a l'allure garconniere

toronto folks

wonderful and or worthwhile things to do in toronto between november 26th-nov 30th? already definitely visiting the frida kahlo exhibition at the AGO but other than that, nothing planned… suggestions?

take this waltz

i saw take this waltz on friday and it made me feel… A LOT. it made me feel a million kinds of homesick. homesick for a place i never really considered home when i lived there, and that i don’t think of as home now…. i suppose it’s more accurate to say it made me nostalgic for the time i lived on kensington avenue. a time when my best friend lived a bike ride away, when my neighbours were cool folks who turned into great friends, where i had a queer community, where flirting happened every other day, not once a month.

the whole time in the theatre, every time the characters went somewhere familiar to me, i held back my groans. it felt like a two hour ad for how beautiful toronto is in the summer at some points!

i think i need to see it again to try and not be distracted by the streets that were my home for almost a year.

this is part of why i didn’t pursue film studies more actively. i know my emotions get in the way all the time. constantly nostalgic, this bitch.

ALTERNATIVE COVERAGE OF THE G20

for those interested in alternative coverage of the G20 protests, here are some helpful links:

• http://yg20.info/ - why the g20 in the toronto? lots of videos, see for yourself.
• rabble.ca - news for the rest of us
• toronto community mobilization network - organizers of the convergence. awesome.
• toronto media coop - links from twitter, youtube, and independent reports.
• the dominion  - special coverage here

get informed. share stories.

WHY WE ARE OUT IN THE STREETS. (and why you should be, too)

i can’t take this shit anymore. there is so much misinformation out there in response to the G20 protests. i’m going to swamp your dashboard with a bunch of links, articles and videos that call attention to WHY people are protesting the G20 and WHY people are pissed off and WHY the mainstream media is only paying attention to two cars set on fire and petty vandalism and blowing things way out of proportion. but first, some of my own thoughts: stop posting pictures of two cop cars that were set on fire. start talking about what the G20 is, and why people are resisting it. THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT.

this is not to try to get you to agree with me. this is to get you to ASK QUESTIONS.

• where are you getting your information from? 
• why are all the headlines “vandals mar g20 protests?”
• why are you so angry that two cop cars were set on fire and a few acts of petty violence committed?
• and for some perspective on that note: why AREN’T you so angry what that same kind of violence (perhaps even more violence) happens during the stanley cup playoffs, the nba finals, the world cup?
• but most importantly, why are between 10 and 15,000 people out in the streets trying to make their voices heard? what are they saying and why aren’t you listening?

people all over facebook, twitter, tumblr, saying this uncritical, completely knee-jerk reaction bullshit, saying useless things like “grow up” and calling protestors “fucktards” and pussies.

quickly, i want to address the million “be safe” and “omg don’t get shot” comments i’ve received. don’t worry about me; i am safe. i occupy a relatively privileged space as a young, “white,” able bodied femme-presenting woman. but know that just because i don’t throw bricks doesn’t mean i might not be subjected to violence at the hands of police. the people you need to worry about are amazing community organizers, like my former co-worker syed hussan, who are targetted because they are a person of colour who won’t shut up, arrested before they even get to the streets. the people you need to worry about are the critical journalists who won’t let themselves be a puppet of the state, like my good friend carmelle wolfson’s partner and colleague, jesse rosenfeld. the people you need to worry about are (peaceful) deaf activists being detained and refused an ASL (american sign language) interpreter. the people you need to worry about are someone who uses a cane to get around and is rushed and attacked without warning by police because they fear he has a weapon.

THIS RESISTANCE IS REAL AND IS HAPPENING FOR A REASON. what is the point of saying “stop it! this is my city!” without asking questions? the reason people are out in the streets is because they love this city! because they are angry to see it reduced to a prison. it is because we are fighting to acknowledge the stolen land we live on and restore justice and rights to indigenous people. the reason we are out in the streets is because we see violence every day, at the hands of police officers, of immigration officers, of our employers, of our neighbours in the streets who say sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic, ableist things and who sometimes bash us for being who we are. queer, poor, racialized, disabled, marginalized, oppressed but RESISTING! the reason we are out in the streets is because this violence happens every day; you just happen to see it today because it is on the front page and outside your window.

THINK ABOUT THE ACTIVE VIOLENCE THESE SYSTEMS THAT PEOPLE ARE OUT ON THE STREET RESISTING AND CHALLENGING.

WHY WEREN’T YOU ANGRY when you heard about the 1.3 billion dollar spent on “security?”

WHY WEREN’T YOU ANGRY when you heard about the complete waste of time, energy and money to try and distract world leaders from the fact that there are thousands of people in canada who are not putting up with oppression anymore? who not only want, but NEED these leaders to hear us and to change?

WHY AREN’T YOU ANGRY about the 584 missing indigenous women in canada, who are government is constantly and actively ignoring?

WHY AREN’T YOU ANGRY about all the acts of violence, psychic and physical, institutionalized and legislated, that take place in your backyard and around the world every day?

WHY ARE YOU ANGRY NOW?

the police are afraid of us AND THEY SHOULD BE. they can waste as much money as they want under the guise of “security” and “protection” but the only people who need protection are the protestors. we are the ones being rushed at, intimidated, hurt, shot at, tear gassed, pepper sprayed, struck with batons, beaten, and arrested are protestors. violent ones, yes, but far more peaceful ones. people sitting down. people flashing peace signs. don’t take my word for it: see it yourself.

ANGER CAN BE BEAUTIFUL, PRODUCTIVE, AMAZING. transform your anger into something real. get off your fucking computers and cell phones and look around. get angry and use that anger to change the world, you passive bored assholes.

we will not shut the fuck up.

we will shout the fuck up.

we are everywhere. there are millions of us and we are angry and we have the right to express our anger peacefully, beautiful, amazingly, every fucking day of the week.