Interrupting Capitalism

In middle school, eighth grade had a mystery home-room period.  There didn’t seem to be any standardized agenda, so each teacher could use the time as they wished.  One day, my teacher (Mr. K, if you will) decided to preach Capitalism.  But he didn’t call it that–he just said he wanted to talk to us about the history of money.

Mr. K began by explaining a bartering system–providing examples of trading farm animals–and then suggested introducing money into the scenario: something with a commonly understood value. “Does everybody see how that would be better?” he asked, without explaining the merits of either set-up.  Unsure of why we were discussing this at all, the whole class said yes in unison.  Everybody except me.  I was the sole, but declarative, no.

“Why do you not see that that’s better?” Mr. K asked me.  His skeptical tone indicated that this was not really up for debate.  Being thirteen, on the spot, and not immediately sure of what I thought, I didn’t say much.  The foundations of a pre-Capitalist society made me wary, though I wasn’t sure how to articulate that.  There are many arguments to be made in favor of a common denominator of economic value, yet I wasn’t ready to concede that there weren’t cases in which trading a pig for several chickens might work better.

Fast Forward Nine Years:

That conversation stuck with me.  I remembered it this morning while thinking about an excellent workshop I attended at the Femme Conference in August.  The lecture was about contextualizing femmephobia within other intersecting oppressions.  While discussing Capitalism, the presenter (the brilliant Kim Katrin Crosby) spoke about her desire to avoid Capitalist transactions wherever possible, in favor of exchanging labors of love.  Examples: a massage, hair braiding, emotional care, a custom-made dress, homemade dinner, etc.

Under-the-table transactions–untaxed sex work, babysitting, snow shoveling–all function outside of the mainstream Capitalist system in small ways.  You set your own prices on a case-by-case basis and are less enmeshed in competitive markets.  Even keeping your money under your mattress instead of locked in a corporate bank sidesteps the system by withdrawing slightly from it.  (No, I’m not suggesting that y’all run and stuff your life savings under your beds, though that is an option.)

What you’re currently reading is not an explanation of how and why Capitalism functions, or at whose expense.  There are multiple varieties of Capitalism and ways for it to occur; we can all spiel about political theory on another occasion.  This is about to become abundantly obvious, but I’ll let you in on a not-secret: I consider Capitalism to be a pervasive and oppressive system that perpetuates social inequalities as well as economic ones.  That is literally its raison d’être and all this plays out very successfully.  See: almost anywhere that was colonized by Western Europe or the United States.

What does it mean that the most valuable thing in our society (according to most people and institutions) is cloth imprinted with the faces of slaveowners?  This is what we work for, save, and how many people view their value in life.  As much I have to face the reality of living in a Capitalist society and relying on money to survive–y’all know I gotta buy those shoes CTA passes–I am enticed by the idea of trading skills, emotional care, and personally produced things instead of money.  Hmmmm.

What could I get?

• Massages
• Emotional work (talking with friends, emotional comfort, laughter, cuddles)
• Food and drinks
• Whatever skills my fabulous friends have (fixing bikes, printmaking, self-defense lessons, etc.)
• Editing (of writing, photos, videos)
• Jewelry
• Academic knowledge
• Letters and care packages
• Clothing
• Oh my god does anyone I know know how to make shoes?

What could I give?

• Massages
• Haircuts
• Emotional work (cuddles, more cuddles, talking, laughing, other fun times)
• Food and drinks
• Hair and makeup styling
• Reviewing/editing writing
• Fixing clothes and other minor sewing projects
• Costume design and construction
• Acting/singing/public speaking coaching
• Dance lessons
• Academic knowledge
• Letters and care packages
• Wardrobe styling
• Story time! (reading to friends)
• Transportation, company on errands and other trips
• Volunteer time for causes/organizations

(Awesome poster from an event hosted by The Audre Lorde Project)

Moving toward bartered exchanges like these–instead of buying everything you need/want from third parties*–isn’t some magic solution to the perils of Capitalism.  Yet it raises some interesting opportunities: the chance for a communal skill-share, rather than the Capitalist model of taking as much as you can and hoarding it.  In making these lists, I got to think specifically about what skills and knowledge I have and can contribute, as well as what my friends can do.  We already do tons of stuff for the people around us (I mean, if you have friends and are older than six, you probably do) without necessarily thinking about it.  What if we thought more intentionally about what we give to our communities, what we need from them, and how to give/get most directly?  It may often be about the economy, stupid, but it doesn’t always have to be about the money.

*Often by giving your money to corporations–they’re everywhere and their products are cheaper than those from small businesses

Pansexuals, Pansexuals Everywhere! We’re Taking Over!

Texas State Rep. Mary Gonzalez, a recently elected Democrat from El Paso, has just come out as pansexual.  HELLO TO THE FIRST OPENLY PAN ELECTED OFFICIAL IN THE USA!!!

HuffPo states that Gonzalez came out as bisexual when she was 21 years old, but later felt that this label didn’t fit:

“As I started to recognize the gender spectrum and dated along the gender spectrum, I was searching for words that connected to that reality, for words that embraced the spectrum. At the time I didn’t feel as if the term bisexual was encompassing of a gender spectrum that I was dating and attracted to.”

Feministing adds that Rep. Gonzalez initially was out as queer while campaigning for her State Rep seat, but the poor old news media didn’t know what to do with that information, so she stuck with the term gay (to which the media responded by calling her lesbian).

“During the campaign if I had identified as pansexual, I would have overwhelmed everyone,” she said.  “Now that I’m out of the campaign, I’m completely much more able to define it.”

HOLY SHIT.  Can we all just stop for a minute and realize that a politician just spoke openly and articulately about pansexuality?  She’s not dumbing it down and giving a news bite definition that rests at the lowest common denominator of understanding.  She’s actually discussing dating and/or being attracted to women, men, genderqueer people, and trans* people like they’re normal, acceptable parts of life…cuz, ya know, they are.  (Surprise!)  Also, mad props to her for raising the profile of queer Latinas and uncompromisingly being herself.  In case anyone is missing how big a deal this is, here’s a blow-by-blow of my response.

Me: Sees article on Facebook.  Headline = “Mary Gonzalez will be the first out pansexual legislator in the US”

Me in my head:  Oh my god.  Oh.  My.  God.  Oh my god oh my god oh my god.  I have to tell Pandaqueer!

(FYI Pandaqueer = one of the loves of my life, with whom I’ve had many a great gendery spiel.)

PQ: WHAT?!  PANSEXUAL REPRESENT?!

Me: HELL YEAH MUTHAFUCKAS!!!

Me: I AM HANDLING THIS MATURELY

PQ: YES.  OH MY GOD IT’S EXCITING.  I NEED TO MAKE US MATCHING PANSEXUAL FRIENDSHIP BRACELETS.

Me: YES AND WE WILL SEND HER ONE, ALONG WITH A LETTER PROFESSING MY UNDYING LOVE AND ADMIRATION.

PQ: MINE TOO PLEASE.

And then I devolved into an unintelligible mess because I had too many blog post ideas all at once.

In case this is not explanation enough, I will try to be serious for a moment.  I’ve often joked with my friends that I never expect to see anyone I identify with (especially in regard to views on gender/sexual orientation/politics) on TV or in the mainstream media and that if I do, I’ll assume something’s gravely wrong.  Let’s suspend reality for a sec and imagine me going into politics.  I’ve never been able to envision myself running for office and being totally open about my sexual orientation because, of course, that would necessitate explaining non-binary genders and assigned sexes and gender fluidity.  We all know that addressing those amid conversations of “American family values” would get me slapped with the “off-the-charts liberal nut job” sticker (which, let’s be real, is incredibly accurate).  Those terms would also be deemed too complicated for the public to understand and I would be pressured to “simplify” my identity and fit into a box that people are already familiar with, but to which I would have no connection.  Cue my endless frustration.

Bottom line: the notion that a political figure would actually use the word pansexual any time this decade–let alone 4 days ago–is stunning to me.  I will certainly write her that letter of love and admiration.

National Lesbian Handbook Updated

Attention, everyone!  Florida’s Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll has released an amendment to the ubiquitous National Lesbian Handbook concerning the dress code for queer women.  What’s that you say–you’ve never heard of the rules for lesbian appearance?  How did you skip that class?  I’m talking about the core of ‘merican culture here!

Lt. Gov. Carroll is facing scrutiny after a former staff member announced that she’d walked in on Carroll and Beatriz Ramos (an aide) in a “compromising position” in Carroll’s office.  According to Carroll, “Black women that look like me don’t engage in relationships like that.”

Lesbian women, take note: you are absolutely not allowed to look like the above photo.  Just so you know.

Several big issues:

1. What does “relationships like that” mean anyway?  Is she talking about extramarital affairs or same-sex ones?  Bueller?

2. Carroll has interpreted this as an attack on her entire family, stating, “My husband doesn’t want to hear that.  He knows the type of woman I am…my kids know the type of woman I am.”  Her phrasing creates a gulf between two distinct types of women, clearly ostracizing the ones who might engage in any same-sex romance or sex.

3. In refuting these rumors, Carroll insinuated something–but what?–about her staff member’s relationship status: “[she is] the one that’s been single for a long time.”  Did Carroll really just throw the queer spotlight on her colleague just because that woman isn’t married?  Like…for real?

4. Beyond gender policing, what are the real implications of Carroll’s remarks about black women and lesbianism?

• Images of LGBTQ+ history and culture have often misrepresented these communities as primarily (or even exclusively) white.  Here again, Carroll implies that black women must be straight.  [Edited]
• Queer women are routinely stereotyped as androgynous or masculine in our gender presentations.  No femininity here, right??  Furthermore, we can occupy only three jobs: security guard, police officer, and gym teacher.  Duh.  Everyone knows that.
• At the intersection of these assumptions, black femme lesbians (and other queer women) are not only rendered invisible, Lt. Gov. Carroll says they simply don’t exist.
• By holding herself up as the standard of acceptable (heterosexual) womanhood, Carroll is using femininity as a tool to alienate masculine-of-center women while simultaneously erasing feminine queer women.  Seriously?  I just can’t…

In response to Carroll’s bullshit homophobic and femmephobic comments, HuffPo gathered photos of queer women, all tweeted with the hashtag #ThisIsWhatALesbianLooksLike.  I think this was an awesome response and some lovely ladies sent in fierce and touching captions with their photos.  Check out the full article and slide show here.  Shout out to my fabulous femme friend Jessica, who’s classing it up as #76.

I would also like to call y’all’s attention to this article because it has the best title.  Like ever.  Not to mention, some excellent FB comment screenshots.

The moral of the story: check yourself before you spew ignorant fuckery like this, especially if you happen to be laughing through your remarks like they’re no big deal (see video accompanying HuffPo article).  Now hold on a sec while I sit back, relax, and wait for Lt. Gov. Carroll to put her foot further into her mouth as she tries to make her way out of this mess.

All quotes are from HuffPo.

Edit: Nadine Smith, founder and executive director of Equality Florida, has also written a terrific response.  Check it out.