Giving birth to (business) twins! EXCITING NEWS! READ ALL ABOUT IT!

Dear WCC Community,

So, I have REALLY EXCITING news to share with you! 

The Women's Collaborative Circle is growing by LEAPS and BOUNDS! So much so that the WCC (as a brand, business, and organization) has bursted into two!  Well, not quite bursted, but has gone through a strategically planned rebranding and development to bring you TWO new business to best serve your needs ;) 

 

First, let me say that your dedication and commitment to the development of the WCC has meant the world to me!  Because of your support and generosity, I have been able to connect, work with, and serve women locally and globally. Because of your time and energy, I have been able to further grow the vision of the WCC and introduce you to the next level of women's self-care, empowerment, and social change.  

 

I am thrilled to announce the soon-to-be launch of Woman Centered - a personal development and social action organization.  Woman Centered empowers forward thinking women to actively effect change within themselves and in the world around them.  Woman Centered will be offering 1:1 mentoring services, special events, programs, resources, and SO MUCH MORE! YAY! The site is set to launch in another few weeks, so stay tuned!

 

I am equally excited to announce the development of my specialized psychotherapy practice for women.  Dr. Carly Goldberg - Therapy for Women. My private practice offers a dedicated space for women to receive in person psychotherapy services to meet the needs of women's psychological development and emotional wellness.  For more information, please visit www.drcarlygoldberg.com.  

... Wow!  I feel like I just birthed twins! ;) 

As I finish the final touches on both new websites, I want you to know that I am developing this with all of you in mind.  I can not wait for us to further grow as a community and create long lasting change within ourselves, our families, communities, and world around us! 

Please feel free to reach out, let me know your thoughts, feedback, or just say hello! 

With deepest gratitude,

Carly 

Carly Goldberg, DSW, LCSW

www.drcarlygoldberg.com

www.womancentered.org

My Body, Not Yours!

                                    

Genderqueer Support Group - Studio 34

GENDERQUEER

SUPPORT GROUP

Feeling at odds with the gender binary system?

Looking for a safe space to explore your

gender identity?

Want to connect with others who

understand your experience? 

JOIN US!

7-8:30pm Biweekly Wednesdays, Start Date TBA

Studio 34 Yoga/Healing/Arts

4522 Baltimore Avenue

$300 for 10 sessions

Discussion topics include:

pronouns, passing, public bathrooms, family, relationships, sex, sexual identity and much more.

Facilitated by Marcie J. Wood, MA., MFT,

Individual, Relationship and Sex Therapist in Private Practice.

For more information or to register, please contact Marcie at 215-514-5766 or info@marciejwood.com

World AIDS Day 2011 - Getting To Zero

Today, December 1st is World AIDS Day.  Every year since 1995 when the President of the United States declared 12/1 World AIDS Day, each year has had a different theme focusing on fighting this pandemic.

This year is "getting to zero."  Currently, there are 2.7 million individuals living with HIV/AIDS and over half of them are women.  In our local and global communities education, prevention and action is key!

If you don't know your status, you should!  There is no excuse.  It is fast, easy and free. HIV testing information HERE.



If you need further information about HIV/AIDS please contact us at the WCC!  We have years of experience in the field of HIV/AIDS and no question is a stupid, embarrassing or shameful one.
Contact us at hello@womenscollaborativecircle.org. 

World AIDS Day 2010

Today is world AIDS day.  And although HIV/AIDS awareness, prevention and education should be (and with HIV/AIDS organizations is) an ongoing and daily event, I would be remiss not to take this opportunity to bring special attention to the increased need for education and prevention among women globally today.  Women globally and in particular women of color in the United States tend to be at highest risk for contracting HIV.  HIV/AIDS is unlike any other virus and syndrome of diseases; it is not only physical but political, social, cultural, religious, sexual, economic and psychological. 

None of us are immune, we are all susceptible to contracting HIV.  Playwrite Eve Ensler wrote a powerful op ed piece - Nothing Short of a Sexual Revolution for The Guardian, and I too believe that we women need a revolution.  Let's stand together and continue the fight!

Working Towards the End of Poverty?

Following on the heals of President Barak Obama on The View, I would like to take a more concentrated look into joblessness and poverty in the US and around the world.  Poverty is insidious and spares no one.  One group in particular who are affected by poverty at alarming rates are lesbians.  Curvemag.com shares an article by Victoria A. Brownworth The Silent Majority: Lesbians and Poverty questioning and examining why lesbians are falling below the poverty line and at such alarming rates.  What is so striking to me in this article is that it recognizes that women who are self identified as lesbians and live beyond the poverty line and fall victim to silence and invisibility; therefore, their needs go unnoticed, unaddressed and unmet. 

Brownworth writes in her article that "factors for lesbians in poverty include the number of young lesbians forced out of their families of origin. These young women start out at an economic disadvantage that may never be bridged. Homelessness impacts queers under 25 at a rate nearly ten times that of their heterosexual peers.

Lesbian activist Jeanne Cordova notes that butch lesbians have more difficulty finding jobs because of their looks, and thus are also more likely to fall into poverty. In her award-winning book Stone Butch Blues, writer Leslie Feinberg, who experienced such discrimination herself, charted the difficulties this presents for many butch lesbians...'No one wants to be poor...[b]ut being poor makes you hidden. It’s a whole other closet we have to climb out of.'"

Globally movements through media such as The End of Poverty?  are a call to raise consciousness, perspective and an outlet to take action against poverty globally.  The End of Poverty? boldly asks the question "with so much wealth in the world, why is there still so much poverty?"       



With the development of the new Women's Collaborative Circle website coming soon, stay tuned for various interactive opportunities for social action, activism and ways to take action in the fight against poverty domestically and globally!

A(wo)men!

Check out this clip of Rachel Maddow from The Rachel Maddow Show.  I wish we had more mainstream television programming that featured fearless, intelligent and authentic women who are not afraid to speak their minds and make their (and advocate for other people's) voices heard! Thank you, Rachel!



From rachelmaddow.com - Rachel Maddow is the host of “The Rachel Maddow Show,” which airs Monday-Friday at 9 p.m. Eastern on MSNBC-TV, and is re-broadcast on MSNBC at 11 p.m. and 2 a.m.
TRMS is a funny, fast-paced, news-based show. Often described as “the headlines, and the politics behind the headlines,” Maddow and guests take a smart look at politics, pop culture and the top stories of the day.

TRMS features top headlines from the worlds of politics, current events, sports, science, health, crime, and the absurd - and interviews with newsmakers like Al Gore, Robert Redford, Edie Falco, John Kerry, Pat Buchanan, Jane Fonda, Seymour Hersh, Tucker Carlson, Roseanne Cash, Lili Taylor, Ben Harper, and Michael Isikoff.

Tune in every evening for interviews with journalists, analysts, politicians and newsmakers, with regular segments such as “The Interview” on the day’s hottest topics, “Ms. Information” with intriguing stories that don't make the front page, and “Just Enough” with the ever popular pop-culturist Kent Jones. And of course you just never know when Rachel will mix in a Cocktail Moment (ping!) or a Moment of Geek (ahhhh…).

Rachel has a doctorate in political science (she was a Rhodes Scholar) and a background in HIV/AIDS activism and prison reform. She shakes a mean cocktail, drives a bright red pickup, hates Coldplay, loves arguing with conservatives, spends a lot of money on AMTRAK tickets, and dresses like a first-grader.

Rachel’s work with MSNBC began in 2005 when she was a regular contributor to “The Situation with Tucker Carlson.” She was also a regular commentator and occasional guest host on “Race for the White House with David Gregory,” and a frequent guest and sometime guest host on “Countdown with Keith Olbermann,” before taking the helm of her own MSNBC TV show in September of 2008. She was on the air with Air America Radio since its inception in Spring 2004 through 2010, first on “Unfiltered” with Lizz Winstead and Chuck D, and then with her own eponymous show. Before AAR she worked for WRNX in Holyoke, Massachusetts, and WRSI in Northampton, Massachusetts. There was also an early stint with a jungle-themed company called Expresso Bongo, but she doesn't want to talk about it.

Rachel is 36 years old and lives in New York City and rural Western Massachusetts with her partner, artist Susan Mikula.

Corrective Rape - Brought to You by the Rape Capital of the World

In recent months, my academic research and clinical interest have focused on the ways in which women understand their multiple identities - elements of their life experience that include their gender, race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality, and geography as well as and in some cases multiple traumas and oppressions – all of which combine to tell their story.  When I saw this story and call to action on change.org about a 30-year-old South African, lesbian-identified woman, Millicent Gaika, who was a recent victim of "corrective rape," I couldn't help but think of how this woman is beginning to make sense of herself, her multiple identities, and now this trauma. 

For those of you unfamiliar (as I was) with the concept of "corrective rape," it is when a man or men "rape the gay" out of a woman to make her straight.  In South Africa this practice is of epidemic proportions.  Alex DiBranco writing for change.org reports that "520 women [report] being survivors of corrective rape in a year, and perhaps hundreds more unreported rapes estimated."

I  am bringing this to your attention and to my own for a couple of reasons.  I am thinking not only about the way that I as a social worker and the social work profession can best meet the needs of women with whom we work in this 21st century globalized society, but the way that we women can work together to raise consciousness and effect change.  I think the first most important thing is to raise conciousness and awareness.  How does hearing about "corrective rape" impact you? What feelings does it elicit? If we are not educated or even aware of atrocities around the world such as corrective rape, then how can we possibly take action to effect change and protect our global sisters as well as ourselves? 

Director Lovinsa Kavuma offers us an inside look into the lives of lesbian women in South Africa in a short documentary called Rape for Who I Am.



In addition to raising our own conciousness, we can take concrete steps and sign a petition on change.org here. Have you had experience working towards ending corrective rape? Do you have any thoughts on how the WCC can effect change? Let us know!

Some women have taken the issue of rape into their own hands and have developed the anit-rape condom - Rape-aXe.  This condom was developed to stop and prevent the occurance of rape.  Here is some more information from the Rape-aXe website:

A brief history
The Rape-aXe anti rape condom was developed by a South African woman, Sonnet Ehlers, after witnessing first hand the horrific aftermath of a sexual assault. She felt that something had to be done to stop this growing threat against women and started to work on the anti rape condom, the Rape-aXe. The first prototype was launched on 31 August 2005, at Kleinmond, Cape Province, South Africa.

What is it?
Rape-aXe is a revolutionary new product that aids in the prevention of rapes. This device can later be used to identify the attacker and aid in the apprehension of the perpetrator.

How does it work?
The Rape-aXe system consists of a latex sheath, which contains razor-sharp barbs. The device is worn in her vagina like a tampon. When the attacker attempts vaginal penetration the barbs attach themselves to the penis, causing great discomfort. The device must be surgically removed, which will result in the positive identification of the attacker and subsequent arrest.

Anything Else?
One of the major benefits of the Rape-aXe system is the fact that it helps in the prevention of the rape victim contracting an STD like HIV. An additional benefit of the anti rape condom is the fact that it helps in the prevention of unwanted pregnancies resulting from rape.

For more information, visit the Rape-aXe website and check out this article "Putting Teeth in the Fight Against Rape" by Amanda Bailly.

Speaking Their Voice - Trans Bodies, Trans Selves

A parent of a transgendered child and active member of the Trans Youth and Family Allies (TYFA) recently brought to our attention this amazing new and very timely resource that is currently in production - Trans Bodies, Trans Selves.  Trans Bodies, Trans Selves edited by Dr. Laura Erickson-Schroth 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.

Laura Erickson-Schroth, MD, MA is a recent graduate of Dartmouth Medical School. Growing up in Brooklyn, NY, a child of feminist and environmental lawyers, she was guided by their love of activism and service. Laura attended Hunter College High School in Manhattan and then Middlebury College in Vermont, where she became involved in feminist and LGBT student groups. During medical school, she returned home to New York City for a year to earn a master’s in Women and Gender Studies at The Graduate Center at the City University of New York. During her last year in medical school, Laura chose electives in transgender medicine, transgender surgery and gender variant pediatrics. These clinical rotations complemented the relationships she had with friends who are transgender. They made her acutely aware of the lack of comprehensive resources that exist for gender-variant people as they make important decisions in their lives and compelled her to begin working on a book that would attempt to provide these resources. Laura has finished a one year fellowship as the Director of Student Programming for the American Medical Student Association, and is starting a residency in Psychiatry.

I believe that the conversation about transgender and gender-varient individuals has become more productive over the past several years, but there is a lot of work still to be done.  As a feminist and social worker I am thrilled to see a comprehensive resource like this available for not only the trans-community but for the benefit of educating the general public.  I think the more information there is about gender and identity, the more opportunity to break down harmful social constructions of gender and work towards eliminating sexism, racism, and classism in our world.    

For more information about this above pictorial represenation of gender variance, please visit this website from scottishtrans.org.  As always contact us with your thoughts, comments and questions!

Speaking Their Voices - GLBT Civil and Human Rights

From the Associated Press: Obama orders hospital visitation and decision making rights to include gay and lesbian partners!

WASHINGTON (AP)– In a move hailed as a step toward fairness for same-sex couples, President Barack Obama is ordering that nearly all hospitals allow patients to say who has visitation rights and who can help make medical decisions, including gay and lesbian partners.

The White House on Thursday released a statement by Obama instructing his Health and Human Services secretary to draft rules requiring hospitals that receive Medicare and Medicaid payments to grant all patients the right to designate people who can visit and consult with them at crucial moments.

The designated visitors should have the same rights that immediate family members now enjoy, Obama's instructions said. It said Medicare-Medicaid hospitals, which include most of the nation's facilities, may not deny visitation and consultation privileges on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability.
The move was called a major step toward fairness for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans.

"This is a critical step in ending discrimination against LGBT families and ensuring that, in the event of a hospital stay, all Americans have the right to see their loved ones," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.

The new rules, Obama said, should "guarantee that all patients' advance directives, such as durable powers of attorney and health care proxies, are respected," and that patients' designees be able to "make informed decisions regarding patients' care."

Some gay advocacy groups say Obama has moved too slowly to fulfill campaign promises to expand their civil rights. The nation's top military leaders recently said it is time to end the "don't ask, don't tell" policy that has kept gays from serving openly in the armed services.

The Human Rights Campaign, which backs gay rights, called Obama's decision an "important action" that was inspired in part by a New York Times article about a lesbian couple in Miami. They were kept apart while one lay dying in a hospital despite having an "advanced health care directive" asking for full visitation rights for each other.

"Discrimination touches every facet of the lives of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people, including at times of crisis and illness," said HRC President Joe Solmonese. "The president's action today will help ensure that the indignities" suffered by the Miami patient and her children will not happen to others.

In his statement, Obama said: "Every day, all across America, patients are denied the kindnesses and caring of a loved one at their sides — whether in a sudden medical emergency or a prolonged hospital stay. Often, a widow or widower with no children is denied the support and comfort of a good friend."

He added: "Also uniquely affected are gay and lesbian Americans who are often barred from the bedsides of the partners with whom they may have spent decades of their lives — unable to be there for the person they love, and unable to act as a legal surrogate if their partner is incapacitated."

Without the expanded visitor-designation rights, Obama said, "all too often, people are made to suffer or even to pass away alone, denied the comfort of companionship in their final moments while a loved one is left worrying and pacing down the hall."

Women on Top: Loving Ourselves to Love Others

This is a workshop offered by the WCC to facilitate knowledge of our sexual selves and understand how to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections.  Women on Top: Loving Ourselves to Love Others, was created  to raise awareness and encourage empowerment among women about women’s health and HIV prevention.

This workshop is designed to assess, educate and empower women’s understanding of HIV knowledge and the knowledge of the safer sex risk continuum. This interactive workshop will provide women a safe and open space to assess their knowledge of HIV/STD and risk reduction behaviors, as well as voice their concerns as it pertains to their sexual health, growth and development as women of all ages.

The goal of this workshop is to enable and support women to feel empowered around their sexual behaviors and choices. The activities will encourage women to think about their personal and sexual comfort zone, increase self-awareness around the limits of their personal choices while assisting them in negotiating and discussing these limits with their partners and within the context of their relationships.

 

If you are interested in the WCC presenting this workshop to meet the needs of a group at your place of work, college campus, women's center or religious organization, please contact us for more information - info@womenscollaborativecircle.org, we would love to work with you!

Blazing Through The Blues - Blues Singers Shaping Black Conciousness

In her 1998 book Blues Legacies and Black Feminism, Angela Y. Davis outspoken social activist, feminist and trailblazer herself, uncovers an unusual source of conciousness-raising, the music of 1920's female Blues artists Gertrude "Ma" Rainey, Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday.  Davis not only uncovers the path that these women took to obtain independent financial freedom at a time when historically, women had little if no civil or domestic freedoms.  Davis also takes an important look wading through more prominant issues of racism, to study gender and sexuality about which these women were singing.  A prominant example of these women's work is Ma Rainey's "Prove It On Me," in which she sings about her gender identity and sexual desires for women.  Davis's central thesis is to say that the women Blues singers of the 1920's had a great impact on not only giving a voice to women of the era, but the larger social and political impact on shaping the general African-American conciousness. 

Speaking Their Voices: The American People

On October 22, 2009, the Senate passed legislation that would federally prosecute for hate crimes based on an individual's gender or sexual identity.  The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act was passed by a 68-29 vote.

According the the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) website, the hate crimes initiative was included in the Fiscal Year 2010 Department of Defense Authorization Report passed previously by the House of Representatives. The historic enactment of hate crimes legislation represents a vital victory for social justice advocates and all Americans who affirm that inequality and intolerance corrupt Democratic principles and ideals.

Consistently, many Americans are victims of violent crimes due to their race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and disability. The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act will realign significant federal resources to aide local law enforcement efforts in the fight against hate crimes, racism and intolerance against those who exercise their right to alternative lifestyles. Further, the bill acknowledges that gender identity must be protected under federal law. The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act is our nation's sincerest attempt statutorily at protecting the civil rights of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities.

In addition, CNN online article Hate Crimes Bill Goes to Obama for Signature reports that former President Bush vetoed such legislation during his presidency, but President Obama has pledged to sign this bill into law.  Attorney General Eric Holder told CNN that "Thursday's 68-29 Senate vote to approve the defense spending bill that included the hate crimes measure... a milestone in helping protect Americans from the most heinous bias-motivated violence.  The passage of this legislation will give the Justice Department and our state and local law enforcement partners the tools we need to deter and prosecute these acts of violence."
 
In addition, Joe Solmonese, president of the Human Rights Campaign, reported to CNN that this is "our nation's first major piece of civil rights legislation for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people... Too many in our community have been devastated by hate violence, [w]e now can begin the important steps to erasing hate in our country."
 

What change do you want to make?

How do you envision a hate-free future?

What are your next steps?

How will you use your voice?