Activism and Self-Care by Kyla!

 

So, maybe you just bought your first rainbow printed item and are brand spankin’ new to the world of activism, if so, yay! This is such an exciting time and I applaud you for taking whichever steps you’ve taken to better the world. Or, maybe you’ve been immersed in the wonderful world of activism for quite a while and you ain’t leavin’ any time soon. No matter where you are in your activism journey I’m here to give you a gentle pat on the back and remind you to treat yo’ self!

The year I was introduced to feminism was life changing. I wanted to talk about it and think about it and read about ALL. THE. TIME, and it was awesome. But to be honest, by summer I was burned out. And I felt bad about it. I saw feminist news pieces on my tumblr feed and scrolled by without reading, I didn’t engage in controversial conversations and I let a few offensive comments fly by without any word from me. What did this mean? How could I abandon the cause when I had practically just started? Whenever this happened I felt simultaneously guilty and relieved that I didn’t have to engage in another conversation that left me feeling hopeless and maybe even attacked. A few months prior I would have walked through the gates of Mordor to have a conversation about feminism, what the heck happened? I had poured everything I had into activism and honey, mama needed a refill. Good news is I’m back to talking about feminism in addition to some other great topics just as much as I was before, only better because I’m respecting my own mental health. Below are a few gems that I remind myself of on a frequent basis.

1. Choose your battles

Your personal safety and mental health are priority #1 to consider before engaging in any type of activism. It does not make you a “bad activist” to opt out of a situation you don’t feel spiritually, emotionally or physically up to partaking in. This can mean letting someone else take the lead in a conversation, choosing a form of activism that feels a little more low impact (i.e suggesting a website or book to check out) or simply mentally acknowledging the moment and going on with your day. It is completely, 100%, up to you how you choose to engage or if you engage in all.

2. You do NOT have to talk to people who are mean to you

Conversations can get heated, it’s normal. Is it good heat or bad heat? Are you feelin’ the burn? Idk where I was going with that but my point is that you do not have to continue to speak with someone who is attacking you. If someone is calling you names or undermining your identity, leave. Similarly, if a person is simply not open to hearing you, it is not your job to make them listen, if a conversation starts to feel unproductive it’s ok to end it. It’s ok to end a conversation anytime you want, or to choose not to start one at all. Personally I choose not to engage in conversations about sexuality with most of my family unless they bring it up first. This change is complicated but has been crucial to my general happiness.

3. Stay updated on the awesome things happening in your area of interest

Activism involves a lot of conversations about things that are going wrong and how to change them, which is super important. It is equally important to remind ourselves about the things that are going right. Activists create a lot of change but sometimes they don’t get to see the results and it can feel like nothing is happening. Remind yourself of a conversation you had with a friend that you felt went really well, or read an article that highlights an achievement of a group you identify with. Change happens and presents itself in all sorts of ways!

4. Set boundaries. Set them. Set. Boundaries.

Setting personals boundaries is something that’s going to look different for everyone. Basically these are things you decide to do, or not do based on your knowledge of yourself and what you need to do maintain your emotional health. Choosing when and where to engage in activism as discussed above are both great ways to set boundaries. The best and hardest thing I have ever done has been choosing not to use Facebook as a personal platform for activism. Social media can be an awesome way to reach people, but for me it wasn’t healthy. I would engage in a lengthy conversation on facebook about a tough topic for hours and regardless of how long it lasted it would consume my mental energy throughout the day. It was hard for me to say my piece and move on, I wanted some type of satisfaction that I was never going to get on Facebook. It’s easier for people to forget they’re still talking to a person on social media even though it’s through a computer and conversations quickly turned defensive and hurtful. Of course, this is not true for everybody. Some of the most impacting information is found on social media and it’s a great tool that has opened many opportunities. However, I feel that the skills I bring to the table as an activist are better suited in other areas and I choose to focus them there instead. This is a boundary I chose to set for myself and only you can decide what will work for you.

So there you have it! Remember, these are only a few ways to treat yo’ self! Leave your own ideas and methods in the comment section.

Are you a Chico State student interested in activism and social justice? If so, you should consider interning at the AS Gender & Sexuality Equity Center!

Three unit internships are available in both the Women’s and LGBTQ+ Programs. Interns will organize events, contribute to campaigns, and positively impact the feminist and LGBTQ+ movements by utilizing their voices. Three unit internships are also available as an assistant to the Intern Coordinator (ICA) where interns will write press releases, manage the advertisement of events, and coordinate social media sites to educate our community on social justice issues.

We are looking for students who are passionate about social equity and motivated to work towards awareness and inclusion on our campus and in our community. Please feel free to email or call us if you have any questions or concerns. Applications are due Monday, January 26^th by 4pm to BMU 005. Early applications are appreciated. Learn more at our Internship Fair on Thursday, January 22nd from 5:00-6:30pm in our office, BMU 005.

Applications are available in our office (BMU 005), by e-mail request at asgsec.ic@csuchico.edu, and online at: http://www.aschico.com/gsec/gsecinternships.

Intern of the WEEEEEK!!

Hi All out there in TV land!!

It's time for our INTERN OF THE WEEK!!

This week's debut is Hyleen R. of the awesome Women's Program. Hyleen is an amazing artist and has done some exceptional work for us here at the GSEC. You've probably walked past some of her designs on our Sandwich board. She is one of our Public Displays of Activism interns and a photography intern. Much of our pictures on our facebook are her works of art! Hyleen also has been one our great minds here to come up with content for our Feminist Fridays which we hope everyone has enjoyed this semester. Be on the look out for more wonderful things to come from Hyleen!

Around the World in LGBTQ+ Days by Travis Cunningham

The United States has been making huge strides in the fight for equity of the LGBTQ+ population and I'm very appreciative of this. The fight for marriage equality is well under way with more and more states overturning their marriage bans so I can't help but think about where we should turn to next. Thinking about what our future struggles as a community will be got me thinking about the progress that is being made in other parts of the world. So I've been looking at what current events are happening in other countries and have found some interesting things that I'd like to share with y'all.

 

First up is the Islamic world. Typically when we think of the Islamic world, we first think about the Middle East and their social policies towards women and all the wars that have gone on and are continuing there. Honestly, I wouldn’t put LGBTQ+ issues in the area at the forefront of their priorities. Surprisingly, there is quite a bit of advancement in the advocacy for equality and justice for the community over there. Check out this article which talks about a couple of cases for trans people in the Middle East and the Islamic world. (http://islamandhomosexuality.com/5-trans-activists-islamic-world/)

 

Next on the stop is China. China has been making quite a bit of a stir in international politics so it’s quite interesting to see things that are progressive for the community over there. Over in the Asian world, they have an app similar to Grindr called Blued. Blued is a dating app for the gay and lesbian communities to find their ideal partners. As part of their development, they agreed to increase awareness about HIV and create an extensive HIV prevention campaign in exchange for funding. Over 15 million people have joined it. (http://www.west-info.eu/in-china-homophobia-is-a-paper-tiger/)

 

Over in the UK, the city of Brighton recently received a new license allowing them to host their annual Pride event until the year 2020. I personally view that as an awesome occurrence because now they have guaranteed approval from their city council for the next 6 years for their Pride Celebration. (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/11/14/brighton-pride-safe-until-2020-under-new-license/)

 

In Botswana, a country in South Africa, a court case has been ruled in favor of an LGBTQ+ group. They were blocked from registering as an organization by the Department of Labour and Home Affairs. However, a judge ruled this illegal, stating that since there were no laws strictly prohibiting the formation of such a group, that the formation should continue as normal. This is an amazing thing to see since within the country there are laws in place that significantly punish gay sex. Many are overjoyed seeing this act as a significant step towards legitimizing the LGBTQ+ movement and decriminalizing homosexuality in all of Africa. (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/11/14/botswana-gay-rights-group-wins-right-to-exist-after-court-battle/)

 

A high school in Japan not too long ago held a ‘Sex Change Day’ aimed at allowing boys and girls to explore a day the others uniforms. Japan is a country whose school system relies on heavily entrenched gender role. This event was seen as a way to promote a message of tolerance and acceptance, and to challenge traditional notions of gender. I feel it’s nice to know that as part of the event they were taught about the perception of gender and how changing their established roles can influence themselves and others. (http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2014/11/14/japan-school-holds-sex-change-day-for-students/)

 

I believe it to be important to know what is going on in countries around the world in regards to their social and political policies and am hopeful that everyone is taking steps towards ending intolerance towards the LGBTQ+ community and promoting acceptance and understanding.

Intern of the Week

 

The last but certainly not least important member of our LGBTQ+ Program intern team is Travis! He has not only been an integral part of the Queer Week and LGBTQ+ Conference planning processes but has also somehow found time to write some pretty amazing blogs and contribute to the SPARK newsletter. After just transferring here last semester, Travis has done a great job of getting involved and making a difference and we can't wait to see all of the amazing work he will do in the future!

We All Deserve to Be Happy by Taylor Holmes

 

I wish I could say that when I realized I was gay I threw myself a coming out party and painted my room rainbow but unfortunately I had to go through a different (and much lonelier) phase first. When I was first coming out and still trying to navigate who I was and who I wanted to know about my sexuality and who I wanted to keep in the dark, I took many precautions to hide my “gayness”. Not only was I worried about what my friends would think, but also I worried about my family. I come from a pretty religious household and my mom has told me on several occasions that being gay is inherently wrong. This made me think long and hard about how and when I wanted to go public with my sexual orientation. So I filtered what I posted on Facebook, cleared my YouTube search history so people wouldn’t know that I had watched almost every Tegan and Sara video on the internet, only wore my rainbow bracelet around certain friends, and was very careful to avoid any conversation about dating. This one foot in and one foot out of the closet phase was nerve wracking to say the least. Too many hours were spent agonizing over what people would think if they knew and I still thank God that Chico offers free counseling services because if not, I would be so far in debt that paying tuition would be the least of my worries.

Then, over a long period of time, I had several revelations.

1.       Being queer is great.

2.       Caring about what other people think about me being queer is exhausting.

3.       I deserve to be happy.

That last one may not seem like much of a revelation but after years of living only to please others, it was a big step for me to realize that I was allowed to take control of my own life and make decisions that would make me happy.

After these revelations, I entered phase two. During this time, I couldn’t help but work my sexuality into conversations where I really didn’t need to bring it up. No longer was I worried about people knowing that I am gay, so naturally, I chopped off all of my hair, my outfits became more and more rainbow themed, and you could bet your life savings that I was going to be in the front row of every GSEC event and Pride meeting. Looking back on this time period now, I am tempted to say that I am embarrassed but the reality is that I’m not. I’m actually really proud of myself for going through phase two. In reaction to phase one, I needed a time when I was really and truly proud of exactly who I am. I needed a time to celebrate the actualization of all of the dreams and feelings I had always been too scared to express.

Now I’m in phase three? Yeah, I guess that sounds about right. My hair is still short and now I intern at the GSEC but my rainbow attire has (mostly) shifted to just buttons on my backpack and for the most part I can get through a conversation without mentioning that I’m gay. Cass’ Identity Model and theory of the coming out process would say that I am in stage six: Identity Synthesis. This is the final stage of the long and sometimes painful process of accepting who we are and is also when people often realize that sexual orientation is only one aspect of who we are and not our entire identity.

While the road to get here hasn’t always been the smoothest and I’ve lost some passengers along the way, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I needed to go through the confusion, the self-acceptance, the intense pride of who I am, and the realization that I am also so much more than just one identity. I know that I wouldn’t have made it here without my friends, some family, and the GSEC, all of whom have been here for me through the entire process, even when I’m sure I annoyed the hell out of them during my brief period of obsession with Ellen Page. They all recognized that each of those steps were so important to my process of figuring out who I am and I am a testament to the fact that we need places like the GSEC and Pride to help people along the way. The fact of the matter is that the barriers I faced when coming out were miniscule compared to what so many LGBTQ+ youth face around the world. Without continuing resources and support, we will continue to see too many lives lost to hate. It may seem like a small revelation, but we all deserve to be happy and I am so immensely thankful to those that constantly reminded me of that.

 

Intern of the Week!

Next on our list of fabulous Women's Program interns is Holly Wisdom! We are so thankful to Holly for her dedication to the GSEC which can be seen in the countless hours she has worked to come up with creative new button ideas and help plan our weekly Feminist Fridays. Holly is also a constant positive presence in the GSEC office and is always willing to help out with any task or just be a welcoming and friendly face when visitors come to our office.