ONE BILLION RISING -- Add Your Voice!

If you are like us, you have been getting a lot of notifications on Facebook about something called "One Billion Rising," and if you are even more like us, you forgot to click on them to find out what it is. Well, yesterday, we were procrastinating and ended up watching the Katie Couric afternoon television program, which is apparently a thing, and even Katie was talking about it! Now we know what it is, and it is tomorrow, and we support it wholeheartedly. From their Facebook page:

Memphis has TWO One Billion Rising events:
* Thursday 2/14 at 5:00-6:30 at the corner of Union and Cooper: RALLY, STORIES, VIGIL AND DANCE
* Saturday 2/16 at 9:30 - 10:30 DANCE PARTY with DJ I N T U I G R O O V E following the Vagina Monologues performance at Circuit Playhouse. 

ONE BILLION RISING IS: 

A global strike
An invitation to dance
A call to men and women to refuse to participate in the status quo until rape and rape culture ends
An act of solidarity, demonstrating to women the commonality of their struggles and their power in numbers A refusal to accept violence against women and girls as a given
A new time and a new way of being
Poets, storytellers, dancers, drummers, hoopers, mothers and sisters, daughters, wives, husbands, partners and friends -- we will gather to share our stories, we will vigil to honor ourselves and stand with women around the world, and out of the silence, the music will begin, and we will rise up and dance for each other, with each other. 

That is all awesome. Many readers might not know what "rape culture" is. Here is a pretty handy link that explains what we're dealing with, and it's something that impacts every person's life in some way or another. It encompasses so, so much more than simply the physical act of rape itself. It has to do with the myriad myths surrounding rape, and the constant victim-blaming that even ends up crossing the lips of otherwise well-meaning people. "Well, if she hadn't been out so late, you know!" Uh huh. Keep on making excuses for why, if the victim had only done X, that guy might have had another choice besides raping a human being. That's what this is about, and it. is. every. fucking. where.

So, add your voice and your passion to this issue, tomorrow and beyond. And really, what better way to celebrate Valentine's Day, since Valentine's Day is so, so, stupid?