EqualityQuilt

Feminist Movie Reviews Needed: Juno, Knocked Up

I just saw Juno, which my college-age friends think deserves Best Picture, and loved it.  But Allison says we have got to get a feminist review of this show about a pregnant 16 year old - throwing in thoughts about the movie Knocked Up, which the female star has sometimes thought is sexist and anti-choice and now thinks is OK.   I'm not the one to write the review as I love all movies and I'm way too good at turning off all political sensibility for that short period of sheer escapism.  (My standard:  the more explosions, the better.  Sorry.)  SO, your choice of free admission to Celebration 28 on January 31, or a free one-year subscription to the fabulous Capitol Bulletin, for the best feminist review of those two movies sent to Bonnie@mnwomen.org in the near future.  - Bonnie

Women Bloggers Ignored?

A few interesting facts on women bloggers...   according to Jennifer Pozner at the Women's Media Center in an August 1 article.  Pozner is director of Women In Media & News (WIMN) which publishes a group blog called WIMN Voices.
* In July, 800 women gathered in Chicago for the third annual convention of BlogHer, an online community of more than 13,000 blogging women. 
* The Pew Research Center says women are 50% of all bloggers.
* Pozner urges us all to watch how often women's questions are included in candidate debates done via (for example) YouTube.  In the CNN Democratic Presidential YouTube debate in July, CNN selected men for 70% of the questions posed.   
* The current posting on the WIMN blog is great - on the use of gender-neutral language to diminish the impact of conversation about domestic violence (which we used to call women-battering). 

Come on women, let's demand attention in cyberspace as well as everywhere else.  - Bonnie

Quilting the Empty Nest

My 2 kids took off for college recently - so I'm in "empty nest syndrome."  I guess I thought ENS was just for those without paid jobs, who now find themselves devoted to dusting, or possibly going wild.  It turns out I'm not the only employed mom noticing a major life transition here.  Everyone I spoke with said male partners did not experience "empty nest" the same way.  Previous EQ rants have been about women & child-bearing:  Erin's choosing not to have kids, & Liz's Mommy Wars?, & having lots of kids.  We hope a certain someone will write about medical ignorance of breastfeeding.  So how come kids (or not kids) are still so defining in women's lives?  Please click on "comments" & explain.  Meanwhile, enjoy my latest version of going wild:  blocks (click to enlarge) from a quilt I'm making for myself, having made one for each kid.  Quilting helps me feel re-connected to all the women who have gone before.    -Bonnie 

Conference, Duluth, Art!

Dear readers, I've been a bum and thus only today have posted several wonderful things - so please see below images from our latest art exhibit, and after that news from the wonder-women of Duluth.  Meanwhile, the "Women's Dreams" conference is shaping up.  For example, exciting keynote speeches on Thursday evening, November 15 are from Minnesotans Koryne Horbal and Vivian Jenkins-Nelsen as well as  glamorous Manhattanite  Liz Abzug.   You can download the whole fabulous program, also register!!, by visiting our website.  Love and kisses & don't be a stranger!  - Bonnie

Lyn, 2 Emilys, Dawn, Marna, Dede, Gloria....

We have so much exciting stuff to pass on, like recent leadership development sessions by & for Latinas & Hmong women, & our session on "Fundraising: Beyond Foundation Grants."  But first, some catch-up.  Lyn Crosby received the Minnesota NOW Long Distance Runner Award for her years of continuing feminist work.  Marna Skaar, longtime Consortium supporter, drops in to visit us now and then even though she has been living in California - and this time she brought her daughter Emily.  Former staffers Dede Wolfson and Gloria Griffin were here catching up with Marna also - pictured here with Lorraine Hart.   Another Emily is our summer intern, and we are so sorry to say this is what her car looked like on her second day working with us, as a dead tree fell on it!  Fortunately Emily was not in the car, and all is well now thanks to the magic of insurance.  Finally, here is Dawn Hughes, Consortium Vice President, here helping to plan Celebration 28 as well as organizing an event for her own group, WISE Women - enjoying one of our art exhibits.    

My week: Les Soeurs, Latinas, & more

Too long I've been away from the blog!  But glad to say we've had more than 2,000 visitors so far.   Here are some of the recent doings of the Minnesota Women's Consortium.  If you don't know this already, you can very often click on a pic or a link to learn more, see related information, and above all please don't forget to leave me a comment by clicking below the post!

Ran into these beautiful women on a sad occasion, the funeral of Les Soeurs founder Lia Ozols.  It turns out Lia was a major supporter of freedom for her home country, Latvia, besides all her support for women.  These three - Jean Rand, Diane Cummisford, and Mary McEnneny - are among those who banded together over 25 years ago to provide moral support for women filing sex discrimination lawsuits.  Diane continues as co-leader of Workplace Justice, a Consortium member group that meets every other Saturday for similar purposes.  They are not web-icious, but you can reach Diane at 952/996-9291.

Meanwhile, back at the office, we hired Veronica Flake (far right) for the temporary position of Latina Coordinator for the Asociacion Latinas de Minnesota.  ALM will be hosting an intensive two-day training session on reproductive health advocacy for 25 Minnesota Latinas in June.  And, here's a workday pic of Erin and Lorraine trying to make the new list-serve work - with one of the beautiful fabric art pieces in the background.

A little vacation

Hi all,  I am just back from a couple of days off with wonder-women in Michigan.  This pic is from an earlier trip to Arizona.  We'll soon post more substantive stuff - but please remember to send in YOUR thoughts, either by clicking on "comments" below each post, or write me at Bonnie@mnwomen.org.   To have your events or action alerts included in the Consortium's weekly publications, write info@mnwomen.org (that's Lorraine, for the Capitol Bulletin hard-copy newsletter calendar and posting on our website, www.mnwomen.org) and/or Erin@mnwomen.org (for the E-Consortium Notes - that venue strictly limited to dues-paying member organizations).  Don't be a stranger! - Bonnie

Capitol Capers, Continued

The Capitol is STILL a crazy quilt, with good things happening, but many legislators not very available to meet with constituents. See an outrageous example at the end of this post, and click here for previous examples. They ARE working hard - witness a hearing of the Senate "Gov Ops" committee that heard 21 bills last Friday. They passed two bills of special interest to our member groups (Download pay_equity_bill.mht), and (Download domestic_partners_bill.txt).  For more info on pay equity: Download pe_contractors_testimony.pdf.  For more on domestic partners, visit OutFront Minnesota.   Our biweekly E-Consortium Notes and our biweekly newsletter the Capitol Bulletin are great info sources for

Girls Rocked! and Please Pleeease RSVP

Wow! Girls Rock! the Capitol 2007 was a blast yesterday.   Consortium staff and some of our best friends are all tuckered out - plus there's a blizzard  underway so we have to go home - so not too many details right this moment.  DO check out the Girls Rock photo album on the sidebar.   These girls are from MAWA, the Minnesota African Women's Association.

And, PLEEEASE do RSVP NOW for Women Come to the Capitol, 8:30AM to 2:30PM on March 14.  It will be an unforgettable day for both seasoned Capitol groupies and women new to the process, with lots of friendly help and informative support.  The cost is $15, negotiable if you can't swing it and payable at the door.  But please note that Bharti and other staff are working hard to make advance legislative appointments - not so easy! - and we will provide FREE PARKING ALL DAY for the first 20 people to register.  To let us know you're coming, write Bharti @mnwomen.org, info@mnwomen.org, and/or  call us!!! 651/228-0338.

Capitol Capers

Oy Consortium staff have been running around like chickens with heads off.  Did you miss me (Bonnie) ?  Here are some highlights of goings-on at the state Capitol, which is a crazy quilt unto itself. But do come to Violence Against Women Action Day Feb. 28 and Women Come to the Capitol March 14 and see for yourself!

Some good parts, and some icky parts.  In recent weeks we've had the pleasure of escorting quite a few women who have never been inside the Big House before. It's wonderful to watch them learn that you don't need a PhD in political science to be there, or even to be elected and sit in the big black chairs yourself!  A friend from Women In the Trades figured that out at the hearing when a conservative female Rep suggested that maybe it's not so bad that family planning clients have to fill out a 12 page form (plus dig up many attachments like a copy of their birth certificate), and furthermore they must be welfare chiselers (OK, she didn't put it quite THAT baldly but still) if they have cell phones. 

Monday Musings + SAFPlan, MN Advocates

* We are excited about the big Celebration (Download C27flyer2color.pdf) event Wednesday evening - for sure an outstanding party, so give us a call at 651/228-0338 if you're planning to come. * I fried my laptop so apologies to those I'm not responding to fast enough  this week.  *  Lorraine wrapped up all kinds of year-end financial reports, AND got new plastic roller thingies to go under our chairs, much needed!  * Erin is  working on this week's E-Consortium Notes and next week's Capitol Bulletin, AND scheduling legislative appointments for the girls coming to Girls Rock! the Capitol on February 28. 

* Bharti and Karmann are monitoring the fast-breaking action at the Capitol.   SAFPlan encourages you to attend a hearing on HF 298, a pro-family planning bill, set for next Tuesday, February 6 at 2:30PM.  Contact Peg LaBore at 651/645-0478 if you can be there, or for more info. 

* My femi-geek skills are not quite up to putting this interview on the blog itself, but you should be able to click on this link to hear a wonderful interview of Aviva Breen, board chair for our member group Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights, on the Minnesota Public Radio "Midday" show recently.  (Not certain this will work for Mac people - click on "comment" below & let me know.) Aviva (that's her on the right) touches on their work with domestic abuse in Bulgaria, education for girls in Nepal, and much more.   -- Bonnie

Thursday thoughts...

* We're working on final details for Celebration 27 on January 31 (see the "Scenemaker" post below or Download C27flyer.pdf).  Stay tuned for special guests & delightfully diverse groups which have purchased tables. What are YOU going to wear?  * Yesterday Bharti Wahi hosted a Legislative Kickoff Brown Bag at which 15+ member groups outlined their plans for the '07 session - summary in next week's Capitol Bulletin.   * Presidents on Presidents Day planning is moving along so we can have productive conversations with legislative & executive branch leaders on February 19. * Please welcome our new policy intern Karmann Peters.  Crazy busy as always but having fun!  Your femi-geek friend, Bonnie   

Bummers of 2006

In December, the Minnesota Women's Consortium office was broken into and four computers stolen.   Not to panic - one computer survives, we had backups for almost everything, nobody was hurt, we are insured, etc.   We have replaced three of the computers so far - feel free to make a tax-deductible donation (a shameless commercial:  go to www.mnwomen.org, and click on "Make a gift today! on the left) to help out with this vital equipment!  But my point for now is this:  More than ever, it's good to have a life in cyberspace.   Tell all your friends to triple-check the locks, and keep those Internet skills honed.

Just as I thought we could bid a fond farewell to 2006, we decided we had to "fire" a problem volunteer whose mental health issues became unmanageable for our staff and other volunteers - despite many months of bending over backward to accomodate.   The volunteer did not accept this well, to say the least.  I'm sure some of you non-profit member groups have been there, and it's no fun.   We will transcend this problem too, but we will be grateful for your sympathy and support.

December's SHEroe is Lorraine Hart, who took on duties like reconciling bank deposits for the missing period, figuring out how to get a copy of the police report, working with our security company, and many other tasks besides her always large workload.  Hero is Special Guest Inc. computer guy Pete Mathison, who has spent midnight hours recovering our database and almost everything else, shopping for good deals, installing boatloads of new stuff... and along the way brought us copies of his CD from his other, bluegrass/rock star life.

Here's to a more secure and less hassled -- yet still open and accessible -- new year!

Hello Cyber Women and Friends!

Welcome to the launch of the Minnesota Women's Consortium blog!  Our purpose here is the same as our mission in the less-cyber-world:  to achieve equality & justice for all women & girls, by connecting organizations & individuals sharing that goal.  Except here in cyberspace we will work on that with way fewer in-person meetings. Now we can interact with a new friend writing us from Warroad to the northwest, Caledonia to the southeast, and YOU, and maybe St. Paul-native astronaut Heidi Stefanyshyn-Piper will