Feminist Perspective: Choice By Jordan Walsh

Being a feminist and an activist, I hear a lot of “but they chose to...” and whatever follows that statement. Chose to be homeless, chose to be lazy and not have a job, chose to do drugs, chose to be gay, chose to get pregnant, chose to break the law, chose to be overweight, chose to, chose to, chose to..Everybody seems to just have chosen all of these things, all of these identities, all of these actions.

In my women’s studies class about international women, we talk a lot about what choice is and what it really means. According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, the word choice means “the act of picking or deciding between two or more possibilities.” That definition seems pretty broad to me. Someone’s choice can be decided anywhere from two possibilities, to ten possibilities, to a million possibilities, and so on. I think it is important to look at the word “choice”

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The GSEC has been kept busy this semester. With a whole new round up of interns, this year’s annual events have been given a fresh new spin. Starting with the LGBTQ+ Welcome Reception back in September (which had a bigger turn out than ever before!), the GSEC had it’s first opportunity to show itself in our campus

community. The GSEC radio show has been in full swing (DJ’s pictured below), along with our blog and social media being up and running. Eve Ensler was an experience cherished by us all, and Queer Week was our biggest success yet. So much love, so much progress! Take Back the Night is right around the corner!

What you’ve missed...

ALEX DOOLEY (DJ Dooles) “The radio show helps me find my activist voice and it’s awesome to hear all of our opinions on one subject. I find it enlightening.”

REMO MACARTNEY (DJ Rem) “The radio show for me has been a lot of fun, I look forward to doing it all week. “

LAURA NAPOLIELLO (DJ Raspy) “The radio is my personal therapy sesh. It’s where I can freely rant and express myself with fellow feminists. I encourage everyone to listen in.”

SPARKALWAYS FREE ISSUE NO. 1

CALIFORNIA STATE UNIVERSITY CHICO/ FALL 2013/ VOLUME 1

THE GSEC DJ’S: How’s the show going?

Reading the L word: Outing Contemporary Television

by Brettoni FosheeSenior• • •

Disclaimer: one of my favorite shows of all time is “The L Word”. While I have yet to watch the full series for the second time (which I know will happen someday soon), I definitely made it through the whole series in less than a week. It is provocative, funny, engaging, and provides perspectives from a group of people that we do not get to hear from often, especially in media. “The L Word” made lesbian perspective and experience the norm, which is a refreshing detour from the predominantly heteronormative lens that the media chooses to provide for us. Many consider “The L Word” to be a pioneer in the normalization of gay and lesbian mainstream media.

With all that being said, mainstream media should always be taken with a grain of salt. Awesome. Lesbians are now able to see themselves validated on screen, but on whose terms? Are we still seeing lesbianism portrayed through a heteronormative male lens? Is it catering to a male gaze? Does “The

L Word” have an obligation to be political in its storyline? Why are the main characters (with the exception of one) only beautiful and outright feminine women? Why is there only one mixed race character?

“Reading ‘The L Word’: Outing Contemporary Television” is a wonderful book that discusses all of these questions and more, centering entirely around the Showtime television show. It is a book made up of

essays, journal articles, critiques, and cast interviews that discuss topics from race representation to presence of heteronormativity. Whether you are a fan of the show or have never even heard of it, it is a good resource if you ever want to analyze mainstream media and how it shapes our reality as consumers. After reading even one of the articles in this book, I dare you to not think critically about the TV you watch.

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A GSEC-ER

Magnet Board: You in or you out? We all start our office hours by moving our magnets- an intensive and incredibly crucial ritual.

Computer Geeks: Checking emails, sending emails, tweeting, checking facebook, updating events, writing press releases, instagram...you get the picture.

AROUND CAMPUS

This is some of our staff with Eve Ensler! It was so exciting to have her share her story on campus. Keep on keepin on Vagina Warriors! (From l to r: Sarah Sullivan, Laura Napoliello, Eve Ensler, Hannah Clause)

Intern Katelyn Alvarez (left) and staff member Serana Kirk (right) get ready before the annual Pride March around downtown Chico. What do we want? EQUALITY!

Book Worms: Our library is our newest addition to the GSEC- making books available to anyone who wants to rent one. Read up on that feminist theory and impress your professors.

By Whitney Urmann

• • •

from a different lens than most people would like to. For example, when someone says “they chose to be homeless.” I would like to ask those people, do you think anyone would choose to not have any place to call home? Do you think that individuals who are homeless say “hey, I’m going to just be dependent my whole life and be hungry and not have a home?” 49% of Americans are born into poor families. Another 13,000 babies are born addicted to drugs. Was that a choice they made, to be born into poor families? Was that a choice they made to be born addicted to drugs? 

If you think that someone chooses a life of being homeless, or a life of being poor, I urge you to recognize your own privilege. I urge you to look at your life and say what privileges in life did I grow up with or continue to have that other people do not have the fortune of having? What privilege in life did you have that got you to believe that any individual “chooses” to be homeless, “chooses” to be overweight, “chooses” to get pregnant? What options do you have, what resources were available to YOU growing up? Did you grow up with a home? Did you grow up with two loving parents? Did you grow up in a drug-free environment? Did you grow up with at least one parental figure employed? Do you identify as straight? Do you

have a supportive and caring family? Do you have healthcare? Do you have a job? Do you have an education? Do you eat three meals a day?

Privilege has the power to give individual’s more options, more possibilities to “choose” from. Those who are less privileged than others may not have the same options that those who are privileged have. If you think that every person has the same options, I ask you to rethink that notion. Recognize your privileges, unpack your privileges and look at how fortunate you are to simply be reading this blog post on a working computer or on any mobile device. There must be some privilege you have that enables you to read this blog post. 

I am completely stunned and shocked about the lack of empathy individuals have for those who are less privileged. I cannot grasp why individuals have become so self-centered and so self-concerned that they have no empathy for anyone who they see as “less than” them. People have become so apathetic that they have began to discriminate and hate against others. We do not live in a world free of racism, ableism, sexism, classism, or heterosexism. We do not live in a world free of discrimination. 

I may have more or less options to choose from in comparison to any

person in this world. I don’t have a choice to what sexual identity, to what sex, to what social status, to what family I was born into or with. But what choice I do have, and what choice every person has is whether or not they are going to help make a difference. I do not have a choice of my privileges or my disadvantages. But what I do have a choice in doing is helping end violence against women, helping end discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community, helping end racism, helping end discrimination in any and all forms, to stop hate. I have two choices in this situation where I see so much despair, to speak up or to do nothing at all. And I refuse to not do anything, I refuse to stay silent. I refuse to not care about humanity. I refuse to not use my privilege of education, I refuse to stay ignorant, and to stay “out of” the global cause of activism for human beings. I choose to act and to stand up for all of those people who seem to have “chose to” be gay, be homeless, not go to school, go to jail, be overweight, be a teen mom, for all those people who society says “chose to” be “less than.” 

Challenging classism can be difficult

On Sunday, November 17th the 6th Annual LGBTQ+ Conference will be held. The conference is an opportunity for all people to educate and empower themselves while building

community and support within the LGBTQ+ and allied communities. There will be guest speakers including Kay Gordon and Elizabeth Kristen, workshops, free food, and more! This event is free to all

campus and community members and will be held at 1:00-5:00pm in BMU 210. We hope to see you all there! Keep updated by liking the AS GSEC Facebook page and joining the event!

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Coming Up: LGBTQ+ Conference

Here’s what’s coming soon...THE SCHEDULE6:00 pm- Keynote Speaker Jacke Humphrey-Straub

6:45 to 7:45 pm- Breakout Sessions

6:45 pm- Gender Inclusive Workshop about Rape Culture held in the BMU auditorium

6:45 pm- Women Only Survivor Speak Out held in BMU Basement Room 008. Share your story in a safe place.

6:45 pm- Gender Inclusive Survivor Speak Out held in BMU 210. Share your story in a safe place

8:00 pm- Power of Words in the BMU Auditorium featuring some inspiring performances of music and spoken word by students and community members

8:30 pm- Candle lighting followed by a silent candle lit march through downtown Chico.

THE GSEC HOLDS IT’S BIANNUAL EVENT TAKE BACK THE NIGHT: PROTESTING VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL ASSAULT AGAINST WOMENTake Back the Night is a biannual event where students and the community can come together to recognize the ongoing issue of rape culture and violence against women in today's society. A Brief history: “Over the years, Take Back The Night has become internationally known, as a way speak out against these terrible crimes. The first documented Take Back The Night event in the United States took place in October of 1975 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Citizens rallied together

after the murder of young microbiologist, Susan Alexander Speeth, who was stabbed to death by a stranger no more than a block away from her home while walking the streets, alone. For over 35 years in the United States, Take Back The Night has focused on eliminating sexual violence, in all forms, and thousands of colleges, universities, women's centers, and rape crisis centers have sponsored events all over the country.” -Take Back the Night Foundation. This is a night to acknowledge and empower survivors of sexual assault and unify and educate friends, family and supporters. Let's come together to reclaim our right to feel safe and secure after dusk by marching together in solidarity. Please join us as we TAKE BACK THE NIGHT!

NUMBERS

1 in 3Women will

experience sexual assault in their lifetime

1 in 5Will be sexually

assaulted in a college career