The Words on the Street from Gender Focus

From Holly:  ”One giant leap“.

FYSOP is an enormous leap of faith, terror, and utter craziness all rolled into one. As a FYSOP Coordinator, I have so many ideas and plans for Gender Focus, and I want the freshmen and staff to truly experience and understand the issues involved in GF. I want them to feel the same passion and excitement for GF that I feel, and I want them to come away with with a greater respect for the people around them. As a Coordinator, sometimes it’s intimidating to call sites or speak to people about issues that are so close to home, but you have to take that chance with the hope that the reward will be a week of FYSOP that will truly open people’s eyes to issues so crucial in our world. FYSOP is one giant leap for me because I’m learning new things every single day; things that shock me and awe me, things that make me want to make the world a better place. We all can, once we take that one giant leap outside our comfort zones and into the fabulous world of FYSOP.

From Kyle: Colorful. Loud. Zestful.

Colorful.  I’ve always seen has always been something of a moasic to me.  There are so many different types of people who come through FYSOP with so many different personalities, so many different backgrounds, and so many reasons for wanting to take part in service.

Loud. I’ve never heard so few people make so much noise in my life than at FYSOP.  There is soo much yelling and screaming and singing and chanting that by the end of the week you can’t hear or speak because you’ve been bombarded and have been bombarding everyone around you with noise.  I also chose “loud” because FYSOP makes a very “loud” impact onto the city of Boston and the surround area through its service, and it is something very noticable by those who are aided through the project.

Zestful. FYSOP is such an exciting for the Coordinators, the Staff, and the First-Years.  Full of zest and enjoyment, you can easly feel elated through the activities and service that FYSOP provides.  My FYSOP experience as a freshmen has always been one of the foremost memories in my mind after three full years of college.  It is that sort of zestful experience that I want to provide everyone participating in the 20th year of FYSOP.

TGIGF!!! (Thank Goodness It’s Gender Focus!!!)

Happy Friday, Gender Focus!!! This week we’re looking at the awesome GF-related things that are happening right here in the city of Boston. Last Saturday, June 13 there was the Gay Pride Parade in Boston, with over 10,000 people marching and half a million more cheering them on from the sidelines. We’re so proud to live in such a welcoming, open, and loving city that embraces people of all genders and sexual orientations. We were reminded today that not all places are as open to the LGBTQ community as Boston when we talked with one of our speakers for Ed Day. Our speaker grew up in an area of the country where bigotry, hate crimes, and anti-gay sentiments were readily accepted. His story of suffering through intolerance and discrimination was moving, eye-opening, and truly shocking. Living in a city like Boston can sometimes make us think that everywhere else is as tolerant and welcoming, but it’s crucial to recognize that this is oftentimes not the case. One of our greatest hopes for Gender Focus is to acknowledge and work against the injustice that’s occurring in many parts of the US and the world, while simultaneously continuing to promote the tolerance that’s so refreshing to find in Boston. So remember that, lovely readers: whether you live in the most liberal community in the world or a place that might not be as forward-thinking as Boston, you can always promote tolerance, respect, and equality for all people through your words, thoughts and deeds.

In other GF news, a bill affecting transgender rights is being reintroduced into the Massachusetts House of Representatives. The bill, entitled “An Act Relative to Gender-Based Discrimination and Hate Crimes” would protect people who suffered discrimination or hate crimes based upon their gender identity. The following quote, taken from the Massachusetts Transgender Political Coalition website (www.masstpc.org/legislation) states that the law protects “a person whose gender identity or expression does not conform to stereotypes about gender”. The wording is thought provoking: does anyone really “conform to stereotypes about gender?” Everyone can call to mind some of the stereotypes about gender that still rear their ugly head in our society: women have traditionally been marked as passive, docile and delicate, while men occupy the sphere of tough, burly leaders. However, one of the best things about being a person is the way you define gender as it applies to you, not as it’s “supposed to be” based on a rigid set of expectations. People shouldn’t have to fit into gender boxes that only contain a select number of acceptable descriptors, and the wording of the bill clarifies a crucial aspect of gender identity: anyone who doesn’t “conform to stereotypes about gender” can face discrimination, ridicule, or hate, whether you are part of the LGBTQ community or not. So keep that GF thought in mind throughout your week: nobody conforms to the stereotypes about gender, and from a GF mindset, that’s one of the things we love best. Peace out, fabulous readers. Stay tuned for our blog next week!!

Peace, love, and Gender Focus,

Kyle & Holly 

Go GF Go GF Go!!!!

What’s up Gender Focus!!!

Coming to you live from the BU Community Service Center, this is Holly and Kyle, your coordinators for the summer. We are beyond excited to be working on such a powerful issue area that affects each and every one of us, and we hope to take Gender Focus above and beyond where it’s ever gone before. We’d love to get your feedback, ideas, questions, minor grievances, etc. at our e-mail: fysopgf@gmail.com. Let us know what you think, what you’d like to see from Gender Focus, and what you’re interested in in the issue area!

 

We’re bringing in some new topics for Gender Focus this year that are going to broaden the horizons of all things GF. We want to look at pornography and how it affects cultural views of sexuality, gender roles, and body image. We also want to check out some of the derogatory language our society uses for different groups of people, such as women or the LGBTQ community, and examine where this language came from and why we find it offensive. We think that will be a great way to not only dissolve some of the stereotypes surrounding GF groups but also make everyone take a personal look at why we find certain language offensive. In the tradition of the great GF groups before us, we will of course be focusing on the main topics of Domestic Violence, Body Image/Eating Disorders, and LGBTQ, which are the crucial substance of our issue area.

 

This week we’ve been checking out sites, old and new, and brainstorming some ideas for our Ed Day packet. We’re looking at some great sites that will give our volunteers direct interaction with people directly affected by GF issues, and that will raise awareness about the issue area. We’re also starting research for our Ed Day Packet, which will be an exciting conglomeration of facts, pictures, and info about all things Gender Focus!!

 

That’s all for now, folks- we hope you enjoyed our weekly blog update, and we’ll be blogging again soon!!!

 

 

Peace, love & Gender Focus

 

Holly & Kyle

Mmmm…..Sexual Identity has some spice

Hey everyone, Gender Focus Coordinators here: Ashley Brown and Becca Task. We just love gender and sexual identity, and can’t wait to inform everyone on the progress and happenings of the GLBT community. We want to break stereotypes and boundaries regarding Gender Focus, and all that falls under its umbrella of love.

So far we have found several sites relevant to GLBT issues, body image, and domestic abuse, and are working on finding many more. Each organization has made it their mission to helping those in need of a home, a support system, and a community, and Ashley and I are so honored to be able to create a relationship with these places.

We will try our best to update everyone on GF news, but just have faith that it will be amazing.

Sincerely,

Ashley and Becca