Outrageous Act: Blue Abaya for Peace

An American, ex-patriot, woman, mother, wife, who blogs anonymously from Saudi Arabia at “Sand Gets in my Eyes,” has posted her first outrageous act in a piece entitled: “My blue abaya - Outrageous Acts of Simple Justice (OASJ) #1” Citing a 2008 event in Kandahar, where more than 1,500 women gathered to call attention to women’s desire for peace in Afghanistan, she writes:

I will don an abaya - a blue abaya. Not sure if it will be sky blue - the color of choice for the Afghan event, but it will definitely be blue.

And yes, I’m going to tell anyone who asks why the abaya is blue! It will be a great opportunity to talk about peace in the Middle East and the role women can play in it.

Join the campaign and share your outrageous act. Also read Sand Gets in my Eyes’ earlier posting: Join me in Outrageous Acts for Simple Justice.

[Abaya image from ZainabsBoutique.com.]

Outrageous Acts Online and in the News

Here’s a listing of postings on Outrageous Acts and Gloria Steinem’s birthday. We’re delighted by the positive response.

• About.com: Celebrate Gloria Steinem’s 75th Birthday with Outrageous Acts
  
• Association of Smith College Alum Blogs: Gloria Wants You to Be Outrageous
  
• b-listed: b-activists: Gloria Steinem inspires online Outrageous Acts for women
  
• Feministing: The Outrageous Acts Campaign
  
• Girl w/Pen: Happy 75th Birthday, Gloria…It's a Beautiful Day for Feminism
  
• Hunter Women's Rights Coalition: THF: Gloria is Truly Outrageous
  
• Mothers Justice-Initiative Project: Outrageous Acts-Our Power to Create Change
  
• PR Newswire: Ms. Foundation Press Release
  
• thestar.com: Outrageous Acts and Everyday Rebellions
  
• takepart: Celebrate Steinem with Outrageous Acts

Outrageous Acts on the TODAY Show

Deborah Siegel, a Penner-in-Chief at the Girl with Pen blog, and author of Sisterhood, Interrupted: From Radical Women to Grrls Gone Wild, appeared yesterday on the NBC TODAY Show to provide a Women’s History Month quiz. After revealing the disappointing answer that only 6.7% of Fortune 500 top earners were women, Deborah reports:

I looked into the camera and said something like ‘You want to know how to stimulate the economy? Redistribute the gender balance over on Wall Street and see what happens then!’

That’s an outrageous act on morning television, and we’re pleased to share it. We’re also pleased by Deborah’s blog post (Happy 75th Birthday, Gloria…It's a Beautiful Day for Feminism) where she celebrates Gloria Steinem and the Outrageous Acts campaign and notes the opportunities presented by the current crisis.

See Deborah Siegel on video: NBC TODAY Show, March 25, 2009: Do You Know Your Women's History?

Katie Grover, Ms. Foundation Board Chair

Katie Grover, Ms. Foundation Board Chair, calls up (and out) a radio station that was making the impression that it was acceptable for a man to kill a woman in a domestic dispute.

Courtney Martin on Outrageous Acts - Feministing

In a posting on Feministing (The Outrageous Acts Campaign) Courtney Martin celebrates outrageous acts and offers ten suggestions to get people started. Multiple comments on her posting have added scores more ideas. Following is a small selection of suggestions from Courtney and her commenters.

• Call a teacher and thank her.
  
• Write a letter to the editor, explaining why feminism is still important.
  
• Tell your neices or daughters how smart and strong they are.
  
• Join a union.
  
• Start a safe house
  
• Teach your teens that using the word “gay” as an insult in place of “lame” is just switching one scrap of hate speech for another.
  
• Start a nonprofit that helps women
  
• When someone grills you about being a feminist, simply ask them to explain why they aren’t.
  
• Make a donation of time or money to your local women’s shelter.

We welcome the supply of ideas and look forward to sharing the outrageous acts they inspire.

Outrageous Act: Alaskans Reject Palin's Rejection of Stimulus Money

Last week Governor Sarah Palin announced she would reject a large portion of stimulus funds, mainly those which would boost programs in education, unemployment, and disabilities (first and
last are fields with a majority of employees being female).

I instigated a rally outside the library - ...We'll be outside to greet our elected officials and send a strong message that we want them to overturn Palin's choice to reject stimulus money.“

I created a Facebook event, invited my friends, and sent emails to local bloggers. It went viral and with one day's notice about 150 people (a lot in Alaska) showed up to wave signs at 9:30am on a Saturday morning March 21, 2009). The temperature was 5F.

Submitted by Kymberly Blackstock (Anchorage, AK)

Outrageous Act: Comp I Assignment - What Is Rape?

I had my Comp students consider the number of definitions that Nancy Gibbs gives for the term “rape.” I then had them list all the different definitions. Finally, I had them define ...rape“ as they understood the term. We discussed their definitions in class.

Submitted by Christi Gravett

Outrageous Act: Jacki Zehner Wears Wonder Woman on CNN

Jacki Zehner, media commentator on women's leadership and success in the workplace, representing the Women’s Funding Network, took her commitment to outrageous acts to CNN this morning. She not only provided knowledgeable insight on the effects of the economy on women, she had fun doing it. Check out her shirt!

Read Jacki’s blog, Purse Pundit, for her postings on Outrageous Acts, on CNN and Investing in Women and her CNN appearance.

View the complete segment at CNN.

Take Control of Your Urban Environment

Claire Tran, of FIERCE, asks you to urge New York State Assemblymember Deborah Glick to support the FIERCE White Paper policy recommendations for improved policies at Hudson River Park in Manhattan. [Take action through FIERCE.]

FIERCE, a community organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) youth of color, and the Urban Justice Center partnered to create recommendations to the Hudson River Park Act that prioritize access to safe public space and involvement in decision-making processes for the entire community that utilizes the park.

Outrageous Act: You're Not an Activist?

Note: The following was posted by PhDork on the the Pursuit of Harpyness blog. It is reproduced with permission. The response to our reposting request was enthusiastic: “Abso-bloody-lutely! Love to all at Ms.and Outrageous Acts from the respectfully pseudonymous PhDork.” This post is a great argument that we’re all activists if we perform the right outrageous acts.

Enjoy.

---

You're Not an Activist? [Originally posted 17 March 2009]

I've been reading around the feminist blogosphere for a number of years now, and I've seen a rather large, bothersome number of statements from commenters that go something like this: ...Well, not everyone is an activist.“ or

...Not all of us are cut out to be activists.“

ORLY? The definition of activist varies, but if I pull out my Tenth Edition Webster's, I see that ...activist“ is related to active, adj. 1: characterized by action rather than by contemplation or speculation. At its base, an activist is one who acts on behalf of a given cause.

That doesn't have to mean that your day job is working for Planned Parenthood. (But if it is: thank you, from the bottom of my heart.) That doesn't have to mean that you spent hundreds of hours volunteering for a women's shelter. (But if you did: thank you, your work is so valuable.) That doesn't mean that you donate hundreds or thousands of dollars to NOW. (But if you can:
thank you, your generosity helps our sisters.)

Here's my not-so-secret agenda: I want you to think of yourself as an activist. I also want to expand the definition of activism. Not to get all slippery-slope, though, to the point that ...anything a woman does is feminist activism,“ cause it ain't, but if you:

• Donate your money or time to a political action committee, charity or NGO that helps women anywhere in the world;
  
• Vote for candidates who support woman-friendly policies (equal pay legislation, family leave, subsidized family planning, etc.) and/or write letters to your elected officials asking them to support policies that effect women's lives for the better;
  
• Teach — formally or informally -“other women and/or girls that their value is in their words and actions, and not in their looks, or sexual or marital status, and give them the tools to name the Patriarchy and claim what power they can from that recognition;
  
• Support mothers (and, yes, fathers), whether they work in or out of the house, and help them raise their children to be free of gender-coding;
  
• Call Yourself a Feminist, and do the endless, tiresome work of explaining to your friends and family what that means (you believe in the political, social, economic an social equality of women and men) and why it matters;
  
  

Then You Are a Feminist Activist. Really. These are just a few ways, there are literally thousands of others. You are an activist. Tell me how in comments. And thank you. What you do matters.

Celebrate Gloria Steinem: Be Outrageous for Simple Justice

Years ago, Ms. Foundation for Women co-founder, Gloria Steinem, began striking an “organizer’s deal” with audiences: “If each person in the room promises that the very next day she or he will do at least one outrageous thing in the cause of simple justice, then I promise I will, too.”

In celebration of Gloria Steinem’s upcoming 75th birthday on March 25 and Women’s History Month, we’re pleased to announce a new online Ms. Foundation campaign: Outrageous Acts for Simple Justice.

Outrageous Acts, a social networking, social change campaign, invites each of us to engage in, celebrate and support outrageous acts in the cause of simple justice on behalf of women, families and communities.

Learn How You Can Join the Outrageous Acts Campaign
Join us by taking a stand, making a gift, calling a strike, or hosting a party. Act in your life, with your family and friends, for your community. Share your efforts in person and online.

The times demand creative action. We face great challenges — from the economic crisis and barriers to reproductive health care to gender-based violence and war. But we also live in a moment of tremendous opportunity. More and more people are poised to create change from the grassroots. And on the heels of an historic presidential election, we’re reminded of just how effective local outrageous acts — from bake sales and buttons to signatures and songs — can be.

We’re certain that the more outrageous each of us can be, the more power we’ll have to bring about the kind of change we want to see in our communities, our country and our world. Join us.

Warmly,

Sara K.
Gould
President & CEO
Ms. Foundation for Women

Celebrate Gloria Steinem: Be Outrageous for Simple Justice

Celebrate Gloria: Be Outrageous for Simple Justice

Years ago, Ms. Foundation for Women co-founder, Gloria Steinem, began striking an "organizer's deal" with audiences: "If each person in the room promises that the very next day she or he will do at least one outrageous thing in the cause of simple justice, then I promise I will, too." [view video]

In celebration of Gloria Steinem's upcoming 75th birthday on March 25 and Women's History Month, we're pleased to announce a new online Ms. Foundation campaign: Outrageous Acts for Simple Justice.

Outrageous Acts, a social networking, social change campaign, invites each of us to engage in, celebrate and support outrageous acts in the cause of simple justice on behalf of women, families and communities.

Watch the Video and Learn How You Can Join the Outrageous Acts Campaign



Join us by taking a stand, making a gift, calling a strike, or hosting a party. Act in your life, with your family and friends, for your community. Share your efforts in person and online.

The times demand creative action. We face great challenges -- from the economic crisis and barriers to reproductive health care to gender-based violence and war. But we also live in a moment of tremendous opportunity. More and more people are poised to create change from the grassroots. And on the heels of an historic presidential election, we're reminded of just how effective local outrageous acts -- from bake sales and buttons to signatures and songs -- can be.

We're certain that the more outrageous each of us can be, the more power we'll have to bring about the kind of change we want to see in our communities, our country and our world. Join us.

Warmly,
Sara K. Gould
President & CEO
Ms. Foundation for Women

Submission Guidelines

Be Outrageous
Don’t keep your outrage to yourself! Share your outrageous acts with us and others.

• Create a video or audio clip, a photo with a written description, or a short text entry
  
• Submit it to the Outrageous Acts website.
  
• Tag your act with the following: outrageousacts, msfoundationforwomen.
  
• Share your Outrageous Act on Facebook, your own blog, post to YouTube, Vimeo, flickr, Delicious or other sites. (Remember to use the outrageousacts, msfoundationforwomen tags.)

Are There Specific Guidelines?
Very few. We welcome many different kinds of submissions. For example, if you attended a rally for immigrant rights, you can submit a photo or video of the rally or write a short blog entry about your experience.

At the end of your submission, you can choose to suggest an outrageous act that others can do. For example, you can send people to a website to sign a petition calling for an end to harmful immigration raids.

Keep your submission short, simple and relevant. It’s best if your outrageous act is very recent, but it shouldn’t be older than one year.

If your outrageous act is a donation to the Ms. Foundation, you can choose for us to recognize you by name, keep your gift anonymous or you can make your gift in honor of someone you think is outrageous or inspired you to commit an outrageous act of your own.

[Video Guidelines]

How Will the Ms. Foundation Use My Outrageous Act?
We’ll review outrageous acts as they come in and highlight some of our favorites on outrageousacts.org. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to feature every act on the homepage. All acts will be available in the Outrageous Acts Submissions Archive.

We’ll highlight Ms. Foundation grantees’ outrageous acts and feature suggestions for acts that you can do to support their work and promote change inyour community.

We’ll share outrageous acts with various online networks and ask that you to do the same. Everyone can follow and share outrageous acts shared by members of our Facebook Cause and the streams of material added to YouTube, Delicious, Flickr, etc.

Remember, the more we inspire new outrageous actors and encourage outrageous acts, the more power we’ll have to bring about the kind of change we want to see in our communities, our country and our world.

Outrageous Act: Take Your Kid to Vote

When I go to the polls each election day, I take my daughter or son into the voting booth. (My mother took me voting several times when I was a kid and it helped convince me that voting was an essential part of my role as a member of this society.)

Outrageous Acts Suggestions

Donate

• Join our movement for simple justice by making a gift
  to the Ms. Foundation and support outrageous acts for social change
  nationwide.

Be Active

• Attend a rally, invite a friend to a rally, help plan a rally
  
• Sign a petition, recruit friends to sign, creatively capture petition-signing
  
• Become a member of an organization
  
• Volunteer, increase your time commitment, assume a leadership role, recruit others
  
• Join an “outrageous” cause on Facebook, recruit friends to join
  
• Change your Facebook picture/avatar to support an “outrageous” cause
  

Be Creative

• Write and/or perform a song about your outrage or outrageous act
  
• Write a poem about your outrage or outrageous act
  
• Sing your song or perform your poem in public
  
• Make and wear a t-shirt with a call to action or outrage
  
• Draw a picture of your outrage or outrageous act
  
• Take a picture of your outrage or outrageous act
  
• Make and wear a button, bumper sticker or decal

Organize

• Find other organizers in your community and join them
  
• Learn about the benefits of a union for your workplace
  
• Explore and support the Employee Free Choice Act

Be Inspired

• Do an outrageous act inspired by another outrageous act

Donate: Fund a Movement

• Make a gift to the Ms. Foundation and fund an outrageous national movement
  
• Invite friends to make gifts
  
• Decide to give on a monthly (or recurring) basis and keep the movement growing

Connect With a Decision-Maker

• Call or write your legislator
  
• Attend a public hearing
  
• Meet with your child’s school principal

Be a Decision-Maker

• Run for office
  
• Join a neighborhood committee
  
• Join a board

Learn More, Change the Conversation

• Challenge a family member or coworker’s bias
  
• Bring up an outrage or outrageous act in conversation
  
• Join or start a discussion or book group
  
• Sign up for a listserv
  
• Comment on how your outrage is reflected in the media
  
• Write or comment on a blog entry
  
• Write a letter to the editor

Party for a Cause

• Host a House Party/Fundraiser in honor of Gloria Steinem’s 75th Birthday
  
• Invite friends to celebrate Gloria’s Outrageous Acts and Your Own
  
• Create your own Outrageous party ideas or review some of ours
  
• Ask friends to make gifts of $75.00 or another amount in honor of this anniversary

Get Out the Vote, Become Politically Active

• Register to vote
  
• Register others to vote
  
• Join organizers working to support or prevent a ballot initiative
  
• Volunteer for a political campaign

What is Outrageous?

You decide. What are you outraged about? What kind of change do you want to see in the world? What kind of step can you take that could help promote simple justice in your family, workplace or community?

Of course, ...outrageous“ means different things to different people. Choose an issue that's important to you. Challenge yourself to do something out of the ordinary for you.

And don’t forget to have fun!

No matter what you're addressing, or how small or large your act, when we link it with other outrageous acts, together we'll create more inclusive solutions and build more power to make change.

You can also make a gift to the Ms. Foundation in support of grantees' outrageous acts or host an "...outrageous" house party in celebration of Gloria Steinem's 75th birthday.

Say No to Stereotypes

Caitlin Murphy of Long Island, New York suggests we all be sure our friends
and families are not furthering unfair stereotypes.

What is Outrageous Acts?

Outrageous Acts is a Ms. Foundation social networking, social change campaign that invites each of us to engage in, celebrate, and support acts in the cause of simple justice on behalf of women, families and communities.

Outrageous Acts reminds each of us of our power to create change. It also helps us imagine what's possible when we link the power of our own outrageous acts with others' nationwide. The more we inspire new outrageous acts and connect with other outrageous actors, the more power we'll have to bring about the kind of change we want to see in our communities, our country and our world.

Outrageous Acts takes its inspiration from Gloria Steinem, a founder of the Ms. Foundation for Women, and the many Ms. Foundation grantees who are organizing for justice and equity in communities throughout the U.S.

Years ago, to further the power of grassroots organizing, Steinem began encouraging people across the country to turn their outrage into action, and to have fun doing it:

“If each person in the room promises that…the very next day she or he will do at least one outrageous thing in the cause of simple justice, then I promise I will, too. It doesn’t matter whether the act is as small as saying, “Pick it up yourself” …or as large as calling a strike….” [view video]

This year, Gloria Steinem is turning, in her words, the “outrageous age of 75”. What a better way to honor her than to amplify her call?

In the spirit of Gloria and in recognition of the outrageous acts Ms. Foundation grantees do every day, we invite you to commit, share and support outrageous acts in the cause of simple justice. Acts that change the world in ways large and small, acts that support change from the ground up, acts that shift our or others' thinking about issues of equity and justice in our lives.

And we must act now. While we face great challenges - from the economic crisis and barriers to reproductive health care to gender-based violence and war - we also live in a moment of tremendous opportunity. More and more people are poised to create change from the ground up. And on the heels of an historic presidential election, we're reminded of just how effective grassroots, outrageous acts “ from bake sales and buttons to signatures and songs" can be.

Act Outrageously
- What is Outrageous?
- Outrageous Acts Suggestions
- Submission Guidelines
- Video Guidelines
- Acts by Ms. Foundation Grantees

Video Guidelines

Editorial

• Keep it short (2 minutes maximum)
  
• Introduce yourself: name, location, (occupation if you choose)
  
• Tell us about your outrageous act (choose or combine):
  
• What you want others to do
  
• What you plan to do
  
• What you’ve done (and what happened)

Technical

• Keep it short (2 minutes maximum)
  
• Keep the shot tight [oOo]
  
• Make sure the visual background is not distracting
  
• Make sure the background noise is not distracting
  
• Post your video online to Vimeo, Youtube, Facebook, your blog
  
• Tag with outrageousacts and msfoundationforwomen
  
• Submit your act to Outrageous Acts