A Roundup of Body Politics, Body Image, and Body Justice News

• A different kind of tour in Jerusalem shows the city as it is under Israeli occupation.

End The Violence

• “We have to confront a society that can murder 25 black trans women in the span of a year, not say anything about it, not care, and then when white folks can’t use the bathroom, that’s when President Obama gets involved,” Cherno Biko talks to Rolling Stone about what needs to happen in the struggle for Transgender rights. ‘The federal guidance, they add, is proof “the mainstream LGBT movement is continuing to lag behind and continuing disregard and neglect our most vulnerable.’ Biko wants to see Obama and his attorney general Loretta Lynch turn their attention to more pressing issues facing the trans community: preventing violence against trans individuals, decriminalizing sex work, decriminalizing HIV status and reforming immigration. All of these, Biko says, are problems members of the trans community have to grapple with disproportionately compared with other groups.”

• Colorlines shares As We #SayHerName, 7 Policy Paths to Stop Police Violence Against Black Girls and Women. In honor of the National Day of Action to End State Violence Against Black Women, Girls and Femmes, lawyer, researcher and activist Andrea J. Ritchie presents some policy ideas to eliminate police sexual violence, gendered racial profiling and other ways officers target Black girls, women, and gender nonconforming people.

• You may have missed the cameo Paulette Leaphart made in Beyonce’s Lemonade. In it she stands topless exposing the scars of her double mastectomy.  “In 2014, Leaphart was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer. She soon learned she would need a double mastectomy, but was told there was no option for reconstructive surgery due to pre-existing health conditions. Following the surgery and several months of chemotherapy, Leaphart was finally cancer-free. But, survival was not enough. After a photo of her scarred chest went viral on Facebook, Leaphart was determined to find a way to help other survivors of trauma: she decided to walk across the country baring her scars.” A documentary chronicling Leaphart’s 1000-mile journey from Biloxi, Mississippi toWashington DC has been funded by Kickstarter campaign. Leaphart hopes to expose the pinkwashing of breast cancer and advocate for better insurance coverage in the U.S.

• Being a sucker for a sports movie, I am pretty psyched for the FOX Series, PITCH, which tells the story of fictional Ginny Baker who becomes the first woman to play Major League Baseball.

• Teacher, artist and choreographer, Amirah Sackett loves her faith and loves hip hop. “For Amirah, putting together pieces such as ‘We’re Muslim, Don’t Panic’ is a way to connect young people, as well as to connect with young people. It’s also a personal expression of two things she holds dear to her heart – her faith and hip-hop. ‘…Muslim kids feel proud to be represented that way. It’s cool because it’s hip-hop, and being American and Muslim, hip-hop is part of their world.’” – Aquila Style

• “Fandoms and conventions are uncomfortable spaces for brown and black women. I’m not a passive fan: I don’t merely like or enjoy the media I consume, I love it. This love takes shape in the form of cosplay, the fan activity of dressing up as a character from popular culture: film, shows, books… but honestly, you could cosplay a character that hasn’t been “published” in any way. I spend hours researching and planning particular kinds of cosplay representations—from characters that already exist to some that I invent—but this is standard practice in costume play. While I used to cosplay mostly to explore gender, I’ve become interested in using cosplay to challenge the future and the whiteness of the media I enjoy.” – I fight white supremacy by cosplaying by Priya Rehal for Guts Magazine

Wellness/Disability

• Maranda Elizabeth’s piece on how magick has helped her live with trauma and pain resonates. “My first cane was black like tourmaline, a crystal used as an aid against jealousy, negative thoughts, destructive forces, and internal conflicts; I’d adorned it with Hello Kitty stickers. When I brought it home, I adjusted it to a comfortable height, anointed it with oils and prayers, and welcomed it into my life. It was a live creature come to help me out, lend me a hand, give me access to the spaces and activities that were slipping away.”