Trans, Fatty, Acidic

You know, it’s a happy measure of how far we’ve come that it doesn’t seem all that remarkable, but still it’s noteworthy, Gabby Douglas is, as it happens, the first African American to win the women’s all-around in gymnastics. The barriers have long since been down, but sometimes there can be an imaginary barrier, based on how one might see oneself.

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Bob Costas’s absurd awkward mealy-mouthed statement, on NBC following Gabby Douglas’s gold medal performance, perfectly captures white liberal racism: pretending to celebrate Black achievement while in fact insinuating that the only racism which remains in the world is “an imaginary barrier based on how one might see oneself”. In this white liberal worldview, white people have already done everything they can to liberate Black people and people of color — I mean, they granted us Civil Rights! In this white liberal worldview, there are no longer any physical, economic, institutional, societal, or structural impediments to African American success, only psychic impediments within African Americans themselves. That is typical white liberal racism. (via rubato)

fivelettered:

zikrayat:

4gifs:

Volunteer at the Olympics reacts to a fist bump from Usain Bolt

omg this is precious

omg this is so fucking cute!!!! he’s like HOLY SHIT USAIN BOLT FISTBUMPED ME AHHHHHHH

wow adorable!!! :’D

I have an advantage because I’m the underdog and I’m black and no one thinks I’d ever win,” she said. “Well, I’m going to inspire so many people. Everybody will be talking about, how did she come up so fast? But I’m ready to shine.

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Gabby Douglas / NYTimes (via emm-dash)

If Gabby had not secured her number one spot at the trials, I almost believe that Karolyi would not have chosen her to be on the team.

“Just five months ago, Martha Karolyi, the coordinator of the women’s national team, did not think Douglas had what it took to be an Olympian. She lacked confidence and focus, Karolyi said, even as recently as a few weeks ago. Douglas disagreed.”

And tbh, the other girl Alexandra should have been on the team too. Not as an alternate but there was no way in FUCK Karolyi was going to have 2 black girls on the team. Smh. I’m glad Gabby shut her up.

(via theafrosistuh)

Dear everyone ever

monkeyknifefight:

somesmithie

In 2008 Michael Phelps took home EIGHT gold medals. We celebrated him as an American hero.

This week, a pretty seventeen year old American swimmer took home a gold for USA. It’s Olympic history! Somebody get that girl some theme music and a reality T.V show!

Also this week, a female sixteen year old swimmer from China won the gold and swam faster times than the men. WHAT! THIS IS AN OLYMPIC MIRACLE! AMAZ-

Sorry, what’s that? You’re suspicious of her? She gets no congratulations, no inspiring montage of her family watching at home, nothing? Nothing. Her win is taboo. What should be an inspiring story of a young girl making history at the Olympic Games is ruined by press and public scrutinizing her body, and the ethics of her home country.

So why, exactly, should we have reason to suspect foul play? The obvious answer is because men are stronger than women, and no woman should be able to compete on the same physical level as a dude in peak shape, right? Alright, here’s the deal. This is the Olympics. It’s true that generally, male athletes have more sheer physical strength than female athletes, but it isn’t so unreasonable to think that one woman on the planet could have the ability to outswim the boys. And if she existed, she’d probably be really famous and like, go to the Olympics, right?

Amazing shit happens at these games all the time. Gymnasts break their ankles sticking landings and still take home medals. Michael Phelps is human (probably) and took home eight golds in one game. There’s a whole list up of world records that have been broken in the 2012 games already. This quote, by entitled swimming coach dude John Leonard, is a great example of bigotry against women in sports:

“To swim three other splits at the rate that she did, which was quite ordinary for elite competition, and then unleash a historic anomaly, it is just not right. I have heard commentators saying ‘well she is 16, and at that age amazing things happen’. Well yes, but not that amazing, I am sorry.”

My favorite phrase here is “historic anomaly” as opposed to “historic achievement” which is what it was. He also makes a comment on how whenever people come out looking like “superwoman” they’ve been discovered to be doped up. I guess men probably don’t look like superwomen when they make Olympic history, huh?*

So on behalf of America, I’d like to make an apology to Ye Shiwen. You’re an extraordinary swimmer. You’re disadvantaged because you’re young, because you’re Chinese, and of course, because you’re a woman, but you swim like a BAMF and you deserve to be celebrated. Keep on keepin’ on, girl. Don’t let the haters get you down.

okapidreams:

“The Olympics are so awesome. A tournament where an Aboriginal man has to promise not to wear the flag of his people, while competing for the colony that killed his ancestors, in the heart of the empire that stole his country. Gives you that warm, fuzzy feeling.”

- Aamer Rahman

dunkinmycloud:

a-wild-blastoise-appeared:

Shoutout to brothaboy Damien Hooper who has been shot down for wearing a shirt with the Aboriginal flag on it before his fight. If he wore the Australian flag he wouldnt have faced any of this controversy but because he wore the Aboriginal flag he has breached Rule 50 of the Olympic Code which bans demonstrations, or political, religious or racial propoganda on any Olympic sites.

WHAT A CROCK OF SHIT!! This was an act of Pride - not propoganda! My hope is that one day we will be respectfully acknowledged as the First Nations people of this country and therefore properly represented in all that this country is involved in

You said it sista

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/london-olympics/damien-hooper-will-now-face-former-world-champion-egor-mekhontcev/story-fn9dheyx-1226439016876

Anyone want to tumblr-bomb the Herald Sun’s poll on whether or not he should be able to wear Aboriginal flag? Right now the NOs have it. Let’s YES it up.

strugglingtobeheard:

cgdageek:

glovesinthesummertime:

I’m guessing the news will never say that Gabrielle Douglas had the lead score and was the main reason why the US won gold for the Gymnastics. Nobody ever gives Black people their credit.

She outscored everyone on the US team on beam, bars, and vault. She was the only team member to compete on all 4 events. But yes, NBC, keep telling us how unfair it is that Wieber didn’t make the all-around.

riiiight. i was waiting and waiting to hear who scored the highest and they didn’t say shit. i knew it had to be Gabby because they would have given her all the credit if it was one of them white girls.

zuky:

msavignon:

Disgrasian: “Meet The First Asian American Gold Medalist, 91 Year-Old Sammy Lee”

The last time the Olympics were in London in 1948 was also the first time an Asian American won a gold medal in the Games. That distinction belongs to 91 year-old Dr. Samuel “Sammy” Lee, who was born in Fresno, CA and is of Korean descent.

He won in diving, for those who are interested in such details. It’s worth noting because diving involves jumping into a swimming pool, and swimming pools, as we all know, have a history with racism in the US. From wikipedia:

As a twelve-year-old in 1932, Lee dreamed of becoming a diver, but at the time Latinos, Asians and African-Americans were only allowed to use Fresno’s Brookside Pool on Wednesdays, on what was called “international day”: the day before the pool was scheduled to be drained and refilled with clean water. Because Lee needed a place to practice and could not regularly use the public pool, his coach dug a pit in his backyard and filled it with sand. Lee practiced by jumping into the pit.

So this guy won an Olympic gold medal after learning to dive while jumping into a fucking sand pit in someone’s backyard because white people wouldn’t allow him to train in a regular swimming pool.

fuckyeahgenderstudies:

choongcommunist:

Welcome to London 2012 Olympics

Related: http://www.thelondonvandal.com/2012/07/graffiti-raids-across-london-as-police-sanitise-city-ready-for-olympics/

Fucking police.

Britain’s Largest Black Newspaper Denied Credentials To Cover London Olympics »

WOW GODDAMN