Every other Thursday I profile a new incredible woman, each from a different walk of life. Different professions, causes, backgrounds, ethnicities, orientations, and anything/everything else!

So without further delay, let me introduce the amazing Sam Leeson…

Owner of babyREADY, Sam Leeson believes that women need to know their choices when it comes to pregnancy, childbirth, parenting, and their own bodies. A doula and educator, Sam has been involved with the births of over 200 babies, taught over 4000 couples, and now takes time to answer our questions and tell us why it’s so important for children to “know how overwhelmingly important they are in this world.”

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An eight year-old Liberian refugee girl was raped by a group of four boys in Arizona, just a little under two weeks ago. According to the Phoenix police, the four boys, ages nine to 14, lured the girl with chewing gum into a shed by a vacant apartment unit, where they restrained her and took turns sexually assaulting her. Charges have been filed against the boys, with the oldest boy being tried as an adult.

Oddly, the media and public outcry isn’t around the actual crime and the socio-economic factors that may have contributed to the horrific incident. Instead, what many are outraged about is how the girl’s family has disowned her for the shame she has brought onto the family. There is no doubt that the incident was awful and demands justice and healing for the girl, but what is going on here?! As expected, there are many racist comments on the “backwardness” of “these people” and how they need to be reminded that the United States is a “civilized” society. Let’s try to remember that cultivation of shame around rape also exists in our own backyards. How many times have girls and women been told that they shouldn’t have worn that outfit or that they shouldn’t have looked at that person that way? How many times have girls and women been told they were lying about their assaults? All of this suggest that rape is at the fault of the victims and they ought to be ashamed of themselves. Shame around rape is not specific to ethnicities. The end.

Media networks, the Phoenix police and child welfare organizations have received many phone calls and emails from concerned citizens who “want to help.” Many want to help by giving money and others…want to adopt. The idea of a young girl who has recently undergone serious trauma, coupled with the fact that she was forced out of her homeland due to violence, being snatched up by some good Samaritans is horrifying. Need I remind these do-gooders that adoption might not be in the best interest of the young refugee girl? Let us not forget the plethora of problems with adoption, specifically transnationally and transracially. Clearly, at this point, the girl needs to be temporarily looked after and cared for, but that’s a different story.

We know nothing about the relationships within the girl’s family. Neither do we know the factors that contributed to the family disowning her. What I do know is that the general public does not take into consideration the nuances behind such an incident and are very quick to jump to racist, “well-intentioned” conclusions.

Are you a young woman interested in a career in the theatre? If so, then this is an opportunity you don’t want to miss!

Nightwood Theatre, Canada’s National Women’s Theatre, is now accepting applications for apprenticeships in the 2009/2010 Season.

Learn the intricacies of your craft from some of the best in the business, like Nightwood’s Artistic Director Kelly Thornton who I had the chance to interview for Shameless Women.

Here is the info from Nightwood…
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Every other Thursday I profile a new incredible woman, each from a different walk of life. Different professions, causes, backgrounds, ethnicities, orientations, and anything/everything else!

So without further delay, let me introduce the wonderful Kristin Peres…

Custom cake creator Kristin Peres doesn’t make your ordinary cake. Want a Porsche cake? Sure, Kristin can make it. Want a Wii cake? Why not, Kristin can handle it. Want a cake shaped like a Storm-Trooper’s helmet? No problem. Actually, you can see a pic of one below!

Owner of Cake or Death Kristin was taught by experts and has been perfecting her craft for over five years. Inspired by music, pop culture, and great cake designers, Kristin takes pride in the detail of her work and loves achieving a creative twist on traditional cake ideas. She can literally make you the cake of your dreams – whatever that dream may be!

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Sex Workers Vs. The Media
Short films by sex workers from Canada and abroad about the media

Wednesday July 15, 7 pm screening
The 519 Community Centre, main floor
Tickets $8-12 sliding scale, available at the door
Free for sex workers

Wheelchair accessible

The drug addicted sex worker on the street, the high class escort, the
trafficked Thai woman…

The media is always telling stories about sex workers—but what do sex workers think about the media? More and more sex workers both in Canada and abroad are creating media that reflects the realities, joys, complexities, humour and pathos of this incredibly diverse industry—and rejecting or satirizing the stereotypes we’re abundantly familiar with. Come here the stories sex workers flip the lens to reflect on themselves and the media itself.

This evening of short films from the US, Cambodia, India and Canada includes the Canadian premiere of In Our Image, a short documentary about the making of the sex worker run $pread magazine. These screenings will be followed by an audience discussion moderated by Kara Gillies, sex worker, activist and organizer of nearly 20 years.

Organizer: Juliet November; Sponsors: $pread Magazine, Good For Her, Maggie’s; Curatorial assistance: San Francisco Sex Worker Film, Art and Music festival

Mariah Carey’s newest single has been leaked! Not only that, but the video as well! The best part is that Mariah is in drag.

While I am incredibly excited for my favourite mainstream diva to be performing in drag, it is a little concerning that she is pretty much dressed like Eminem. When will this epic battle of Mariah Carey/Nick Canon versus Eminem come to an end? This very public dual has reached a new level, which actually makes for interesting analysis around Mariah’s identity as a diva and a mixed race woman. Women who know what they want are often brushed off as catty, revengeful divas. To add to that, Mariah is a mixed race woman and women of colour have long had to live with stereotypes of themselves as dangerous and evil. But that’s another post.

For now, let’s just oogle Mariah, international songstress babe, in drag.

From the good folks at T.E.A.C.H.:

LOOKING FOR A GREAT VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY? Be an Anti-Homophobia Warrior! Meet new people, learn new skills and fight homophobia.

VOLUNTEER WITH T.E.A.C.H. AT PLANNED PARENTHOOD TORONTO!

T.E.A.C.H. is recruiting youth volunteers ages 16-23 from diverse backgrounds who are lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer and straight to fight against discrimination and hate.

Teens Educating and Confronting Homophobia (T.E.A.C.H.) is a dynamic group of youth who facilitate anti-homophobia workshops in schools, community centres, shelters and group homes to challenge the myth and attitudes that lead to homophobia and discrimination.

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Safe sex messages geared towards young people can be a hard-sell (no pun intended). Maybe it’s because teen sexuality is still incredibly enough a taboo topic, so efforts to create meaningful and effective public health materials reflect a lack of comfort rather than marketing genius? Whatever the case, it seems to me that a successful marketing campaign that deals with HIV and is geared towards young people is a rare occurrence indeed.

Take for example the posters I’ve been seeing around Toronto lately.

Poster by ‘One Life’HIV safety awareness campaign.

These posters and the associated messages bother me.

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“Are you online?” I was watching You’ve Got Mail the other night and smirked a little at this particular line. To these characters (from just 10 years ago), being online meant having an email account and apparently visiting chat rooms. That was it.

Now, if you’re online, chances are, you’re more than one place online. Chances are, you’re plenty of places online.

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