Reclaiming Sexuality - People with Disabilities (#6)

I ran across this piece recently and felt moved by the content, the courage, and the frankness of a young woman with physical disabilities who openly explores her sexual expression and responds to the reactions of those around her.

 Jes Sachse is a 25 year old Canadian college student with a rare, genetic condition called Freeman-Sheldon syndrome.  While she lives with this ailment, she does not let it define her.  Jes hooked up with a photog friend named Holly Norris and they satirized the widely criticized American Apparel ads, known for their sexual nature and objectification - see here.  Some condemned Jes' sexually explicit poses, fearing her exploitation and fetishism by the public.  But Jes is confident in her art-as-awareness concept and fully believes that the public needs to view people with disabilities as people first, who have the same sexual needs and desires as those who are able-bodied. 

I really like her refusal to be censored by the public and others who think they know what is best for her.  Obviously, Jes is confident and secure with expressing her sexual side, and I applaud her ability to stand up for what she believes in.  I relate to her as another young female, eschewing societies imposed values of beauty and ability.  

The one criticism I have of the article is actually the title "Can Disability Be Sexy?  For starters, I think putting the word "disability" first takes away the personal aspect and reduces an individual to their physical or cognitive abilities.  It does not take into account the person as a whole and encourages a state can be sexy rather than a person.  

                                                                       Observation

In light of recent events, I thought I would share some services offered by UT for dealing with stress, trauma, and mental health concerns.  I didn't know about these services until my second semester here.  They are cheap, discrete and always professional: 

UT Counseling
and Mental Health Center

(512) 471-3515
SSB 5th Floor
Hours: Mon. - Fri., 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

24-Hour Telephone Counseling

512-471-CALL (2255) (UT Students Only) For Deaf/HH students please dial 711 and ask to be connected to (512) 471-2255 24 hours a day - 7 days a week - 365 days a year

Affordable Housing in Austin (#5)

Affordable housing is a phrase that keeps popping up in Austin.  I've been exposed to this concept at my volunteer agency as well as in classroom discussion.  I've been responsible for researching the climbing rental prices in Austin and I wanted to see if I could find a comprehensive definition to illuminate this phrase of intrigue.  What is affordable housing and why should this be a concern for Austin?

Technically, an affordable housing stance asserts that rental costs should be no more than 1/3 of a resident's income.  Since transportation costs are also factored into cost of living, this complicates things further.  As you may have noticed, Austin is a very spread out, sprawling city, so transportation costs for individuals can become quite high.  The median income in Austin hasn't risen to meet the cost of inflation since 2000!  That is 13 years of rising costs, but no rising income to foot the bill.  The lack of balance found in this equation is what is leaving many families in Austin without access the affordable housing.

I will be researching this issue more throughout the semester and I will be presenting an action plan with a group to really examine the factors at play in this seemingly political issue.  We will be looking at what local agencies are helping the affordable housing bubble and what local policies are hurting the market.  We will also look at societal perceptions of access to housing and the population that is hurts, like low-income families, veterans, and seniors.

Here are a few local agencies calling for city action:

IMAGINE-Affordable Housing   
Keep ATX Affordable

                                                              Observation
I still have yet to see any advertising about the Imagine Austin campaign.  I'm finding it to be useful in my group project, but still curious as to why Austin at large isn't being exposed to the city planning.

Micro to Macro: Making the Connections (#4)

I think coming from a micro-oriented practitioner mindset, it can be difficult to take a step back and examine things through a macro lens.  With that being said, I also find it extremely difficult to view any thing, one, or concept in a vacuum.  I feel that the mico problems that individuals face are often set forth by bigger meso and macro super-structures that reinforce and often create these paradigms in which people must exist.

When it comes to doing anti-oppression work, I think it's extremely important to look at external historical, economic, cultural, and environmental factors as contributing to a whole subjective reality that one might experience.  I found a little cartoon that I think is a good representation of how change over time at the macro level can deeply influence the course of an individual's life

                   
                                                                  Observation
I met a nice man at the coffee shop today while writing my blog post.  He said he chose to sit next to me because I wan't wearing headphones and looked open to human interaction.  It made me think of students on campus and how seemingly they are disconnected from society with the aid of technology.
   

Serving Life: A Dual Meaning (#3)

I watched an inspiring documentary narrated by Forest Whitaker on Netflix the other night called Serving Life.  It focused on inmates in a Louisiana prison who were serving life sentences, but also serving life by acting as caretakers in the prison's Hospice Center.  I really liked the duality of the title and the double entendre one could interpret from it.  The inmates were serving life sentences, but they were also serving the last days of others.  It gave a humanistic look at a population that is systematically stripped of their humanity on a daily basis and seen as nothing more than dangerous criminals.

While the narration used problematic and dehumanizing language such as "the worst of the worst" when referring to the prisoners at this specific center, I think overall the film's message was inspiring and a call to action.

It highlighted the therapeutic nature of the caretaker role for many of the "hardened criminals" at  the Angola Prison.  It showed the empathy gained from these deeply personal interactions with the dying inmates.  The prisoner who participated in the program said it changed their lives and worldview.  It made them question past actions and wonder if they had been exposed to this sooner, if they'd even be behind those walls.  You could see it in their eyes when they had to sit with patients who were in their last days.  It gave these men a sense of peace to comfort and assist these men who were dying.  It also made them question the things they had done in their past.  It gave them perspective and highlighted the importance of life and doing the right thing, even in the worst of circumstances.  

After viewing this film, I think an argument can be made for implementing more preventative measures for at-risk populations and providing the the opportunity to connect with other individuals on a more humanistic level.  Perhaps instilling a more interpersonal sense of others can lessen the acts of violent crimes.  

Again, this may be my highly idealistic perspective, but if we look at ourselves as a collective, the idea of coming together to create social change ins't that radical or romanticized.      

                                                               Observation
I heard that official deputizers with be at the Social Work tailgate party this weekend to register people to vote.  Elections are coming up November 5th, so make sure you are registered!  Here is a great website to get non-partisan information about delegates such as voting records and funding sources - Project Vote Smart. 

This is why I need #anti-racism... (#2)

This unsettling news comes from my birthplace, Eugene, OR, which houses the Tier-1 rated research and public education institution, the University of Oregon.  The display in question was not carried out on campus but the placement was highly visible and many people had opinions as to what it means for this small college town, including Eric Richardson of the NAACP.  Here is the entire story from a local news outfit:




"Anti-racist is a code word for anti-white"

To me, the banner is a misguided sentiment that denies the struggle of people in positions of oppression while assuming the role of the victim.  When I think of the term "anti-racist" it means anti any one or thing or idea or belief or institution or organization or social system that discriminates based solely on a person's race or ethnicity, and yes, that includes discriminating against white people too.  The effects of racism can be felt in numerous ways, many of which lead to less opportunity and  limited access to resources such as education and employment.  While people of any race or background can feel the pains of discrimination, by and large it's been directed at people of color and minorities.   

With that being said, I think it's important to look at the racial make-up of this college town to gain some perspective and ask questions as to why some folks thought this message needed to be heard.  According to Census data from 2010, White folks made up 85.5% of the town's population while a mere 1.4% of inhabitants were Black and a whopping 7.8% accounted for the Hispanic population.  Based on numbers alone, this northwest town is largely comprised of Whites.  Is all this talk about white privilege and the changing dynamics of society threatening to jeopardize the White majority?  It would seem, from demographics alone, that Whites hold more power in a city where they outnumber the "others" substantially.  I'm growing tired of white-apologists who cannot take a step back and acknowledge the overreaching systems in place that have been built of the exploitation of degradation of others - and to greater extent - recognizing how they have benefited from these practices historically over time.     

This message speaks out against a changing society in which the dominant population is shifting to include more "minorities".  I cringe at even having to use that word.  It feels so diminutive and less than.  Maybe with the changing population, we should also change the language that represents people as a *minor* part of the whole.  But first, we have to change our attitudes about race and entitlement and quit using divisive tactics to create a hierarchy of oppression. 


                                                                  Observation
I heard about a second string of bleach balloons being thrown at students of color on campus.  It is very disappointing that fellow students would act out in such violent, aggressive, and intolerant ways.

If you see anything suspicious, you can tip anonymously here: Report Crime 

Miley and Misappropriation (#1)

Oh, Miley.  

The post-teen-queen of excessive tweets, tongue, and twerk.  Not to mention cultural misappropriation, perpetuating stereotypes, and blatantly racist performances, but hey, who's keeping track?  Not many, as all anyone can seem to focus on was the sexual nature of the act and not the racialized undertones of Miley asserting her sexuality by the subjugation of an already oppressed population of women.  When a little, bitty white girl can use stereotypical black culture and make millions while others are systematically kept from participating actively in society, it's exploitation and misappropriation   Plain and simple.  She's making money while others are discriminated against for displaying the same attributes.

I knew I couldn't avoid weighing in on this topic, but I didn't want to harp on the obvious.  The hypersexualized, sophomoronic display meant to signal the end of her Disney days.  No, I want to take it a step further and deconstruct what initially came to my mind during my first viewing of this appalling performance and incorporate an intersectional, feminist approach that includes a critical look at race, sexuality, and culture. 

It took a minute for everything to sink in.  At first, I didn't know what I was seeing.  It felt like a drug-induced, nightmarish coma in which this young girl was trying on a piece of black culture and claiming it for her burgeoning sexual self.  How can I make this assertion, you ask?  Well, I just looked to popular representations of black women in our culture and how they have historically been viewed as having this wanton sexuality, but also viewed as being property and having no governance over their own bodies.  Unfortunately, black women are rarely represented in a positive light, and when people are reduced to pieces instead of a whole, it's dehumanizing and reductionist.

When Miley did this, my heart sank.  While I have not had the same experiences as black women living in American society and would never speak for an entire community, I felt like this was a slap in the face to black women.  It felt like this woman's body was completely fragmented and taken out of context.  It was a stereotypical representation of the voluptuous black woman, strictly meant to be pleasing to the eye and to the flesh.  I felt like she was used as an inanimate object, solely meant for Miley's use and enjoyment, and of course, to assert her sexuality.  It just felt wrong... and bad.  I am not claiming to be an authority on the subject as I can only be an outsider looking in, I just knew what my guttural reaction was and that this wasn't the right message for young black women to internalize about themselves. I looked to the online community to see if others had anything to say about it.  Here are two really great pieces, both by women of color, on the subject.    

#solidarityisformiley
The Origins of Twerk

They articulate their critiques beautifully and call into question systems of oppression built into our culture, media, and black representation.  Enjoy and educate.  Until next time.
                                                       
                                                             Observation
Last week I saw that fast-food workers mobilized in Austin and participated in a strike on August 29th.  They are modeled after the "Fight for 15" group out of Chicago, a collection of fast-food and retail workers demanding the right the unionize without prejudice and receive a pay increase.  You can check out more here and sigh their petition - http://fightfor15.org/en/