Feminist valentines?
Hmmm. Is it just me being all old-fashioned second-wave feminist, or is there something a little bit odd about Women's Aid selling valentines? I mean, it's great to find new ways of raising funds for Women's Aid, and this is really nicely done with some lovely ideas. I loved the one I was sent. But, as the Chief Exec herself says here, abusive relationships often start with stereotypical romance and, as I'd further say but she doesn't here, our society often confuses romance with behaviours that are controlling (especially when between cis-men and cis-women in culturally familiar patterns). And romance, or 'love', is often used as an excuse by abusers for their behaviours. Of course you can have romance which is not about abuse or control, but given those links, Women's Aid and Valentine's Day seem rather odd bedfellows to me.