I asked our Gender Focus contributors to come up with what they thought were the highlights of the past year for them. Here are their answers.
Books
“The best book I read this year was Oh Pure and Radiant Heart by Lydia Millet. The physicists responsible for the Manhattan Project are projected forward in time from the moment of the blast of the first atomic bomb test to the present day.” – Roxanna
Kaitlin: Seeking Spatial Justice by Edward Soja
Darcy: A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
E. Cain: Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda
Movies
Darcy: The Kids are All Right
Kaitlin: Scott Pilgrim Vs. the World
E. Cain: The Maid – from Chilean director Sebastian Silva.
“Hands down The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. Riveting, fantastic acting, and a hero that I think has changed the cultural landscape for the better. Lisbeth Salander is the most importantfictional character of the last decade, easily.” - Roxanna
"Chicago, IL: Home of deep-dish pizzas and Oprah :)" – E. Cain
Travel
Kaitlin: Amsterdam
E. Cain: Chicago
Darcy: Paris
“I didn’t travel in 2010 but spent a lot of time at The Station Gallery volunteering and teaching.” – Roxanna
Experiences
“The coolest experience I had was getting my Masters of Arts. After 19 consecutive years of school, it feels great to finally be done.” - E. Cain
“I had the privilege of reading one of my poems at a Take Back the Night rally in front of a large audience. It was a very difficult and rewarding experience.” - Roxanna
“The best experience I had was falling in love with an amazing woman.” - Kaitlin
Websites
Roxanna: Feminists for Choice
E. Cain: Facebook
Kaitlin: Shakesville
Roxanna's favourite show was Community
TV Shows
Kaitlin: True Blood
“There’s been a shocking amount of really good and tremendously terrible television made in the past year. Probably Community, it’s very funny, meta-humor and nothing is sacred. Any television show that can do a full episode satire of a post-apocalyptic film and make it hilarious and also run a holiday episode that addresses the different belief systems of each character while still making you laugh is a smart show.” - Roxanna
E. Cain: The Good Wife
Inspiring Issues
“The main issues that inspired me in 2010 were poverty, homelessness, and trans rights.” - Kaitlin
“I’ve always been a strong advocate for women’s representation in government. I have been very inspired this year reading stories about female leadership in other countries – Kamla Persad-Bissessar, Trinidad & Tobago’s first female Prime Minister (May 2010); Julia Gillard, Australia’s first female Prime Minister (July, 2010), Dilma Rousseff, Brazil’s first female president (Oct 2010). Im also proud of Waterloo Ontario, the little city where I lived for most of 2010, for electing a female majority onto their city council back in October.” – E. Cain
“Bill C-510, Roxanne’s Law, a blatant attempt to exploit domestic violence to further the aim of the Conservative party to gain further control over women’s reproductive health rights.” - Roxanna
In Case You’re Interested – Top Posts
The following were the most popular posts on Gender Focus in 2010 (purely counting hits):
1. American Apparel: Ironic – Don’t you think?
2. Gender, Race, and Halloween Costumes
6. Annoying Dating Stereotypes? There’s an app for that.
7. Violence Against Women in Law and Order: SVU
8. Girly Movies, Manly Cupcakes, and Girly Men
9. Two Views on Helena Guergis: 1) R-E-S-P-E-C-T
10. Ms. Gets it Wrong on Forever 21
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