Feminist activist Mira Krishnan celebrates the many viewpoints coming together for a good cause.
Women make up 51 percent of America’s population, so why aren’t we a bigger force to be reckoned with? That’s a question many of us have been asking. But Mira Krishnan may just have the answer — and if she’s right, Lady Parts Justice could be the solution.
“Part of the reason women don’t act like the majority is that women look at the movement and they don’t see themselves,” says Krishnan, a neuropsychologist, mental healthcare leader and feminist activist. “The fact is that women are really diverse, and working together on something like V to Shining V, is one way we come together.”
V to Shining V is an annual nationwide celebration of women spearheaded by Lady Parts Justice, an organization dedicated to using comedy, culture and digital media to raise awareness and take action to protect reproductive justice. At parties across the country on September 26 — including one in Detroit — people are gathering to find ways to change the laws disintegrating women’s reproductive access.
Krishnan spoke at the inaugural Detroit event in 2014, where she shared her feminist experience as a transgender woman. She reflects on what it meant to her.
The fact that we had trans and cis people there, black and white and brown people, straight and LGBT people — that’s where you see how diverse the movement really is, and you see how interconnected all the issues we experience as women are. I was grateful my message was welcomed and we all had a chance to learn from each other. That’s how we move this movement forward.
It was even a learning experience for her fiancé, Teri, who gained a new appreciation for Krishnan’s feminism after last year’s V to Shining V Detroit event.
“Being feminist isn’t just about sharing stuff on Facebook, it’s about sharing stuff in the laundry room — sharing chores,” Krishnan says. “It’s real.”
By the same token, she says women need to be more engaged in their activism, something Lady Parts Justice helps them do.
We all have friends who are pro-choice but they don’t think they’re important or powerful enough to do anything. If we activate them just a little bit, that’s part of the change we need to make.
Krishnan is eager to speak again at V to Shining V Detroit 2015, lending her voice to the Lady Parts Justice organization she so wholeheartedly supports.
“I love the unapologetic nature of Lady Parts Justice, and the humor it brings to the movement,” Krishnan says. “The fight can be draining so it’s good to have some humor to help keep us marching forward. And I am unapologetic about my feminism. I’m not sorry for thinking women deserve reproductive freedom.”
V to Shining V Detroit kicks off promptly at 3 p.m. on Saturday, September 26 at PJ’s Lager House, 1254 Michigan Avenue in Detroit.
You won’t want to miss one minute of this great lineup!
- Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence
- Lisa Brown, Oakland County Clerk
- Kary Moss, executive director of the ACLU of Michigan
- Mira Krishnan, feminist activist
- Renee Chelian, founder of Northland Family Planning
- Alex English, comedian and emcee
- Jassmine Parks, slam poet
- Sadia Ghazi, poet
- D.S. Sense, rapper
- Kelly Elizabeth, musician
- Tankini Kill, band
There will be a silent auction, too, along with plenty of other antics and activities.
PJs Lager House will be open and serving food and drink before, during and after the event, and V to Shining V will start greeting guests at 2:30. RSVP to the LPJ Michigan Facebook event to say you’ll be there!
