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Briarpatch gender issue profiled by Utne.com

admin — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 22:46:40 +0000

UTNE Magazine, in many ways the godfather of the American alternative press, recently profiled our latest gender issue in their online "From the Stacks" feature:

Briarpatch magazine sheds its Canadian cocoon to burst into borderless territory—“life beyond the sexual binary”—in its gender-themed March-April issue. Becky Ellis casts off home-schooling stereotypes in a discussion of feminist home-schooling, describing the progressive “community-based” learning style she’s adopted and exploring approaches favored by other progressive home-schoolers. Calvin Sandborn’s essay bombards the reader with a long list of harms traditional masculinity wreaks upon men, provocatively illustrated by Daryl Vocat’s series of found and manipulated Boy Scout drawings. And Chanelle Gallant, founder of the Feminist Porn Awards, sasses about feminism, anti-racism, and porn in a quick Q&A. “I can’t believe that feminism wasted a whole decade fighting about porn instead of fighting about things like child care and reproductive justice,” she says. “I mean, really?”

The attention is nice, and much appreciated, though we can't help but roll our eyes at the irony of an American magazine -- any American magazine -- saying a Canadian magazine has been in a "Canadian cocoon." I'm curious: by that do they mean we don't spend enough time writing about Obama vs. Hillary?

Playing politics with Station 20 West

admin — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:09:04 +0000

On Mar. 26, when he confirmed that the Saskatchewan Party government would not honour a previous funding commitment made by the former NDP government of $8 million for the Station 20 West mixed-use development in Saskatoon, Finance Minster Rod Gantefoer said when his new government took a look at the project, “there were a number [...]

Monsanto Settles with Schmeiser

admin — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 20:34:23 +0000

via Making the Links Radio A small claims court today heard that Percy Schmeiser and Monsanto had reached a settlement on Percy Schmeiser’s claim. The terms of the settlement were a major victory for Percy, and farmers fighting the power of large agri-business interests. Key points achieved were: 1. Percy has maintained his freedom to speak out - no gag [...]

Call for support from the Algonquins of Barriere Lake

admin — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:58:30 +0000

NOTICE: CANADA AND QUEBEC ARE ORCHESTRATING A COUP USING THE SQ TO REPLACE OUR CUSTOMARY CHIEF AND COUNCIL WITH A DISSIDENT GROUP IN ORDER TO GET OUT OF SIGNED AGREEMENTS WITH OUR FIRST NATIONUrgent Request-March 13, 2008 CALL FOR SUPPORT We are known as the Algonquins of Barriere Lake (also known by our Algonquin name, “Mitchikanibikok Inik”) [...]

Call for submissions: Dog’s breakfast issue

admin — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:10:52 +0000

Briarpatch Magazine invites contributions on any topic for our unthemed August 2008 issue. We are looking for feature articles, provocative essays, investigative reportage, interviews, profiles, news briefs, reviews, poetry, humour, and artwork that explores issues of interest to progressive Canadians. Possible topics could include just about anything. Surprise us.

March/April 2008: Gender & sexuality

admin — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 02:50:23 +0000

In this issue, Briarpatch embarks on a decidedly anti-essentialist exploration of gender politics, covering everything from feminist homeschooling to feminist porn to partiarchy's harmful effects on men's health. Grounding our analysis in a revolutionary feminist approach that seeks to involve people from across the gender spectrum in this discussion, this issue challenges all our readers to take responsibility for their gender politics. To subscribe or order a copy of this issue, call 1-866-431-5777 or visit our secure online shop.

Letter from the editor: Gender politics in theory and practice

admin — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 03:05:30 +0000

By Dave Oswald Mitchell Briarpatch Magazine March/April 2008 Planning and producing the gender issue each year has to be one of the most challenging and most enjoyable parts of my job. Of course, Briarpatch always seeks to connect theory and practice in its coverage, but in my experience, there is no issue that is at once so theoretical [...]

Won’t Get Schooled Again

admin — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 03:00:46 +0000

Feminist home-schoolers are creating new ways of living and learning By Becky Ellis Briarpatch Magazine March/April 2008 I am a feminist. In fact, most people who know me would say that feminism informs practically everything I do: what I read, how I relate to people, what forms of political action I undertake-everything, some might say, except my decision to [...]

Sharon McIvor’s fight for gender equality in the Indian Act

admin — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 03:00:01 +0000

By Barbara Barker & Tyler McCreary Briarpatch Magazine March/April 2008 In June 2007, following generations of non-recognition, and 16 years of intensely personal battles with bureaucrats, governments, and the justice system, Sharon McIvor, a member of the Lower Nicola First Nation, successfully challenged sex discrimination in the Indian Act in British Columbia’s Supreme Court. As one of thousands of [...]

Strange Bedfellows: How feminism and porn get it on at the Feminist Porn Awards

admin — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 02:59:28 +0000

An interview with Chanelle Gallant, founder of the Feminist Porn Awards

**By Nikko Snyder Briarpatch Magazine March/April 2008**

When I first learned of the Feminist Porn Awards, I wasn't surprised to discover that Good For Her was behind them. An independently owned and operated sex shop in Toronto, Good For Her's feminism is as explicit as its inventory, so it seemed fitting that they were the ones to spearhead an annual awards ceremony celebrating filmmakers intent on subverting mainstream pornography.

But, I kept wondering, what on earth is feminist porn, anyway? In an effort to answer that question, I tracked down Chanelle Gallant, the former manager of Good For Her and founder of the Feminist Porn Awards. A past sex columnist for Chatelaine and an unapologetic pro-sex and pro-sex-worker feminist, Chanelle is currently in Southeast Asia writing about issues facing sex workers internationally. Before she left, I called her up to discuss what, if anything, allows feminism and porn to coexist.