Ruby is a Gem

Wow, I love love love Ruby!! She is so smart for a 7 and ¾ year old, and she is so confident with everything she says. There is no hesitation when she is asked to sing in public or explain her views. What a strong example of a little girl, and of the potential they can exhibit when encouraged and given a chance to speak their minds. Could you imagine if all young girls were raised with that sort of confidence? We would take over the world in a second J I had no idea Amy Poehler had created a show like this, and I applaud her for it. Go Amy!

The readings this week were interesting. Jessica Valenti mainly wrote about activism through blogging. I never realized there were so many bloggers- and blog readers- or that legislation has actually been changed because of the on-line response through blogs. It is apparent that the internet is one of the most powerful resources we have to express our voices and our opinions. This easily segues into the blog prompt: If girls had a medium with which to express themselves, and could create their own media, undoubtedly the image (and therefore the pressures) of young women would change. Since primary sources would be available on-line, girls’ own stories of woes and triumphs, it would end the objective talk of young women. Statements like, “ending abstinence only education teaches all girls to be promiscuous” would become hard sells, considering the fact that you could go on-line and instantly find 20 examples that contradict that statement. Also, the work and accomplishments of young girls would be highlighted, so as to focus on their actions and good works, as opposed to the status of their “virginity”. When you look at girls like Ruby, or women like Amy Poehler, it is hard to believe that whether or not they have (or will) have pre-marital sex, or the number of partners they have had (or will have) actually matters.

I was surprised at how insightful the stories in RED were this week, especially to read how many girls are still strongly feeling the effects of 9/11. I was most astounded to see that half of these eloquent writers this week were only 13! They speak and write well, and hold in-depth perspectives of the events going on in the world around them. They are more than fully capable of creating strong, positive media and forums for young girls their age. It upsets me to think that these young, intelligent women might some day dislike themselves for being overweight or sexually active, just because society tells them that neither of those are okay. I don’t want these girls’ voices to be stifled because there is a myth, as Valenti points out, that girls should be passive, soft spoken, and obedient to men.

Although on-line forums are an important focus of girl communities, Queer Girls brings up a good point: “…it is important not to romanticize the unity and sameness of online girl participants as they establish provisional community identities and relations” (Driver, 171). Driver also brings up the point that the high suicide rate of queer youth is due to a hopelessness that stems from a loss of social networking, friends, and feeling of community. This is why on-line forums and girl/queer positive media are so important. If girls felt like they belonged, than the issues they have to deal with might feel less heavy or severe. It’s important to point out that websites like iskissgirls provide a sort of ideal community of openness, where sexual preference does not define who a girl is, but is simply one more piece to the larger puzzle. Also, the response Driver got when she asked if she could use some of the girls’ quotes on-line was strong: they all want to be heard and are delighted to feel like their opinions are of significance. I never thought about that aspect of being lesbian/queer/bisexual- some people shut you out and don’t care what you have to say. I think it’s important to show these women that they matter, as do their feelings, opinions, and desires.