The world needs a social justice version of John Baez’ classic simple method for rating potentially revolutionary contributions to physics AKA The Crackpot Index, to rate our never-ending “feedback” from troglodytes of assorted stripes who are convinced that not only are we Doin It Rong but that we deserve to be threatened into silence for daring to have an opinion in the first place.
Politics
Friday Hoyden: Emily Davison
Three days ago marked 100 years since the day Emily Wilding Davison, carrying out a suffragist political protest, was trampled by racehorses at the Epsom Derby and later died. I always heard it told as “threw herself under the King’s horse”, but informed discussion around the incident suggests that I shouldn’t make such a simple, firm statement about what happened. What we must not forget is how brutal the response was to all forms of activism by women demanding something as basic as the vote.
The 61st Down Under Feminists Carnival is up!
All the details on the latest edition and how to submit to the next one!
Speaking as a bitch who has read some macroeconomics
I agree with much of this piece by Helen Razer in The Age – “Destroying the point”. But overall, I wonder where her conclusions lead us. ”If you want to politicise someone, here’s a thought: talk to them about politics,”… Read More ›
When men disagree with others it’s a robust addition to free speech, when women disagree with men it’s to silence them
This time it’s women objecting to sexist content in the professional magazine for the Science Fiction Writers Of America who are causing Deep Rifts™.
Congratulations to Norrie!
In a landmark decision with major implications for thousands of intersex, androgynous and neuter people across the country, the court on Friday upheld an appeal by Sydney activist ‘Norrie’ against a decision by the Administrative Decisions Tribunal that people must be officially registered as ‘M’ or ‘F’.
Quote Of The Day: Consider A Birdcage
If you look very closely at just one wire in the cage, you cannot see the other wires. If your conception of what is before you is determined by this myopic focus, you could look at that one wire, up and down the length of it, and be unable to see why a bird would not just fly around the wire any time it wanted to go somewhere.
Sport, racial vilification, casually racist gaffes, calling out slurs and apologies
I haven’t been paying attention to all the details of who said what about Adam Goodes since the on-field incident last week, but I’m pleasantly surprised to see Eddie Maguire now offering proper acknowledgements of the effects of racial vilification and proper apologies for uttering a racial slur. It’s a start.
Our best sign yet that we are doing something right.
Content note: child rape.
Didion at Feminéma, who has just become my new favourite person, has written a response to comments made by Roman Polanski at a press conference at the Cannes Film Festival, where he continues to be welcome.
Kevin thread
Interesting timing.