"We would gladly have listened to her (they said) if only she had spoken like a lady. But they are liars, and the truth is not in them." - Joanna Russ, in The Female Man, 1986 ( Read more... )

I'm a bit pissed off that on (more or less) International Womens Day, I am reading about Louis Nowra's attack on Germaine Greer in The Monthly. ( apparently, pissed off enough to write a lengthy diatribe )

When the issue of 'safe spaces' has come up, in discussion at Swancon and elsewhere (I certainly have other contexts in which I need to think about it), I've tended to harp on about the issue of perceived safety vs actual safety. There are a few incidents that have made me worry that when a safe is perceived as safe, but isn't, it can lead to it ( Read more... )

(via LP) Australian has, following the Obama administration lead, done away with the Global Gag rule on foreign aid going to organisations that include abortion in their family planning advice (or provided abortion services).
ETA the Hoydens also did a fine post on this. There are a number of things to be said about this ( Read more... )

On a happier note, I heartily approve the existence of the Indian Association of Pub-Going, Loose and Forward Women, a charmingly named association of women opposed to Hindu extremist violent wowser thugs, who are organising (via Facebook) a gift of many thousands of pairs of pink underwear to the group Sri Ram Sena (Lord Ram's Army ( Read more... )