Punk Feminist Reader, Finals Madness Edition

So even though I've been preoccupied with school-related matters, I have managed to keep up with my reading. Since it's Friday, and who actually does work on a Friday afternoon, I thought I'd share some links so you can dig what I've been thinking about/planning on possibly writing about. A lot of it is kind of old news, but still, enjoy, my punk feminist Friday slackers!

First: I rarely get to write about it here, but as the proud descendant of Puerto Rican migrants, I try to keep up with the island's news. Unfortunately, lately the news seems all bad: it's all about the aftermath of the hatecrime murder of Jorge Steven López Mercado, and the resurrection of the dastardly Proyecto 2499.

In better, gayer news, my personal heroine Trish Bendix has been bringing the gay music news over at AfterEllen (along with our morning brew). This week, she reports on how Lady Sovereign is FINALLY out, and last week Trish got us the news on Melissa York's latest projects. (Which includes Team Dresch reunion shows this summer, OMGYAY!)

In feminist blogger gal pal news: the lovely Maggie of Rocker Repro recently asked why Taylor Momsen is so into old school dude rockers. Another heroine, Alyx Vesey, has been killing it over at Bitch, and I especially loved her response to the new M.I.A. video. And then ANOTHER friend, RMJ, who has also been blogging over at Bitch (dang, I have some good feminist blogger taste!), recently posted at her blog Deeply Problematic about why Kristen Stewart doesn't have to smile for us. In other Bitch news, Jessica Yee asks us to consider when an issue becomes a feminist issue.

Meanwhile, my faves The Two Funerals and their tourmates/bffs in P.S. Eliot have been fighting and calling out scene sexism and misogyny in the trenches and on the intarwebs. Read all about what incited their righteous rage for yourself, read TTF's response, read Katie of PSE's response, and then get active and do something good for your own scene.

And if you still haven't got anything to do after that, go read some Tiger Beatdown, and maybe listen to some good, old fashioned, feminist straight edge vegetarian grindcore.

Promise to come back with a real post soon, my dear readers. Hasta luego!

Hump Day Treat, DO Ask, and DO Tell! Doubleheader

Right now, US Americans are debating a big, gay issue (or at least, our government is): all day yesterday, the big news was about the Don't Ask Don't Tell (DADT) hearings. For those of you outside of the US, DADT is a policy that effectively excludes the homos from serving in our Armed Forces, the logic being that men in uniform will trust each other and work together better if, you know, the gay ones are forced to lie about their love lives.

Yeah -- it sounds absurd. But it's a lot more sobering when you consider that many highly qualified, compassionate men and women have been discharged from the army just for being gay. Par example: Lt. Daniel Choi, a West Point graduate who bravely came out on national television, and has since become an LGBTQ activist.

This is the sort of thing that reminds us punk, diy, somewhat cloistered queers that systemic homophobia is alive and well. Watching Rachel Maddow, and seeing clips of congressmen talk about the need to keep gay service people on the down low brought me right back to my junior year of high school. I felt like I was 16 and terrified of 'coming out' all over again.

And of course, this made me think of Team Dresch. Blatantly political, sickeningly talented, and all around dyketastic, this old school Portland queercore quartet and their Personal Best LP got me through high school. And so we salute them on this hump day.