Young queer feminist takes the reins of 40-year strong organization

In these times of Fox TV’s anti-Marxist rhetoric, Bay Area Radical Women has elected Anita O’Shea, a young sparkplug to promote a socialist vision of the world. On Saturday, July 31st community activists and party-people alike celebrated with the new president at Oakland’s club Oasis at a “Fabulous Feminist Inauguration!”

Also known as “DJ Durt,” Ms. O’Shea is a San Francisco native, graduate of UC Santa Cruz in Feminist Studies, a leader in the Bay Area Coalition for our Reproductive Rights (BACORR), and a LGBTIQ community party promoter and DJ for benefit shows and dance parties. O’Shea, 27, became an activist when she was 16. “Organizing with equal rights advocates of all ages, races, and sexualities to fight for working peoples’ and students’ rights is the main passion of my life,” O’Shea said during the celebration. “The words ‘communism’ and ‘feminism’ have gotten a bad rap. But describing yourself as a socialist feminist simply means you believe in equality for all. We’re the leaders we’ve been waiting for. And the more leaders, youth and elders, the better.”

Radical Women, a national organization formed in 1968, defines itself as the revolutionary wing of the women’s movement and a strong feminist voice within the Left. The Bay Area chapter has recently been protesting state budget cuts, hosting educational discussions on women theorists of color, and is in the battle to save public education at UC Berkeley.

“Anita is stepping up to guide us into the next decade of agitation for the rights of people of all genders, sexualities, races, and all working people, with or without documentation,” said Norma Gallegos, Chicana immigrant rights advocate, who MC’d the event on Saturday.
The festivities included roasts and toasts, dancing and hearty thank you’s to outgoing president Nancy Reiko Kato. Ms. Kato is a long-time Asian American unionist and staff worker at UC Berkeley. “We’re taking a moment to salute our young leaders in the movements for social change. It’s inspiring to take on the bosses and bureaucrats with other people committed to justice,” said Kato.

The 4-year running queer dance party “Ships in the Night” (organized by O’Shea and friends, and which is always a benefit for community organizations and causes) co-sponsored the event and also raised funds for Black Out pride weekend. The crowd paused during the set by DJ Black to raise a glass to the organizations that put on the party and to cheer the continuation of cross-generational and cross-racial organizing.

O’Shea’s group, Radical Women, holds meetings twice a month. Its next event will be a Women’s Rights Day celebration “Immigrant Women Battle for a Better World” on August 28th where community members will discuss and strategize on how to win open borders and amnesty for all. For more information: (415) 864-1278, baradicalwomen [at] earthlink.net, http://www.RadicalWomen.org.