below is an edited draft of my resignation from the domestic and sexual violence center in olympia.
Dear Friends and Co-workers,
I am writing to resign from my position as Prevention Education and Training Specialist. At this point I believe that the potential of _______ to be willing to engage in the work of deep prevention has yet to be realized.
I sense an enormous resistance from the agency to be willing to challenge the dynamics of violence (i.e. power, control, fear, and exploitation) at every level. And I see this not as a problem of a few bad individuals, but rather the result of a harmful system that forces good individuals into acting out dynamics they don’t believe in and would never consider otherwise. That is to say that the system in which this agency is organizationally engaged, is such that, to survive, the good and lovable people within the agency are coerced to use the dynamics of power and control, fear and exploitation.
It is a systemic problem with the non-profit industrial complex. I firmly believe every hurtful dynamic that I have experienced at this agency is rooted in the problematic system that the State has forced non-profits into through the 501(c)(3) structure. I also believe that this structure has been created by the State to control social movements and therefore the complete eradication of systems of oppression is impossible if solely led by non-profit organizations. This structure demands hierarchal wielding of power under the pretense of that being synonymous with leadership. Leadership through power dynamics, control, fear and exploitation is mimicking the patriarchy that is battering the women, men, and trans people we serve. Female directorship is not feminist management.
The constant marginalization of strong individuals’ voices with radical politics has been the modus operandi of ________ and has been happing longer than most of the current staff has been here. And how could this be any different? I don’t think that if can be different with the current systems in place. To create radical internal change would require radical action externally towards the end of violence and oppression, which would require the resistance of all perpetrators of violence. It would also require a real analysis of what violence is. Gandhi is quoted as saying,” Poverty is the worst kind of violence.” Not providing access to comprehensive reproductive health care is the collective re-raping of women, and false and misleading sexual education is the rape of young people. Because isn’t that what rape is anyway, a non-consensual act meant to remove autonomy and individual power? Rape is not about sex. We know that, we teach that! Power and Control, fear and exploitation are the roots of this violence and they are the roots of poverty, the roots of restricted access to healthcare, and they are the roots of the miseducation of young people today The biggest perpetrator of all of these forms of violence is the State. My point is to work to undo violence, we are asked to examine the roots of our culture and resistance to violence at its root means facing the perpetrator who happens to be our biggest funder. So now we have a conundrum. Now we are reliant on the one thing that is the biggest cause of what we are working to undo and we are required contractually to tell them what we are doing, why and how.
And they require they we manage that money and the people who use that money in a way that perpetrates the violence itself so that no matter how much we do the work in our community on some level we are traumatizing ourselves, keeping each other in a state of crisis and preventing any real community changing work from being achieved in the long run. I have seen this acted out with many staff from the time I was hired.
So for these reasons, I am resigning and continuing my work in other ways.
Monday, August 04, 2008
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Saturday, June 07, 2008
rent is the rape of the poor...
angela davis said, “radical simply means grasping things at the root,” and with that in mind i take a radical approach to the eradication of violence। violence is the simultaneous dehumanization of the perpetrator and the victim in order to exert power-over as a means of gain. please excuse the dichotomous, hierarchical language because we know - despite the anti-violence movement having ignored this fact - that most perpetrators are victims and many victims perpetrate violence. the perpetration of violence requires dehumanization - the creation of us v. them - in order to exert power and control. They do this. Us, we do this. this creates nameless, faceless groups of people and identities, over which any exertion of power, control and exploitation can be enacted.
scarcity is the first lesson of violence – that there is not enough। either there is not enough of any given resource or there is not enough space for us to both be real, living, and valuable people at the same time. there is only space for me to be me, to be right, to count, and you have to be “them,” the other, wrong. this is the link to capitalism - and not just capitalism as an economic structure; it is so much more insidious than just economics. i am talking about capitalism as a system and bundle of messages about scarcity and abundance, dichotomy and hierarchy that we internalize and act out in our lives and relationships. intimate partner violence and sexual violence is a direct function of the imperial-capitalist society in which we live, the people exploited by our economics are the same people experiencing most of the rape and abuse in our culture. sometimes this is literal, native american women are eight times more likely to be raped then a white women and 84% of their rapists are white; in violence against queer people due to their sexual or gender orientation or expression, sexual assault is largely a factor. sometimes it is figurative, the same native americans that white people are now physically raping have had their land forcibly removed from them and their people through colonization. in the same way, rent is the rape of the poor, not providing access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare is the collective re-raping of women, and false and misleading sexual education is the rape of young people. because isn’t that what rape is anyway, a non-consensual act meant to remove autonomy and individual power? what constitutes a healthy sexual relationship? whenever I begin a workshop with that question nobody says an orgasm. nobody ever says orgasm or good sex! in the same way we can see that sexual violence is not about sex. It is about power, control, fear and scarcity.
sexual violence is a capitalist’s tool to instill fear and punish those outside of their proper roles. to understand sexual violence at the root means to understand that patriarchy is the systematic over-valuing of men over women. it is the smallest unit of government we have in our society and is mirrored in institutionalized forms. if hetero-normative, compulsorily-monogamist, patriarchal family structures are the smallest units of government-enforced capitalism, then feminism is the smallest unit of anarchist resistance. so this, combined with imperial-capitalism, forms a ruler-take-all mentality in which the privileged can do whatever in order to profit off the bodies of others. this is acted out on an interpersonal level through gender roles-a direct result of sexism and patriarchy. sexism’s bottom line though has to do with whom you have sex. this is what it comes down to, this is why masculinity, as enacted through patriarchy, is a rapist’s mentality stemming from a rape culture. finally, policing and enforcing the whole system is homophobia and transphobia.
and i do mean, “policing.” while rape is a tool of the patriarch in the private war against individual women, it is also a normalized tool of public wars. the sexualization of violence is a normal tactic in torturing our prisoners of war. the commonality of the ptsd of soldiers returning from combat and the ptsd experienced by survivors of rape and abuse. one is the result of imperial-capitalism, and patriarchal tactics of non-consensual power and control (a public war) on his life. the other is the personal result of imperial-capitalism and patriarchy in the private wars against women, trans folk, and queers.
scarcity is the first lesson of violence – that there is not enough। either there is not enough of any given resource or there is not enough space for us to both be real, living, and valuable people at the same time. there is only space for me to be me, to be right, to count, and you have to be “them,” the other, wrong. this is the link to capitalism - and not just capitalism as an economic structure; it is so much more insidious than just economics. i am talking about capitalism as a system and bundle of messages about scarcity and abundance, dichotomy and hierarchy that we internalize and act out in our lives and relationships. intimate partner violence and sexual violence is a direct function of the imperial-capitalist society in which we live, the people exploited by our economics are the same people experiencing most of the rape and abuse in our culture. sometimes this is literal, native american women are eight times more likely to be raped then a white women and 84% of their rapists are white; in violence against queer people due to their sexual or gender orientation or expression, sexual assault is largely a factor. sometimes it is figurative, the same native americans that white people are now physically raping have had their land forcibly removed from them and their people through colonization. in the same way, rent is the rape of the poor, not providing access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare is the collective re-raping of women, and false and misleading sexual education is the rape of young people. because isn’t that what rape is anyway, a non-consensual act meant to remove autonomy and individual power? what constitutes a healthy sexual relationship? whenever I begin a workshop with that question nobody says an orgasm. nobody ever says orgasm or good sex! in the same way we can see that sexual violence is not about sex. It is about power, control, fear and scarcity.
sexual violence is a capitalist’s tool to instill fear and punish those outside of their proper roles. to understand sexual violence at the root means to understand that patriarchy is the systematic over-valuing of men over women. it is the smallest unit of government we have in our society and is mirrored in institutionalized forms. if hetero-normative, compulsorily-monogamist, patriarchal family structures are the smallest units of government-enforced capitalism, then feminism is the smallest unit of anarchist resistance. so this, combined with imperial-capitalism, forms a ruler-take-all mentality in which the privileged can do whatever in order to profit off the bodies of others. this is acted out on an interpersonal level through gender roles-a direct result of sexism and patriarchy. sexism’s bottom line though has to do with whom you have sex. this is what it comes down to, this is why masculinity, as enacted through patriarchy, is a rapist’s mentality stemming from a rape culture. finally, policing and enforcing the whole system is homophobia and transphobia.
and i do mean, “policing.” while rape is a tool of the patriarch in the private war against individual women, it is also a normalized tool of public wars. the sexualization of violence is a normal tactic in torturing our prisoners of war. the commonality of the ptsd of soldiers returning from combat and the ptsd experienced by survivors of rape and abuse. one is the result of imperial-capitalism, and patriarchal tactics of non-consensual power and control (a public war) on his life. the other is the personal result of imperial-capitalism and patriarchy in the private wars against women, trans folk, and queers.
rape at evergreen
The Evergreen State College was quick to protect its own administrative interests in its response to the recent campus sexual assault campus। The VP of Student Affairs, Director of Health and Counseling, Coordinator of Residential Life, Chief of Police, formed a panel and addressed the student body, but the response was misinformed and basic, at best. Campus administration is looking at better cell phone coverage and landlines in every dorm; these things make sense for the safety of the student body, as do increased emergency call posts, better lighting and the other recommendations being considering.
Nearly ninety percent of college women who are raped know their assailants। Monique Vallot, Coordinator of Residential Life, encourages the student body to "lock your doors and windows" and, "avoid walking alone at night." Chief of Police Ed Sorger told students they, "shouldn't feel like a wimp," when requesting a police escort. These admonishments fail to recognize the underlying conditions that support sexual assault. I am by no means discouraging people from creating their own safety using these suggestions, but I would like to dispel the myth that these sorts of things will prevent sexual violence. Safety precautions such as those recommended by the Evergreen administration will only prevent a small percent (10) of all sexual assaults.
We must abandon the myth that rape is only a stranger jumping out of the bushes or attacking a person and taking them by force। These are the sexual assaults that draw media, but there remains the other ninety percent of sexual assaults, in which the assailant was a classmate, friend, boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, or other acquaintance. Additionally, women ages 16 -24 experience rape at rates four times higher than the rate for all women in general and college women are more at risk for rape and other forms of sexual assault than women who are the same age but not in college. It seems the majority of the Evergreen campus holds the belief that this doesn't happen at Evergreen and that this man who brutally violated a woman in our community must be an “outsider.” By perpetuating this myth and others this community is supporting the sexual violence that is happening on campus.
Ending sexual violence on campus and in the community means being willing to be honest about the reality of the situation and be willing to take responsibility for confronting sexual violence। Mr. Constantino, citing the statistic that we have not had a forcible rape on campus since 2002; Ms. Vallot, encouraging the student body to lock their doors; and Chief Sorger, telling folks to not feel wimpy (language which reinforces sexism and patriarchy), is not the accountability the student body should ask of the administration.
And the student body is not exempt from these attitudes; while on campus I’ve heard countless accounts about how this attacker must not be from Evergreen and is probably not part the Evergreen communit। We cannot keep this at arm’s length. We must be willing to feel the incredible discomfort that goes a long with looking at the fact that we live in a rape culture. The arrogance of Evergreen is astounding; the administration and the student body believe that we are far more progressive than national statistics, and I would like to challenge this belief. Of college women who are raped, 42% tell no one about their assault, and in one survey nearly one third of college men said they were likely to have sex with an unwilling partner if they thought they could get away with it (Warsaw). We live in a culture that remains silent about the epidemic rates of rape that happen, one in three women and one in six men are survivors of sexual assault. The people and communities that our society marginalizes experience these rates even higher.
Until we stand and declare that violence is unacceptable and work to stop it in every form of racism, classism, sexism, xenophobia, ageism, nationalism, war-mongering, and ableism in which it exists, until we believe our own research which shows that in nearly every case the perpetrator is known by their victim, and sexual assault happens here in our dorms and on our campus, we will not end sexual assault. We need to educate ourselves so that we have the ability to advocate for our fellow community members and not minimize, deny, and blame sexual assault on external factors. Finally, we must recognize that we can keep ourselves safe but that this will not be only by locking our doors and requesting police escorts, but also by confronting sexism and misogyny and working to end the patriarchal structures upon which this culture is built.
Nearly ninety percent of college women who are raped know their assailants। Monique Vallot, Coordinator of Residential Life, encourages the student body to "lock your doors and windows" and, "avoid walking alone at night." Chief of Police Ed Sorger told students they, "shouldn't feel like a wimp," when requesting a police escort. These admonishments fail to recognize the underlying conditions that support sexual assault. I am by no means discouraging people from creating their own safety using these suggestions, but I would like to dispel the myth that these sorts of things will prevent sexual violence. Safety precautions such as those recommended by the Evergreen administration will only prevent a small percent (10) of all sexual assaults.
We must abandon the myth that rape is only a stranger jumping out of the bushes or attacking a person and taking them by force। These are the sexual assaults that draw media, but there remains the other ninety percent of sexual assaults, in which the assailant was a classmate, friend, boyfriend, ex-boyfriend, or other acquaintance. Additionally, women ages 16 -24 experience rape at rates four times higher than the rate for all women in general and college women are more at risk for rape and other forms of sexual assault than women who are the same age but not in college. It seems the majority of the Evergreen campus holds the belief that this doesn't happen at Evergreen and that this man who brutally violated a woman in our community must be an “outsider.” By perpetuating this myth and others this community is supporting the sexual violence that is happening on campus.
Ending sexual violence on campus and in the community means being willing to be honest about the reality of the situation and be willing to take responsibility for confronting sexual violence। Mr. Constantino, citing the statistic that we have not had a forcible rape on campus since 2002; Ms. Vallot, encouraging the student body to lock their doors; and Chief Sorger, telling folks to not feel wimpy (language which reinforces sexism and patriarchy), is not the accountability the student body should ask of the administration.
And the student body is not exempt from these attitudes; while on campus I’ve heard countless accounts about how this attacker must not be from Evergreen and is probably not part the Evergreen communit। We cannot keep this at arm’s length. We must be willing to feel the incredible discomfort that goes a long with looking at the fact that we live in a rape culture. The arrogance of Evergreen is astounding; the administration and the student body believe that we are far more progressive than national statistics, and I would like to challenge this belief. Of college women who are raped, 42% tell no one about their assault, and in one survey nearly one third of college men said they were likely to have sex with an unwilling partner if they thought they could get away with it (Warsaw). We live in a culture that remains silent about the epidemic rates of rape that happen, one in three women and one in six men are survivors of sexual assault. The people and communities that our society marginalizes experience these rates even higher.
Until we stand and declare that violence is unacceptable and work to stop it in every form of racism, classism, sexism, xenophobia, ageism, nationalism, war-mongering, and ableism in which it exists, until we believe our own research which shows that in nearly every case the perpetrator is known by their victim, and sexual assault happens here in our dorms and on our campus, we will not end sexual assault. We need to educate ourselves so that we have the ability to advocate for our fellow community members and not minimize, deny, and blame sexual assault on external factors. Finally, we must recognize that we can keep ourselves safe but that this will not be only by locking our doors and requesting police escorts, but also by confronting sexism and misogyny and working to end the patriarchal structures upon which this culture is built.
Friday, June 06, 2008
grand opening
welcome to h. coronatus. seahorses are gender free. the men carry the babies. they are magical and have healing properties in traditional chinese medicine.
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