This article by Helen Boyd is one I've found myself revisiting, so I thought I'd share. It's a concise editorial piece, so don't worry that I'm trying to send you to JSTOR again.

When My Husband Became a Woman, I Realized I Was a Sexist

'When “he" used to get us both drinks, it was gentlemanly; but once she became female, it was hard not to see it as subservient. “His" humility can look more like a lack of confidence; “his" graciousness can be read instead as self-sacrificing.
All of what she does looks like something else because she's a woman.'

The Glass Escalator.

It's worth a read. If you prefer, here's the link to the PDF.

fuckyesfuckyesfuckyesfuckyes!

Thanks to usernamenumber for the link. :)

Update: Want to know whether you can support the Gulabi Gang and how? Why, by going to the donation page on their website, of course.

It is 4am. Why yes, I have been up since 7:30. Can you tell?

I am an earnest duck, and I am going to bite you on the elbow SO hard.

To avoid my evil wrath, come to 21 Grand tonight? tomorrow night? If it were 3am I'd say tomorrow night, and at 5am I'd say tonight, but what do I say at 4am?

I say Thursday! Aha! Yes, April 30th. 6pm to 9pm. You can get a preview of the show before anyone buys anything and takes it home. Last year there were so, so many wonderful pieces, but I heard that on the day of the benefit sale many things were sold quickly. I hope the same happens this year, since 21 Grand is really just the best arts venue period in the East Bay, and they've been on hard times.

But do come Friday, especially if you usually can't afford to buy cool art but have wanted to. I think the fact that part of the goal of their annual benefit is to make the art sold accessible reflects the community spirit of the gallery.

When they first opened I was blown away -- I had never seen a gallery opening featuring a flame-shooting hover craft, for one. In a bank parking lot, yes, in downtown Oakland. At the time I was living in Davis but what I got from going to their events was so fun and so good that I found ways -- fare evasion, cheaper groceries -- to take Amtrak and BART all the way there regularly.

Anyway.

quack.quack.quack.quack.

I mean, ( flyer behind the cut: )

I won't be able to make it on Friday, but I plan to stop by on Thursday for the preview. If you do have any time on Friday night, the annual benefit sale is a wonderful opportunity to buy good art for cheap.

Happy Chopin's birthday, everybody.

Yesterday's inauguration was sweet, but now I'm really happy.

Come to Nude Aid!

Just a reminder that tomorrow night is Nude Aid, the annual fundraiser for the Center for Sex and Culture.

It should be a good time! And I'll be participating as an artist!

Come on by! :D

Tonight, This Saturday December 13 at 8:00pm at Femina Potens come to our Sizzling performances and get your friend in for FREE!! This saturday when you show up to Femina Potens monthly erotic spoken word and performance event with a hot date, your date gets in free. Or sign up to become a Femina Potens member and you both can get in FREE!! Femina Potens is willing to testify to the spicy hot relationship between sex and religion with this month's Sizzling performances.

We righteously present you the mouth watering erotica by Meliza Bañales, Raina Bird's memoirs around growing up in a cult and erotic performance art by Elizabeth Bast. As well as a religiously inspired shibari rope bondage suspension performance from with shibari rope artist Lochai and International bondage performer, Madison Young, who was recognized as the top SM Suspension Model by Bishop Awards (pictured below). Canadian Filmmaker Joanne Loton will be capturing all the heat on film for her upcoming documentary, 'Women Come First'. Come be a part of queer, kinky, alternative performance history.

Femina Potens proudly presents "SIZZLE," the monthly Bay Area award winning literary erotica series. SIZZLE heats up the Castro on the second Saturday of every month merging internationally acclaimed queer and erotic authors with the Bay Area's top emerging local writers, spoken word artists and performers. Our open mic features some of the hottest, most eclectic performances and invites you to step up and make your voice heard.

We are offering a holiday ticket special - TWO FOR ONE! So grab your best mate and be here this Saturday for some sizzling words, and electric performances. Special Holiday Specials on Art Work perfect holiday presents for you or your friends. See you there!

Seating is limited and this is sure to be a packed house so advanced online ticket purchase is highly recommended through Brown Paper Ticketing: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/49658


SIZZLE, hosted by Madison Young
Saturday, December 13, 2008 @ 8:00 pm
Doors/Open Mic Sign-up @ 7:30 pm
$10-15 sliding scale admission ($5/open mic performers) for an evening of hot words, dessert, wine, and discussion.

Visit www.feminapotens.org for guaranteed seating information and advance ticket sales.

Yes, that's right, it's time for Nude Aid once again. This year yours truly is delighted to be participating in the annual benefit for the Center for Sex and Culture as an artist. The entrance fee - a $20 to $40 sliding scale donation - comes with a free ticket, so you'll go home with at least one work of original art, created live at the event.

( Flyer behind the cut )

Consider writing to Roberta Mayor (roberta.mayor@ousd.k12.ca.us) and suggesting that Art Michel be fired.

Did you know that you can rent Femina Potens Gallery? You can!

The space is 900sqft, and you could not ask for a better location. And lovely, charming volunteers will help set everything up for you!

More details about renting the gallery are available here.

What might you need to rent a centrally located San Francisco art gallery for? Well, at $120 for an evening event, we are rather accessible to solo performing artists, including musicians. If you charge $5 per person and sell all fifty seats, you've made $130 without counting merch sales. We have a projector, so if you're a filmmaker you could screen your work. And if you want to rent the space for 3 hours or less during the day, it's only $20 an hour.

Wouldn't you rather your rental dollars go to a bitchin', queer, feminist art gallery than Conference Hall Rental Co. #4,562?

Pass it on!

Come see the new show at Femina Potens! Opening tonight is from 7pm to 10pm. Listen to tunes, drink some wine, look at fabulous art, and chat with your friends. You'll be done with plenty of time to go out dancing afterwards!

We're at 2199 Market Street. Get off at 16th & Mission BART, walk up 16th to Sanchez, hang a right, and you're there.