Things I read this week that I found interesting

See above.

The Idea of Feminism Isn’t The Problem; The Current Manifestation Of “Mainstream Feminism” Is (Gradient Lair)- An absolutely must-read piece.

If You Masturbate To This, Then Your Children Will Be Next (nyebaron)- Excellent stuff on David Blunkett’s nonsense.

How to Be an Ally to Trans Women (Julia Serano)- An excerpt from her new book, which you should probably read.

When Did Girls Start Wearing Pink? (Jeanne Maglaty)- Fascinating article about the history of baby clothes.

Being bisexual and dating a trans person (Cis is not a dirty word)- Beautiful and heartfelt.

No one campaigns for back street abortions… (everyday whorephobia)- Deconstruction of a double standard within feminism.

We Won’t Kick Transphobia Out of Football with Rainbow Laces (Useful Nuisance)- A deconstruction of S’onewall’s latest crap.

And finally, here is Mads Mikkelsen near a cat, because apparently pictures of him holding one don’t exist and this breaks my heart a tiny bit.

Things I read this week that I found interesting

Hello internet. I read things.

Of privilege in progressive circles. (Dani)- Go and read this.

SWOU statement in response to mis-representations from the Nottingham conference (Sex Worker Open University)- Signal boosting this, because it’s important. Yesterday, sex workers were literally locked out of a feminist conference, and misinformation was spread. Please read their statement.

“Racists React To [thing]” posts are just passive white supremacy (4thletter!)- An explanation of the problematic aspects of a particular trope in lazy journalism.

Why #ibelieveher, and don’t believe rape suspects need anonymity. (That Pesky Feminist)- Shit that shouldn’t need saying, said well.

Don’t Blame the Victim: Freshers’ Week Sexism (quiteirregular)- Timely post on a problem that is most visible at certain times of the year.

Health is not an obligation (hlokaya)- Excellent piece on the nonsense spouted about health and weight. Content note for eating disorders and self harm.

How about no more misogyny,racism and outings? (everyday whorephobia)- Your necessary occasional reminder that there’s a lot more wrong with the Sun than the third page.

And finally, the winners of Astronomy Photographer of the Year. Pretty!

Things I read this week that I found interesting

This week, I have been mostly playing Pokemon. Still. I also read some things. Perhaps you will find them interesting. I did.

On The Male Privilege That I Totally Have. (Alien She)- A badass trans sister says some shit that really doesn’t need saying.

An open letter to the men of the world (Days Like Crazy Paving)- Blisteringly brilliant.

Victim blaming: the easy option? (Sarah Thomasin)- On a very common reaction to abuse.

How *not* to write a blog about sex work (Sometimes, its just a cigar)- A useful primer on pitfalls to avoid, with reference to a particularly terrible example.

12 Angry Men… Or a dozen confused folk? The weeks in 1998 that changed me forever. (gibbsgubbins)- An account of being on a jury, and how the writer doesn’t trust jury verdicts anymore.

The hypocrisy of calling for anonymity for rape defendants (sian and crooked rib)- Bookmark this for when that waahmbulance ride of an argument comes up.

Battles of Cable Street (Michael Richmond)- Contextualising the Tower Hamlets antifascist arrests.

Allies Who Are Not Allies (Eponymous Fliponymous)- A story about needing a towtruck, which articulates a problem neatly.

And finally, this is the finest tumblr ever, fulfilling all your definitely-not-misandrist needs.

 

Things I read this week that I found interesting

Oh dear, I’m very tired and hating on the police right now. But aside from that, I read some things.

The Perils of Being Trans and Mental (Alien She)- Heartbreaking post on gatekeepers in medical care.

Labels on my soul: “feminist” (Days Like Crazy Paving)- Why Jay has decided to start calling herself a feminist.

Why I Stopped Being a Grammar Snob (Mary Rolf)- On the privilege in grammar snobbery.

Something Rotten at the Sausage Factory: How Wikipedia Embraced Transphobia for Chelsea Manning (Philip Sandifer)- Long read, but everything you need to know about transphobia among Wikipedia editors.

Can the White Girl Twerk? (Ayesha Siddiqi)- On white girls, appropriation and sexuality.

Fangirl Isn’t a Dirty Word (Deborah Stanish)- Smashing sexism in fandom.

Why I’m Never Going Back to Penny Arcade Expo (Rachel Edidin)- Unfortunately, the battle against geek sexism isn’t won yet.

An open letter to gaslighters on triggers, trauma, and women’s anger (The Fementalists)- Just amazing.

And finally, here is a cat politely but firmly communicating its boundaries. If you don’t like cats because you’re some sort of monster, here’s some adults recreating childhood photos. 

Things I read this week that I found interesting

Good morning(ish). Here are some things I read this week.

After #SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen: So You Want To Be An Ally, Now What? (Mikki Kendall)- A really valuable guide to being an ally, a must read.

Will the UK ever give up on its racist immigration policy? (Wail Qasim)- The definitive article on UK immigration policy.

Boris loves Aussies. Well, certain Aussies anyway… (The Rant Mistress)- Pointing out some hypocrisy in the latest racist shit coming from Tories.

When debate is worse than silence (fearlessknits)- On those times where debate is just awful.

The Protocols of the Elders of Feminism (sometimes it’s just a cigar)- On feminism’s problem with accepting TERfs.

Guilt, choice, and responsibility in the austerity kitchen (Ramona’s blog)- Ramona smashes a common bit of bullshit.

Dear Jamie Oliver… (Miss South)- Absolute evisceration of the bullshit dripping from Jamie Oliver’s fat-tongued mouth.

Consent, Sex Ed and Young People (Bishtraining)- An excellent analysis.

FilmScape (Lindsay McLeod)- A short story documenting a very plausible future.

And finally, I want to get this tattooed on me.

Things I read this week that I found interesting

Good morning. I have so many links this week that my tab-anxiety is working in overdrive and I’ll try and round them all up before I panic-close everything because it’s all a bit much. Give me more links, you sexy beasts.

Things women say that you hate hearing all the time (Ramona’s blog)- Naming a manarchist problem, wittily.

Manarchism, or, how to hurt a man’s feelings. (itisiwhowillit)- Continuing to name that manarchist problem, wittily.

“the CPU is not made for this motherboard” (Helen G)- Really good primer on Chelsea Manning.

Living in truth: Chelsea Manning in prison (a paper bird)- Context to Chelsea Manning’s story and how gay activists ignore trans women. Note: last time I read it there was some spotty misgendering of Chelsea which the author will clean up.

Some thoughts about sexual normativity in food writing (Flavia Dzodan)- Very readable analysis, articulating an issue I’d never given much thought.

The Road to Roe (Cynthia Greenlee-Donnell)- On the role of women of colour in abortion rights struggles in the US, a group notably erased and instrumentalised.

Someone else’s story: on sexual questions (halfabear)- Hilarious response to a really common question a woman with paraplegia gets a lot.

The Problem with Individualistic Knowledge (BoldlyGo)- On Fry, Dawkins and a load of Kant.

Law cannot determine whether Assange is guilty of sexual assault (Sarah Keenan)- Excellent analysis of a derailing tactic used by AssAngels.

how not to treat mental illness. (itisiwhowillit)- Really excellent short post on two mistakes people make when talking about mental health.

It’s only words: psychosis, ‘evil’, & (self-)stigma (zedkat)- Why the association of “evil” with psychosis needs to die.

“Apology accepted” and other things I’ll never get to say to my former diet counselors (Lesley)- A look at the diet industry and how vile it is.

Shoreditch’s curious people (This Day)- On the violence of UKBA raids.

On race, feminism and activism- my speech for UK Feminsta Summer School 2013 (Reni Eddo-Lodge)- Blisteringly brilliant.

And finally, what memes would cats produce if they ran the internet? Also, since I’m feeling generous, hipster Jon Snow.

 

 

Things I read this week that I found interesting

I read a lot of things this week, and found them interesting. Perhaps you will, too.

1 in 2 and 77.7p – some numbers (zedkat)- zedkat presents some stark statistics on women with disabilities. Well worth reading and discussing.

Identity Politics and Shared Humanity (quite irregular)- Jem smashes the classic red herrings of “I believe in equality” and blah blah identity politics blah.

Everything you know about drugs is wrong (Tessie Swope Castillo)- Examining the racism in drug policy.

Redefining Feminism: Overcoming the Legacy of Exclusion (Sarah Salem)- Important piece questioning white supremacy in feminism.

#SolidarityIsForWhiteWomen: women of color’s issue with digital feminism (Mikki Kendal)- By far the best thing I’ve seen on this in the mainstream media.

We Need to Talk About Hugo, Race, and Feminism (Bitch Magazine)- A handy round-up of recent conversations.

Dear Men (Shakesville)- On ownership and the “not all like that” myth.

“I felt so bad, so violated …” (Scot Pep)- Accounts from workers who were recent victims of sauna raids in Edinburgh.

Government to “get to grips” with Rape-Porn (Obscenity Lawyer)- Thorough overview of the hot mess that is the government’s plans.

i was a misogynist (to a fault)- A reflective piece, confronting internalised misogyny.

Developing a better call-out culture (Queste Desmarais)- Thoughtful piece on call out culture, abuse, and the importance of starting with ourselves.

You’re probably more racist and sexist than you think (Oliver Burkeman)- I’ve been banging on about this since forever, but it’s nice to see the Guardian join the party.

Dear 50 Shades fan: BDSM doesn’t need or want your defense. (Jenny Trout)- Excellent piece on BDSM and abuse, with one of the best opening lines I’ve seen in a long time,

And finally, fuck it, here’s a livestream of some kittens. At time of writing, they’re asleep in a little furry pile.

Things I read this week that I found interesting

Things. Read. Not much really this week, actually.

The Problem With Male Feminists (quiteirregular)- Fucking nails it.

Monsters (Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal)- Have you ever experienced this kind of shutting down?

We have to talk about Hugo (sometimes, it’s just a cigar)- A caveat.

Black, LGBT, American (Laverne Cox)- A look at the intersections.

on bus stops, boundaries, and bad things i learn late at night (a can opener in a worm factory)- On rape culture, harassment and boundaries.

Why do activists reject Russian LGBT strategy for Olympics? (Colin Stewart)- Overview of Russian and global activists’ strategy for the Russian Olympics.

And finally… I don’t even

Things I read this week that I found interesting

I read some things with my eyes, and I found them interesting. Perhaps you will, too?

On the figure of the troll (By Strategy)- Just about the finest article on trolling from someone who knows what they’re talking about.

Misogyny and Twitter – confusing cause with medium (Aaron Peters and Jo Afiya)- The talk of the abuse button is missing something important. Excellent analysis here.

Room to breathe in defence of the NHS (Ramona’s blog)- A line negotiated on how we can defend the NHS, but still criticise how bad its mental healthcare is.

Come one, come all! Feminist and Social Justice blogging as performance and bloodshed (Flavia Dzodan)- A provocative, must-read post from Flavia.

On banning pro-ana (zedkat)- As an ED survivor, zedkat makes the case against banning “pro-ana” websites when the filtering comes in.

10 thoughts…on mental illness, abuse, and survivors (Grace)- Really important discussion of solidarity, survivors and abuse.

Transphobia in the academy: feminist edition (Shakesville)- That same old story again, with a different set of characters.

Have gay rights groups abandoned Bradley Manning? (Christopher Carbone)- On the echoing silence from mainstream gay right groups towards Manning, and why that may be.

We Think He Might Be a Boy (Su Penn)- A deeply personal story about a mother’s relationship with her trans son. Heartwarming.

Billy Bragg Is A Knob, Ignore Him And Help Save The Southbank Undercroft (the void)- Ronseal.

An Open Letter to Carol Vorderman (Pipopotamus)- Calling Vorderman out on some anti-traveller bollocks.

“Mother” is a gender identity; it’s not my gender identity (Hunter not the hunted)- A really interesting exploration of “mother” as a gender identity, and why this blogger doesn’t find it fits.

Renegotiating Love – how I introduced non-monogamy into my existing relationship. (Little tales of misogyny)- A gloopy, happy-making story.

And finally, here are some men in pin up girl poses. Inspired a lot of emotions, beautifully photographed, and more like this please.

Things I read this week that I found interesting

Beloved followers, I am still covered in sweat and glitter from a lovely night, so please do forgive me if I make no sense in the round up of some things what I read.

Harassment in the Online Sphere: On “Civility”, “Censorship”, and Solutions (Kate Hache)- Much better post than mine on internet harassment and abuse and stuff.

No platform for Billy Bragg (Dan Hancox)- Excellent stuff on 80s protest nostalgia.

Black, LGBT, American (Darnell L. Moore)- On the intersecting oppressions faced by this group.

Why bisexuals stay in the closet (Emily Alpert)- Some may relate to these sad truths.

EDL, rape threats, pseudo-feminism and obvious sexual inadequacy. (itisiwhowillit)- You should all read this about the EDL’s terrible gender politics.

Talking About Porn (Squeaking Truth To Power)- A fun piece, with a good message, involving Die Hard.

On touch and consent (inkiebird)- Non-sexual touching ought to require consent.

Transphobic logic (A Widdershins Girl)- A short post getting neatly to the root of a problem.

Is Gender-Flipping The Most Important Meme Ever? (Caitlin Welsh)- A meme with a subversive potential, featuring excellent pictures.

Fuck the master’s tools (sunili)- Blisteringly angry. Read this.

And finally, have some challenging wank material by the medium of German teletext porn.