Athens Mayhem

Monday evening, sitting in my room and watching Saturday Night Live, while preparing for Religious In(Queer)y. This weekend was crazy! A carnival at Baker Center, airbrush tattoos, and a late night cuddle-fest and conversation. Saturday- sleep, homework, Open Doors Casa Dance. Oh yeah, and watching my hallmate, Maggie, give my roomie a mohawk, then putting a rubber duck in my hair. Sunday- up early to attend a LeaderShape Leadership Conference and F-Word.

Don't worry, I wore my dress the whole weekend. Plain on Friday and then hot pink fishnet tights and gloves on Saturday. It was epic. Fishnets and a SuperDuck in my hair- I was the belle of the ball ;~) I've got photos to prove it...

 Maggie and I before Casa on Saturday

My roomie, Sara, and I at the Baker Carnival on Friday

And Sara's awesome Mohawk, that is surprising still in 3 days later

JAC and Me

The week has been Trans World Awareness Week, which has had me quite busy. JAC Stringer, the Midwest GenderQueer, has graced OU with this presence since Wednesday. It was a great experience and JAC is featured in my picture from yesterday. He was trying to highlight the dress, which unfortunately makes me look pregnant from this angle...

There were great conversations, discussions, and interactions. I was encouraged by the amount of people that came to the events. Hopefully we've been able to open up the eyes of people at OU about the issues Trans* people face on a daily basis.

Hold On

If you don't like it, wait a minute and it will change

Welp, 5 days in and my commitment to blogging everyday is out the window. College life tends to get busy. Anyways, the past 3 days have been what I like to call "Ohio Weather." If you don't like it, wait one minute and it will change. Not the most original statement, but it still rings true. Monday was freezing. Hoodie and leggings. Apparently my leggings are not very warm. Tuesday, still cold, and I decided to wear the dress with nothing underneath but shorts. Sooo cold! Which brings us to today (even though it will technically be Thursday when I post this since it's 3 minutes to midnight). Anticipating cold, I wore jeans under my dress. But being Ohio, it was hot! Tomorrow is supposed to be just as warm as today, so maybe I'll try the shorts only thing again.

In case you didn't know, I am not the only one on campus doing One Dress, One Month. My friends Emily and Emily (yes, they're both named Emily) are doing it with me. To make it easier, we'll call one Fish and one Emily. Fish is the person that originally brought the idea of doing this project this month to me. Anyways, I ran into Emily (not Fish) at Donkey Coffee this evening and decided that would be the perfect picture for today. So, here you go- Emily and me in our dresses at Donkey...

People are starting to realize that I'm wearing the same dress everyday. People that know me always ask why I'm wearing a dress, since that's so unlike me; but those that don't know me as well are picking up on the fact that I'm wearing the same thing. That's how the conversations start. As I wrote about before, I'm not advertising what I'm doing, but am waiting for people to approach me. Considering how many people have already approached me, I'm hopeful that the word will continue to spread and people will be incited to step up and do something about human sex trafficking.

I still hate the dress, and kind of want to put it through a shredder. A dress just isn't my style and I'm not that comfortable in it. But, maybe I'll get more used to it as the month progresses. And I just need to keep in mind why I am doing this and give my doubts and insecurities about it all to God.

And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily…” Luke 18:7-8

Day 2: Perspective

Day 2 down. A lazy Sunday. I must say, I rather enjoy lounging around my room in my dress. I don't, however, enjoy sitting on the floor for 2 hours when I can't sit "unladylike" because of my dress. Sorry F-Word Ladies (and Gents)! Next week, I call the yoga mats...

I do enjoy the support the F-Word Ladies showed for my project and their willingness to join me in my Day 2 picture in front of a giant mirror!

(1) Athens is cold and rainy. I want warm pants. My legs are cold. Leggings are nice, but thin. Tomorrow I might have to pull off some jeans and dress action, no matter how ridiculous it looks. (2) Hoodies do not work well with a dress. While wearing my hoodie, the dress kept getting pulled higher and higher, making it shorter and shorter. And making me paranoid that my butt was showing, even though I was wearing shorts underneath.

But I really don't have any room to complain. Millions of women and girls cannot go home to a safe and warm bed, snuggle under a bunch of blankets, and forget their worries. It's about perspective. That seems to be smacking me in the face today. I'm walking around campus, wishing I was wearing something warmer and cursing this dress (I know day 2 and I hate the dress) when I should be grateful I have the choice to take it off and give up this project. To shed my burden, in a way. I can go back to my dorm and do homework under my soft snuggie, shedding the troubles of an unforgiving world.

I have options millions of people don't. I have a warm bed to myself and autonomy over my life. I am free.

Day 1

Well, I've officially completed the first day. Only 30 more to go...

My little brown dress. Simple, Versatile. Comfortable. I have a feeling that I'll hate it in a week. But I only have to wear it for a month, and can take it off at night.

There are thousands of women and children who cannot (metaphorically) take off their dresses. They are trapped in a cycle of abuse and torture. Young girls, forced to sleep with 10-15 men a night. Never knowing love, trapped in their feelings of hopelessness. Stuck in their "dresses."

For me, it's only 30 more days; but for those thousands of girls, they will be stuck in this cycle indefinitely. 

Blessed are the Outcasts

I find myself getting more and more anxious as tomorrow approaches. The prospect of wearing the same dress for an entire month is terrifying. What if I can't do it? What if it's too hard?

But then I remembered, it's not about me. This project is for the millions of girls who are traded and bought like  horses at an auction. Girls who feel as if no one cares about them, who have forgotten what it feels like to be humans and not just playthings.

God is there for the outcasts, the broken, the forgotten. God is our refuge and strength. For those who feel betrayed by the world, God is their rock.

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
     for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,
     for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,
     for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness,

     for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, 

     for they shall be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, 

     for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, 

     for they will be called the sons of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, 

     for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

~Matthew 5:3-10

With God, I can complete this project. But even more important, with God's help I can bring awareness to the problem of human trafficking in the world, and in Ohio. 

Blessed are the outcasts.