EqualityQuilt

Words of Wisdom from our Member Organizations

This year we honored coalitions at Celebration 30. Since the Consortium itself is a coalition, we have our own opinions about coalition-building. We believe coalitions are by definition groups which maintain and respect differences as something that makes us stronger- but come together for a specific purpose. But we know that is not always easy to manage! Bernice Johnson Reagon says, "If you're in a coalition and you're comfortable, it's not a broad enough coalition." Each of our member groups had their own advice to offer about coalition building:

"Coalitions should be focused on achievable goals. When your goal is achieved, disband the coalition and move on to other work. There's plenty to be done." -Kristin Mapel-Bloomberg, Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities (ACTC) Women's Studies Program

"To be successful, a coalition must ensure both collective action and individual group autonomy. TRUST the staff and officers and between the member organizations is key." -Shirley Nelson, Women Candidate Development Coalition

"Inform as many people as possible about your cause through as many venues as possible. Sustainability requires public discourse and a pool of advocates to pass along the torch." -Patty Tanji, Pay Equity Coalition of Minnesota

"Keep focused on the mission. Seek collaborative pathways to progress. Accept that each coalition partner has its unique capacity, agenda and stakeholders." -Amy Lange, Minnesota Universal Health Care Coalition

"It is important to be clear about what you stand for. We need to keep running the marathon that will end domestic violence, and take time to celebrate our progress." -Cyndi Cook, Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women

Amazing Women at Recent Events

Hello dear readers,  Consortium staff are still recovering from THREE great events - our 30th birthday party in January, Presidents on Presidents' Day, and Girls Rock! the Capitol (also on Presidents' Day), which were all extra special this year.   Here's a quick summary.  We hope to get up new photo albums on the sidebar soon, so you can go and find yourself!

CELEBRATION 30 featured nine "Champion Coalitions," a stellar roster of corporate sponsors, table hosts, Seneca Falls Society members, and individual sponsors, and joyful attendees at the event on January 29.  Coming soon:  the recommendations for action and advice for coalition-building from the honorees.  

 
Top row:  MWC board member Diane Tran (League of Women Voters/LOTT), JOBS NOW's Kevin Ristau and Kris Jacobs, board members Dia Satori (Strategic Dreaming), Jessica Trites Rolle (MN NOW), Jan Rabbers (MN Nurses Assn.), Louann Lanning (Employment Action), Jen Peterson (ACES), Jane Olsen (St. Cloud State Women's Center), honoree Heidi Schleuter of Child Care WORKS, MWC board member Nina Rothchild.  Bottom row honorees:  (sorry obscured by the plant) Alanna Storey, then Kristen Mapel-Bloomberg (both of ACTC Women's Studies), Shirley Nelson (Women Candidate Development Coalition), Patty Tanji (Pay Equity Coalition of Minnesota), Lisa Nilles and Amy Lange of the MN Universal Health Care Coalition, Cyndi Cook of the MN Coalition for Battered Women, Donna Dunn of the MN Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Linnea House and Karen Law of the Minnesota Choice Coalition, and Susie Brown of Child Care WORKS.       

PRESIDENTS ON PRESIDENTS' DAY brought women presidents of 18 Consortium member groups to meet with state legislative leaders and Congressman Keith Ellison.   (photo on next page, more info to come)

GIRLS ROCK! THE CAPITOL (photo next page) brought 55 teen girls to policy workshops and a lively mock committee hearing, co-sponsored this year with Women's Initiative for Self Empowerment.

Nat's Top Feminist Reads

As I depart from the Minnesota Women's Consortium, here are some of my favorite reads for feminists.

1.  Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery

2.  Wicked by Gregory Maguire

3.  Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali

4.  The Purity Myth by Jessica Valenti

5.  The Color Purple by Alice Walker

6. A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry

7.  Compulsory Heterosexuality by Adrienne Rich

-Natalie Clifford

Meet the Spring 2010 Intern!

Hello everyone!

My name is Shiveta Vaid, and I am the newest Consortium intern. I am incredibly excited to work with the women here for the spring semester, and have already begun to learn quite a bit about Minnesota's endeavors toward equality for women and gender. I was born in Sacramento and lived in Chicago for a bit before my family settled in St. Louis, MO. I moved up here to attend Macalester College and am currently in my last semester, majoring in economics and political science, and completing a concentration in human rights and humanitarianism. Minneapolis-St. Paul have become a second home over the last three and a half years - the Twin Cities have drawn me in, and I feel a real connection to them, such that I hope to live and build a career here in the future. Interning at the Consortium is especially exciting, then, as this is my first opportunity to see how I can become part of and contribute to the larger professional (and not!) feminist networks already in place in the area.

Feminism has been a large part of my life from a young age, before I had a name for it, because of my family. My parents are from Punjab, India, and both sides of my family are products of a strange amalgamation of Indian patriarchy and strong matriarchs that basically ensured their survival. My attempts to reconcile the two have brought me to many and varied places, and 2009 in particular was a year that my feminist consciousness actually gained a theoretical base. Economics provides a very different approach to the world, but I have found that understanding both sets of logic is incredibly fruitful when trying to implement positive change - know the system you must work with and all that. I am particularly interested in policy initiatives that work to advance feminist goals (pay equity, political representation, health, education, etc.).

Anyway, I am excited to be interning at the Consortium this semester, and to continue the great work past interns have begun, particularly College Feminists Connect - kudos to past interns Natalie and Linda for setting it up thus far and leaving me many resources to work with. I am definitely looking forward to the coming semester!

womenewinning Precinct Caucus Supported Candidates

Caucus night is the first step in deciding who will end up on the general election ballot. Check out womenwinning supported candidates on their web site.

Precinct Caucus Resolutions from OutFront Minnesota

OutFront Minnesota suggests many LGBT equality resolutions for this evenings precinct caucuses.

1. Local Government Domestic Partnership Benefits

RESOLVED: that the _______ calls upon the Minnesota Legislature to amend Minnesota Statute 471.61 to permit local units of government to determine for themselves the scope of their employment benefits packages, particularly to offer domestic partner benefits when they see fit.

2. Safe Schools for All

RESOLVED: because equal access to educational opportunities is critical to individuals and communities, _____ supports efforts to ensure the safety of all Minnesota students and to promote healthy, respectful learning environments in Minnesota schools that are free of harassment and violence, including but not limited to, actual or perceived race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, marital status, disability, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, age, and physical characteristics, and association with a person or group who one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics.

3. Marriage Equality

RESOLVED: given that same-sex couples are not allowed the over 500 legal protections provided through marriage, _______ supports legislation aimed at strengthening Minnesota families by allowing same-sex couples to marry.

4. Opposition to a Constitutional Amendment to Bar Marriage for Same-sex Couples

RESOLVED: because the Minnesota constitution exists, in part, to guarantee the equal protection of the law to all citizens, _______ opposes efforts to amend the Minnesota constitution to forbid the legal recognition of same-sex couples.

5. Minnesota State Medical Assistance Payment for Gender Reassignment Surgery

RESOLVED: because providing gender reassignment surgery is a cost-effective means for delivering substantial improvement in quality of life for a segment of Minnesotans, __________ supports reinstating coverage for these medically necessary treatments under Minnesota's publicly-funded health care programs.

6. Comprehensive Sex Education

RESOLVED: youth in Minnesota need access to information that helps them live healthy lives. _______ supports sexuality health education offered by public schools that is medically accurate, age-appropriate and inclusive of LGBT concerns.

For more information visit OutFront Minnesota's web site.

Precinct Caucus Resolutions from Women Against Military Madness

Women Against Military Madness have a few precinct caucus resolutions that are pertinent to the safety of and equality for women.

1. Convention to End all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Resolution

WHEREAS all but six member states (Iran, Nauru, Palau, Somalia, Sudan, and Tonga) of the United Nations have signed and ratified their support of the United Nations Convention to End all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW);

WHEREAS this convention was adopted by the United Nations in 1979 and took force in 1980;

WHEREAS the United States is the only United Nations member state that has singed but not ratified this Convention;

BE IT RESOLVED that the United States should ratify its support for CEDAW.

2. International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA) Resolution

WHEREAS the International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA) has extensive bipartisan and bicameral co-sponsorship and support in the United States legislature in the last legislative year;

WHEREAS the state of Minnesota has passed a state Violence Against Women Act;

BE IT RESOLVED that the United States should pass the International Violence Against Women Act.

For more information about these issues visit WAMM's web site.

Precinct Caucus Resolution from Minnesota NOW and MN CAFE

BE IT RESOLVED THAT:

The [political party] Platform be amended to include support for the inclusion of gender equality in the Minnesota Constitution and the United States Constitution.

Whereas, women make up at least 50% of the population of Minnesota; and

Whereas, neither the Minnesota Constitution nor the U.S. Constitution explicitly guarantees that all of the rights they protect are held by all of its citizens without regard to sex; and

Whereas, while the majority of Americans assume women have full equality, ASSUMED equality cannot be defended by the constitution; and

Whereas, court decisions still reflect confusion and inconsistency about how the law is to deal with sex discrimination claims; and

Whereas, cases like Lilly Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire that erase 20 years of legal precedent in employment law regarding equal pay shown the potential for rights erosion through the court system; and

Whereas, the legislature has the power to replace existing laws that protect women by a simple majority vote; and

Whereas, many countries throughout the world already specifically affirm the legal equality of the sexes in their governing documents;

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the [political party] of Minnesota support the passage of a Constitutional Amendment for Equality in the Minnesota Constitution;

And be it further resolved that the [political party] Platform be amended to include support for the inclusion of gender equality in the Minnesota Constitution and the United States Constitution.

For more information visit Minnesota NOW's web site or the Minnesota CAFE website.

Precinct Caucus Resolution from Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota

More precinct caucus resolutions...

Whereas The American Medical Association, the American Nurses Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Public Health Association, and the Society of Adolescent Medicine support responsible sex education that includes information about abstinence, contraception and disease prevention;

And whereas responsible sex education programs respect the diversity of values and beliefs represented in the community and will complement and augment the sex education youth receive from their families;

And whereas 89% of Minnesota parents believe that sexuality education should include both abstinence and contraception (University of Minnesota Healthy Youth Development - Prevention Research Center, 2007);

Be it resolved that the Minnesota _________________ party add the following statement to its party platform:

“We support responsible, sexuality education programs that include information about abstinence, contraception and disease prevention.”

For more information visit Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota's web site.

Precint Caucus Resolution from the Minnesota Universal Health Care Coalition

Precinct caucuses for Republican, Democratic-Farmer-Labor, Independence, and Green Parties are February 2 at 7 PM in a neighborhood near you. For more information visit the Secretary of State's home page. The Minnesota Women's Consortium is encouraging member organization's to send us their resolutions.

This is a caucus resolution from the Minnesota Universal Health Care Coalition.

*RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF a universal, single-payer health care system ON THE FEDERAL and STATE LEVEL.***

*Whereas*, lack of health insurance is a cause of 45,000 deaths per year in the U.S.

and

*Whereas*, 62% of personal bankruptcies are due to medical expenses and over 75% of these people have health insurance

and

*Whereas*, Over 47 million people in this country lack health insurance, millions more are under-insured, over 450,000 Minnesotans lack insurance coverage and minorities and women are disproportionately likely to be without insurance

and

*Whereas*, Federal reforms will not achieve universal coverage nor adequately control costs, and will perpetuate a fragmented and inequitable health care system

and

*Whereas*, a single payer system is the only system of health care that can assure universal and equitable coverage, portability and choice of provider, while also controlling costs
*Be it resolved* that the _   (political party)  _ supports and works to enact a universal, single-payer health care plan on the federal level and the single-payer Minnesota Health Act at the state level.

Invite to the 30th Birthday Party!

Staff are putting on finishing touches for this sparkly event.  If you want to come but have not yet reserved, please call Lorraine at 651/228-0338.  

Blog for Choice Day: Thank Your Abortion Providers

Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health released video clips of the late Dr. George Tiller explaining why he became an abortion provider. In honor of the 37th Anniversary of Roe v. Wade and abortion providers everywhere, we'd like to share these clips.

I was a Teenage Fangirl...

It's a little known fact to many people but I was a teenage fangirl. I spent hours consuming the newest anime and fawning over my first edition comics. Moreover, I most likely owe apologies to the innocent individuals who interrupted an episode of the X-files. I kept my passion for these things pretty quiet as it would have made me an outcast among the teenage girls in my high school. Why? Well, unlike the definition of a fanboy who, according to Wikipedia, is a male who is highly devoted and biased in opinion towards a single subject or hobby within a given field (ie. Dungeons and Dragons), fangirl is a derogatory term that refers to a young girl's obsession with something (ie. Twilight). The only people who truly knew about my fangirl identity were one or two male friends during my junior year of high school. Unlike my female friends, they knew that I had awesome light saber skills.

Too busy for comic books and X-file web forums during my first years of college, my fangirl identity waned in light of other pursuits. Furthermore, as my feminist identity developed, I lashed out at the blatant sexism and hypersexualization of women in the genres I once enjoyed. Manga and anime was lacking in strong female characters, science fiction on television and the movies couldn't have a woman character independent of a love interest, and breasts seemed to be an overemphasized theme throughout all. Yet, I could not bear to part with my beloved comics, books, VHS (yes, I'm old enough), and DVDs- instead I stowed them away where I could deny their existence.

Yet, there were glimmers of feminist fanfare: Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Xena Warrior Princess, Firefly, Death in the Sandman series (right), Battle Angel Alita, and TankGirl. Often still hypersexualized, the women in these mediums were strong, independent, and unique. In addition, I discovered feminist science fiction written by Margaret Atwood, Octavia Butler, and Marge Piercy. These strong women and their stories slowly restored my fangirl (or fanwoman) status.

Missionary colonialism + right-wing evangelical Christians = Ugandan anti-homosexuality bill

On 13 October 2009, Uganda introduced a bill which formally criminalizes homosexuality.  'Criminals' can be sentenced to up to 14 years in prison.  The bill would allow the Ugandan government to enforce punishment even on Ugandan homosexuals who have left the country.  Suppression of homosexuality in Uganda has historically existed, though not officially documented, long before legal action.  However, this bill brings the oppression to outrageous ends.

Despite Western threats to withdraw aid, Uganda's bill has unfortunately not died.  In addition to extremely alarming organizations like Gay to Straight: International Healing Foundation, Uganda has people like Richard Cohen to thank for his book Coming out Straight.  Cohen is a 'conversion therapist' who allegedly was gay until he converted to evangelical Christianity and 'healed himself' of homosexuality.  In his book, Cohen cites false statistics about the supposed frequent tendency of homosexuals to molest children.  It is easy to see how the Ugandan government could employ these twisted lies in strenghthening its anti-homosexuality bill.  In reactive denial of the effects Cohen's terrible and disturbing book had, Cohen apparently penned this letter to the Ugandan government.

At least we can say that Minneapolis passed a resolution in opposition to the Uganda bill.  Still, crises like this remind me how far we have to go in terms of GLBTQA rights.  Hopefully most feminists jump on board to help our allies, since both GLBTQA groups and feminist groups share a similar, passionate interest in fighting the man and achieving radical social changes.

-Natalie Clifford

See no earthquake, hear no earthquake...how about we tan instead?

Haiti has been in the news every minute since its massively destructive and tragic earthquake.  Much of the world has reacted by throwing buckets of money toward the country, a significant percentage of which I can imagine gets diverted thanks to the corruption within a lot of NGOs.  While the aforementioned portion of the human population continues to donate, albeit often for self-gratifying purposes, it appears that some people are choosing to ignore the crisis, in very creative ways.

This past Friday 15 January, Royal Caribbean's cruise ship decided to dock in Haiti regardless of the fact that there's kind of a major humanitarian disaster going on.  They seem to be saying, "To hell with earthquakes, I paid my money and I want to tan in Haiti!  Who cares about the thousands of displaced Haitians!"

Additionally, many sources are questioning the emphasis on aid to Haitian women and children.  AlterNet does a great job explaining the major disadvantages these women already face and defending the decision to provide gender-responsive aid.

If you would like to donate aid to Haiti through a legitimate and honest source, Macalester senior Wes Alcenat has set up a direct connection with the Haitian branch of Partners in Health.  You can read more here.

-Natalie Clifford

Green for good...why I love everything "Wizard of Oz"

In 1900, L. Frank Baum published the story of a Kansas girl in a magical world as a political & economic parody of the US.  The book became immensely popular, less for its subtle themes than for its unique, fantasy-based story.  The characters are open-minded & indescribably wonderful.  As a feminist & a partaker in the GLBTQA community, I recently realized I can appreciate the fruits of Baum's book.  I can’t imagine that Baum was intentionally writing a story which might appeal to those particular audiences; nevertheless, I can’t help but feel extremely pleased.  My adoration for the Wizard of Oz dates back to my 3-year-old self, so in a way, this positive evaluation of the Wizard of Oz gives me a proud sense of satisfaction.

 

Disputing the classification of feminism into "waves"

Being a feminist in the 21st century has given me an appreciation for the great work of feminists in the 19th and 20th century.  Of all the classes I've taken at college, "the history of feminism" was in my top 3.  In this class, we began examining the American feminist movement in the 1800s; we moved through the 19th century and made it all the way up to the 1980s before leaving the topic somewhat open-ended.

What I found most valuable in the class was the discussion about classifying American feminism into "waves".  Certainly, throughout each historical era in which feminism has been a major force, there have always been different ideological and social priorities and foci.  In what is called "first wave feminism" in the 1860s, women sought to gain rights which we may take for granted 150 years later.  For instance, gaining the right to vote was a major goal; similarly, women fought for reform of marriage laws.  Oftentimes historians and the general public tend to think of that "first wave" as purely relating to white women.  On the contrary, the intersection of race (along with other factors) within the feminist movement has always been critical.

Sponsors for Our 30th Birthday!

To add yourself to this list, or to register for the event, click here. Gifts of $135 or more received by January 21 will be listed in the program for the January 28 event.   If you prefer you can mail a check to Minnesota Women's Consortium, 550 Rice Street, St. Paul MN 55103.  To see these stellar names a little larger, click on the image.  Celebration 30 is shaping up to be a sparkling party and we hope to see you!

 

90s girl reflects about the latest Disney princess

As a child of the 1990s, I grew up watching the Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, Mulan, and whatever other (often problematic) movies Disney decided to target towards kids my age.  It was a decade packed with one after another ridiculously popular movie for Disney, fortunately for them.  But this past December, Disney released "the Princess and the Frog", the first of their films to feature a Black woman as the central character.  Admittedly, I was extremely skeptical before attending the movie with my mom and 11 year old sister, who was quite excited.  My friends at Macalester's Department of Multicultural Life and I had discussed a variety of problems we anticipated from the previews and Wikipedia's summary of the plot.  I was feeling a bit awkward about seeing the movie with my sister, who in turn was anticipating it so optimistically.

Interestingly, I was pleasantly surprised by many aspects of the movie.  Other aspects, like the racial components, were what I expected from Disney, so it wasn't exactly a "letdown" per se.  However, the main character, Tiana, is a strong, independent woman mature for her 18 years of age.  In the song "Almost There", Tiana sings "I'm almost there, I'm almost there / People down here think I'm crazy, but I don't care / Tribes and tribulations have had my share / There ain't nothing gonna stop me now cause I'm almost there...look out boys, here I come!"  The likable Tiana thus demonstrates confidence in her dreams as a young woman full of potential.  Several men express their skepticism and lack of support for Tiana's aspirations, but she is not fazed and in fact becomes fiercer in her dedication to hard work and uncompromising perseverance.

Out of the 1990s comes Natalie, the January intern

Happy 2010 everybody!  I'm Natalie and I can't believe the 1990s are already so far behind us.  I'm excited to intern at the Minnesota Women's Consortium for the coming weeks of January.  Having grown up in the fabulous Twin Cities, I'm in my second year at Macalester College, and am pleased to continue the intern work of my friend Linda Nguyen (and others like Suma Setty) alongside the other great women of the Consortium.  I'm majoring in women's, gender, and sexuality studies, and therefore am thrilled to have the opportunity to tangibly and enthusiastically apply the ideas and theories I'm learning in the classroom.

I love feminist media.  My absolute favorite publication is Bitch Magazine, representing a "feminist response to pop culture".  I highly recommend it if you want an edgy, feminist perspective on anything from Princess Hijab to what kind of music a feminist like yourself might enjoy.  Speaking of music, my fave female rockers include Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Beth Ditto of Gossip, and Fiona Apple.  And I also just happen to love Mika, an excellent ally for women.  Finally, I'm very interested in the GLBTQ movement and how it relates to the women's movement, especially in a global context.

Overall I am quite enthralled already with the Consortium...and it's only my first day.  Hooray for feminism!