I want to give a shout-out to my wife N. Jerin Arifa, who received an award last night from The Women's Democratic Club of New York City for her activist work in the field of feminism and women's rights. With the specific objective of attacking rape and domestic violence at the source, and disassembling the destructive cultures in which such atrocities are possible, Jerin's efforts have been tireless, constant, and highly contagious. The receipt of such an award is just one of many honors to which she's entitled.
The honor was bestowed at the 5th Annual Women's Awards, held at Stonewall Inn in Manhattan's West Village. Set against the backdrop of worldwide revolution stretching from Wisconsin to Tehran, the location drew further galvanization from its own place in history: ground zero for the Stonewall Riots and the explosion of the anti-homophobic protests of 1969.
It was no small coincidence that the gay pride, civil rights, and women's liberation movements all began in such close proximity to one another, yet contemporary discourse all too often partitions them into mutually exclusive boxes, as if an individual can't be a gay rights advocate and a feminist at the same time. Last night's awards made an explicit point of countering that assumption, with multiple presenters and honorees arguing that feminism means equality for all genders - female, male, queer, and so forth, inclusive of whatever identities people hold as their own.
Proceeds for the event went toward Hollaback!, an organization that performs game-changing work toward the elimination of street harassment.
A grand huzzah for Jerin. A season of tremendous effort, just reward and appreciation.
ReplyDeleteLove to you both!