We were walked to the slave quarters, some still standing, others restored. They were basic shacks, between three and five to a room. Although tiny, they were bigger than I thought they would be. We were told of the French colonial slave-keeping laws, which were apparently more humane than those of American, British or Spanish colonial laws. When we were told that the slaves were encouraged to be married, that young girls must be sold along with their mothers and kept from work until the age of fourteen, and eventually buried alongside their masters in the Catholic cemetery, we caught ourselves doing that raised-eyebrow, pompous nod of surprise until we were able to remind each other that these people, however less oppressed than their neighbors, were still fucking slaves.
The bottom line is we examined the situation we found ourselves in and said, “this shit has got to change.”
Sure, Chanukah kind of doesn’t matter in the hierarchy of high holidays but that doesn’t mean its origin story can’t help your parents see the error of their ways. The Maccabees are the rebel heroes that took down a patriarchy of religious intolerance. The Macabbes fought for…what? Oh, right. Acceptance of who they are: Jews. And what are you doing when you light those little candles? Celebrating those Maccabee heroes. Your parents are literally celebrating the idea of acceptance and tolerance every night of Chanukah. Now is a good time to remind them of that. Besides, the Maccabees look kind of gay to me.
Remember that time Riese’s mom taught us how to make latkes with applesauce for Hanukkah? They were delicious! You should make them!
We call upon the legacy of the Stonewall uprising. We call upon the legacy in the fight for our freedoms from the racist, homophobic, transphobic, classist, ableist, violent system. Tonight we will call out the names of some, not all — the ones that we know have been killed at the hands of the police, or from their neglect in upholding our safety. We cannot name all the names because often we are disappeared and not remembered.
Cara Page, Executive Director of the Audre Lorde Project, via Audre Lorde Project Hosts Vigil and Flashmob To “Free Our Sisters, Free Ourselves”
Hey, A+ members! Log in and check your sidebar on Autostraddle dot com to save at the Scoutmob Shoppe this week! Also, we love you.
What a fucking day! Did you wake up wanting to punch an inflatable Yogi Bear punching bag? Did you have one of those growing up? My friend Jennifer did, or maybe it was Jessica, but either way that motherfucker was fun to hit and no one ever bothered to buy me one when I was little and I think that has a lot to do with my repressed need to punch things sometimes. But hey let’s talk about the real issues, like D’Angelo’s new album and the fact that Cheryl Strayed has a Dear Sugar podcast now!
Um excuse me but your leggings are not pants, according to Montana lawmakers. And somewhere in the world, Carmen Rios can be found not giving a single fuck.
It’s here, it’s queer, and now it’s grey! Grab our Scissoring Sweatshirt in its latest shade at the Autostraddle Store.
While it is definitely tragic we still have to march, there is something beautiful and hopeful about the fact that I am fighting for [my mom’s] freedom as much as mine, and we’re both out here so that my nephew, who just turned one, hopefully won’t have to march when he grows up. This moment transgresses time and in that sense this movement is beyond the individual; it’s truly for the whole collective.
Elisa Peebles via Dispatches From The Millions Marches
We’ve written a guide to the best gifts that keep on giving. Check out our 14 favorite subscription services - and when you buy them, you’ll help us, too!