Feminist Current

Most-read feminist blog in Canada - www.feministcurrent.com

[feministcurrent]

Why tell a story of domestic abuse in such an irresponsible way? Why provide yet another platform to allow a an abuser to vilify his victim, publicly? Why offer another opportunity to reinforce the myth that women lie about abuse? Why take this man at his word when his word is so incredibly and obviously intended to manipulate and effectively revictimizes his victim?

http://www.feministcurrent.com/2015/11/11/some-advice-for-humans-of-new-york-believe-women-first/

[feministcurrent]

While the 'feminist media' is blacking out stories of sexual exploitation, what chance do victims have of ever being heard? This wall of silence allows exploitation and abuse to flourish unnoticed and unabated. If Amnesty and their supporters truly want to bring exploitation out from underground, they need to start by listening to the victims they have been long avoiding.

Laura McNally http://www.feministcurrent.com/2015/08/28/the-wall-of-silence-on-sexual-exploitation/

[feministcurrent]

Cosmopolitan’s video, though well-intentioned and potentially effective, prompts me to ask the very same question: Are women human, when the only way to incite men to treat them humanely is to define them as mothers and lovers — as an adjunct to men? Are women human, when one of the strongest tools for asserting their humanity is presenting them as objects that belong to a man — somebody’s daughter, somebody’s sister? Are the victims of the sexual harassment and violence detailed above best served by a rhetoric that is arguably underpinned, in part, by the same patriarchal concepts of ownership and entitlement that perpetuate the problem? Should we strive for a revolutionary feminist politics based on women’s worth as human beings, or is it enough to get men through the door by appealing to their sense of masculine protectiveness; do the material gains justify the approach? Moreover, when we know that women are most likely to experience violence from a former or current partner in their own home, does appealing to men’s love and respect for women who are close to them even work?

http://www.feministcurrent.com/2015/08/18/are-women-human/

[feministcurrent]

Tinder fearmongering won't erase the underlying problem of porn culture

An article in the September issue of Vanity Fair by Nancy Jo Sales painted a rather depressing picture of heterosexual dating in the age of Tinder. These bleak assessments of modern courting that g...

"Liberal feminists refuse to address the root of patriarchy and or porn culture as a key problem, skirting around the issues and pretending that things like “choice” will magically upend deeply entrenched systems of power. But it won’t. And your looking at the proof.We still live in a culture that treats women as things that exist for men. Liberals are baffled that women continue to hold little power in the dating scene because they’ve refused to address systems of power or objectification as a problem at all. Giving women jobs and an education and political power helps and is absolutely necessary, but it isn’t enough. You can’t give a woman a job and tell her that she still has to perform to the male gaze in order to matter in this world and expect things to change. You can’t tell men they are entitled to access women through the maintenance and normalization of a global sex industry and expect women to have real sexual power when it comes to their dalliances with men. You can’t make a woman’s worth about getting married and becoming a mother but simultaneously expect the root dynamics of heterosexual relationships to change. You can’t tell women they are on an equal playing field but continue to subject them to sexual harassment on the job, then flit around wondering what could possibly have led men to believe they are entitled to yell misogynistic comments at women on the street.Liberal feminism doesn’t work. It isn’t enough. And that’s why women can still have access to (some) power in the public sphere but are still not able to escape sexism."

[feministcurrent]

Undoubtedly Amy was powerful and headstrong. She was no shrinking violet, waiting to be told what to do by some man. Nonetheless, she, like all humans, deserved compassion and care and instead was taken advantage of and used by those she cared for. I believe, on one hand, that she could have been ok if she’d received the support she needed and was offered an escape from the ever-prying claws of the limelight. Then again, living as a woman in a man’s world isn’t easy for any of us. Perhaps what she really needed to survive was the option of life outside capitalism and patriarchy.

http://feministcurrent.com/12776/patriarchy-male-entitlement-capitalist-greed-killed-amy-winehouse-not-boozing/

[feministcurrent]

Jian Ghomeshi's progressive persona was the perfect cover for his abuse

In Leah McLaren's Toronto Life story on fallen star, Jian Ghomeshi, she writes, What’s startling about the allegations against Jian is not that a seemingly law-abiding person is accused of doing te...

[feministcurrent]

It matters to be trans in a world that has created a binary wherein there is only "masculine" or "feminine." That room must exist in between and outside those categories is necessary if we ever dream of living outside their confines. What I'm asking is not that the suffering and real lives of transgender people be ignored, but that we acknowledge that context, history, and socialization are real and also matter. That when little girls are taught to be pretty and polite, to not take up space, to spend their lives on a diet, to be desirable but also that they will be punished through that desirability, those experiences matter and happen to us because we are born female. That we learn to understand our sexualities only in relation to what men want matters. That we learn our bodies are not ours, but public commodities, matters. That we learn our boundaries are "rude" and that they will be violated matters. That we must fear those we depend on (or even love) for our survival matters. That we learn to put ourselves last and to "sit down and shut up" matters. That we learn solidarity with men will get us further than solidarity with women matters. We aren't fighting against trans people, we are fighting for our lives and the right to speak about our lives, bodies, history, and oppression, as a class. We are also fighting against the notion that either femininity or masculinity are innate parts of our beings, an idea that reinforces male power and female subordination.

http://feministcurrent.com/12254/you-cant-feel-race-but-can-you-feel-female-on-rachel-dolezal-caitlyn-jenner-and-unspeakable-questions/

[abolitioneve]

Greetings, This letter is regarding Meghan Murphy and our input on the controversy surrounding her work, her choice of vernacular, and her analysis, particularly on how it relates to prostitution. We, at EVE (see the summary of who we are below), have worked closely with Ms. Murphy on many...

[feministcurrent]

Open Letter to rabble re: Meghan Murphy

To: The Editors, Publishers, Founders and Editorial Board – rabble.ca

We, the undersigned, wish to express our deep dissatisfaction with rabble’s response to the recent attacks on Meghan Murphy.

In past weeks, Meghan Murphy has become the target of a vicious and focused attack that we believe is aimed not only at her—as the most visible voice of a set of feminist principles with which we broadly agree—but at women in general and feminists specifically.

This attack—sparked by an article at Playboy magazine and a petition inspired by the Men’s Rights Movement and women who are known for their promotion of the sex industry—focuses nominally on a brief piece written by Murphy in response to nude photos published by a trans woman named Laverne Cox. Her piece criticized the notion that the publication of highly sexualized, pornographic photographs of a woman or trans woman is “empowering.” We see no fair basis upon which the piece can be characterized as “transphobic.” Moreover, the definition of “transphobia” is, like its partner in discourse, “whorephobia,” a subject of debate. For those of us who still adhere to democratic standards and principles of fair journalism, it is disturbing to see critique converted to “phobia/personal attack” resulting in an end to rational discussion.

Given that there is no reasonable argument that Murphy’s article discriminates against or is disrespectful to trans people, it is our belief that the breadth and vitriol of the attack on her and the ideas she articulates is rooted in a broader attempt to marginalize and inevitably silence women and feminists who agree with her political views—and ours.

As evidenced by her work at Feminist Current and at rabble, Murphy has taken a principled, feminist position in opposition to the institutionalization of women’s oppression and exploitation through prostitution and in support of the goal of the abolition of prostitution beginning with the criminalization of the men in charge of the prostitution industry—pimps and traffickers—and the consumers of women’s bodies—johns.

There has been, and is, deep division across many constituencies with respect to this issue, accompanied by a concerted effort from the sex industry and those on the sex industry bandwagon—often including women—to attack, smear, stalk, harass and threaten any woman—or man—who threatens the flow of cash streaming from women’s backs into the pockets of exploiters. In our view rabble has consistently supported, published and given wide berth to these voices at the expense of reasoned argument, debate and discussion, rather than articulate a principled stand on the issue.

The one ray of light at rabble on feminist issues and prostitution is Meghan Murphy. Unlike many in the pro-prostitution, anti-feminist, and transactivist movements, Murphy depends on analysis and reasoned argument in articles she has written at Feminist Current and rabble. Her detractors have failed to actually engage with the arguments Murphy makes. Instead they favour vicious, personal attacks and astroturfing. These attacks now threaten her employment and career, not only at rabble, but elsewhere.

As women and feminists who depend on Murphy’s integrity as a journalist and her ability to think and write analytically and lucidly, this is of deep concern to us. We support her and we vehemently oppose the effort to silence her public voice.

But the issue goes beyond Murphy herself to the principles of journalism, democracy and the valorization of public speech for a wide variety of otherwise marginalized voices. It is obvious that we live in difficult political times wherein there is deep polarization across many political divides and within oppressed communities with respect to political and “cultural” issues. While it may not be possible for rabble to take a principled position on each and every issue, we, your readers, demand that at the very least you provide an environment wherein reasoned discussion is encouraged and ad hominem attack is not tolerated.

Many of the blog and opinion pieces you have sponsored have not met that basic expectation. Personal attack against certain voices appears to be encouraged, thus legitimizing the kind of vicious campaign levelled against Meghan Murphy and her supporters. By not taking a firm stand and making a clear statement in support of Murphy’s journalism, published in your own digital pages and appreciated by a broad spectrum of women, feminists, and male supporters of feminist principles, you are implicated in the current witch hunt. rabble thus harms not only Meghan Murphy both personally and professionally, but also stifles public discussion of complex and difficult issues that are simply not covered adequately in mainstream media.

We believe that rabble has a responsibility to affirm its commitment to giving the voices of the largest class of oppressed humanity—women, and most especially Indigenous women, women of colour and women living in poverty —a hearing and a public forum for principled debate. We would like to see a new statement that acknowledges that rabble accepts its responsibility to act with professional and political integrity in the treatment of its staff, its writers, and the national and global feminist movement.

Yours truly,

ORGANIZATIONS:

Feministas of Canada

S.A.N.T.A.S. (Uruguay – Argentina – Spain)

Mujeres de AgrupaciÛn Lucretia Barredes (Uruguay)

Lunas Lesbianas Feministas (Mexico)

The Störenfriedas, German Blogger Group

Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter

WoLF ( Women’s Liberation Front)

Deep Green Resistance

ROSE (Remember our Sisters Everywhere)

CATWA (Coalition Against Trafficking in Women Australia)

CLES (Concertation des luttes contre l’exploitation sexuelle)

LAWC (London Abused Women’s Centre), London, ON

Women Fight Back, Vancouver Island, BC

Newfoundland and Labrador Feminists and Allies

The Resist Collective, Vancouver, BC

NorMAC (Nordic Model in Australia Coalition)

Collective Shout Australia

Persons Against Non-State Torture

EVE (formerly Exploited Voices now Educating)

Sisyphe.org

INDIVIDUALS:

Alena Nikole, WoLF

Alexandra Pelletier

Ali Bee, Norwich, UK

Amanda Thornhill, Parrish, FL, USA

Ana Popovic, Montréal, QC, community organiser

Andrea Stumpf, Vancouver, BC

Angie Conroy, Cambodia

Anna Hoheide, Blogger

Anne-Marie Bilodeau, avocate retraitée, Montréal, QC

Aoife Emily Hart, Vancouver, BC

Betty Qi, Stouffville, ON

Bo Novak, Bath, England

Brigitte Tucker, Australia

Carol Hanisch, Ellenville, NY, USA

Caroline Laplante, animatrice en art collectif, Québec

Caroline Werner, LISA Wiesbaden, DIE LINKE (german left party)

Cassaundra Blythe, Havelock, ON

Catherine Weiss, Melbourne, Australia

Cathryn Atkinson, Squamish, BC

Celia A. Nord, Chase, BC

Chantale Caron, directrice générale, Centre de prévention du suicide  Pierre-de-Saurel, Québec

Cheryl Lynn Bergen BSW, RSW, Prince Albert, Saskatchewan

Chloe Gustella, Melbourne, Australia

Chris Cherry, Writer and Former Communications Director, SC Democratic Women’s Council

Chris Hedges, Journalist, Princeton, NJ, USA

Chris McDowell, Vancouver, BC for ROSE (Remember Our Sisters Everywhere)

Christine Boyle, Q.C., Professor Emeritus, Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia

Claire Young, Professor Emerita, Allard School of Law, University of British Columbia

Colette Price Swietnicki, New York City, NY, USA

Colleen Fuller, Vancouver, BC

Colleen Glynn, Richmond, BC

Coralie Allison, Director, Collective Shout Australia

Coralie Pittman, Melbourne, Australia – Collective Shout

D.  Klaric, Toronto, ON

Danielle Cormier, Vancouver, BC

Danielle de Ronde, Ottawa, ON

Derrick Jensen, Crescent City, CA, USA – Deep Green Resistance

Diana Boston

Diane Matte and Concertation des luttes contre l’exploitation sexuelle

Didier Bois, abolitionnist activist, Paris, France

Dominique Bernier, Assistante ‡ la coordination, Coalition pour que le Québec ait meilleure mine

Dr Meagan Tyler, Feminist Academic, Melbourne, Australia

Dr. Erin Graham, Vancouver, BC

Drew Walker, London, ON

Elaine Grisé, MA in Sexology, Women’s Centre Coordinator, Montréal, QC

Elizabeth Ann Coulter, Grandview, MO, USA

Elizabeth Fleetwood, Australia

Elizabeth Hungerford, Maynard, MA, USA

Elizabeth Pickett, Founder- Feministas of Canada

Elizabeth Sheehy, FRSC, Shirley Greenberg Chair for Women and the Legal Profession, University of Ottawa, Faculty of Law

Emanuel Marcos Abinzano, Cordoba, Argentina

Emily Bagnald, WoLF, occupied Mi’kma’ki (aka Nova Scotia, Canada)

Emily Pascall

Emma Walker, London, ON

Erin D. Jackson, Albuquerque, NM, USA

Ernesto Aguilar, Houston, TX, USA

Estrella Sicardi, Montevideo, Uruguay

Florencia Negreira, Canelones, Uruguay

Françoise Pelletier, feminist, M.A. Art-thérapie, Mental health counselor, Maison alternative de développement humain inc, Saint-Hyacinthe, QC

Frank Austin, Atlanta, GA, USA

Gail Dines, Professor and founder, Stop Porn Culture, Boston, MA, USA

Hanna Dahlberg, Blogger, Die Stˆerenfriedas, Germany

Hélène Morin

Hilla Kerner, Vancouver, BC

Inge Kleine, Munich, Germany (Abolition 2014)

Isla MacGregor, NorMAC, Australia

Jacqueline Gullion, Vancouver, BC

Jacqueline Sephora Andrews, Seattle, WA, USA

Jan Watson- South Coast Environment Group WA

Janet Hacker, Victoria, BC

Janet Suarez, Canleones, Uruguay

Janice Latisha Betts, Manti, Manabi, Ecuador

Janine-Heather Goodrum, Wagga Wagga, NSW, Australia

Jeanne Sarson, Truro, NS

Jenifer Walker, London, ON

Jennifer White, London, ON

Jess Martin Dueck, Exploited Voices’ Allies (EVA)

Jewelles Smith, Artist, BC

Johanna te Boekhorst, Chilliwack, BC

Johanne Heppell, translator, Plaisance, Québec

Johanne St-Amour, Québec

Jonah Mix, Deep Green Resistance, Crescent City, CA

Judith M‰rz, Blogger, Germany

Julie Bindel, Author, Journalist, Feminist Campaigner, UK

Karina Ansolhabere, Montevideo, Uruguay

Katarina Vidovic, Croatia, EU

Kate Graham, Edinburgh, Scotland

Kathleen Barry, Ph.D., Sociologist and Professor Emerita

Kathy Miriam, Santa Fe, NM, USA

Kathy Scarbrough, E. Brunswick, NJ, USA

Kim Pate, Sallows Chair in Human Rights – Faculty of Law, University of Saskatchewan and Executive Director – Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies (CAEFS)

Krista Sawchuk, London, ON

Kylee Nixon, Edmonton Supporters of Protection of Communities and Exploited Persons Act, Edmonton, AB.

Laurel Long, MD, USA

Leah Harwood, Toronto, ON

Lee Lakeman, Vancouver, BC

Lierre Keith, California, USA, co-founder – WoLF

Lily Munroe

Linda MacDonald, Person Against Non-State Torture, Truro, NS

Lira Laluz, Montevideo, Uruguay

Lisa J. Whelan, London, UK

Lise Bouvet, Ressources Prostitution, Paris, France

Lorna Garano, El Cerrito, CA, USA

Luke Bourke, Melbourne, Australia

Lynda Davies, Former Frontline Worker – VAW, Ottawa, ON

Madeline Beckett, St. Louis, MI, USA

Maggie Jihan, Knox, ME, USA

Manuela Schon, LISA Wiesbaden, DIE LINKE, Member of City Parliament, Wiesbaden, Germany

Marie Hume, Mannum, South Australia

Marie-Andrée Boivin, militante pour les droits des sourds et des femmes, maîtrise en communications – profil média expérimental, UQAM, Montréal, Québec

Marie-Pier Lauzon, Québec

Marion Wallace, Memphis, TN, USA

Martin Dufresne, Editor/translator/activist, Montréal, Qc

Martine Roucole, FRANCE, Militante Osez le Féminisme

Mary Ceallaigh, Tucson, AZ, USA (WoLF member)

Mary Ceallaigh, WoLF

Mary Lou Jones, London, ON

Mary Moylan, St. John’s, NL

Mathew Gustella, Melbourne, Australia

Matthew B. Ezzell, PhD, Assistant Professor of Sociology, Department of Sociology & Anthropology, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, USA

Matthew Holloway, Australia

Max Dashu, Suppressed Histories Archives, CA, USA

Max Wilbert and Deep Green Resistance Seattle

Maya Shlayen, feminist activist & journalism student

Megan Bourke, Melbourne, Australia

Megan Walker, London Abused Women’s Centre, London, ON

Michelle Hurtibise, London, ON

Micheline Carrier, éditrice de Sisyphe.org, Montréal, Québec

Miep Rowan O’Brien, Carlsbad, NM, USA (WoLF member)

Miranda Yardley, Essex, United Kingdom

Mira Sigel, Feminist Blogger, Germany

Monica Moore, Melbourne, Australia

Monique Carbonell, Lilburn, GA, USA

Morris Dalla Costa, Journalist, London, ON

Myrian Machain, Sydney, Australia

N. Fraser, Guelph, ON

Naida Pintul, Heidelberg, Germany

Nancy J. Meyer, Hyattsville, MD, USA

Natacha Rault, Geneva – Switzerland – economist

Nicholas James, Ottawa, ON

Nicole Jameson, Collective Shout, Adelaide, Australia

Orla Hegarty, BMath, MASc, WoLF member, Newfoundland & Labrador

Otilia Puiggros, PhD Candidate, Université du Québec en Outaouais

Owen Lloyd, Deep Green Resistance, Port Orford, OR

Patricia Antuna, Montevideo, Uruguay

Patricia Karina Vergara Sanchez, DF, Mexico

Paula Schmidt, Vernon, BC

Paulette C.Turcotte, Victoria, BC

Pei-Ju Wang, Ottawa, ON

Peter Maxwell, Melbourne, Australia

Rachel Goodine, Victoria, BC

Rebecca Huntington, Lansing, MI, USA

Rebecca Thornhill, Ottawa, ON

Rebecca Whisnant, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Director of Women’s and Gender Studies, the University of Dayton, OH, USA

Reece K. Sellin, Fort Saskatchewan, AB

Rhéa Jean, PhD Philosophy, Université Laval, Université de Sherbrooke, founding member of La CLES

Robert Jensen, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA

Rose Sullivan, Québec

S.C. Gillett, Toronto, ON

Samantha Berg, journalist, co-founder – WoLF

Sanda Rogers, Ottawa, ON

Sara Lynn, Bracebridge, ON

Shanie Royal, Montréal, QC

Shannen Bethune, Mount Waverley, Melbourne, Australia

Sheila Jeffreys, Professor, University of Melbourne, Australia

Sheila McIntyre, Ottawa, ON

Shelagh Day, CM, VAncouver, BC

Simone Andrea, Fremantle, Australia

Simone Watson, Director NorMAC, Australia

Solveig Senft, Terre des Femmes, Germany

Sophia Chaudhary

Spider Redgold, The Feminine Byte, Sydney, NSW, Australia

Sue Breeze, Windsor, ON

Susan Barley, Australia

Susan Boyd, Vancouver, BC

Suzan Attwood, Snellville, GA, USA

Sylvia Black, co-founder WoLF, Atlanta, GA, USA

Tamara Gorin, poet and front line anti-poverty and housing worker, Vancouver BC

Tatjana Cherifi, LISA Wiesbaden, Germany

Terre Spencer, Peachtree Corner, GA, USA

Thistle Pettersen, Madison, WI, USA

Trish Oliver, Beaver Hall Artist, Toronto, ON and co-founder – WoLF (Women’s Liberation Front)

Trisha Baptie, Vancouver BC and EVE (formerly Exploited Voices now Educating)

Trisha Wilson-Singer, Mississauga, ON

Ulla Wojciechowski, translator, Oberhausen, Gemany

Veronica Penfold, Windsor, ON

Victoria Humak, Atlanta, GA, USA (WoLF member)

Wendy Lewis, London, ON

Whitney Austin, Atlanta, GA, USA

Wynell Austin, Atlanta, GA, USA

Yolande Clarke, Queenstown, NB

[radfemminnie]

Meanwhile, men take the opportunity to say vile things about women and not only do they get away with it, libfems actually applaud them! These men call a woman “whore” “cunt” and “dog”. They tell her she’s not a feminist and to shut her mouth. MRAs attack her with articles titled “On putting Meghan Murphy to bed” which allude to all sorts of sexist and sexual connotations. Johns are applauded for announcing they’re “ethical” clients of “sexwork” while they too slander Meghan. Just to make sure they hit every square in sexist bingo they call her crazy, deranged, and manic. MRAs take the opportunity to tear down feminism in general and self proclaimed “male feminists” appoint themselves as judge, jury, and executioner of feminism. And best of all, they announce their true agenda when they decide what makes a woman. They declare a transwoman 10 times more of a woman than Meghan. They strip her of her womanhood.

And the whole time liberal feminism high fives these men. Nice feminism team!

What a sorry state of affairs.

[tehbewilderness]

Painfully stupid men still adamantly insisting that men are better at everything than women are. Especially at being women.

[feministcurrent]

The neoliberal smear tactics have to stop. If people can't handle an alternative opinion then they should use their respective voices and spaces, not try and silence dissent. It's not feminist to no-platform women you don't agree with. https://www.change.org/p/rabble-ca-we-need-meghan-murphy-2

[feministcurrent]

On 'corporate feminism' and the appropriation of the women's movement

On Monday, Lisa Wade wrote, for Sociological Images, that Playboy (you know, the multi-million dollar porn empire) has been shopping around for writers who can bring some feminist cred to the magaz...

“If you believe you are fighting the power while propping up Playboy Enterprises as the true voice of feminism, you’ve already lost. If you believe a porn empire is ever going to fight for marginalized women you have not only lost the fight, but you’ve thrown women to the dogs in the process. All that is won in these misguided attacks is more power and profit for capitalist patriarchy — a system consistently ignored by American mainstream feminists who prefer to believe that empowerment exists solely in the eye of the beholder and on a case-to-case basis.Congratulations, the backlash is here and it’s name is feminism.“

[yoursocialconstructsareshowing]

Playboy's Dumb Response to Meghan Murphy (Men Telling Women What Feminism Is)

[feministcurrent]

Meghan Murphy, owner of the wonderful blog Feminist Current, is being targeted by dudes and fauxfems over a post she did on Laverne Cox’s nude photo shoot. Murphy’s been subject to endless harassment and threats for stating the obvious radical feminist analysis of Cox’s photo. This analysis has been around for years and hasn’t changed.

[feministcurrent]

Rabble.ca: We Need Meghan Murphy

A small cohort of neoliberal organizations are attempting to silence and/or end Meghan Murphy's employment with Rabble. They've created a petition that reads more like a tantrum. This small group of people think it's appropriate to silence any woman's voice that doesn't march lock step in line with their opinions and politics. In their petition they've given no adequate reasons nor evidence as to why Murphy should be fired/restricted in her writing. Meghan Murphy is a brilliant writer and gives voice to many in the feminist community, especially the lesbian community. This is a counter-petition to inform Rabble that Murphy has a diverse and faithful readership. Limiting her in any way would silence women whose voices are barely heard. The neoliberal smear tactics have to stop. If people can't handle an alternative opinion then they should use their respective voices and spaces, not try and silence dissent. It's not feminist to no-platform women you don't agree with. Women are human. Women will disagree. It's very anti-feminist to attempt to subvert the proper channels for disagreement and demand the termination of a woman's employment and/or her voice. I'm a Canadian radical feminist who loves Murphy's work. I may not always agree with her but I will, on deeply held feminist and human principles, defend her right to speak.

“A small cohort of neoliberal organizations are attempting to silence and/or end Meghan Murphy's employment with Rabble. They've created a petition that reads more like a tantrum. This small group of people think it's appropriate to silence any woman's voice that doesn't march lock step in line with their opinions and politics. In their petition they've given no adequate reasons nor evidence as to why Murphy should be fired/restricted in her writing. Meghan Murphy is a brilliant writer and gives voice to many in the feminist community, especially the lesbian community. This is a counter-petition to inform Rabble that Murphy has a diverse and faithful readership. Limiting her in any way would silence women whose voices are barely heard. The neoliberal smear tactics have to stop. If people can't handle an alternative opinion then they should use their respective voices and spaces, not try and silence dissent. It's not feminist to no-platform women you don't agree with. Women are human. Women will disagree. It's very anti-feminist to attempt to subvert the proper channels for disagreement and demand the termination of a woman's employment and/or her voice. I'm a Canadian radical feminist who loves Murphy's work. I may not always agree with her but I will, on deeply held feminist and human principles, defend her right to speak.“

[feministcurrent]

“This is the central point that dudes like Berlatsky and his bro-feminist brothers don’t get: Radical feminists aren’t attacking women. Radical feminists aren’t telling women what to do. Radical feminists aren’t “body policing.” Patriarchy is doing that. It’s been doing that for ten thousand years. Radical feminists are simply pointing out that patriarchy has been controlling, manipulating, modifying, and abusing female bodies since the dawn of civilization – and that fact makes a lot of people uncomfortable, so Berlatsky would rather we not talk about. In fact, he’d rather we demonize the women who notice their oppression instead of the institutions of male supremacy that actually enact that oppression. Noah Berlatsky doesn’t mind that women are fed shit; he just minds when women question the taste.” (via Noah Berlatsky is going to objectify women straight to freedom)

[feministcurrent]

Male progressives who support harm reduction need a lesson in feminism and in radicalism

Harm reduction, on the other hand, does not address prostitution (or anything else, for that matter) in a comprehensive or radical way. Rather, the intent of harm reduction models is to attempt to address the most basic, most superficial issues at hand. What this can look like, in the context of drug addiction, is access to clean needles and crack pipes and safe places for addicted people to use. In the context of prostitution, this can mean handing out condoms to women. While these efforts are not useless, they do not attempt to address the root of the matter. Harm reduction does not question why people are addicted in the first place (the vast majority of female addicts have suffered some form of abuse in their lifetimes) nor does it question why men buy sex in the first place or look at whether or not we want to live in a world wherein this behaviour, from men, is acceptable.

[feministcurrent]

(via Madonna's 'sexuality' should be more advanced than a 20-year-old's)

“Madonna isn’t old, she isn’t unattractive, she isn’t talentless. What’s disappointing about these performances is that she comes off as someone who just isn’t very interesting or creative. Someone who has no sexuality to speak of. And you would think — or hope — that after being a successful artist for 30-odd years and a human for 50, you would have learned a thing or two about yourself and have come to say “fuck it” to the performances of “sexy” imposed on young women. Watching 20-year-olds trying to pretend these performances represent authentic “sexuality” is bad enough. Watching some who knows better and who no longer has to play along just makes me sad.”