Abortion Hotline let me know that how abortions could be something unaffordable in the states, so that women have to call for funding. States seems making things related to abortion unaffordable for these poor women. Plan B is like $40 -$50 dollars and only 2 kinds of plan b selling-$40 or $50.   “When somebody can’t get abortion pills on their own terms, that is a human rights violation. It doesn’t matter what kind of obstacles there are, whether it’s legal, financial, logistical, personal, private, preference—it doesn’t matter. Abortion should be available on your own terms, however you need it, whenever you need it, and in whatever way you need it.”

It makes me very upset also the most important is only women have to take the responsibilities, and the person who causes them pregnant is disappear here. I only see women seeking helps and women can’t afford it but it is unfair that in these cases, another genders can be invisible even they share part of responsibility to it.

From the readings these week, I learnt that gender is who we are that is socially created by the characteristics of being a man or a woman, referring to the roles that each gender plays.  There are three types of genders: gender expression, gender assignment and gender identity. Gender is not just about who we are, how our bodies are, it also related to what society think the gender role should play.

People feel it is easier if there is a label so that they would use gender to label a baby since there is nothing they can talk about. Once they know the gender of the babies, they can come up with other labels very quick—for example, pink clothes for baby girl, blue or green clothes for baby boy. Barbie for girls, cars for boys. In many places, they are comfortable for these concept and stereotypes. If you tell them that is a concept and human beings can choose which gender that they think is more close to the real selves, that would be a difficult idea for them to receive since they get used to these stereotypes for many years.

I inspired a lot by these readings and happy to discover more arts and artists through the readings and other classmates’ posts.

After reading 10 Female Performance Artists You Should Know, from Ana Mendieta to Carolee Schneemann, I am attracted by Wilson’s artwork and what she said in an interview. “As women, we find ourselves performing all the time to meet society and the culture’s expectations about what we’re supposed to do, how we’re supposed to look, what we’re supposed to think,” Wilson explained in a 2015 interview. These become the reasons that Wilson doing her artwork or it is the core value and idea that motivate her to do her arts. She is using role play to discover how others invasing female’s self identity.

That’s the topic and thought that what I am being interested in-I feel like women are being required to fit in too many roles but there is no role for her to only play her true self. Most roles are under other people’s gazing-“good wife””good mother””good daughter”, they are all belonging to someone’s wife, mother or daughter but not herself. A woman’s whole time is being seperating and chopped to serve others depends on the relationships but never for herself. The society doesn’t want to give back the right to women-they dont want a woman can charge for herself and can take care of her own time. She is being considered to be thoughtful, caring, kind and willing to devote herself in a family-from her own home to others’ home, from daughter to wife, from wife to mother, she switching her role but it is difficult to see a place that she can play her own self by her free willing.

Through the readings and film this week, we can know more about what kinds of medical oppression exist when it comes to different groups. It makes me feel sad that there are still so many unfair situations occur because of people’s identities. Through A Birth Story we can know how risky the birth delivering procession could be for a black woman. It causes by racism but it is difficult to prove or have evidence.

From 12 Reasons It Should Be Illegal for Doctors Not to Treat Trans People that is how terrible and dangerous that trans people facing with their lives. Due to new rules that HHS made, federally funded healthcare providers and insurers to legally deny care to transgender people. This rule put transgender people’s lives in a risky position and they shouldn’t face that because of their identities.

After watching Period. End of Sentence. I see the hope that once girls and women have chance, they can release their power and they can do it well also help others out-which is beautiful. It also reminds me of some experiences that how embarrassing or the culture makes you feel embarrassing if you are having your period. It is the same in my hometown that women during period considered dirty so they are not allowed to go to the temple.

The Combahee River collective, it said, “A Black feminist presence has evolved most obviously in connection with the second wave of the American women’s movement beginning in the late 1960s. Black, other Third World, and working women have been involved in the feminist movement from its start, but both outside reactionary forces and racism and elitism within the movement itself have served to obscure our participation. ” It was very unfair that during the second wave of the American women’s movement, black women participated in the movement but didn’t gain enough credits for it. Also there is no policy changed for their situations. When I was watching Mrs. America, it addressed this part too. Black women who joined the movement was disappointed to notice that white feminists fighting for feminism, female right but even though, they didn’t consider black feminists’ right. That’s why it matters that to have your own foundations, your own community. That’s why Combahee River bought up the concept “Identity Politics”, and it is important to know about your identity, to tell your stories and engage with people who sharing the same experience, and empower from them. It is a long journey and long fight, know how to gain power and find people you can fight with together matters.

By watching Paris is Burning, I can know the queer history and culture at that time. It enriches and inspires other industries and artworks. For example, Madonna’s song Vogue is impacted by it. But unlike Madonna that she can perform this song multiple times on different stages also earn money. The original vogue creators and other queer are still struggling about their lives. The mainstream is curious about their lives but just want to take a look but not really want to care about it. The film was shooting at 1990 and till today, we still can witness queer community especially black queer community are still being attacked because of their identities.