Not working…
I regret to say that the Men’s Discussion Freeskool class is not working for me. There have been a variety of struggles to get things together here in ithaca, and there hasn’t been enough support for this project. It’s ended up with just a few people trying to find time to get together, and never getting around to it. I’m ashamed to even admit this because I feel somewhat responsible for it’s dysfunction, but I’m learning and processing so much… and really, nobody RSVP for the class.
So in my life, most of the real work and processing of these issues is happening at my house (ghostcat). There’s 3 of us, all guys, and we process so much together, and have good supportive friendships. It’s providing us with a space to encounter gender issues and work through stuff… but still, there’s something we need in the Anarchist Community at large… and that’s more action toward creating safer spaces and more action to confront sexism and deal with it.
I was traveling around a bit last month and met some guys who were trying to organize men’s anti-sexist groups… They seemed to be having the same struggle. They could have their meetings, but people were too inconsistent, so there was never any carry over. To be radical and work toward liberation, perhaps we need to emphasize a consistent process… rather than a meeting. Perhaps we need to save the meetings for times when we’re planning something, or dealing with an issue that came up. In the meantime, we can always have conversations about gender, about unlearning oppressive behavior, about developing good communication skills and relationships. I want to write more on this later.
I feel like i’m opening up a whole new space on this blog to write like this… in the first person and all… But that’s my goal right now. I want to put myself out there, and start writing about my experiences and emotions around these issues. I think that this project will be more useful this way.
Social Detox is a process, not a product.
with fire,
Ryan
March 26, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Hey Ryan,
Chelsea and I are sitting in the library, and we got to talking about you and this project you’ve been working on. Some of the challenges it sounds like you’re facing remind me of some of the things that Andrea Dworkin talks about in her speech, “I Want a Twenty-Four Hour Truce During Which There is No Rape.” Have you read it? If you haven’t, you definitely should, it’s really poweful.
Be well, and thanks for keeping up the fight.
-Joanna
April 5, 2008 at 11:34 pm
I’ve read this before but should definately read it again. Sometimes I need to read stuff over a few times to really get the point worked into my life. I hope I get to see y’all in a few weeks when I come to Antioch!