Two-for-One Post
tim has written a 3-post series about Alice (pseudonym), a trans person repeatedly victimized by sexual advances and bullying while in grad school at Portland State University. Alice took a leave absence; Thomas (the aggressor) has faced no significant consequences;
tim has left the program and explains why.
The thing is, though, that both of us had to choose: choose between staying and dealing with conditions that have a disparate impact on minority group members like us -- conditions that mean we have to work that much harder to get the same (or lesser) reward -- or leaving and losing out on one more opportunity. Privileged people don't have to make choices like these. Choice isn't always good: not when either choice you make will be criticized. Stay, and you're criticized for participating in an oppressive system. Leave, and you're criticized for letting the bullies win. You can't win. I hope that no one reading this will conclude that I gave in by leaving or that Alice gave in by staying. That wouldn't be fair, because we're both in a no-win situation.
Part 1 / Part 2 / Part 3
There is a fest going on for women characters, or "We Love the Women Fandom Hates," which means people are posting about characters I like.
Why I Love Ashe (from Final Fantasy XII)
Victoria: A Tribute to Tifa Lockhart
Tifa, lying, and the art of self-delusion
A fanmix for 32 women in the Game of Thrones books
A fanmix for 6 women in the Game of Thrones books (Arya, Sansa, Catelyn, Lysa, Daenerys, Cersei)
Sansa Stark fanmix
I'm kind of into fanmixes, lately.