Volume 1, Issue 2 by RAIX Zine

RAIX/zine

Vol. 1, Issue 2

Reproductive Justice en la Frontera

Publishers La Frontera Fund Texas Freedom Network Education Fund Editors Dani Marrero Sofia Peña Karina Torres Joe Uvalles II Contributors Alex B. Joaquin Baldazo Roni Cortez Celeste De Luna Rubén Garza Ivete Kuete Josué Ramirez Michelle Solitaire Designers Rubén Garza Karina Torres Jose M. Uvalles II This publication is meant to spark a dialogue about serious issues that too often are kept out of the public domain. The submissions reflect the individual contributor’s expressions of these topics and are only those of the individual. The submissions are not necessarily reflective of the Texas Freedom Network Education Fund (TFNEF). Copyright 2015

About RAIX The title of this zine is pronounced like the Spanish word for root, “raíz.” RAIX is a borderlands zine, with roots firmly planted in the south Texas border community called the “Rio Grande Valley.” Founded by a group of RGV activists working with the Texas Freedom Network Education Fund, this zine will explore the intersection between art and activism to uplift and challenge narratives about gender & queer identities, reproductive justice, and border communities. RAIX is dedicated to the people of the RGV, and to all who live life en las fronteras. RAIX is a space to share OUR stories!

About La Frontera Fund La Frontera Fund is an intersectional organization working to support reproductive rights and advance reproductive justice in the Rio Grande Valley. La Frontera Fund advocates for reproductive autonomy and rights by funding lodging costs for people traveling for abortion services, subsidizing emergency contraceptives, and nurturing reproductive justice community through events and education.

REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE EN LA FRONTERA TABLE OF CONTENTS EDITOR’S NOTE

REPRODUCTIVE JUSTICE 101

5-8

RJ IN ACTION

9-11

BREACH BABY: CELESTE DE LUNA

ARTIST FEATURE: CELESTE DE LUNA

TEXAS HOLD ‘EM - CELESTE DE LUNA

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL - CELESTE DE LUNA

BORDER HEADS - CELESTE DE LUNA

ILLUMINATE RJ: A PROJECT BY TFN

19-20

ART BY RONI CORTEZ

WILD TONGUES - IVETE KUETE & RUBEN GARZA

LENGUAS FURIOSAS - RUBEN GARZA

SHE - ALEX B.

ART BY JOSUE RAMIREZ

THE STRUGGLE - JOAQUIN BALDAZO

PUSSY REVOLUTION - MICHELLE SOLITAIRE

Editor’s Note Welcome to the second issue of RAIX! Published in collaboration with La Frontera Fund, this issue is dedicated to exploring reproductive justice from the borderlands, and from the Rio Grande Valley community of south Texas, more specifically. If you are familiar with the term reproductive justice, or if you are already engaged in reproductive justice advocacy, then I hope this issue provides an accurate and insightful narrative about reproductive justice in Texas and the RGV. If, on the other hand, the term reproductive justice is new to you, then I hope this issue provides a meaningful and engaging introduction to this profound social justice movement. Inside you’ll find an interactive introduction to the world of RJ. We’ve included entertaining and informative videos, as well as links to resources and related content to provide a broad overview of reproductive justice. You’ll also find art and poetry submissions by RGV artivists, including a feature on Chicana artist, Celeste De Luna. Reproductive justice is a complex concept, and it would require years of study and practice to understand the many nuances of this movement. While this is by no means a complete guide to RJ, we hope this issue serves as the foundation for your learning about reproductive justice, and that it inspires you to take action in your own community. Above all, we hope you enjoy reading this issue, and we welcome your participation in shaping the future of RAIX. Thank you, Rubén Garza

Reproductive Justice 101 What is Reproductive Justice (RJ)? Reproductive justice is a framework and approach to working for social change that embodies the complete wellbeing of ALL people, with special attention to whether or not access to resources and education necessary to control their reproductive lives are truly available. It entails having more than just the basic and fundamental means necessary to consider “choice” rhetoric to begin with. Reproductive justice is an intersectional movement that combines human rights, reproductive rights and social justice to address a broad and intersecting set of issues on behalf of many communities and viewpoints. At the very core of reproductive justice organizing and advocacy is the fundamental value that all people have the right to live in healthy, safe communities free from all forms of oppression. Reproductive justice will be attained when all people have the economic, social, and political power and means to make decisions about their bodies, sexuality, health, and family, with dignity and self-determination. Source: National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health

Intersectionality Kimberlé Crenshaw, a Black legal scholar, coined the term “intersectionality” in an insightful essay in 1989. Intersectionality examines how various biological, social and cultural categories, like race, class, ability, sexual orientation, religion, gender and other axes of identity interact on multiple and often simultaneous levels, contributing to systemic injustice and social inequality. A key aspect of intersectionality lies in its recognition that multiple oppressions, such as racism, sexism, ableism, transphobia, and xenophobia, are not each suffered separately but rather as a single, synthesized experience, creating a system of oppression that reflects the “intersection” of multiple forms of discrimination. Reproductive justice seeks to identify, name, and dismantle these systems of oppression and build a just world where all people can thrive. Source: International Socialist Review

Origins of RJ The concept of Reproductive Justice began to take shape when members of a women of color delegation returned from the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, Egypt. Shortly after, a group of African American women, know as the Women of African Descent for Reproductive Justice, caucused at the Illinois Pro-Choice Alliance Conference in Chicago. They decided to devise a strategy to challenge the proposed healthcare reform campaign by the Clinton Administration that did not include guaranteeing access to abortion. Not wanting to use the language of ‘choice’ because they represented communities with few real choices, they integrated the concepts of reproductive rights, social justice, and human rights to launch the term Reproductive Justice. In sum, the Women of African Descent for Reproductive Justice were dissatisfied with the prochoice language of that time because it was part of an agenda that was not inclusive of the Black female experience when it came to making reproductive decisions. The caucus represented communities with few real choices when it came to reproductive health care – without actual access, there really isn’t choice. And without basic rights, choice means nothing. Thus, the caucus needed to introduce a new way of thinking and speaking about the issue of reproductive justice that was inclusive of the experiences of communities most impacted by reproductive oppression. In 1997 Loretta Ross, who helped coin the term reproductive justice, co-founded a reproductive justice women of color collective called SisterSong, to focus on grassroots mobilization and public policy and a new movement for justice was born. Source: Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice

Why Does it Matter for Latinx People? Latinx—like all people—do not live single issue lives. Reproductive justice requires full recognition of the human and civil rights of our communities: among these the human right to healthcare, including reproductive healthcare; the ability to decide when and if to have children, build our families, and parent our children with dignity; and freedom from immigration policies that disregard our humanity. Latinx across the country are facing detention and deportation, restrictions on access to abortion and other critical reproductive health services, violence, discrimination, economic injustice, lack of health coverage, environmental racism, abusive working conditions, and the denial of our civil and human rights. Despite this daily struggle, our communities continue to resist, teach, build, and create in the face of oppression, and to fight for reproductive justice. Source: National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health

RJ is a Movement for Human Rights At the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, governments explicitly acknowledged, for the first time, that reproductive rights are grounded in already existing human rights obligations. Representatives of over 180 nations agreed that people needed to be empowered to take charge of their reproductive lives, that unsafe abortion is a public health concern, and that forced sterilization has no place in family planning efforts. The Cairo Conference marked a turning point. The following year, at the World Conference on Women in Beijing, governments pledged to guarantee reproductive rights for all women. United Nations and regional human rights bodies started to urge governments to respect and ensure reproductive rights. Women in Africa and those with disabilities, meanwhile, won crucial recognition of their rights to control their reproductive lives and to live healthy lives in two new human rights agreements, the 2008 UN Disability Rights Convention and the 2005 Protocol on the Right of Women in Africa. These gains set the stage for legal breakthroughs that would expand people’s access to reproductive healthcare. For more about human rights, including a list of twelve human rights key to reproductive rights, click here. Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

Reproductive Injustices Past & Present American Slavery During American Slavery, slave owners committed all sorts of injustices against people of African origin. Besides forced labor and migration, people of African origin, and particularly enslaved women, were often treated as the sexual property of slave masters. Enslaved women were raped and forced to perform sexual acts for friends, business partners, and family members of the slave owner. Enslaved women were also forced to carry pregnancies to produce more slaves for the slave owner. Another injustice experienced by enslaved people in America was forced family separation, a common practice used by slave owners to dehumanize and demoralize people of African origin. Sterilization Abuse Throughout the development of the United States of America, forced sterilization has been used on marginalized communities as a means to control and colonize those populations. European settlers mutilated Native American women’s bodies to prevent them from carrying pregnancies as a tactic to eradicate Native American populations. This practice would continue long after the colonization of what is today the Americas. As late as the 1970’s, states forced or coerced Native American women into sterilization. In Puerto Rico, a colony of the United States, legislation was passed to force sterilization on the Puerto Rican population. American and Puerto Rican officials forced sterilization through various means, including propaganda campaigns to misinform and coerce people into getting tubal ligations, which they were told was a reversible contraceptive. A 1965 survey of Puerto Rican residents found that more than one third of women between 20-49 years old, what is considered “child bearing” age, were forcibly sterilized.

Other marginalized communities also faced institutionalized sterilization abuse. Throughout the 20th Century, more than 30 states passed “eugenics” laws that forced sterilization primarily on people of color, the poor, and those living with disabilities and terminal or mental illness. As recently as 2013, cases of sterilization abuse have been reported in the United States. One recent case involved prison inmates in California being forced to have tubal ligations by prison authorities. Violence Against Queerfolk People in the queer community face all sorts of threats in their daily lives, including harassment, violence, and even murder. Among the most vulnerable populations are queer youth, who often face bullying, family abandonment, drug addiction and homelessness. Also, people of trans experience, and particularly transgender women of color (TWOC), face extreme violence in our society. The average life expectancy for TWOC is only 35 years old, and 1 in 8 trans women of color will be murdered. Worse, TWOC are typically vilified and criminalized by law enforcement officials and the criminal justice system, and those who commit violence against trans women of color too often go unprosecuted. It isn’t uncommon for the media and the general public to sympahtize with attackers, claiming trans people somehow deserved or caused their attakcs. Some go as far as to claim that attackers experience “trans panic” as a result of being deceived by the transgender person about their gender identity. There is no scientific or medical research to support “trans panic” theory, and this defense is nothing but a poor justification for committing violence against TWOC. Institutionalized Racial Violence Another example of a reproductive injustice is institutionalized racial violence. Native Americans, for example, faced genocide through warfare, including the intentional spreading of diseases like smallpox, by European governments and settlers. Even after the establishment of the United States, Native Americans were attacked by the United States military and various law enforcement agencies to force them onto reservations, or to eradicate their populations entirely. The 1838 “Trail of Tears,” a forced migration of the Cherokee people under President Andrew Jackson’s “Indian Removal” policies, resulted in the deaths of more than 4,000 people, nearly one-third of the entire Cherokee population. Other ethnic minorities have also faced state violence. During the Jim Crow era, African Americans and Mexican origin people were lynched throughout the American Southwest and the Deep South. Often, these lynchings were committed by state agencies like the Texas Rangers, or local law enforcement officials with ties to the KKK. Racial violence and the criminalization of people of color continues to this day. The recent police killings of unarmed black people, including Eric Garner and Freddie Gray, are contemporary examples of instituionalized violence against people of color, which is being exacerbated by the militarization of law enforcement agencies and the emergence of the private prison industry.

Nuestro Texas

RJ in Action

Nuestro Texas is a human rights campaign calling for reproductive health access for all, without distinction as to geographic location, ethnicity, race, economic class, or citizen status. It is a response to policies passed by the Texas legislature in 2011 that devastated the reproductive health safety net of Texas—a decades-old system enabling millions of low-income Texas women to exercise their rights to health services and information. These polices, including severe funding cuts to family planning services and regulations limiting certain reproductive health providers from operating, have jeopardized women’s rights to health, life, autonomy, equality and freedom from ill treatment. The National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH) and the Center for Reproductive Rights formed a partnership in 2012 to document the human rights impact of Texas’ policies on the Lower Rio Grande Valley community. The investigation exposed the profound barriers people in the Valley have faced for years in trying to access basic reproductive health care, and shows how recent policies have eliminated what little access they once had. Still, Latinx in the Valley remain resilient in the face of these violations to their human rights. Through the Texas Latina Advocacy Network, residents in the four counties of the Valley work collectively to advance reproductive health care for all. Their strategic campaigns have addressed some of the systemic barriers to health care, such as improvements in transportation access for very rural communities and restoring funding for clinics. After the funding cuts they redoubled their efforts to organize, educate, and mobilize for policy change. To learn more about Nuestro Texas, visitit nuestrotexas.org.

La Frontera Fund La Frontera Fund is a practical support abortion fund that advocates for reproductive autonomy and rights by funding lodging costs for people traveling for abortion services, subsidizing emergency contraceptives, and nurturing reproductive justice community through events and education. It launched in the summer of 2015 and is the only abortion fund based out of the Rio Grande Valley. La Frontera Fund and the Texas Freedom Network at UTRGV recently partnered to host a benefit event at Brownsville Artists & Musicians (BAM) in downtown Brownsville, the south-most community of Texas bordering the Mexican city of Matamoros. The benefit show included performances by local musicians and bands DeZorah, La Ratera, Jesika Espiricueta, and Farmertron Automatic, as well as raffles for art donated by Roni Cortez, Joaquin Baldazo, and Celeste De Luna. To learn more about La Frontera Fund, or to inquire about making donations, visit their Facebook page.

1 in 3 Campaign The 1 in 3 campaign by Advocates for Youth builds on the success of prior social change movements, harnessing the power of storytelling to engage and inspire action and strengthen support for abortion access. By encouraging people who have had abortions to end their silence, share their stories, and start a new and more personal conversation about abortion in our society, the 1 in 3 Campaign helps create a more enabling cultural environment for the policy and legal work of the abortion rights movement. Besides providing a digital platform for folks to share their stories, the 1 in 3 Campaign has also produced an original play, “Out of Silence,” that will be performed all accross the nation to help challenge abortion stigma. The Texas Freedom Network at UTRGV is co-hosting a performance of “Out of Silence” on November 18th in Brownsville, Texas as part of an RJ Week of Action. You can share your story here, or visit the 1 in 3 Campaign website to learn more.

South Texans for Reproductive Justice South Texans for Reproductive Justice (SoTX4RJ) was founded by five Latinx from the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Though only a small group of activists, South Texans for Reproductive Justice works to confront the battle over reproductive rights head on by doing practical work to address reproductive justice issues in the RGV community, including advocating for and providing community education related to the history and use of Misoprostol. South Texans for Reproductive Justice also provides clinic escorting services at the Whole Woman’s Health Clinic in McAllen, the only remaining abortion provider in south Texas as a result of a restrictive abortion bill that forced many providers to shut down clinics across Texas in 2013 & 2014. SoTX4RJ also raises awareness about reproductive justice issues by hosting rallies and direct actions to engage RGV residents on issues related to reproductive health and rights. On January 24th, 2015, South Texans for Reproductive Justice hosted a counter demonstration to an anti-choice rally held outside of the Whole Women’s Health clinic in McAllen for the 42nd anniversary of Roe v. Wade. More recently, SoTX4RJ hosted another counter demonstration to an anti-choice protest organized as part of a National Day of Protest Against Planned Parenthood. To learn more about South Texans for Reproductive Justice, visit their Facebook page.

SoTX4RJ Counter Demonstration on 8-22-15 Photographer: Eduardo Martinez

Follow TFN-UTRGV on social media! Twitter & Instagram @UTRGVTFN

facebook.com/tfnutrgv

“Breach Baby”

celestedeluna.com

Artist Feature: Celeste De Luna Celeste De Luna is a painter/printmaker from the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. De Luna’s work is influenced by her impoverished childhood in rural Texas, growing up the daughter of Mexican-American blue collar workers where unseen political and social forces forced her to question why things were the way they were. She continues to be influenced by these forces as they manifest themselves in physical barriers in her environment such as border walls, checkpoints, and bridges. Much of De Luna’s work is centered on the border experiences of undocumented migrant women and children. Her iconography frequently features razor wire, fences, bridges, and “anchor babies.” Her print titled, “Breach Baby,” shows a baby in what is known as the breech position, a presentation that makes birth a potentially dangerous situation. Behind the child is an anchor, which tells us this child in limbo is also an “anchor baby,” a derogatory term to describe children born to undocumented immigrants used by conservatives like Lou Dobbs and Donald Trump to stoke fear and resentment in Americans about immigrants, and particularly Mexican immigrants. The work also shows a woman’s body as a vessel and political battleground in the context of this birth. It matters which side of the river she will give birth to her baby, a grave matter. “Breach Baby” depicts a common narrative in communities like the Rio Grande Valley, a south Texas border community where mixed-status families (ones where some family members are U.S. Citizens while others are not) make up a significant portion of the community. Besides the constant risk of being separated through deportation or detention, mixed-status families are vilified by the media, harassed by nativist in the community, and exploited by politicians who leverage anti-immigrant sentiments for political power. Another of De Luna’s prints titled, “Texas Hold ‘Em,” depicts an anchored child with the state of Texas, barbed wire, and fencing looming in the background. This image alludes to the recent refusal of Texas officials to grant birthright citizenship to children born to undocumented parents, a violation of the 14th Amendment. By uplifting narratives about undocumented immigrants, artists like Celeste De Luna are broadening the discourse around what reproductive justice means. To learn more about Celeste, visit her website or find her on Xicana Chronicles.

“Texas Hold ‘Em”

celestedeluna.com

â&#x20AC;&#x153;America the Beautifulâ&#x20AC;?

celestedeluna.com

“Border Heads”

celestedeluna.com

CALLING ALL ARTISTS, MUSICIANS, POETS, WRITERS, FEMINISTS, ACTORS, DESIGNERS, PUNKS, ORGANIZERS, PERFORMERS, ZINESTERS, SINGERS, BLOGGERS, DREAMERS, QUEER FOLK, ACTIVISTS, DISGRUNTLED YOUTH ALL challengers of the status quo!

RAIX is taking submissions of ALL forms of art relating to topics of gender and queer identities, reproductive justice, and border communities. For more information, or to submit your work, email: raixzine@gmail.com.

Illuminate RJ is an artivism (art + activism) project designed to uplift a Texas-specific narrative about reproductive justice and our abortion experiences. The goal of this project is to publish and broadcast art that features Texans’ real and often untold stories around reproductive justice. We know that current culture strongly enforces stigma and shame onto those who seek abortion care or who stand up for reproductive justice. By sharing our stories through art, we hope to reclaim our power and fight stigma. Through grassroots organizing, we’ll cultivate collaborations between artists and activists to capture and showcase stories across the state. Our hope is that this project sparks a dialogue that contributes to changing the culture of abortion stigma in our state. There are several ways you can participate in this project. We welcome submissions of all art forms. We do require all your contact information in case we need to reach you about your art in the future; however, you are able to be anonymous in publication. We also offer a Mockingbird Template that you can download here and decorate in a way that shows what reproductive justice means to you. Then, either mail the finished product or scan and submit. We chose the Mockingbird not only because it is the state bird of Texas, but because it is known for its ability to echo songs of other birds, much like this project aims to uplift the stories of Reproductive Justice in Texas. To learn more about Illuminate RJ or to make a submission, visit illuminaterj.org.

Artist: Roni Cortez Instagram: @your_third_eye

Wild Tongues - A Femcee Playlist About: Batallones Femeninos is a femcee collective based out of Ciudad Juarez. BF is on a mission using rap, design, street art, writing, education, dance & music to uplift & challange narratives about what it means to be mujeres fronterizas. Current members include: Obeja Negra, Lady Liz, Kiara, Murder, Bawa, Dilema, Candy, Xirena, Xibakbal, Luna Negra, Yazz & Polyester Kat. Songs: Mujer Guerrera - Represent - Sin Fronteras - Roots Mujer(Es) Revolución Soundcloud: Batallones Femeninos

Artist: Mare Advertencia Lirika is a Zapotec rapera from Oaxaca. She founded the femcee collective “Advertencia Lirika” in 2004, before launching her solo career in 2009. Mare’s music covers topics about indiginous identities, corruption/violence in México, gender, and social justice. In 2012 a documentary film about her life and experiences as a hip-hop guerrera, “Cuando Una Mujer Avanza,” was relased. Songs: Mi Vida, Mi Cuerpo, Mis Decisiones – Somos Fuerza – Mis Razones – Cuantos Más – ¿Y Tú Que Esperas? – Protesta Soundcloud: Mare.Advertencia.Lirika Instagram: @mare.advertencia.lirika

About: La Mala Rodriguez is one of the most prominent femcees in hip-hop. Her career took off in the late 90s when she performed with Spanish rap grops SFDK and La Gota Que Colma. Her solo career includes international hits like “Por La Noche,” and collaborations with some of the biggest names in Spanish/Latinx rap. Her songs cover topics like poverty, violence, drug culture and female empowerment. Mala is known for her unique delivery that is forceful and sharp, with a flamenco-like smoothness. Songs: Tengo un Trato – La Niña – Galaxias Cercanas – Por la Noche – La Loca – Quien Manda Website: malarodriguez.com

Listen to the complete playlist at:

bit.ly/wildtongues

Instagram: @yosoyelmundoentero

Lenguas Furiosas Wild tongues orphan tongues, tongues with no home. Tongues that cannot be contained, se escapan, they flee, run away. Son lenguas tercas that ask too many questions, and say what theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not supposed to say. Wandering tongues that move like fire that incite, ignite and erupt. Tongues that speak beyond languages and borders. Tongues that could never be silenced. - RubĂŠn Garza

She is a he sometimes because that’s the truth but once in a while has to become she again when it becomes a need against violence, against creed You don’t know who you are when the whole world is telling you what you’ve got to be because at 3 AM on the 17th you were one thing, not the other to your mother other like other than everything you were ever taught this is who I am So when I decide to make this decision about my body about the organs under the skin who invited you in? who taught these doctors to question my autonomy of this body which is neither he nor she she nor he her/him nor them it’s me ~ Alex B. 25

“Lucha”

Artist: Josué Ramirez Instagram: @raw_mirez

“Minnie La Guadalupana”

“The Struggle”

Joaquin Baldazo

“Pussy Revolution”

Michelle Solitaire

RAIX is a project by the Texas Freedom Network student chapter at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and the TFNEF’s “Texas Rising!” campaign. Texas Rising is a movement to inspire and engage a rising generation of young Texans in electoral politics, public policy advocacy, and grassroots community organizing. We are leveraging the power of a rising generation of young, diverse community-focused activists to hold our elected officials accountable to ALL Texans, not special interests and the voices of intolerance and division. Texas Rising leaders are advocating for sound public policies that address the issues that directly impact the well-being of everyone in our state. To learn more about Texas Rising, contact Rubén Garza, TFN’s regional field organizer in the RGV, at ruben@tfn.org. To learn more about or to submit to RAIX, email raixzine@gmail.com.