Service Learning Log Week 8

Jen Ackerman
Nina Perez
4/9/10
Introduction to Women's Studies

Activism: This past week I went to the SAFE meeting on April 6th to finish my taping and also help make signs for Day of Silence. Rebecca recently let us know that we will be "breaking" the silence of Day of Silence by rallying for Gender identity and Expression Equality. The rally and events will be happening on April 16th. At the meeting I thought I got all the taping I needed however once editing I realized the footage I got from one of the people who participated did not come out good enough for the PSA. So last minute I myself appeared in the video so I would make the deadline.

Reflection: In one of the begging chapters we covered in this class there is a quote that I remembered when I was editing myself into the PSA. "At this level [micro level] we define ourselves and structure our daily activities according to our needs and preferences (92)." I wanted to go back to this quote for this reflection because putting myself into the video was not something I had any intention of doing. The one part I needed filled was the part of the transgender individual and I had a lot of concerns about filling the role. I did not want people to think I was actually transgendered and feared being prejudged. After realizing that this was my fear I taped the video right away because I was so upset with myself. I was afraid of the exact thing we are fighting for on this campaign. I remembered this quote because I had a very private, personal choice to make. This choice was as micro as it gets and then became macro as I released the video. I put myself into the video because it was how I wanted to define myself. As someone who cares about others rights and protection.

Reciprocity: This week I gained so much confidence in our project and mainly in myself. I finished the video and already have gotten back such a good response. I am very proud of how the PSA came out and can only hope that people watching it can understand the message and how important this all this. After this week i cannot believe how far we have come and that its really almost over.

" Identities and Social Locations: Who Am I? Who Are My People?" Women's Lives Multicultural Perspectives. Ed. Gwyn Kirk. Comp. Margo
Okazawa-Rey. By Gloria Anzaldua New York: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages,
2003. 91-100. Print.

Gender Identity and Expression Equality <------ VIDEO HERE