University of Arizona's V-DAY Vagina Warriors

V-DAY UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA JOINS GLOBAL EFFORT
TO STOP VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN AND GIRLS

V-Day University of Arizona 2010
Presents a Benefit Reading of
A MEMORY, A MONOLOGUE, A RANT AND A PRAYER:
Writings To Stop Violence Against Women and Girls

Join us as we raise funds and awareness to end violence against women and girls.

Who: University of Arizona’s V-Day Vagina Warriors
What: A V-Day Event: A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer as a
part of Women’s Herstory Month raising funds for The OASIS Center for
Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence
Where: Modern Languages 350 on Friday (1423 E University Blvd); Social
Sciences 100 on Saturday (1145 E South Campus).
When: March 26th and 27th at 7pm.

Admission: $8 In Advance (On the UA Mall, in the week preceding the
show); $10 at the door.

Goal: To raise awareness to stop violence against women and girls and
funds for our beneficiaries – OASIS Center for Sexual Assault and
Relationship Violence and the Women & Girls of the Democratic Republic
of Congo
Sponsored by: The Vagina Warriors, Associated Students of University
of Arizona, Women’s Resource Center

A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer: Writings To Stop Violence
Against Women and Girls, is a groundbreaking collection of monologues
by world-renowned authors and playwrights, edited by Eve Ensler and
Mollie Doyle and commissioned by V-Day for the first V-Day: UNTIL THE
VIOLENCE STOPS festival, which took place June 2006 in New York City.
 The writings are inspired, funny, angry, heartfelt, tragic, and
beautiful. But above all, together they create a true and profound
portrait of how violence against women affects every one of us. A
Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, And A Prayer are a call to the world to
demand an end to violence against women. All proceeds from the book
benefit V-Day.


Join the University of Arizona Vagina Warriors in a staged dramatic
reading of A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, and A Prayer. Doors open at
6:30, but attendees are invited to arrive earlier to view our Vagina
Art Show and Silent Auction.

For more information, contact azvagwarriors@yahoo.com

V-Day University of Arizona 2010’s cast of The Vagina Monologues.

“You hear someone scream “vagina!” What do you do?

Some get bug-eyed at the mention of this taboo word, while others turn away and giggle. Some continue walking, pretending they didn’t even hear it. Embarrassed, ashamed and uncomfortable, seldom do people stop to see what’s really going on at this table on the UA Mall…” [click link to continue]

Bill O’Reilly Wants To “Pound” Eve Ensler “Into Pudding With Intellectual Arguments.”

Oh, I’d like to see him try.

Our first mention in the press. Thanks Tucson Citizen!

The Vagina Warriors of the University of Arizona Join Global Effort to Stop Violence Against Women and Girls

V-Day University of Arizona 2010 presents a Benefit Production of
THE VAGINA MONOLOGUES

Join Us As We Raise Funds And Awareness To End Violence Against Women And Girls

On February 18^th, 19^th and 20^th at 7:30pm, the Vagina Warriors will present the benefit performance of Eve Ensler’s award winning play The Vagina Monologues at University of Arizona’s Social Sciences 100.

Undergraduates, graduates, faculty, and alumni from the University of Arizona community have joined together to bring you three nights of the hilarious and captivating performance of Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues.  Come and join the fight the violence while The Vagina Monologues inspires and moves you.

Doors open each night of Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening at 7:00pm.  Attendants are invited to arrive earlier to experience educational lobby displays and explore booths set up by various organization from the campus and city community.

Tickets are $10 in advance (available for purchase on the University of Arizona mall) and $12 at the door. Additional donations are welcome. All proceeds are to be donated to the OASIS Center For Sexual Assault & Relationship Violence and the V-Day Spotlight Cause: The Women & Girls of The Democratic Republic of Congo.

About V-DAY V-Day is a global movement to end violence against women and girls that raises funds and awareness through benefit productions of the Playwright/Founder Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues.  Thousands participate each year in raising awareness and have contributed to over $70 million raised for the purpose of stopping violence against women and girls and millions more people being educated about these issues.

About the Women of the Democratic Republic of Congo, V-Day’s Spotlight Cause: The Democratic Republic of Congo has been chosen a second year as V-Day’s spotlight campaign.  The women in the DRC are at a large risk for gender-based violence.  Though the war is officially over, the chaos of unregulated military forces have lead to a devastating situation for women and girls in the DRC.  V-Day is currently working on opening the City of Joy, a facility for survivors of sexual violence.

For more information on the University of Arizona’s production of The Vagina Monologues, please contact azvagwarriors@yahoo.com

Dear [redacted],

I apologize if you’re insulted by the term “vagina”—it really is just another part of human anatomy that happens to have a lot of social stigma surrounding it. As Eve Ensler, author of The Vagina Monologues says:

“When I first began to perform these monologues around the world, I realized that just saying the word vagina caused enormous controversy, because vagina is, in fact, the most isolated, reviled word in any language… The taboo on the word is no accident. As long as we cannot say vagina, vaginas do not exist. They remain isolated and unprotected. Young girls get genitally mutilated and sex trafficked throughout the world. Women get raped and acid-burned, and beaten, and no one is held accountable…” *

While “vagina” may be uncomfortable to read, say, or hear, I personally believe that it is important to break the silence surrounding the word in order to stop perpetuating issues of ignorance and shame surrounding women’s bodies.

Best wishes,

Kaylene Torregrossa
Vagina Warriors
President

[PS. What the fuck are you doing on a feminist listserv if you find the word vagina to be “vulgar”? Check yourself.]

*Eve Ensler, “What Happened To Peace?” 10/23/2006 http://www.vday.org/vmoments/peace

Look at the pretty!

The VDAY Vagina Warriors, as a part of their fall/winter fundraising effort, present their very own Feminist Icon Calendar!

Modelled by our very own members, this calendar features images and information about iconic feminists in history, literature, and pop culture, including:

• Rosie the Riveter
• Emma Goldman
• Gloria Anzaldua
• Eve Ensler
• Angela Davis
• Lysistrata
• and more!

Calendars are $15 (plus S&H if you live outside of Tucson). Please contact azvagwarriors@yahoo.com OR your favorite Vagina Warrior OR visit our MySpace to order via PayPal.

All funds raised by calendar sales will go to the UA VDAY Vagina Warriors’ efforts to stage three benefit productions of The Vagina Monologues, which annually raises money for the OASIS Center for Sexual Assault and Relationship Violence & the VDAY Spotlight Cause.

SAMPLE IMAGES:

(Stephanie Engs as Angela Davis)

(Alexandria Weber as Rosie the Riveter)

(Megan Williams as Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell)

Photography by:

Paul Torregrossa

Bruce Weber

V-Day is an organized response against violence toward women.

V-Day is a vision: We see a world where women live safely and freely.

V-Day is a demand: Rape, incest, battery, genital mutilation and sexual slavery must end now.

V-Day is a spirit: We believe women should spend their lives creating and thriving rather than surviving or recovering from terrible atrocities.

V-Day is a catalyst: By raising money and consciousness, it will unify and strengthen existing anti-violence efforts. Triggering far-reaching awareness, it will lay the groundwork for new educational, protective, and legislative endeavors throughout the world.

V-Day is a process: We will work as long as it takes. We will not stop until the violence stops.

V-Day is a day. We proclaim Valentine’s Day as V-Day, to celebrate women and end the violence.

V-Day is a fierce, wild, unstoppable movement and community. Join us!

—VDay.org