In the wake of recent Supreme Court rulings and the events that precipitated from them, information has been circulating locally about harmful, deceptive messaging from a newly registered anti-abortion nonprofit in Corvallis. Known as The Glorify Project, this organization regularly posts highly religious anti-choice content and has recently taken to social media to celebrate the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade.
Using language like “women helping women” and Instagram hashtags like #supportwomen, #womensrights, #womenatrisk, #sexualassault, #rapevictim, and #abortioncounseling, the four co-founders target vulnerable pregnant people – particularly rape survivors and people experiencing crises – and claim to offer empathy, resources and counseling to those who might be considering abortion. Two of the co-founders have posted photos of themselves protesting outside of a Planned Parenthood – which they refer to as “murder mills” – with signs reading, “I was raped and I kept my baby” and “My baby wasn’t viable and my life was at risk; I chose life.”
Other social media content they share is blatantly homophobic and transphobic, calling for Christians in one post to get over their dislike for “ex homosexuals” and “ex drug addicts” who are “called by God” to fulfill their destinies.
The organization is planning on eventually opening a “future maternity home” in Corvallis to allegedly house women in crisis who are facing unplanned pregnancies. Details have yet to emerge on their website and social media about what this will entail, but folks should stay wary of their tactics and do what they can to ensure that those who might be vulnerable to their messaging stay safe and supported, and have access to resources that will actually help them.
Protests, Patches and Prints: Another Corvallis protest against the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe is scheduled to take place on Sunday, July 3, at 10:00 a.m. in front of the Benton County Courthouse – the same location as the Bans Off Our Bodies rally that was organized within hours of the news on Friday. It is intended to be a protest, not only against attacks on abortion rights, but also against attacks on the rights of anyone with a uterus to control their own bodies.
Additionally, Jayden Dukes, a local queer artist and activist, created a series of patches and prints in response to these attacks that are currently available for sale. Featuring an image of a coat hanger overlaid with lyrics from the song “Witches’ Wrath” by femme-fronted punk-folk band Bridge City Sinners, the design calls attention to the reality that abortion bans breed the conditions for dangerous and desperate lengths to terminate a pregnancy. They can be purchased by sending a direct message to Dukes via their Instagram.
Intentionally refraining from using gendered language or symbols, Dukes’ design is also meant to serve as an important reminder that issues surrounding reproductive healthcare impact cisgender women as well as they do trans men and transmasculine, intersex, non-binary and gender-nonconforming folks.
“Abortion isn’t a ‘women’s’ issue and people who have uteruses exist outside of gender binaries,” wrote Dukes in a post. “Let’s change the language around this fight to be more inclusive.”
Notes on Being Seen, Heard, Supported: MOsley WOtta (Jason Graham) and the Unlocked Films crew inspired more creative, intersectional, and inviting ways to approach urgent issues for those who attended their performance at the Whiteside Theatre on Friday night – making sure to also allow space for folks to openly process their feelings on the overturning of Roe.
In sync with live hip-hop and spoken word performances was a big-screen blend of original digital animation, pop cultural references, as well as footage and archival imagery of generations of both violent racist histories and of Black- and Indigenous-led liberation movements in the U.S.
The group engaged in discussion with the audience throughout and after the performance, and encouraged attendees to subsequently write down their thoughts, questions, and feedback on sticky notes, place them on the window in the main lobby of the theater, and to draw lines or arrows to visually map out how they converse with one another.
Several notes explored the importance of solidarity, the role of art and of individuals in mobilizing community care, seeing and hearing those most often invisibilized, and more:
“I’m Indigenous, and I was touched you used footage from our land protectors at DAPL. That solidarity is so important and helps us feel seen. Skennen.”
“How does this show invite support for my non-binary community?”
“What is my role?”
“How do we keep empathy and care at the beating heart of art, life, and creativity?”
Graham said, “What I am loving is witnessing folks valuing and utilizing their voice through inquiry and expression in a public forum. The post-show post-it notes were a fantastic way to connect ideas and responses.”
He added, “We know folks need places, perhaps unexpected or previously unimagined places, to activate the world they need, to feel cared for and heard and seen. The people who came to the Whiteside theater really showed up, heart, head, gut. Corvallis is lucky to have them in the community.”
More Organizers, Resources Wanted for Corvallis Really Really Free Market: The Corvallis Really Really Free Market (RRFM), a group of activists dedicated to sharing helpful free resources with the community, is looking for more folks who are interested in practicing mutual aid to help host the weekly outdoor market, which takes place every Friday at Central Park from noon to 4:00 p.m., and the indoor free store in Room M252 at Benton Plaza, located on 408 SW Monroe Ave.
More organizers would help broaden the distribution of resources to unhoused, low-income, and other marginalized community members, as well as extend hours for the free store, which is currently open on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from noon to 6:00 p.m. All abilities are welcome and will be accommodated by current organizers.
Now that higher temperatures have hit, resources that are especially needed for the RRFM include sunscreen, bug spray, portable AC units and fans, coolers, icemakers, water bottles, battery packs, tents, backpacks, and sleeping pads. To prevent dumping, donations are currently only being accepted on a DM (direct messaging) basis via the Corvallis RRFM Instagram, where inquiries can also be made about how to support and/or become more involved in the group’s mutual aid efforts.
Zines for Learning, Making Voices Heard: Two Oregon State University library faculty – Science Librarian Diana Park and Student Engagement and Community Outreach Librarian Kelly McKelroy – will be leading their own seminars for this year’s Zines & Libraries Conference, a two-day virtual series starting Thursday, July 7, at 11:00 a.m. PST. The conference is free and open to the public, and encourages attendance by anyone who is interested in zine histories, zine librarianship, organizing zine fests/events, etc.
Park will be leading the seminar “Making Our Voices Heard: Representation in Wikipedia (and Zines),” which will explore representation, organizing, and community building in zinemaking and Wikipedia making – i.e., non-traditional publishing spaces that “can help to make marginalized voices and histories more visible.”
McKelroy, who previously spoke with The Advocate about the social, cultural, and political histories and possibilities of zines, will be leading the seminar “Zines for Learning,” wherein attendees will practice hands-on zinemaking activities that can be used to incorporate more embodied, engaged learning into any method of instruction.
Other speakers include Portland-based Social Sciences Librarian Ann “A’misa” Matsushima Chiu, a lead organizer of the Reed Zine Library who has created and distributed zines about motherhood, abortion, reproductive justice, and the Asian-American experience, and continues to organize with the Women of Color Zine Collective. Also present will be volunteers with Brown Recluse Zine Distro, an underground publication that supports and centers the creative, autonomous work of queer and trans Black, Indigenous, and people of color (QTBIPOC).
For more information about the conference and individual seminars, including where to register, click here.
By Emilie Ratcliff
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