Can't Folks Let Jodie Foster Be? I Liked Her Golden Globe Speech. Her Acting Roles Portray Brave and Strong Women, Like Herself

Correction to the media: Jodie Foster was never "in the closet". All her friends, family, co-workers and many in her industry knew and accepted her. Yet she did not owe the public private details. She is a mother, friend, artist and feminist - can't we be happy for that?

It's upsetting to see people lash out at her due to her speech last night where she rightfully slammed reality TV and people's entitlement issues concerning private issues of high profile individuals. She has the right to choose her own timing. She is an artist, not a public court jester whose strings you can pull. Jodie has done more for promoting strong and unique female characters than most actresses I can think of. I love what Jodie Foster stands for and it’s disappointing to hear some LGB identified folks attacking her just because she has never let her orientation define her and she has never conformed to the newer 'Honey Boo Boo' reality warped world we find ourselves in.

She is a class act and it's none of your business who she gets physical with. Get over yourself; she didn't grow up in the world of Glee. Jodie, The Brave One for real, was Modern Family before it was safe to do so. 

Just because she doesn't wear a rainbow themed dress on every red carpet she graces does not mean she is not still proud or speaking her own truth in HER OWN AUTHENTIC WAY. Jodi‘s image is that of authenticity; it's the world which could be losing some of its authenticity. Let her be.

RuPaul's Drag Race’s Exec Producer & a GLAAD Awards Nominated Blogger Both De-friended Me from Facebook for Simply Sending Them This Article: 11 Ways Men Can Be Better Feminist Allies

Last month, days after the transsexual community and allies started a boycott against RuPaul's Drag Race due to RuPaul misgendering and bullying women of transsexual history in a recent episode, I thought I'd let one of the show's executive producers and a GLAAD Award nominated blogger (both of who were 'friends' of mine of Facebook, both who are gay white men and both who have offended many women in my community in the past) what was behind the public outcry against RuPaul's anti-transsexual comments.

I sent them a non-offensive article written by Ozy Franz that I had found online, which is a resource to help men who seem to be clueless as to why why women get fed up with misgendering and sexism.

The same day I tagged both men this much needed advice they each deleted me from Facebook. And that is their right. Yet I'm not sure why they were so upset about the opportunity to actually educate themselves on how they could treat the women in my community better, especially the RuPaul's Drag Race producer, who's company (World of Wonder) and himself have many times participated in projects which exploit and demean the women in my community. Well, either the truth hurts, they didn't want their followers to read up on being better feminists or, like the national LGB media outlets, they wanted to censor the dissent of transsexual community altogether. Whatever the reason, I thought I'd repost the article on my blog so that more people can understand why women of transsexual history are fed up with some gay men thinking they can get away with bullying us.

11 Ways Men Can Be Better Feminist Allies
by Ozy Frantz

Originally posted on: http://www.rolereboot.org/sex-and-relationships/details/2012-07-11-ways-men-can-be-better-feminist-allies

1) Educate yourself. One summer, in high school, I literally read every book the library had about feminism. You don’t have to go that far, but a familiarity with concepts like male privilege, slut-shaming, and rape culture can give you a lot more understanding of how gender works.

2) Don’t be that asshole. Don’t assume that the women in the room have no idea what they’re talking about regarding gender. (If they clearly don’t, well, see #4.) Don’t expect to be thrown a parade because you’ve decided to vote pro-choice. Don’t forget that most men are not feminists and that many feminists are survivors of rape or abuse, and that you’re not sending out Beacons of Awesomeness that show that everyone has to trust you. Check your privilege.

3) Talk to your male friends. It’s sad but true: For a lot of people, men have more credence when talking about gender issues than women do. If your friend tells a rape joke or says that women just aren’t as good at science as men are, challenge them on it. A lot of times, people can’t think of anything to say in the moment; if that’s you, prepare comebacks in advance so you know exactly what to say when it comes up. Even if you forget in the moment, a simple “that’s not cool, dude” can go a long way.

4) Challenge your female friends. A lot of people say that men shouldn’t tell women when they’re being misogynistic. That’s crap. There are plenty of sexist women in the world and they should not get a free pass. If your friend starts snarking about a fat woman or saying that she’s so much better than all those silly other women that are only concerned about their hair and boys, tell her she’s full of it. Other women will thank you.

5) Consume media made by women. A lot of people listen to music made by men, read books written by men, watch movies directed by and starring men—without even realizing it. That’s stupid! It neglects women’s voices and experiences; besides, think of all the amazing talent you’re missing because of their gender. If you like comics, try Alison Bechdel or Gail Simone; if you like movies, look for Kathryn Bigelow or the late Nora Ephron; if you appreciate music, add some Bikini Kill or Nicki Minaj to your playlists.

6) Practice good consent. The general rule is that all sex should be sex that everyone involved wants. I know you, personally, would never have sex with someone who said no, but good consent goes far beyond that. Talk openly and honestly with your partner(s) about your and their sexual desires. Check in when your partner seems to not be enjoying themselves. Eschew pressure and coercion. And the same applies to you—if you’re being pressured or coerced or not having your consent respected, you are not in a healthy relationship.

7) Believe the survivor. It’s true that occasionally people falsely accuse other people of rape or abuse. This is very rare, however, and time spent figuring out the truth is time not spent supporting the survivor. Also, if there is a rapist or abuser in your social group, don’t take “I don’t do drama” as a reason to keep hanging out with them. Not being invited to parties is not a cruel and unusual punishment, and most rapists are repeat rapists. You can keep them from doing it again.

8) Support women’s bodily autonomy. On a political level, of course, one should fight pro-life initiatives, attempts to de-fund Planned Parenthood, forced sterilization efforts, etc. On a personal level, of course, it’s almost more important. If your partner gets pregnant, it’s up to her whether to have an abortion, give the child up for adoption, or raise the kid. Her body, her rules. If a woman is having sex with hundreds of people, don’t call her a dirty slut; if she’s a virgin until marriage, don’t call her a prude. Her body, her rules. If she weighs more than you think she should, don’t call her fat or tell her to go on a diet; if she weighs less, don’t tell her to eat a sandwich. It’s her body and, ultimately, what makes her comfortable in it is what matters.

9) Be a feminist because you support equal rights. Don’t become a feminist because you want to get a girlfriend or because you heard that feminist chicks are easy. Don’t become a feminist because your girlfriend is a feminist and you want to get in good with her. Don’t, for God’s sake, take women’s studies classes because it’s an easy A. Become a feminist because you believe women are people and you will not be satisfied until they are fully treated as such.

10) Be intentional. Maybe it’s best for your family that your wife sacrifice her career to raise kids. But is it really, or are you just assuming that because it’s the narrative you’re used to? Maybe you’re only attracted to 22-year-old blonde skinny women. But are you really, or have you simply not explored your attraction to other people? It’s OK to do things that look anti-feminist to outsiders...as long as it is honestly what you want, and not just falling into the patriarchal rut because you haven’t thought about the other options.

11) Don’t satisfy yourself with just being a feminist. If you are just a feminist, you’re only advocating for the rights of women—which means that you’re advocating for the rights of straight, white, abled, middle-to-upper-class, privileged women. Everyone else? They suffer from racism, queerphobia, ableism, or classism in addition to sexism. Fighting for those rights means fighting for everyone’s rights.

Ozy Frantz is a student at a well-respected Hippie College in the United States. Zie bases most of zir life decisions on Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman; identifies more closely with Pinkie Pie than is probably necessary; and blogs at No, Seriously, What About Teh Menz?

To the gay male TV and film producers who like to defame the women in my community, and to the gay male dominated 'LGBT' media outlets and 'LGBT' media watch dogs who like to censor our dissent against this defamation:

Attention "Anti-Bullying" Advocates: Gay Male Public Figures Misgendering Girls & Women Born With A Transsexual Medical Condition Is Also Bullying, So Please Stop!

Definition from www.BullyFree.com :


What Is Bullying?

Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior that is intentional, hurtful, (physical and psychological), and/or threatening and persistent (repeated). There is an imbalance of strength (power and dominance).

The above definition includes the following criteria that will help you determine if a student is being bullied:

• The mistreatment must be intentional.
• The mistreatment must be hurtful (physical or psychological).
• The mistreatment is threatening. The individual fears harms. Fear their safety.
• The mistreatment must occur more than once. However, some disagree with this. They say one very hurtful event is enough to label it bullying.
• There must be a power imbalance.

I'm glad they included that bullying can also be psychological. Bullying is not just tripping someone and taking their lunch money, or slamming their head against the locker. Bullying in the form of words can be more harmful than violence, especially words which dehumanize.

Bullying many times comes from those who were bullied themselves.

One interesting fact is that there are some high profile gay men, such as  columnist Dan Savage or drag personality RuPaul, who though they are both quoted as referring to themselves as "anti-bullying advocates", many would argue that both men use their media outlets to bully people who are different than themselves, particularly women, and even more so women born with transsexualism.

Hell, Dan Savage has even successfully promoted his brand to that of  the King of anti-bullying gurus. Yet despite Savage's widespread 'It Gets Better Campaign' he has been exposed more times than one, or one hundred really, of bullying transsexual and transgender people. He's done so by ridiculing and misgendering them, using offensive pejoratives and then ignoring or dismissing their grievances when they express how his transphobia negatively affects them. Further, his claims that bisexuality doesn't exist harms the bisexual community. Savage writing rape apologist sentiments in his column alienates female sexual assault survivors and belittles the epidemic of unjust court trials concerning assault. And so on.

On Monday RuPaul once again said some transsexual-phobic comments on his reality show, but this time he has gone too far. The targets of RuPaul's bullying, girls and women with a transsexual medical history, have organized a boycott meant to counter his misgendering. Learn more about MAGNET's boycott in our write up: http://themagnetsource.blogspot.com/2012/10/magnet-boycotts-rupauls-ongoing.html

I don't think Dan Savage or RuPaul are bad men, but they are men, and they have no right pretending to be experts on the young girls and women in our community, or to mock and make sexist and transsexual-phobic comments about us.  Whatever these grown men's unresolved personal issues are, they shouldn't use the women in our community as a punching bag to deal with those issues, they should seek professional help if that's what they need.

If they want enlightened people to take their "anti-bullying" initiatives seriously they would do well to stop behaving like bullies them damn selves.

What Intersex Awareness Week Means To Me: Stop Mutilating Our Narrative

 

 

What Intersex Awareness Week Means To Me

Intersex Awareness Week means choice. The choice for human beings to make decisions on their bodies that intersex-phobic parents and unethical doctors should not be making for them

Intersex Awareness Week means education. Diversity in biology is natural and doctors should educate parents on their options instead of caving into post-birth fears by performing surgeries without the intersex person’s consent

Intersex Awareness Week is about accuracy. Stop lumping intersex people into the concocted “transgender umbrella” ideology reservation against many of our wills, and against the science. This confuses the public on what intersex actually is and silences intersex specific voices. It’s irresponsible for so-called “allies” and non-profits to promote unfounded theories and sloppy mis-education as fact.

Intersex Awareness Week is about affirmation. The APA is one of the most phobic organizations ever. The APA is guilty of stigmatizing and alienating intersex people, and it needs to stop. I’m not down with their new “DSD” label, nor is the majority if the international intersex communities.

Intersex Awareness Week is about listening. When intersex people tell Gay, Inc. and it’s Transgender Um-Scam-Brella Subsidiary “we are not the same label stamp as transvestites and gay male drag performers”, instead of LGBTransgender (NOT ‘I’) non-profits and  TG cyber-blog-bullies assaulting us for simply wanting to be represented accurately, why not demonstrate some compassion instead of their brute-like, over-controlling and ill-political tactics meant to censor and vilify dissent?

Intersex Awareness Week is about reform. GLAAD needs to stop miseducating the media that intersex is in their intellectually and scientifically dishonest “transgender umbrella whether you want to be here or not” media [mis]guide section. It doesn’t belong there. Sorry GLAAD doesn’t feel intersex people are significant enough to have their own section. And while they are at it, they can revise their section on transsexualism as well. Some people born with transsexualism also have one of the over fifty variations of intersex. Transsexualism is medical condition, not a hobby, fetish, stage act or gender rebellion. MISGENDERING = BULLYING

Intersex Awareness Week means healthcare rights. All human being should be protected, but intersex infants, children and even adults many times are not. People want others so desperately to fit into a box so they can feel okay with their narrow ideas that they will literally force intersex people into a mold, which many times leads to depression and suicide. Intersex people should not have to deal with other people's closed-minded issues directed at their own bodies. Intersex Awareness Week should be every week of the year until the intersex-phobia stops.

UNITY NEWS: NLGJA's Own Title Is Exclusionary, Yet NLGJA Leaders Labeled 'UNITY Journalists of Color's' Name Exclusionary?

The following article was published on Saturday, August 5th in The UNITY News website, and was written by a UNITYstudent journalist: http://unitynews.org/2012/nlgja-to-weigh-name-change/.

NLGJA to weigh name change

BY BRANDI LICON

UNITY NEWS

UNITY, previously referred to as a coalition for journalists of color, shed that title this year to include the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association.

During the opening ceremonies two presenters made a concerted effort to welcome gays and lesbians. This made Ashley Love, who was born intersex and transsexual, feel left out.

“NLGJA pressured UNITY’s board to change its name, arguing it was exclusionary and non-reflective, so shouldn’t NLGJA practice the same inclusion by adding the ‘B’ and ‘T’?” Love said.

Sexual orientation is not equivalent to gender identity or a transexual medical condition, she said during Thursday’s NLGJA membership meeting. Omitting bisexuals and transexuals [and transgender people] from the title glosses over the differences in [the] LGBT [coalition], silences voices and confuses people, including journalists, she added.

At Thursday’s NLGJA member meeting, six people spoke out in support of Love’s request and none of the about 30 people there voiced opposition.

“The issue has never been on the agenda,” NLGJA President David Steinberg told UNITY News. “It has been a topic people have raised in the last year.”

The board will discuss the issue and figure out a change that makes sense, he said.

Love said this change needs to happen soon.

“We are done waiting,” she said.

Breaking News: After Years Of Competing For The Coveted “Most Transphobic Rag Award”, U.K.’s ‘Daily Mail’ Beats ‘The New York Post’ Due to its Lana Wachowski Coverage; ‘Post’ CEO Demands Vote Tampering Investigation*

Last Saturday, July 28th, U.K.’s ‘Daily Mail’ paper published an article about Hollywood director (The Matrix triology) Lana Wachowski’s first public appearance as her true self. Wachowski was born with transsexualism and has been undergoing hormonal and medical treatment to better align her external to match her internal. The “journalist” of the article, who chose to write anonymously, used improper pronouns numerous times, which violates journalism codes of ethics, and even violates U.K’s Gender Recognition Act.

TAAD, or Transsexual Alliance Against Defamation, released a statement asking Daily Mail (DM) to retract their offensive and inaccurate usage of male pronouns, as Lana is a woman who should be affirmed and respected as such. DM declined to edit their online version of the posting, and sent a reply back to TAAD with DM's Assitant Editor Yuc Kee writing,

“We find that the more sensational and offensive our articles are, the more hits and ad revenue they garner, as well as raises the entertainment value of our content to cater to our more close-minded and transphobic readers. Sorry that transsexual women are offended that we misgendered Lana, but your feelings are not our concern. As for your request for human decency, good luck with that”.

Interestingly enough, DM's story was published just three days before I. H. A.T.E., or International Haven Advocating Transphobia & Exploitation, announced the winner of their five-year long competition named the ‘Most Transphobic Rag Award’. On July 31st they awarded ‘Daily Mail’ with the sought after title. The two leading contestants had been both ‘Daily Mail’ and U.S.A.’s ‘The New York Post’ (NYP), with media analysts previously estimating that NYP would win by 10-15 votes. Yet DM’s recent Lana Wachowski story pushed them passed the finish line in the nick of time, winning by a mere five votes in a judging jury of one hundred people.

The same day just hours after the winner was announced, NYP released a statement questioning the legitimacy of the voting process, with charges of biased judges and vote tampering. NYP attorneys demanded an investigation by I.H.A.T.E., which they denied. I.H.A.T.E. president, Helia Jeffries (former spokesperson for ‘RadFems Against Healthcare Rights and Freedom of Choice’, gave a statement,

“Grade A Transphobia is Grade A Transphobia. The Daily Mail has proven they have what it takes to ridicule and marginalize those types of people in a way that far exceeds industry standards, making them our top choice for the 'Most Transphobic Rag Award’ honor. While The New York Post leads the way in the states for unchecked transphobia, sexism and defamation, they are clearly only in second place internationally. Thanks to the many publications who participated in this competition, and we look forward to five years from now when will be holding this competition again. Fear is meant to spread, so start typing away!”

The next day NYP filed a lawsuit with the Global Office of Propaganda Pushing (GOP) with claims that I.H.A.T.E. was biased in their results, as Jeffries, its president, resides in London, home to ‘DM', and used to be on a mud slinging team with Daily Mail's CEO, Bob Leeds.

Leeds responded, “This is just ridiculous. Yes, Helia and I used to play in the Mud Fighting League together, but that was years ago and has no bearing on our rag's triumph. My writer’s have exceptional transphobic talents and won fair and square. And our editor-in-chief, Hugh Thatcher, has gone above and beyond to make this acknowledgment happen. When one of his staff writers portrayed those tra**ys in a humanizing light, he would personally edit it moments before publication, changing a pronoun here, sensationalizing an experience there, or adding the right amount of fear mongering at the very end. Those Yankees need to stop being sore losers and admit defeat. While they’re busy pouting, my employees are already getting started for the 2017 games. Let the most shameless transphobe win!”

New York Post Editor-in-Cheif Fred Smith fired back the same day during an interview on Faux News saying,

“Damnit, just damnit! My staff worked mighty hard to misgender and dehumanize women born with transsexualism, it’s a shame that Daily Mail snatched the ‘Most Transphobic Rag Award’ when we clearly encouraged more ignorance and mockery of people’s lives then they did. Mark my words, we will win next time, you can be sure of it!”

The investigation on whether the competition results were accurate continues, though the overturning of DM’s victory seems unlikely, as Jeffries says the expertise of the jury panel was superior, which included pseudo-shrinks Blanchard and Bailey, healthcare-exterminator Janice Raymond and other leading transphobes.

A later addition to the jury was American gay activist Dan Ravage, who has been ‘glitter bombed’ repetitively for his notorious transphobic, sexist, bi-phobic and classist remarks, as well as spreading rape-apologist propaganda in his sex column. After activists protested his use of the slurs ‘she-male’ and ‘tra**y’ during his speech at I.H.A.T.E.’s annual gala, which was the same night the ‘Most Transphobic Rag Award’ winner was announced, Ravage replied,

 “Silly tra**ys, stop playing the oppression Olympics. I’m a white gay man, so it’s socially acceptable for me to say sexist and transphobic comments because most people are too clueless to see my ‘Animal Farm’ antics. Besides, if GL-NT-AAD can say that transsexual women are the same label [transgender] as male cross dressers and male transvestites, why can’t The Daily Mail also use male pronouns on female transsexuals?”

GL-NT-AAD's, or Gay & Lesbian -Not Transsexual- Alliance Against Defamation's, staff was asked to comment the next day on Dan Ravage’s statement, as well as comment on TAAD pointing out GL-NT-AAD’s practice of blurring the distinction between the transsexual medical condition and the many forms of gender bending and sexual fetishism. Instead of replying, they paid two transsexual women to make a joint statement in their defense. One was a transsexual reality star named Ima Prince. The other was named Equala Tee Mimick, who’s a transsexual tabloid writer who GL-NT-AAD is blatantly producing to be their shield to defend their gay and lesbian staff members whenever the transsexual community calls them out on misrepresentation. These two women released a joint statement on GL-NT-AAD’s website:

“GL-NT-AAD has done wonders for our careers and personal financial security, so in return we feel retained to defend their problematic media guide and poor messaging concerning transsexualism. When GL-NT-AAD stops promoting our self-serving interests and aspiring celebrity, then we may find the integrity to join our sisters in their quest for GL-NT-AAD to reform their media guide. But until then we will continue to head the Token Trans Tom committee. Besides, those uppity transsexual women should be grateful for the crumbs Gay, Inc. gives them. Seriously, like who do they think they are, women or something? As if! No, they are third genders, fetishists and impersonators. They should just shut up and accept that misgendering narrative, we know we have”.

Transsexual activists were unsatisfied with GL-NT-AAD’s trans* spoke model’s comments betraying their own community for personal gain, and re-asked GL-NT-AAD’s actual paid staff for a real dialog in a formal setting, which GL-NT-AAD declined because “colonies should know better than to question their masters”. TAAD then reached higher up to GL-NT-AAD’s Board of Directors, who were also unable to be reached for additional comment regarding their misgendeirng and misrepresentation of women with transsexualism, choosing instead to promote a socially engineered “transgender umbrella” ideology, which is a constructed reservation where they marginalize all those who don’t fit into the norm. This intellectually dishonest framework creates conflicts and censors dissent, though the mainstream media will never know it since they are beholden to GL-NT-AAD’s last word on the matter. TAAD persisteded, asking GL-NT-AAD for the right for minorities to represent themselves, instead of the majority dominating their lives, but GL-NT-AAD replied saying they would prefer to be the ones to control transsexual women, regardless if their patient rights and well-being are being violated as a result. "Misgendering is not a concern to us", they said.

Yesterday TAAD filed a complaint with the Non-profit Department of Accountability and Ethics saying that GL-NT-AAD is censoring, misrepresenting and co-opting minorities. TAAD is awaiting a ruling.

Transsexual activists continue to protest ‘The Most Transphobic Rag Award’ contestants, as well as I.H.A.T.E.’s hate speech.


(* This was obviously a parody, infused with actual current events and ongoing practices, meant to draw attention to real issues such as transphobia, conflation and unethical jouurnalism/media guides)

A Rose Is *Still* A Rose - Period

A ROSE is *still* a ROSE!

[Not a sub-rose, not a modified rose, not a rose impersonator, not a 2nd class rose, not only a rose on the weekends, not a rose mocker, not acting on some rose fetish, not a plastic rose, not simply "expressing" a few rose characteristics, not condescendingly "identifying" as a rose -- but from the seed, rooted as and blossomed into its natural destiny: A ROSE - inside, and out, from it's origin, always and forever, a rose, period. Please, PLEASE keep your weeds, fake chemicals and pollutants out of the garden, or don't act clueless or attack when the rose uses her protective thorns to shield herself from entities or non-roses who would do her harm,  thank you]