Feminist Action Project

Conference Performance Evening: Call for Performances

2012-02-09T09:34:00.000-06:00

The Feminist Action Project, a two-day conference at the University of Texas at Austin on March 30-31, 2012, is seeking performances.

Our goals for the conference include: including the experiences and perspectives of both students and community members, prioritizing 101-level introductions to theories and movements, emphasizing “art as resistance,” and helping broaden the feminist community by framing its issues in relation to other activisms. We are honored to announce Sharon Bridgforth as our keynote performer; she is a theatrical jazz aesthetic artist and playwright.

Performances should be consistent with the theme and goals. We are particularly interested in proposals dealing with one or more of the following themes:

Relationships between people:
● Healthy sexuality

○ Consent

○ Non-mainstream romantic/sexual identities

○ Practicing feminism in close relationships

● Exploring female relationships

○ Breaking down “girl hate”

● Confronting oppressive acts/speech

○ Calling others out

○ Being a constructive ally

● Activist self-care

● Violence, bullying, and harassment

Relationships between movements:

● Confronting –isms and oppression within feminist movements

○ Tensions between women of color movements and ‘mainstream’ feminism

● Collaboration between feminist generations/waves

● Trans* and gender identity activism and the LGBT mainstream

● Disability rights activism and intersectionality

● Race and economic rights activism (like Occupy Wall Street)

101-level intersections:

● Privilege and power

● Sexism
● Racism

● Classism

● Ableism

● Sexual & gender identities

● Body acceptance activism

● Indigenous rights movements

Please include in your performance proposal:

• Title of the performance (poem, song, monologue, skit, etc.)

• Length of Performance (should be between 5-8 minutes)

• Brief description, no more than 300 words

• Copy of the words to the performance or link to a video of performance

• Description of AV and space requirements

• Your name and contact information (phone and e-mail preferred)

The deadline for performance proposals is February 24, 2011. Please submit all documents via email to feministactionproject@gmail.com, with “Attn: Programming Committee” in the subject line. You can send the submission as a Microsoft Word file, .pdf, or text file. If postal mail works better for you, please send it to:

Feminist Action Project

c/o Gender and Sexuality Center

1 University Station, A4400

Austin, TX, 78712

We are very excited about this year’s conference and we look forward to hearing from you!

To bridge means loosening our borders, not closing off to others. Bridging is

the work of opening the gate to the stranger, within and without.

•

Gloria Anzaldúa

Call for Submissions: EXTENDED!

2011-12-06T11:53:00.001-06:00

The Feminist Action Project, a two-day conference at the University of Texas at Austin on March 30-31, 2012, is seeking panel and workshop submissions.

This year’s theme is Relationships: building alliances and bridging movements. We hope for this theme to encompass relationships between people, generations, and movements as described in the lists below. We want to make space for conversation on nurturing interpersonal ties and exploring how social justice movements can collaborate and build productive relationships together.

Submissions should be consistent with the theme and goals. We welcome academic proposals as well as practical and activist ones, but we prefer interactive models such as discussions and skill-building workshops. This is a relatively small conference that traditionally draws 80-100 people, which allows for involved discussion. We are particularly interested in proposals dealing with one or more of the following topics:

Relationships between people:

Healthy sexuality

Consent
Non-mainstream romantic/sexual identities
Practicing feminism in close relationships

Exploring female relationships

Breaking down “girl hate”

Confronting oppressive acts/speech

Calling others out
Being a constructive ally

Activist self-care
Violence, bullying, and harassment

Relationships between movements:

Confronting –isms and oppression within feminist movements

Tensions between women of color movements and ‘mainstream’ feminism

Collaboration between feminist generations/waves
Trans* and gender identity activism and the LGBT mainstream
Race and economic rights activism (like Occupy Wall Street)
Disability rights activism and intersectionality

101-level intersections:

Privilege and power
Sexism
Racism
Classism
Ableism
Sexual & gender identities
Body activism
Indigenous rights movements

In accordance with these themes, we are honored to announce one of this year’s keynote speakers: Dr. Radhika Balakrishnan, an accomplished scholar of gender, economics, and human rights, will be joining us on the evening of Friday, March 30. The next day, the theatrical jazz aesthetic writer and artist Sharon Bridgforth will speak and perform to finish the conference.

Please include in your submission:
• Title of panel, workshop, or presentation
• A brief description of 300-500 words
• Description of AV and space requirements
• Your name and contact information (phone and email preferred)

The deadline for submissions is February 15, 2012. Please submit all documents via email to feministactionproject@gmail.com, with “Attn: Programming Committee” in the subject line. You can send the submission as a Microsoft Word file, .pdf, or text file. If postal mail works better for you, please send it to: Feminist Action Project, c/o Gender and Sexuality Center, 1 University Station, A4400, Austin, TX, 78712.

We are very excited about this year’s conference and we look forward to hearing from you!

To bridge means loosening our borders, not closing off to others. Bridging is the work of opening the gate to the stranger, within and without.

•

Gloria Anzaldúa

2012 conference

2011-11-30T16:06:00.001-06:00

Greetings from the third generation of Feminist Action Project! We are very excited about this year's conference, which will be held on March 30 and 31, 2012, on the UT-Austin campus.

Keep an eye out for the Call for Submissions, especially if you have ideas for workshops, presentations, panels, or performances that fit the theme "Relationships: Building alliances, bridging movements"! We want to make space for conversation on nurturing interpersonal ties while exploring how social justice movements can collaborate and build productive relationships.

Use the links on the left to find us on Facebook and Twitter, or e-mail us if you want to get involved in the planning process. We always welcome new voices and perspectives, and we hope to hear your feedback and ideas for making this conference valuable for everyone!

Conference Photos!

2011-04-04T23:42:00.001-05:00

Hey everybody!

The Second Annual Feminist Action Project Conference was a huge success! Loretta Ross and Marianne Kirby were AWESOME! They gave some incredible speeches, shedding light on new issues or issues we have never considered in that light before. Thank you so much to all of our presenters, our sponsors, donors, and especially our guests for making this conference an unforgettable event!

Now for a few photos!

60 people sitting in a conference room facing Marianne Kirby as she speaks

Closer shot of Marianne Kirby laughing and facing the audience

Marianne Kirby's Talk

Posters of Gloria Anzaldúa, Dolores Huerta, and Betty Dodson propped on a table

Signs from Feminist Action Project's earlier action about women's representation on UT campus statues

In front of a stage curtain: two students standing and speaking and Loretta Ross sitting at a table

Introducing Loretta Ross

In front of the School of Social Work: close shot of twelve committee members wearing white shirts with the conference logo

Another shot of the same group from farther away, everyone celebrating

Feminist Action Project 2011 organizing committee

It's almost here!

2011-03-31T18:24:00.000-05:00

We're so excited that the conference is coming up tomorrow! It will be so amazing to see you all at this event that has been in the works for the past six months.

Programming notes from the first brainstorming sessions

Please bring your ideas, your passion, and your voice.

Some of us (and Gloria Anzaldua!) at the Feminist Coming Out Day event

We can't wait to meet you!

In solidarity,

the Feminist Action Project Committee

Quick hit: Last day for full registration

2011-03-30T14:42:00.001-05:00

Register today to guarantee your meals and Vagina Monologues ticket for this weekend's conference! Check out registration in the link on the left frame, and e-mail us at feministactionproject@gmail.com with any questions.

See you soon!

Panel Profile: Sex Work

2011-03-28T23:31:00.000-05:00

Is sex work a feminist issue? Is it an empowering form of sexual expression? The workshop and discussion on sex work seeks to delve into an often misunderstood aspect of society from a sex-positive position. The workshop will introduce elements of sex work ranging from erotic dancing, pornography and prostitution. Topics such as the different types of sex work, the difficulties embedded in the industry and the resources available for workers and advocates will be discussed. Come engage in the discussion on sex work on April 2 - an issue that has been poorly understood and left feminists divided!

Panel schedule

2011-03-28T14:32:00.000-05:00

All of the panels will be held in the School of Social Work Building (SSW) at the University of Texas at Austin. This building is located at 1925 San Jacinto Boulevard, Austin, TX.

We look forward to seeing you there! Keep checking back for more panel profile posts as the week goes on.

	2.116	Texas voices 2.122	101 track 2.118
A 9:45-11	Workshop and Discussion of Sex Work	Beyond Waves of Controversy: Feminist Art Making & Queer Political Forms	Feminist Intersectionality
B 11:15-12:30	We’ve Got the Power: Redefining Artistic and Cultural Representations of Women’s Bodies	The "Feminist" Politician: A Discussion	Advertising: What Are We Really Being Sold?
C 3:30-4:45	Women of Color in the Media: Deconstructing a Lens of Inequality	From Cuts to Curry: Budget Cuts, Sweet Potato Curry and Feminism in Action at UT-Austin	Organizing: Building Activist Skills
D 5-6:15	Airport Security, Our Bodies, and Rape Survivors	Speak	Exploring Body Diversity

Beyond Waves of Controversy: Feminist Art Making & Queer Political Forms

2011-03-28T09:56:00.001-05:00

What makes art controversial? Who decides what is controversial in the art world? Sometimes the simple presence of the female body, or the gender of the artist’s body, signifies a work as “inappropriate” or aesthetically compartmentalized within a community. By discussing the artwork and curatorial efforts of female artists and activists, this presentation will explore the significance, consequence, and language of social spaces that accompany art making and art exhibitions in the predominantly Christian conservative community of Lubbock, Texas.

We will discuss the waves of controversy we have encountered, diffused, or created, within our academic and artistic practices. We will contemplate the queer representations of women’s bodies for social and political gain in our community and will share our collaborative attempts to push the envelope of stereotypical definitions and visualizations of the female body through our art, our organizing activisms.

While we intend to empower through our feminist artworks, we also recognize how we are often influenced by a culture that exploits the female body and the beauty ideal, leaving us to negotiate our own chauvinistic participation in the controversy of the female body.

Panel on Budget Cuts and Feminist Action on Saturday, Feb. 2nd, 2011!

2011-03-27T18:21:00.000-05:00

Recent organizing efforts through The Students Speak (TSS) (an anti-budget cuts organization for students and community members) aims to explore the relationship between feminist action and how organizing against budget cuts performs this work? As a concerned community member and student, I am looking forward to attending this panel and learning about how and what I can do to make change for the better.

Panel Profile: Airport Security, Our Bodies, and Rape Survivors: A Roundtable Discussion

2011-03-27T12:01:00.001-05:00

As citizens and human beings, what should we value more: protection from terrorism or protection of civil liberties? How do the policies and procedures of the Transport Security Administration (TSA) affect rape survivors? Is this a feminist issue? These are just a few questions to be considered during this discussion on airport security and rape survivors. The discussion will discuss the arrest of a local Austin woman and rape survivor after she refused the TSA pat-down at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. How is this particular incident indicative of the larger issues of violation and safety, and should we have to choose? This seems like it will be a lively and enlightening discussion on a very relevant topic.

Panel profile: Exploring Body Diversity

2011-03-26T14:54:00.000-05:00

[Over the next week, we will be posting information on each of the conference panels, workshops, and presentations in anticipation of the panel sessions on Saturday, April 2. Check it out!]

Interested in size acceptance, fat activism, sizeism, or food politics? This presentation is for you:

Join us for an interactive discussion with a special focus on providing a brief overview and exploration of several body diversity concepts, including the Health At Every Size movement (HAES), fat activism, and body acceptance. The presenter will report on prejudice associated with body types in medical and professional fields as well as a history of ideal body shapes in America, and a discussion will follow with audience participation and sharing experiences.

Come learn more about body diversity and how it intersects with feminism and other social justice movements!

Schedule announced

2011-03-22T14:17:00.000-05:00

Check out the conference schedule! Later this week we will announce the details of each panel, presentation, or workshop and where they fit into the schedule of breakout sessions. You'll see that each session is 1 hour and 15 minutes long, with a 15 minute break in between. This will give everyone time to have a good discussion and then decompress and breathe between each activity:

Friday, April 1

3:00pm	Registration/check-in
4:00	Icebreakers and power shuffle
4:45	Discussion
5:30	Walk/transport to and eat at SAC
6:30	Seating for Vagina Monologues
9:00-TBA	Discussion

_________________________________

Saturday, April 2

8:30am	Check-in/breakfast
9:00	Opening plenary
9:45-11:00	Session A
11:15-12:30pm	Session B
12:45-1:45	Lunch and Marianne Kirby
2:00-3:15	Keynote: Loretta Ross
3:30-4:45	Session C
5:00-6:15	Session D
6:30-7:00	Closing plenary

Quick hit: FCOD representation

2011-03-18T10:14:00.000-05:00

Remember our event on March 8, International Women's Day and Feminist Coming Out Day? Check out the results at the official Feminist Coming Out Day website where we are an official affiliated campus:

http://feministcomingoutday.com/tagged/University_of_Texas_at_Austin

Photograph of the UT-Austin tower framed by an L-shaped poster which says "This is what a feminist looks like/March 08 2011/www.feministcomingoutday.com" in the style of the official logo.

The rest of the site has information on the national movement, other campus affiliates, merchandise (for a donation), and ways to get involved. Look around and submit your own feminist portrait or 'click' moment to add to the archive.
Photographs are still being posted from the event, so keep an eye out for your portrait if you were one of our participants on the 8th. Thank you to everyone who came out and represented feminism at UT!

Feminist Coming Out Day

2011-03-07T15:26:00.001-06:00

What does a feminist look like? Come join the discussion at the Feminist Action Project table at the International Women's Day collective event:

Place: West Mall, UT-Austin campus
Date: Tuesday, March 8
Time: 11am-2pm

Pose with our picture frame for inclusion in the online archive of feminists on campuses across the U.S., or submit your own statement or image on their website with UT-Austin in the text. Get all the details and the submission form at www.feministcomingoutday.com. The more different faces and voices we can get to represent UT and Feminist Action Project, the better! Go to the site and read through the feminist coming out and 'click' moments of students across the country.

Template for Facebook profile pictures:
"This is what a feminist looks like" down the
right side, "March 08 2011/
www.feministcomingoutday.com" across
the bottom in red and black text.

At Tuesday's event, also check out our statue project- which feminists would you like to see as statues at UT? Who is recognized on campus and who is left out? We'll have posters of Gloria Anzaldua, Betty Dodson, and Dolores Huerta along with information on these powerful women. What would campus look like if one of them had a statue instead of Jefferson Davis (for example)? Come on over and join the conversation.

Thank you: Center for Mexican American Studies

2011-03-01T18:32:00.001-06:00

We are very pleased to announce the generous support of the Center for Mexican American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin. They are invested in supporting feminist and social justice inquiry, and we are very excited to work with them as the conference draws near.
The following is part of their mission statement, which describes the importance of their work:

Center for Mexican
American Studies logo:
CMAS in yellow text
in a maroon circle

The mission of CMAS is to serve Texas and the nation as a leader in the intellectual development of Mexican American Studies. The establishment of CMAS represents an institutional recognition of the importance of the Mexican American people in the history, culture, and society of the United States.
Faculty and students affiliated with CMAS have worked to enhance our understanding of the Mexican and Mexican American experience, as well as the broader Latino experience, and to strengthen the presence of Mexican Americans and other Latinos in the intellectual terrain, both within and beyond US borders.

Please check out their website to find out more about their academic programs, publications, and extensive public programming calendar. Especially with budgeting so tight across cultural and identity studies departments this year, we appreciate the support of related programs and departments like CMAS. Don't forget to see all of our sponsors on the Sponsors and special thanks page!

Keynote: Loretta Ross

2011-03-01T13:22:00.002-06:00

We are honored to welcome Loretta Ross to Feminist Action Project this year as our featured keynote speaker. Her work has been very influential across activist movements and aligns with our priorities of intersectionality and bodily experience. We will feature more from her on this blog before the conference, but in the meantime learn more about her and her work below (with permission from Soapbox Inc.):

Black-and-white portrait photograph
of Loretta Ross

Loretta Ross is the National Coordinator of the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Health Collective, a network founded in 1997 of 80 women of color and allied organizations that work on reproductive justice issues. In 2004, Ms. Ross was National Co-Director of the April 25, 2004 March for Women’s Lives in Washington D.C., the largest protest march in U.S. history with more than one million participants. Between 1996-2004, she was the Founder and Executive Director of the National Center for Human Rights Education (NCHRE) in Atlanta, Georgia. She lectures frequently on human rights, women’s rights and hate groups and right wing organizations.

Ms. Ross was one of the first African American women to direct the first rape crisis center in the United States in the 1970s. From 1985 to 1989, she served as the Director of Women of Color Programs for the National Organization for Women, organizing the first national conference on Women of Color and Reproductive Rights in 1987. Prior to developing NCHRE in 1996, she served as the national program research director for the Atlanta-based Center for Democratic Renewal (CDR) (formerly the National Anti-Klan Network) from 1990 to 1995 and program director of the National Black Women’s Health Project from 1989-1990. She is a political commentator for Pacifica News Service, and has appeared as a political commentator on Good Morning America, The Donahue Show, The Charlie Rose Show, CNN, and BET. Ross has also been a keynote speaker at numerous statewide and national conferences focusing on sexual and domestic violence.

Publications include “African American Women and Abortion After Roe,” in Abortion Wars: A Half Century of Struggle: 1950-2000 (Beacon Press) edited by Rickie Solinger and Undivided Rights: Women of Color Organize for Reproductive Justice (South End Press), co-authored with Jael Silliman, Marlene Fried, and Elena Gutierrez, published in 2004 (awarded the Myers Outstanding Book Award by the Gustavus Myers Center for the Study of Bigotry and Human Rights), She is also the author of “The Color of Choice” chapter in The Color of Violence: The Incite! Anthology, published in 2006. She is a graduate of Agnes Scott College and holds an honorary Doctorate of Civil Law degree awarded in 2003 from Arcadia University. Ms. Ross is presently writing a book on reproductive rights entitled Black Abortion.

If you are interested in the organizations and events mentioned above, please check out these links:

Donate online

2011-02-22T13:32:00.001-06:00

Do you or people you know have some extra change for change? It's a bad joke but for a good cause: we now have a way for anyone to donate any amount to Feminist Action Project through PayPal. To check it out, go to Donate online under Pages in the left frame, or follow this link:

http://feministactionproject.blogspot.com/p/donation.html

Every contribution goes straight toward event supplies, registration funding, and especially bringing Loretta Ross to come speak and inspire us.

If you would like to donate through the mail or in person, please feel free to make out a check or money order to UT-Austin with Gender and Sexuality Center in the notes. The canceled check serves as a tax-deductible donation receipt! Please e-mail us or call at 512-232-1831 if you have any questions.

Registration is open!

2011-02-16T15:03:00.001-06:00

The time has come! Registration has begun for the big event. You can use the link to "Registration" in the left frame under Pages, or follow this link to the form and PayPal button:

http://feministactionproject.blogspot.com/p/registration.html

A registration fee affords you the following pleasures:

Participation in both days of the conference
Admission to the Vagina Monologues performance on the night of Friday, April 1 (for the first 50 registrants)
Breakfast, lunch, and snacks on Saturday, April 2
The stylings of Loretta Ross, Marianne Kirby, and many other distinguished speakers and panelists

This is a self-supporting feminist event, but we don't want financial hardship to prevent anyone from attending. The registration fee is a sliding scale from $10-$20 dollars. If all you can pay is $10, we completely understand are are glad you'll be able to join us. If you are able to pay the $20 (or more), it will help others attend who would otherwise not be able to, which will in turn make the event and our community stronger.

We can't wait to get everything started! As always, please contact us with any questions, and we look forward to working with you in April.

Quick link!

2011-02-02T14:11:00.000-06:00

In Clutch, an online magazine for "young, contemporary women of color," Dan Tres Omi writes about feminism from a black male perspective in his January 24th article, "Black Male Feminist: What Feminism Means to Me." Check it out:

Being a black male feminist does not imply that I have arrived. I am a work in progress and I don’t have all the answers. I am thankful that I have several sister warrior friends in my corner. They are supportive, loving, strong, and intelligent. I have come to realize that in the words of the wonderful Dr. bell hooks, feminism is for everybody.

Check it out! What do you think?

Call for Submissions extended!

2011-02-01T15:32:00.000-06:00

We folks at the Feminist Action Project know things can get busy – classes, jobs, family – and so we’d like to extend the due date for our call for submissions until Monday, February 14, 2011. We are very impressed with the submissions we've received and look forward to seeing more! Please feel free to pass this information along to any and all who might be interested.

As always, you are welcome to contact us at feministactionproject [at] gmail [dot] com if you have any questions or want to get involved!

Make sure you check out the text version of our Call for Submissions below or at the permanent link here.

Call for Submissions

2011-01-04T15:24:00.002-06:00

The Feminist Action Project, a two-day conference to be held at the University of Texas at Austin on April 1st and 2nd, 2011, is seeking panel and workshop submissions.

This year’s theme is Feminism is for Every(body). We intend this theme to encompass both accessibility to feminism and matters of lived and physical bodies. Our goals for the conference include: emphasizing “art as resistance”, including in equal measure the experiences and perspectives of academic and community members, making space for discussion about what feminism means (addressing stereotypes, myths, and stigma), and helping broaden the feminist community by framing its issues in relation to other activist movements. In addition to the larger global perspective of the conference, we hope for one programming track to focus on issues specific or pertinent to Texas.

Submissions should be consistent with the theme and goals. We welcome academically- oriented proposals as well as practical and activist ones, but we prefer interactive and conversational models. We are particularly interested in proposals dealing with:

marked bodies
• ‘race’ and racism
• queerness and gendered bodies
• fat and body activism
• disability
• ageism

governed bodies/body justice
• sex work
• reproductive justice
• human trafficking
• immigration

self-care
• self-esteem and self-care
• self-care in protest situations
• self-care in difficult economic times
• class and economic issues

accessing feminism
• feminist issues on campus
• barriers to adopting the label ‘feminist’
• movement intersectionality and organizing
• global feminisms

In accordance with these themes, we are honored to announce this year’s keynote speaker: Loretta Ross, a highly accomplished women’s human rights, race, and reproductive justice activist. Marianne Kirby, a fat activist and blogger, will also be joining us for panels.

Please include in your submission:
• Title of panel, workshop, or presentation
• Brief description, no more than 300 words
• Description of AV and space requirements
• Your name and contact information (cell phone and e-mail preferred)

The deadline for submissions is February 1, 2011. Please submit all documents via email to feministactionproject@gmail.com, with “Attn: Programming Committee” in the subject line. You can send the submission as a Microsoft Word file, .pdf, or text file. If postal mail works better for you, please send it to: Feminist Action Project, Attn: Programming Committee, 1 University Station, A6220, SOC #529, Austin, TX, 78712.

We are very excited about this year’s conference and we look forward to hearing from you!

Radical simply means grasping at the root.

-Audre Lorde

•

A genuine feminist politics always brings us from bondage to freedom, from lovelessness to loving ... There can be no love without justice.

- bell hooks
Feminism is for Everybody: Passionate Politics

2011 conference

2011-01-04T12:56:00.000-06:00

Greetings from the second generation of Feminist Action Project! We are very excited about this year's conference, which will be held on April 1st and 2nd on the UT-Austin campus.

Keep an eye out for the Call for Submissions, especially if you have ideas for workshops, presentations, panels, or performances that fit the theme "Feminism is for Every(body)"! This theme encompasses the issues surrounding accessibility to feminism as well as body politics and experiences.

Use the links on the left to find us on Facebook and Twitter, or e-mail us if you want to get involved in the planning process. We always welcome new voices and perspectives, and we hope to hear your feedback and ideas for making this conference valuable for everyone!

FAQs

2010-04-15T08:32:00.001-05:00

When can I check-in?
Friday, April 16th in Main 212 (in the tower in the center of campus)
9:00 - 2:00
5:00 - 6:30

Saturday, April 17th in Main 212
8:30 - 10:30 (keep in mind that checking in on Saturday means you miss a lot of conference)

Do I need to bring my own food?
Yes and No. Dinner will be provided Friday night (at 5 pm in Main 212), lunch will be provided Saturday (at 1:30 in Main 212), and breakfast will be provided Sunday morning (at 9am in Main 212). You may want to bring snacks if you will need them and/or money for other meals. There are also plenty of places to find food, snacks, and drinks close by.

I'm confused. When is everything happening?
Check-in details are above. Below is our schedule overview with a more detailed explanation below that. You will get a program when you arrive and check-in. Upon check-in, you will receive all the information you need to start your conference weekend.

My friend wants to come, but has not registered yet. Can he/she/ze register at the conference?
Registration is filling up! Online registration ends today, (Thursday, April 15th) at 5 pm. There will be a limited number of registrations available at check-in on Friday morning. We'd love to have everybody attend, but unfortunately we have to notify the caterers of our attendance numbers.

updated, easy to read schedule

2010-04-13T22:10:00.000-05:00

Friday
9:00 Check in begins
1:00 - 2:30 Opening Plenary and Feminist Power Shuffle
3:45 - 5:15 Session A
5:15 - 6:30 Dinner
7:30 America the Beautiful screening

Saturday
9:00 - 10:30 Session B
10:45 - 12:15 Session C
12:30 - 1:30 Keynote with Jehmu Greene
1:30 - 2:30 Lunch
2:45 - 4:15 Session D

Sunday
9:00 - 10:00 Breakfast
10:15 - 11:45 Feminist Action Project panel
12:00 - 1:00 Facilitated Networking Session
1:00 - 2:00 Closing Plenary

Playing Friday Night - America the Beautiful

2010-04-05T20:15:00.000-05:00

The Feminist Action Project is partnering with Body Positive Dance to bring the documentary America the Beautiful to campus for an open-to-the-public screening followed by a Q & A with the director himself, Darryl Roberts. Additionally, Roberts and Body Positive Dance founder, Ragen Chastain, are combining forces to participate in a panel discussion at the conference on Saturday, April 17th, focusing on the effects of idealized beauty in the lives of women. This discussion will include particular focus on the experiences of fat women and expose participants to the growing fat activist and health at every size movements.

America the Beautiful explores idealized and unattainable standards of beauty. Roberts interviews a range of people including models, everyday people, cosmetic industry master minds, plastic surgeons, fashion photographers, and those in the marketing industry. These interviews are used to seek answers to questions like, “Why does America have such startling rates of body dismorphia, eating disorders, and poor body image?” and, “Who benefits from a culture of body shaming?” Roberts’ findings are a compelling introduction to the panel discussion and exploration of female perfection, fat activism, and feminism’s role in creating necessary change.

Fat activism and body positive activism are critical movements that reject and revise the photoshopped and airbrushed images that we see on a daily basis, understanding that these are unrealistic and harmful images to all people, particularly women. These movements seek to raise awareness to the various vehicles of body shaming and offer critical tools for all women, particularly fat women, to live healthy and happily in their bodies, no matter what size or shape they are.

The members of the Feminist Action Project recognize that the harmful effects of idealized feminine beauty effect women disproportionately. These effects include but are not limited to: discrimination, bullying, low self-esteem, eating disorders, and unhealthy lifestyles. Women make up 85 to 95% of those with anorexia nervosa and bulimia as stated by the Love Your Body project. According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, breast augmentation and liposuction ranked first and second respectively as most popular cosmetic surgery procedures in 2008. Men composed 8% of the total number of plastic surgery patients. With these numbers in mind and your own experiences, it is glaringly obvious just how pervasive the messages are that we receive and their negative influences in our lives.

We are pleased to bring the Body Positive revolution to the 2010 conference. Raising consciousness to new thoughts and forms of activism is our goal. We believe that unlearning myths and stereotypes about fat people and the internalized fat phobia that many folks hold is an essential step in changing the current image of female beauty. Please join us in our steps to create a world where women are empowered and fully valued.

Who is Ragen Chastain? (Excerpts taken from a personal interview with Ragen)

Ragen is the founder of Body Positive dance, a non-profit designed to foster healthy habits, high self-esteem, and friendships through dance. She has started two successful businesses, is a National Champion Dancer, and recognizes her greatest accomplishment to be learning to love herself and her body, and to be truly happy living completely outside the cultural beauty norm. She self-identifies with the word fat and says:

It's always interesting to me (at 5'4 280lbs) when I say I'm fat and people say "no you're not". Obviously I am fat and what those people are trying to say is "you're not all of the stereotypes that I have about fat people" - I think it's important to divorce the word fat from the stereotypes. I absolutely reject "overweight". Over what weight? By whose standards? It goes against my lifestyle of making healthy choices and letting my weight take care of itself.

She has seen success time and time again in her body positive approach to dance. She works with people with eating disorders, people with bigger bodies, beginning exercisers, college students, seniors, and anyone interested in learning to love the body they are in. She believes that the future of fat activism and body positive ideologies is hopeful. As the images of women portrayed in the media become more and more absurd, there seems to be a breaking point:

I do believe that body positive will go mainstream… At this point we have Ralph Lauren promoting an image of women who are photoshopped such that their heads are larger than their pelvises. I think eventually no woman will be able to measure up and that's where you'll start to see a lot of pushback from a lot of people.

You can find more information about Body Positive Dance and Ragen Chastain on her personal blog and the official Body Positive Dance website.

Body Positive Dance

Ragen Chastain

our newest poster - send to all your friends, family, enemies, and frenemies (even the super conservative ones).

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Blogspot tells me that if you click on the image, it will take you to a larger version. Take that with a grain of salt.

a sneak peek at our schedule

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This is not all we have in store! Register for the conference to participate in an exciting weekend of activism, growth, and sharing.

Friday

9:00 a.m. Check in begins (and runs all day)

9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Break, allow for registrants to find / check into hotels, lunch

1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Opening Plenary and Feminist Power Shuffle
Come participate in an interactive exercise exploring some common feminist beliefs, theories, and practices. This new take on the traditional power shuffle will encourage participants to examine subtleties in feminism introspectively, interpersonally, and systematically. The discussion after the activity will encourage participants to share common struggles and joys in being a feminist activist.

3:45 p.m. – 5:15 p.m. Session A

Did She Say NO? Did She Say YES?
Voices Against Violence (VAV) will present an interactive Theatre for Dialogue performance that will actively engage the audience in examining where the lines are around consensual and non-consensual sex. How does sex get used for power? How do we lose and reclaim power around sex? How do our feminisms inform how we respond in our own lives, and respond to friends? How do we stay grounded in our beliefs while acknowledging larger power structures? VAV uses Theatre of the Oppressed to raise awareness and educate about issues of dating violence, sexual violence and stalking.

5:15 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. Dinner

8:00 p.m. America the Beautiful with director Q&A

Saturday

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. Session B

Peers for Pride
Peers for Pride: Acting for Change will showcase a program that uses monologues as a way to change climate for LGBTQ people on campus. This model is one that could be used by any oppressed population as a way to tell stories, start dialogues, and make change. Come see Peers for Pride members perform their monologues, talk about the process of writing and performing them, and how the program has affected them and their campus.

Feminist of Color: Theoretical Perspectives on Sexual Violence
This paper builds a strong theoretical framework for understanding sexual violence based on the perspectives and contributions of feminists of color. Standpoint theory, intersectionality, and Black feminist theory will be central to this framing. Issues related to race, class and gender and their impact on the lives and sexual health of women will be highlighted. Recommendations will be provided on how to translate this knowledge into survivor-led activism to end sexual assault in our communities.

10:45 a.m. – 12:15 p.m. Session C

Fundraising
Have you ever needed funding to support “special” projects that are important to you? Travel to conferences or to conduct some education-related or personal research? Or perhaps you are planning to volunteer for a US-based nonprofit or an international nongovernmental organization?
This presentation will present a whirlwind overview of the pieces of information you need to gather in order to find funding successfully, no matter the purpose. Tips on preparing the request packet will be highlighted as well as the various funder types and their impetus for funding you. Research resources will be covered and will include both print and electronic varieties.
Ms. Supancic, Director of the Regional Foundation Library of UT/DDCE, brings 27 years of experience in funding resource information and proposal development to you in an effort to help you attain whatever projects you might have in mind.

“Aligning for Global Change: Repositioning Feminist Activism for Political Sustainability in the Transnational Age”
"Aligning for Global Change" examines how feminist activism, juxtaposed against the hegemonic forces of nationalism, religious fundamentalism and militarism and faced with the failure of gender equality agendas within institutional mechanisms like the United Nations, can reposition itself strategically to construct positive change and sustain its political viability in the transnational age.

Miami Women’s Council: Resurrecting a Feminist Tradition
The year 2010 was declared by the Miami Nation of Oklahoma to be the Year of Myaamiihkwiaki, the year of the Miami Women. The reason for this declaration was the resurrection of Miami Women’s Council after over 100 years lying dormant. With the cultural violence perpetr ated upon native peoples by colonization and removal, women’s prominent roles in our communities dissipated. Our histories have been buried and our cultural power denied---until now. An old tradition is resurfacing via modern day technology.

Making the Connections: The Intersectionality of Reproductive Justice
What does reproductive justice look like in the context of queer rights, mothers’ rights, or environmental justice? In this interactive workshop, local organizers and advocates will provide concrete examples of how they incorporate a reproductive justice analysis into their work. Participants will leave the workshop with tools and strategies to bring with them into current or future activism and social justice work.

Body Positive
Obesity and Health are hot topics in the news, especially with the current controversies around health care reform. Health at Every Size and Behavior-Centered Health are emerging as possibly viable, and extremely controversial, alternatives to the traditional approach of diet and exercise. This panel will explore what HAES/BCH really are (and what they aren’t!) as well as how this movement is progressing. Attendees will have an opportunity to have their questions answered by a panel of experts including a fat professional athlete, former plus-sized model, licensed and registered Dietician, and the filmmaker of “America the Beautiful”.

12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Lunch and Keynote with Jehmu Greene

2:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m. Session D

Building Coalitions: Strategies for Success
Historically, coalitions have been powerful in the struggle for social change. This interactive workshop examines the historical and current issues surrounding coalition building, as well as barriers and opportunities when developing coalitions. Attendees will have the opportunity to examine their own identities and discuss how social identities intersect and play a significant role when building coalitions around LGBT issues. Attendees will leave with practical knowledge and strategies on coalition building.

“Let Me Twitter ‘dat!”: Blogging, Facebooking, and Tweeting Toward Social Change.
This presentation documents Shelly Blair's (host of College Station's Fair and Feminist radio show) engagement with new media—specifically twitter, facebook, and blogs—and the way it has impacted the community of Texas. Shelly will give specific examples of how using this new media has created social change in my community. Shelly will also provide hands-on demonstrations and advice for utilizing this media to build connections with other activists, draw attention to important issues, and create space for your voice. Austin's own Sandy Poffinbarger will also share her media experiences, including those of hosting her own feminist radio talk show on Austin's KVRX.

Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks: A Roundtable Discussion on Ageism in the Feminist Movements
An open discussion on ageism – what it is, how it looks, how to deconstruct it. Participants of all ages are welcome to share their experiences and solutions, as we put a often lip-serviced, rarely focused on system of oppression under the microscope.

4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Caucuses

6:15 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Town Hall meeting

Sunday

9:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m. Breakfast

10:15 a.m. – 11:45 p.m. Feminist Action Project panel

12:00 pm – 1:00 p.m. facilitated networking session

1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Closing plenary

Check out our keynote speaker, Jehmu Greene!

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Jehmu Greene is an American political commentator and social justice organizer. Throughout her career, she has worked with the media to build powerful social justice movements. Jehmu’s knowledge of the issues has earned her spots on the all major cable new networks including: CNN, MSNBC, The O'Reilly Factor, The Daily Show, Anderson Cooper 360°, MTV News, NBC Nightly News, CBS Evening News, ABC World News.

In 2009, Jehmu became president of Women’s Media Center, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit women’s advocacy organization founded in 2005 by writers/activists Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem. As head of WMC, Jehmu organizes social justice campaigns around issues from women’s health to sexism in media and works to amplify the voices of women through advocacy, media and leadership training, and the creation of original content.

Prior to her current role, Jehmu served as President of Rock the Vote from 2000-20005. Under her leadership, Rock the Vote registered 1.4 million new voters and its membership grew from 1500 to 1 million. She was the first African American to serve as President of Rock the Vote and also the first President to sit on the Board of Directors.

Jehmu was recognized as one of Essence magazine's 40 Women Under 40 Shaping The World, and received the National Conference for Community and Justice's Community Service Award, American Association of University Women's Women of Distinction Award and National Council for Research on Women Making a Difference Award. Essence Magazine also named Jehmu one of the 35 Most Beautiful and Remarkable Women in the World.

Check her out on Feministing and at NOW's national conference.

a special "thanks" to everyone who has helped us make this conference happen

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Co-Sponsored By:

Center for Women and Gender Studies
Multicultural Information Center
Gender and Sexuality Center

Special Thanks to:

Texas Parents
The University Co-op
Student Government
Whole Woman's Health
Women's Resource Agency (an agency of Student Government)

Beneficiaries of:

Austin Women's Clothing Swap

Additionally, we would like to thank all who guided and supported our endeavors along the way.

tips for feminist organizing

2010-02-24T20:21:00.002-06:00

This month the Feminist Action Project has taken upon itself the task of raising the final sum of funds necessary for our conference - which is harder than it sounds. In order to share some of the knowledge we have gained along the way, the Feminist Action Project has decided to put together a list of tips and tricks that can be useful for other people looking to put to organize and / or put on an event.

1.) Organization

This is probably going to sound a bit like an advertising spiel, but trust us - the following have been SO important in keeping all of us organized:

With so many free and easy-to-use services, Google has been vital to our organization and planning. Google Docs allows for the sharing and collaborative editing (and real time updating) of documents and spreadsheets, which has been great in maintaining lists of professors to contact for help, potential speakers, and donors. In addition, Google provided all the codes for the forms you see on our blog. Best of all? Google automatically puts information entered on the form onto a spreadsheet kept on Google docs. The Google Groups feature makes e-mail communication to multiple group members a breeze. Google has so many great programs, virtually limitless space, and it’s free! It is definitely a valuable tool for groups wanting to maintain a web presence, but who operating on a tight budget.

Another helpful online resource has been Doodle. Scheduling meetings when folks have different life, work, and school schedules is often one of the biggest headaches of organizing. Doodle allows individuals to set up a series of potential meeting times, and then folks can follow a link to fill out their availability. No username or registration is required.

2.) Goals and Planning

We often playfully remark on how things should have been done a month ago, only most of the time we are not REALLY joking. Make a plan, make it feasible, and stick to it. Set weekly and monthly goals. Make sure all members are aware of them. Have regular meetings to check up on your progress, and allow time to reevaluate your approach if things seem to be falling apart.

In the beginning of our planning process, we aimed big when developing our budget. Today? Our budget is probably a third of the original. We occasionally had to ask ourselves: Is this really doable in the time remaining? Is this particular thing important to the overall goals of the group and conference? Can we still have a conference that is meaningful to the participants and ourselves if we cut this part of the budget? In the end, the things we decided to cut are not totally out of the picture for us – they make up a sort of secondary budget of things that would be nice to have, but are not completely necessary. This gives us an absolute goal as well as additional incentives to strive for.

In addition to regular meetings, we at the Feminist Action Project try to keep a weekly collaborative work time. An informal meeting with no agenda, the collaborative work time is a place where we can help each other with difficult tasks. We also try to include some sort of treat, talking, and lots of laughing.

If that seems like a lot of time spent in meetings, be assured that sometimes it feels like it – but the meetings are important. Regular meetings force us to be organized, hold ourselves accountable, make sure members are on the same (or similar) page, and help maintain connections to members we do not see every day.

3.) Ask

Whether it be for donations or general help, sometimes having to ask for anything can be difficult.

Do not be afraid to ask for help – even from people you do not know. There are so many great free resources available and teachers / professors often have many great connections. One thing we have continually been amazed by is the people who continually help us out with places to find things like printing, people to lead workshops, and donors.

Asking for money sometimes feels like running your nails down a chalkboard. It is a painful, but necessary part of the process. Make a list of EVERY POSSIBLE person, organization, restaurant, store, school department, or other business that you think might be remotely sympathetic to your cause (this is where Google docs becomes so helpful). Cast your net far and wide. The more people you ask, the more sponsors you are likely to have. If you do not ask, you will not get money. Plain and simple. Once you have a list, divide and conquer. Split the list up among all organizers, and not just those in charge of fundraising. Talking about and promoting your project is important for all participants. How you ask can vary – by face-to-face meeting, by email, by letter, by phone call.

One last thing – be confident in what you are doing. Know that you are valuable and so is your project! Advocate for yourself.

People have different projects and needs, but we hope these tips will make your planning easier for you. They have for us!

You can find more information like this at the conference – there will be workshops on finding money and activist self-care, as well as opportunities to share organizing experiences. Register now!

Thank you,

The Feminist Action Project

Ileana Gomez

Fundraising Committee Co-chair

sign up to volunteer with the Feminist Action Project!

2010-02-22T16:24:00.006-06:00

Volunteer sign-ups are now closed. Thank you to everyone who registered. If you have a question or are interested in volunteering, please email us directly.

we've extended the due date for our call for submissions!

2010-02-08T20:07:00.000-06:00

We folks at The Feminist Action Project know things can get busy – classes, jobs, family – and so we’d like to extend the due date for our call for submissions until Monday, March 1st. We are excited and impressed with the submissions we've received and look forward to seeing many more! Please feel free to pass this information along to any and all who might be interested.

As always, you are welcome to contact us at feministactionproject [at] gmail [dot] com if you have questions regarding dates, content, or anything else.

Make sure you check out the PDF version of our call for submissions here or the text version here.

Registration Form

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Online registration is now closed. Thank you to everyone who registered! Please see us in Main 212 on Friday, April 16th for a limited number of registrations.

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Call for Submissions

Call for Submissions - The Feminist Action Project

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"Those of us who dare, toil not to force our way upon others, but simply to make space in which all are honored: capitalism and communalism, the patriarch and the matriarch, the exiled settler and the indigenous nomad, and so on. It is this imperative for true pluralism that runs through and connects, however tenuously, all of our different activisms, all of our different feminisms. It is this place where we all may rest that snakes through our dreams. We can barely imagine now what this world fueled by a real right to self-determination will look like, and yet we know it must be born. As we belong to it, this planet must belong to all of us"

Rebecca Walker in The Fire This Time

Call for Submissions

Papers, Panels, and Workshops

The Feminist Action Project 2010 Conference

Examining Intersections, Building Alliances

April 16th - 18th, 2010

The Texas Union

The University of Texas

Austin, Texas

Thank you for your interest in participating in the first ever Feminist Action Project conference. What follows is the information needed to present a paper, create a panel, or put on a workshop. Students, faculty, university staff, and community members are all welcome to submit applications to the Feminist Action Project 2010 Conference programming committee. Submissions will be accepted from The University of Texas at Austin as well as from other Universities.

The theme for the 2010 conference is "Examining Intersections, Building Alliances." All submissions should illustrate this theme and should make a clear connection between Feminism and activism.

The vision of this conference is to create a space in which this generation of Feminists can meet, network, and workshop our ideas for Feminist activism. The Feminist Action Project will be a three-day conference beginning Friday, April 16, 2010. There will be lectures and panels about different kinds of activism, workshops to help attendees plan sustainable activist projects, networking sessions, and an opportunity to interact with community members outside the University.

We are passionate about Feminism at the Feminist Action Project and we believe that this conference will make a lasting impact on those who participate. Together we can create a legacy for the next generation of Feminists.

In this three-day period, we hope to:

Provide attendees with the tools, skills, and networks to start, plan, and complete their own activist projects and otherwise empower individuals to return to their communities and affect positive change.
Put attendees in contact with other activists all over the state of Texas and the United States.
Connect this generation of activists with those who have come before.
Allow for individuals to create and use their own brand of Feminism, Womanism, etc.
Explore intersectionalities and ways to affirm them.
Demonstrate that activism is not only standing in front of the capital with a picket sign, it takes many forms.
Examine issues that are traditionally connected to Feminism: reproductive rights, equal pay for equal work - as well as other issues that continue to affect the daily lives of women in Texas like immigration reform, health care, prison reform, environmentalism, AIDS research, and initiatives for the indigent.
Explore activist self-care and the spirituality of activism.
Make connections between academic and activist Feminisms.

Submission Guidelines
Feminist Action Project, 2010

Each Submission MUST include:

Application Form (included at the end)
Title of paper, workshop, or panel
Author information (in case of multiple authors, please include the information of each) - Name(s); Titles or Positions Held; University, Organization, and/or Group Affiliations (if applicable); Contact information including email address and telephone number; Brief author bio; Optional: Authors preferred pronouns (i.e. ze/hir, she/her, he/him).
Abstract: Your abstract should be limited to 250-500 words and should provide a concise overview of the content of your paper, workshop, or panel. You should highlight how this submission pertains to Feminist activism.
Program blurb: a brief description of your paper, panel, or workshop that will be used in our conference literature. You should try to frame your panel in a manner that would encourage conference participants to attend.
Faculty advisor information (if applicable) - Name; Titles or Positions Held; University Affiliation; Contact information including email address and telephone number
Description of A/V and space requirements
Description of disability accommodation requests (e.g. do you need a sign language interpreter?)
Non-refundable $10 application fee (Please see the section titled "About Application Fees" for more information.

The Following Sections are Optional

Additional Resources
Acknowledgements
References (please include any pertinent citations from your abstract)
Additional Comments (include any additional information you think the programming committee may need to know)

About Application Fees:
If you choose to email your submission to the Feminist Action Project, your application fee must arrive by U.S. mail before the application deadline. Checks should be made payable to "Feminist Action Project." Your submission(s) will not be reviewed until your fee has arrived. The fee is non-refundable, but can be applied towards your registration. Applicants are allowed to submit more than once, but there is a fee for EACH submission. You will receive notification of the receipt of your fee(s).

Formatting: Please keep in mind that formatting guidelines are intended to aid those reviewing submissions.

Submissions are limited to five (5) single column pages. The application form should be on a separate page, but is not included in the five (5) page limit.
Submissions should be 12 pt. Times New Roman or Calibri font.
The title of your submission(s) should be center-justified, bold, 14 pt. font.
Section titles should be bold, 12 pt. font. All titles and sections should be in Times New Roman or Calibri font.
The submission(s) should be single-spaced, but the abstract should be double-spaced.
You may fill out the author information in table format.
Emailed submissions should be in Microsoft Word or PDF format.
Emailed submissions should have "Attn: Programming Committee" in the subject line.
We do not need a copy of your entire paper (just the abstract), but we may request a copy before the final review process is complete.
Application forms may be hand-written, but MUST be legible.

If you are unable to meet any of these requirements, please feel free to contact us. General questions can be emailed to the programming committee at feministactionproject [at] gmail [dot] com. Please make sure to include "Attn: Programming Committee in the subject line to ensure your inquiries are answered in a timely manner.

Application Deadline: March 1st, 2010

Email submissions to

feministactionproject [at] gmail [dot] com

Or Send by U.S. mail to

Feminist Action Project

1 University Station A6220

SOC #529

Austin, Texas 78712

Thank you, and good luck!

The 2010 Feminist Action Project Programming Committee

April Looney B.A. Women's and Gender Studies, The University of Texas at Austin

Jessamine Beal, B.A. Women's and Gender Studies and Government

Ileana Gomez, Senior, Women's and Gender Studies and English

Kalee Gower, Senior, Women's and Gender Studies

Meredith Stoner, Senior, Women's and Gender Studies

The Feminist Action Project is sponsored by the Feminist Action Project student organization, the Gender and Sexuality Center (a part of the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement), and the Women's Resource Agency (an agency of Student Government)

Application Form

Name

Title of Submission

Phone

Mailing Address

Email Address

Classification (if applicable)

University / College Affiliation (if applicable)

Department Affiliation (if applicable)

Dietary Restrictions

Other Specific Needs