Weekly Round-Up and Open Thread, 9th April 2012
by Philippa Willitts // 9 April 2012, 09:21
It's that time of the week to share all the interesting and newsworthy stories that we missed during the week. Please be aware that some may be triggering, and that including an item in the round-up post just means that one of us thought it was noteworthy, not that any or all of us necessarily agree with it.
- Michaela Tabb to Referee World Final, from World Snooker
- The Revolution Will Not Be Fetishized, from Jacobin
- I was interviewed for this Women's Views on News piece: Disability: the Cinderella of feminism?
- From Good Girls Marry Doctors, Wake up New York Times! Asian is a very large category!
- Grey Hair on Women Hits the Workplace, from Huffington Post
- Are Disabled People Really 'Undateable'?, from Guardian Comment is Free
- Trans-misogyny primer, from Whipping Girl
- From Tiger Beatdown, Emily's Girl Talk presentation
- From Amnesty International, Brazil: Outrageous Supreme Court ruling gives green light to rapists
- An Education with Life, from 8 defiant letters
- A few weeks ago, Helen wrote about how alleged members of Pussy Riot are facing up to seven years in prison. Here is a video from Kathleen Hanna on Free Pussy Riot
- A short FAQ about "cis", from ksej
- Oxfam calls on people to join the Big Bra Hunt
- The Guardian reports that A4e are in line for major government contract
- Charlotte Richardson Andrews, on Samantha Brick: "And god help you if you are an ugly girl/'course too pretty is also your doom/'cause everyone harbors a secret hatred for the prettiest girl in the room"
- On the same subject, by Hadley Freeman, The Mail simply threw Samantha Brick to the wolves
- Look, Kitten, I Am Too A Feminist! Fauxminism and Men from Lawsonry
- Lansley's Attack on Abortion: Expensive, Disruptive and Unjustified, from Sarah Ditum
- Horrific stories of stolen babies, Bebés Robados, from the London Review of Books
- Deep Green Resistance report on Sexual violence, breast cancer, and birth defects: how fracking impacts women
- Can we check our cunting privilege?, from Magiczebra's Posterous
- Video: Girl Talk A Trans & Cis Woman Dialogue [Gina de Vries and Elena Rose (little light)]
- Dear UK Abortion Rights, from Letters from LadyCurd
- 32 people are dying every week after failing disability benefit claims, from Penman and Sommerlad Investigate
- From Disabled Medic, EcoDisablism
- From Prokofiev and Politics, Feminism in Scotland: A Feminist Call to Arms
- From AlterNet, The Politics of Fat: We Have to Keep Struggling to Liberate Ourselves from Self-Hatred
- Sticks and stones might be bad - but being called Fat really did hurt me, from Jobellerina
I will leave you with the original and far, far superior "I Kissed a Girl" (by Jill Sobule)
[The image is a photograph of the Diving Belle on Vincent's Pier in Scarborough. It is a bronze sculpture of a female diver, situated next to the lighthouse and looking out to the sea. It was taken by me.]
Founder of The F-Word, Catherine Redfern, has co-authored a new book with Kristin Aune. Find out more at the 
Laura // Posted 09 April 2012 at 12:20
Brilliant video and song, thanks!
Philippa Willitts // Posted 09 April 2012 at 18:23
Glad you liked it! I've loved the song for years but had never seen the video until looking it up a few days ago for this.
karen smith // Posted 16 April 2012 at 07:55
I'm surprised the F word is promoting Oxfam's 'great bra hunt'. I read about this in the Daily Mail today and here's a quote from an oxfam representative.
"Oxfam is sending its first batches of bras to Senegal, West Africa, where, traditionally, women ‘just flop around’, according to Sarah Farquhar, head of Oxfam Trading. ‘A good bra makes them feel more elegant.’ "
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2130239/The-worlds-oldest-supermodel-At-83-Daphne-Selfe-appears-Vogue-struts-Paris-catwalks-Her-secret-Long-hair-Botox-dollop-Boots-facecream.html
I just find this statement appalling, it manages to be both misogynist and racist/culturally imperalist at the same time. Is there something wrong with women's breasts 'flopping around'? I thought that that's how breasts were designed! What right do Oxfam have to impose western beauty standards on poor women in Africa and demand they look 'elegant'? What right do Oxfam have to demand any of us look 'elegant'?
Oh and it turns out from their website that Oxfam are actually selling the bras in senegal - if the need is that great, why not give them away?
A big own goal from Oxfam, who certainly won't be getting any more of my money, and I was a regular donor.
Philippa Willitts // Posted 16 April 2012 at 09:12
Thanks for this, Karen, I had no idea.