Writer's Grove
Read for Pixels
Spiffy peeps, I’m participating in a campaign to end violence against women (VAW) and I hope you’ll join me. I agreed to join Read For Pixels (part of the Pixel Project) before the very high-profile case of Ray Rice became public, but that case certainly underscores the need to focus on this. Broadcaster James Brown said something about it during Thursday Night Football and it shouldn’t be missed:
I like what he said there about “healthy, respectful manhood.” If you get a Y chromosome at birth that’s your ticket to manhood, but what kind of manhood it turns out to be depends largely on the values one learns while growing up. And there are an awful lot of men out there who could stand to grow more respectful of women—and, by extension, of humanity. Because women’s rights are human rights. And being a feminist is not in any way emasculating—it means you support equal rights for women. Period.
It’s been said before: Just because you have a dick doesn’t mean you have to be a dick.
So I’m doing a Google Hangout (simultaneously broadcast on YouTube) on September 28, 8pm EST, during which I’ll be reading a Granuaile chapter and taking questions and so on. I’m not the only author doing this, either! Here’s the full schedule of hangouts, including mine. And lookit, a picture!
We will, of course, ask you to support the Pixel Project, for which you can win goodies. I and some other authors wrote these 100-word stories called Drabbles, and mine is a scene between Leif and Atticus that will give you a sneak peek at book 8! The drabble pack is available if you contribute either through IndieGogo or Razoo. Also through those same links, you can snag a 30-minute Skype chat with me, which can be either a one-on-one deal or a group like a book club, and a signed, personalized copy of SHATTERED. Please join me for the hangout! And please donate! If nothing else, talk with dudes, especially the young ones, and change this culture.
Where does your money go? To the Pixel Project and the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. The full breakdown is here.
Here’s how your support helps, from the Pixel Project:
Your support will help make an impact on 3 levels:
Level 1 – Helping efforts to shift the Global Perspective on Violence Against Women:
“Read For Pixels” is held in support of the Celebrity Male Role Model Pixel Reveal campaign through which we are working to accelerate the end of Violence Against Women (VAW) by re-characterizing it from a “women’s issue” to the human rights issue that it really is. VAW impacts families and communities regardless of gender. Men may be responsible for most violent acts against women, but decent, non-violent men far outnumber them and have largely remained silent on the issue. For VAW to end, these men need to be involved in efforts to end the violence.
The Pixel Reveal campaign intends to do just that by triggering conversations about VAW worldwide and inspiring men and boys to take action to stop VAW in their communities.
Level 2 – Keeping anti-Violence Against Women work alive and kicking, grassroots style!
Anti-Violence Against Women is a cause that is chronically underfunded despite the global severity of the issue.
The $1 million we are aiming to raise via the Pixel Reveal campaign will be shared between The Pixel Project and the U.S.’s National Coalition Against Domestic Violence.
It’ll help keep both organization’s respective anti-Violence Against Women campaigns, programs, and projects alive and thriving.
Level 3 – Helping Reach Your Communities To Get The Conversation Started
We’ve listened to many folks over the years who wish to help stop the violence but don’t know where to begin.
Therefore, as part of the outreach efforts of “Read For Pixels”, we’ll be providing all “Read For Pixels” donors with a special virtual toolkit – a set of links to resources for you to learn more about violence against women, how to start the conversation in your communities (and with the men and boys in your communities), and how to help victims and survivors of domestic violence and rape.
You can check out these links here to learn more:
