SEEING RED
Links and things from the CODE RED feminist collective. Visit our website for critical Caribbean feminist commentary.
CODE RED for gender justice | Promote your Page too
“ It was also reported that discrimination based on “age, sex, area of residence, religion, disability, sexuality, migrant status or HIV status”, and that the attitudes of people toward “sex workers, the disabled, Rastafari, gays, the homeless, people living with HIV/AIDS, to mention some … meant lack of access to several public amenities and services, and therefore limited their ability to enhance their living conditions”. ”
Kick in she back door by veteran band Burning Flames recently won Road March in Antigua. Some bands refused to play the song because its offensive lyrics endorse anal rape of women. Nonetheless, it emerged as the most popular song of Antigua’s carnival.
CODE RED takes a look at the lyrics and hopes to start a conversation on
What does equitable, just and loving heterosexual sex look like? To the many, many vocal people who see absolutely nothing wrong with message in this song, who have argued that Burning Flames is speaking of the “reality” of relationships, what would you say?
Read the entire CODE RED article here.
CODE RED is a feminist collective of Caribbean women, men & everyone else between or beyond the binary. Find us on facebook, follow us on twitter and subscribe to our wordpress blog.
6 young Caribbean women talk about what feminism means to them.
CODE RED is a Caribbean feminist collective. Find us on facebook and follow us on twitter.
Learn more about CatchAFyah and new generation Caribbean feminist organising in this AWID article, Stabroek News Guyana column and Outlish Magazine article.
Why don't you feminists just shut up?
Guyana letter writer indicts the work of CODE RED for Gender Justice, CatchAFyah and the Caribbean Review of Gender Studies for ”denigration of the Caribbean male” and the promotion of (male) homosexuality.
He argues that what we, as feminists, are concerned with is domestic violence and that “progress is being made” in that area so we should just shut up. Instead, of shutting up we’re promoting male homosexuality.
To learn more about CODE RED find us on facebook and follow us on twitter.
“I want to strengthen connections between women in the Caribbean, to learn from and connect all the bits of work that are going on in order to have a greater impact, and to really change the quality of life and conditions of women ‘on the ground.”
Visit CODE RED for gender justice on facebook & follow us on twitter.
Caribbean feminism is not some giant hairy man-eating monster anxious to claw its way to the top and destroy the family and society in the process. It’s a movement of ordinary diverse women (and men) like the ones I had the privilege of spending two days with: passionate, courageous and committed to being the change they want to see.
A CODE RED for gender justice! member talks about why she’s a feminist. Read the full Outlish Magazine article here.
CODE RED is a Caribbean feminist activist collective. Find us on facebook or follow us on twitter.
How we ah go mek dis movement move? Reflections from the CatchAFyah Caribbean Feminist Grounding
We’ll be posting a much more serious and sober report later but here are some quick reflections from a few of the Catch a Fire participants.
On Transformation
Day 1 of our Caribbean Feminist Grounding was really (personally) transformative. Something Shifted. Something Changed. And maybe I just needed y’all to remind me *why* and to think together (creatively) through the *how’s*. Thank you sisters for re-igniting the flame! Sistrens, how we ah go mek dis movement move??!?!
On Community
I often wish I lived on a deserted island far away from people. But now, I want to live in a commune with the amazing, fiery, beautiful women of Caribbean Feminists CatchAFyah! So I’m just going to think of the Caribbean as my commune ;P Two quotes from Audre Lorde are resonating as I reflect and return to the work: “Without community there is no liberation, only the most vulnerable and temporary armistice between an individual and her oppression.” Also- “Revolution is not a one-time event. It is becoming always vigilant for the smallest opportunity to make a genuine change.” We are stronger, more effective together. 1 ♥
On Sisterhood Across Difference
Someone asked me what the other ladies at Catch A Fire were like. I said they were like me! Even though we are certainly very unique individuals, it was great to feel that sisterhood among us. And somewhere within ourselves, we are all feminists who have caught a fyah…
On Privilege
Though not necessarily individually, we were a privileged group. We were funded, had a comfortable meeting space (that was not wheelchair accessible) and among us were many a university degree. That in itself is a disconnect from large numbers of women and men our work seeks support and empower. Even those words, support and empower are problematic… Though raised, the challenge remains, how do we make it different for our next meeting? For our next project(s)? For our work? Class privilege is unwieldy dammit!
I have been in many queer positive spaces in my life. Both in the Caribbean and in North America. This was yet another one of them which was lovely. I have enjoyed straight privilege most of my life however I am mostly read as queer outside of being in a relationship with men. Many womyn in the group identified as lgbtqi and spoke to their experience. However very few (myself included) spoke to their experience of straightness. I greatly appreciated a post my another member who spoke to this silence post-meeting which so beautifully encapsulated how I feel about my own sexuality which makes me simultaneously shy away from labeling myself (b/c it’s so much more complex than any label but also want to identify/name) and speak to the privilege of straightness. (via Add Fyah And Stir. read entire post here.)
On Inspiration
This was [an] amazing 3 days. The insights, spirits, comments and inspiration to go on is willed. The time is now, the opportunity is here. … i just cant stop talking about next step. A fyah was certainly caught in Barbados. GET F’ED UP!!!!!
Thank you SISTAS
On Inter-generational & South-South Learning
The selection of participants I believe indeed contributed greatly to the grounding. The fact that participants presented on issues and assisted with managing the group over the two days. Having Dr. Antrobus and other invited guest from DAWN and Red Thread was also inspiring and added motivation as to why my involvement was one to be proud of.
On Safe Spaces
I loved the women that attended. All so powerful, interesting, and inspiring. The opportunity and space to meet like-minded persons with an interest in changing the status quo. I also deeply appreciated the safeness of the space, I love that women could be open and honest about who they are and without fear. And the food was amazing!
Visit CODE RED for gender justice on wordpress, facebook and twitter to learn more about CatchAFyah.
CatchAFyah Caribbean Feminist Network
On May 18 +19, 2012 24 young Caribbean women met in Barbados to further regional feminist mobilisation with a special focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
We come from women’s, feminist, LGBT and youth organisations in Antigua & Barbuda, Barbados, The Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, St. Kitts-Nevis.
We are farmers, medical doctors, fund coordinators, teachers, students, activists, artists, writers, psychologists, researchers and social entrepreneurs.
We want to build a regional movement that is dynamic and inclusive.
You can be a part of it too by completing our sign up sheet. Connect with us.
To learn more about CatchAFyah visit the CODE RED for gender justice website, join us on facebook and follow us on twitter.
CODE RED member reflects on Caribbean feminist mobilisation at the 2012 AWID Forum and shares her expectations for Catch A Fire: the region’s first young feminist grounding.
Read full blog entry here.
Caribbean feminist, gender & sexuality news: The Good, Bad and the Ugly!
Here are some of the top stories in Caribbean feminist and gender news:
The Good
Guyana to begin vaccinating girls against HPV this week! This month is Cervical Cancer Awareness month. What a great way to begin the month! Time for the other Caribbean countries to follow Guyana’s lead!
Some Good, Some Bad
Dominica and The Bahamas have been ranked among the top 10 ethical destinations in the developing world for 2012. Countries were evaluated in three main categories: environmental protection, social welfare and human rights. Dominica was lauded for its renewable energy policy and for being one of the few Caribbean nations to sign a statement of LGBTQ rights at the UN in 2011. The Bahamas received kudos for its commitment to shark conservation. Both Dominica and The Bahamas were ranked highly in terms of political rights, civil liberties and press freedom. Barbados was on last year’s list, but wasn’t included in the 2012 ranking; the reason given was that the government has not shown itself to be committed to its promises of environmental protection and sustainability.
The Bad
Woman in Guyana dies after unsafe abortion even though abortion has been legal there since 1996. Former Minister of Health says that women may be uninformed about certified abortion providers.
The Ugly
JLP described PM Portia Simpson Miller’s decision to appoint three women to the Cabinet as ‘jobs for the girls’.Three woman cabinet members dismissed as illegitimate, unnecessarily costly excess baggage just because they are women, no, girls!
Want more Caribbean feminist/women’s/gender news?
Find CODE RED on facebook or follow us on twitter.
CODE RED is a feminist collective of Caribbean women and men. We are the only online source for daily updates and aggregation of Caribbean news and links related to feminist, gender and sexuality issues (via our facebook page)
CODE RED? No Behaviour!
Reps from CODE RED will be on the No Behaviour Show tonight at 10pm ECT.
A West Indian podcast with no agenda. Talk about anything be it tech, music, politics, food, anyting.
Women’s public performance is always political, the fat black woman’s even more so. There mere fact that this video is circulating so widely is because people view the fat black woman’s performing body as disruptive and “unruly” (to draw on the work of Jamaican literary scholar Andrea Shaw.)
Some people argued that images of this woman would deter tourists from visiting Trinidad and Tobago for carnival. This calls up how women’s bodies are used to signify the nation, in ways that are ultimately harmful for women. Despite this nation being one where “every creed and race find an equal place” the fat black woman’s unruly political body is out of place, especially at carnival which itself has become a more commodified, commercially driven enterprise which re-inscribes class divisions rather than turning them on their heads as carnival has been expected to do.
Not just any body can represent the nation. (Think of how he Caribbean’s beauty queens have traditionally been light-skinned, middle-class and slim.)
Trinidadian comedian Rachel Price had this to say:
That have to be CONFIDENCE to leave yuh house with nothing but red lace. When de holes in yuh arse that bigger than the holes on de road to Lopinot and of ALL words SEXY THING on the drapes posing as a panty ???
Yup, a fat joke! A cheap ridiculing of one woman out to have a good time. What strikes me as most disturbing is the assumption that a fat woman couldn’t and shouldn’t be confident.
You would think that generations of fat, black Caribbean women who have refused to know their place would have put an end to such ignorance and prejudice.
Enjoy yaself gal. Wish I could have been at carnival bussing a wine wid ya!
I encourage you to read Andrea Shaw’s The Embodiment of Disobedience: Fat Black Women’s Unruly Political Bodies.
And of course, join CODE RED for gender justice on facebook.
This is a vid of my friend jennifer that has been making the rounds in caribbean circles since carnival. Some people are like “yea I like it, thats what carnival is about” they laugh and move on. But some of these douchebags are getting on like they never seen a fat person winin an carryin on in they life. Carnival has old, fat, ugly, white, black, thin, etc enjoyin the festivities in various ways. Some of them like my mudda says gettin on like “neva see come see”.
I took it upon myself to hurt some feelings and let some of the commentators know about themselves…bum asses needed to look in the mirror before they let them words come out they mouth. I done playin “public defender” though back to the fun. I like the video and shes having fun…no different from a slim girl…but you know when its a fat girl everything is suddenly funny.
Cupcake, I now posting a few comments on Rachel Price facebook post about this video and how people are reacting like this is something brand new. Your friend’s behaviour is nothing out of the ordinary for Carnival. There are people talking about class and respect and all that jazz but all of it stems from the fact that your friend is a big girl getting her Carnival vibes on.*stewps*
Just how is a disembodied black woman’s bikinied bottom (Caribbean) advertising that works? Does it really work? Would any other image of the Caribbean work?
Talk to CODE RED on facebook.
