(via music-pictures-words)

shibuffalo:

Macaques relaxed hierarchy allows everyone to receive equal warmth. So darn cute.

All Macaques receive equal cuddles!

(via ghostwerld)

adailyriot:

fuckyeahxicanapower:

“The Ovarian-Psycos Bicycle Brigade Make a Space for Women on the Eastside

Two months ago, when 22-year-old Bree’Anna Guzman was murdered in Lincoln Heights, the all-women bike group Ovarian-Pscyos Bicycle Brigade scrapped their previously planned ride to ride instead through the neighborhood to protest the killing.

“Whose Streets,” one woman called out.

“Our Streets” the more than 30 women riding answered.

While many recent bike groups are either bicycling for recreation, bringing awareness to bicyclists on the road, or use the bicycle for social justice movement events, the Ovarian-Psycos Bicycle Brigade is a community inspired women’s movement that does all of the above and then some.

In Los Angeles, fewer than 1 in 5 people cycling were female, according to preliminary data from the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition’s most recent bicycle count. While this trend has been the constant in cities across the nation, the number of female bicycle groups in Los Angeles has grown from just a couple a few years ago, to at least four.

The currently all-Latina collective with roots from various parts of the Eastside pride themselves with their exclusivity to women, with sticker slogans like “Ovaries so big, we don’t need no fucking balls.” Their monthly all-women Luna Rides, which takes its name from the moons connection with a woman’s menstrual cycle, bring up to 30 women riders each ride. For their two-year anniversary in July, the Ovarian-Psycos are also planning the first female version of the monthly Critical Mass, which will be called Clitoral Mass.

For many of the women it’s their first time being involved in an all-female collective. The oldest members are 33 and the youngest is 20. Some are artists that ride bikes, and some are pure bicyclists. Yet the Ovarian-Psycos has become a type of sisterhood that, for many, they have never had before.

“Being around women, learning that we can interact in a way that was not hostile or competitive; it’s been a very new experience,” said Magally “Maga” Miranda.

Though the group has found stability recently, the group’s continued existence was never a sure bet. On the very first Luna Ride in July 2010, Xela, the de facto leader of the group at the time, hit a pothole on the road and fell face forward off her bike, hospitalizing her for two weeks.  Andrea Ramirez, or “La Blackbird,” recalls that many bike riders didn’t come back after the first ride because they were scared.

Though one half left, and another came back for the second Luna Ride, Xela said, the group stagnated for the first year, never topping more than 20 riders.

“I was worried always that it’s going to die someday,” Xela said.

Yet, right before the Ovarians one-year anniversary, Xela started to recruit core members to better organize the group.  After the one-year anniversary at Solidarty ink, and with a fairly consistent 12 core members, the group finally started to take off. Like before, each ride had a theme. Specific workshops involved speakers, and teachers on a range of social issues, and bicycle issues. Some workshops talked about women’s health, while other covered self-defense. Yet, the groups were getting bigger, and the core members were helping spread the word.

Many of the women say they feel they are not taken seriously in the biking community because their rides aren’t as long as traditional rides, there are usually many first-time riders, and the ride will stop and wait for one person. But, these limitations, Ova member Natalie Fraire said, can be a positive.

“We are encouraging a lot more riders and that’s more important,” said Fraire.

Riding as a women group has also made the riders more aware of the difficulties of riding in the city as a woman. Individually, or in small groups, Ova Elvira “Ashes” Arvizo has been catcalled by men on the street, and during one Luna Ride, the group noticed a male motorist was trailing the group. The women stopped and started to yell at the motorist, which caused him to flee.

Creating Sisterhood

As the group has grown, the women have needed to get closer. Many of their biweekly meetings resemble the chaos of a family dinner. At a recent meeting, Maryann “La Fingers” Aguirre would belch across the room, giving many of the girls a laugh, and Fraire ran to the oven to find she burned the artichoke dish brought. If the meeting ever got out of order, a clit checker (meeting organizer) would bellow out a warning to get the meeting back on track.

Each Ova have brought various skills in community organizing, photography, graphic design and bike mechanics which they also share with the rest of the group. Gloria “GLoTography” Vasquez takes most of the photos that are on the groups websites, but she has also taken the time to teach Ovas like Fraire how to use a camera. The group has also helped Vasquez to break her shyness and talk more with women on rides.

“Now run into women across streets and able to converse with them than just pass them by,” said Vasquez.

Each season there are rotating leaders of the group called a left and right ovary, and many of the women are expected to step up to take care of a portion of their work.

Many of the women have never ridden with an all female bike crew, and let alone worked with an all-women group. Yet, the same reason Xela started the group is the same reason the women joined: they couldn’t connect with the rides already in LA.

Andrea “La Blackbird” Ramirez said she could never get comfortable riding with the Midnight Ridazz because men always outnumbered women. Aside from men outnumbering women during Critical Mass, Arvizo said will leave riders behind, and that can deter a young woman-rider to join a ride.

The Ovas offer a space for women, Xela said. And the rides though recreational, can become extremely personal, with some events bringing women to tears. During a stop on their ride that was themed on domestic violence, many women came forward about their experiences.

The personal nature of the rides, and the already numerous LA bike rides is the reason Xela said, why it’s exclusive to women.

“It’s just a time for women. If they are trying to open up, won’t be comfortable opening up if there are men around,” said Aguirre.

Xela, whose been a part of women collectives that have never lasted, said she knew the Ovarian-Pscyos was a different type of all woman collective at the one-year anniversary. Jocelyn “Joss the boss” Hernandez brought a cake she made and designed to the group at the end of an interview at the Boyle Heights online radio station Centro de Comunicación Comunitaria. The cake had a symbol of a car with a slash over it.

“You do that for your sister, your best friend, and she did this for the Ovas. “That’s nice”

For more information on the Ovarians, send an email to ovarian.psycos@gmail.com or go to their website at ovarianpsycos.com.

Thought a lot of you would enjoy this article.

(via stopgirlhate)

(via safercampus)

Virginity:

• is sexist
• is heteronormative
• commodifies sex
• commodifies young cis-het white women
• contributes to rape culture
• contributes to slut-shaming
• erases queer folk
• erases transfolk
• frames a woman’s worth as inversely proportional to the number of dicks that have been inside her

(via shesamightyship)

neurodivergentsexuality:

(by Devyn)

This post is Part 1 of an on-goingprojectcalled “Sexual Inventory Checklists for Neurodivergent People,” a supplement Scarleteen’s “Sexual Inventory Stocklist.” These checklists are designed to start discussion about sexual situations unique to neurodivergent people and our partners. Feel free to add or remove questions!

[Code guide: Y = Yes, that’s fine; N = No, that’s not okay; M = Maybe, D = It Depends, N/a = this doesn’t apply to me]

Propositioning me for sex/sexual activity when I’m in these states:

Because there are some circumstances where the answer will always be no, because it’s hard to communicate a clear yes or no under those circumstances, because being propositioned during those times is triggering, etc.

__while I’m suicidal (if you want, specify the degree. For example: “while actively suicidal” or “while suicudal to the point where I start to formulate a plan.”) 

__while I’m nonverbal

__during a state of “intense, episodic dysphoria” (ie. a BPD-meltdown)

__while I’m dissociating

__if I’m afraid about our relationship ending

__after an argument

__during a panic attack

__shortly after a panic attack

__during a flashback

__shortly after a flashback

__If I’m experiencing unpleasant sensory over-load

__While I’m preoccupied by dysmorphic thoughts about my body

__If we haven’t talked about our relationship and what having sex might change (or not change)

__If I’m feeling exceptionally lethargic or low-energy

__If, in the same sitting, you have already asked and I’ve already said “no.” 

__If I’m experiencing psychosis

__If I need to decide right away.

__While I’m manic

__While I’m hypomanic

Other:

__

__

Under some circumstances, it’s okay to proposition me for sexual activity, but only if we communicate about it in these ways: (for example, sign-language, explicit verbal communication, etc)

__

Under some circumstances, I would be open to sexual activity, but only with these boundaries or assurances:

__

If I am in a state where I can’t meaningfully consent or where it would be inappropriate for you proposition me, here are some ways that you’ll know:

__

Final note about good consent: For some people, these states can make communication difficult, or make it out-right impossible to consent. Communication and boundaries-setting are important, but it is never your job to make sure that someone doesn’t sexually assault you. Ever.

Additionally, initiating sex with someone during some of the situations above (“during a panic attack,” for example) is considered to be abusive unless you two have a prior, fully-consensual understanding. In fact, some perpetrators have actually tried to induce some of those states before sex as an act of violence against their partner. For example, some abusers start fights and then deliberately initiate sex while their partner is still feeling upset and insecure. No amount of good communication will fix this problem by itself, but hopefully these checklists will be useful in identifying the ways that perpetrators might take advantage of their partner’s neurodivergences.

The bottom line is that if you were sexually assaulted during one of the circumstances discussed above, it is NOT your fault for “not communicating” about your feelings or lack of consent. It’s your assailant’s fault for assaulting you.

[last updated: 2/19/2012 at 11:10]

interaliens:

weigh-in in 4 hours. skipping class to hit the gym now. brb
Im such a fat pig. sigh. NO MORE JUNK FOOD. NO MORE FOOD. NO MORE ANYTHING.

I hate the world for making people (present company not excluded) that all they are is not good enough.

SPREAD THE WORD: BODY POSITIVITY IS FUCKING RELEVANT

“HOW COME THERE ARE SO MANY MOVIES ABOUT A TEENAGE BOY WHO WANTS TO HAVE SEX AND THIS IS THE ONLY ONE ABOUT A TEENAGE GIRL WHO WANTS TO HAVE SEX?”

There’s also this iTunes trailer

An interesting article on an interesting site! Check it out! (Thanks to my friend Sarah for sharing this with me!)