Sam Killermann's TEDx Talk on Gender

I'm a big fan of Sam Killermann, who is the human behind the website It's Pronounced Metrosexual, the Genderbread Person, a wonderful and very commonsensical book on gender (which can be downloaded for free or for a donation, if you wish), the world's best sign for gender neutral bathrooms, and much else that is wonderful. He's also a very funny guy, who first made his name doing a sort of stand-up routine about gender. So I was thrilled the other day to discover his TEDx talk, "Understanding the Complexities of Gender", on You Tube. Even if you already know all the basics, it's worth watching, if only for how compassionate Sam is towards those he is trying to help understand.

There's a wonderful bit at the end (it starts at about 15:35) where Sam articulates his hopes for the future:

Now, in my dreams, I don't foresee a society that is gender-blind, but I do foresee one that is gender-creative. Where people can figure out who they are and be themselves, exploring what that means, and in that they'll be supported. Where questioning one's gender won't be shunned, but an expectation. And where realizing that you don't fit into this gender mold won't lead to isolation and depression, but will be a source of celebration. And above all a society where people, regardless of their gender formation, are safe. 

It's sad one even has to mention that last bit, but Amen to all of it.

Wonderful Piece on Queer Theology

If we don’t abundantly love each other, we can’t have an abundant relationship with God. I must embrace an interpretation of my faith that requires unconditional love for queer people because any less would be to deny my own humanity and that of my community.

Preach it, sister!

More at Autostraddle.

Trans Woman Nominated as Pennsylvania's Next Physician General

Her name is Rachel Levine. Harvard undergrad, did her MD at Tulane.

Seriously: Even five years ago, could you have imagined such a thing? Of course, as noted in the Philly.com story, it is still legal in Pennsylvania to fire someone for being trans, though there is a bill pending to correct that injustice.

Coverage from Philly.com and the Washington Blade.

Good Reads: Bisexuality

There are many things that puzzle me. But in the realm of sexual politics, the discrimination suffered by bisexuals, even in the queer community, is near the top. Here are a handful of articles on the topic.

• Why Some Bisexual People Don’t Feel Welcome in the Queer Community (Everyday Feminism)
  
• 13 Lies We Have to Stop Telling About Bisexual People (Everyday Feminism)
• 8 Questions To Stop Asking Bisexual People (Role Reboot)
• Monosexism: Battling Myths About Bisexuality (Good Men Project)
• Being Bisexual Taught Me That Sexual Intolerance Is A Bigger Problem Than We Realize (Elite Daily, via Good Men Project)
• Becoming Visible: On Coming Out As Bisexual (Autostraddle, and lots of good articles if you search for "bisexual" on the site)

I meant to do this for bisexual awareness week, but got distracted.

If you've got anything similar, post it in the comments.

What's Wrong With the Golden Rule?

This is an oldish post by Sam Killerman, over at It's Pronounced Metrosexual. One could quibble about whether the problem he's discussing really is one with the Golden Rule as such, but the underlying point is spot-on.

Some Truth About Abortion

A new book by Katha Pollitt, Pro: Reclaiming Abortion Rights, is getting a lot of attention in the left-wing press. What Pollitt most wants, it seems, is for us "to talk about ending a pregnancy as a common, even normal, event in the reproductive lives of women". These articles are a start:

• "Abortion: Not Easy, Not Sorry" (Laurie Abraham, Elle, from Feministe)
• "Abortion is Great" (Hanna Rosin, Slate Double X) 
• "Abortion Without Apology: A Prescription for Getting the Pro-Choice Groove Back" (Lindsay Beyerstein, American Prospect)

You might also check out:

• Not Alone, a website where women tell their own stories about their experience with abortion
• Emily's Abortion Video (yes, it's old, but if you haven't seen it, it's new to you)

Good Reads: Sexuality, Gender, and Feminism

Jessica Valenti celebrates Jennifer Lawrence's public response to the theft of her photos, and a couple more articles on the same topic:

• "Jennifer Lawrence's Outraged Response to Nude Photo Leak Marks an End to the Era of the 'Shamed Starlet'" (The Guardian, via AlterNet)
• "Jennifer Lawrence Says Don’t Look At The Pictures" (Thomas MacAulay Millar, Yes Means Yes)
• "Jennifer Lawrence Does Not Owe Us" (Thomas MacAulay Millar, Yes Means Yes)

An interesting article on how people respond when their other-sex spouses come out as gay:

• "How Straight Spouses Cope When Their Partners Come Out" (Christine Grimaldi, Slate Outward)

More articles on affirmative consent:

• "Yes Means Yes Culture of Consent Catches On" (Tanya Serisier, Good Men Project)
• "No, California’s new affirmative consent law will not redefine most sex as rape" (Maya, Feministing) 

For people who don't understand what male privilege is:

• "Why I Refuse To Be One Of `The Good Guys'" (Charlie Glickman, Role Reboot)

Good Reads: Sex, Gender, and Feminism

Interesting piece on gender identity:

• "Appearance, Gender and Why I’m Not 'Cis'" (Ms Naughty)

A piece about how differently men and women's sexual functioning is treated by doctors, and then a more personal account of Beismer's journey of recovery:

• "On Women Having Sex After Surgery" (Lynn Beismer, Role Reboot)
• "How I Learned To Love My Frankengina: Recovering sexual functioning after surgery" (Lynn Beismer)

Interesting article on the first amendment issues surrounding "revenge porn":

• "Should Revenge Porn Be a Crime?" (Michelle Goldberg, The Nation, via AlterNet)

Amusing video:

• "If Buying Condoms Was Like Buying Birth Control" (Buzzfeed Video, via Betty Dodson with Carlin Ross)

Finally, we have a wonderful article connecting the marriage equality movement to the overthrow of older ideas about marriage as ownership:

• "When 'Redefining Marriage' Meant That Women Had To Be Treated Like Human Beings" (Ian Millhiser, Think Progress)

The article begins with the following quotation from Sir William Blackstone, in 1765:

The very being or legal existence of the woman is suspended during the marriage, or at least is incorporated and consolidated into that of the husband; under whose wing, protection and cover, she performs everything.

Indeed, until passage of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act in 1974, a married woman could not get a credit card in her own name in some states without her husband's permission. Etc, etc, etc.

Good Reads: Sex, Gender, and Feminism

Some good recent articles on sex, gender, and feminism:

• "Frat Brothers Rape 300% More" (Jessica Valenti, AlterNet)
• "Why It Matters That Lena Dunham Wrote About Being Raped In College" (Tara Culp-Ressler, Think Progress)
• "The Smartest Constitutional Argument for Marriage Equality That No One Is Making" (Susannah W. Pollvogt and Catherine E. Smith, Slate Outward)
• "Ladies Come First: Why Every Secondary School Needs a Lesson on the Clitoris" (Alice Holloway, Vagenda)
• "What Do We Really Mean When We Say Women Are Sexually 'Fluid'?" (Vanessa Vitiello Urquhart, Slate Double X)
• "St Louis Study Confirms That  IUDs Are the Key to Lowering Teen Pregnancy Rates" (Amanda Marcotte, Slate XX)
• "Please Stop Saying That Trans Women Were 'Born Boys'" (Mari Brighe, Autostraddle)

I'll be posting these sorts of lists periodically, once I've collected enough articles.