Weekly round-up and open thread 05 March 2012

Welcome to this week’s round-up of the articles and blog pieces we’ve been reading over the past week but didn’t get around to covering in detail on the blog.

As ever, please note that we don’t always agree with every viewpoint expressed in the items or, indeed, the sites containing them. As with actual F-Word content, none of the views expressed reflect any “official view from The F Word” because not all contributors to the site will necessarily hold the same opinions on the topics.

Warning: The post also contains links to external websites and blogs with comment threads and other material that may be upsetting. We have no control over the content of external sites so you are advised to use your discretion and approach them with due caution.

Please feel free to add more relevant links or comment!

Apple and Pear Diversity adulau.jpg

Women affected by the cuts still have ‘Bags of Attitude’ (annelouisekershaw365)

Lawmakers in St Petersburg pass controversial anti-gay law (Diva)

Sexual harassment as ethical imperative: how Capcom’s fighting game reality show turned ugly (The Penny Arcade Report)

Police rape investigations criticised by watchdogs (BBC)

A Brief History of the Brassiere Part 2 (Morecambe Variety Festival)

Serial rapists ‘stay free because of failures by police and prosecutors’ (Metro)

Teen pregnancy rate lowest since 1969 (BBC)

Thoughts on Being “Othered” (Fat Heffalump)

But, Pinterest is for girls! Sexism and social media (Tiger Beatdown)

The sanction regime remains in place (Boycott Workfare)

A rapist’s right to choose? (Students Active For Ending Rape)

Right plots attack on abortion rights (Judith Orr at Socialist Worker Online)

Open letter of support for doctors who provide abortion services (Pro+Choice Forum)

Right-wing radio host calls student “slut” for using birth control pills (Women’s Views on News)

Rush Limbaugh attacks Sandra Fluke and pro-choice women everywhere (Blog for Choice)

Rush Limbaugh condemned by Barack Obama for ‘slut’ remarks (Guardian)

Let’s give older mothers a break (Mariela Frostrup, Guardian, CiF):

So, it turns out feminism is a CIA plot to undermine the left (Laurie Penny @ New Statesman):

Things I’m expected to do for cis people in return for them not hating me: an angry list (radtransfem)

The Ethical Prude: Imagining An Authentic Sex-Negative Feminism (A Radical TransFeminist)

Brilliant piece. Particularly this bit: “Both sex-positivity and sex-negativity, if applied correctly, are useful lenses through which we can understand different aspects of patriarchy, such as sex moralism and compulsory sexuality.”

Marge Berer: In defence of abortion on a woman’s request, including on grounds of fetal sex (BMJ Group Blogs)

It’s time to move on the conversations about kink and feminism (siliconevalley)

School’s Out: What *Does* a Feminist Look Like? Teaching Boys About Feminism (Bitch Media)

Armchair Diagnosis: Just Don’t (This Ain’t Livin’)

Women with disabilities abused in German institutions (e-include)

Sex Work: Speaking up for human rights (FeministsIndia)

Why Am I So Threatening? (Survivors Connect)

Children’s Charity Calls For UK Witchcraft Ban (Sky)

Refuge warns it could be forced to close (Guardian)

Pop Pedestal: Dawn Wiener (BitchMedia)

Top marks to Bitch for putting this one out there! Warning: spoilers in the comments.

Clare’s Law condemned by domestic violence and civil liberties charities (Metro)

I am Gal, Hear Me Roar (The Atlantic)

The surgeoness: the female practitioner of surgery 1400-1800 (Early Modern England)

No Woman, No Cry? (Left at the Lights)

Picture showing a diverse range of apples and pears in a variety of greens, reds and browns by Alexandre Dulaunoy, shared under a creative commons licence.