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Nordette Adams has already written two wonderful posts about SuperLove and V to the 10th, Practicing Presence at V-Day and Is New Orleans the Vagina of America? And whereas I enjoyed Nordette's writing before, her ability to step back in the midst of a very emotional and activity-jammed weekend and bring that sensibility alive has kicked her up more than a few notches in my book.
Now me, I've struggled in the six days I've been home to put my own feelings and observations into words. This is with the exception of the moment when I looked over on the dance floor and there was Jane Fonda, throwing her hands in the air to "I'm Every Woman." That I can tell you about in deep, embarrassing detail. However, a good BlogHer knows that this weekend was not about being starstruck (should have seen her perform her monologue! No index cards for Jane, no way! Ahem.)
But no. This weekend was about getting on a plane and going to New Orleans during the busiest week of my year, where my mother and my sister would meet me the next day to check this V-Day experience out. My sister wrote her senior thesis on Eve Ensler's Vagina Monologues, the collection of vignettes whose milestone anniversary was the reason for V to the Tenth, and she performed in the play in college. She has since moved on to a graduate program in Women's Studies, and last Christmas became the proud owner of one of few publisher's copies of the book that exist. (It's cool to have a fiance who isn't afraid to speak the words and track it down, from California to New York and back again.)
What is important to the people in my life is with very few exceptions -like golf, sorry, Daddy - important to me. And V to the 10th was important to my sister. Now, I'll take any chance to go to New Orleans. I love it, I felt it in my bones as soon as I got off the plane the first time, and what about an event that celebrates the survival and renewal of the Gulf South - specifically its women - while taking a stand against violence against women all over the world can I not get behind?
Nothing. i was there, every cell I have was paying attention. And I'm really glad I was, because I have to say that this was the most impressive collective experience that I have ever witnessed in my life. From the minute I wandered up the ramp to the SuperDome for SuperLove on Saturday to the last time I spotted a person wandering the city with the V-Day logo on a t-shirt or a pin, I felt like a small part of something really powerful and really necessary.
The Medical/Healing Lounge was packed. Women could get HIV tests on the spot, pick up condoms, get information about nutrition, pre-natal health, sexual assault services, diabetes, lead poisoning (a burgeoning issue in a city where everywhere you look a structure is being knocked down or left to disintegrate), community health care - you name the health concern and there was a table in that room that could likely address it.
I stopped in the Activist Lounge, and was again impressed with the scope of the organizations who showed up to support the cause and to spread their own word. SaferCampus had a strong presence, and Nora wrote about her V to the Tenth experience on the Safer Blog.
What to say about New Orleans and V to the 10th? It was a crazy,
sleepless, awe-inspiring, deeply moving two days—I am so, so glad we
went. I spent Friday and Saturday mostly in the Activist Lounge at the
Superdome, talking to students about what they are doing on their
campus and what challenges they face. I heard good news and bad
news—the administrations at Wichita State, University of Puget Sound,
and Bowdoin College got high praise from their students, but I also
heard several horror stories from students at other schools. I was
blown away by the activist campaigns a lot of students have already
started, and hopefully in the next few weeks I’ll be posting interviews
with and links to the student groups at schools like Shippensburg
University, Grand Valley State University, Connecticut College,
Valdosta State University, Marquette University and others.For me, talking to students was the best
