Rhiannon Grant

Oscar Malande is a PhD student researching Kenyan Quaker history. He'll be spending some time in the UK this spring to finish writing the first draft of his PhD thesis - almost all his costs are covered but not his food and bus fares. Ben Pink Dandelion has set up a JustGiving fundraiser and we'd really appreciate it if you can help, either with a donation or by sharing on social media.

https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/oscar-malande

#Quaker @quakers #academic #phd #fundraising #crowdfunding

Help raise £1500 to help provide food and bus fares for Oscar Malande, a visiting Kenyan PhD student whilst he is in Britain for 13 weeks

Weʼre raising money to help provide food and bus fares for Oscar Malande, a visiting Kenyan PhD student whilst he is in Britain for 13 weeks. Support this JustGiving Crowdfunding Page.

JustGiving
Jan 30, 2023 at 2:54pmWeb
Show threadAlessa Giampaolo KeenerFeb 1, 2023
@rhiannongrant @quakers I'm going to respectfully point out that Kenyan #Quakers explicitly define #marriage as between one man and one woman. There's a long history of concern within the US with African Friends and their treatment of #LGBTQ people. While I know nothing about this particular Friend seeking $$ to help his research, I think it's important that folks understand what their money would be supporting, in terms of F&P.
Show threadAlessa Giampaolo KeenerFeb 1, 2023
@rhiannongrant @quakers And to be clear, I fully support donating to Black #Quaker research projects. Swarthmore & Haverford, for example, are doing important Black Genealogy and #Slavery work that is making their archives more accessible to everyone. It's grant-supported and they're hiring #BIPOC students, which gives them an income and provides them with amazing professional experience.
Show threadRhiannon GrantFeb 1, 2023
@alessa_ed @quakers Yes, I hope we can fully support that work as well!
Show threadLiz the Urban BirderFeb 2, 2023
@alessa_ed @rhiannongrant @quakers As a Haverford College alum *and* tracking some recent events around #339Manumissions project there, I’m curious about what specific “Black genealogy” is being done & want to sure it isn’t conflated with the digitized manumissions
PS My instance encourages Subject lines/CWs around certain themes, which is why I added that to my post
Show threadAlessa Giampaolo KeenerFeb 2, 2023

@lizopp @rhiannongrant @quakers

The #Black #Genealogy project at #Swarthmore is distinct from the #Haverford #manumissions project.

https://blackgenealogy.domains.swarthmore.edu/

As for CWs, I refuse to use them for #BlackHistory topics, as I see that as a way of capitulating to systemic racism and the need to protect white fragility.

Show threadRhiannon GrantFeb 1, 2023
@alessa_ed @quakers Thanks for adding this dimension to the conversation. For clarity, this fundraiser is to support the academic work of an individual student from Kenya and the money is not going to any Yearly Meeting or other Quaker group. I also wouldn't want to single out Kenyan Friends as different to other Quakers on this - there are many Friends Churches around the world who are not LGBTQ+ affirming.
Show threadAlessa Giampaolo KeenerFeb 2, 2023
@rhiannongrant @quakers Transparency is important in fundraising. If a student wants $$ to research a group with historical AND current anti-#LGBTQ practices, potential donors should be informed upfront so they can donate their money in a manner that is consistent with their intersectional beliefs. Because this student's research is about Kenyan Quakers (and not general #Quaker orgs), the discrimination has to be called out specifically and unapologetically.
Show threadPax Ahimsa Gethen 🏳️‍⚧️Feb 2, 2023

@alessa_ed @quakers

Speaking as a queer Black trans person, I think @rhiannongrant has a good point. I'm still relatively new to Quakerism (have been attending San Francisco Meeting for 3 months), but from what I've read, the *majority* of Quakers worldwide are anti-LGBTQ. Though I've also read that there are more Quakers in Kenya than in the rest of the world combined.

Show threadCaddiFeb 2, 2023

@funcrunch @alessa_ed @quakers @rhiannongrant The first out Trans person I ever met was at a Yearly Meeting Gathering (UK in York), the one that took the radical decision on Gay/Queer marriage. At the same meeting I attended an African programmed meeting - it was so different, and I suspect that the majority of them at least would not have been saying 'I hope so'.

I am going to try to get to Meeting on Sunday. It has been a long time.

Thanks for being here.

Show threadPax Ahimsa Gethen 🏳️‍⚧️Feb 2, 2023

@Caddi @alessa_ed @quakers @rhiannongrant

Quaker meetings in the UK are, overall, way more liberal than here in the US from what I've read. Meetings under Friends General Conference, which my San Francisco Meeting falls under, are welcoming to queer and trans folks, but other meetings maybe not so much.

Show threadSchroedingerFeb 3, 2023

@funcrunch @Caddi @alessa_ed @quakers @rhiannongrant I think it is important to understand that different nations tend to have quite significantly different experiences of what Quakerism is.

The UK is very tolerant and accepting of - well - pretty much everyone. I know that other areas are different. And while it is entirely viable to condem and criticise any Quaker National Meetings that are anti LGBTQ, it is as valid to challenge the CofE for its anti-LGBTQ rhetoric.

And it is as useful.

Show threadAlessa Giampaolo KeenerFeb 2, 2023

@Caddi @funcrunch @quakers @rhiannongrant
The comments about Quaker demographics are all factual, but I'm perplexed with how it's being used to deflect from the original point. Yes, the majority of Quakers live in Africa today. Yes, Qs outside of Africa also hold anti-LGBTQ opinions & policies.

So, we're just supposed to accept LGBTQ discrimination because it's coming from African Friends? Where do SPICES fall into the way fundraising is promoted?

Show threadPax Ahimsa Gethen 🏳️‍⚧️Feb 3, 2023

@alessa_ed @Caddi @quakers

I think the distinction @rhiannongrant and I are trying to make is that the fundraising isn't to support a Friends meeting in Kenya, it's to support a student who is doing research on the history of Friends in Kenya.

If the money were instead going to a student researching the history of historically Black churches in the U.S., should that include a disclaimer that many of them are anti-LGBTQ as well? Sincere question.

Show threadAlessa Giampaolo KeenerFeb 3, 2023

@funcrunch @Caddi @quakers @rhiannongrant
I don't belong to a Black church, so it's not my place to tell them what disclaimers they should make about fundraising efforts.

I have, however, been a part of Quaker funding discussions relating to LGBTQ discrimination issues for ~30 years.

Sincere question: Why are you opposed to people knowing that Kenyan Friends' Faith & Practice is explicitly homophobic? Shouldn't people be able to make informed choices abt what their money ultimately supports?

Show threadPax Ahimsa Gethen 🏳️‍⚧️Feb 3, 2023

@alessa_ed @Caddi @quakers @rhiannongrant

I'm not opposed to people knowing that, and don't think any of my replies implied this. Nor did I state or imply that people shouldn't be able to make informed choices about their donations.

I wasn't planning to donate to this particular fundraiser regardless, FWIW.