As posted to ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif) gimpgirl and no_pity (in edited form):
GimpGirl celebrates its 10th Anniversary!
Started in February 1998, the GimpGirl Community has been a long-time resource for women with disabilities. We are currently gearing up to re-launch our new website, which has been on a bit of a hiatus. We're also becoming active on Facebook, as well as MySpace and the virtual community of Second Life. (See our website for more details, including how to get to our Second Life Open House, happening TODAY at 4:00 PM SLT/Pacific)
Our awesome LiveJournal community has been our mainstay for a long time, and we'd like to hear your thoughts as we move into our next decade...
TOPIC OF THE MONTH: What does being a "gimp girl" (AKA woman with a disability) mean to you?
For as long as the GimpGirl Community has been around, and long before that, people with disabilities, and especially women, have thought, written and talked about their identities -- how having a disability and identifying as a woman shapes (or doesn't shape) their lives.
What does it mean to be a GimpGirl for you? GimpGirl is a phrase used by our community, and of course it's not one that everyone uses. If you prefer a different phrase, what is it, and why?
EDIT: Look under the cut to find out more about today's excellent GimpGirl open house event on Second Life!
This photo was taken at the GimpGirl Open House event online on Second Life, 2/17/08.
 (Photo by Aleja Asturias, AKA superaleja AKA me, ![[info]](http://p-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) aleja! See more pictures at the GimpGirl Flickr group.) Not pictured: Dancing on the beach! Our open house began at 4:00 PM SLT/Pacific Time at our new Second Life location (link takes you directly there if you use SL), though some people showed up a bit earlier. Some stayed for just a few minutes, others for 2 hours or more. In fact, this photo was taken just before jennylin and I logged off, and the party was still going strong... at least a dozen people attended at various points. Topics discussed included our topic of the month (as posted above), identity, accessibility and acceptance in Second Life and virtual words, perceptions about people with disabilities in the "non-disabled" world, visible and invisible disabilities, wheelchairs, language, clothes, partners... and other things I'm sure I don't remember. We'll be working to build our SL branch to make it into a place to be, with discussions, classes, events, and other Second Life offerings tailored to fit the mission of our group. If you're on SL, drop in sometime! If not, that's okay too, there are plenty of places for us to connect! If accessibility issues are what keep you from logging on, let's talk about it! Access to Second Life for people with disabilities (especially for people who are blind and visually impaired) is an issue that is being examined from several directions, by various people and groups. |
calm