(no subject)
here is an article about One Million Voices. THEY MENTION MY WORKSHOP!
Women Rally For The Right To Choose
By: Lindsay Murdock
01/28/02
--------------------------
Hundreds of students, activists and curious men and women gathered at a
Cambridge club yesterday for One Million Voices, a pro-choice rally that
incorporated bands, drag queens, speakers and sexually charged feminist
workshops.
"We will not be punished when we have done nothing wrong," said Ciara
LaVelle, one of the event organizers. "We demand the right to an education,
a career, the choice to do what we will with our bodies and as many orgasms
as we damn well please."
The goal of the rally, held at the Downstairs beneath the Middle East club,
was to gain support for Million4Roe, a national project of the Feminist
Majority, through petition signatures, fundraising and education.
"The objective, first and foremost, is to get as many signatures as
possible for the Million4Roe petition," said Monique Brewer, founder of the
event. "The venue can hold 600 people; I hope we sell out and all sign. I
am so committed to women's health; I will do whatever it takes to keep that
option there."
The event ran from noon until midnight, beginning with workshops ranging
from the history of abortion pill mifepristone to radical cheerleading as a
new form of activism.
The cheerleaders opened the event, leading the crowd in a pro-choice cheer.
"Keep your messiah out of my vagina, rejoice for choice, rejoice for
choice, get your rosaries out of my ovaries," the cheerleaders yelled.
"Keep Mr. Bush out of my bush, I get to choose if it's win or lose. Take
away my choosing and I'll give you a bruising, keep choice and we'll
rejoice."
The group, from Hampshire College in Amherst, normally cheers at protests
but enjoyed teaching the cheers to others.
"It's a new way of going to protests. It's more exciting than carrying a
sign," said Nickey Robeare, the leader of the group. "It has a sense of
humor about itself."
Guest speaker Dr. Maureen Paul, an abortion provider in the Boston area,
expressed similar ideas in a more conventional way. Following a video by
the Million4Roe organization, Paul discussed her experience as a college
student before abortion was legal and her thoughts on her work and the
abortion-rights cause. She was met with respect and followed by thundering
applause.
"It is a pleasure to be talking to younger people. Of all the medical
procedures I do, abortion is the most important because it is about saving
a woman's life," Paul said. "Banning abortion is an incredible act of
coercion and violence against women. It is domestic terrorism."
The facts regarding the precarious position of the Roe v. Wade issue
sobered the crowd.
"The right to control our bodies is so fundamental to everything else in
our lives," she said. "When I come to events like this I actually feel
tremendous hope. You guys really get it."
Other big draws included the Sex-travaganza, a workshop devoted to safer
sex toys. Jackie Mansfield-Marcoux led the discussion about the importance
of cleaning sex toys, using high quality batteries and exploring sexual
comfort.
"The best way to protect against infection is to use a condom on your sex
toy," Marcoux noted while waving a cucumber wrapped in a condom. "Use good
batteries to increase the chances of it being a positive experience. You
don't want it to crap out on you.
"Increasing communication about sex and safety is always important," she
said. "I created this lesson plan with college kids in mind; it's a really
important thing. I love talking about sex toys. I could do it all day
long."
The workshops were not all fun and sex toys. Support groups for rape
survivors and women coping with abortion met to share common experiences.
The supporting choices workshop left several women crying and holding hands
as women recounted stories of their own experiences, as well as those of
friends, mothers and sisters.
"I worked at a clinic doing counseling. I've held their hands. Every one of
them, I can see myself in their position," Brewer said. "No matter what
happens, you have to be there for them because it will always affect them.
I wish I could be there in that room for more women.
"I would like college kids to get more involved and know more about what is
going on," she said. "A lot of kids blow it off and say it's not my
responsibility and it's too big. That's wrong."
Jamie Cerretti, a senior at College of Arts and Sciences and president of
the Boston University Women's Center agreed with that concern and added
that BU health services are sadly inadequate.
"I think its important to raise awareness that choice is being threatened,"
she said. A lot of people think, 'Oh, Roe v. Wade will never be overturned.
The Supreme Court is in crisis."
Performers included drag queens, Feed the Fire drag kings, Cynthia Von
Buhler's Countess With the Groove Troupe Dancers and the Princesses of Porn
Dancers, singer Mary Timony, rockers The Hissyfits, humorist and singer
Dred Gerestant, poet Alix Olson, lyricist Cathy Cathodic, Puppetmaster
Jake, vocalist Nadine Goellner and songstress Natalia Zuckerman.
Brewer, LaVelle, and Stephanie Holiday created and ran the event. Each gave
an emotional speech to the audience, explaining the importance of the
support.
"I actually thought of this event. I really didn't think this could
happen," Brewer said tearfully. "Now it is all over the country, and you
people are so beautiful."
"I want to ask for a moment of silence for all the women who have died for
this cause," Holiday said. Raising her voice, she added, "We will never go
back."
Story Source: The Daily Free Press
--------------------------
that was me and moe holding hands and crying.....
Women Rally For The Right To Choose
By: Lindsay Murdock
01/28/02
--------------------------
Hundreds of students, activists and curious men and women gathered at a
Cambridge club yesterday for One Million Voices, a pro-choice rally that
incorporated bands, drag queens, speakers and sexually charged feminist
workshops.
"We will not be punished when we have done nothing wrong," said Ciara
LaVelle, one of the event organizers. "We demand the right to an education,
a career, the choice to do what we will with our bodies and as many orgasms
as we damn well please."
The goal of the rally, held at the Downstairs beneath the Middle East club,
was to gain support for Million4Roe, a national project of the Feminist
Majority, through petition signatures, fundraising and education.
"The objective, first and foremost, is to get as many signatures as
possible for the Million4Roe petition," said Monique Brewer, founder of the
event. "The venue can hold 600 people; I hope we sell out and all sign. I
am so committed to women's health; I will do whatever it takes to keep that
option there."
The event ran from noon until midnight, beginning with workshops ranging
from the history of abortion pill mifepristone to radical cheerleading as a
new form of activism.
The cheerleaders opened the event, leading the crowd in a pro-choice cheer.
"Keep your messiah out of my vagina, rejoice for choice, rejoice for
choice, get your rosaries out of my ovaries," the cheerleaders yelled.
"Keep Mr. Bush out of my bush, I get to choose if it's win or lose. Take
away my choosing and I'll give you a bruising, keep choice and we'll
rejoice."
The group, from Hampshire College in Amherst, normally cheers at protests
but enjoyed teaching the cheers to others.
"It's a new way of going to protests. It's more exciting than carrying a
sign," said Nickey Robeare, the leader of the group. "It has a sense of
humor about itself."
Guest speaker Dr. Maureen Paul, an abortion provider in the Boston area,
expressed similar ideas in a more conventional way. Following a video by
the Million4Roe organization, Paul discussed her experience as a college
student before abortion was legal and her thoughts on her work and the
abortion-rights cause. She was met with respect and followed by thundering
applause.
"It is a pleasure to be talking to younger people. Of all the medical
procedures I do, abortion is the most important because it is about saving
a woman's life," Paul said. "Banning abortion is an incredible act of
coercion and violence against women. It is domestic terrorism."
The facts regarding the precarious position of the Roe v. Wade issue
sobered the crowd.
"The right to control our bodies is so fundamental to everything else in
our lives," she said. "When I come to events like this I actually feel
tremendous hope. You guys really get it."
Other big draws included the Sex-travaganza, a workshop devoted to safer
sex toys. Jackie Mansfield-Marcoux led the discussion about the importance
of cleaning sex toys, using high quality batteries and exploring sexual
comfort.
"The best way to protect against infection is to use a condom on your sex
toy," Marcoux noted while waving a cucumber wrapped in a condom. "Use good
batteries to increase the chances of it being a positive experience. You
don't want it to crap out on you.
"Increasing communication about sex and safety is always important," she
said. "I created this lesson plan with college kids in mind; it's a really
important thing. I love talking about sex toys. I could do it all day
long."
The workshops were not all fun and sex toys. Support groups for rape
survivors and women coping with abortion met to share common experiences.
The supporting choices workshop left several women crying and holding hands
as women recounted stories of their own experiences, as well as those of
friends, mothers and sisters.
"I worked at a clinic doing counseling. I've held their hands. Every one of
them, I can see myself in their position," Brewer said. "No matter what
happens, you have to be there for them because it will always affect them.
I wish I could be there in that room for more women.
"I would like college kids to get more involved and know more about what is
going on," she said. "A lot of kids blow it off and say it's not my
responsibility and it's too big. That's wrong."
Jamie Cerretti, a senior at College of Arts and Sciences and president of
the Boston University Women's Center agreed with that concern and added
that BU health services are sadly inadequate.
"I think its important to raise awareness that choice is being threatened,"
she said. A lot of people think, 'Oh, Roe v. Wade will never be overturned.
The Supreme Court is in crisis."
Performers included drag queens, Feed the Fire drag kings, Cynthia Von
Buhler's Countess With the Groove Troupe Dancers and the Princesses of Porn
Dancers, singer Mary Timony, rockers The Hissyfits, humorist and singer
Dred Gerestant, poet Alix Olson, lyricist Cathy Cathodic, Puppetmaster
Jake, vocalist Nadine Goellner and songstress Natalia Zuckerman.
Brewer, LaVelle, and Stephanie Holiday created and ran the event. Each gave
an emotional speech to the audience, explaining the importance of the
support.
"I actually thought of this event. I really didn't think this could
happen," Brewer said tearfully. "Now it is all over the country, and you
people are so beautiful."
"I want to ask for a moment of silence for all the women who have died for
this cause," Holiday said. Raising her voice, she added, "We will never go
back."
Story Source: The Daily Free Press
--------------------------
that was me and moe holding hands and crying.....