recognition

I was quoted in the student newspaper this week, it was the third time (pro-choice motion, shannon success and now homophobic society), and each time they don't print what I wish they would. It because I start to rant when I talk to them and through that they are able to get quotes of things that yes I said but were not central points at all. I relaly need to learn how to talk to them so what I want to be quoted is quoted. For example this past weeks quote was in reference to this event on campus called "what women want" it was a male strip show (not the full monty) and only women were allowed into the event for the strip show and it was open to all after 10.

I got a call at work the other day asking my option on the matter. I said it was a rediculous policy, that refelcted the heterosexism on campus with the assumption that only straight women would be interested in this event. And it showed blanet homophobia in terms fear of the male gaze on the male body. I then said something about this policy prevent 10% of the student population who may have wanted to attend the event from doing so. SO what did they quote Toby Marven told the observer I definaelty think it is a huge problem and that 10 persent of the UCD population [that is gay and bisexual men] would have like to go (to the event).

ugg I think they may be scared of the words heterosexism and homophobic . . . what can you do . . . .

this issues also proved my theory on the little UCD bird, in the option section there was a piece writen on the upcoming sabat elections and talking about the current sabats. It said that the welfare officer and myself are having a good barney. Interesting that. The two of us had a difference of option in terms of what to do with positive space, but thats as far as it went. She still supported the campiagn when the decision was made to go through with stickers and has been very helpful. We get allong just fine. The one chance of us having a fight would have been months ago around the pro-choice issue since I believe she is pro choice, but as her postion mandates she takes a non derectional appraoch to hte issue. anyways basically I think someone overhear us disagreeing on what to do next with positive space and felt it was newspaper wearthy.

SO this form of recognition is not nessissarily positive but who cares, I will be interested to see what they say about positive space and rainbow week.

The other recognition I got today was odd, I went to my class on sexuality that I'm taking for audit, there are only 6 of us and we get into good discussions. Today we had a guest lectured who I have never met before. Whne I sat down he turned to me and said "I say they quoted you in the paper". That kinda shook me up, I have refused to have my pic in the paper so how would he know what I looked like? But it came much clearer later on when things actually go wierder. The class was an overview on queer theory which he said that he was not an expert on and if we wanted to add anything please go ahead. bascially looking at me when he said this. Later in the class he asked if I would expalin stonewall its significance and then he asked if I woudl talk about reclaiming of the word queer and finally if I would talk about ACTUP and their stratigies.

It was all very odd at first but then I was able to put it all together, our lecture much have told him that I took sexual diveristy studies in my undergrad and with only 6 people in the class its very easy to discribe me - the girl with a saved head except for this one long section in the front and a star and lightning bult on the back of her hair. Plus last class I went to my lectures gaff for dinner and was telling her how I was creating a board on stonewall and activism like ACTUP for the history day of rainbow week, and I told her about the fight to get queer added to the positive space sticker.

It all made a great deal of sense but really I was protrayed as the queer theory expert when I'm far from it.

The one annoying thing about it was he assumed I was americian. Fair enought just because he asked me about stonewall and ACTUP doens't mean that he assumes I'm Americian but it was when he was saying dates that countries legalized homosexuality he said canada's date without looking up and then looked at me for confirmation with the american dates.

fuck that I'm tired of people assuming I'm american. I have toronto pride . . . today when I was at a mates house she should me this rough guide to Toronto that her sister had, and after excitingly looking though it I disregarded it as rubish since it didnt' mention honest eds. I got a postcard in the mail from regan with a pic of honest eds on it so I was able to explian with visual aid the insanity that is honest eds to my mate.

A final moment of recognition happened yesterday when this guy recognized ready and I and scared the shit out of me. Ok let me put this into context. Yesterday the two of us bike to the video store to return "What to do incase of fire", both of us were very hungry. My day consisted of going to work for three hours then straight to this talk by the new president (who is an idiot) which they had tons of free food at but none of it was vegan, I then dragged ready to go ot the restuarant with me - but they were closing up and I only was able to get a very small bowl of soup and a bun, I then read for an hour, and then had three hours of class, went to a debate on aboriton and then the gender queer group. When I me up with ready in the bar on campus I was beat prepared for bed (especially since I only slept 4 hours the night before) and basciaclly straving. But off we wnt to return the film avoiding the late charges. Ok enough back ground . . . we went to this italian place which fooled me since they put there lunch menu in the window but gave avery different menu when you sat down, a bit more expensive. We thought about leaving but really I was at the point that I needed to eat then.

we split a small vegan pizza and bruccetta. The min charge per person was 8.50 euros. fuck more then we wanted to pay. we talked about ditching on the bill, ready was jokingly pushing the whole crimthink on me, but still we both knew that we were serious. I slowly as we eat put my layers on and orgnaized all my stuff. Ready rolled a cigerette and when the manager went into the back and the wait staff were nowhere to be seen we got up and walked out, and then started to run . . .

we ended up walking in a maze of lalleys winding our way back to our bikes outside the video shop only a few blocks from the restaurant. thirty mins or so of wondering the alleys we poked our bodies back on to the main street. This guy out of no where says "that waitress was looking for you"

I froze, what waitress says ready . . .

this guy was quick to tell us that we was on our side, that we was walking by and say us start running after we walked out of the place and then say this women run out look both ways but we had already darted into an alley.

that recognition was enough to give me a heart attack.

When it comes down to it, I may be anti-capitalist. I may at times steal things. But getting caught ditching on a bill fuck that would be a blow that my politics could not hold me up on. Actually getting caught stealing I think would be worse but still fuck.

Now I have writen on my views of stealing before and about free food. But I have never blogged about ditching on a bill, that is because first of all I have only done it once before years ago under very strange circumstances on christmas eve. And generally I don't even think about it. this has to do with the fact that once you do that you can't go back and most places that I can actually eat at I like to be able to support and go back and back. Secondly in Toronto for example ditching a bill has extream negative effects on the workers, they are denied their tip and in some places the cost of the meal is deducted from there wages.

In dublin tipping is not part of the culture (except for in horrible situations like the women and men in the washrooms handing you a towel who are all black and apartenly dont' even get a wage). so they workers are not directly effected by the ditch in terms of pay. If this was a large chain restaurant, I would not only not have aproblem of doing it I would encourage it but those restuarants are constructed in such a way that you can't get out easily. know smaller restaurants, umm this is another quesiton. For some it doesn't matter at all explotation is explotaion capitalism is capitalism etc. But in this case, they used 1 peice of toast to make the brucetta and the pizza with out cheese was gave each of us two pieces. How does that result in a min charge of 8.50 each. converted would be around 10 canadian or more each to share almost nothing.

I do not want to make a habbit out of it - then I would always be watching my back when ever I biked or walked in any area in dublin and also I want to keep the veggie resturants an option.

But I have no regreats for last night at all, actually I happy about the idea (which I will have to give ready the credit for).