My GSEC Experience

My time interning at the Gender and Sexuality Equity Center has been a truly life-changing experience. I could now never go on with my day after hearing derogatory terms used, and say nothing. Every time I hear someone address a group of both males and female as “guys” I clench because I cannot help but think, we are not all guys! Some of us are women and proud to be women and deserve to be addressed as such.

I am so proud to be a part of a student-run organization that is so inclusive towards the entirety of the student body, as well as the community. We put on events that give the under-represented population of Chico community members a chance to celebrate our diversity and never to hide it. The GSEC recently transitioned from its formerly known title as the Women’s Center in order to be more all-inclusive towards the LGBTQ+ community. This has been an immensely successful extension to the work that we do. 

As an intern at this organization I have learned to embrace and celebrate all people’s minds, bodies, sexualities, strengths and differences. Each person experiences such diverse walks of life and to have a safe-haven on campus such as the GSEC is a remarkable tool and a huge step in unifying the student-body. I would highly recommend to any student that is considering an internship here at the GSEC to absolutely go for it and expect that your life will never be the same; for the better. 

- Written by Rae Seifert

Spencer's Hates Women (At Least Their T-Shirts Do)

Since I am not as socially inclined as others and never get on Facebook, I would have missed the link that Mallory (a Women’s Programs Intern) shared with us on the GSEC Facebook page last week. Fortunately, I have Sarah Sullivan (Women’s Program Coordinator) to help me through life and she told me about the post.

 The post that I will be talking about is a link that takes you to a page titled '20 Examples That Spencer’s Gifts Hates Women’ (Spencer’s is the gag gift store at the Chico Mall and probably in most malls across America). Below the title are 20 different T-shirts with what Spencer’s considers “funny” sayings and pictures, all of which are highly misogynistic. As disturbing as I found every t-shirt, it is worth my time to spread the word to never shop at Spencer’s again (at least not in the T-shirt section). 

In my opinion you will easily realize how offensive these shirts are to 51% of the population by just looking at them, so I will highlight just two shirts here that I have the biggest problem with and find the most offensive (you can find the link at the bottom of this post or on the GSEC Facebook page). 

Disclaimer: Since males are the models for every shirt on this page, I am going to assume the target audience is men. I understand that women can buy and wear these shirts, which I also condone, but I am going to assume men are the primary consumers.  

Shirt #19: The word TEAMWORK is at the top, near the neck of the shirt. Below TEAMWORK is a woman on all fours with a man having sex with her from behind while another man is standing in front of her who she is performing oral sex on. 

When I see this picture under the word TEAMWORK, I think of gang rape. What if a man was wearing this shirt in public and a woman saw it who had been raped at some point in her life? It has the potential to stir up horrible flashbacks and emotions in that woman, all so this guy can get a couple laughs from his buddies for wearing this shirt. This is a perfect example of the rape culture that we live in and how it persists so fluidly in mainstream culture.

Shirt #6: There are two pictures side by side horizontally. The first picture is of a man and a woman taking a shot and it says THE FIRST SHOT IS ON ME. The second picture is of the previous woman giving the man a blowjob and above the picture it says THE SECOND IS ON YOU. 

Personally I enjoy going to the bars, getting some drinks, dancing, and having a great time. If a guy buys me a shot, does that mean I owe him a sexual favor? Absolutely not. All that means is that I got a free shot.

Men can drink as much as they want, it is socially acceptable and they will not be hassled while out at the bars. But if a woman is drunk she automatically becomes a target and an object of sexual fulfillment.

After looking at the T-shirts for a third time, I got even madder and wanted to channel my inner Harriet the Spy and do some real investigative work. Track down the company who printed these shirts, and then the designers who so cleverly thought them up and drew the pictures. But then what would I do once I found out who designed them? Write them a mean email? Probably wouldn’t be that effective in the bigger scheme of things. So writing a hate filled blog will have to suffice.

The original article: http://www.buzzfeed.com/donnad/20-examples-that-spencers-gifts-hates-women

-Written by Mia Kirk

Misdiagnoses Because of Health Samples

Right now I am taking a psychology of women class and we just discussed a chapter on physical and mental health issues for women. We discussed how research around 1995 used white male samples to generalize statistics to women and people of color. 

This was a problem all over the board and it even extended to issues as serious as heart disease. There has been a large tendency in the research community to use the white male as the norm, and as discussed in my class, this approach to research was based on the “complications” associated with including women in the studies because of their monthly hormone variations. 

One example of this that we discussed would be the symptoms of a heart attack: women and men have completely different symptoms. Men will feel chest pain and feel as if their left arm has gone numb, whereas women will get bad back pain and feel nauseous. 

However doctors, who were mostly male at the time, would commonly misdiagnose women who came in with these pains and feelings of sickness as histrionic or having the symptoms all in their heads, because of the sexist views that they had toward them. This misdiagnosis led to many women dying from heart attacks that could have been prevented. 

It is therefore important for doctors and researchers to include not only white men, but women and people of color in their studies in order to obtain the correct data for each group of people and perform correct diagnoses.

- Written by Michelle Anderson

Spots on the Gender Spectrum

The Gender Bending Ball, held on Sunday, Dec. 3, was a night I will never forget. It was the first time the GSEC put on a dance like that, and it definitely won’t be the last. We used this event as a fundraiser to help the GSEC continue its services to students and community members.

 

In our society, gender is always put into two boxes, male and female. It is what we have always known, and removing this binary system would be like stepping onto the moon, something hard to imagine. Even I, while identifying as an ally and an activist, find it hard to remove certain language from my daily life. Have you ever taken a few seconds to realize what you were actually talking about with your friends?

“Hey guys, what’s up?” - Addressing a group of women.

“That girl over there is wearing the same shirt as me.” - Is she 20 or 12?

“He asked me a question.” - How do you know if that person wants to be called “he?”

“Is that a man or woman?” - Uh, how is that any of your business?

It is hard to break a person’s harmful dialogue used on a day to day basis, but it is a part of the AS Gender and Sexuality Equity Center’s mission statement to spread this awareness. Being a part of this internship has allowed me to be more inclusive and understanding of the people around me. Every day I work on not conforming to society and assuming people belong in only two categories, every day I try to eliminate the word “guys” from my vocabulary when addressing a group and every day I contribute my time and energy into the events GSEC puts on. 

 

I joined this campus organization to be more informed and share what I learn with others. I wanted to become an activist so I did. I have always supported the rights and justice for women and the LGBTQ community and now I am putting my words into action. The Gender Bending Ball was just another step I had to take to become more knowledgeable on the issue of the binary system. For weeks I helped other interns and staff spread the word about this awesome event, and it was all worth it. 

 

This event created a safe place where everyone could come and bend their gender and enjoy the night with others who supported the same cause. We all celebrated the fact that people can express gender in many ways and accepted all who showed. With music, food and amazing drag queen performances I danced the night away with my fellow interns, staff and our guests.  

 

Even though the event is over, we are still selling raffle tickets for $1! The drawing will take place on December 10^th and we will call you to let you know if you won! Possible prizes include: haircuts, one piercing of your choice, Satin hands set by Mary Kay, 30 minute Swedish massage, $10 Beach Hut Deli gift card, 25 Bear bucks and 2 free meals, $10 T Bar gift card, and much more! If you would like to buy one please come down to our office in BMU 005 right next to common grounds! 

Written by Adriana Curiel

Gender Bending Ball

This Sunday, Dec. 2, 2012 is the AS GSEC's Gender Bending Ball!

California State University Chico’s Associated Students Gender and Sexuality Equity Center is proud to present the Gender Bending Ball at the Chico Women’s Club on Sunday, December 2nd, from 6-9 pm. The Gender Bending Ball will consist of drag performances, music, dancing, and lots of fun! Tickets are only $5, and pre-sale purchases, on sale in BMU 005, include an at-the-event treat! Dress up and bend your gender in a safe place, and support the GSEC and our mission!

This amazing fundraising event is a time for people of all gender expressions to come together and perform their gender in a non-judgmental environment. Usually wear shorts? Try jeans. Present yourself more masculine? Tone it down for a night. Or come as your beautiful self. The Gender and Sexuality Equity Center challenges the idea that gender is a binary system, instead we accept and celebrate the many different expressions along the gender spectrum.

Congratulations Mia for being intern of the week! Mia is a returning intern at the Gender and Sexuality Equity Center and she has greatly contributed to the success of our organization. Mia has been working diligently on outreach and was heavily involved in the planning process for Take Back the Night. She is an outstanding addition to the GSEC team and we are honored to be working with such an inspired individual. Thank you Mia for all of your hard work. We are impressed with your dedication and enjoy working with you. Keep up the activism Mia and congratulations again

Nicole Munoz  is a second year at Chico State, her major is Communication Studies and thinking about double majoring in Women's Studies. Nicole is an intern in the Women's program, and she was our wonderful intern for the week of November 2. She had been contacting radio stations and news stations to get coverage for our Take Back the Night event November 8th, and was very successful at it too which is amazing! Her dedication for promoting human rights is an inspiration and she is truly a valued member of the GSEC.  THANK YOU Nicole for all your great work!