Jen from Smith College (and host of Righteous Revolution) posts the following call:
A project I’m working on for a class (and which may end up being much further-reaching than the halls of Smith College, and longer-lasting than that of a final project):
Disclaimer: If submitting your story will in any way put you in danger, please do not attempt to do so until you can ensure your own safety.
I am in the process of creating a compilation blog to illustrate the various intersections of identity and societal influences that play a role in the differing experiences of domestic violence (including physical, sexual, emotional, or similar kinds of abuse). Instead of the largely white, heterosexual, middle-class stories of domestic violence that dominates the sphere of knowledge, this blog project will include a truly diverse array of experiences. Domestic violence is not limited to white/heterosexual/middle-class populations, and neither is this project.
I am therefore sending out a call for submissions. If you have been a victim of domestic violence (as defined, for the purposes of this project, above), or have been directly involved in another person’s experience of DV, and wish to speak out about your experiences, please email your submission to: speakup(dot)speakout(at)yahoo(dot)com
There are no style or length limitations. The one request I have is this: in order to aid in the reader’s (and my) understanding of your experience of DV, I would appreciate if you included your location in the world - e.g. a general geographic region, gender identity, sexual orientation, cultural background, etc. Feel free to include as few or as many locators as you wish.
The deadline for submissions is: Monday, May 1, 2006.
More detailed information about the project is available at the blog: Speaking Up, Speaking Out… Against Domestic Violence. If you have further questions, feel free to email me at the address listed above.
My understanding is that men are welcome to submit to this project, but please don’t use Jen’s project as a soap box for challenging the whole notion of domestic violence. Submissions need not all be from feminists, of course, but they ought not to openly hostile to feminism.
“My understanding is that men are welcome to submit to this project, but please don’t use Jen’s project as a soap box for challenging the whole notion of domestic violence.”
Not sure I gather your meaning. I wrote her a few days ago and asked if she’d also shed a little light upon male victims, and her answer was, “Absolutely.” I’m sending her the link to “my” group. Is that a soapbox?
http://www.safe4all.org
Sounds like a cool and worthy project! I will tell people over at http://www.pandys.org/ about this.
bmmg39, I am sure that what was meant by the comment was to not use Jen’s project as an opportunity either to poopoo feminism or to claim that domestic violence isn’t a big deal, is over-estimated, is a myth. Most people wouldn’t think of doing such a thing, but you’d be suprised.
Troy
bmmg39, you’re fine on this one.