Otherness

How have you been "othered"? This blog serves the purpose of raising awareness to any ways in which you have felt set apart as different, been belittled, or felt oppressed as "the other". This is not a place to deny anyone else their voice. This is not a place to decide whether or not someone else has been "othered". This is meant to be a safe space for EVERYONE. This is a place to tell your own story. This is a place to start the conversation, not a dispute. So, how have you been "othered"? Be heard.

[captainclickycat]

Shout-out to disabled people who aren’t “inspirational”, who are unemployed or stuck with a job they don’t like, who didn’t do well academically and/or had to drop out of school, who aren’t in a position to live and take care of themselves independently even if they would like to, who don’t “just get on with things without complaining”, whose lives didn’t work out in the way they were hoping for, who haven’t “overcome” their disability in the way that society tells us we’re supposed to. You exist, you’re worthwhile and you matter. 

[hol-ohcene]

[dryyoureyes-startbelieving]

Anything you want is just beyond your fear.

Bryant McGill (via dryyoureyes-startbelieving)

[ihavebeenothered]

Share your story!

Share your own story of an instance or way in which you are either set apart as different, how you feel like “the other”, or how you have felt oppressed!

[survivorsupport]

Young Victims of Sexual Assault Are Not Getting the Care They Need

New research has found that many teens who go to the ER after being sexually assaulted aren't receiving the proper care. The study, which was published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, analyzed nearly 13,000 cases of teen sexual assault victims who went to the emergency room after their assault.

[transitiontransmission]

Illinois district must give full locker room access to transgender student - CNN.com

A Chicago-area school district violated anti-discrimination laws by denying a transgender student full access to the girl's locker room, federal authorities said, the latest inquiry to side with students who feel discriminated against by school policies.

The finding against Township High School District 211 concerns only one of numerous complaints of discrimination made by transgender students.

In 2013, a Colorado court was the first to clearly rule that transgender people must be treated equally. The family of a transgender first-grader went to court after their school district stop allowing their daughter to use the girl’s bathroom because she was born a boy. The ruling said such bans create a hostile, intimidating or offensive environment.

That same year, California became the first state to allow transgender students to choose which bathrooms and locker rooms to use.

The federal government has followed suit. Last year, the Obama administration announced that transgender people are protected from discrimination under the Civil Rights Act.

But the report announced Monday by the Department of Education might highlight how thin the line is that schools must follow.

Like other districts faced with this dilemma, the district tried to find a negotiated solution by putting up privacy curtains in the girls’ locker room. Similar arrangements have kept schools from running afoul of anti-discrimination violations.

At Township High School District 211, however, the line between accommodation and discrimination came down to this: whether the student would be able to choose to use the privacy curtains, or whether the school could force her to do so.

The use of curtains might be OK, but the school can’t have a policy that singles out this student for mandatory use of the privacy curtains, the Department of Education report states.

“All students deserve the opportunity to participate equally in school programs and activities – this is a basic civil right,” Assistant U.S. Secretary for Civil Rights Catherine Lhamon said in a statement.

The student, who hasn’t been publicly identified, participates on a girls’ sports team, but has been required to change and shower separately from her teammates and classmates.

continued…

[survivorsupport]

Tiny device aims to help protect women from sexual assault

When activated, the device will sound an alarm and text the user's location to loved ones.

I really want one!

[micdotcom]

California high school students stage massive walk out after racist message appears on library computer

Messages which read “FUCK ALL THE N*****S IN THE WORLD” and “KKK FOREVER PUBLIC LYNCHING DECEMBER 9, 2015,” among other things, were found on a computer monitor in the Berkeley High School library this week. In response, students walked out of classes on Thursday while chanting “Black Lives Matter.” School officials promised a concerted investigation, but said finding the perpetrator would not be easy. 

[feminismwecandoit]

Feminism is about equality, not superiority

[zamiiz]

1 [phone] 

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 

PLEASE CALL IF YOU EVER FEEL LIKE YOU’RE GOING TO HURT YOURSELF. IT WILL SAVE YOUR LIFE.

[totalykyle]

[proudly-pro-choice]

Thank you! I once had an argument with a guy who was saying rape jokes are a coping method so they should be allowed, esp in the case of 'a community trying to cope' eg. the Jimmy Saville case. I'm a survivor and actually my rapist made rape jokes all the time and even though he could visibly see that it hurt me (he was my bf) justified it by "Well I was abused as a child so I'm allowed". No, no, NO. (He thought what he did to me was ok because of the childhood abuse too, btw.)

Rape jokes are terrible no matter  who is saying them. I applaud you for not punching that guy in the larynx. I hadn’t realized rape apologists had stooped to new lows in order to justify their disgusting behavior.

-Victoria

[sydney--lynne-desolation]

Moving in with him.. So Nervous. After writing plans and plans and plans And budgets and budgets and budgets. We can do it. I’d be the 4th income coming in. His, his roommates, and his friends and then mine. So financially it wouldn’t be an issue. My furniture and my things won’t be an issue considering we like the same things. The apartment has an upstairs so it doesn’t feel overly crowded. After all I’ll be in his bedroom so it’s really like I’m not there. I can do it. After all we’ve been through I Surprisingly think it will be okay. We get along perfectly (recently anyway) He’s the least of my worries. His roommate and his friend/basically the other roommate are the least of my worries. After relapsing and now being active fighting my ED I’m scared the change might set me off badly if I don’t get good enough support. The opinions of others aren’t what will harm me but the judgement of those I love to the point I don’t feel supported could destroy me. But I’ve got most things completed. It’s all a matter of taking a deep breath and doing it.

I hate how my fear can even take over big decisions. I hate how my eating disorder takes over even when there’s no eating involved.

[teenvogue]

You know what is NOT sexy? Misogyny, labeling, objectifying, comparing, and body shaming!

Ariana Grande >>  (via teenvogue)

[women-in-science-blog]

Women Of Color Who Changed Science!

Hi! If you choose to accept this submission, please reblog from the original link rather than creating a new post. As an artist, that would mean a lot to me. Thank you!

http://hydrogeneportfolio.tumblr.com/post/121885631892/women-of-color-who-changed-science-and-the

[fullpraxisnow]

[beutifulmagazine]

@annieelainey of @stophatingyourbody on what she wished young girls knew. Pg 12!