest pose
Is this ensemble of pantyhose
Pulled over the shorts, worn under the skirt
That doubles as a cape.
To reveal you in capri pants
You fashion out of ski pants,
In a jersey knit designed to fit
The contour of your shape.
Then cinch it with a cord from the drape.
Da da da da dum...
You fight City Hall with a Persian shawl
That used to hang on the bedroom wall,
Pinned under the chin, adorned with a pin,
And pulled into a twist.
The best kind of shoes to express bold views
Are strapless mules in assertive hues
Like fuchsia or peach, except on the beach,
In which case you wear flats...
Da da da da dum...
TYY
Amnesty International: Human Rights Abuses in Ferguson
On the Streets of America: Human Rights Abuses in Ferguson
Report - October 24, 2014
"Every day that Michael Brown doesn't receive justice, we are reminded that it's open season on black lives in Ferguson. How are we supposed to live everyday knowing that and not go crazy?" - Anonymous protester
<snip>
This briefing document outlines some of the human rights concerns witnessed by Amnesty International and a series of recommendations that need to be implemented with regards to the use of lethal force by law enforcement officers and the policing of protests.
<snip>
Irrespective of whether there was some sort of physical confrontation between Michael Brown and the police officer, Michael Brown was unarmed and thus unlikely to have presented a serious threat to the life of the police officer. As such, this calls into question whether the use of lethal force was justified, and the circumstances of the killing must be urgently clarified.
Also troubling is Missouri's broad statute on the use of deadly force. Amnesty International is very concerned that the statute may be unconstitutional and is clearly out of line with international standards on the intentional use of lethal force as it goes well beyond the doctrine that lethal force only be used to protect life.
Racial discrimination and excessive use of police force nationwide
The shooting of Michael Brown highlighted on a national level the persistent and widespread pattern of racially discriminatory treatment by law enforcement officers across the United States, including unjustified stops and searches, ill treatment and excessive, and sometimes lethal, use of force.
Much much more: http://www.amnestyusa.org/research/reports/on-the-streets-of-america-human-rights-abuses-in-ferguson?page=show
Please take the time to go to the link. This report is extensive and well worth the read.
It includes separate, well thought out and individualized recommendations to the Department of Justice, United States Congress, Ferguson Police Department, Missouri State Highway Patrol, Governor of Missouri, the Department of Justice and the United States Congress...
TYY
So, in the final analysis, Michael Brown was murdered for jaywalking...
Where's the toxicology report on Darren Wilson? Like everything else surrounding this case, initial reports have been withheld while the corrupt Missouri 'justice system' takes 2+ months to craft a narrative.
The family had their own autopsy of Michael Brown's body performed which disputes the original "official" autopsy report.
As described by multiple witnesses to the murder, the independent autopsy suggests that Michael Brown died as a result of the "kill shot" to the top of his head after he was already on the ground.
By Taylor Wofford
Filed: 8/18/14 at 1:27 PM | Updated: 8/18/14 at 1:29 PM
An independent, preliminary autopsy performed on the body of Michael Brown shows that the 18-year-old was shot “at least six times,” according to Dr. Michael M. Baden, formerly the chief medical examiner for the City of New York, one of two experts who performed the autopsy.
<snip>
Dr. Baden and Prof. Parcells said the two shots to the head were probably the last two shots fired. All of the shots, with the exception of the one to the top of the head, were survivable, Dr. Baden said. An attorney for Brown’s family described the shot to the top of the head as “the kill-shot.”
The autopsy did not reveal signs of a struggle, Dr. Baden said, which casts doubt on an earlier statement by police that a struggle between Brown and Wilson precipitated Brown’s shooting. Police have said Brown forced his way inside Wilson’s cruiser, where Wilson shot at Brown for the first time.
Dr. Baden said he found no gunpowder residue on Brown’s skin, which could mean that the muzzle of Wilson’s gun was “at least one or two feet away” from Brown when he was shot. However, Dr. Baden was adamant that he would need to examine Brown’s clothing for gunpowder residue to make a conclusive finding.
Brown’s clothing was not available for Dr. Baden and Prof. Parcells to examine, Baden said, though it was almost certainly examined during Brown’s first autopsy performed by the St. Louis County Medical Examiner. If no gunpowder residue was found on Brown’s clothing during the first autopsy, it will likely throw the Ferguson PD’s timeline of events into question.
http://www.newsweek.com/what-we-learned-michael-browns-autopsy-265247
TYY
They ARE all transgender…
You might want to investigate the definition of "transgender."
That was the point of the photo essay on butch women that you linked to; tombois, diesel dykes, drag kings, he-shes, etc. All labels for masculine women whose gender identity and outward expression doesn't match the genetic sex they were assigned at birth; nor does it match society's opinion of what they should look like, based on traditional binary gender roles and stereotypes.
"an homage to the bull-daggers and female husbands before me, and to the young studs, gender queers and bois who continue to bloom into the present."
http://www.policymic.com/articles/86527/9-portraits-of-butch-women-proving-masculinity-is-a-trait-not-a-gender
I suggested that a few of them might actually be in the process of transitioning, which is pretty common in the butch lesbian community.
"I would even go so far as to guess that a few of them are in the process of transitioning, hormonally and/or surgically"
I based my opinion on the women who have obviously got their breasts bound and at least one who is likely taking steroids. Another looks like she may have had a breast reduction. This is all clearly conjecture, based on personal experience, since the information provided is inadequate to confirm or deny my suggestion.
Nowhere did I say that all of these women are in the process of transitioning through surgical or hormonal means.
You seem to be saying that you're comfortable with butch women as long as they're not taking hormones or considering sexual reassignment surgery. That's a pretty tall order and not really fair to these women that you say you admire. Their inner identity struggles are outside your purview.
The diversity of butch women is vast and covers a broad spectrum. This photo project is an attempt to make masculine women a little less scary to straight people while reaffirming their right to exist within the gay community. Maybe they'll stop feeling the need to alter their bodies when society, as a whole, can begin to accept them for who they are. Sadly, that day is a long way off.
TYY
Well, MadrasT…
…as someone who also identifies as genderqueer, I find myself fascinated that you would openly defend this charade by redqueen. The very headline challenges the concept of transgender by calling it a trait. Redqueen even goes so far as to refer to gender issues as "bullcrap" on iverglas' blog:
Not even in the same universe.
Shouldn't we dismantle patriarchy and eliminate the 'gender' bullcrap first, and *then* address the issues resulting from whatever it is that makes people think they were born with the wrong sex organs?
http://members.boardhost.com/duckies/msg/1338907811.html
So, really, could redqueen's disdain for transgender issues be any more transparent? But let's get back to you, MadrasT.
You refer to these butch women as members of your tribe and yet I'm willing to bet money that every single one of them is sexually attracted to women; something that makes them a little less 'your tribe' since you sleep with men.
I would even go so far as to guess that a few of them are in the process of transitioning, hormonally and/or surgically; something that you don't personally approve of, do you, MadrasT?
In fact, you believe that transgender people who opt for hormones and/or surgery have psychological problems. Something "your tribe" would probably throw you off the island for, if they heard you say it out loud.
"Shouldn't we dismantle patriarchy and eliminate the 'gender' bullcrap first, and *then* address the issues resulting from whatever it is that makes people think they were born with the wrong sex organs?"
Yes a thousand times yes.
This train is moving too far, too fast.
I think a huge part of "transgender" issues are psychological.
Body dysphoria is a psychological problem, not a medical problem to be "corrected" with surgery and hormones.
As inveigle has said, if people want to adopt social gender roles that they think belong to the "opposite" sex, have a party. I think it is COOL!
But when it gets to physically altering your body, I start to have big problems with it.
And then to talk about doing it to CHILDREN?
Makes me extremely uncomfortable. Extremely.
http://members.boardhost.com/duckies/msg/1338908111.html
~and~
I have always been a vocal, active supporter of "transgender rights" because I passionately support everyone having the freedom to break free from societally imposed gender roles.
I was basically raised nongendered and always did whatever the hell I wanted to do, and it suits me fine.
So I think everyone should do whatever the hell suits them, with no regard to what sex they are.
But this business of transgender people taking hormones and undergoing surgeries to alter their bodies to fit what they think the gender in their head is... I have always felt queasy about that.
Now I have decided I am dead set against it.
I think actual females getting breast implants and labia enhancing surgeries and lip enhancements is beyond f*cking ridiculous.
So there is no way I can support people taking drugs and mutilating their bodies to fit some notion of being "the wrong sex".
I am still thinking about this. My position evolves over time.
Maybe my idea that "passionately supporting everyone having the freedom to break free from societally imposed gender roles" just means I am (gasp) an actual feminist, but never knew it???
http://members.boardhost.com/duckies/msg/1338920057.html
Kinda' makes me question your spot under the transgender umbrella. Quite frankly, I'm ready to take your umbrella away.
So, let's get back to the purpose behind posting pictures of butch women in various stages of transgender transition, in the HoF group. Why do YOU think she posted it , "Misstee?"
I agree with you, that gender "expression" is not a "fucking joke" or "a source of mindless entertainment." You're actually making my point for me.
Maybe you can help me to understand why two people who have serious issues with the very definition of transgender, would feel that it would be copacetic to post this OP; and just maybe, while you're at it, you can explain how it fits within the HoF Statement of Purpose.
Everyone knows that the popcorn smilie means you're waiting to see how a thread is going to roll out, before commenting. In fact, I waited almost 6 hours for clarification.
After reading some of the comments at DUckies, I think my comparison to LOLcats is a perfect fit. It was never meant as anything more than a curiosity piece.
TYY
What is your interest…
…in "what a (lesbian looks) like now?" As a gay woman, I was unclear as to the intent behind your post; multiple images of genderqueer women, any one of whom could be me.
Your only explanation for posting a photo array of butch women pertains to a quote from the article, that you claimed would "reinforce the hierarchical structure of patriarchy." I expected to see a constructive discussion regarding your claim. Giving you the benefit of the doubt, I waited to see if your post would begin to make sense.
Quite honestly, redqueen, I was hoping that your OP came from a place of sincerity and sensitivity. Now, after reading your vicious response to me, I realize that was not the case. Your hit and run, image-heavy curiosity piece about butch women appears to be nothing more than the HOF version of 'Sunday LOLcats.'
TYY
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