GLAAD Spirit Day & [Space]craft Studios: A Post in Two Parts

Part 1:
Yesterday was GLAAD's Spirit Day- the day where we all wear purple to show support against bullying in the LGBT community. I decided that since I've had such luck meeting people and being social this week (see part 2), I should go out and show my support to the LGBT community here in Charleston- let's be real, the south isn't really known for being overwhelmingly accepting of differences, and I plan to do my darnedest to keep my bleeding heart liberal leanings.

So around 5:00 I drove down to the beautiful Brittlebank Park, which is another one of those places that makes me almost think I could live here forever, and just sort of awkwardly stood there alone for a few minutes until another shy voice ask, "are you alone too?" My new friend Kayla and I spent the rest of the evening together, listening to the amazing performers and speakers at the rally.

This guy called himself "one of the few openly gay black preachers. He was amazing, and wants to open a safe space/hotline/open walk-in in Charleston for anyone who might need it, not just LGBT.

This woman spoke about trans* issues, and about transitioning on the job, and how a few of her coworkers reacted. Very moving. 

There were other speakers, and some really great musical performances, but that purpleish light? Yeah, that made photography almost impossible. Trust me though, there are some talented kids in Charleston. And then, the keynote speaker of the event was this guy- Tyler freaking Oakley. I'm not going to fangirl here- although in full disclosure, I will say that he is one of the main reasons I went, and that I brought him a handmade bow tie which he loved (oh my god he pulled out his own phone to take a picture of it/me and holy moly did I freak a bit)- so I'm leaving it there.

Tyler spoke about his experiences with coming out to his accepting mom and his not-so-accepting dad, and the experiences he faces being openly gay while also being an public person on the internet. I honestly just loved listening to him speak, because he's so freaking positive. 

After Tyler spoke, there was a beautiful candle light vigil for the many people in Charleston and everywhere else who have committed suicide due to bullying.

Just a beautiful sight- to see the candles glowing all across the park.

It wasn't a Philly Pride by any stretch of the imagination- everyone had pants on, and there were no painted poodles, but it was great to see that the sense of community still exists here.


PART 2:
There's this place down here called SpaceCraft Studios. Holy moly, it is the most wonderful place I've ever been. It's one part store (selling the work of handmade crafters around the country), one part craft class, and one part open craft space. I dropped by once this week just to hang out and sew somewhere that isn't my living room, and it's just amazing.

Photo from spacecraftstudios.com

The walls are lined with shelves of buttons and findings and string and everything you could ever need or want, and the owner, Allison, is definitely one of the flat out coolest people I've met in Charleston. There are a ton of cool classes there- Ductagami, anyone?- and I'll even be teaching one there in mid-December, so stay tuned for that ;)

And, I gotta be honest- here's the coolest part of Spacecraft:

Yup, those are mine. For sale at SpaceCraft Studios, only $14!

Anyway- if you're from the area, or are visiting, you should definitely stop by and check this place out. The class schedule is on the website linked above, and there's 100% something for everyone. I have a new favorite place in Charleston. Really, just go to this place. I can't say enough great stuff about it.

Oh- and if you aren't doing anything Tuesday night, there's a supply swap taking place, and I'll totally see you there :)

I'm Freaking Scared: Some More Politics

Guys, I gotta take a minute and be real with you. I'm scared. Like, seriously and legitimately scared. I'm really terrified that we may actually end up in a country with Romney and Ryan in charge.

I'm a woman. I am a married woman, in a very healthy, stable relationship- and we are not prepared for children yet. Therefore, it is important to me that my birth control continue to be available. Not because I'm a "slut," or because I'm sleeping around, but because my husband and I would like to be able to do married-people things, and not have a child that we can not yet afford or properly care for. My husband is currently serving in the military, supporting this country, and we do not want children until he will be home to see them grow. Romney and Ryan both support health care plans that do not cover birth control, instead wanting to teach abstinence only education. Obama wants to lower the cost of contraceptives at college clinics and for low income women, increase education to reduce unwanted pregnancies, and overall supports women making independent decisions. 

Similarly, I do not intend to have an abortion in my future- unless of course I were raped. Because as it turns out, my body is not able to distinguish "legitimate rape." According to an interview on NPR with Nick Baumann, "tens of thousands" of women who are raped become pregnant each year- and that's only about 5% of rapes resulting in pregnancies, according to statistics from Planned Parenthood and other medical sources. About half of those end in abortion. And let's not even get me started on the term "forcible rape" because... isn't that a little redundant? Romney and Ryan both, overall, voted against abortion ever chance they've gotten in recent years. Although it is interesting to note that as recently as 2011, Romney has said that while he is personally against abortion, it should be a woman's right- despite the fact that he has been voting against it since 2005.

The fact of the matter is, women get pregnant. Whether it's an uninformed child who didn't get a good health education, a woman who can't afford birth control, or a broken condom- things happen. We need to stop being "pro-birth" and start being "pro-child." An unwanted child, one that the parent(s) can't afford and aren't prepared for will not be a healthy, happy, and well-raised child, and that isn't having the best interest of the child at heart. 

I am a teacher. I am an unemployed teacher, currently, but a teacher none-the-less. Mitt Romney doesn't want to help me. He doesn't think class size matters. He supports English immersion, and not helping immigrant students learn the language. He supports NCLB, but not public education. Obama has voted to support public schools and charter schools, and has invested in all levels of schooling, from preschool through high school. He wants to reward schools that retain students, and does not support NCLB. I am public school educated, from kindergarten all the way through college, and I feel that I received a great education, and I believe that public schools need to be supported and improved. and yet...

I have $18,000 in student loan debt. $18,000 from a public school. Putting that into perspective: I come from a single-parent, low income family. I did receive a bit of state assistance, and yet I still owe $18,000 in loans. Neither Romney or Ryan mention anything about student loans on their websites, although Romney did oppose Obama's loan forgiveness plan. That plan? Tax credits for students, loan forgiveness for public service, and the ability to do public service to pay off loans. 

I am a member of the LGBTQQA community. Obama wants to allow gay marriage, there should be no federal law stopping it. He opposed Prop 8, and also wants to crack down on hate-based crimes. He believes being gay is not a choice. Romney is a supporter of the "one-man-one-woman" definition of marriage, and does not support gay marriage in any way.

Now, here's my biggest issue with all of this: remember when a president had bigger issues than civil rights? Remember when there was actually fiscal reasons to vote for someone? I'm only 23, but I remember at some point like, taxes? and things like that? They were important parts of an election. This year though, it's all about women's rights, education, gay rights... Beyond that, it's all about Obamacare versus Romneycare (which... not that different?) I wasn't afraid of a candidate when my civil rights weren't the biggest selling point, but now I am. 

I'm scared that in the next three months, I will be forced to sit back and watch all of the rights be stripped away from myself, and most of the people I care about most. And really, there's nothing I can do about it.

Oh, and one last thing. For those of you who still think that Obama hasn't actually done anything in his four years, please allow me to direct you here: What The Fuck Has Obama Done So Far

Also, let me just direct you all to this awesome post by my friend at thealmosttime: what disney taught me about politics, which you should also check out :)