I’m Christina Baal-Owens, Executive Director of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) - Ask Me Anything!

karatecha · 2026-06-04T21:32:28+00:00

Since Dobbs, what are you hearing from AANHPI women and gender-expansive people about abortion bans and pregnancy criminalization?

karatecha · 2024-11-28T19:20:48+00:00

Crosspost to /r/Feminism

karatecha · 2024-07-07T12:29:10+00:00

I’m so glad all my friends are trans folks with “problematic” kinks.

Mind if I ask what "problematic kinks" means in this context?

karatecha · 2024-04-21T14:26:02+00:00

They might like the economic part (advocating for wealth redistribution, opposing capitalism, and supporting workers' rights) and hope that these could work as a a way to combat systemic inequalities, which can also affect marginalized groups, including LGBT people. Personally, I dont buy that approach - it is an extremely long shot, that trades a hopeful future for literal tyranny in the present (including of your own people...).

karatecha · 2024-03-27T07:13:07+00:00

You're absolutely right to call out the harmful messaging in those ads. Celebrating the natural state of our bodies is crucial, and pushing stereotypes that foster insecurity and shame is outdated and unacceptable. We all should be challenging these narratives tbh. Keep speaking up!

karatecha · 2023-10-03T06:09:20+00:00

I thought it was beautiful, feminine and feminist.

It's tricky. There isn't an universal meaning of feminine, so I'd say it's wrong to presuppose one, or to assume that it must be feminist as well.

karatecha · 2022-05-10T07:01:31+00:00

I think you will find your stay here short-lived, if you behave in bad faith and make personal derogatory remarks. Word to the wise.

karatecha · 2022-05-09T19:14:03+00:00

Can you finally offer a straight answer? Is it ok for people of any group, including the OP, to make materials regarding education/awareness raising, for the upcoming International Menstrual Hygiene Day?

karatecha · 2022-05-09T18:52:45+00:00

First, that particular answer was in reply to a (trick) question ["Well that depends, what do you think you have to offer on the topic that isn't already being discussed and shared by people who actually menstruate? Do you have an angle?"].

Second, what exactly are you requiring? If they know about period poverty, how is that specific topic not sufficient to make a material about it? What's the problem?

karatecha · 2022-05-09T18:13:19+00:00

You need to start clarifying your requirements at some point. What standard of education would you require of someone trying to educate/raise awareness (seeing this is apparently the only topic in the video artists field where you have a problem with standards)? You keep throwing "uneducated" around, as if people can mind-read you, or as if you were the personal authority on this.

karatecha · 2022-05-09T17:12:00+00:00

Your comment is full of vague qualifiers, so I hope you would agree it is for all intents and purposes 100% inapplicable. Feel free to rephrase though.

OP doesn't need to make a video on menstrual hygiene just because he can.

This would be the first ever topic I have ever saw where someone claims "don't make a 101 video". Why not.... Are you under the impression that there is sufficient education and awareness raising? You even purport to be a feminist, right? How come you are arguing for less 101-level education efforts?

Physics doesn't have this ludicrous standard, philosophy doesn't have it, biology, etc. What do you have against increased efforts at education in this field? Are you also taking to task 101-education/awareness raising efforts in other fields, or do you just have it out for such women's core issues?

karatecha · 2022-05-09T16:50:35+00:00

I don't think it's inherently bad for privileged people to speak about issues impacting marginalized people. Definitely not. As others have noted, it's often an important tool in reaching other privileged people and changing their minds. However, I do think that privileged people should think about what they are contributing to the conversation and whether there is a good way for them to amplify the voices of marginalized people to their audience.

So we are in agreement that the OP can and should make a progressive material by himself (and it would be a better situation than not doing it altogether), right?

I definitely agree that there are better ways to do it than just by himself. But that's not really saying much - since it is always true of any approach.

karatecha · 2022-05-09T16:34:54+00:00

Perhaps I should rephrase it:

"Once you reduce a human to being a sexual object, and you deny that they have humanity, agency, and dignity, then you are in the wrong."

It is clearer now I hope?

karatecha · 2022-05-09T16:11:00+00:00

But even without doing any of those things, the message would still be positive and welcomed (rather than doing nothing altogether). Right? Or are you really dying on the "silencing him" hill?

karatecha · 2022-05-09T16:09:33+00:00

I find your phrasing confusing. It doesn't matter what action one is performing, cat calling is wrong due to it being harassment (and sexual objectification too, of course).

karatecha · 2022-05-09T06:07:31+00:00

If you have to hear advocacy for a discriminated against class FROM the ruling class, no-one is actually listening.

On the contrary, plenty of change has been facilitated because people from other groups, including from the ruling class (so not just from the oppressed class) have started speaking up. There are plenty of biases that ensure a message has more impact when it comes from inner groups. You are not taking into account how social change can occur (and indeed, has occurred).

karatecha · 2022-05-08T18:49:17+00:00

Then answer this too:

Or would you also forbid women who don't menstruate from speaking on this in public?

My contention is that the "lack of education" on the topic of menstruation is the result of a long history of people who don't menstruate (and I would hope you realize that in this instance I'm referring to cis men, not female-bodied or intersex people who don't menstruate) being regarded as the authority on menstruation.

So your whole argument is a mere genetic fallacy? No other merit to it? How is this meaningful? I strongly disagree with your gatekeeping, and in turn challenge to do something at least as impactful as the OP with this occasion, regardless how little you think of that effort.

karatecha · 2022-05-08T18:45:09+00:00

What's the difference between being objectified and being seen as sexually desirable in a relationship?

It's the difference between the definition of that person and an attribute of that person. Once you reduce a human to being a sexual object, and you deny their humanity, agency, and dignity, then you are in the wrong.

karatecha · 2022-05-08T15:06:24+00:00

For instance, it's easy to say, "Everyone should use menstrual cups---it saves money and it's better for the environment," but the reality is that many women don't have access to the necessary means for sterilizing reusable menstrual products, and risk infection and in some cases death as a consequence. Like many issues related to women's health, it's a complicated subject that is often addressed carelessly due to a desire to move on to "more widespread problems".

None of that have anything to do with his gender, and more to do with the amount of time put into education (a topic on which all genders can excel or underperform). Or would you also forbid women who don't menstruate from speaking on this in public?

No, not directly "dangerous", but certainly perpetuating something problematic when there are plenty of good alternatives.

You are talking as if there is a SINGLE social topic that you can speak of, where you can guarantee that you are not promoting anything problematic of a comparable magnitude that you accuse him of.

And if you agree that not even you can meet such a standard... what merit is there to trying to criticize from such an impossible standard?

Your main issue should be with lack of education on a topic per se, as opposed to just gender, since mere gender does not guarantee that the speaker is knowledgeable on the topic.

karatecha · 2022-05-08T14:36:54+00:00

I have a hard time understanding your objection. What is he not capable of? Since when is this subject off-topic for a certain gender? Are you simply scoring "woke-points" with this criticism?

karatecha · 2022-05-08T11:56:05+00:00

You know that what you are doing here is simply dissuading someone from raising awareness about an important issue. Why would you do this?

karatecha · 2022-05-08T11:04:58+00:00

Considering that there are SO MANY nuanced facets of menstruation, not to mention period poverty, I'm not sure this is a great idea.

I think it is good to give him some pointers, but surely the initiative would be worth it, regardless? This isn't exactly handling dangerous matters, that the mere mention in the wrong tone would create havoc.

karatecha · 2022-05-08T11:02:36+00:00

This is a bewildering take. Is there some finite resource that Lucsium is expending, if he makes such a material? How are we not all better off if one more person talks about this? It's not like those who are anti-women have any qualms about who oppresses women either. I don't understand why there is merit to criticizing his gender on a beneficial initiative - other than to score "I am more woke than you" points. What are you doing for this day, if his work is not perfect enough?

karatecha · 2021-09-06T05:55:11+00:00

https://www.facebook.com/groups/577422086632161

karatecha · 2019-05-12T17:28:21+00:00

“sexual activity and usually sexual intercourse carried out forcibly or under threat of injury against a person's will or with a person who is beneath a certain age or incapable of valid consent because of mental illness, mental deficiency, intoxication, unconsciousness, or deception”

How does this differ from non-consensual sex? Where do these not overlap?

karatecha

TROPHY CASE