Your Weekly Feminist Round-Up! – 10/10/2014

Source: David Carson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, via AP

This Friday (and every Friday) we’re pulling together a Weekly Feminist Round-Up, a collection of the top sociopolitical news stories and creative justice-focused content from around the globe that you may have missed this week:

1. White Off-Duty St. Louis Police Officer Shoots Black Teenager Dead

More tragic news out of Missouri with the report that a white off-duty St. Louis police officer shot and killed 18-year-old Vonderrit Myers Jr. The St. Louis metropolitan police chief, Sam Dotson, alleged that the 32-year-old officer (who has not been identified) had an altercation with three men and became suspicious that Myers was carrying a gun.

Dotson claimed the teenager fired three shots, and the officer responded by firing 17 rounds. No explanation was given for why the officer returned fire so many times. Myers’ relative insists that he was only holding a sandwich at the time.

2. Against My Fear, I See That You Hope

A professor’s open letter to her students who are participating in the political protests in Hong Kong. Her simultaneous concern and awe at the collective passion of the movement, which includes class boycotts and student-led lectures, speaks to both the generation gap and the painstaking process of political change.

Interestingly, rather than taking an explicit stand on one side or the other, she worries primarily about what will happen if this new society that her students dream of fails to materialize.

3. No Excuses: California Bans Gay and Trans Panic Defenses for Anti-LGBT Violence

Even though we all wish this headline was about 15 years old, California just recently became the first state to ban using gay panic and trans panic as a defense for LGBTQIA+ hate crimes. Although this is certainly a reason to celebrate, the article points out that violence against trans women of color in particular is on the rise.

It’s a step in the right direction, but clearly more action needs to be taken, and it’s truly appalling that those who attack and kill trans women are frequently given lesser sentences.

4. Why We Should Abandon the Word ‘Subtle’ When Discussing Racism

An incredibly thoughtful and profound peace by Travis Alabanza, a young British QTPOC discussing the realities of racism in the UK. In particular, he speaks to the microaggressions inherent in the insistence on discussing racial prejudice with “subtlety.” Not only does it highlight the ways oppressors work to qualify and minimize oppression, but it also serves as a good reminder to Americans that racism is not exclusive to the US.

5. 16 Beautiful Portraits of Humans Who Happen to Be Trans

On a lighter note, check out these photos of people who identify as trans or genderqueer. They look like they could be on the pages of any fashion magazine. We so routinely conflate fashion with an extension of gender, yet these photographs reveal it’s an expression of personality. Gender may be a social construct, but style is universal.

6. A Random Dude Gives a Woman Some Life Advice

Rounding out your week with a healthy dose of comedy and sarcasm. Watch the video and witness the beauty of a woman reacting to a man telling her to smile. I think that any man who does this frankly deserves to have a crowd of women smile at him unblinkingly for at least ten minutes.

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Erin Tatum is a Contributing Writer at Everyday Feminism. She’s a feminist, queer theory lover, and television enthusiast living in Pennsylvania. She is particularly interested in examining the representation of marginalized identities in media. In addition to Everyday Feminism, she’s also a weekly contributor to B*tch Flicks. Follow her on Twitter @ErinTatum91 and read her articles here.