A DJS Journey

Devastated about what happened in Orlando last night. We are lucky to live in a country where we finally have equal legal rights, but the fight for acceptance and equality did not end with the Supreme Court decision last year. Homophobia continues to be a harmful and dangerous ideology that is taught - yes, taught - and passed on from one generation to the next. It is espoused by politicians in power, it is preached from the pulpit, and it's passed from parents to their children any time they tell them homosexuality is wrong, or think that depictions of gay couples in books or movies are inappropriate for children, or when they teach their kids to "love the sinner but hate the sin." This disguised insult perpetuates the idea that our families are wrong, dirty, and shameful. All for something we had no choice in and for loving someone of the same sex.

The movie suffragette came out and was hailed as a big stride for the feminist community. While this may be true I can help but read this promotion I came across on Facebook as “made by white women, about white women, for white women.” This picture only shows white women and when I watched the trailer for the movie I got both excited about the movie and noticed the lack of diversity in the cast (you can see it in the picture. This image reminds of a quote by Sandy Grande “The historical divide between white and subaltern women suggests that what has long passed as “mainstream” feminism is actually whitestream feminism, that is a feminist discourse that is not only dominated by white women but also principally structured on the basis of white, middle-class experience, serving their ethnopolitical interests and capital investsments.” This quote and movie just reminds me of how historically feminism has been exclusive to the stories of women of color and their struggle...

This illustration feels radical but probably not far off. When on Friday [June 26] we celebrated ‪#‎ MarriageEquality‬ SCOTUS ruling I Googled "pride", "pride celebration", "pride flag" hoping to find images of a rainbow of people celebrating love and all I could see was a cloud of white men, white women, white drag queens, white twinks, white bears, white leathermen, white trans people, white politicians, white old couples crying, white vets, white protesters, etc. I was looking at the world's most powerful search engine with access to millions of images of crowds and in the sea of rainbow flags I struggled to see color. This made me very sad as we built LGBT rights movement on the wave of Civil Rights Movement. We have a cultural preference for light skin, this is not a question. Whether it's racism and/or trend inspired is not worth arguing. Naming incidentally successful artist, politician, or musician of color does not suppo...

Mathew 5:13-16 13  “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. 14  “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15  Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all   who are   in the house.   16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. – NKJV We rested in the sanctuary of Iglesia Luterana Cresto Rey in El Paso Texas, for a small worship service beginning our last reflection of our Border Immersion experience. Pastora Rosa led us by asking two questions. Who has been a light for us in our journey? Who has made an impact on you this week? How could I possible summarize my experience engaging in a community when I had learned so much? It was only seven days earlier t...

You know what really grinds my gears? (Yes, I have been known to watch Family Guy #nojudging).  White guys who take up a lot of space.  The guy who is so unaware of his size, gender, race, class and who tries to intrude on my physical space.  The guy who tries to hug me constantly, even though I have told him numerous times that, you know what, hugging, really ain’t my thing.  That one dude who thinks it’s funny when I ask him politely at first, but then with more force, to back the F-UP!  This man who believes that the more he tries to come into my personal space, eventually, I will let him in.  He is going to take it, by force, and nothing, I mean nothing, is going to stop him from trying. Dude, White guy, MAN!  Please.  This isn’t funny.  Your continual disregard for my personal space, my comfort, my safety, my wishes, and adamant rejection of your advances are not funny.  Are disrespectful.  Are wack as hell.  Are uncomfo...

Last weekend I attend the ACPA Institute for Social Justice: Envisioning Vulnerability in Social Justice Education. The institute was packed with opportunities to participate in dialogue with those with similar salient identities and hear from awesome speakers who shared their social justice journeys, research, and perspectives about vulnerability. While at the institute my understanding of vulnerability became twisted and complex – particularly as a white female social justice educator. Here is the tension that I am currently sitting with: The need to lean into the discomfort of the work… Brene Brown’s TedTalk The Power of Vulnerability has been viewed by over 17,000 people and has found its way onto college campuses through leadership trainings and helping frame community development models and was a framework for ACPA ISJ. Brene suggests vulnerability is necessary and fundamental to building human connectedness and the ability to empathize, belong, and love.  I...