I bet it never crossed their mind that it was offensive to have a white women be the center of a circle involving faceless people of color dancing around her like she’s the center of the universe

“Oh god, how did he learn to play, we never let him join”

Robin Williams Re: Tiger Woods.

Tennis has always been a very white-washed and class segmented sport much like golf.  I remember that when I played tennis in high school and finally started getting private lessons my mom told me a year of lessons for me cost more than my brother’s soccer and basketball expenses combined. It is the type of sport that adheres rigidly to “tradition” and, as in most cases, tradition also means resistance of anything that’s not white, rich or cissexual.  

Tennis also has incredible moments, such as Billie Jean King proving that men are not naturally better tennis players in her win over Bobby Riggs. Women at Wimbledon, now make just as much as the men,  a direct result of the Williams sisters and their popularity (although they still only get a slightly larger plate, rather than trophy).  And the most popular tennis player is no longer Anna Kournikova, a sub-par tennis player but beautiful woman.  It is true that women tennis players are still dolled up to appear on a magazine cover but at least now they’re winning majors and highly ranked. Sarah Gronnert is the first intersexed women to play on the pro-tour.  Women’s tennis has a lot to be proud of, yet every year privilege raises it’s ugly head and “tradition” works to tear it all down.

More detailed post on the racism, sexism and transphobia involved but for now I’m just enjoying the raw power of these women.

Also, if anyone posts on the “grunting” I will delete it.  Fair warning!

 

posted a completely self indulgent picture of men I find attractive.

That ends now

Today, I was in line at a checkout. I have quite a few facial piercings and 1/2″ gauges in my ears. The very heavy cashier asks how big my gauges are and then starts telling me about how she recently got her clitoris pierced and how sometimes she has orgasms behind the register. FML

 

Here’s the deal with this FML.  In ordinary situations, I’d prefer complete strangers not to tell me about the state of their genitals.  Nothing personal it’s just, you know, what do you say to that? So my problem is not that the person who wrote this was uncomfortable with that information, it was the inclusion of “very heavy” that pissed me off.  Somehow, because this woman was considered overweight she had even less right talking about her body than a thin woman.  If you read the comments you’ll see this is the track taken by most, although a few brave souls are calling out the fatphobia.  Comments consistently reinforce that the fact that was women was very heavy is the reason this is a valid FML.  Not the TMI, but the TMI combined with the fact that the woman had a body that much of our society would like to think was completely and totally unsexual.

This weekend my husband, friend from college, and her husband all traveled to Cinicannati for the Civil Rights Baseball game.  This was the first year that the game was played during the regular season (it was usually relegated to pre-season games).

There was excitement to it: Seeing the beautiful building that is a center for equal rights, seeing former negro league players on the field to throw out the first pitch with Frank Robinson and just the general excitement that this game was supposed to be about something.  Three people receieved awards at this game: Muhammoud Ali, Hank Aaron and Bill Cosby.  There were also awards given to CEOs and presidents of companies that are known for working for civil rights.

However, things were still off, like the fact that the four kids who lead the way carrying banners were ALL white, or that the women who were there to receive awards for their company (two white, two WOC) were often not the president but other lower positions like chairman of diversity. Also, of course the recipients were three men and the only one of them that had a female member with him was Ali, who needs someone there to help him.

The biggest issue to me was during the game’s Civil Right’s highlights,  fact based information that flashed across the scoreboard.  The only Woc mentioned was Rosa Parks.  This included when discussing the civil rights movement & the women’s movement.  It blew my mind that when discussing the feminist movement that, even during the civil rights game, that they did not put up one woc who worked for equal rights.  It was still all Betty Friedan and Susan B. Anthony.  It made me sad because it was such an obvious erasure to me and I wonder how many people didn’t even notice it.  Men were awarded for the civil rights movement and white women were rewarded for the woman’s movement.  But where were the women of color?  Already working two jobs while middle class white woman discussed fighting for the right to not be housewifes?  Raising sons and worrying about them coming home alive when racial tensions were high?  Yet no mention as though there work wasn’t important, as though the other movements could have existed without them.

Tuesday night  two-year old girl, Jada Justice went missing in Gary, Indiana.  She was waiting in a car at a gas station when her cousin ran in to get milk.  When her cousin came out she was missing.  The FBI and area police departments have been searching for her.  Unfortunately, she does not “qualify” for an Amber Alert since there is no vehicle or suspect description.  This means that people may not be as aware of her disappearance.  If you live in the area and see Jada please call 911