(I'm)Possible

(I'm)possible is a zine run by folks who identify as poc, woc, qtpoc, afab. We are completely submission-based, independently run zine looking to creatively share and create spaces where we are all seen, heard, and acknowledged as valid. Last date to submit: March 31st, 2013. Zine release: April 15th, 2013. Submissions can be made to this tumblr, [email protected], or via mail! Let us know how you wish to submit. Also you can request copies of the finished zine in the mail! Send us an email or message asking for the number you need and let us know a little about yourself! We strive create a permanent safer space for POC and queer/trans people, and those at the intersections of identities. This space is created by you, me, and all of us to collaborate in creating a conversation, resources, and thought centered around POC and queer folks, as well as providing a venue for us to voice our pushbacks and contradictions to how we are (mis)represented in media and treated in society. We will facilitate safety by being intentional with our use of language (triggers/content warnings will be added into the tags, if you have specific ones that we have not included please message us), consciousness of others needs and identities, encouraging conversations especially the difficult conversations around privilege, power, and re-instituting harmful systems of power in our interactions.

[chescaleigh]

This past Memorial Day weekend, while walking home from work, twin brothers Aaron and Kristin were brutally attacked around 3 am Sunday in the LES by approximately 10-12 men.  Despite eyewitnesses and surveillance video of the attack, the NYPD were quick to label the attack “gang related” and close the case without any investigation. When Aaron’s girlfriend, Cipriana followed up with police a day after the attack she was told that the twins said they did not want an investigation and would “handle it themselves”. Knowing this was untrue, Cipriana encouraged Aaron to contact the police and ask them to pursue the investigation.

When Aaron spoke with police and explained that they did in fact want an investigation he was told he could “face jail time for lying”. It wasn’t until Cipriana took to her blog, urbanbushbabes.com to write about the attack and the lack of police investigation that the press took note (NY Post & Fox 5) and the police suddenly changed their tune. Now the NYPD claims the case was never closed and has labeled it a hate crime.

We really need your help to get this story out and to get justice for the twins. Here’s how you can help: • Sign the change.org petition to hold the NYPD & Internal Affairs Bureau Liable for their misconduct in the handling of Aaron and Kristin’s case • Click here to tweet the petition using the #justice4twins hashtag

• read and share the full story and video from Cipriana’s blog

• Reblog and share this post

• Tweet this story using #justice4twins to media influencers like @MHarrisPerry @TheRevAl @ClutchMagazine @blackvoices and @thinkprogress

[janetmock-deactivated20221031]

Signal boost. NYPD does not get to determine who is worthy of justice. #justice4twins

[femme-queen]

boost.

(tw: violent imagery)

[queerability]

Gender

Be a trans* ally & help fight transphobia & cissexism

1. Use the term ‘cisgender’ when referring to non-trans* individuals, rather than transphobic words like “normal,” which imply that trans* individuals are abnormal, weird, ill, or broken.

2. Do not use transphobic slurs, such as “tra-ny” or “shemale.” These words are intended to insult and harm trans* individuals.

3. Always use the name any individual gives you. Do not ask someone what their “real” name is. (Their desired name is their real name.)

4. Always use the desired pronouns of an individual. If you are unsure which pronoun to use, politely and privately ask the individual what their preferred pronouns are.

5. Do not claim someone’s gender identity as false, nonexistent, immoral, or a result of an illness or trauma.

6. Do not ask questions regarding someone’s anatomy, or question if they have transitioned or will be transitioning in the future.

7. Do not ask to see the photographs of a person before they transitioned. Likewise, do not ask invasive, personal questions of a person regarding their life before they transitioned.

8. Never out a trans* individual to others. Likewise, do not ask others if “so-and-so is transgender.”

9. Do not assume an individual’s sexual orientation due to their trans* identity.

From asexual-not-a-sexual.tumblr.com

[lightspeedsound]

ATTENTION ALL POC BLOGGERS

I HAVE JUST REALIZED THAT WE NEED A WAY TO SUMMON EACH OTHER IN TIMES OF NEED

I’M TALKING LIKE A BAT SIGNAL CAPTAIN PLANET TYPE SHINDIG

FUCKING COMMUNICATOR OR WHATEVER

BECAUSE THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE NEED TO GET THE WORD OUT ON SOMETHING ASAP

OR TIMES WHEN WE NEED HELP ARGUING AGAINST RACIST IDIOTS ASAP

THAT BEING SAID

I NOW PROPOSE A TAG FOR ALL OF US TO TRACK:

#POCINNEED 

[rijoreijflskanlfds]

SIGNAL BOOST

WE ALL NEED THIS

[pocproblems-blog-blog-blog]

I can dig it

[urdarling-nikki]

Get ready…

[shorm]

If you think that representation doesn’t matter, that’s probably because you’re already represented.

[fyeahcracker]

In Teen Vogue US February 2013

White Women 155 White Men 23 White Children 3 Black Women 16 Black Men 1 Black Children 2 Asian Women 2 Asian Men 2 Asian Children 0

Latina Women 1 Animals 1

There are more white men in an American teenage girl’s magazine than there are Women of Color combined..

[loveyourrebellion]

1) Be willing to confront instances of transphobia, cissexism, cisnormativity, cis-centrism, cis privilege and other forms of destructive bias where you find them (especially when you find them within feminist, activist or queer spaces), not through “call outs” or other toxic, self-defeating or abusive strategies, but by taking the opportunity for genuine discourse.

2) Don’t take a purely passive, reactive approach. Rather than waiting for things like someone saying something overtly cissexist, or a trans person bringing up a particular concern, be willing to proactively introduce trans issues, or trans-relevant aspects of broader issues, to feminist discourse. Likewise, proactively treat possible consequences, perspectives and concerns relevant to trans people and trans experiences as being not only significant but essential to all feminist issues and conversations.

3) Don’t assume any given issue is strictly, or even primarily, relevant to cis women. All feminist concerns are also transgender concerns, and vice versa. There are no feminist dialogues in which trans voices “don’t belong”, or to which trans voices have “nothing to add”. There are no social issues related to gender that don’t have consequences for trans people.

4) Proactively seek out transgender voices, perspectives and input on all issues, not simply what you regard as “trans issues” or situations where the value of such perspectives is immediately obvious to you. Come to us, rather than waiting for us to come to you.

5) Don’t treat the larger social conflict of gender as being dialectic or binary in nature. Don’t assume a unidirectional model of gender-based oppression.

[fka-feminish]

If you have a printer, print this out. If you don’t have a printer, befriend someone who does, and print this out.

[queerability]

Queer Housing is a tumblr dedicated to helping queer folk find harmonious housing arrangements. Post or search here if you’re looking to fill a space in your apartment/house or if you’re looking for a room yourself/roommates to search with.

There are too many of us that settle for less-than-comfortable living arrangements, when there are tons of other queer folk we could be living around instead.

FYI: This is a very PoC/trans* positive blog.

How it works:

Use our submission form to get your word out and we’ll signal boost it as soon as possible. Subsequently, if you want to make a post through your own blog and would like us to just reblog it here, tag it with “queer housing.” We’ll be checking that tag regularly and signal boosting our asses off.

[unheardofsongs-blog-blog]

heads up RVA

[xtwid-deactivated20181222]

Signal boost

[genderedintelligence]

‘Domestic Violence: A resource for trans people’ was produced in 2009 by The Greater London Domestic Violence project, in collaboration with the LGBT Domestic Abuse Forum and NHS Barking & Dagenham.

The resource has been written primarily to assist trans people who experience domestic abuse. There is information as well as links to UK resources.

To view the full booklet, click here.

[impossiblewm]

Is it too late to submit for the zine?

It is not too late at all!! We're taking submissions until April 11th, and even after that if you still need more time.

We are so excited that you are considering submitting! :)

[impossiblewm]

Here are some open-ended questions that the [I'm]Possible crew thought up for folks to respond to. Respond to as many as you want in whatever length you want; we're looking for folks to share their story and will include responses in the zine. All responses are anonymous.

[jalwhite]

A woman-of-color who writes poetry or paints or dances or makes movies knows there is no escape from race or gender when she is writing or painting. She can’t take off her color and sex and leave them at the door or her study or studio. Nor can she leave behind her history. Art is about identity, among other things, and her creativity is political.

Gloria Anzaldúa, Making Face/Making Soul: Haciendo Caras — Creative and Cultural Perspectives by Women of Color  (via jalwhite)

We at [I'm]Possible highly recommend looking into reading works written and editited by Gloria Anzaldúa. A page on Voices from the Gaps gives information on Anzaldúa and her works: "Gloria Anzaldúa, a self-described 'chicana dyke-feminist, tejana patlache poet, writer, and cultural theorist,'"

Some links below to get started

Making Face/Making Soul: Haciendo Caras

Borderlands/ La Frontera

This Bridge Called My Back: Writings By Radical Women of Color

[impossiblewm]

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

[I'm]POSSIBLE Zine

For and by folks who identify as POC, Queer/LGBTQ, and POC&Queer.We are completely submission-based, independently run zine looking to creatively share and create spaces where we are all seen, heard, and acknowledged as valid. Accepting all forms of submissions (drawings, writing, photos, collages, mixed media, anything you want). Anything pertaining to your experience, life, identity, or thoughts is welcome!

Submissions can be made to this tumblr: impossiblewm.tumblr.com

email: [email protected]

facebook: I'm_Possible Zine

by mail: CSU 0111 PO Box 8793 Williamsburg VA 23187

We strive create a permanent safer space for POC people, queer/trans people, and those at the intersections of identities. This space is created by you, me, and all of us; to start, we want to collaborate in creating a conversation, resources, and thought centered around POC and queer folks, as well as providing a venue for us to voice our pushbacks and contradictions to how we are (mis)represented in media and treated in society. 

[translygazette]

10 Reasons It's Not Okay To Out Him

1.      Safety.

 Everyday Trans* people face violence simply for being who they are. Outing someone can severely compromise their safety. Violence against them occurs on many different levels, every day. You cannot predict how anybody will react to this information, let alone how whomever they tell will act. If you want to look up some high profile cases of violence I suggest using google and looking up Colle Carpenter, Lance Reyna, and Chrissy Lee Polis.

2.      It’s private information.

The steps they must go through to transition are legally recognized by health organizations. Information about their status should be held as private information just like anyone person’s medical issues/treatments. This should only be disclosed to people that he says are okay.

3.      He doesn’t want to be an activist 24/7.

 Some guys don’t mind being in the public eye, especially if he really is an activist. But some guys just want to live their lives, no differently than anyone else. And even if he is out in the public, it doesn’t mean he always wants to be in that position. It’s best to just leave it up to him as to when he wants to disclose his trans status.

4.      Match Making

 Let’s say a cisgender person knows your trans* friend, and decides they would like to get to know each other better. You’re first reaction might be to tell him/her about your trans* friends status. Perhaps you think that the trans* person’s body might not be what the other person expects, but unless you have seen them naked, you don’t know what their body is like either. And who says that they won’t find it appealing? Or maybe you think you’re sparing them from a negative reaction you’re sure they’ll receive once they disclose their status. But what you might consider to be a deal breaker, might not be a problem for them. Many people don’t even make it past the first stages of a relationship for reasons that have nothing to do with their trans* status. Let him/her disclose this information when they think it should be.

5.      Being trans is not who he is.

Being trans is not who he is. It is a part of him, yes. But it does not define him. It is a medical condition and not a definition of them. They should not be identified by it.

6.      “Diversity Training”

If you have an urge to teach someone about diversity and you want to enlighten and educate them in order to help them be a better citizen and a more accepting human being, and to do it, you are going to tell them all about the trans* person you know, stifle that thought.  Unless you have asked the trans* person involved whether they would mind being the subject of someone’s education on humanity, it would be best to leave the trans* person out of the lesson.

7.      It doesn’t matter if he is out.

It might seem like he is out to a lot of people, and that might make you think that it is okay because they don’t mind. But as with other assumption, it’s best not to because you might be wrong.

8.      Rendering them invisible

One minute they’re no different than anyone else, then poof, in the minds of some people, they’re immediately transformed into their birth assigned gender, or seen as a fake, or somebody who’s been trying to fool everybody. In some cases, to the person told, the trans* persons true self can disappear.

9.      Disclosing birth names.

What some people do not realize is that some trans* people guard their birth name and would consider it’s disclosure to be hurtful/offensive. For some their birth name represents a period of their life that they would like to put behind them.

10.  Whose business is it anyway?

Ultimately, the bottom line is that their status is their personal information, their history, their story, their life. It is nobody else’s place to disclose it.

[sheddingplates-deactivated20160]

Visibility Project Video: Kit Yan / Directed & shot by Mia Nakano

The Visibility Project is a photographic portraiture series focused on the Queer Asian American identified community. All the participants have identified as female at one time and the project is inclusive to: trans, ftm, mtf, genderqueer, bisexuals, lesbian, gay, intersex, andro, two-spirit, or any other gender or sexual identifications. Definitions of Asian Americans are inclusive to the general: East, Southeast, South Asian, to mixed race, transplants, etc. The project seeks to break down ethnic, gendered, and sexual stereotypes through the powerful and accessible media of photography and video. Please visit the website at visibilityproject.org for more information about the project.

[impossiblewm]

Check out the visibility project at http://www.visibilityproject.org/

[socialismartnature]

Demonstrators face-off against police during a protest against the shooting of Kimani Gray, March 13, 2013 in the East Flatbush neighborhood of the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Numerous arrests were made during the police crackdown on this protest.

16-year-old Kimani Gray was shot and killed by police on March 9, provoking unrest in the neighborhood.

[impossiblewm]

Here's the trailer for "Dear White People"! 

Us folx at (I'm)Possible are super stoked to see a movie about black representation both on college campuses and in media. About time there were diverse, multi-layered POC representation on the silver screen, don't you think?

vote to send the film to Tribeca Film Meetings via this link: http://www.indiewire.com/article/its-time-to-vote-for-project-of-the-year-send-one-film-to-the-tribeca-industry-meetings