The 21st Biennial Conference of the Society for Menstrual Cycle Research
Menstrual Health and Reproductive Justice:
Human Rights Across the Lifespan
Friday June 5th
9:00-10:30am Keynote
Mainstreaming the Flow: (Still) Selling My Soul to Start the Conversation
Tomi-Ann Roberts
In this talk, I will discuss my efforts at ‘mainstreaming the flow,’ and present some of the many challenges and satisfactions of moving from scholar to advocate and educator for non-academic audiences on the connections between objectification, sexualization, and menstrual wellness.
Tomi-Ann Roberts is Professor and Chair of the Psychology Department at Colorado College, where she has also served as the Director of the Interdisciplinary program in Feminist and Gender Studies. Her research and advocacy efforts focus on the psychological and health consequences of the sexualization and objectification of girls and women. Her work has found its way to some interesting venues, to say the least, including blogs for Kotex, and the Lincoln Center stage for ‘Women in the World.’ She is the proud mother of two decidedly feminist adult daughters. She is patiently waiting for a TED-Talks invitation, but is pretty sure that is futile. Besides, SMCR is a much smarter venue.
12:30-2:00pm Lunch and Plenary
Beyond “Menstruation Bathroom”:
Stimulating Social Change Through Visualizations of Gendered Blood
Panelists: Diana Álvarez, Gabriella Boros, Ingrid Goldbloom-Bloch,
Lucy Madeline and Kyle Peterson
Moderator: Jen Lewis
2:00-3:30pm Keynote
Respect for Menstruation is a Human Right
Loretta Ross
This presentation will address how women and girls can celebrate their bodies, especially their menses, instead of being shamed and hidden as in most cultures. Building on the experiences learned at the Black Women’s Health Imperative and using the human rights framework, the keynote will address how activists are changing the conversation about menstruation and womanhood.
Loretta J. Ross is an expert on women’s issues, hate groups, racism and intolerance, human rights, and violence against women. Her work focuses on the intersectionality of social justice issues and how this affects social change and service delivery in all movements. She was a co-founder and the National Coordinator of the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective from 2005-2012, a network founded in 1997 of women of color and allied organizations that organize women of color in the reproductive justice movement. She was also a National Co-Director of the April 25, 2004 March for Women’s Lives in Washington D.C., the largest protest march in U.S. history with more than one million participants and the Founder and Executive Director of the National Center for Human Rights Education (NCHRE) in Atlanta, Georgia.
Sponsored by Diva Cup
7:00-9:00pm Menstrual Comedy & Cocktails
The Crimson Wave
Best friends and comedians Natalie Norman and Jess Beaulieu are The Crimson Wave. Norman and Beaulieu co-host a feminist podcast about periods/vaginas/Beyonce’s vagina where guests tell hilarious stories, anecdotes, and theories about their lovely menses. They also co-host a weekly stand-up show called Crimson Wave Comedy every Sunday night at 9 pm at Comedy Bar in Toronto, Ontario. Plus, they’re pitching us as a scripted TV show. At SMCR they hosting a night of “cocktails and comedy”.
Sponsored by Lunette
