Women Occupy

It’s been over a month since the Occupy Wall Street Movement began. Like many others; despite my active involvement and overall support, OWS has both inspired and enraged me. It’s made me remember why I became an organizer. And it’s made me realize why sometimes, I want to quit.

A lot of us have reasons for feeling enraged. At my first GA, several young white men who identified themselves proudly as those who had been at Zuccotti Park since “Day One” shouted disagreements with a Black woman who voiced legal concerns about the risks of arrest for undocumented protestors.  The men used their self-proclaimed “veteran” status to silence and ridicule the legitimate concerns of some of the most economically disadvantaged and historically marginalized of the 99%–undocumented workers.

A few days later, on indigenous people’s day, a white man who identified himself as “one of the OWS organizers” physically and verbally attacked a female jaranera who was performing son jarocho music. Apparently, she was “standing on the flower bed.”

Ernesto Aguilar of People of Color Organize told me: “Hubris–the notion that Occupy has somehow organically undone racial disparity, patriarchy and class divisions after six weeks of camp-outs–is a greater danger than anything external to Occupy. Most people came to this drive with a lifetime of white privilege taught to all races, and even the greatest general assembly ever isn’t going to break down those lessons overnight.”

This is why, despite all the problems, I support the Occupy movement. No, it’s not a radical movement (at this point), and yes, it’s far from perfect, but it’s still the best thing that has happened in this country in a long time. Unfettered capitalism is killing us and the planet. Hell, it may already be too late. But maybe, just maybe, we can still turn this thing around. People are finally waking up and figuring out that something has gone very, very wrong. Our elected representatives don’t represent us; they’re on the payroll of massive corporations intent on devouring everything they can turn into profits–human beings, animals, natural resources, social programs. I’m not going to turn my back on the first (and possibly the last) inkling of a chance to change course because some of the dudes involved are fauxgressive douchenozzles.

But when it comes to women, Occupy is really a microcosm of the greater culture at large. This should give comfort to those who find Occupy’s dynamics puzzling — and greatly embarrass those in the movement who see themselves as revolutionaries. America’s gender conflict fault-lines are making a familiar reappearance inside Occupy, with results both predictable and novel.

Well it had to happen, but if ever there was something too ironic for corporate cause-branding, it would be the Occupy movement. The irony however is apparently lost on Maybelline, which wants to make sure you have on the right shade of lipstick before you go to jail … Yup, no doubt about it, we want jobs, healthcare, no more foreclosures and oh yeah, lip balm we can believe in.

During his radio show, Carr made light of the incident, saying the 18-year-old victim probably had a trust fund, and the other victim “should have known better” than to ask a man to help her out.

Carr even went so far as to say, “These people are making a great statement against Capitalism aren’t they? Getting raped and groped.”

Carr’s comments are just another in a long line of statements that attempt to shame victims for their assault. Saying things like “they should have known better,” or questioning what a woman wears, minimizes the responsibility of the attacker, and places the blame on the victim. Ironically, Carr apparently has daughters that are of similar ages of the victims. I wonder would he be so flippant about rape if one of his daughters had been involved? Probably not.

So, Steven Greenstreet, who describes himself as a “documentary filmmaker, video producer, 7D owner, comic book reader, sci fi nerd, atheistic troublemaker, and social media mercenary” but who I think is better characterized as a “creepy voyeur who is basically a more mainstream version of that guy who hid in a port-a-potty at a yoga festival” has created the delightful website “Hot Chicks of Occupy Wall Street.” Because that’s totally relevant to the cause, you know? I mean, dudes might not be interested in politics if there aren’t titties involved. Why else would we have the 19th Amendment? Next up: UpSkirtShotsOfOccupyWallStreet.tumblr.com.