HerlandVoice-2003-03-v21-no03_ocr.pdf
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- HerlandVoice-2003-03-v21-no03_ocr.pdf
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· BERLAND VOICE
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March 2003
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Celebrating Women'S Histoty Month
Volume 21, Number 3
ARE YOU NATIVE
AMERICAN?
ARE YOU INCLUDED IN THE U.S. CONSTITUTION?
Are you a self-identified Native American? Are you gay, lesbian, bisexual, or
trans? Then this group is for you! The
OKC Two-Spirit Society has joined the
circle with our brothers and ~isters
across Turtle Island. Please come and
join us as we share meals, information
and talents, learn new crafts, and meet
new friends. Our general meetings are
led by Philip Roulain and are on the 3rc1
Saturday of the month from 1:00-3:00
pm at The Center. Food is provided.
We are having the new women's
meetings at 6:30pm on the 4th Thursday of the month at Herland Sister
Resources. These meetings are
designed to address the unique needs
of our women two-spirits. Each
meeting will begin in a traditional
manner with smudging and prayer.
The first women's meeting to be held
at Herland will be on the 27th of
February. We will share traditional
food and have a Talking Circle. Afterwards we will discuss future plans and
events that will include a special retreat
weekend with a guest.
The next meeting date will be March
27th at 6:30pm. We will continue with
event planning for those unable to
attend the February meeting due to
short notice. There will also be an
opportunity to work on a craft project.
For updates and additional information call our OKC Two-Spirit Hotline
at (405) 317-7283. All meetings are
drug and alcohol free events.
Leona Evans, an enthusiastic supporter of the Equal Rights Amendment and the
Oklahoma Coordinator for the National ERA Campaign Network will present a workshop,
"The Equal Rights Amendment - Simple Justice, Long Overdue'~ at Hertand on SabJrday,
March 8th at 3:30 pm.
The ERA Campaign Network is a nationwide network of women and men activists
planning a "3 State Strategy" to add to the U.S. ConstibJtion the "Alice Pauin Equal Rights
Amendment: "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the
United States or by any state on account of sex."
In the 1990's, this promising new strategy for ERA began to rise. The "Madison"
Amendment, concerning congressional pay raises, became the 27th Amendment to the
ConstibJtion after a ratification period of 203 years. This established a precedent such
that the ERA's ratification period, currently three decades, could hardly be considered
unacceptably long. Today, the "3-State Strategy" is gaining attention and a major new
push for the ERA is growing rapidly. Since 35 states have already ratified the ERA, only
three are needed to reach the necessary 38 - three-fourths of the 50 states. Now is the
most promising time yet to achieve the ERA.
With the growing attention to the wortdwide importance of equal rights and opportunities for women, it is becoming increasingly embarrassing that, unlike the constibJtion of
almost all other democratic nations, the U.S. ConstibJtion still does not guarantee its
female citizens equal rights with
men.
A 2002 nationwide survey
Herland Supper Club
commissioned by the ERA Campaign Network showed that 96%
Saturday, March 8th, 5:30 pm
of the American adults believe that
at The Grand House
men and women should have
equal rights, and 88% believe that
2701 N. Classen
those equal rights should be
followed by
guaranteed by the U;S. ConstibJMary
Reynolds
and Louise Goldberg
tion. And the majority of Americans mistakenly think the ConstibJin Concert at 7 pm
tion already specifies that male
at Full Circle Bookstore
and female citizens are entitled to
equal rights.
50 Penn Place
Strong efforts to achieve
ratification are now underway in
The Supper Club will go to the Grand House
many of the 15 unratified states,
for
fine Asian dining again this month after
with campaigns developing in
an unplanned detour to the Lido last month.
several. Oklahoma is an unratified
state.
After supper, we will go to Full Circle
Many will remember the exciting
Bookstore in 50 Penn Place, NW Expressdays of 1981 and 1982 when we
way and Penn, to hear Mary Reynolds and
fought so hard, valiantly, and
Goldberg perform. Meet at Herland
Louise
passionately to get our LegislabJre
at 5:00 pm if you wish to caroool.
to ratify the ERA. The effort
radicalized hundreds of us who will
never be the same and who today toil with unflagging dedication in one aspect or another
of the Women's Movement.
Leona and her 14 member Task Force are again aiming toward Oklahoma ratifiaition of
the ERA. Leona is a longtime member of the Oklahoma Federation of Business &
Professional Women's Oubs (OK/BPW), and has served as the OK/BPW Legislation Chair
for the past four years. Leona represents the OK/BPW on the Oklahoma Legislative
Coalition, an organization which sponsors "Legislative Day" at the State Capitol in March of
each year.
In The Spirit Of The Circle,
Denise Smith
deniseilsmith@hotmailcom
WEBSITE OF THE MONTH
www.womensenews.org
...... Not if you are a woman!
www.herlandsisters.org
Herland Sister Resources, 2312 NW 39th, Oklahoma City, OK
73112
(406)521-9696
email: herlandsisters@cox.net
Bookstore Hours: Saturdays 1-5 pm
Herland Book Club Notes
Japanese Women Reclaiming their Birth Names
Ten people discussed Rita Mae Brown's
Rubyfruit Jungle at the February Book Gub
meeting. Two pilrtidpilnts share their
impressions of the book.
obu Yatabe has waited two years to tie the knot and says she is happy to hold out
longer if it means she can keep her maiden name. "I only dream of a wedding,
even though my partner is getting impatient," the sprightly acupuncturist says. "I
really want to go ahead but don't know when the big day is ever going to come."
If Japanese feminists have their way, Yatabe's day could come soon. This month, the
Japanese Diet may debate a bill that would allow women to keep their maiden names
when they many. According to Japanese civil law, a couple must decide on one surname
when they register
their marriage.
B
rown gives a consistent description
of the character development of a
young woman who recognizes that
she is lesbian early in life. She remains
centered in her allegiance to her own
identity and resilient in the face of harsh
criticisms from family, peers, and community members. Her resilience and her
loyalty to her visions of a life as a film
director seem to serve as a core of her
personality, which only gains strength
during the progression of he[ life. The
author provoked my curiosity to know .
more about the character's relationships.
A thought provoking book which offers a
role model for women coming out. PM
It was sheer pleasure re-reading Rita
Mae Brown's Rubyfruit Jungle for the
Herlancl Book Oub. My appreciation for
the gay scene - and lesbian love scenes,
mild and sweet as they are in this book was certainly different than when I read it
as a straight woman twenty-five years ago.
Most compelling to me about the book
today is its depiction of the rampant,
unreSt:rained, unapologetic sexism in the
academic and working world just a short
time ago. Thirty years ago the glass
ceiling was about knee-high. (Things are
better now, feminists have made a
difference.) The book is a ton of fun, as
well as being a time capsule of a changing
era. I recommend it highly, as a first read
or a re-read. MC
The next book dub meeting will be
Monday, Marcil 3rd, 7 pm at Herland.
Tentative selections for upcoming book
dub meetings include:
Marcil - Desert of the Heart by Jane Rule
April - Herlilnd & the Yellow Wal/paper by
Cllarlotte Perldns Gilman
May - Tipping the Vt'Wetby Sarah Waters
June -A Wo111i1n's Reality by Anne
Wilson Schaef
July - Worn.Jn on the Edge of Time by
Marge Piercy
August - ZJmi: A New Spelling of My
Name by Audre Lorde
N
Traditionally, most
women take their
2 Hl6 tory Looking t:Jack _ Fort;y years ago,
groom's
name,
much to the dismay
of feminists who acwomen entering Harvard University Law
cuse the system of
discouraging gender
School were asked the ctuestlon, 'Why are
equality.
you at Harvard Law School, taking the place
nese women have
Meanwhile, Japaof a manr' That ctuestlon has 11een
maiden names on
begun to use their
their business cards
answered ctulte satlefac:torlly over the years
and among friends.
In keeping with the
l:ly women Including the likes of Janet Reno
times, 16 prefectural governments
and Pat Schroeder.
allow employees to
use their premarital
family names and
the central government followed suit
in October: Japanese editorials have also begun to note that the contemporary family
takes many forms, including single mothers, and is no longer bound by the tradition.
Young Africans Reject Genital Mutilation
from www.equalitynow.org
·w h e n Genet Girma and Addisie Abosie got married in Kembatta, Ethiopia, they did
the unthinkable in their community. Genet wore a placard saying "I am not
circumcised, learn from me" and her groom wore a matching one that said "I
am very happy to be marrying an uncircumcised woman."
During a recent visit in the United States, Genet talked about being the first known
woman in Kembatta to many in public who had refused the mutilation to her genitals that
is considered a. rite of passage for all girls and young women in that part of Ethiopia.
Between the ages of 16 and 18, young women in that region are subjected to what is
known as step-two female genital mutilation (FGM): the clitoris, as well as the inner and
outer labia, is removed. This type of mutilation is also known as excision.
Before her wedding last year, Genet explained, she ran away from home rather than
Both her family and
undergo the ordeal.
9
that of Addisie reHl6tory Looking Ahead - Afghan women
jected the young
not attend their
couple and would
getting 11ack 11ehlnd the wheel after 10
of Genet and
wedding. Because
years of driving prohll11tlon under the
so openly confrontAddisie's courage in
ing the practice,
Ta1111an regime. In addition to the rectulresome 2,000 other
people did attend the
ment to cover themselves from head to toe
ceremony however,
which was also teleIn pul11lc, women were 11arred from schools,
vised and covered
extensively
in
Jol1s, and pul111c llf8. Thlrt;y Afghan women
Ethiopia's main
havs completed the driver's ed course and
families have only
newspaper. Their
recently accepted
wlll 11scome the first llscenced female
the couple, who are
drivers since 1992.
child.
expecting their first
Genet and Addisie
were in the United
States recently as
part of a tour
organized by Equality Now to raise funds and highlight the work of Africa's young people
who have rejected female circumcision and who are working to end it in their communities. Since their wedding and public stand against female genital mutilation, ten other
couples have followed suit.
The World Health Organization estimates that 6,000 girls a day are genitally mutilated.
Doctors say genital mutilation causes lasting psychological trauma, extreme pain, chronic
infections, bleeding, abscesses, tumors, urinary tract infections and infertility. For more
informatioli about FGM, please go to www.equalitynow.org.
are
The Voice is published by Herland Sister Resources, Inc., 2312 tfW 39th, Oklahoma Oty, OK
73112. The Voice is offered as an open forum for community discourse. Articles reflect the
opinions of the author and not necessarily those of Herland Sister Resources. Unsolicited articles
and letters to the editor are welcomed and must be signed by the writer with full name and
address. Upon request, letters or artides may be printed under a pseudonym or anonymously.
Subsoiptions to the Voice are free upon request although a donation is requested to meet
publication and disbibution costs.
WOMEN'S WORK - 2003
Holly Figueroa ·in Concert
from womensenews
t doesn't bother Sheila Clogg that
she's the only woman on a Great
Lakes freighter with 25 other male
crew members. She's just happy to be
doing something she loves. "I like the
hands-on aspect, I like working with the
machinery, I like getting dirty," says Clogg,
an engineer aboard the Buckeye, a 698foot freighter in the Oglebay Norton
Company fleet.
It doesn't hurt that starting pay for
skilled mariners is $45,000. Or that they
work just 180 days a year, receive full
benefits and can retire after 20 years. Not
bad, if-like Clogg--you don't mind being
in the extreme minority.
Despite the troubled economic waters of
late, employment in the shipping industry
is wide open. More women are getting on
board, but times have changed. Whereas
women were relegated to cooking and
deaning on the big vessels until as
recently as the mid-twentieth century, now
they're more likely to be found swabbing
decks or servicing the mammoth steam
turbines below, just like their male
counterparts.
More women started taking jobs aboard
ships in the 1980s. Seven women are
enrolled now in the Maritime Academy.
They don't need to go through the
academy to work in the shipping industry,
but to become officers, they must either
go through the program at the academy .
or work their way up through the ranks.
While the women make up a small
percentage of the academy's 100 students, the number of female studentsmainly _in the engineering program-has
been growing over the past decade.
tJ~
I
Pride Parade Grand
Marshall
P
ride Network is soliciting nominations for Grand Marshall for the
June 22, 2003 Pride Parade. If you
have a suggestion, please send it to PNI,
PO Box 60296, OKC, OK 73146; or email
it to pni@okcpride.com. Please include a
brief description of the nominee and a few
words on why you feel the person should
be honored as Grand Marshall of the
Parade, and do it by April 15, 2003.
Classified
Attention singers/musicians/DJs.
Speaker monitor & cabinets for sale.
Starting at $50. Call 942-1535.
on't miss an intimate evening with Holly Figueroa March 'P' at the Heritage Room
in the OU Student Union at 8 pm. Figueroa's latest CD, How it Is, has been
garnering a lot of attention and she was recently interviewed on NPR's All Things
Considered. Her earlier CD, Dream in Red, also earned her quite a following and rave
reviews as well. Her music has a bluesy/alt-country sound, though she touches on
gospel, folk, jazz, avante-garde, and Americana. Figueroa is the founder of Indiegrrt, a
1500 member international organization for women in the independent music industry.
Opening the show will be Edie Carey, who opened for Melissa Ferrick in Norman last year.
She was great and had a smile that wouldn't quit. She's got a beautiful voice and great
songs, and she also sang harmony on a number of Ferrick's songs. $10 for two
performers may be the best deal you get all year!
Sportswomen to Watch
by Jill Gamer
F
or those of you following women's college basketball, you may know that Duke has
one of the top basketball teams in the country this year. In fact, they were ranked
Number 1 until February 1 when Connecticut knocked them from their top ranking
by beating them 77-65 at Duke. Most press about Duke revolves around Amanda Beard,
for good reason. She's an incredible player and one that most opposing teams can't stop
from scoring an average of 23 points a game. She's equally as dangerous on defense,
blocking passing lanes with regularity, and has 64 steals this season, second in the
Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
However, the press also can't fail to mention Iciss Tillis, a 6'4" junior forward from Tulsa,
OK. Together, Tillis
and Beard, also a
junior, have helped
EVENTS AT A GLANCE
Duke become a
March
powerhouse
Saturday, March 1: Drumming Workshop at Hertand, 10 am
basketball program.
Saturday. March 1: Peggy Johnson in concert atChurch of the
This year Tillis is
Open Arms, 3131 N. Penn, 8 pm
· · scoring an average
Monday. March 3: Hertand Book Club, 7 pm
of 15.7 points a
Friday. March 7: Holly Figueroa at OU Student Union, 8 pm
game. She can
Saturday. March 8: ERA Workshop at Hertand, 3:30 pm
shoot 3-pointers,
Saturday. March 8: Hertand Supper Club at The Grand House,
play inside, and
2701 N. Classen, 5:30 pm
dunk, although she
Saturday. March 8: Mary Reynolds and Louise Goldberg at Full
has yet to dunk in
Circle Bookstore, 50 Penn Place, 7 pm
a college game.
Friday, March 21: Louise Goldberg and Mary Reynolds at
Tillis has played a
Galileo's, 3009 Paseo, 8 pm
huge part in
Wednesday. March 26: Women's Issues Legislative Day at the
propelling Duke to
State Capitol
a 21-1 record as of
Thursday. March 27: Two Spirits Group meets at Hertand, 6:30
this writing, and an
pm
82-8 record since
April
she and Beard have
Saturday. Aoril 12: Feminist Spirituality Workshop at Hertand,
been at Duke.
1:30 pm
They're quite a
May
talented basketball
May 16-18: Hertand Spring Retreat at Roman Nose featuring
duo and one thars
the band IRIS Saturday evening at 8 pm
definitely worth
watching.
Duke's next game on 1V will be against North Carolina State, March 2nd, on Fox Sports.
But be sure and catch them sometime during the NCAA tournament since most games
will be televised this year. And if they don't make it to the Final Four again this year, then
something is wrong. Last year they lost to Oklahoma in the semi-finals, but I hope to see
them make it to the championship game in a rematch with Connecticut.
In addition to her basketball skills, Iciss Tillis is the comedian of the team and will soon
be starring in her own 1V show, The Iciss Tillis Show, on Duke's campus station. She
joked in an article that the sports segment might sound like this: "In Duke sports, the
women's basketball team won again last night. In other news.•." And if the rest of the
season is anything like the first half, that will be pretty accurate! The Duke women are
flying high this year, helped along by a talented Oklahoma woman, Iciss Tillis. Now if only
she were playing for OU ...
Herland Sister Resources
NonProfit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Oklahoma City, OK
Permit No. 861
2312 NW 39th
Oklahoma City, OK 73112
Address Service Requested
l\1olly \Vhltworth
THREE CDS NOW AVAILABLE
Central. Oklahoma Stonewall Democrats
voicing gayAesbian concerns
*WEIRD DUCK*
*LEAN IN FORA KISS *
* HUNGRY WHEN I WAKE *
CDS $10, LYRIC BOOKS SS, SHIPPING/HANDLING $2
MAKE CHECKS PAYABLE TO D.L. Hord, PO Box 50727, Tulsa, OK 74150
HEAR ALL THREE CDS AT BERLAND
email: MollyWbitworth@aol.com
Monthly meetings 2nd Wednesday, 7 pm
at Democratic Party Headquarters
NE 4lst & Lincoln, OKC
for info call James Nimmo at (405) 843-3651
or email violadamore2@yahoo.com
REBECCA R. HOLT, Ph.D.
Julia Irwin, M.D .• P.C.
Clinical Psychology
(405) 321-2148
Psychiatrist
Doctor's Parle
Box 5119
Norman, OK 73070
Individuals - Couples
Family Therapy, Retreats
500 E. Robinson, Suite 600
Norman, OK 73071
(405) 321 -3719
DOROTHY E. HEIM
Sandy Ingraham, JD., M.S.W
Attorney-at-Law
Ingraham & Associates, PLLC
Attorney at Law
(405) 691-4949
dheim033@yahoo.com
Call me with your legal questions:
estate plannning
personal injury
contract issues
small business
Young
And Older Adults
Estate Planning, Wills, Trusts, Probate, Adoption, Contracts
Route 2, Box 369-B
McCloud, OK 74851
Tel. (405) 964-2072
ingraham@mcloudteleco.com