Whose Curves Are You Talking About
When did Curve Mag start representing only a limited segment of lesbians/queer women? Femininity seems to be the order of the day, since it appears that the rest of the gender spectrum has been kicked to the curb. When did this happen? Have I been living under a rock? Quite likely, given my schedule as [...]
Latina? Who, me?
I was recently invited to speak at at a conference to discuss the ways in which I live and “navigate multiple, sometimes conflicting identities” – as queer, femme, mixed race, transnational, and how said identities influence how I see “life on the margins.” The interesting part….I was invited as the “Latina” on the panel. I [...]
Embracing Diversity or Eroticizing Women of Color
I don’t quite understand the world’s fascination with beauty pageants – parading human beings around like property. Nevertheless, I stumbled upon the intro to Miss Universe 2009 on Sunday night. After a glance of Zeynep Sever, Miss Belgium and was curious to see who was representing the various other European nations present. Zeynep is originally [...]
The New Voter – MixedFolk Style
In mid-June of this year, SwirlPhilly hosted Philadelphia’s first official Loving Day events. We took a trip to the Franklin Institute for a viewin of their “RACE: Are we really so different?” exhibit. We also received permission to hold a discussion within the exhibit space. It was a great opportunity for us to share our [...]
Loving Day
“We loved each other and got married,” she [Mildred Loving] told The Washington Evening Star in 1965, when the case was pending. “We are not marrying the state. The law should allow a person to marry anyone he wants.” Mildred Loving fought for her right to marry someone of another race in 1960′s Virginia. More [...]
International Women's Day 2009
HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY! Please take this time to remember the incredible women in your life and those that paved the way before you! I could not have asked for a more perfect day! I started my day in fellowship at The Well and then participating in the IWD 2009 Conference in Center City, Philadelphia. [...]
"Family" Woes – Disappointed
I haven’t heard from my bio-father since the day after Thanksgiving. I haven’t heard from my bio-brother since the day before that. I’ve left two voice mail messages, but I am not going to keep calling. I am not even sure what to think about this. I am disappointed and a bit hurt. I somewhat [...]
Work and Play, Learning to Balance
I have teetered a bit with blogging since the Thanksgiving holiday. I was so focused on spending time with the family, that I got out of the swing of things. I started a new position shortly after I got back to Philadelphia. And now, I am really in the thick of things at work. Thank [...]
My Hair Has Its Own Zipcode
This post has been stuck in my draft bin for quite some time. I have a habit of starting posts and getting distracted. Reading Light-Skinned-ed Girl’s entry about biracial hair made me think about how my hair has always played a central role in my struggle for identity. I recently got my hair cut. Six [...]
An Open Book, Sharing to Heal
This has been an unprecedented and most historic week. A new day has truly come, bringing with it a tremendous amount of responsibility for our new President-Elect, as well as for every single American. Each of us has a responsibility to engage in our communities. We no longer have any valid excuse to complain and [...]
Race, Gender, Sexuality – Components of Identity
I participate in various diversity forums. Recently, a colleague was surprised to find out that I am gay. Since I rarely (if ever) talk about my sexual identity, she assumed that I was straight. I thought being a part of various LGBT coalitions made my orientation clear. She stated that all of her LGBT [...]
