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Montgomery Advertiser 2001-07-19: Tolerance focus of women's gathering
A convention, formed by a group of women fed up with religious piety, sexism, racism and homophobia, is making its way to Auburn.
The Southern Girls Convention will host more than 400 men and women to combat intolerance. The convention also is designed to teach the power of unity, the importance of a network and how to become empowered, event organizers say.
In the South, there is oftentimes intolerance of people who are different,
and there is a thrust toward proving programs and support only for middle-class
white people,
said Ailecia Ruscin, an organizer
of the event and founder of Free State Action, a social justice group in
Lawrence, Kan. We want to look at how people are
oppressed in this country and think about ways we can all be more
tolerant.
The annual gathering is the brainchild of the Women's Action Coalition in Memphis, Tenn., and is being hosted by the Auburn Women's Organization along with the Auburn Gay and Lesbian Association and Free State Action. The conference will be held in Foy Union at Auburn University.
I had the idea that I had to escape to the North to do any kind of
activist work in the community,
Ruscin said.
After I went to one of these conventions, I realized that was a myth and that
there were people in the South doing awesome work in their community.
Registration for the three-day event starts on Friday at Foy Union. There is a $15 registration fee, which includes full admission to the convention, housing, and shows on Friday and Saturday night as well as meals from Saturday morning to Sunday afternoon.
I look forward to meeting new people and being exposed to new ideas and to
be heard,
said Jennie Castillo, 24, a sophomore
at Auburn University who plans to attend the event.
It's important for us to recognize the barriers that we have to overcome
as women,
Castillo said. Some topics are too
taboo for some people, and some women are afraid to talk about things, but this
convention will open doors to talk about different issues.
There also will be workshops tackling a variety of subjects, including bicycle repair, internet literacy, sewing skills, art projects, gender roles, health issues, and sexism in the heavy metal music industry. Workshops also will address homophobia and how men can combat sexism and violence against women.
To a certain extent, we are preaching to the converted. We are teaching
people who are already tolerant and pulling together those who are already
fighting for these causes,
Ruscin said. But
it is also to educate the community. We are hoping people would come to the
convention with an open mind.