Another Newsletter – Another Isolated yet not so isolated occurrence in our life. Thank you for subscribing. Do me a favor — forward this newsletter to 10 people and ask them to do themselves a favor and subscribe and/or attend the monthly Go There call! We need to build support systems to keep our work strong.

What do you not notice?

This is a short reminder to pay attention. Notice what you don't know. Don't beat yourself up about it — just notice it. Unemployment rates are HIGH and not as HIGH as they could be or might even get in the near future. Loss of income, friendships, relationships, people, etc., — we cannot know everything. What we can do is notice that we don't notice everything.

You only have to watch about 30 seconds of this video to connect with the voices in your head. Mine actually said — Where's the octopus — what? I must have the wrong link. HOLY SHIT! How did I not see that? I love that the video repeats itself. I still don't see it. I have watched this for a week now — still don't see it.

I need to use this, as do you, as a reminder. The octopus doesn't want to be seen. Octopus 1 Me 0.

No matter how much I want to see the octopus, I can't until it wants to be seen. And I see the octopus when it is so scared it has to get away from the intruder.

When do I do this in my own life? When do you? This is an important thing to notice, isn't it?

Open Call for Trans & Genderqueer Poetry

TC Tolbert and Tim Peterson (Trace) want your words. They write:

"We are creating an anthology of the best poems out there by trans and genderqueer writers and we would love to include your work in the book. Our assumption is that the writing of trans and genderqueer folks has something more than coincidence in common with the experimental, the radical, and the innovative in poetry and poetics (as we idiosyncratically define these categories), and with your help we'd like to manifest that something (or somethings) in a genderqueer multipoetics, a critical mass of trans fabulousness."

Submission Deadline: Nov 30, 2011
Learn more at transanthology.com.

A Cisgender Privilege Checklist

Cis-” as a prefix of Latin origin, meaning “on the same side [as]” or “on this side [of]“, with several derived usages:

• In chemistry, cis- refers to cis-trans isomerism
• In molecular biology, cis- refers to cis-acting
• In gender studies, cis- refers to cisgender

The funny thing about privilege is that typically the privileged are mostly unaware of their privileges (it’s part of the privilege). The way the world treats them just seems normal until they get to hear other people’s experiences.

This checklist was developed as resource in relation to Peggy McIntosh’s “White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack.” Much of the source matter comes from: Cisgender Privilege.

Medical issues

1. I expect that I will be able to access necessary medical care without lying.
2. If I need hormone injections due to an inability to produce them on my own, it will be considered an "obvious" need.
3. If I have them, my desires for various cosmetic surgeries are considered normal.
4. I don't need to prove how long I have identified as my gender in order to have my health needs taken seriously.
5. I cannot be denied health insurance on the basis of my gender; my health insurance does not specifically exclude me from receiving benefits or treatments available to others because of my gender.
6. The medical establishment does not serve as a "gatekeeper" denying my self-determination of what happens to my body, nor requiring me to undergo extensive psychological evaluation in order to receive basic medical care.

Personal Assessment of Homophobia

Homophobia and Transphobia may be experienced and expressed by LGBTQI people as well as heterosexual people. There are many kinds of homophobia and transphobia that happen every day. We often overlook more subtle actions and exclusions because they may seem insignificant. They are not. Subtle homophobia and transphobia are still homophobia and transphobia.

1. How do you react when someone who does not "look like" a male or female walks into a bathroom you are using? Is it a negative, neutral or positive reaction?
   

Modified by CU-Boulder Safe Zone 2005. Adapted by UNC-CH Safe Zone 2003. Written by A. Elfin Moses and Robert O. Hawkins, Jr.; Downloaded from UC Boulder's website www.q-resources.org/ally_ personal_assessment.php.

On September's Reality Check podcast, Jessica discussed Social Justice and Social Diversity as well as self-reflection and understanding the world around us. She talked about the importance of humanizing our role models, taking accountability for social injustice in society and she explained the difference between Geeks, Nerds and Dorks. Listen now.

"The GREAT appear great because we are on our knees. Let us rise."
James Larkin, Irish Union Organizer