Author Archives: Grainne

EVENT: King’s College London Summer School 2013 – ‘Queer Streets of London’ (22nd July to 9th August)

King’s College London Summer School 2013 – Deadline for Applications 15th May

‘Queer Streets of London’, 22nd July – 9th August

London has had a long and storied history of sexual dissidence. From the gender ambiguity of Shakespearean theatre, to the scandal of the Oscar Wilde trials, to the groundbreaking films of Derek Jarman, the city has been at the forefront of queer activism and academia, a touchstone for LGBT urban life. Situated in the heart of London, King’s College remains an epicentre of queer theorising in Britain.

Queer theory seeks to illuminate the ways sexuality is constructed, articulated and experienced in historically and culturally specific ways. How is desire shaped by the discourses which surround it? How are gender and sexuality performed and maintained through the policing of dissident bodies? And through the embodiment of hierarchies, exclusions and normativities, how has the queer political landscape changed over the past century? This course offers an exciting chance to think about queer theory in the very places, spaces and environments which have constituted its intellectual arrival and witnessed its effects.

This 3 week short course will introduce the grounding tenets of queer theory, set against the experiences of those queer men and women who have lived and loved in the streets of London. Reading theory in conjunction with literature and history we seek to unpack the social, cultural and political contexts under which sexuality operates and draw on exciting case studies from a number of sources, fostering an interdisciplinary approach. This course shall include visits to the Museum of London and the Victoria and Albert Museum to view their collections of objects with queer histories, as well as offer opportunities to experience the queer streets of the bustling metropolis.

For all the information relating to this course

Visit us: www.kcl.ac.uk/study/summerschool/courses/ArtsLiterature-and-Culture.aspx

and click on Queer Streets of London

Contact us: summerschool@kcl.ac.uk

PODCAST: Can we call Beyonce The F Word?

From Jenessa Williams, HFC member (podcast on link below):

She has 17 grammies, 12 MTV awards and a star on the Hollywood walk of fame. A singer, dancer, actress, philanthropist, mother and a wife, it’s obvious that Beyonce is a highly influential artist, but is she a true feminist?

With The Guardian labelling her a ‘bad’ role model for young women after posing in her underwear on the cover of Men’s magazine GQ, and her lyrics of independence being criticised as hollow in the face of her new found family status, Beyonce appears to be losing face in the eyes of the media.

But what is the truth? Is it possible to strike a blow for women whilst wearing your underwear? Can you be proud of your married status and still fight for female empowerment? Is there really such a thing as a ‘bad’ feminist? I set out to speak to those on both sides of the Beyonce battle, to discover whether she has got what it takes to deserve the ultimate ‘F Word’ tag.

Your comments and thoughts are much appreciated – please comment below or get in touch on twitter.com/jnessr

Link: Can we call Beyonce The F Word? | Journalism & Media Newsroom.

NEXT HFC EVENT: THURSDAY MEET, 25th April 2013 at 7.00pm

The Huddersfield Feminist Collective meets on the last Thursday of each month from 7pm at the Sportspersons Pub, 1 St Johns Road, Huddersfield, HD1 5AY.

Please come along – it’s informal and fun and you’ll be made welcome! The Sportsman pub have kindly offered us a room for our exclusive (whenever possible) use.

Next meeting: Thursday the 25th of April 2013, at 7.00pm. See you there!

ACTION: Please respond to the Government’s call for evidence for the Equality Duty Review

From an email from the NEWomen’s Network:

“The call for evidence below is very important and may be our only chance to ensure that the Equality Duty Review panel takes into account the importance of having the Duty in place.  While not claiming that the Duty is perfect we would like to position it as something which has the potential to be improved and therefore even more effective. If you have used the Equality Duty and have evidence, then please do respond.

NEWomen’s Network are also co-ordinating a response – if you have any evidence please register here – NO LATER THAN 6 PM ON THURSDAY 18TH APRIL

The Government has announced a call for evidence for the Equality Duty Review. Please see below (details can be found here – https://www.gov.uk/government/policy-advisory-groups/123?). CLOSING DATE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS THE 19 APRIL.

Call for evidence

The review is particularly focusing on the following key themes:

  • how well understood is the PSED and guidance
  • what are the costs and benefits of the PSED
  • how organisations are managing legal risk and ensuring compliance with the PSED
  • what changes, if any, would ensure better equality outcomes (legislative, administrative and/or enforcement changes, for example).

The Chair of the steering group is particularly interested in looking at equalities paperwork and policies related to PSED (particularly in relation to public sector procurement processes) and the collection, retention and use of diversity data by public bodies, for example, in relation to goods, facilities and services.

If you have evidence about how the PSED works that relate to any or all of the above points, please submit this to the PSED review team by Friday 19 April-

They will only be able to consider information relating to the Duty’s operation, and will not be able to consider submissions which are not evidence-based. They will not be able to consider evidence submitted after this date. They would also welcome examples of documentation you are aware of relating to the PSED, for example equality impact assessments, procurement forms, diversity data forms, guidance and toolkits.

They expect this combined review to be done by June 2013.

EVENT: Come and sing in the Packhorse Centre this Saturday (13th April) with ‘Mice in the Attic’.

This is short notice but in case any of you can make it (sent to HFC on email).

Dora Thewlis and Edith Key were prominent women in Huddersfield’s history and very important in the Suffrage movement. The ‘Mice in the Attic’ will tell their stories through a series of events and ‘mini happenings’ over the coming months.

We kick start the project this Saturday in the Packhorse Centre, Huddersfield (map), where we are inviting community singers (no experience needed) to very quickly learn and rehearse a few simple songs from that era, with familiar tunes.

Morning session: Come along at 10am to learn the songs and we’ll be singing between 11.30 and 12.30

Afternoon session: Come along at 1pm to learn the songs and we’ll be singing between 2.30 and 3.30

Or do both!

It will be a very relaxed and fun affair, you’ll need to spare no more than three hours and be up for singing in the public shopping centre. You’ll get a cup of tea and a bun to keep your energy up! If you would like to be part of the very first ‘Mice in the Attic’ event, please e mail us on miceintheattic@outlook.com or visit www.miceintheattic.co.uk Big groups welcome! The more voices, the better!

Pop along and watch.

As well as live singing, there will be a bit of contemporary dance set to a live violinist. If you do not wish to sing but you’d like to come and experience some performance, come to the Packhorse anytime between 11.30am – 12.30pm or 2.30pm – 3.30pm.

 

ACTION: Call for evidence – the impact of austerity measures upon women in the North East of England

This call came through on email from the North East Women’s Network.

“IF YOU CAN PROVIDE ANY EVIDENCE,  PLEASE REGISTER AN INITIAL RESPONSE BY NOON ON WEDNESDAY 10TH APRIL HERE.

In October 2012 NEWomen’s Network published “Findings and Recommendations from Interim Case Study: The impact of austerity measures upon women in the North East of England”. NEWN is now in the process of updating the case study to inform  the  shadow report being submitted by Women’s Resource Centre to the to the   Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) examination in Geneva in July 2013.

If you have any stories data, information, case studies, research or any other forms of evidence (including stories  and testimonies of women themselves) about the impact of the welfare reforms and austerity measures upon:

  • The lives of women in the North East and their children, families and the community
  • Cuts to women’s community and voluntary organisation
  • Cuts to women’s only services

If you have any evidence at all please register your details  (it will only take a minute or so)  and one of the researchers will contact you to arrange to follow up it up.

NEWomen’s Network intends to deal with the issues that are at the heart of the current economic crisis and tackle the underlining causes of women’s inequality and CEDAW provides us with a framework with which to do this. CEDAW was established in 1979 and is often referred to as the Women’s International Billof Rights.   Unlike domestic UK and European legislation on gender discrimination and equal treatment, the Convention is solely concerned with the position of women rather than discrimination faced by both sexes (which would include discrimination against men). CEDAW places obligations on the countries that have agreed to the Convention, to eliminate discrimination against women in all its forms.

Continue Reading…

ACTION: Calling women of colour to guest blog (f-word)

Following our call for guest bloggers towards the end of last year, we had a number of great people respond and have lined up a programme for most of the year based on those applications which we’re really excited about.

Nevertheless, we were concerned about the relative lack of applicants who were identifiably women of colour. We want to try to correct this, so we’ve reserved some spaces towards the end of 2013, and are putting out a second call to fill those slots.

If you’re a woman of colour who is British, living in Britain or writing with a British perspective who would be interested in a month-long guest blogging slot on The F Word blog please get in touch with me. Let me know a little bit about yourself, why you would like to blog and what sort of things you would like to blog about. Alternatively, if you would like to recommend someone else, please feel free to suggest them, with contact details if you have them.

Follow this link for more and for information on how to get involved: The F-Word.

ACTION: Suspended Coffees – Huddersfield, UK

Suspended Coffees is the gesture of a good will and kind heart.  This is a as [facebook ] page listing Suspended Coffee Shops in the Huddersfield area: Suspended Coffees – Huddersfield, UK.

How you can get active supporting Suspended Coffees:

1) Approach to your local cafe and explain to the manager what it is.

2) Ask them if they would like to get consider participating. However, please don’t make them feel pressurised. Any business will most probably want to consider how they feel about Suspended Coffees and also may want to speak to some of their customers about it before making a decision. At the end of the day, it’s their business and livelihood and all cafes who come on board so do voluntarily.

3) Contact us to let us know if they are interested and we can get in touch with the cafe and ask if they need any further information.

4) We will add them to the list of cafes in the Huddersfield area, send them posters for their businesses to put up and also advertise them on this page and other Suspended Coffee pages/website.

Thanks a lot people for all your support and Good Luck!!

Susan & Lynda ♥

Related:

PETITION: Iain Duncan Smith: Iain Duncan Smith to live on £53 a week.

£53 a week?

This petition calls for Iain Duncan Smith, the current Work and Pensions Secretary, to prove his claim of being able to live on £7.57 a day, or £53 a week.

On this morning’s Today Programme David Bennett, a market trader, said that after his housing benefit had been cut, he lives on £53 per week. The next interviewee was Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, who was defending the changes. The interviewer then asked him if he could live on this amount. He replied: “If I had to, I would.”

This petition calls on Iain Duncan Smith to live on this budget for at least one year. This would help realise the conservative party`s current mantra that “We are all in this together”.

This would mean a 97% reduction in his current income, which is £1,581.02 a week or £225 a day after tax*.

Please join me.

Link: change.org.

NEWS: What Can Men Do to Stop Rape Culture?

Video on link.

At a panel presented by V-Day and The Nation, Eve Ensler challenged men to up their role in combating violence against women. As Nation sports editor Dave Zirin put it, rape culture is “what happens to our culture when we let it sit and don’t actively challenge violence against women.” It’s “not the two boys in Steubenville who committed the crime, it was the fifty people who saw it happen and did nothing.” To change that culture, the panel asks, what will it take to redefine masculinity? And what role do women have in that conversation?

—James Cersonsky

On thenation.