This week at F-Sex, we are going to be talking specifically about privilege- even though it is a topic that has seeped into past conversations and will continue to be present in future ones. Privilege is something that just about everybody has some form of- but there are many different ways to have it and different ways to handle it. But no, that doesn’t mean it all somehow “balances out.” A person can have, for example, white privilege, male privilege, class privilege, and heterosexual privilege, while still lacking neurotypical privilege. And to top it all off, privilege is really complicated because not everyone who has the same kind has the same experiences. It’s also important to recognize that privilege is not your fault. The statement that privilege exists is not an accusation or attempt to blame. It is an invitation to see your experiences and the experiences of others in a new light. It is not an admonition to change the world, but a simple tool with which to begin considering if, possibly, some changes might be worth working toward. 

Here’s a funny and clever video to watch and get the ball rolling: How to Tell People They Sound Racist.

And some great readings to enrich the discussion experience:

Audre Lorde’s “On Age, Race, Class and Sex: Women Redefining Difference”

Peggy McIntosh’s “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”

Asher Bauer’s Not Your Mom’s Trans 101

Brown Betty’s “What Privilege Is and Isn’t”

Have a great rest of the weekend and see everyone on Monday night! Remember, F-Sex is open to all over the age of 18- so bring friends, family, etc.! We will be meeting at Libertalia at 280 Broadway in Providence this week, 6-8 PM. Bring snacky stuff if you want to munch during the discussion. :)

Building off of last week’s topic, identity, we discuss similar issues regarding language. Language is something that we utilize everyday to communicate, to identify others, to identify ourselves, to categorize, and to play with power dynamics. In the same way that identity categories can be simultaneously liberating and limiting, so can our choice of words. We will discuss words like “queer” and “cunt” to explore reclamation of words and talk about our personal experiences and feelings regarding the issue. Is reclamation of words useful? What is its purpose? Does it serve its purpose? We will also talk about expanding our definitions of things and complicating language as it relates to identity and what we have come to know about others’ identities from external factors like families, religion, the media, etc. Finally, we will begin to discuss how these topics relate to our next section on privilege.

Some readings for you (these are not mandatory, but they can help enrich the workshop!):

How to Make Love to a Trans Person by Gabe Moses

Trans Basics: Glossary of Terms

Preface to Cunt by Inga Muscio

Must Identity Movements Self Destruct? A Queer Dilemma by Joshua Gamson

Please enjoy the materials and write down your thoughts, responses, what you find problematic, etc. and we can talk about them on Monday night (if you choose to read them)!

We will be meeting at Libertalia, located at 280 Broadway #200  Providence, RI 02903, from 6-8 PM on Monday, March 19th, 2012.

If you are new to the space, please check out Libertalia’s website at http://www.libertaliapvd.org/ when you have free time.

Hi Everyone!
Here’s our first post. Every week we will be posting a little food for thought to get the juices going for the upcoming section.

The topic of our first section is: Identity.

Starting at 6:00pm on Monday, March 12th at Libertalia, we’ll be looking to elaborate on and complicate the concept of Identity. We will discuss why and which identities are important to us and build upon that to discuss how many, if not all, of our identities can be as confining as they are liberating.

Some suggested readings by Deirdre:
The readings begin to demonstrate for us intersections of race, gender and class; also showing us how language is tied to identity. We begin to question: what is a woman? Is there a “woman’s experience”? Reflect on personal experiences. How are some groups of people discussed as having different levels of privilege in the readings? How does privilege seep into our everyday experiences, conversations and lives? These are potential concepts and questions we may discuss in our first meeting, regarding the concept of “identity”.
- Sojourner Truth: “Ain’t I A Woman?”, December 1851
- Simone de Beauvoir, “Introduction: Woman as Other.” The Second Sex.
- Obioma Nnaemeka, “Womanism - Bibliography.”

Some suggested readings by Daniela:
These readings deal with examples of a few particular identities, including the ones we choose for ourselves, the ones we (sometimes try to) perform, and the ones (erroneously) given to us by others.
- Sinclair Sexsmith, “Define: Identity Alignment Assumptions.” Sugarbutch Chronicles. A quick intro to a super useful concept when it comes to talking about identity.
- Sinclair Sexsmith, “Femme Invisibility & Beyond.” Sugarbutch Chronicles. This link will lead you to one of my favorite pieces -ever- on gender, identity, and performance.
- Clyde Smith, “How I Became A Queer Heterosexual.” This is the story of how the writer of the piece “became a queer heterosexual.” An interesting narrative that touches a little on queer theory and with references at the end that can lead into a massive exploratory trip.

All readings are optional, and if there is something out there (a video, an image, a reading, anything) that you think would be interesting to think about before our section, submit it or email it to us (fyeahfsex@gmail.com) and we’ll put it right here!

Questions, comments, feelings? Email us or ask us here.