Feminism: Where There Is Life There Is Hope

Holly Bro, Grace, Emily Cuz and the countless women and men who have contacted me this week, this is for you.

It has been a weird triggery week for me this week. Last week was International Women's Day (IWD) and that threw up a huge amount of issues for men and women. 'Why have IWD?' I was asked along with 'where is Men's International Day?'

Second question is easy to answer. As @distopiandream_ put it, 'basic fucking research, Nov 19th'

First question is even easier, but will take a lot longer to answer. This is how I see it.

I am a feminist for a reason. That reason is because I can still answer 'NO' to the question 'Does this affect men?' Aware as I am that men get raped, are subject to domestic abuse etc, there were 4 things that focused my mind on things this week.

1. The #ididnotreport hashtag on Twitter. Stories shared by women (and some men) on why they did not report sexual abuse, this was an emotional and powerful thing to read. And read it I did. For hours and hours before I plucked up the courage to post to it myself. When I did, I immediately got the reply #webelieveyou. That was such a powerful moment that I couldn't sleep for crying. But they were happy cleansing tears. Why did I post on it in the end? I wanted my daughter to see it. To see it and to know that her life could be different. That she could talk if anything happened to her and that I would understand and support her. I spoke to her afterwards and I am hoping that this had the desired effect. The things that surprised me (but probably shouldn't) about it was that men were shocked but the women weren't. I was also surprised and empowered by the amount of women that I knew both personally and on Twitter that had been through the same thing. That leads me to...

2. The amount of private contact I had from women and one incredibly brave man who wanted to share their stories but didn't feel they could do so publicly. I spent hours and hours just sharing experiences with them and I hope that whatever I said that they felt better knowing they were not alone. I know I did. To them and everyone else who ever felt lost and unheard, #webelieveyou

3. A Thousand Reasons. I felt it answered the question 'Why feminism?' so beautifully, so eloquently that I make no apology for sharing it again. Just this week I have been asked if my tits get in the way of my career (No they don't, thanks for asking) I have had the assumption that I would remarry just to wear a nice dress (I wouldn't) and I have been called 'Dear' by a Senior Civil Servant (I promise he will not be doing that to anyone ever again). Until there are No Reasons I shall continue to be a feminist.

4. The disgusting behaviour of 'pro life' protesters in Brighton this week. Taking photos of women going into a clinic and harassing them with their vile literature. I put pro life in inverted commas as they don't seem to realise that to be pro choice is to be pro life. That it is my body, my life, my rules and that I would defend to the death the right of any woman to choose what they do with their own body. 

So this is what gives me hope.

The absolute brilliance of my daughter, my cousin and their friends. All of whom are still young, all of whom are already fighting the fight to be recognised as the intelligent human beings they are. They are considered, amazing, vocal, funny as HELL and are already kicking ass and taking names. I have some great debates with them and watching their minds match and sometimes beat mine is an awe inspiring thing to see. 

They will not accept it if they get told they have to be a nurse instead of a doctor. They will educate the men in their lives to not patronise any woman. Woe betide anyone who underestimates them for their wrath will be slow, painful and unmerciful (rather like a deep tissue massage) and will show the idiots up as the idiots they are. 

For these young women are armed with something invincible. Each other.

Long may it continue.

Lifestyles of the Sexy and Political

I'm in a weird place at the moment. Half way between being very proud and very, very fucking annoyed.


You see I got my union magazine through the post last week. And the President has been at it again. This time she said members' motions to conference were '...ludicrous and sometimes the result of a small minority with extreme views', said that we were '...sometimes seen as a far left union, out on the fringes.' and asked 'is that where you want to be?'


Don't believe me? Read this.


Flaming cheek.


After the last issue where she said we were only interested in doing 'sexy political' stuff this is a real smack in the face to all the hard working reps and most of all, the members who bother to write, debate and pass motions through their branches. How dare she? To say we are out on the fringes is playing directly into the hands of those who think that PCS are Trotskyite troublemakers. 


As an aside, I preferred to be known as a member of the Feral Underclass. It sounded kinda wild and sexy in a Pat Benetar 'Love Is A Battlefield' type way. Seriously, the sheer amount of net curtain that was sacrificed for that video is just mind blowing!


But I digress.


Sexy, Political, Ludicrous, Fringe. 


What she doesn't seem to get is that when you work for the Govt and when it is the Govt is attacking you then everything you do to fight is going to be political. It really is that simple. The attacks on the Public Sector are ideological. The attacks on the Public Sector have no economic basis and are just a way for David 'Child Of Thatcher' Cameron to cut harder, faster and deeper than that bitch could ever have wet dreamed. 


With Nick 'Lapdog' Clegg at his side. The man who sold his soul and his party for his shot at power. How does it feel to be fucked so royally and so publicly Nick huh? I hope it really hurts you fucker. 


Anyone who has read previous blogs of mine knows that there is a special place in my bile duct for Ed Milliband and he will now be joined by Ed Balls after he cracked jokes on Twitter while the NHS lay dying. 


But I digress. It's all political.


Sexy? Apart from the fact that PCS have the best looking activists (joking, honest), what we do can hardly be called sexy. 


Yeah baby, sort out that car park rota... Oooooh you know I love it when you negotiate terms and conditions... hardly TU Porn really is it? Unless you really like car parks. 'Nuff said on that I think.


Ludicrous? I don't think so. The members write the motions. They get debated at AGMs. A vote is taken. The motion goes to conference to be debated again.There they will fall or become Union Policy. 


Is it the motions themselves or the democracy she finds ludicrous? Either way I am hoping that it won't be an issue after the upcoming GEC elections. I am hoping that democracy will do its thing and bloody well get her replaced with someone who actually understands and respects the very democracy that got her bloody elected!


Fringe. Really??? We're not on the fringes, we are in the middle of the fight to protect our members' jobs, pay and pensions! We have led industrial action over privatisation and will not hesitate to do so again if that is what it takes to win. Fringe. Pffft!


It is the reason that we now have the hashtag #pcsbringingsexyback If she wants to use sexy as an insult then we'll just reclaim it!


So yeah, pretty pissed off with all that, but on the other hand really proud of the anger that has become apparent from our members over her total disregard for their contribution to their union. 


And believe me, they are not happy. Now they just need to show their displeasure when it comes to ballot time. 


They need to vote Kerry Fairless for Group President.