<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Mina Meow</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.minameow.com/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.minameow.com</link>
	<description>Musings of a Kitty Girl</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Mon, 16 Aug 2010 14:55:29 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1</generator>
		<item>
		<title>Seeking Providers for Sex-Positive Health Care Directory</title>
		<link>http://www.minameow.com/2010/07/sexpositivehealthcaredirectory/</link>
		<comments>http://www.minameow.com/2010/07/sexpositivehealthcaredirectory/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Jul 2010 02:20:11 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mina Meow</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Announcements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex, Gender, & Orientation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Activism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[BDSM]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gender]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kink]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LGBTQI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[NYC]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Poly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Polyamory]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Queer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex Positive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[transgender]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.minameow.com/?p=1093</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Dear LGBTQI and/or Sex-Positive Community Members:

Like most people in the United States, people in the LGBTQI and alternative sexuality and relationship communities face great difficulty accessing affordable, comprehensive health care. Systemic discrimination and lack of basic cultural competency prevents many people from accessing medically necessary and appropriate health care and social services.

<span class="readmore"><a href="http://www.minameow.com/2010/07/sexpositivehealthcaredirectory/" title="Seeking Providers for Sex-Positive Health Care Directory">Read More: 1087 Words Totally</a></span>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Dear LGBTQI and/or Sex-Positive Community Members:</p>
<p>Like most people in the United States, people in the LGBTQI and alternative sexuality and relationship communities face great difficulty accessing affordable, comprehensive health care. Systemic discrimination and lack of basic cultural competency prevents many people from accessing medically necessary and appropriate health care and social services.</p>
<p>In an attempt to ensure access to safe, respectful and non-discriminatory health care for the LGBTQI and Sex-Positive communities (and the diverse sub-communities within them), I wish to create a quality-controlled directory of health care providers willing and able to provide quality, culturally competent care to gender and sexual minorities.</p>
<p>If you know of competent and sensitive doctors, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, therapists, midwives, dentists, doulas, etc. that should be added to our list (including yourself), please submit your entries using this quick and easy survey: <a title="LGBTQI and Sex-Positive Health Care Provider Directory" href="http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JudgmentFreeHealthCareProviders" target="_blank">http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/JudgmentFreeHealthCareProviders</a></p>
<p>Please help spread the word by passing this along to your friends and colleagues! If you would like to assist with the cost of the project, please donate here:</p>
<p> </p>
<form style="text-align: center;" action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post">
<input name="hosted_button_id" type="hidden" value="QPK33TXRXS7QW" /> <br />
<input alt="PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online!" name="submit" src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/btn/btn_donateCC_LG.gif" type="image" /> <img src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /><br /> </form>
<p> </p>
<p>Thank you for your time and support!</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.minameow.com/2010/07/sexpositivehealthcaredirectory/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>APPLY TO INTERN OR SUBMIT WRITTEN WORK FOR TRANS BODIES, TRANS SELVES</title>
		<link>http://www.minameow.com/2010/05/transbodiestransselves/</link>
		<comments>http://www.minameow.com/2010/05/transbodiestransselves/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 03 May 2010 21:42:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mina Meow</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Announcements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex, Gender, & Orientation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Activism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gender]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LGBTQI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Queer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex Blogs]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex Positive]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[transgender]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.minameow.com/?p=1086</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Just an announcement for those who might be interested&#8230;

APPLY TO INTERN OR SUBMIT WRITTEN WORK FOR TRANS BODIES, TRANS SELVES  http://www.transbodies.com/ContactUs.html  Trans Bodies, Trans Selves is a resource guide for transgender and other gender-variant people, covering health, legal issues, cultural and social questions, history, theory, and more. It is a place for transgender people, their partners and families, students, professors, guidance counselors, and others to look for up-to-date information on transgender life.

<span class="readmore"><a href="http://www.minameow.com/2010/05/transbodiestransselves/" title="APPLY TO INTERN OR SUBMIT WRITTEN WORK FOR TRANS BODIES, TRANS SELVES">Read More: 2836 Words Totally</a></span>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Just an announcement for those who might be interested&#8230;</em></p>
<p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">APPLY TO INTERN </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">OR SUBMIT WRITTEN WORK </span></span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">FOR TRANS BODIES, TRANS SELVES <br /> <span style="color: #0000ff;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.transbodies.com/ContactUs.html">http://www.transbodies.com/ContactUs.html</a><br /> </span></span><br /> Trans Bodies, Trans Selves is a resource guide for transgender and other gender-variant people, covering health, legal issues, cultural and social questions, history, theory, and more. It is a place for transgender people, their partners and families, students, professors, guidance counselors, and others to look for up-to-date information on transgender life.</p>
<p> Trans Bodies, Trans Selves is seeking two enthusiastic people to join our team as interns at this time. These two interns will be an integral part of the Trans Bodies, Trans Selves team. Transgender and genderqueer people, people of color, and students are especially encouraged to apply. Also those living in New York City, San Francisco, Ann Arbor, Philadelphia, or Washington, DC, as these locations are places where interns would be able to meet in person with other members of the team. Unfortunately we do not have funds at this time to provide payment to interns. However, we will do our best to work with your school to secure college credit for your internship if this is something that interests you.</p>
<p> The deadline for this round of intern applications is May 15, 2010.</p>
<p> Intern A (Survey intern) – The survey intern will work with the Trans Bodies, Trans Selves team to reach out to those who have taken the online survey. This intern will spend time reading through the material submitted and present interesting stories that should be considered for testimonials to the rest of the team. This intern will also contact survey-takers who have provided their contact information to thank them and to answer any questions they may have and provide them with information on getting involved with the book.</p>
<p> Intern B (Publicity intern) – The publicity intern will work with the Trans Bodies, Trans Selves team to consider our outreach strategies. This intern will work with the website, facebook, and other digital strategies, and also organize the presence of the Trans Bodies, Trans Selves team at events where advertising and/or media may be possible. This intern will also be involved in brainstorming around marketing materials such as postcards, stickers, and bookmarks.</p>
<p> How to apply:<br /> Please submit a letter that answers the following questions:<br /> 1)      Why are you interested in interning for Trans Bodies, Trans Selves?<br /> 2)      Which of the two projects are you interested in working on and how would you approach this project?<br /> 3)      What makes you an ideal intern for this project?<br /> 4)      Be sure to include your name, the city where you are located, and your telephone number in your letter.<br /> 5)      Also include the time period you expect to be able to devote to your internship with Trans Bodies, Trans Selves. Be specific. For example, “I am a college student with the summer off, so I would like to intern with Trans Bodies, Trans Selves from June 1 through August 30, 2010” or “I can set aside time for the next 6 months to work on this book, so I would be available from the date of my acceptance through November 15, 2010.”<br /> 6)      Include a writing sample (Ex. Article you wrote, paper you turned in).<br /> 7)      A resume/CV is optional.<br /> </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Submit all materials to <span style="color: #0000ff;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="transbodies@gmail.com%3Cmailto:transbodies">transbodies@gmail.com</a></span></span>. The deadline for this round of intern applications is May 15, 2010.</span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"> </span> <!--EndFragment--></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.minameow.com/2010/05/transbodiestransselves/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Think the Gay Rights Movement Is Over? Think Again.</title>
		<link>http://www.minameow.com/2010/04/thinkthegayrightsmovementisover/</link>
		<comments>http://www.minameow.com/2010/04/thinkthegayrightsmovementisover/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Apr 2010 02:14:16 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mina Meow</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Announcements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex, Gender, & Orientation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Activism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LGBTQI]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.minameow.com/?p=1082</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[

]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div id="left-column">
<div><!-- <rdf:RDF xmlns:rdf="http://www.w3.org/1999/02/22-rdf-syntax-ns#"          xmlns:trackback="http://madskills.com/public/xml/rss/module/trackback/"          xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"> <rdf:Description     rdf:about="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/04/sonoma_county_ca_separates_elderly_gay_couple_and.php"     trackback:ping="http://www.bilerico.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/59213"     dc:title="Sonoma County CA separates elderly gay couple and sells all of their worldly possessions"     dc:identifier="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/04/sonoma_county_ca_separates_elderly_gay_couple_and.php"     dc:subject="Health issues"     dc:description="Clay and his partner of 20 years, Harold, lived in California. Clay and Harold made diligent efforts to protect their legal rights, and had their legal paperwork in place-wills, powers of attorney, and medical directives, all naming each other. Harold was 88 years old and in frail medical condition, but still living at home with Clay, 77, who was in good health. One evening, Harold fell down the front steps of their home and was taken to the hospital. Based on their medical directives alone, Clay should have been consulted in Harold&apos;s care from the first moment. Tragically, county and health care workers instead refused to allow Clay to see Harold in the hospital. The county then ultimately went one step further by isolating the couple from each other, placing the men in separate nursing homes. Ignoring Clay&apos;s significant role in Harold&apos;s life, the county continued to treat Harold like..."     dc:creator="Kate Kendell"     dc:date="2010-04-17T16:00:00-05:00" /> </rdf:RDF> &#8211;>
<div>
<div>Think the Gay Right&#8217;s Movement is Over? Think we&#8217;re passed the days of bigotry and hate? Think again.</div>
<div>
<h3><a title="Sonoma County CA separates elderly gay couple and sells all of  their worldly possessions" href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/04/sonoma_county_ca_separates_elderly_gay_couple_and.php">Sonoma County CA separates elderly gay couple  and sells all of their worldly possessions</a></h3>
<h3>Filed by: <a title="More  from Kate Kendell" href="http://www.bilerico.com/contributors/kate_kendell/">Kate Kendell</a></h3>
<h3>April 17, 2010  4:00 PM</h3>
</div>
<div>
<p>Clay and his partner of 20 years, Harold, lived in California. Clay  and Harold made diligent efforts to protect their legal rights, and had  their legal paperwork in place&#8211;wills, powers of attorney, and medical  directives, all naming each other. Harold was 88 years old and in frail  medical condition, but still living at home with Clay, 77, who was in  good health.</p>
<p>One evening, Harold fell down the front steps of their home and was  taken to the hospital. Based on their medical directives alone, Clay  should have been consulted in Harold&#8217;s care from the first moment.  Tragically, county and health care workers instead refused to allow Clay  to see <a href="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/04/elderly_man.jpg"><img title="elderly man" src="http://www.bilerico.com/2010/04/elderly_man-thumb-250x177-10952.jpg" alt="elderly_man.jpg" width="250" height="177" /></a>Harold in the hospital. The county then  ultimately went one step further by isolating the couple from each  other, placing the men in separate nursing homes.</p>
<p>Ignoring Clay&#8217;s significant role in Harold&#8217;s life, the county  continued to treat Harold like he had no family and went to court  seeking the power to make financial decisions on his behalf.  Outrageously, the county represented to the judge that Clay was merely  Harold&#8217;s &#8220;roommate.&#8221; The court denied their efforts, but did grant the  county limited access to one of Harold&#8217;s bank accounts to pay for his  care.</p>
<p>What happened next is even more chilling.</p>
<p><a name="more"></a></p>
</div>
<div>
<p>Without authority, without determining the value of Clay and Harold&#8217;s  possessions accumulated over the course of their 20 years together or  making any effort to determine which items belonged to whom, the county  took everything Harold and Clay owned and auctioned off all of their  belongings. Adding further insult to grave injury, the county removed  Clay from his home and confined him to a nursing home against his will.  The county workers then terminated Clay and Harold&#8217;s lease and  surrendered the home they had shared for many years to the landlord.</p>
<p>Three months after he was hospitalized, Harold died in the nursing  home. Because of the county&#8217;s actions, Clay missed the final months he  should have had with his partner of 20 years. Compounding this tragedy,  Clay has literally nothing left of the home he had shared with Harold or  the life he was living up until the day that Harold fell, because he  has been unable to recover any of his property. The only memento Clay  has is a photo album that Harold painstakingly put together for Clay  during the last three months of his life.</p>
<p>With the help of a dedicated and persistent court-appointed attorney,  Anne Dennis of Santa Rosa, Clay was finally released from the nursing  home. Ms. Dennis, along with Stephen O&#8217;Neill and Margaret Flynn of  Tarkington, O&#8217;Neill, Barrack &amp; Chong, now represent Clay in a  lawsuit against the county, the auction company, and the nursing home,  with technical assistance from NCLR. A trial date has been set for July  16, 2010 in the Superior Court for the County of Sonoma.</p>
<p><em>Read more about <a href="http://www.nclrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=issue_elderLaw">NCLR&#8217;s  Elder Law Project</a>.</em></p>
<p>Want to stay up to date on this case? Follow <a href="http://twitter.com/nclrights">NCLR</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/bilericoproject">Bilerico Project</a> on   Twitter.</p>
<p>Are you disturbed by the story of how Clay Greene was  treated by the  County?  Please blog about this, pass it on over  Facebook or Twitter,  just do whatever you can to help raise the  visibility of what happened  to Clay. Send a letter to the local paper,  the <em>Santa Rosa Press  Democrat</em> at <a href="mailto:letters@pressdemocrat.com">letters@pressdemocrat.com</a>.   Send them <a href="http://www.nclrights.org/site/PageServer?pagename=issue_caseDocket_Greene_v_County_of_Sonoma_et_al">this   link to NCLR&#8217;s page</a>.</p>
<p> <a href="javascript:window.print()"></a><br />
<hr /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.minameow.com/2010/04/thinkthegayrightsmovementisover/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Help! Women&#8217;s Studies on the Chopping Block&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.minameow.com/2010/04/help-womens-studies-on-the-chopping-block/</link>
		<comments>http://www.minameow.com/2010/04/help-womens-studies-on-the-chopping-block/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 15 Apr 2010 13:04:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mina Meow</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Announcements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex, Gender, & Orientation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Activism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gender]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LGBTQI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Queer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Women]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.minameow.com/?p=1079</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[The Women&#8217;s Studies Dept. at UNLV is on the chopping block!  Due to budget cuts the entire department is on the chopping block and the $300,000 that the university will save by cutting the department is small compared to what we all lose when Universities cut departments such as this.  The letter below is from Assistant Professor Lynn Comella; let&#8217;s help her get the word out in the way that only bloggers can. 

<span class="readmore"><a href="http://www.minameow.com/2010/04/help-womens-studies-on-the-chopping-block/" title="Help! Women&#8217;s Studies on the Chopping Block&#8230;">Read More: 4910 Words Totally</a></span>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial;"> </span></span></p>
<h3><span style="font-family: Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;">The Women&#8217;s Studies Dept. at UNLV is on the chopping block!  Due to budget cuts the entire department is on the chopping block and the $300,000 that the university will save by cutting the department is small compared to what we all lose when Universities cut departments such as this.  The letter below is</span><span style="font-family: Calibri,Verdana,Helvetica,Arial;"> from Assistant Professor Lynn Comella; let&#8217;s help her get the word out in the way that only bloggers can.</span> <!--EndFragment--></h3>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial;"> </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial;"><br /> <br />
<blockquote>
<p>April 11, 2010</p>
<p>Dear Friends and Colleagues:</p>
<p>As many of you are aware, Nevada has been hit especially hard by the economic downturn. Revenue from gaming and tourism – the two biggest sources of state revenue – is down by double digits; Nevada ranks number one in the country for foreclosures; and unemployment in Clark County, as of February 2010, hovers at 13.9%. The effect of the recession on the Nevada System of Higher Education has been just as dire. Since I arrived on campus in Fall 2007, state funding for UNLV has been cut by over 30%. The latest round of budget cuts – which are certainly not the last – has forced the hand of the administration to initiate a university-wide program review geared toward “vertical cuts,” or the elimination of entire academic units.</p>
<p>UNLV’s <strong>Women’s Studies Department &lt;<span style="color: #0000ff;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://liberalarts.unlv.edu/Womens_Studies/">http://liberalarts.unlv.edu/Womens_Studies/</a></span></span>&gt; </strong> is one of eight academic units on the chopping block. Eliminating Women’s Studies would save UNLV less than $300,000. But the hidden costs would be immense and irreversible, especially to UNLV’s stated mission to “nurture equity, diversity, and inclusiveness.”</p>
<p>UNLV has no Ethnic Studies Department, so Women’s Studies does double and, at times, triple duty to fulfill the mandate of equipping students to navigate an increasingly diverse society and global economy. If the Women’s Studies Department is eliminated, non-tenured faculty, including myself and my colleague Dr. Anita Revilla – one of only two Chicana professors in the College of Liberal Arts – will lose our jobs.</p>
<p><strong>I ask that you please take a moment to send an email to UNLV’s President, Neal Smatresk</strong> &lt;<span style="color: #0000ff;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.csgsnyu.org/2010/04/saving-womens-studies-at-unlv-please-help/neal.smatresk@unlv.edu">http://www.csgsnyu.org/2010/04/saving-womens-studies-at-unlv-please-help/neal.smatresk@unlv.edu</a></span></span>&gt; <strong>, to voice your support for Women’s Studies at UNLV.</strong> The administration needs to know that people all over the country, both within and outside academia, are watching what transpires at UNLV. (I have attached a “fact sheet” detailing what would be lost if UNLV?s Women’s Studies Department is eliminated.) Las Vegas – of all places – needs a heartbeat of feminism; and UNLV students and faculty deserve the benefits that come from a vibrant, intellectually engaged, and diverse Women’s Studies Department.</p>
<p>Thank you for your support – and please feel free to circulate this note.</p>
<p>Sincerely,<br /> Lynn Comella<br /> Assistant Professor<br /> Department of Women’s Studies<br /> University of Nevada, Las Vegas</p>
<p>****************************************</p>
<p>Why UNLV Needs Women’s Studies: Diversity and Inclusion</p>
<p>Eliminating Women’s Studies would save UNLV less than $300,000. But the hidden costs would be immense and irreversible, especially to UNLV’s mission to “nurture equity, diversity, and inclusiveness.”</p>
<p>Eliminating Women’s Studies would save UNLV less than $300,000</p>
<p>The current overall cost of the WS department is: $629,857</p>
<p>If WS were eliminated, UNLV would still have to pay salaries totaling: $339,000</p>
<p>By eliminating the department, UNLV would thus save only: $290,857</p>
<p><em>We Need Women’s Studies to Nurture a Diverse Student Body Equipped for a Global Economy<br /> </em></p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial;">A 2009 Harvard survey of faculty from underrepresented minority groups across the nation found that “lack of diversity” ranked second only to “compensation” among the factors attracting them to, and encouraging them to stay, at a particular university. <br /> </span></span></p>
</blockquote>
<p> </span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<blockquote>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial;">A 1998 Ford Foundation Survey found that almost 70% of American voters believe that “preparing people to function in a more diverse work force” and “in a more diverse society” are two of the top four goals of higher education. </span></span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial;">In CoLA alone, 14 women faculty resigned between 2003 and 2009. 5 were women of color.</span></span></p>
</blockquote>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial;">Research shows that students who take diversity courses develop the “more tolerant racial and gender attitudes” key to success in a diverse society and global economy, with students enrolled in Women’s and Ethnic Studies courses showing the greatest gains. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial;">At UNLV each year, at least 2,262 students fulfill their General Education diversity requirement by taking WS courses, a total of 11,624 students in just the past 5 years. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial;">Among WS faculty who teach these courses is Dr. Anita Revilla – winner of 4 UNLV teaching awards and one of only 2 Chicana professors in the College of Liberal Arts. If WS is eliminated, Dr. Revilla will lose her job, and UNLV students will lose an excellent teacher. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial;">Dr. Revilla and her WS colleagues founded and now mentor several organizations that represent and support underrepresented causes and students, including Hispanics (MEChA and UCIR), Asian Pacific Islanders (ROAR), students of color (Allied Students of Color, a group that is now inactive, but that helped create both UNLV’s Office for Diversity and Inclusion and the UNLV Multicultural Center), and female victims of violence (the Vagina Warriors, who stage yearly performances of The Vagina Monologues to raise both awareness and money for community organizations). </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial;">Though WS currently has only 26 majors, 88% of those students are women, 50% students of color, one of the highest proportions of any UNLV program or department.<br /> </span></span></p>
</li>
</ul>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial;"><em>We Need Women’s Studies to Nurture a Diverse and Representative Faculty<br /> </em></span></span></p>
<ul>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial;">If WS is eliminated, UNLV will lose Drs. Lynn Comella and Anita Revilla, 2 female faculty members approaching tenure, including 1 of only 2 Chicanas in CoLA on the tenure-track. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li>
<p><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica,Verdana,Arial;">UNLV will lose the only department on campus composed entirely of female faculty, half of whom are women of color. </span></span></p>
</li>
<li> </li>
</ul>
<p><!--EndFragment--></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.minameow.com/2010/04/help-womens-studies-on-the-chopping-block/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Dark Places&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.minameow.com/2010/04/darkplaces/</link>
		<comments>http://www.minameow.com/2010/04/darkplaces/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 14 Apr 2010 12:58:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mina Meow</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Musings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Life]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.minameow.com/?p=1077</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Every now and again, at just the precise moment when I need it the most, a poem or a song or SOMETHING finds me and hits me on the head. (THOOP!) The poem below by dancer/spoken word artist/poet YaliniDream struck me today (POP!) so I&#8217;m sharing it with you all. Perhaps it will reverberate for some of you as well&#8230;.

<span class="readmore"><a href="http://www.minameow.com/2010/04/darkplaces/" title="Dark Places&#8230;">Read More: 688 Words Totally</a></span>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em>Every now and again, at just the precise moment when I need it the most, a poem or a song or SOMETHING finds me and hits me on the head. (THOOP!) The poem below by dancer/spoken word artist/poet <a href="www.myspace.com/yalinidream" target="_blank">YaliniDream</a> struck me today (POP!) so I&#8217;m sharing it with you all. Perhaps it will reverberate for some of you as well&#8230;.</em></p>
<p><strong>A Comet&#8217;s Realization</strong><br />by YaliniDream</p>
<p>There are parts<br />for some time<br />I had left unvisited</p>
<p>I used to get<br />lost in shadows<br />murk &amp; misted</p>
<p>Frightened by<br />outlines blurred <br />yet unerased</p>
<p>haunted by<br />sharp sounds <br />that dull yet translate</p>
<p>until i returned<br />to a path full <br />with hints &amp; traces</p>
<p>to realize<br />how fantastic <br />I am<br />in dark places :)</p>
<p>&#8211; <br />www.myspace.com/yalinidream<br />www.quietcomedawn.com<br />http://www.samarmagazine.org/archive/article.php?id=294<br />For Bookings email bookyalinidream@gmail.com</p>
<p>crackopenlovebreathe</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.minameow.com/2010/04/darkplaces/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Merging the Two&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.minameow.com/2010/03/merging-the-two/</link>
		<comments>http://www.minameow.com/2010/03/merging-the-two/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 06 Mar 2010 21:14:22 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mina Meow</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Musings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex, Gender, & Orientation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gender]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LGBTQ]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LGBTQI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Queer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[transgender]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.minameow.com/?p=1073</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Boy or Girl? Butch or Femme? Labels are convenient. They tell others what to expect, what roles we prescribe to, who we are. But what if we don&#8217;t fit neatly into a box? What if those labels don&#8217;t fit us, like a square peg trying to be fit into a round hole?

<span class="readmore"><a href="http://www.minameow.com/2010/03/merging-the-two/" title="Merging the Two&#8230;">Read More: 3233 Words Totally</a></span>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Boy or Girl? Butch or Femme? Labels are convenient. They tell others what to expect, what roles we prescribe to, who we are. But what if we don&#8217;t fit neatly into a box? What if those labels don&#8217;t fit us, like a square peg trying to be fit into a round hole?</p>
<p>Transgender. Genderqueer. Genderfucker. These labels tell of an identity that veers from the norm. We, who choose to stray from the socialized expectations, walk a path that only the brave and strong can survive. Alone, but joined by our brothers, sisters, and fellow queers on this road, we are different and the pressure to conform and return to the clear lines of male/female, woman/man is strong. The binary and its&#8217; code is pervasive. It is everywhere. You can not turn without its messages of what is correct, what is the &#8216;right&#8217; way.</p>
<p>From the moment we are brought into the world, we are bombarded with messages about what is proper, what is socially acceptable. Looking in the aisles of toy stores and department stores, the message is clear that boys and girls, men and women, are different. Our parents raise us in the social imperative of the traditional model of gender. Depending on whether the doctor sees an outie or an innie, we are assigned fe/male and then prescribed the gender identity and role of wo/man that we are then expected to become. (Oh, and don&#8217;t worry if your sex wasn&#8217;t clear to determine- the doctors happily cleared up that &#8220;mess&#8221; for you! *snicker*) For some, their gender matches the sex they were assigned, and life is good; for others, however, their gender and assigned sex do not [match], and therein lies a discrepancy and a choice. Some choose to walk the line and live the prescribed role and identity that they were allotted at birth; others, like myself, on the other hand, decide to transgress and choose a path all our own. Our journeys and destination (if we have one) may look different, but the process is often the same.</p>
<p>The more I delved into this and learned about myself (and others who have walked this path), I realized that many people become hypergendered before permitting themselves to go against the grain. Many FTMs adopt an ultra-femme identity and way of dressing before they decide to stray from the gender identity and role that they are socially expected to play. In light of this, it&#8217;s not surprising I spent that last decade and more creating the persona of Mina Meow- a feminine caricature of the person I am. Being Mina Meow always felt like dressing up (something I enjoy, mind you!), but it was putting on the girl- one of the many costume changes in this theatre called Life. The persona, Mina Meow, was/is like a mask I wear when I want/ed to be someone different.</p>
<p>As I first began to experiment with gender, giving myself freedom to be the boy I feel inside, I kept the two personas separate for my own sake and for those around me. After a while, however, I started to realize my &#8216;boy&#8217; and &#8216;femme&#8217; sides weren&#8217;t so much separate entities as much as different costumes. I realized that Mina Meow IS Aiden Fyre; Aiden Fyre IS Mina Meow. They really are one and the same&#8230; it&#8217;s just that the clothing is different (with a few small differences in gendered behaviors).</p>
<p>Giving myself permission to be butch, to discard the socially-expected Barbie/June Cleaver model as the only way to be, has been incredibly freeing. With each layer I&#8217;ve peeled away, the more I&#8217;ve learned about myself, about who I am and what feels right. It&#8217;s a never-ending process and I love seeing things unravel! I love deconstructing myself and discovering something new, some part of myself that I hadn&#8217;t been conscious of until now! It&#8217;s exhilarating.</p>
<p>So, when people ask if I see myself merging- I tell them &#8216;yes&#8217;. I&#8217;m actively trying to merge them so that they are all one piece. I&#8217;m a transmasculine butch who just happens to also be a lolita girl and a faggy boy.</p>
<p><strong>I&#8217;m masculine and feminine- just a queer mix of both.</strong></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.minameow.com/2010/03/merging-the-two/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>1</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Trans Bodies Resource Guide Needs Survey Takers!</title>
		<link>http://www.minameow.com/2010/03/trans-bodies-resource-guide-survey/</link>
		<comments>http://www.minameow.com/2010/03/trans-bodies-resource-guide-survey/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Mar 2010 13:28:10 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mina Meow</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Announcements]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex, Gender, & Orientation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Activism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LGBTQ]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LGBTQI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Queer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[transgender]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.minameow.com/?p=1069</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Fellow Trans, Genderqueers, and Genderfuckers&#8230; let YOUR voice be heard!

This showed up in Essinem&#8217;s inbox, and thought the best way to get the word out would be to put it up on her blog. I couldn&#8217;t agree more! Please feel free to repost, talk it up, take it, etc.

<span class="readmore"><a href="http://www.minameow.com/2010/03/trans-bodies-resource-guide-survey/" title="Trans Bodies Resource Guide Needs Survey Takers!">Read More: 978 Words Totally</a></span>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong>Fellow Trans, Genderqueers, and Genderfuckers&#8230; let YOUR voice be heard!</strong></p>
<p><strong></strong>This showed up in <a href="http://essin-em.com/2010/03/trans-bodies-resource-guide-needs-survey-takers/?utm_source=feedburner&amp;utm_medium=feed&amp;utm_campaign=Feed%3A+essinem-sexpertextraordinaire+%28Essin%27+Em+-+Sexuality+Happens%29&amp;utm_content=Twitter" target="_blank">Essinem&#8217;s</a> inbox, and thought the best way to get the word out would be to put it up on her blog. I couldn&#8217;t agree more! Please feel free to repost, talk it up, take it, etc.</p>
<blockquote><p><em>Hi everyone,</em></p>
<p><em>I’m editing a book and would love your help finding transgender/genderqueer people, as well as their parents and partners for a survey. The answers will appear as quotes in the book, similarly to Our Bodies, Ourselves.</em></p>
<p><em>Want to be part of a resource guide for transgender and other gender-variant people?</em></p>
<p><em>Trans Bodies, Trans Selves features a line-up of wonderful transgender and genderqueer authors, and they’re looking for your help to make the book amazing.</em></p>
<p><em>Take the survey and your thoughts could appear in the book!</em></p>
<p><em>Go to </em><a href="http://www.transbodies.com/Survey.html"><em>http://www.transbodies.com/Survey.html</em></a><em> for surveys designed for:</em></p>
<p><em>-Transgender/genderqueer people</em></p>
<p><em>-Parents of gender-variant children</em></p>
<p><em>-Partners of transgender/genderqueer people</em></p>
<p><em>Please forward widely.</em></p>
<p><em>YOUR VOICE is greatly appreciated!</em></p>
<p><em>Laura Erickson-Schroth, MD, MA</em></p>
<p><em>Editor, Trans Bodies, Trans Selves</em></p>
<p><em>transbodies@gmail.com<br /> <a href="http://transbodies.com/">http://transbodies.com</a></em></p>
</blockquote>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.minameow.com/2010/03/trans-bodies-resource-guide-survey/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Thoughts on Bare Pussies&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.minameow.com/2010/02/thoughts-on-bare-pussies/</link>
		<comments>http://www.minameow.com/2010/02/thoughts-on-bare-pussies/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 16 Feb 2010 04:02:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mina Meow</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Musings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex, Gender, & Orientation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex Positive]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.minameow.com/?p=1066</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I was just asked why so many models shave their pubic hair completely&#8230;any insight?                     by merocrush

Do you want the practical or philosophical answer? Hmmm&#8230; I&#8217;ll give you both:

 1) Practical &#8211; As one who shaved my pussy completely for 10 years, I can tell you that it just FEELS nice. Not only do you feel cleaner and the sensation of smoothness is a delight (plus never having to worry about getting hair caught accidentally), but it&#8217;s just a delight to lick! Honestly, there is something to be said for not having to stop to pick hair out of your teeth!!! 

<span class="readmore"><a href="http://www.minameow.com/2010/02/thoughts-on-bare-pussies/" title="Thoughts on Bare Pussies&#8230;">Read More: 881 Words Totally</a></span>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<h4>I was just asked why so many models shave their pubic hair completely&#8230;any insight?                     by <a href="http://www.formspring.me/merocrush">merocrush</a></h4>
<p>Do you want the practical or philosophical answer? Hmmm&#8230; I&#8217;ll give you both:</p>
<p> 1) Practical &#8211; As one who shaved my pussy completely for 10 years, I can tell you that it just FEELS nice. Not only do you feel cleaner and the sensation of smoothness is a delight (plus never having to worry about getting hair caught accidentally), but it&#8217;s just a delight to lick! Honestly, there is something to be said for not having to stop to pick hair out of your teeth!!! </p>
<p> 2) Philosophical &#8211; We prize youth and beauty in this culture. As someone who openly enjoys age play and incest fantasies (and who enjoys dissecting women, gender &amp; society), I&#8217;m frankly of the opinion that our culture is not only anti-sex- but also closeted pedophilic. The phrase &#8220;Who&#8217;s your daddy?&#8221; and school-girl play is main-stream porn these days&#8230; tell me we aren&#8217;t fascinated with youth and innocence! The completely shaved pussy evokes the fantasy of the unspoiled virgin&#8230; the forbidden fruit.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.minameow.com/2010/02/thoughts-on-bare-pussies/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Valentines Doesn&#8217;t Have to Suck Anymore&#8230;</title>
		<link>http://www.minameow.com/2010/02/valentines-doesnt-have-to-suck-anymore/</link>
		<comments>http://www.minameow.com/2010/02/valentines-doesnt-have-to-suck-anymore/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Feb 2010 17:34:26 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mina Meow</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Musings]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Activism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Depression]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Love]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Suicide]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.minameow.com/?p=1060</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Valentine&#8217;s Day inspires great emotion in hearts across the country. For some, it&#8217;s a day of immense happiness, love professed, proposals made- a day where new and old love becomes bright and alive, rekindled with passion and romance. For others, it&#8217;s a day of sadness, broken hearts, love lost- a sore reminder of being alone. For those already struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide, Valentine&#8217;s Day can truly &#8220;suck.&#8221; But, not anymore&#8230;

<span class="readmore"><a href="http://www.minameow.com/2010/02/valentines-doesnt-have-to-suck-anymore/" title="Valentines Doesn&#8217;t Have to Suck Anymore&#8230;">Read More: 10398 Words Totally</a></span>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.minameow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Photo-126.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1061" style="border: 0pt none; margin: 5px 15px;" title="Photo 126" src="http://www.minameow.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Photo-126-300x225.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="225" /></a></p>
<p>Valentine&#8217;s Day inspires great emotion in hearts across the country. For some, it&#8217;s a day of immense happiness, love professed, proposals made- a day where new and old love becomes bright and alive, rekindled with passion and romance. For others, it&#8217;s a day of sadness, broken hearts, love lost- a sore reminder of being alone. For those already struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury, and suicide, Valentine&#8217;s Day can truly &#8220;suck.&#8221; But, not anymore&#8230;</p>
<p>To Write Love on Her Arms hosted their <a href="http://www.twloha.com/blog/valentines-day-doesnt-to-suck-2/" target="_blank">2nd Annual &#8220;Valentines Doesn&#8217;t Have to Suck (Again)&#8221;</a> yesterday. A live chat support room for those struggling with the day, <a href="www.twloha.com" target="_blank">TWLOHA</a> helped people worldwide feel connected to others also feeling alone.  In these moments of trial and challenge, connection is what our souls crave most. Kudos to <a href="www.twloha.com" target="_blank">TWLOHA</a> for making that possible.</p>
<p>Although November 13th is the official, &#8220;To Write Love on Her Arms&#8221; Day, anytime you need to be reminded of why we stay alive, join &#8220;Love is the Movement&#8221; by writing &#8220;Love&#8221; on your arm. Spread the word&#8230; share the message of hope and recovery.</p>
<p><strong>Love&#8230; it&#8217;s the reason we stay alive.</strong></p>
<p>____________________________________________________</p>
<p>To Write Love on Her Arms is a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide.  TWLOHA exists to encourage, inform, inspire and also to invest directly into treatment and recovery.</p>
<p><strong>VISION:</strong></p>
<p>The vision is that we actually believe these things…</p>
<p>You were created to love and be loved.  You were meant to live life in relationship with other people, to know and be known. You need to know that your story is important and that you&#8217;re part of a bigger story.  You need to know that your life matters.</p>
<p>We live in a difficult world, a broken world.  My friend Byron is very smart &#8211; he says that life is hard for most people most of the time.  We believe that everyone can relate to pain, that all of us live with questions, and all of us get stuck in moments.  You need to know that you&#8217;re not alone in the places you feel stuck.</p>
<p>We all wake to the human condition.  We wake to mystery and beauty but also to tragedy and loss.  Millions of people live with problems of pain.  Millions of homes are filled with questions – moments and seasons and cycles that come as thieves and aim to stay.  We know that pain is very real.  It is our privilege to suggest that hope is real, and that help is real.</p>
<p>You need to know that rescue is possible, that freedom is possible, that God is still in the business of redemption.  We&#8217;re seeing it happen.  We&#8217;re seeing lives change as people get the help they need.  People sitting across from a counselor for the first time.  People stepping into treatment.  In desperate moments, people calling a suicide hotline.  We know that the first step to recovery is the hardest to take.  We want to say here that it&#8217;s worth it, that your life is worth fighting for, that it&#8217;s possible to change.</p>
<p>Beyond treatment, we believe that community is essential, that people need other people, that we were never meant to do life alone.</p>
<p>The vision is that community and hope and help would replace secrets and silence.</p>
<p>The vision is people putting down guns and blades and bottles.</p>
<p>The vision is that we can reduce the suicide rate in America and around the world.</p>
<p>The vision is that we would learn what it means to love our friends, and that we would love ourselves enough to get the help we need.</p>
<p>The vision is better endings.  The vision is the restoration of broken families and broken relationships.  The vision is people finding life, finding freedom, finding love.  The vision is graduation, a Super Bowl, a wedding, a child, a sunrise.  The vision is people becoming incredible parents, people breaking cycles, making change.</p>
<p>The vision is the possibility that your best days are ahead.</p>
<p>The vision is the possibility that we&#8217;re more loved than we&#8217;ll ever know.</p>
<p>The vision is hope, and hope is real.</p>
<p>You are not alone, and this is not the end of your story.</p>
<div>
<h2></h2>
<h2><img src="http://www.twloha.com/images/head_facts.jpg" alt="Facts" /></h2>
<div>
<h3>Quick Numbers</h3>
<p>-121 million people worldwide suffer from depression. (The World Health Organization)</p>
<p>-18 million of these cases are happening in the United States. (The National Institute of Mental Health)</p>
<p>-Between 20% and 50% of children and teens struggling with depression have a family history of this struggle and the offspring of depressed parents are more than three times as likely to suffer from depression. (U.S. Surgeon General&#8217;s Survey, 1999)</p>
<p>-Depression often co-occurs with anxiety disorders and substance abuse, with 30 percent of teens with depression also developing a substance abuse problem.   (NIMH)</p>
<p>-2/3 of those suffering from depression never seek treatment.</p>
<p>Untreated depression is the number one cause of suicide, and suicide is the third leading cause of death among teenagers. (NIMH)</p>
<h3>About Depression</h3>
<p>According to the World Health Organization, depression is one of the leading causes of disability, with approximately 121 million people suffering with depression worldwide. The National Institute of Mental Health states that approximately 18 million people suffer from depression in America alone. Depression does not discriminate across age, race, gender, or class. Among teenagers it is estimated that 20 percent will suffer from depression at some point by the time they reach adulthood. There are also as many as 8.3 percent of teens suffering from depression for at least a year at a time, compared to 5.3 percent of the general population.</p>
<h3>About Addiction</h3>
<p>The stigma associated with addiction is one of the greatest challenges to recovery. Each year only 10 percent of Americans who need alcohol and drug treatment get the help they need. Yet with treatment and support, people with addiction can lead productive lives.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.hbo.com/addiction/" target="_blank">The Addiction Project</a> has benefited from contributions by the leading experts in the field of addiction. Throughout this website you will find original articles written by experts featured in the Addiction series and more.</p>
<p> </p>
<h3>About Self-Injury</h3>
<p>While not always the case, often untreated depression and other struggles lead to unhealthy ways in which we try and deal with the hurt and pain we are feeling. We try and find anything that we can do to take away the hurt, painful feelings, or negative thoughts we are experiencing. Often the things that we turn to seem to help at first, appearing to provide some of the relief that we need so badly. But, even though they may seem like they help, often they are unhealthy themselves, eventually becoming even greater struggles like addictions such as drugs, alcohol, eating disorders, or self-injury.</p>
<p>Self-injury remained very much a mystery until 1996 when Princess Diana revealed that she had struggled with it. It has become much more visible in society within the last ten years.  Self-injury is also termed self-mutilation, self-harm, or self-abuse. It can be defined as the deliberate, repetitive, impulsive, non-lethal harming of one’s self, including but not limited to;</p>
<p>1)cutting,</p>
<p>2)burning,</p>
<p>3)picking or interfering with wound healing,</p>
<p>4)infecting oneself,</p>
<p>5)punching/hitting self or objects,</p>
<p>6)inserting objects in to skin,</p>
<p>7)bruising or breaking bones, and</p>
<p>8)some forms of hair pulling.</p>
<p>While these behaviors pose serious risks, they may be symptoms of a problem that can be treated.</p>
<p>Experts estimate that 4% of the population struggle with self-injury. It has the same occurrence between males and females, even though in popular culture it can appear to be more prevalent among girls.</p>
<p>• Emptiness</p>
<p><strong>• Inability to understand or express feelings</strong></p>
<p><strong>• Loneliness</strong></p>
<p><strong>• Fear</strong></p>
<p><strong>• Past Abuse</strong></p>
<p><strong>• Depression</strong></p>
<p>Self-injury, like many addictions, is often a coping mechanism to deal with some manner of internal pain, many who struggle with it also struggle with other issues such as eating disorders and alcohol and drug abuse. While self-injury may be someone’s way to cope with or relieve painful or hard-to-express feelings and is generally NOT a suicide attempt, relief is always temporary, and usually only perpetuates a destructive cycle that continues the struggle. This cycle often means that those who do not get help can become more depressed and shameful, adding to the pain and need for relief, thus perpetuating the cycle.</p>
<p>The Dangers of Self-Injury - While self-injury may not be about attempting suicide, the damage done while harming oneself ALWAYS carries the risks of inflicting serious, and even lethal, harm to oneself regardless of whether suicide is intended or not. Also the continued cycle of addiction and self-harm, as in substance abuse and other eating disorders can have a destructive effect on one’s health both physically and mentally, and struggles worsen as time continues without treatment.</p>
<p>(SAFE alternatives &#8211; <a href="http://www.selfinjury.com/" target="_blank">www.selfinjury.com</a>)</p>
<p>Self-injury, like alcohol and drug abuse and eating disorders, is addictive, and thus not something that is easy to simply ‘stop’. However, while all addictions are very difficult to overcome, help and treatment are out there and available, and recovery and freedom are possible.We believe this is true whether someone’s struggles may be self injury, depression, drugs and alcohol, body image issues, sexual addiction, or other areas of brokenness.</p>
<p>Research shows that those who seek professional help and therapy have a very good chance of recovery, and finding relief from symptoms such as depression and anxiety as well as others. (APA, 1998)</p>
<h3>About Suicide</h3>
<p>The <a href="http://www5.who.int/mental_health/main.cfm?p=0000000021">World Health Organization</a> (WHO) estimates that each year approximately one million people die from suicide, which represents a global mortality rate of 16 people per 100,000 or one death every 40 seconds. It is predicted that by 2020 the rate of death will increase to one every 20 seconds.</p>
<p>The <a href="http://www5.who.int/mental_health/main.cfm?p=0000000021">WHO</a> further reports that:</p>
<p>In the last 45 years suicide rates have increased by 60% worldwide. Suicide is now among the three leading causes of death among those aged 15-44 (male and female). Suicide attempts are up to 20 times more frequent than completed suicides.</p>
<p>Although suicide rates have traditionally been highest amongst elderly males, rates among young people have been increasing to such an extent that they are now the group at highest risk in a third of all countries.</p>
<p>Mental health disorders (particularly depression and substance abuse) are associated with more than 90% of all cases of suicide.</p>
<p>However, suicide results from many complex sociocultural factors and is more likely to occur during periods of socioeconomic, family and individual crisis (e.g. loss of a loved one, unemployment, sexual orientation, difficulties with developing one&#8217;s identity, disassociation from one&#8217;s community or other social/belief group, and honour).</p>
<p>The WHO also states that:</p>
<p>In Europe, particularly Eastern Europe, the highest suicide rates are reported for both men and women.</p>
<p>The Eastern Mediterranean Region and Central Asia republics have the lowest suicide rates.</p>
<p>Nearly 30% of all suicides worldwide occur in India and China.</p>
<p>Suicides globally by age are as follows: 55% are aged between 15 to 44 years and 45% are aged 45 years and over.</p>
<p>Youth suicide is increasing at the greatest rate.</p>
<p>In the US, the <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/suifacts.htm">Center of Disease Control and Prevention</a> reports that:</p>
<p>Overall, suicide is the eleventh leading cause of death for all US Americans, and is the third leading cause of death for young people 15-24 years.</p>
<p>Although suicide is a serious problem among the young and adults, death rates continue to be highest among older adults ages 65 years and over.</p>
<p>Males are four times more likely to die from suicide than are females. However, females are more likely to attempt suicide than are males.</p>
<p>Suicide within minority groups</p>
<p>Research indicates that suicide rates appear to be increasing within native and indigenous populations such as the Native Americans in the US and Alaska, and the Aborigines in Australia and New Zealand.</p>
<p>Suicide rates within migrant communities such as African and East Asian Americans or the Black British community are, also of growing concern. Statistics show a rise but in some countries it can be difficult to calculate. For example, in the UK the place of birth is recorded on the death certificate, not ethnicity, therefore reducing data on suicides amongst minority groups.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>TWLOHA believes that rescue is possible, and are committed to communicating hope to others who know the daily struggle of living in a broken world.</p>
</div>
</div>
<p> <!-- end bigleft -->
<div id="column_smallright"><!-- begin smallright --><br />
<h2><img src="http://www.twloha.com/images/head_network.jpg" alt="network" /></h2>
<div>
<form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post">
<input name="cmd" type="hidden" value="_s-xclick" />
<input alt="Donate via PayPal - it's fast, free and secure!" name="submit" src="http://www.twloha.com/files/library/778ac1132e9adad9.jpg" type="image" /> <img src="https://www.paypal.com/en_US/i/scr/pixel.gif" border="0" alt="" width="1" height="1" /><br />
<input name="encrypted" type="hidden" value="-----BEGIN PKCS7-----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-----END PKCS7-----" /> </form>
<p> <a href="http://twitter.com/twloha" target="_blank"> <img src="http://www.twloha.com/files/library/twitterbanner.jpg" alt="" /> </a> <a href="http://www.myspace.com/towriteloveonherarms" target="_blank"> <img src="http://www.twloha.com/files/library/941c53523de74f4f.jpg" alt="" /> </a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/towriteloveonherarms" target="_blank"> <img src="http://www.twloha.com/files/library/fe207ae00ce828d1.jpg" alt="" /> </a> <a href="http://towriteloveonherarms.fancorps.com/" target="_blank"> <img src="http://www.twloha.com/files/library/e3d7ce980df2f083.jpg" alt="" /> </a> <a href="http://www.socialvibe.com/towriteloveonherarms" target="_blank"> <img src="http://www.twloha.com/files/library/0b46153db080de54.jpg" alt="" /> </a></div>
</div>
<p><!-- end smallright-->
<p><a href="http://twitter.com/twloha" target="_blank"> </a> <a href="http://www.myspace.com/towriteloveonherarms" target="_blank"> </a> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/towriteloveonherarms" target="_blank"> </a> <a href="http://towriteloveonherarms.fancorps.com/" target="_blank"> </a> <a href="http://www.socialvibe.com/towriteloveonherarms" target="_blank"> </a></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.minameow.com/2010/02/valentines-doesnt-have-to-suck-anymore/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Sexual Arousal: Aiden vs. Mina</title>
		<link>http://www.minameow.com/2010/02/sexualarousalaiden-vs-mina/</link>
		<comments>http://www.minameow.com/2010/02/sexualarousalaiden-vs-mina/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 13 Feb 2010 04:14:12 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Mina Meow</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Sex, Gender, & Orientation]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gender]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Kink]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[LGBTQI]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Meme]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Queer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Sex]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Trans]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[transgender]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.minameow.com/?p=1057</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[On FormSpring.me, I got asked the following question:

Being gender-fluid as you are, have you noticed any differences in arousal/climax between your selves?

I would have to say that Mina and Aiden approach sex differently. Mina is seductive, alluring, mostly sexually-submissive- although sometimes she initiates the fun. Mina is the one that wants to be TAKEN. She wants to be lusted after, desired and defiled. Mina&#8217;s ultimate fantasy is to be thrown down and made to take a hard cock.

<span class="readmore"><a href="http://www.minameow.com/2010/02/sexualarousalaiden-vs-mina/" title="Sexual Arousal: Aiden vs. Mina">Read More: 864 Words Totally</a></span>]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>On FormSpring.me, I got asked the following question:</p>
<h4>Being gender-fluid as you are, have you noticed any differences in arousal/climax between your selves?</h4>
<p>I would have to say that Mina and Aiden approach sex differently. Mina is seductive, alluring, mostly sexually-submissive- although sometimes she initiates the fun. Mina is the one that wants to be TAKEN. She wants to be lusted after, desired and defiled. Mina&#8217;s ultimate fantasy is to be thrown down and made to take a hard cock.</p>
<p>Aiden, on the other hand, is the truely assertive sexual top. He&#8217;s the horny teenage boy who is up for almost anything. Want to be fisted? Wanna fuck? How about DP? Aiden is up to the challenge. Aiden is certainly the one who chases. He especially loves the pretty little things. BUT, Aiden also has a deep-seated desire to be taken by a boy&#8230; roughed-up, treated like a piece of meat, and fucked hard. He wants to be put in his place&#8230; at their feet or under their boot.</p>
<p>Climax, though, I can&#8217;t say for certain&#8230; that&#8217;s something I&#8217;m still working on. :)</p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.minameow.com/2010/02/sexualarousalaiden-vs-mina/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
