Ohhhh y’all, 2017 is proving to be the year that the women stopped giving all the fucks.
This weeks elections turned out to be a real doosey and proved the #resistance is alive and well, and it has NOTHING to do with old white guys and the status quo.
Let’s just talk about this for one second…the brogressives (and even some women) think that we need to be focusing on white men to win elections for the Democrats. Hell some of those folks even think that we need to be courting anti-choice Democrats. That is bullshit. That is racist. That is sexist. That is utter crap.
If we learned one thing this week it is this, y’all better start paying attention because the leaders are black women, transgender women, POC and others who have tapped so deeply into their passion to change their communities that they are unstoppable.
One of my favorite moments this week was Danica Roem winning her state legislative seat against a Virginia lawmaker who wanted to restrict which bathrooms transgender folks can use. HA! Aint that karma real bitch. Want to know more about all the POC and LGBTQ folks who won this week? Check out this great article from VOX. Want more updated numbers about how people voted? Check out the latest from the Washington Post.
Hint hint y’all…there is a revolution rising alright…and it has NOTHING to do with the patriarchy. In fact…it has everything to do with the matriarchy…and we are unstoppable.
IN OTHER NEWS:
OREGON IS NOT THE LIBERAL BASTION ALL OF AMERICA THINKS IT IS. There, I said it. This Utah girl feels pretty at home here in rural Oregon. Wanna know why? Because this is a pretty conservative state and I know how to muck around in those conservative waters…hell I even like it.
I teach at Portland State University and one of my students brought this article to our attention this week.
“Salem-Keizer teachers and staff were recently told that when they learn, or suspect, a student is sexually active, they must report it to law enforcement or state officials.”
WAIT A MINUTE. WHAT?
“The requirement falls under Oregon’s mandatory reporting and child abuse laws. They’re meant to protect children, but the district’s clarification of the law is being criticized for being applied to sexually active, consenting teens.”
I started having sex when I was 16. I had friends who had sex when they were in high school. This policy is punitive, short sighted, and could have a chilling effect on young people getting help for pregnancies, STDs, sexual assault and violence. Hello Salem/Keizer district…what in all the 7 layers of hell are you thinking? I am emailing my state Rep and Senator to share my outrage if you live in Oregon you should too-we would hate for this to become the norm throughout the state. There is a difference between consensual and nonconsensual sex, even among teenagers. Perhaps we should be working towards a community wherein everyone understands that difference.
STORY TIME:
Once upon a time there was a girl named Melissa Bird who was the lobbyist for Planned Parenthood of Utah. Every day she would drive to the capitol to talk about sex with the Utah State Legislature. Each day she would listen to a particular song as loud as it would go as she was driving to the great marble hall of power. Each day she busted her ass for the women and girls of Utah. And each day she made a difference. Over the years she passed 6 pieces of legislation at the Utah State Legislature. The next time someone tells you that your dreams are too big, your goals too lofty, your ambitions too much, or that you should shut the hell up…give them the side eye and a healthy dose of the Dixie Chicks.
If you want to hear more about my story at the Utah Legislature check out Lisa Guida’s podcast about women infiltrating male dominated spaces. I talked with Lisa about my work at the state capitol and about how more women should stop being so busy doing the shit we don’t want to do and really stir the pot doing what we were born to do.
CELEBRATION DANCE! I was published again this week in Dig Deep Magazine. Here is an excerpt from my essay “Redolence”:
My family has a smell. Each player in my brief but colorful history has an essence, a tang, a fragrance, a stench. Their smells play over me like a breeze, I breathe in the smell and exhale my own to combine their rich deep bouquet with the fragrance of my own story.
This online magazine is a true treasure…check out the amazing writing from women all over the country…it is seriously remarkable.
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Want to find your voice, bask in imperfection, dig deep into your passion, and get trained to change your community? Check out Marginalized No More an online training you can do from home!
It is Friday…fuck shit up y’all. Dr. Melissa Bird