There is a war going on for your mind

[dolorosa_12]

Melissa and Haley of Permission To Live were raised in the fundamentalist Quiverfull movement. This movement teaches strict adherence to 'traditional' gender roles - women are not allowed to work outside the home, children are to be homeschooled in order to avoid 'secular' influence, marriages are arranged by parents, and contraception is to be avoided. Melissa and Haley bought into all this - Haley had a job as a pastor, their marriage had been arranged, they had four children in quick succession, and Melissa was poorly educated and ill prepared for any work outside the home. Four years ago, Haley came out publicly as a trans woman, and the two began a new life. These days, Haley is working as a hair stylist, Melissa works as a kitchen manager, their older children are being educated in public school, and the two women have a new and supportive social circle, having left fundamentalism behind them.

Sir Nicholas Winton, who saved the lives of 669 children during the Holocaust, celebrated his 105th birthday with family and friends, including some of those 669 children and their descendants. There are around 6000 people in the world who owe their lives to his actions.

The Everyday Sexism project is now a book. Sometimes there's a power simply in speaking, listening, and realising that you, as a woman or girl, are not alone. That your experiences are real.

One of my friends from Cambridge started a blog on Tumblr about the experiences of women in sport, either as participants or fans. She even got retweeted by Mary Beard. If you are a female sports player or fan, you might want to consider submitting to my friend's Tumblr. She would also really appreciate word about it being spread.

The 'biggest dinosaur ever' has been discovered in Argentina.

A street vendor in China caught a baby who fell from an upper-storey window. The whole thing was captured on camera.

All over the world, people have taken the time to do this to public spaces.

Your weapons are already in hand
Reach within you and find the means by which to gain your freedom.
Fight with tools.

Comments

[author-by-night.livejournal.com]

I used to always say you shouldn't judge people for being Quiverful.... then I realized it's not a choice the woman makes. The woman has to obey, and there's so many disturbing things in between. People need to understand that there's a difference between people who have many children as a choice, and people who have no other options, OR are led to believe they don't at any rate.

[dolorosa-12.livejournal.com]

The really heartbreaking thing is that in a lot of cases, the first-generation Quiverfull people became so because of pressure from the wife/mother, who came from terrible family backgrounds and thought that by becoming fundamentalist and following all these rules, they could spare their children the same fate. It's a choice made in fear, and so hardly a genuine choice.

The good thing is that a lot of the second generation of Quiverfull people have broken away from their pasts, and are writing survivor blogs for all the world to see. The lid is being lifted.

[promiseoftin.livejournal.com]

Thank you for all these links to such positive stories.

[dolorosa-12.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome. I felt I could do with a reminder that the world has kindness and bravery and love in it.

[malinowy.livejournal.com]

The steps with the art! Those talented people sharing all that with the world. ♥

And the Girls Watch Sports Too! blog is perfect. I have it a lot easier these days since I work in a store which was everything to do with sports, but earlier it's been such a pain to try to explain to people that yes, I actually know the rules to quite a few sports and know what's going on and no, I don't watch it just for the hot men.

[dolorosa-12.livejournal.com]

They're so lovely, aren't they? I love that people took the time to make such beautiful street art!

I'm also glad that you like the Girls Watch Sports Too blog. I'm not a huge sports fan myself, but I know a lot of women who are, and it's a shame that a blog like that is needed.