friends of Bitch

Bitch in Salt Lake City

Debbie Rasmussen — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 15:35:51 -0400

Back to the most recent Bitch fundraising trip...

I'd never been to Salt Lake City before, so I was excited to check it out. After a long drive in from Denver, I was even more excited to be greeted by a plate of vegan cookies, freshly-baked by our host, Courtney Maguire (thanks, Courtney!). Courtney is one of the folks involved with the Female Empwerment Movement (FEM), a new(ish) feminist group created in response to the high rates of sexual violence in Salt Lake. FEM also helped organize and get the word out of the evening's events, and I'm grateful.

I'm also grateful to Angela Brown, Meghann Griggs, and the rest of the folks at SLUG magazine,who responded almost immediately to our call for assistance in helping
put together the discussion and fundraiser in Salt Lake. SLUG was founded in 1989 and remains Utah's oldest alternative paper.

Belated but big love to Lincoln

Debbie Rasmussen — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 18:57:22 -0400

Did you know that Lincoln, Nebraska, was a hotbed of radical lesbian-feminism in the 1970s?

I didn't until I had the pleasure of visiting there recently. And awesomely enough, the vibe is still there. I had one of the most memorable nights I've had in a long time back at the very end of June, on the latest Bitch fundraising trip.

Know about New Moon for girls?

Debbie Rasmussen — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:34:11 -0400

Several months ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Nancy Gruver, founder of New Moon, a magazine aimed at girls ages 8 to 12. New Moon is great – they're ad free, have girl editors and writers. They have a girl blog. Oh, and they're also based in Minnesota.

Today in my inbox was a message from Nancy sharing the news that on September 1, they'll be launching New Moon Girls web community – like the magazine, it'll be ad free, girl-driven content. In the meantime, they're trying to raise money.

Help them out, won't you? It's a rare thing to find media aimed at building up girls' self-esteem rather than tearing it down.

Bitch in the Brew City

Debbie Rasmussen — Sun, 25 May 2008 13:26:21 -0400

I am in love with Milwaukee (and the poetry chapbook collection at Woodland Pattern, part of which is shown above).

A little mad at the Mad City

Debbie Rasmussen — Sun, 18 May 2008 14:54:32 -0400

When I moved to Madison to go to school several years ago, all I knew about the city was that people often referred to it as the "Berkeley of the Midwest" because of its history of radical politics. And while – like Berkeley itself – that intense thread of resistance is not nearly as palpable as it must've been back then, the vibe of the city is still very progressive. As one example, I don't know of any other city in the United States with as many worker collectives/cooperatives.

Milwaukee folks, too, please!

Debbie Rasmussen — Mon, 12 May 2008 21:45:58 -0400

Hey Madison folks, please come out!

Debbie Rasmussen — Mon, 12 May 2008 21:39:40 -0400

I love that my co-workers think of cows when they think of Wisconsin (thanks, Jess and Briar, for the awesome flyer!).

Also, please come to Room of One's Own Feminist Bookstore, 307 W. Johnson, on Wednesday (May 14) from 6:00-8:00PM for a participatory discussion about Feminism In/Action: What is your feminism for and why does it matter?

Bitch in the Heartland

Debbie Rasmussen — Sat, 10 May 2008 01:03:01 -0400

On the way to Chicago, I met up with one of our supporters in Kalamazoo, who teaches journalism and communications at a local college in Western Michigan. She told me the story of how, a couple years back when students wanted to bring the Vagina Monologues to campus, the school administration refused to promote it. You know, because vaginas are obscene and all.

Bitch in the Windy City

Debbie Rasmussen — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 19:23:48 -0400

Everything's coming together. Here's what's happening in Chicago. Please spread the word...

A Bitchin' Mother's Day: Minneapolis people, please join me!

Debbie Rasmussen — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 12:37:18 -0400

Another update on my upcoming trip...

Ok, folks – here's my heart on the line: I organized my entire trip around Mother's Day so that I could combine the organization I love plus my mom and grandma, who – as much as they support and love me – really don't "get" what my work is all about.

So please, Twin Cities friends, come – and bring anyone special you want to appreciate – and let's celebrate Mother's Day with gratitude for the amazing people that allowed us to live the lives we have today.

If nothing else, do it for my grandma! She's 91 and she's incredible.