Gail Simone's Blog, page 835
December 31, 2012
My goal for this year was to become a better person, as I have not been such a good person in previous years. To that end I educated myself on feminism and the types of issues women face when portrayed in the media and cultural stigma and stuff like that.
The ‘white-knighting’ thing…I have to say, sometimes, we could all use a little Galahad in our lives. Sometimes, it’s nice to have an outsider express unhappiness at inequality that doesn’t directly affect them. Sometimes, it’s downright pleasant to get support, not from people just like you, but from people in the group where the inequality is coming from. To me, it’s hopeful. Some of the most supportive comments I have ever gotten in the face of really angry misogyny has come from guy readers and colleagues.
I think the problem (and I know some people disagree with me) comes when someone not in the group being directly affected makes the discussion all about them. It’s one thing to stand up for others, and for something you believe, it’s another to dominate the conversation and make it all about you, your feelings, your knowledge. Don’t make your support feel like a grab for attention, is my advice.
I know every group has a different struggle, I’m really only talking about my own experience here. I have friends in the industry who PROFESS to be female-friendly and then I have friends in the industry whose actions and words actually SHOW them to be female-friendly. There is a difference.
Tumblr has been really helpful in teaching me to listen. If you start with the knowledge that you don’t know everything, and empathy is not the same as experience, I think you are definitely on a better path than the person who is out there for back-pats and attention.
I hope that makes sense. Again, this is just my experience.
APE IN A CAPE: iskios: APE IN A CAPE: About the Term ‘POC’gailsimone:...
APE IN A CAPE: About the Term ‘POC’
I use it a lot when discussing race, even though I admit sometimes its usage gives me pause.
But several times lately, I have seen many people express that they don’t like the term for…
It is your willingness to learn, to hear people out, that makes you so special to us all, Ms Simone. Thank you!
That is very sweet of you, but I’m just trying to be less ignorant. ;) You guys are the ones who are changing hearts and minds!
Girl in Four Colors: Batgirl in 2012: Top 5 Favorite Moments
This was difficult, because Babs had many strong appearances this year. So I picked moments that focused on her character instead of some of the equally well-done group scenes. Without further ado:
5. Birds of Prey #0. The issue gave background on the Batgirl and Black…
Thank you for this list on behalf of everyone who worked on these stories!
I want to say, guys, Batgirl is a breakout star now. 2013 is only going to raise her profile…she’ll be in more books, her own book has the biggest story yet, and that isn’t all. 2013 will be HUGE for Batgirl!
Thank you for making this happen!
December 30, 2012
kyrax2:
jhameia:
pandabloodseals:
Hey, folks, are you aware that Con or Bust, which is set up to...
Hey, folks, are you aware that Con or Bust, which is set up to help fans of color attend science fiction and fantasy conventions, exists? I know that’s not helpful for some of you and I’m not affiliated or anything, but I thought I’d mention it.
Con or Bust is excellent. They helped me get to WisCon a couple years ago. It really is a no-strings-attached fund.
This is nifty!
Reblog for boost!
iskios:
APE IN A CAPE: About the Term...
APE IN A CAPE: About the Term ‘POC’
I use it a lot when discussing race, even though I admit sometimes its usage gives me pause.
But several times lately, I have seen many people express that they don’t like the term for reasons that make a lot of sense to me (because it expresses ‘white’ as the human default, and because it lumps…
Here’s the short version: Terms like “People of Color” and “Women of Color” were created to be political designations, not ethnic identities. It’s the antithesis to the concept of whiteness and oppressive reality of white supremacy so that “People of Color” may stand in solidarity with each other, as we have been made into “minorities” as a result of white supremacy. Also, in doing so, we “People of Color” then become the norm instead of the racialized ”Other.”
Here is part of the article so that we can get to the main bits:
“In 1977, a group of Black women from Washington, DC, went to the National Women’s Conference, that [former President] Jimmy Carter gave $5 million to have as part of the World Decade for Women. There was a conference in Houston, TX.
This group of Black women carried into that conference something called, “The Black Women’s Agenda,” because the organizers of the conference—Bella Abzug, Ellie Smeal, and what have you—had put together a three-page “Minority Women’s Plank” in a 200-page document that these Black women thought was somewhat inadequate.
So they actually formed a group called Black Women’s Agenda to come [sic] to Houston with a Black women’s plan of action that they wanted the delegates to vote to substitute for the “Minority Women’s Plank that was in the proposed plan of action.
Well, a funny thing happened in Houston: when they took the Black Women’s Agenda to Houston, then all the rest of the “minority” women of color wanted to be included in the “Black Women’s Agenda.” Okay?
Well, [the Black women] agreed…but you could no longer call it the “Black Women’s Agenda.” And it was in those negotiations in Houston [that] the term “women of color” was created. Okay?
And they didn’t see it as a biological designation—you’re born Asian, you’re born Black, you’re born African American, whatever—but it is a solidarity definition, a commitment to work in collaboration with other oppressed women of color who have been “minoritized.”
Now, what’s happened in the 30 years since then is that people see it as biology now.
…And people are saying they don’t want to be defined as a woman of color: “I am Black, “I am Asian American”…and that’s fine. But why are you reducing a political designation to a biological destiny?
That’s what white supremacy wants you to do. And I think it’s a setback when we disintegrate as people of color around primitive ethnic claiming. Yes, we are Asian American, Native American, whatever, but the point is, when you choose to work with other people who are minoritized by oppression, you’ve lifted yourself out of that basic identity into another political being and another political space. And, unfortunately, so many times, people of color hear the term “people of color” from other white people that [PoCs} think white people created it instead of understanding that we self-named ourselves. This is term that has a lot of power for us.
But we’ve done a poor-ass job of communicating that history so that people understand that power.”
Wow, that’s some food for thought right there.And I understand it, and I accept it, it’s not that I think people should stop using the term or anything, just that sometimes when I hear the term, it makes me uneasy.
I want to really thank everyone for participating in this thread. I know it’s a pain in the ass to educate people on this stuff, and not your responsibility. So I really appreciate everyone’s thoughts. I certainly learned some context.
December 29, 2012
fybirdsofprey:
From Birds of Prey Vol.2 #13
The sass between...
From Birds of Prey Vol.2 #13
The sass between these two is amazing! Ugh the writing in BoP just makes me want to drool…
Every time I see these pages I think of the mini-series Greg Rucka suggested, Huntress (written by me) and Question (written by Greg) crossing the country in a beat-up truck, causing trouble everywhere.
Sigh.
fybirdsofprey:
From Birds of Prey Vol.2 #13
*sob* I wish my...
From Birds of Prey Vol.2 #13
*sob* I wish my man could cook like Creote…
Creote and Savant were supposed to die in my first Bop arc, in a fire. But the DC offices liked them too much and asked me to change it. By the time the second issue came out, they started getting fan mail.
I am very glad they lived!
fybirdsofprey:
From Birds of Prey #65
Whelp. Talk about...
From Birds of Prey #65
Whelp. Talk about making decisions under pressure!
Shiva offers Canary an apprenticeship. Canary fears that if she says no, she dies.
She may be right.
Good lord, Birds of Prey was fun to write.
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