Readers who are already part of SF fandom have probably seen a lot of this WisCon 38 fallout already, but since this sort of institutional memory-holing of relevant history regarding serial harassers is precisely the sort of social convention that serial harassers rely upon in order to keep getting away with what they do, alongside the fallacy that harassers are obvious deviants who could never be part of my well-ordered community (when in fact they are commonly those with the well-liked/respected status to be given the benefit of the doubt when/if reports are made against them), it’s worth reading about the mistakes of communities with which one isn’t familiar so that one can learn about patterns to watch out for and procedural standards which need to be known and practised by decision-makers.
Sociology
Media Circus: Hockeynomics edition
Good news everybody! Our esteemed Treasurer Joe Hockey just told the Kiwis that the Australian economy is not in crisis nor even in trouble!
What news story/commentary/analysis has grabbed your attention lately?
QOTD: Neutrality is not neutral. Neutrality supports the status quo.
[Content Note: discussion of graphic rape threats and links to posts that quote them]
the way you personally feel about rape threats is irrelevant. What’s relevant is how you behave when they happen. When you support and promote the work of someone who makes rape threats, you are tolerating rape threats.
Friday Hoyden quick hit: Linda Brodsky
A piece came across my Twitter feed a few weeks ago about an American doctor who died earlier this year. Rebecca Greenfield wrote describing the pay discrimination her mother experienced, the retaliation she suffered when she protested, and the enormous personal cost of the years she spent fighting the injustice.
Dressmaking for the Obsessive
One for the dressmakers, costumiers and historians among us: an unexpected family treasure unearthed.
Today in ‘You can’t make this sh*t up’ because no one would believe you’
A nurse-midwife with anti-contraception religious views sues a Family Planning Clinic that declined to hire her.
TheAmazingAtheist purportedly wrote these words, looked at them, and chose to publish them
UPDATE: It has been shown that there is no evidence that TheAmazingAtheist actually wrote these words, and Kincaid has responded to these allegations. The tumblr from which this quote was sourced has been deleted. Please see below.
Count yourself lucky if you’ve never heard of somewhat popular video-blogger TheAmazingAtheist aka TJ Kincaid. He’s one of the subset of atheists who want certain other atheists to “stop being divisive” via pointing out the injustices of the kyriarchal status quo ongoing within the atheist “movement”. He has ever so many rational and deeply intellectual opinions about life, the universe and everything.
Quicklink: Autism not just a boy thing
Virginia Hughes analyses The Sexual Politics of Autism in her National Geographic blog; a meaty overview with lots of juicy links.
Media Circus: Palmergeddon edition
This morning the Murdoch Media is full of grotesque caricatures of Clive Palmer focussing on his fat (wow, whodathunkit?) while trumpeting FUD about “chaos” in parliament because one vote on one bill in the Senate has not gone the government’s way. That spinaround didn’t take long, did it?
Palmer’s pursuit of populism has worked in the national interest for this brief moment.
What news story/commentary/analysis has grabbed your attention lately?
The 74th Down Under Feminists Carnival is up!
All the details on the latest edition and how to submit to the next one!