Natasha Chiam

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Feminist Fare Friday: Edition #16.

This week has been a BU-SY one in the online feminist world. I've read some things that have made me want to pull my hair out, others that had me on the brink of waving my Diversity Bingo card (I didn't) and even more that has made me want to actually jump up and yell. YES!! THIS!! DAMNIT!

In case you haven't already guessed, you're getting the latter in today's edition of Feminist Fare Friday.

Enjoy!

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1. Laci Green is a very candid, very outspoken, and very refreshing (if sometimes shockingly) frank vlogger and peer sex educator. She hosts a video series on Youtube called SEX+ and her recent video on sexual objectification is a must watch.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_4dPB9MVS8&feature=share&list=PLTXiNEUzXWKTfNYKThSk-kmJdf7AJRP5K[/youtube]

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2. Sometimes when I read something, I start judging within the first few sentences if I am going to like it or not (just call me Judgey-McJudgerson-it's been done before) and to be honest, I really was not sure about this one. A married with no-kids 30-something takes a week off work to try out being a "housewife".  This one has to be taken with a grain (barrel) of white-middle-class-cisgender-privilege, but she does manage to pull it together in the end. At least that is what this "housewife" thinks. And for the record, if anyone ever refers to me as a housewife, I will throat-punch them.

Modern housewife because I have to believe that as women chose to leave the work force and return to  the home they are doing so with a plan. The modern housewife is too interested in life to be bored or idle. She no longer wastes time feeling guilty or wondering if her feminist membership is about to be revoked, rather she treats housewifery as a scholarship. 

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3. Another day. Another article written about the {online} feminism wars and how toxic it all is for everyone. Le GRAND SIGH! 

While processing this latest iteration and scrolling through the reactions online, another of my favourite vloggers, Jay Smooth of Ill Doctrine, started retweeting tweets from Latoya Peterson. And then he Storify'd her timeline because she was saying some REALLY, really amazing things that I hope many, MANY people were able to read and really digest. EVERYTHING that she tweeted yesterday, made me think about what it is that I am trying to do as a feminist/activist and for that I thank her!

LatoyaPeterson

 P.S. I think the tweets above probably work in all kinds of situations. And then I found this gem from the late, great Pete Seeger.

peteseeger

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4. File this one under "mansplaining". A man's critique of the #365feministselfie project, has blown UP the closed Facebook group that was created to celebrate and share all our images of ourselves. And while a lot of us have tried to respond to this dude (and to Babble-which pains me to give them the traffic-Grrrr....), the comments on his post are being heavily moderated. So what's a gal to do? Write a poem? Look up a new writer to discuss? Um. NO. One writes a post. Thanks to Darlena at Paretwin for this piece for the Babble dad who thinks he gets to tell us how to DO feminism properly!

Now, I know that, as someone with a penis, hearing that you are wrong will make you flare up with anger for a split second, before you catch yourself and laugh it off with bravado, telling yourself that someone who thinks you could possibly be wrong obviously doesn't know anything.

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5. And finally, something that continues to boggle my mind. Gendered products. Trust me, I still get sucked into this marketing madness just as much as the next person. Yesterday, while talking to my kids about colouring, I told L she could use "boy" colours. Immediately C, my seven year old son, corrected me and said, "Mom, there is no such thing as "boy" colours." GAH! Yes, kid, you are so right! So, while I hang my head in shame and without further ado.... 21 things that really do not need to be gendered.

21GenderedProducts

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Kung Hei Fat Choy Everyone! Happy Year of the Horse.

natasha~