It doesn’t really surprise me when I see this in Christian churches, but the phenomenon also spills out into secular society as well, and that does surprise me. I’ve seen a lot of bands with a woman lead singer who sings and plays no instrument (except maybe a tamborine) supported by men playing bass, guitar,… Continue reading Gender in bands
Category: Race, Class, Gender, Sexuality
Owning Subjectivity
Through various times in my education, I was taught to not use the first person and to use an “objective” voice in my writing. When I became an English teacher, I taught my students a similar principle, except I called it “the illusion of objectivity.” Objectivity is an interesting concept, but I do believe it… Continue reading Owning Subjectivity
For the Bible Tells Me So documentary is subversive
As you may know if you’ve read my post from four years ago “Subversive” Saved!? I get annoyed when people use the word subversive inappropriately. Well, I just saw a movie called For the Bible Tells Me So, and I have to say it’s pretty subversive. Unlike Jesus Camp and Hell House, this film doesn’t… Continue reading For the Bible Tells Me So documentary is subversive
“I’m not a feminist, but…”
Ani’s not an angry girl, but it seems like she’s got everyone fooled. Every time she says something they find hard to hear, they chalk it up to her anger and never to their own fear. Recently, I was talking with a female friend of mine about various songs, and I mentioned Ani DiFranco’s “Not… Continue reading “I’m not a feminist, but…”
“Equality” shouldn’t assume we’re all in the same situation
Examples When I was in high school, there were some people who didn’t understand why we had a Black Student Union and an Asian Student Union but no White Student Union. When I was in college, one time we were eating in the cafeteria, and a white male heterosexual friend of mine looked up at… Continue reading “Equality” shouldn’t assume we’re all in the same situation
Who has a right to talk?
Everyone has a right to an opinion, naturally. We are all human beings. We observe. We think. We act based on what we think about what we observe. There are sometimes when it’s best to keep your opinions to yourself, though, or to at least hold off on sharing them so that you can listen… Continue reading Who has a right to talk?
Raping 13-year-olds is now okay. Thanks, Roman!
The New York Daily News recently published this article: ‘Wanted’ man Roman Polanski dodges legal bullet. Let me translate some chunks for you. Polanski was, and remains, a brilliant film director. But to many people, particularly in America, he is most famously remembered for fleeing the country after pleading guilty to “unlawful sexual intercourse” with… Continue reading Raping 13-year-olds is now okay. Thanks, Roman!
Tirade about makeup
Over two decades later, my mom still tells people the story of how I told her (this was back when I was a wee child) she wasn’t a “real woman” like her sister because my mom didn’t wear makeup or paint her nails. My mom has a habit of rubbing in my face stuff I… Continue reading Tirade about makeup
A straight guy at Sex and the City
Ever since I saw the first preview, I’d been dying to see the big screen version of Sex and the City. My wife wasn’t that excited, but I was. And the friend we saw it with yesterday told people she was going to go see it with her married straight male friend just to amuse… Continue reading A straight guy at Sex and the City
Successful politicians will be political
Okay. I don’t get it. I’ve been following the 2008 US elections for the past year, and I don’t understand how people can make it sound as if such-and-such candidate clearly would make a bad president because she or he did X—with the implication that the other candidate(s) would never do such a thing. Whether… Continue reading Successful politicians will be political