In the reproductive justice realm, the experience of women of color and older women, (those who faced life before legal abortion and access to birth control) has been difficult and, at times, highly discriminatory. Further, at some point in the vast majority of women’s lives (98%), there is a need for birth control and other reproductive health services regardless of race, class, disability and age. Join this diverse panel of presenters who will be discussing current issues of reproductive rights and of life before Roe v. Wade.

Presenter:

• Charlotte Fisher is a retired nurse from the St. Cloud community. She graduated from St. Mary’s Hospital in Minneapolis with a nursing degree in 1951. Fisher went to work at General Hospital, now Hennepin County Medical Center, on a gynecology floor where she cared for women who had self-induced or illegal abortions. After moving to St. Cloud, she worked at numerous sites including the Family Planning Center.
• Icephine Johnson is a Nurse Practitioner at SCSU Health Services. She is certified as both an Adult and Gynecological/Reproductive Health Nurse Practitioner and has over 30 years of experience in a variety of settings, including a large urban hospital in St. Louis, Missouri, the Veteran’s Administration Medical Center and the State of Minnesota. Johnson is one of the trailblazers in the Nurse Practitioner profession who graduated from Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. She is a graduate of Webster University in Webster Grove, Missouri with a degree in Nursing.
• Rita Molestina is the Community Education Programs Manager at Planned Parenthood Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota. After graduating from Occidental College in Los Angeles with a BA in Psychology, she returned to her home town and worked for UC San Francisco New Generation Health Center providing adolescent and young adult family planning counseling, facilitating comprehensive sexual health education programming, and assisting the university in research efforts. Molestina entered the School of Social Welfare’s Masters program at UC Berkeley, where she specialized in Children and Family Services as well as school social work, earning a Pupil Personnel Services Credential. After finishing her graduate degree and moving to Minnesota, Molestina returned to the field of reproductive health and justice. At Planned Parenthood, she manages Latino sexual health programs in school and community center environments and will soon join the Marketing and Outreach team of Planned Parenthood, focusing on the St. Cloud area.

Women with disabilities remain largely invisible, and are often assumed to be asexual, incapable of mothering and unemployed. In addition to the often unspoken prejudices, women with disabilities, at a minimum, face the double injustice of sexism and ableism, coupled with the reality that discrimination worsens when one’s race, class and sexual orientation also exist in the margins. Despite the American with Disabilities Act of 1990, revised in 2009, which sought to end discrimination against people with disabilities, discrimination and prejudice remain prevalent. Join us to hear two unique perspectives and ways you can support social change.

Presenters:

• Nikki Jagodzinski is a graduate student at St. Cloud State University in the College Counseling and Student Development program and a graduate assistant at the Women’s Center. She was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis at the age of two. Nikki has her undergraduate degree in Occupational Therapy and several years of experience working with people with disabilities. She was recently selected to receive a $10,000 scholarship from the UCB Rheumatoid Arthritis Family scholarship program. This program received over 600 applicants and recognized 30 students nationwide who demonstrate educational success, promise and ability to live beyond the limitations of Rheumatoid Arthritis. She is married and the proud mother of two daughters.
• Brittanie Hernandez-Wilson is a student at St. Cloud State University pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies. As a member of the disability community, she strives to help educate and increase awareness on campus about the many issues impacting people with disabilities. In addition to being a feminist, Wilson is also a member of the LGBT community and is a co-chair of the LGBT Alliance student organization.

LGBTQ individuals often struggle to negotiate their identities both within the dominant culture and within the LGBTQ community. There are often contradictory expectations and norms in these communities, requiring skill to navigate the two worlds, including making choices about how to present one’s gender, what level of activism to engage in, and even scripts for dating. Panelists will discuss a variety of issues such as gender performance, the distinction between gender and sexual orientation, and the complexities of living with intersecting identities.

Presenters:

• Kayla Lubbers is a senior at St. Cloud State University majoring in Communication Studies with a minor in Human Relations and Multicultural Education. She is a self-described queer activist, passionate about changing the world. Lubbers has volunteered and worked at the LGBT Resource Center since 2006, served in leadership capacities in OUTLOUD!, a student activist group on campus, and worked in collaboration with other organizations to make positive change at and beyond SCSU.
• Dao Vang is a Hmong student at St. Cloud State University majoring in Social Work who identifies as gay and as a drag queen. Through the SCSU LGBT Resource Center, he found community and learned about drag, an art form expressed through transforming from male to female via entertaining and educational performance.
• Trevor Johnson is in his last semester of studies at St Cloud State University and will be graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies with an emphasis in Leadership and Organization, plus a minor in Computer Science. He identifies as transgender and has been volunteering at the LGBT Resource Center for several years. Johnson has also been involved with two student organizations, Outloud! and the GLBT Alliance, and is currently serving as the Chair of Outloud!’s highly popular Drag Show.

Leadership and activism define the commitment and character of the local chapter of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) in the St. Cloud area, one of only 12 chapters in the nation. Members of NAPAWF recently returned from Washington, DC after a weekend of lobbying and learning about the efforts and priorities of the National office and other local chapters. NAPAWF is the only national, multi-issue Asian and Pacific Islander (API) women’s organization in the country. Their mission “to build a movement to advance social justice and human rights for API women and girls” is expressed in the efforts of members of the St. Cloud chapter.

Presenters:

• Kyoko Kishimoto is an associate professor in the Department of Ethnic and Women’s Studies at St. Cloud State University and directs the Asian Pacific American Studies Minor. She is also the Interim Director of the Multicultural Resource Center at SCSU. Her involvement in NAPAWF has been extensive and includes serving as the Chapter Chair, as a teen mentor for NAPAWF sisters, as a workshop facilitator for the bi-annual Teen Retreat, and participating in chapter retreats and events. In addition, Kishimoto attended the national immigration march, volunteered at the Dragon Festival and served as the faculty advisor for seven years of Asian Students In Action, (A.S.I.A.), an activist student organization at SCSU.
• Hedy Tripp is an activist, educator, consultant and member of the St. Cloud chapter of the National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF). She is an instructor in the Department of Ethnic and Women’s Studies at St. Cloud State University, and founder and consultant of W-Isms, LLC. Tripp has also been the recipient of numerous public service awards including the Virginia McKnight Binger Awards in Human Service.
• Azania C. Tripp is a junior at the University of Minnesota majoring in Youth studies. She is also the Chair of the NAPAWF, St.Cloud chapter. Recently she finished a semester program called HECUA (Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs) Writing for Social Change working with youth in the St. Paul area.

The influence of religion in the lives of women and girls is one of the most highly studied, provocative and controversial issues in the field of women’s studies—and in women’s daily experience. Three women have been invited to speak from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths about the role of religion in women lives. The purpose is to support a discussion on the ways that religion, from various spiritual traditions, shape and give meaning--and challenge--to women’s lived experiences.

Presenters:

• Phyllis Greenberg, PhD, is an Associate Professor and Coordinator of Graduate Studies in Gerontology at SCSU. She is a member of the Women’s Studies Advisory Board and St. Cloud Area Jewish Community Executive Board. Greenberg guests lectures on issues related to Antisemitism, Older Women, Diversity, Policy and Social Justice. She was named the 2011 Outstanding Gerontologist by the Minnesota Gerontological Society.
• Meyran Omar was born and raised in Somalia with a Muslim upbringing. She studied Quran, hadeeth, and many of the Islamic scholarly books, as well as the bible and torah of the Christian and Jewish faiths. Omar came to the United States in 2002 and chose St. Cloud as her home. She knew the languages Somali, Dutch, German, Arabic, Italian, and some French, but little English. Omar began her studies in basic ESL at St. Cloud State University, earned a BAS in Public Health and is currently pursuing a master’s degree. She is the Cultural Outreach Specialist for CentraCare, helping to educate Somali women about birth and pregnancy.
• The Rev. Jayne M. Thompson serves as the campus and congregation pastor at University Lutheran Church of the Epiphany and Lutheran Campus Ministry of the ELCA. Ordained in 1983, she has served congregations and campus ministries with a passion for young adults, justice for all people and interfaith conversations that bring people of faith together. Thompson serves as an SCSU Aikido instructor, holding a 4th degree black belt in the art. Aikido is a martial art dedicated to non-violent resolution to conflict and aggression. She also has a MA in Theatre, is a Registered Drama Therapist, and loves singing, playing the guitar, biking, sailing and many outdoor activities.

We live in a very “black and white,” either/or society. Consequently, it is not surprising that diverse women, including women of color, are pressured to choose between identities, versus being supported to holistically integrate their desire to struggle against all forms of injustice affecting their lives. In addition to choosing how to define themselves (for example, as a woman or as a person of color) is the conflict about which oppression to put first. In this often silent struggle, women of color and other diverse women are forced to diminish fundamental parts of their identity. This session gives voice to real women who struggle with the contradictions and challenges required by society’s identity markers as mutually exclusive categories.

Presenters:

• Mariesther Flores is a Chicana feminist and a senior at St. Cloud State University majoring in Sociology, with a minor in Women’s Studies. She currently serves as a co-chair for Movimiento Estudiantil Chican@ de Aztlan (M.E.Ch.A) de SCSU, NMCC for Tierra Mid-Atl M.E.Ch.A region, and Secretary/Treasurer for National M.E.Ch.A. Flores has a passion for social, gender, environmental, and queer issues.
• Tiara Stevenson will be graduating in May 2012 with a B.S. in Community Psychology and a minor in African American Studies. She is the current secretary for the Council of African American Students (CAAS). Stevenson will be attending Stout University in the fall to pursue a M.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy as preparation for establishing her own practice in a low-income, minority community.

Voices Merging (VM) is a multicultural student-based artist coalition dedicated to providing venues, workshops and comfortable atmosphere for all types of artists. Founded in 2002 at the University of Minnesota, VM has grown to be a driving force not only for young performance artists but has also continued a tradition of spoken word in Minnesota. Voices Merging unites students regardless of ethnicity, age, or differences and encourages the love of spoken word and the performing arts.

Presenter:

• Three young women from this group will perform original pieces that cover the broad array of issues affecting their lives, including gender, class, culture, location, history, education, activism and more. Included with the performance will be time for question and response.

Ease of access to pornography and the pornification of mainstream media are having a major impact on our culture from child development to relationships to sexuality. With exposure through various technologies occurring at younger ages, there is a greater health and public health impact on children, youth and adults. From cyber-bullying and stalking to production of child porn and sexting, younger and younger ages are inundated with a tsunami of sexist and abusive media. Studies are just beginning to show how the impact of the normalization of sexual harm is effecting all ages. Learn about the implications on gender socialization, brain development, intimacy and sexual behavior problems as well as ways we can individually and collectively "demand the change" and take back our sexuality.

Presenter:

• Gina Marie Bernard is an English teacher at Bemidji High School, where she teaches AP literature and college American literature courses. She is a blocker for the Babe City Rollers, Bemidji’s flat-track roller derby league. Her alter ego is Wicked Vixen! Bernard is also the proud parent of two incredibly smart and astonishingly beautiful daughters, Maddie Elizabeth and Parker Diana. She is a published novelist, poet, and short fiction writer, and has trained for and completed six marathons.

Queer women of color face, at a minimum, racism and homophobia on a regular basis. The intersection of these identities presents several challenging issues. Homophobia often exists within communities of color, in addition to mainstream discrimination. Many queer women of color may have first or second generation immigrant family members, creating additional and sometimes, tense cultural contradictions. Queer women of color are also faced with the unique problem of inadequate networking, as very few spaces exist for queer women of color, especially for specific groups of women of color. What are the strategies queer women of color employ to access and/or create the spaces needed for personal and professional growth and activism for social change?

Presenters:

• Anitra D. Cottledge is the Assistant Director of the Women’s Center at the University of Minnesota, where her responsibilities include coordinating the Center’s student initiatives, as well as developing and facilitating trainings and workshops on women’s leadership, feminism(s), and intersecting identities. She earned her master’s degree from the University of Minnesota in educational policy and administration, with a research focus on women of color in higher education administrative leadership. Cottledge is also an instructor in the University’s Leadership Minor, and her writing has appeared in the anthology, Click: When We Knew We Were Feminists (2010).
• Veronica Mora is a Queer Xicana Muxerista and is a 4th year student at St. Cloud State University majoring in Education. She is currently the co-chair for Movimiento Estudiantil Chican@ de Aztlan (M.E.Ch.A) and Queer People of Color (QPOC). She has presented at the Minnesota Network of Latinos in Higher Education Summit, National M.E.Ch.A. conference, the Power in Diversity Leadership Conference, and at SCSU on the issues LGBTQ people of color face and ways to become more inclusive. Mora co-founded QPOC in the spring of 2011 after feeling and seeing the need for a safe space for LGBTQ people of color.
• Xay Yang is an Inter-College Program (ICP) major at the University of Minnesota, focusing on Social Justice, Graphic Design and Youth Studies. She was on the Leadership Cohort 2010 for Shades of Yellow. Yang currently sits on the board of the Asian Sorority Interest Group as the co-public relations chair and former vice president. She is presently a recipient of the PFund Scholarship and currently works at the GLBTA Programs Office at the University of Minnesota as an undergraduate intern.

Native women suffer rape, child sexual abuse, domestic violence and sex trafficking at three times the rates of non-native women, an outrageous circumstance linked to colonization, poverty and racism. The pervasiveness of the problem, coupled with Minnesota’s native women’s leadership, led the Women’s Center to invite two of the five authors of a groundbreaking research report entitled, Garden of Truth: The Prostitution and Trafficking of Native Women in Minnesota.

A sampling of findings from interviews with 105 native women include:

• Seventy-nine percent had been sexually abused as children by an average of four perpetrators.
• Ninety-two percent had been raped.
• Forty-eight percent had been used by more than 200 sex buyers. Sixteen percent had been used by at least 900 sex buyers.
• Eighty-four percent had been physically assaulted in prostitution.
• Ninety-eight percent were currently or previously homeless.
• Racism was an emotionally damaging element in these women’s lives and a source of ongoing stress.

Presenter:

• Nicole Matthews is a member of the White Earth Band of Ojibwe, and is the Executive Director for Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition (MIWSAC). She was hired in March 2002 as the Coalition Coordinator after funding was made available to establish Tribal Coalitions to address sexual assault and domestic violence in Indian Country. Prior to her position at MIWSAC, Matthews worked in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota as the Sexual Assault Services Coordinator for Pearl Crisis Center. She has spoken at numerous conferences on both the statewide and national levels about sexual violence and domestic assault. Matthews received her Bachelor of Science degree from St. Cloud State University in Applied Psychology, with a minor in Human Relations and Multicultural Education. She is the proud mother of three beautiful children; Jazmin, Kiora, and Kionte. They give her the strength and motivation to continue working to end violence perpetrated against women and children.
• Guadalupe Lopez is the Membership and Outreach Coordinator at the Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition and a member of the Leech Lake Ojibwe. She has been the Membership and Outreach Coordinator for nearly two years and is also a Volunteer Sexual Assault Advocate for Sexual Offense Services in Ramsey County and Okiciyapi in Granite Falls. Prior to employment with the Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition, Lopez worked for Women of Nations in St. Paul, advocating on behalf of battered women.

In commemoration of American Indian Awareness Week and National Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Co-sponsored by the SCSU American Indian Center