No, we haven’t disappeared yet.
Keep watching this space, and get psyched for a slew of events planned to happen in 2010!
Zines & Things : 25th July in Singapore
July 23, 2009
An afternoon w/: Dave Roche, author of zines About My Disappearance and On Subbing. He will be doing a zine reading from his 2 zines and talking about them after.
+ film screening of $100 and a T-Shirt: A Documentary About Zines in the Northwest
+ zine distros showcasing/selling their wares!
25th July 2009
Night & Day bar + gallery + friends
139 Selegie Road
3pm // $6 w/ a non-alcoholic drink
Inviting all zinesters, zine aficionados, people curious about the art of zine-making… everyone really! Also, Malaysian zinesters and/or zine distros who are interested to come down to sell/showcase their zines please feel free to do so!
Brought to you by our beloved comrades 7x0x7 and Polarity Press.
We Make No Pretence : An Anarcha-Feminist Critique
June 11, 2009This is the text read at out the plenary meeting of the Anarchist Conference 09 during an intervention by a masked group of women who were pissed off by the patriarchy which is (still) evident within the anarchist movement. The video projection which was shown during the intervention is available on Youtube.
http://nopretence.wordpress.com/
This is what was said.
“We make no pretence. This is a conference by and for anarchists. And by anarchists, we mean those opposed to the state, all forms of nationalism, capitalism, sexual/race/gender oppression and all forms of exploitation and domination,” Anarchist Movement Conference 09 Call Out
This is our response.
We have taken this space and projected this short film to show how we see sexism in ‘the movement’ and sexism in capitalist society. We have covered our faces in the same way we might do against the state and its agents – inspired by the tradition of our militant sisters who took back male-dominated stages, and political spaces.
We expect hostility, intimidation and greater surveillance after our action. Covering up makes it easier to communicate. And we know that our message is much bigger than the messenger herself.
The following text is our response to the four themes of the conference.
MOVEMENT or why we aren’t one
No matter how much we aspire to be ‘self-critical’ there is a clear lack of theorising and concrete action around sexism, homophobia and racism in the anarchist movement. We do not feel that the content and structure of the conference deal with gender and we’re tired of asking for space – we’re taking it ourselves.
You want to talk about history? Let’s stop pretending that feminism is a short blip in the history of political struggles. The feminism you know may be the one that has been dominated by white middle-class liberal politics – NOT the struggles and pockets of revolutionary resistance missing from our political pamphlets and ‘independent’ media. The feminism of Comandanta Yolanda, of bell hooks, of Anzaldua, of Mbuya Nehanda, of Angela Davis, of Rote Zora, of Mujeres Libres…
CLASS or is anybody out there?
We are all oppressed by the class system, but there is nobody ‘out there’ who isn’t also oppressed by white supremacy, imperialism, heterosexism, patriarchy, ableism, ageism…Pretending these systems don’t exist or can be subsumed into capitalist oppression, doesn’t deal with the problem, it just silences those people most oppressed by them, and allows for the continuing domination of these systems over our lives.
We are tired of being told that anarchists don’t need to be feminists, because ‘anarchism has feminism covered’. This is just a convenient way of forgetting the reality of gender oppression, and so ignoring the specifics of the struggle against it.
RESISTANCE or are we futile?
If the anarchist movement doesn’t recognize the power structures it reproduces, its resistance will be futile. For as well as fighting sexism ‘out there’ we must fight sexism ‘in here’ and stop pretending that oppressive systems disappear at the door of the squat or the social centre. Only a movement that understands and fights its own contradictions can provide fertile ground for real and effective resistance.
Ask yourselves this – do you believe sexism exists within the movement? When a woman comrade says she’s experienced sexual abuse or assault from a male comrade – what do you think? That it’s an individual or an isolated case? Or that it can happen – and disproportionately to women – because there is a system which allows it to develop and gives it life? Can we honestly say that our own autonomous spaces do not play a part in upholding this system?
Ask yourselves this – Why do fewer women speak in meetings? Because they think less? What is the gender of the factory worker? Why do more women do the washing up and run creches at meetings/events? What is the gender of the carer at home?
Now tell us if you believe sexism exists: tell us why men rape; why more women are battered than men; why more women are used by the state to do free and unwaged work. Tell us – are you a feminist?
We believe that in the anarchist movement, the strongest evidence of sexism lies in the choice we’re told to make between ‘unity’ and what-they-call ‘separatism’, between fighting the state and fighting sexism. Fuck that! We refuse to be seen as stereotypes of ‘feminists’ you can consume – like fucking merchandise in the capitalist workplace.
IDEAS INTO REALITY and what’s in between?
There will be no future for the anarchist movement if it doesn’t also identify as an anarcha-feminist movement. Anarcha-feminist organisational structures must exist within the movement to make anarcha-feminism an integral part of it. And you don’t need to identify as a woman to be an anarcha-feminist – every anarchist should be able to participate in the struggle against sexism.
The state’s incursion into our private lives and the relationship between sexuality and productivity from which it profits affects people of all genders. The gender binary system violently allocates us roles on the basis of our anatomy. A refusal to accept even these basic precepts will be a great hindrance to the movement.
You ask, ‘Can we find common cause despite our differences?’. We will only find common cause if we recognize that our differences are structured by numerous oppressive systems, and together fight to end each of these systems, wherever we find them.
Our feminisms must be plural, they must be anti-capitalist, anti-racist, anti-homophobic. Our inspiration must come from the actions of feminists who have helped self-identified women reach revolutionary consciousness.
Our feminisms must be revolutionary.
Final word
You can pretend we didn’t come here, pretend nothing was said.
You can purposefully misunderstand us.
Or you can ask yourselves why we came, what we meant, and whether we’ll come back again.
We’re Bringing You Down Under
June 11, 2009We’re collaborating with friends from Nervhous Records to bring you Scum System Kill & Repoman show in Kuala Lumpur.
Feel free to check them out here:
NOTE:
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As Requested, Our Latest Accounts :)
March 25, 2009Financial Statement : March 2009
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Bon Voyage!
March 23, 2009
We said our goodbyes to our friends from Massa Kritikal early this morning (4 something in the morning..) for their journey to Penang..by BIKE! Good luck and have a blasting fun friends!
One of our dear Coathangers, Cher preparing her bike. The rest of us were so jealous!
Hana attached her taillight using duct tape. PUNKROCK!
Annexe, Central Market at 4 AM! The last minute preparation and briefing before the adventure.
We can’t wait for Cher, Nunu and Hana’s full report on their awesome journey. Check out Massa Kritikal blog at http://massa-kritikal.blogspot.com/
Mayday 2009 Banner Making Day
March 20, 2009
This is a pre-flyer for the next Coathangers Revolt project — Banner Making Day that will be held at FNB/Ponyo House. The map to the house is shown below. Please come and join us, and bring along your revolutionary quotes!
The banners and the placards that will be made that day will be given away for free at this year’s Mayday celebration. And yes, we will use the money that we had managed to collect all these while to buy the materials and the stationary needed, so no worries, we’re using the moolahs the right way. Please feel free to bring your own materials/ideas too!
Our next huge mega project is Movie Night Tour, a la Film Fest but in a cosier scale. We will be doing screenings in different cities e.g. Penang, Johor, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and hopefully in Borneo and the rest of the Southeast Asian countries. Please get in touch if you’re interested to screen some shit where you live. We will be screening videos with subjects concerning activism, feminism, etc. Please be patient on this one because a lot of things need to be planned. And of course, next year’s DIY Femme Fest!
But for now, let’s all show our support to the people who are fighting for their rights, workers’ rights, our rights. Join us in the struggle. See you all there!
sorry for my bad english 🙂
What Happens Next?
March 16, 2009We’re still pretty fucking pooped from the fest, even though that was a whole 2 weeks ago, hence the trickle of updates.
However, we’re not just stopping here; we’ve only barely begun. There is a lot more we have up our sleeves, so keep checking this space!
Do expect a full report of the fest real soon, we hope.
Love and solidarity from the Coathangers Revolt Collective.
Coathangers Revolt 