Pq April/May 2017

PORTLAND

WHERE ARE ALL THE BUTCHES? PQMONTHLY.COM

APRIL/MAY 2017

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2 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 APRIL/MAY 2017

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PQ TEAM

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Melanie Davis

Owner/Publisher melanie@pqmonthly.com

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EDITORIAL Ryn McCoy

Editor editor@pqmonthly.com

Monty Herron Op Ed Writer

Shaley Howard Regular Contributor

George Nicola GLAPN Historian

Suzanne Deakins, Ph.D., H.W.M. Regular Contributor GLAPN

Sossity Chiricuzio

Columnist and Feature Reporter

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From the Editor

We did not plan to have a theme for this issue of PQ, but I feel that, unofficially, a theme emerged on its own. Many of the articles in this issue center around the act of questioning, especially in the context of self-examination. Marissa Yang Bertucci delivers an astute commentary questioning the value of well-intentioned political stunts with negative results. Shaley Howard reaches out to the lesbian community asking, “Where Have All the Butches Gone?” and advocates the continuous questioning required to embrace change and recognize progress. Zeloszelos Marchandt examines the complexities of online communities for people of color and questions their possible futures. Sossity Chiricuzio explores the questions we must ask ourselves in order to reach out and offer support without imposing on one another’s emotional space. These and other articles in this issue dig into the nitty gritty doubts, gray areas and growing pains within our own communities as well as in the political struggle for social justice.

This idea of questioning and self-examination resonates strongly with me right now; this is only the third issue of PQ I have worked on since becoming Editor, and I am very conscious of the weight of responsibility attached to this new position of relative authority.

I find myself questioning every decision I make for the publication—are we using language that is inclusive of diverse and intersectional identities? Does our content lift up those most marginalized? How do we arrange our priorities to best serve our communities?

This questioning is important; it is through this lens that I am able to learn more every day about the nuances of identity, the varied facets of love, and the many, many truths of which I am ignorant.

Over the last few months there has been a lot of criticism focused outward—at the Trump administration, at local authorities—with good reason, of course, but I find myself appreciating that this issue reminds us to look inward as well. The fear that presses in on us from outside our communities does not mean we should neglect the internal work there is to be done. We are all continually learning, and through questioning and self-examination we push ourselves to be conscientious as we move through the world and, overall, to do less harm and more good.

Ryn McCoy Editor, Brilliant Media

Photographers Dax McMillan Photographer

Nestor Miranda Photographer

Columnists & Contributors

Samantha L. Taylor, Michael James Schneider, Summer Seasons, Marco Davis, Kathryn Martini, Sally Mulligan, Katey Pants, Max Voltage, Queer Intersections

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WHAT YOU’LL FIND INSIDE: How are you doing?................................................... Page 4

Ethnic Studies May Hit Oregon Schools........................ Page 14

Touch Isolation and Homophobia.................................. Page 6

Intent // Impact................................................................. Page 16

Where Are All the Butches?............................................. Page 12

Digital Divides: Growing Pains in POC Forums.............. Page 18

AND MUCH MORE! JANUARY/FEBRUARY APRIL/MAY 2017 • 3

VOICES

Embody

By Sossity Chiricuzio

How are you doing?

FEATURES

The dental assistant comes to escort me to the exam room, and asks me, “How are you doing?” I respond honestly, which is all my current mood and nerves will allow, and ask her, “Do you want the genuine answer, or the short one?” After a moment’s pause she opts for the short one, which ends up genuine regardless.

“I’m feeling extremely anxious about this appointment.”

Not only is this important info for her, as we’re about to literally be sharing personal space, but it’s the only answer I can bring myself to give. A genuine one.

I wonder how often this question, which gets asked probably millions of times a day in our society, is answered genuinely. I wonder how often it is asked in a way meant to prompt a genuine response. I wonder when and how it became standard practice to extend the facade of interest in someone’s well being which is most often just meant to be another cog in the gears of social politeness. I genuinely want to answer. I genuinely ask.

These days, that question feels more important than ever, and more loaded.

If I ask someone how they are doing, and the answer is vulnerable or intimate or scary, am I helping by asking, or am I putting them on the spot? If someone asks me how I’m doing and I answer genuinely, am I making a connection, or taking up too much of their own energy reserves? Do those answers change if I, as a white, cisgendered, employed US citizen ask for or share information with someone who is a person of color or transgendered or homeless or an immigrant? Power often plays out in the sharing of information, and we often don’t know nearly enough about how to make that equitable, and respectful. I genuinely want to know and be known. I genuinely want to help.

I spend my day behind a desk, greeting people who are seeking medical care, and who have often been gaslit and disrespected and ignored. People who are often abused or misgendered or patronized out in the world. People whose vulnerable and intimate details I already have access to, simply by being part of their care team. Theoretically, I should maintain a professional distance, keep everything as light as possible, avoid sharing intimate details of my own life. I walk a fine line between engaging with them as a member of my own community, and working for them as a representative of the medical system. I genuinely want to be my own self. I genuinely want to know them.

Just as important as figuring out how to ask, is how to ask without pressure.

Expressing interest without assumptions, or an agenda. What it means to actively listen, and to safeguard what is shared as precious, and sacred. Figuring out how to stay present. To sit in discomfort, and make of it a learning opportunity without making it someone else’s job to educate. To not presume upon their privacy, or intrude upon their lived experience like a clumsy tourist. It’s vital to examine our incentive in inquiring, and check any feelings of entitlement to an answer. Not to insist on access to someone’s thought process or privacy or emotional labor.

I’ve been having conversations about this with many people lately, and a common thread is trying to figure out what to ask instead, or how to frame that ask, so that it’s clearly genuine and not assumptive. Is it even an ask, or is it meant to be an offer? Is it less about the language and more about taking the time to get clear in our intentions? Is it figuring out the difference between acknowledging and engaging? Is it possible to be more direct and less intrusive all at once?

I don’t know the answer, though I’m sure it’s not just one answer. I don’t know a better question, either, though I’m sure the same is true for that. I do know that I’m going to continue to examine this interaction, and keep trying to find genuine ways to acknowledge others and be mindful of their needs, to actively listen, and to respectfully respond. To make sure that if I say, “How are you doing?” that I’m actually available to hear the answer, or to hear that they don’t want to answer.

To avoid making assumptions, or making it about me. To make sure it’s based in connection, and not empty courtesy.

Sossity Chiricuzio is a writer and columnist based out of Portland, Oregon. She is a regular contributor for PQ Monthly and focuses on social justice, communication, community, and changing the world. You can reach her at sossity@pqmonthly.com or follow her online @sossitywrites.

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HOROSCOPE

LOCAL

STAR TRENDS

By Robert McEwen

Quantum Astrology and Mercury Retrograde Use the days until April 9 to initiate important connections you have been meaning to make: contact a person in charge of an area you wish to advance in; initiate communication with someone who has been on your mind; begin a project you have felt attracted to involve yourself in.

A Mercury retrograde cycle occurs three times each year. Things that are begun most often need to be repeated.

For example, if you take your car in for work, it is likely you will need to go back to your mechanic to re-fix the problem if he does the work under a Mercury retrograde cycle.

Prior to April 9, the beginning of the spring cycle, initiate as much activity as you can—make new starts and handle tasks you have been putting off. The summer Mercury Retro cycle begins August 12, 2017. The Mercury retrograde cycle is also good for refining and completing tasks already begun. Advance planning empowers us to use time to our best advantage—going forward when the time for action is ripe, and pulling back and resting when outward action would require needless repeated effort and expenditure of energy.

Quantum Astrology is revealing the power of the archetypes that live within the collective unconscious of each individuation of Infinite Mind. Each person is a unique design of the whole, yet encompasses the whole, or all the signs. It is a unique pattern, like the many facets of a diamond, but it is one diamond. It all reflects back and is part of the whole. It is really a consciousness conscious of conscious template.

There is a power that can be unleashed as we make the unconscious conscious.

This astrological measurement is the invisible essence of you as a mathematical equation. This is you as a quantum potential. This is quite the opposite of the old “fatalism” misunderstanding of astrology. Unpredictability can be unleashed in Quantum Astrology as you observe the planet placements, zodiac signs, and planetary aspects. The natal chart can be read in a timely manner by watching the transiting planets. This is the quantum part of the equation called you.

There is the power of synergy within the birth chart, and it is brought out as the current transiting planets travel in their orb through the 12 signs of the zodiac.

These archetypes connect in unique dynamics, and once understood awaken your consciousness in an amazing way that only you can experience. An astrologer, who interprets the language based on time and space, navigates this journey of discovering this internal consciousness map. This symbolic interpretation is the lens, which you look through to get a universal view of life!

Robert McEwen will be joining Suzanne Deakins in the series of seminars, “A Small Revolution,” where he will present Quantum Astrology. Quantum Astrology Readings available via Skype or phone. $95 hr. robbystarman@aol.com. 503-706-0396.

Robert McEwen, H.W., M Available for astrology readings at robbystarman@aol.com phone: 503 706-0396 pqmonthly.com PQMONTHLY.COM

JANUARY/FEBRUARY APRIL/MAY 2017 • 5

HOROSCOPE VOICES

TOUCH ISOLATION & HOMOPHOBIA

By Monty Herron

H

appy April, Oaster, Oastara, and Easter if your beliefs align with zombie Jesus! This month I wanna dish about something very few people are talking about. Touch isolation, and how homophobia creates it. This in turn contributes to rape culture.

I’ve always been a big fan of—and shout out to my straight mates that aren’t afraid of—male intimacy. You know who you are, and I count my blessings often that I know courageous, dynamic, comfortable fellas that over the years have shown me how to be a better man. How? It may come as a shock to some, but you actually can hold someone’s hand, hold each other, let someone cry on your shoulder, give a back rub, cuddle, relax, even play with someone’s hair—ALL without it leading to a torrid sexual encounter. Sadly, this is something sorely missing in many men’s lives.

So what are we talking about? In my day-to-day running amok on the interwebs, I found a gem known as The Good Men Project (https:// goodmenproject.com), which seeks to have the conversation “no one is having.” In one article on the website, author Mark Greene states the following: “American men, in an attempt to avoid any possible hint of committing unwanted sexual touch, are foregoing gentle platonic touch in their lives.

Homophobic social stigmas, the long-standing challenges of rampant sexual abuse, and a society steeped in a generations old puritanical distrust of physical pleasure have created an isolating trap in which American men can go for days or weeks at a time without touching another human being.

The implications of touch isolation for men’s health and happiness are huge.

“Gentle platonic touch is central to the early development of infants. It continues to play an important role throughout men and women’s lives in terms of our development, health and emotional well being, right into old age. When I talk about gentle platonic touch, I’m not talking about a pat on the back, or a handshake, but instead contact that is lasting and meant to provide connection and comfort. Think, leaning on someone for a few minutes, holding hands, rubbing their back or sitting close together not out of necessity but out of choice. Yet, culturally, gentle platonic touch is the one thing we suppress culturally in men and it starts when they are very young boys.”

Mark goes on to state that the problem only compounds itself further: “By the time they are approaching puberty, many boys have learned to touch only in aggressive ways through rough housing or team sports.

And if they do seek gentle touch in their lives, it is expected to take place in the exclusive and highly sexualized context of dating … In a nutshell, we leave children in their early teens to undo a lifetime of touch aversion and physical isolation. The emotional impact of coming of age in our touch-averse, homophobic culture is terribly damaging. It’s no wonder our young people face an epidemic of sexual abuse, unwanted pregnancy, rape, drug and alcohol abuse. In America in particular, if a young man attempts gentle platonic contact with another young man, he faces a very real risk of homophobic backlash either by that person or by those who witness the contact. This is, in part, because we frame all contact by men as being intentionally sexual until proven otherwise. Couple this with the homophobia that runs rampant in our culture, and you get a recipe for increased touch isolation that damages the lives of the vast majority of men.

“As much as gay men have faced the brunt of homophobic violence, straight men have been banished to a desert of physical isolation by these same homophobic fanatics who police lesbians and gays in our society. The result has been a generation of American men who do not hug each other, do not hold hands and can not sit close together without the homophobic litmus test kicking in. The lack of touch in men’s lives results in a higher likelihood of depression, alcoholism, mental and physical illness. Put simply, touch isolation is making men’s lives less healthy and more lonely.”

Have I got you interested? You can read the complete story and much more at https://goodmenproject.com/featured-content/megasahd-touchisolation-how-homophobia-has-robbed-men-of-touch. Follow Mark’s work at Mark Greene Remaking Manhood on Facebook, @Remakingmanhood on Twitter.

My hope, my wish? MORE men need to know the warmth, safety, and security of positive male engagement. I am grateful and blessed to have the large network of friends, bros, intellectuals, etc. that I have. You are a gift, and you each make a difference in my life. Know that you are loved, and I treasure the moments we share. Until next month, take care, be love, be compassion, be aware, spread kindness, and most of all, RESIST.

From a collection of historic photos compiled by Brett and Kate McKay for an article titled “Bosom Buddies: A Photo History of Male Affection.”

6 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 APRIL/MAY 2017

Parts of this story have been reprinted with permission from the author, Mark Greene.

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CALENDAR LOCAL

COMMUNITY

t

he National Gay and Lesbian Journalist Association (NLGJA): The Association of LGBT Journalists was proud to host the yearly LGBT Media Journalists Convening, sponsored by the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund and the Arcus Foundation. This year’s event hosted 77 Journalist from around the country with an audience impact of over 1.7 billion. Media masters in attendance included everyone from CNN to twitter activist @JoeMyGod to Tagg Magazine, a four-year-old black queer owned publication in Washington DC. With a packed agenda, Lewis Wallace, an independent journalist, editor and transgender rabble-rouser, started off #LGBTMedia17 with a robust discussion around a piece they wrote and were later fired over: Objectivity is dead, and I’m okay with it.

The question, “Is objectivity dead?” became a challenging question for many to answer considering the state of emergency our country is in. By day two of the LGBT Convening we were ready to meet the panelist who covered the worst massacre in our country since Wounded Knee: Pulse Night Club. Joining the panel was The Orlando Historical Society to talk about artifacts it is gathering to memorialize and interpret the tragedy. You can see some items on their website. Shortly after, we were joined by Ricardo J. Negron-Almodovar, Director of Proyecto Somos Orlando and a survivor of the massacre.

Ricardo J. Negron-Almodovar’s conversation was perhaps one of the most important we had. He shared with us in detail what happened and how he escaped.

He also told us how mindful journalist must be when covering such a tragedy. Words of advice to journalist covering tragedies: “Remember, we are not your assignment, and we do care about your deadlines; we are surviving, surviving the worst possible nightmare!” Ricardo said that journalists from around the world were relentlessly hunting down anyone linked to Pulse’s public social media page. He said this was particularly challenging, because regardless of how the story was being told, the fact remains that it was white washed and gay washed, stripping Latinx people of their identities. Furthermore, the public outing of many people has only helped sustain the trauma many of these survivors are dealing with.

#LGBTmedia17

By Melanie Davis

“

Our collective history erased many of us and forced us to own our own narrative by opening media outlets that reflect more voices, voices that have traditionally been missed or obviously overlooked.

Another important project we learned about was the TransMilitary project, which has existed to create visual media for transgender service members and veterans to be seen and heard. Envisioning a day when the United States military no longer discriminates against transgender people from serving the country they love. Per their website: We believe when people relate to the personal experience of transgender soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines, they will come to appreciate transgender individuals in society too.

TransMilitary’s current projects includes a feature documentary by filmmakers Fiona Dawson and Gabriel Silverman and Jamie Coughlin of SideXSide Studios, currently in post-production. If finishing funds are raised, the film will be released fall 2017.

This was my second time at this convening, and as a queer Latinx person, I was grateful for the level of diversity in attendees and media outlets, which helped contribute to lively discussion that helped us overall in getting on the same page. This was particularly evident when some of our historians would site our collective queer history. They would immediately be reminded that our collective history erased many of us and forced us to own our own narrative by opening media outlets that reflect more voices, voices that have traditionally been missed or obviously overlooked. The Pulse nightclub massacre was repeatedly cited as an example of how we ignore each other, and how we as an industry can do better, even by simply taking a page from one another’s books.

NLGJA is an organization of journalists, news executives, media professionals, educators and students working from within the news industry to foster fair and accurate coverage of LGBTQ issues. NLGJA opposes all forms of workplace bias and provides professional development to its members. For more information, visit www.nlgja.org.

8 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 APRIL/MAY 2017

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NEWS

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY APRIL/MAY 2017 • 9

CALENDAR NEWS

1 TOP PICKS

2 GOOD TIMES

CALENDAR

Oregon Queer Youth Summit 2017: DIY Resistance

Join other queer youth (24 years old or younger) from all over the Pacific Northwest for this amazing conference held by and for queer and trans identified youth and their allies. This year’s theme is DIY Resistance: Solidarity, Self Care, & Survival. Attendees will share their ideas and open hearts at youth-led workshops, see keynote speeches, eat delicious food, and dance it out at a queer prom. And it’s all FREE! Saturday, May 13 at PCC Cascade Campus, 705 N Killingsworth St, Portland. Learn more and register online at oqys.org.

2017 QDoc Film Festival

QDoc is the only festival in the U.S. devoted exclusively to LGBTQ documentaries. Documentaries offer a unique vehicle to creatively engage core issues of queer identity—politics, history, culture, diversity, sexuality, family, aging, and coming-out issues. Documentary as a form of expression is as vital and energetic as it has ever been, and QDoc brings the highest caliber of films— and their makers—to share with Portland audiences.

Thursday, May 18 – Sunday, May 21 at the Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland. Tickets at www.queerdocfest.org.

Red Dress Party 2017: Red Queen

Join Red Dress PDX for one of the largest and most anticipated fundraising events in Portland, the 17th annual Red Dress Party! Take a trip down the rabbit hole with this year’s theme, Red Queen. Tickets to the event include entrance to the party, dancing, and food and drinks all evening. All proceeds from this year’s Red Dress Party will benefit Bradley Angle and Q Center. Saturday, May 20, 8 p.m. – 12 a.m. at the Old Freeman Factory, 2638 NW Wilson St, Portland. $55 General Admission, $155 VIP Experience. 21+ only. Tickets at reddresspdx.simpletix.com.

Throwback Thursdays

Throwback Thursday hosted by the always fashionable Drexler. The house DJ spins the best pop, hip hop, and R&B hits of the 80s, 90s, and 00s. Thursdays at Stag PDX, 317 NW Broadway, Portland. Free, 21+ only.

Testify Brunch Gay Skate

Come join us for our monthly Gay Skate night. Gay skate happens the 3rd Monday of every month 7 – 9 p.m. at Oaks Amusement Park, 7805 SE Oaks Pkwy, Portland.

Testify Brunch hosted by the fabulous Alexis Campbell Starr from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Show starts at 12:30 p.m.

Sundays at Stag PDX, 317 NW Broadway, Portland.

Free.

Burlesque S’il Vous Plait

Enjoy a classic burlesque show with a contemporary variety twist every first Friday. First Friday, at Crush Bar, 1400 SE Morrison St., Portland. Doors at 8:30 p.m., Show at 9 p.m., $12 – $18.

Last Wednesgays

Get through hump day with a bonus LGBTQ drink or two. This hip, rustic-industrial hangout offers a patio, fireplaces, and ping-pong. Last Wednesday each month from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. at Century, 930 SE Sandy Blvd, Portland. Free, 21+ only.

Legendary Mondays

Every Monday, Bart Fitzgerald curates one of the most refreshing events of the week. If you make it through a Monday, you deserve to attend. Music

by Dubblife. Mondays, 9 p.m – 2 a.m. at Swift Lounge, 1932 NE Broadway St. Portland. Free and open to the public, 21+ only.

Bronco Night at Stag

Every first Saturday is Bronco, a sexy new men’s night in Portland and across the U.S. at men’s clubs. Enjoy beefy bearded dancers, great tunes, photo booths, and sexy visuals! First Saturday, 9 p.m. – 2 a.m. at Stag PDX, 317 NW Broadway, Portland. $6 before 10 p.m., $10 after, doors at 9 p.m. 21+ only.

Pants Off Dance Off

Body positive, bare-as-you-dare dance party that happens every first Saturday of the month. First Saturday, 9 p.m. at Crush Bar, 1400 SE Morrison St., Portland. $7 cover, clothes check included.

Stag Karaoke Mondays

Amateur Night in the main bar hosted by the gorgeous Godiva DeVyne. Interested dancers should arrive by 8:45 p.m. Wednesdays at Stag PDX, 317 NW Broadway, Portland. Free, 21+ only.

10 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 APRIL/MAY 2017

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Want more? We’ll give you everything. Head over to pqmonthly.com and check out our online calendar of events, submit your own events, and send photos for your event.

Weekly karaoke night for the queer community. Mondays at Stag PDX, 317 NW Broadway, Portland. Free, 21+ only.

Amateur Night

Bi Bar

Bi, pan, fluid, and queer folks are welcome to come to the monthly Bi Bar event every second Tuesday at Crush Bar. Second Tuesday, 8 – 11:30 p.m. at Crush Bar, 1400 SE Morrison St., Portland. No cover.

Dykes on Bikes Bingo Fundraiser

First card free, $3 cards after. Happens the first Tuesday every month. First Tuesday, 6 – 8 p.m. at Crush Bar, 1400 SE Morrison St., Portland.

Have an event you want considered? Submit your events at calendar@pqmonthly.com. Events for the May issue must be submitted by May 1st.

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CALENDAR

3 COMMUNITY EVENTS

Resistance is NOT Futile: The Transsexual Empire Strikes Back

Building the Wall

Triangle Productions! invites you to the world premiere of Building the Wall, by Robert Schenkkan. A play that hearkens back to George Orwell’s 1984 and the Nazi regime, Building the Wall is a terrifying and gripping exploration of what happens if we let fear win. Thursday, April 20 – Saturday, April 29 at the Sanctuary at Sandy Plaza, 1785 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland. Tickets range $15–35. Learn more and buy tickets at www. trianglepro.org/building-the-wall

Prism Ribbon Cutting

Join Prism Health and the Cascade AIDS Project for the ribbon cutting at the brand new Prism, Oregon’s first LGBTQ Health Center. Take a tour and enjoy a performance by the Portland Gay Men’s Chorus. Friday, April 21, 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at Prism Health, 2236 SE Belmont St, Portland.

March for Science – Portland

This Earth Day, join the Portland, Oregon branch of the national March for Science for a rally, a march through downtown, live music and entertainment, and a science expo and kid zone at the waterfront.

Saturday, April 22, 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. rally and march through downtown, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. expo and entertainment at Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland. Learn more at www. facebook.com/ScienceMarchPDX.

Join Wormbook Press for another spectacular evening of the best trans women writers in the Pacific Northwest.

We’ll be sharing stories of the heart and beyond at Obsidian in downtown Olympia. Sunday, April 30, 5 – 7 p.m. at Obsidian, 414 4th Ave E, Olympia, WA. Learn more at obsidianolympia.com/events/ resistance-is-not-futile-transsexuals-witches-andthe-wardrobe-2.

May Day 2017: Hate will not stop us. Fear will not silence us.

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The Portland Night Market showcases many unique and diverse businesses that call the great City of Portland home. Blending food, culture, music, drinks and retail together for an adventurous evening in the Industrial District. The event allows people to meet some of Portland’s best makers and creators set in the unique venue of a 100+-year-old eastside industrial warehouse.

Friday, May 12 – Saturday, May 13, 4 – 11 p.m. at 100 SE Alder St, Portland. No cost, all ages.

Join Wormbook Press for another spectacular evening of the best trans women writers in the Pacific Northwest.

We’ll be sharing stories of the heart and beyond at Obsidian in downtown Olympia. Sunday, April 30, 5 – 7 p.m. at Obsidian, 414 4th Ave E, Olympia, WA. Learn more at obsidianolympia.com/events/ resistance-is-not-futile-transsexuals-witches-andthe-wardrobe-2.

Incite: Queer Writers Read

Public · Hosted by Incite: Queer Writers Read Attend another Incite reading by queer writers, followed by an audience “talk-back” and moderated discussion.

In honor of May Day, the theme is work. Tuesday, May 2, 7 p.m. at The Studio at Literary Arts, 925 SW Washington St, Portland.

Bring things that help you with self care and destressing that you want to do or share with others, or just bring yourself! We acknowledge that self care looks different to each person and so the space will be open for LGBTQ+ folks to use in any way. Wednesday, April 26, 7 – 10 p.m. at Anarres Infoshop & Community Space, 7101 N Lombard St, Portland. No cost (but donations appreciated), all ages, alcohol-free. Learn more at http://bit.ly/2ogGqjl.

Curvy Chic Closet brings a Super Store to you with our semi-annual event for curvy women size 14/XL–34. You can find an unmatched selection of the latest clothing, shoes and accessories for the discerning curvy shopper all in one convenient location. Shop for plus size name brand fashion at dynamite prices! Thursday, April 27 – Sunday, April 30, 2 – 5 p.m. at 12505 NW Cornell Rd, Portland.

Join Voz Hispana Cambio Comunitario and Milenio. org for our first Cinco de Mayo Rally. We will be having cultural performances by musicians and local artists.

Come and celebrate our accomplishments and find out what’s next! Friday, May 5, 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. at Shute Park Aquatic & Recreation Center, 953 SE Maple St, Hillsboro.

Portland Night Market

LGBTQ+ Self & Community Care Night!

Curvy Chic Closet Spring 2017 Consignment Sales Event

Cinco de Mayo Rally – Overcoming Oppression with Power

Portland Center Stage at The Armory 2017– 2018 General Auditions

The Portland Night Market showcases many unique and diverse businesses that call the great City of Portland home. Blending food, culture, music, drinks and retail together for an adventurous evening in the Industrial District. The event allows people to meet some of Portland’s best makers and creators set in the unique venue of a 100+-year-old eastside industrial warehouse.

Friday, May 12 – Saturday, May 13, 4 – 11 p.m. at 100 SE Alder St, Portland. No cost, all ages.

Maximize Your Pleasure Live Bootcamp with Eva Blake

Talking about sexuality only goes so far. We will practice solid foundational techniques to cultivate home in your body, no matter your moment, place, or time. We will unfold the science and mysteries of orgasm, arousal, and sexual anatomy while strengthening the core connection you have with your sex. Friday, May 19 – Sunday, May 21 at Desire Studio PDX, 4810 NE Garfield Ave, Portland. Tickets $397. Learn more and register at www.maximizeyourpleasure.com.

Not Without a Fight II

BdAP Booking is putting on another Not Without a Fight benefit show, featuring great lineups for two nights in a row. This round’s beneficiaries will be Outside In and Portland People’s Outreach Project (PPOP). Give all that you can to support these great organizations. Friday, April 28 – Saturday, April 29, 8 – 11 p.m. at The Know, 3728 NE Sandy Blvd, Portland. $7 or more, 21+ only.

Learn more atwww.facebook.com/bdapbooking.

STOP Family Separations and Human Rights Violations! ¡YA Basta!

Voz Hispana Cambio Comunitario and Milenio.org invite you to a rally at the Tacoma, Washington Immigration Detention Facility to demand the immediate release of immigrants arrested by Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) since January of this year. Stop family separations NOW! Sunday, June 4, 1–4 p.m. at the Northwest Detention Center, 1623 E J St, Tacoma, Washington.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY APRIL/MAY 2017 • 11

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VOICES

WHERE ARE ALL THE BUTCHES?

By Shaley Howard

There was definitely a time when claiming you were a butch lesbian was politically important—and fashionable. You were the obvious gay woman.

You were expressing your gender identity with pride, and intentionally pushing back against the extreme sexism in our culture. To be a butch lesbian defied and challenged a heteronormative and sexist culture that had clear gender constructs of masculine and feminine.

Back then the dichotomy of butch/femme was normal within the queer community and a very important step in pushing societal boundaries.

Simply by presenting oneself in an overtly masculine way in a culture where women were suppose to act and look “feminine” was unusual and took courage. So where are all the butches?

12 • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 APRIL/MAY 2017

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As a self-identified butch lesbian who’s a bit older, I’ve be fortunate enough to witness a lot of transformation—not only in how heteronormative society has changed and embraced LGBT culture and people, but also how we as a community have expanded our awareness and definitions of gender identity and expression. Nowadays, individuals can choose to describe themselves in ways that more accurately describe how they feel both inside and out. But back in the 1980s and 90s that was not the case. There were relatively few LGBT organizations. The first openly gay organization I discovered was in college, called the “Gay Alliance.” Lesbian was added later, renaming it the more inclusive “Gay and Lesbian Alliance.” Today we have the much more inclusive alphabet soup descriptor of LGBTTIQQ2SA.

The identity of ‘butch’ can be described in a multitude of ways. Simply put, a butch lesbian is generally someone whose gender expression and behavior is stereotypically more masculine, yet whose gender identity is female. Of course this is a simple and limited description. Butch identity can be much more complex and fluid. I’ve known many women who appear conventionally feminine yet are more ‘butch’ than I could ever be on the inside.

Butch lesbians historically have been a strong force in changing dynamics and helping to shift the boundaries of perceived gender and identity. Back then, gender identity was very much seen in a dualist paradigm. You were this, or you were that; you were a man or you were a woman. By default butches lived, and still live, in the in-between, embracing both masculine and feminine, whether intentionally or not. This ambiguous, in-between place of butch is confusing, and certainly a major threat to a patriarchal, heteronormative society. Butches forced our culture to examine its sexist and homophobic attitudes and beliefs.

In a time when institutionally enforced homophobia was more commonplace, a way to combat the challenge of being openly gay (and especially butch) was by not allowing the heterosexual world inside our gay umbrella. Heterosexual men in particular were seen as the “enemy.” If we were unsafe in larger society, then we would make our own, welcoming society, off limits to “those men.”

There was, and to a certain degree still is, a feeling of betrayal if anyone outside tried to enter our world.

I’m certain many bisexuals especially remember pqmonthly.com PQMONTHLY.COM

how hard it was to be accepted in the lesbian community. If you were bisexual, common thinking was that you could easily go back to our archenemy—straight men— therefore you were an outsider.

Persona non grata for all intents and purposes.

Perhaps it’s true that there aren’t as many self-identifying butch lesbians around nowadays, but I think instead of focusing on “where are all the butches,” maybe we should look at why it’s so challenging to let go of the notion that gender expression and identity has to be limited to a butch/femme dichotomy — and that anything outside that framework is the enemy. Many within our community still believe that allowing too much gender fluidity is threatening. These are fearbased ideologies that need to be reexamined.

I’ve heard many within our community blame— yes, blame—the ever decreasing number of butches on the fact that so many would-be butches have come out as transgender. That the “lack” of butches is due to so many butches transitioning, “watering down” our lesbian community. Are you fucking kidding me? First, throwing around the idea that transgender people are diluting the diversity of the queerness, especially butch lesbians, by supposedly buying into the heteronormative stereotype (i.e. becoming men), joining the patriarch and abandoning the butch community—is a very dangerous idea. An idea that I believe is absolutely wrong. Being transgender is not a choice or a phase. This lack of acceptance and feeling of being betrayed by transgender people—especially transgender men in the “where are all the butches” conversation—is solely based out of fear. That fear on one hand is valid in that there are many threats to the queer community still. But it’s also misguided in that it is directed toward individuals who are and always have been a part of our community’s strength.

I’ve spoken to numerous friends who have transitioned, and I’m appalled at how we treat them, our brothers and sisters. Many who have come out as transgender shared that their lesbian “friends” no longer consider them part of our community because they now identify as men. One friend even considered shaving off his beard so the lesbian community would accept him again. A beard

VOICES FEATURES

that he was head-over-heels excited about when it started coming in.

So I ask myself, are we that caught up in the idea that being queer today is still some sort of dichotomous construct? Are we that insecure that the butch population is decreasing so feel we need to place blame instead of accepting and embracing progress and change? We’ve fought tirelessly for equality and acceptance in this heteronormative culture, yet when diversity and change blossoms within our own community we apply the same restrictions and discrimination we’ve experienced all our lives.

I cannot imagine the challenges my transgender brothers and sisters have had to face in such new and unchartered territories of self discovery; what they endure physically, emotionally and psychologically in a heteronormative culture that is overwhelmingly intolerant of transgender people. Think back on the struggles of just deciding to come out of the closet as lesbian or gay. Think of the pain of not being accepted by friends, family and coworkers. Remember the isolation and loneliness of not having or being able to find community. Given our journey and history of oppression, it strikes me that we should be the ones embracing and defending everyone who is a part of the LGBTQ community—not blaming, pointing fingers, and causing derision.

I love and embrace who I am as a butch lesbian, but I struggle with this hype over where all the butches have gone. Nowhere. Butch women are still here. And even if the identity of butch isn’t as central or popular as it used to be, it takes absolutely nothing away from my butch identity. Embracing the enormous progress we as a community have made over the years in expanding our awareness and ability to embrace gender fluidity seems much more important than concerning ourselves with where any particular identity has gone.

In asking the question, “Where have all the butches gone?,” we’re clinging to a past that was important for us, but also restrictive and brutal in many ways. Instead of feeling that loss, maybe it’s ultimately something we gained in that everyone is better able to self-identify in ways that feel authentic. Maybe we should be asking ourselves different questions altogether. Maybe the better, more positive solution might be to ask ourselves, “Are we supporting diversity within our own queer community? And if not, how can we?”

JANUARY/FEBRUARY APRIL/MAY 2017 • 13

CALENDAR NATIONAL

REGIONAL

Ethnic Studies May Hit Oregon Schools

By Cervante Pope

T

here’s no denying that differences exist among the diverse

cultures and heritages in the world. Families have control when it comes to teaching and passing down knowledge of these polarities at home, but the way their cultures and history are edified in an educational setting is out of their hands. In Oregon, the Ethnic Studies Coalition is crusading for students to learn true portrayals of minority cultures through the presentation of a new bill to the Department of Education. If passed, House Bill 2845 would modify the current standards for social studies curriculum in schools by making Ethnic Studies required learning for students in grades K-12 by the year 2020.

While the word “ethnic” implies a specific focus on the study of racial minorities, the bill extends itself to be inclusionary of social minorities, like the LBGT or disabled communities, to be informative of the full scope of marginalized groups. Oregon has seen a detrimental spike in race and hate-based crimes and attacks, particularly in schools; this sensitive social climate calls for a deeper attention to how all students learn about cultural history. The Ethnic Studies Coalition has been working tirelessly on this bill prior to the recent change in political power.

“The Coalition came together to envision and draft this bill prior to Trump’s election,” says Emily Lai, the Director of Programs for Momentum Alliance, a youth-led social justice nonprofit whose mission is to inspire young people to realize their power individually and collectively. Momentum Alliance is one of several organizations that make up the Ethnic Studies Coalition. “Education and equity issues have always been urgent for us, and we recognize that the Trump presidency has made more people understand and feel the urgency and gravity of equity issues.”

Along with Momentum Alliance, the Ethnic Studies Coalition is comprised of the Oregon Student Association, Asian Pacific American Network of Oregon (APANO), Coalition of Communities of Color, Chalkboard Project, and the Oregon Student Association make up the Ethnic Studies Coalition. These organizations have worked hard to define the guidelines to ensure the bill’s success.

The bill directs the Department of Education to assemble an advisory board of 14 members, representative of each group targeted through the bill’s outreach, including students from grades 7–12 and representatives from the Commission of Indian Services, the Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander Affairs, the Commission on Black Affairs, the Commission for Women and a representative of the LGBT community.

The advisory group will determine a foundation for teachers to employ in building their curriculum by providing “a list of suggested materials, resources, sample curricula and pedagogical skills training programs for use in kindergarten through grade 12 public

“

school classrooms that accurately reflect the ethnic and social diversity of this state and the United States,” while also proposing “professional learning requirements for educators and staff to facilitate the successful implementation of the proposed ethnic studies standards,” per the bill’s language. Additionally, HB 2845 is requiring the Department of Education to “publish annual reports on implementation of standards” to log the progress between the bill, the students and the educators.

“As an educator of color, I strongly support this bill that would allow me to teach my students about their own history and not just what is in the textbooks,” says Alejandra Barragán, a second grade Spanish immersion teacher in the Reynolds School District, and the Ethnic Minority Director of the Oregon Education Association. “I am excited for the opportunity to see these standards in place and differentiate the learning for my students.

It is important that our students engage in history and become critical thinkers as they engage in the present.”

The bill has garnered much support and legislative backing, such as from its chief sponsors Representative Diego Hernandez and Senator Lew Frederick, but some legislators have expressed concerns about the bill’s inclusion. According to Lai, certain legislators from more rural and republican-leaning parts of Oregon question the social minorities aspect of the bill, as well as the teaching of Ethnic Studies to grades K–12. Worries seem to be centered around how exactly to convey racial and sexual differences to students of such a young age—but, ultimately, support is still shown. “Beyond that, most legislators understand and support the intention and overall goals of the bill,” says Lai. “They understand that teaching the histories, contributions, and perspectives of all cultures and communities is beneficial to all Oregonians.”

The most important aspect of HB 2845 is the students that it will affect, who have grown up learning from a curriculum that does not offer them a relatable history. Chinook Native and Pacific Islander Alexis Cannard, a Roosevelt High School senior, has been shaped by her Oregon education in many ways.

She feels that the lack of representation of her own background, as well as the histories of other, has strongly affected her, and is concerned about the impact it continues to have on younger students.

“I feel my history is written in missing pages of our textbooks,” Cannard writes in a testimony to Chair Margaret Doherty and the rest of the House Education Committee.

“Ethnic Studies is essential to break down barriers and stereotypes.”

“We need to start to think critically and question everything,” Cannard continues.

“Ethnic studies will start conversations. It will spark the drive to seek change.”

Worries seem to be centered around how exactly to convey racial and sexual differences to students of such a young age.

14 • APRIL/MAY JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 2017

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POLITICS

South Dakota Bill Hurts the LGBT Community

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S

outh Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard signed 37 new bills into law at the beginning of March, one of them blatantly targeting LGBT couples and the children that could potentially call them parents. The Republican dominated legislature fully supported Daugaard’s signing of Senate Bill 149, permitting faith-based and taxpayer-funded adoption agencies to deny LBGT couples adoption services.

Leading a series of anti-LBGT bills to come into effect across the country through 2017, SB 149 essentially legalizes discrimination against persons based on their sexual orientation.

“Today’s signing of Senate Bill 149 is deeply troubling not only because it opens the door to widespread discrimination against LGBT people and children in South Dakota, but because it’s only one of many bills moving through state legislatures across the country that authorizes taxpayer-funded discrimination against LGBT Americans,” said James Esseks, director of ACLU’s LGBT Project, in a statement on March 10, the day the bill was signed.

Numerous adoption and child placement agencies are religiously based, often Christian or Catholic. The South Dakota bill does not specifically focus on organizations with religious affiliations, meaning that any organization can deny a couple placement on merit of orientation.

Prior to signing the bill, Gov. Daugaard expressed concern about private agencies being subjected to lawsuits for denying placement to persons in a “protected class,” like he considers those in the LGBT community to be, according to the Associated Press. He claims his hopes lie in this bill preventing this.

“Same-sex couples are six times as likely to foster than different-sex couples are, and this bill proves once again that opponents of equality are happy to put children at risk and deny them permanent homes to further their anti-LGBT agenda,” said Laura Durso, the vice president of LGBT research and communications at the Center for American Progress, in a statement. “SB 149 allows religiously affiliated foster care and adoption agencies to turn away qualified LGBT parents and single moms who simply want to start families and give young people a safe, loving home.”

The ramifications of SB 149 are still new, but similar bills directly targeting the LGBT community are being pursued in Texas (SB 892 and HB 1805), Alabama (SB 145) and Oklahoma (HB 1507), among others.

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Always have supported LGBT rights, Always will.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY APRIL/MAY 2017 • 15

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POLITICS

Intent // Impact What’s the value of a political stunt with unintended negative consequences?

By Marissa Yang Bertucci

Around 4 p.m. on Tuesday, April 4, Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley took the Senate floor. He wore a gold tie, parted his hair to the extreme right. He stayed on his feet for fifteen hours, protesting the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the United States Supreme Court.

According to the Huffington Post, Merkley’s show of resistance was the eighth longest Senate Floor speech since 1900. I woke up on the morning of April 5 and learned that Merkley had spoken through the night. A few sentimental tears pricked the corners of my eyes. The Republicans would find a way to confirm Gorsuch, I was sure, but Merkley—a straight, white, economically privileged man—put his knees and vocal cords through hell to echo the displeasure of so many progressive constituents.

But progressive analysts cautioned about the consequences of such a display. And sure as shit, the Republican-controlled Senate decided on Thursday, April 6 to go nuclear, voting to strike down the 60-vote threshold previously required to confirm a Supreme Court nominee in favor of a 51-vote simple majority. Consider how we got to this point: when Democrats themselves last went nuclear in 2013, they were up against a hostile Republican minority that stubbornly blocked President Obama’s judicial and executive branch nominations.

But as the LA Times’ Lisa Mascaro notes, “[D]eploying the nuclear option backfired when they became the minority and President Trump’s Cabinet nominees this year were able to be approved by Republicans with the lower, 51-vote threshold.” At the time, Supreme Court nominees were not included in the rule change as a nod to the gravity of lifetime bench appointments. But Mascaro argues that the door was nevertheless opened for Republicans to go nuclear now.

And so, with their feet squarely on the welcome mat, Republicans have been strategizing for this moment to kick open that door.

When Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, among the most conservative of the bench, died unexpectedly in February 2016, President Obama nominated Merrick Garland, the Chief Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit. Although Garland, equal parts competent and safe, was vetted and nominated, the Republican-controlled Senate Senator Merkley voiced his concern on social media about the simple refused to vote on his nomination. majority confirmation of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court For months. We can only assume that the petty-ass ghost of Scalia twirled happily over this stalemate. With crickets chirping loudly into 2017, Obama’s pending nomination expired at the beginning of January with the end of the 114th Congress. Instead of bringing Garland back to the table, President Trump nominated conservative-leaning Neil Gorsuch. Merkley and other Democrats saw the deliberate stalemate over Garland for an entire year as a blatant theft of a Supreme Court seat.

While Gorsuch is not the best dude—possibly a plagiarist, definitely a corporate stooge—many people argued that his Supreme Court appointment was fairly benign in comparison to the Trump administration’s myriad offenses, and was therefore not the correct time to deploy so much political capital. The toxic aftershocks were felt quickly.

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Senate Republicans used the nuclear option to move forward with their nominee. Gorsuch was confirmed 54-45, with all Republicans (save one abstention) and three Democrats voting in favor. Merkley tweeted on Thursday afternoon, “For 1st time in U.S. history, debate was just closed on #SCOTUS with <60 votes. This is profoundly damaging to the integrity of #SCOTUS.” Single tear emoji. RIP. All of this is to say: yeah, the filibuster of Gorsuch’s nomination came from a long and convoluted Senate struggle, and yeah, Democrats knew ahead of time that a filibuster could screw up a lot of stuff if Republicans decided to go nuclear, and yeah, Democrats still decided to filibuster, and yeah, their critiques were legit. While we can only speculate about the slippery slope that may follow this erosion of minority party power in the Senate, progressives are asking ourselves: what if this rule change makes it much easier for Trump to appoint Justices far more insidious than Gorsuch in the future?

Was the protest worth it? Are political stunts that bring unintended fallout to be avoided altogether?

Let’s narrow the scope to Portland. Are the protesters right here in Portland less justified in their disruption of the City Council meetings that followed a Portland Police officer’s killing of seventeen-year-old Quanice Hayes, because Mayor Ted Wheeler responded by tightening security at City Council meetings? I would say hell no. Wheeler has claimed that these code changes allow for people to be ejected or placed temporarily on “administrative exclusion” from City Hall, and are meant to target a specific kind of senseless disruption or dangerous behavior. He went so far as to say to the Oregonian that his intent was to make sure City Council isn’t “spending every meeting hearing from the same five middle-aged white guys.” But the impact is going to be less civic engagement, especially from people whose identities are regularly profiled as being more “disruptive” or “dangerous.” Even with this fallout, I believe in the right of protesters to bring their authentic frustrations and concerns to City Hall. So it wasn’t pretty. So it wasn’t “respectable.” So what. The protesters on March 1 called to Wheeler, “Say his name!” And in the end, as he walked out, Wheeler responded quietly, “Quanice Hayes.”

On April 5, a protester took the floor under the premise of discussing a ordinance on towing abandoned boats. He spoke about the recalcitrant atmosphere of recent City Council meetings, and concluded, “What I realized is that the language of resistance has not been properly translated to you, so this is for you.” He reached into his coat pocket and placed a Pepsi in Wheeler’s hand, parodying a controversial ad that borrowed protest imagery and concluded with Kendall Jenner stepping out of the protest to give a Pepsi to a smiling police officer. Some decry the Portland protester’s move as flash without strategy; others call it a timely critique of the city of Portland’s treatment of Black Lives Matter protesters. Councilmembers were alarmed, and many speculate that Wheeler may tighten security even more.

If activist disruptions result in restricted access to City Hall, do they negate their own value? Have reactionary politics scared us into operating from a scarcity mentality that urges us not to act for fear of reprisal? Maybe the Senate rule change would have happened eventually anyway, and maybe Wheeler would have tightened security in City Council meetings eventually anyway. Maybe not. If we worry that every act of resistance will result in pushback, we may censor ourselves out of taking risks that result in valuable gains. Real lives are on the line in local and national politics, and acts of resistance ought to come from thoughtfulness and intent, especially centering those most marginalized.

But with the unpredictability of the game, it’s hard to tell dissenters to sit down, shut up, and wait for a more convenient time to resist.

Republicans have been strategizing for this moment to kick open that door.

16 • APRIL/MAY JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 2017

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COMMUNITY

DIGITAL DIVIDES: GROWING PAINS IN POC FORUMS

By Zeloszelos Marchandt

D

ependable safe spaces are a requirement for people of color (PoC), when mundane tasks like working, attending a rehearsal or going for a walk can mean encountering a host of racist, classist and gender hate constructs that, wellintentioned or not, continually compromise mental health. Having space to be upset has gone from purely face to face organizing to a hybrid of real-time assembling and digital community building.

Western ideas for drafting and maintaining equity have historically depended on messaging like posters, pins, marches and banners as symbolic actions of unity and community. Today they take the form of online memes, screenshots and swiftly rebranded information from mainstream media. Civil Rights attorney Howard Moore Jr., who promoted anti-discrimination laws like the Civil Rights and Voting Rights acts, spoke in Portland last January about the history of the civil rights community and its social justice luminaries today as they encounter digital media.

“Platforms like Facebook have been tools to spread information quickly, but have yet to prove themselves as a way to unify or transmit and protect information,” said Moore. “It remains to be seen how social media will meet these challenges.”

There is a difference between Facebook and other online forums. Facebook is calibrated to increase reach quickly through word of mouth and analytics built into the platform. Digital forums outside of Facebook do not have the same mechanics.

They often act purely as message boards, with threads stemming from an original topic. Another difference is how they encourage moderation.

A moderator is usually present in a group or forum. Their sole directives are to guide conversations, to interrupt them when they become off topic (or toxic), and to post thought-provoking content. An administrator has all the editing power— focusing on adding or removing moderators and members, managing the branded look, and curating the experience of the group. This can entail stopping comments, blocking people, pinning or advancing posts, and deleting or archiving groups. All rudimentary tasks that become complex when intersecting with sentiments around race, class and gender.

After historical groups like Harlem’s Niggerati, the Black Panthers, the American Indian Movement and others who sought to liberate and create safe living environments for their communities were undermined from the inside; the advent of the internet has seemed like a convenient answer to the question of physical and mental safety. But the same problems—of maintaining a unity of thought, personhood and respect—persist for people of color looking for peace and inspiration, as they did for their forebears. In all their diversity, people of color believe in many different ways to achieve freedoms and process pains. The unjust and exploitative system we live in can be perpetuated inside an online group by its own members.

Defining safe spaces that discourage tone policing, gaslighting commentary, and erosion of marginalized experience is easier said than done. It is the age-old problem of rhetoric and lip service grating against the reality of integration. Each marginalized group has its own myriad of unique experiences inside the margins.

It can be incredibly difficult to facilitate discussions on oppression while also being an online community manager. “The problem is the lurkers…” said one anonymous moderator of a PoC-led online Facebook group. “It’s become worse than the white gaze. There are so many people now in the group that it’s impossible to make sure everyone is legit and not into outing other PoCs.”

Most groups begin as a labor of love and finish that way too, with leadership changing hands several times. Still, without solid guidelines and emotional labor a group can unintentionally lose membership from the marginalized people of color that need them the most. Many feel that it’s just not safe. “The nonbinary and fluid is completely unrepresented in a lot of PoC forums,” said an anonymous member of a popular Portland, Oregon-founded Facebook group. “ I left.”

The future is uncertain when it comes to how people of color will support each other as they decolonize and unify online. The work of uncovering the thoughts and ideas of our contemporary luminaries is slightly easier than it was in decades past. There are certain proofs that this is a work in process.

18 • APRIL/MAY JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2017 2017

The Descriptive versus Prescriptive Political Morality

By Suzanne Deakins, Ph.D.

T

hese articles on political morality are not to set down rules of what morality is, but rather to investigate how we rationalize our morality. By understanding our cognitive consciousness we can improve how we speak of our point of view in politics. And we can better understand what we consider to be the oppositional views. It is my belief that only through straight thinking and understanding how that is done will we reach some of our political goals of equality and humaneness.

When individuals are asked to express their views of morality and politics they give a definition. These definitions relate to beliefs and words we have been taught to use, rather than to a rational process. Our worldviews affect our rational processes. Each of us has three different worldviews. The first is what we were taught by our families. The influence also includes the relationship we had with our parents or major caregivers. Second is our tribe or community view. These are definitions given by the community we live in. And third are definitions given to us by our country’s global views. All of these views and definitions may use the same words, but the meanings can be quite different.

Our political system is based upon the concept of family. Mother or father are head of the family unit. Politically this can be seen as father–conservative and mother–liberal. Our thinking and discussion of these rarely touches on how we reason and instead reveals how we categorize. How we categorize any word or topic inevitably draws us to a conclusion in our thinking and actions that is equal in nature to the category we relate to. So if we say John Doe is a conservative, and our next statement is conservatives are inhumane, thus our conclusion that John Doe is inhumane cannot be avoided.

The real problem then becomes separating our unconscious views that affect our thinking and rational thoughts from what we view as the nature of reality or Truth. This is not Truth based on “circumstances” but rather Fact based on axiomatic concepts. An axiom is a Truth that is so no matter what. A way of understanding how an axiom works is to think of 2+2=4. It has always been so, will always be so and cannot be destroyed by saying 2+2=5. If our thinking is based on a belief rather than axioms, we will come to false or contorted conclusions in rationalization. This means the more we explore our individual minds to discover what our decisions are based on, the freer we will be to realize a society who can think and plan in a manner that benefits all of us, no matter what our political dogma is.

The word morality has quite a different meaning to a conservative and a liberal. To a conservative it means strict priorities to moral strength brought about by self-control and self-discipline used to overcome external and internal evil, and obedience to parental authority ad nauseam. To the conservative a child is made independent and free through strict and heavily defined parameters. Love and nurturance are of course important to the conservative concept of family, but can never outweigh parental authority. Liberal morality takes a different path to the idea of independence and freedom. The liberal path says a child or person must have empathy and help others who need help. Nurture social ties and take care of oneself. One must be happy and fulfilled to be able to help others. The moral pursuit of self-interest only makes sense within these ideas of empathy and helping others. Love, empathy, and nurturance are primary. Children become responsible, self-disciplined, and self-reliant through being cared for, respected, and caring for others.

The more we understand our internal unconscious meanings and experiences, the more articulate we become, and the freer we are to think outside of our boxes of beliefs and allure the infinite creativity available to us all.

Suzanne Deakins, Ph.D. is a publisher (Q Press and One Spirit Press) a writer and Mentor. She is presenting a Spring and Summer Series of seminars called “A Small Revolution.” Robert McEwen will be teaching Quantum Astrology during the series.

For more information you can email Suzanne at a.small.revolution2017@gmail.com.

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