Destiny Lauren murder trial and anti trans prejudice

By Helen G | 11 August 2010, 20:48

The trial of the cis man Leon Fyle ended this week with his conviction for the murder of Destiny Lauren last November. Media coverage has been predictably and disappointingly sparse (I’ve collated the majority of it in a series of posts at my own blog - link here), not to mention problematic in various ways. The BBC finally provided an update on the trial - link here - which was perhaps most notable for asking the question “Have transsexuals become easy targets?”

Although I have concerns about the framing of the question - I think it’s disingenuous in the same way that the old chestnut “When did you stop beating your wife?” is disingenuous, the answers received and posted in a subsequent piece - link here - may make instructive reading for any cis person who wishes to garner a degree of insight into the experiences of some transsexual women in Britain today. Here are a few quotes which struck a chord with me:

[…] the one thing that strikes me over and over is the extent to which our lives and medical history seem to be considered public property by all and sundry.

[…] I get sick of hearing people authoritatively claim, “oh, if you have a penis then you’re a man” […]

[…] We are not media stereotypes. If you live in a large city you pass several of us every day without realising. You share toilets and changing rooms with us and are none the wiser.

[…] transsexual people can be terribly vulnerable. It’s not just the “trans-panic” murders and the constant threat of day-to-day abuse if one doesn’t “pass”.

It’s also that trans folk in general will often find themselves joining vulnerable groups in other ways, such as having to resort to sex work or living in dodgy areas because we’ve lost our jobs, our homes and our families. […]

[…] nothing really has changed since the 1960’s on the treatment of transpeople. The problem is there are many old outdated archaic views on what is male and what is female. […] My experience after transitioning is I realised just what a male misogynistic world it is.

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Reminder: Comments on this post but will be moderated in accordance with both The F-Word bloggers’ position on transphobia and cissexism and the site’s usual commenting policy.

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Illusions of Care - ¿Derecho o Ficción?

By Guest Blogger | 11 August 2010, 11:30

Marianne Mollmann, advocacy director for the women’s rights division of Human Rights Watch, introduces the campaign group’s new report, Illusions of Care (¿Derecho o Ficción? in Spanish). She joined HRW in 2003 as researcher for Latin America and the Caribbean, before which she worked on women’s rights with local groups in Peru. Her work with HRW involves promoting women’s equality and freedom from violence around the world, and one of the key themes I focus on is reproductive health.

In 2004, when I first went to Argentina to research women’s reproductive health rights, I didn’t expect a rosy picture. Argentina only ended an all-out ban on contraceptives in 1985, and some politicians and some medical providers still talk about women as instruments for population growth rather than as autonomous decision-makers.

But even if I hadn’t known all that, the health statistics released by the national health minister told a story of despair. An astounding 40% of pregnancies in the country ended in - mostly illegal and unsafe - abortions. Complications from unsafe abortion have been the leading cause of maternal mortality in Argentina for decades. As a comparison, in most other countries in the region, between 15 and 25% of pregnancies end in abortions. It was obvious that something was very wrong.

No statistics, however, could have prepared me for what I found. Women who had been denied entirely legal abortions to protect their health and who suffered severe health consequences; the women and girls who had been raped and forcefully impregnated by their partners, and still could not get the police to enforce a restraining order; the women who had suffered miscarriages and sought help from a public hospital to contain the bleeding, only to find themselves the focus of police investigations.

But for me, the systematic devaluing of women’s lives and decisions was the most jarring. Those using the public health system were stripped of choices: the medical provider would in many cases decide for them what contraceptive method they would use, or even whether they were old enough, married enough, young enough, had children enough (etc) to use contraception at all.

The women I spoke with did not ask for much. Most of them lived in resource-poor communities and expected to work hard for a living. In fact, many even expected abuse. Many articulated their day-to-day choices in terms of how they could best
feed their children: a package of condoms cost the same as a liter of milk - you do the maths.

I spent the next five years supporting our Argentine partners as they pushed for legal changes within Argentina, and highlighting with international funders and United Nations bodies just how far the situation on the ground was from guaranteeing a life with dignity. These advocacy efforts paid off, at least on paper: spousal and judicial consent for voluntary sterilisation was declared unnecessary, by law, and sex education was made mandatory.

This year I went back to Argentina to see how much had changed for those women and girls who depend on the public health system for reproductive health care. The answer, depressingly, is not much. Government statistics confirm this. The central question is why.

Part of the explanation is linked to the continued politicisation of issues related to motherhood, population growth, and, at the most basic level, sex. Argentina legalised same-sex marriage last month, meanwhile talking about sex is still taboo.

In July 2010, the national health ministry declared its intention to guarantee access to (already legal) abortion. It immediately backtracked after aggressive questioning in the press.

Laws and policies meant to benefit women and girls go unimplemented - such as the legal exceptions to the general criminalisation of abortion, in cases when the pregnant woman’s life or health is in the danger or rape. Key statistics and information are not gathered, not processed, or not shared with existing accountability structures, and when they are not, oversight can’t happen. This indicates how little the government cares that laws and promises remain unfulfilled.

The report Human Rights Watch released yesterday in Buenos Aires, Illusions of Care, focuses on this lack of accountability. Or rather, it focuses on the fact that women and girls, more than a hundred years after the Argentine congress allowed for abortion in certain circumstances, and more than a quarter of a century since contraception became legalised, still don’t have the power to decide whether, with whom or how often to become mothers. I trust in the transformative power of information and the fact that none of the women and girls I spoke to this time expected to be abused. They expect, deserve, and are entitled to better.

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Being Fat

By Philippa Willitts | 10 August 2010, 11:39

Ten years ago I thought I was fat.

Today, I know I am fat.

Ten years ago, being fat was the worst thing I could ever contemplate.

Today, being fat is fine.

Ten years ago, the word fat was loaded with fear and disgust.

Today, the word fat is a descriptive word only, with no moral judgement.

Ten years ago, the idea of getting fat terrified me.

Today, I don’t fear getting fat, because I already am.

Ten years ago, despite being ‘underweight’, I hated the fat I thought I could see all over my body.

Today, I know there is nothing to fear.

Ten years ago I would have chosen to stay ill rather than take the medications which would help me to get better, but cause massive weight gain.

Today, I take those medications daily.

Ten years ago I thought that fat was the ultimate unhealthy thing I could be.

Today, I know that that anorexia was way more self-destructive, damaging and unhealthy.

Ten years ago, I thought that telling other women how fat I looked, and how awful that was, was normal and ok.

Today, I know that moaning to other women about my body’s appearance reinforces the view in all of us that women’s bodies should look a certain way.

Ten years ago, the word fat was nothing but an insult.

Today, the word fat is nothing but a descriptive term.

Ten years ago, if someone told me how flattering an outfit was on me, I’d be pleased.

Today, if someone tells me how flattering an outfit is, I know that they really mean it hides the areas they don’t consider acceptable.

Essential Reading:

• Reclaiming the Word Fat
  
• Fat is an adjective, not an attack
  
• The words we learn to read; Reclaiming Fat
  
• Rejecting the notion of the flattering outfit
  
• My Big Fat Wish List

NB No comments which criticise fat people, which contain fat hate in the guise of ‘health concern’, which contain judgements about people’s appearance, or which are anything other than fat positive will be published on this post. If in doubt, start by reading this.

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New review - Girl With a One Track Mind: Exposed

By Jess McCabe | 10 August 2010, 10:49

Sex blogger Abby Lee saw her anonymity stripped away by the media. Her latest book explores the personal consequences in a society that has yet to come to terms with female sexual desire, says Abby O’Reilly

In 2006, Girl With a One Track Mind was published. The blog of the same name had a huge following, and more and more users were surfing onto the site everyday in the hope of reading the latest instalment from the sexy and insightful anonymous author Abby Lee.

The writing was witty and candid, and anyone scrolling back to read Lee’s earlier posts will see that it was only a matter of time before she was offered a book deal. Of course, today it is almost impossible to navigate cyberspace without stumbling across a virtual cock or reading about an exciting, perfectly executed quickie someone had last Friday night. But while a lot of bloggers can churn out explicit reviews of their sex lives, few are able to sustain an audience beyond superficial arousal and very few are distinguishable from the mass of sweaty writhing cyber bodies gesticulating never more than just a mouse click away. While there may be nothing especially original about a sex diarist as such, the talent needed to write about sex is perhaps not appreciated; anyone can write about making the beast with two backs but very few people can do it well - and even less can delve below the physical to offer a pertinent analysis. This is what continues to distinguish Lee.

From the outset it was clear that she was not writing to titillate. And unlike the many blogs that followed, she was not writing in pursuit of a book deal. Lee was a happy 20-something woman working hard to rise through the ranks in the film industry; a woman who enjoyed sex and who decided to articulate her desires to understand her own sexuality. The ordinariness of her circumstances resonated with most women, those of us who felt the same way but who lacked the confidence to speak about our penchant for masturbation or our rich and varied fantasy lives, for fear of being branded morally depraved or, worse still, not ‘normal’. Women could identify with Lee. Her introspective musings invested female fans with the confidence to begin an open discourse about their own experiences in a bid for freedom from the socially constructed shackles of shame and embarrassment we have been taught are synonymous with female sexual desire. Men enjoyed the insight into the female psyche, and her erotic, delicious and, most significantly, honest writing was like literary crack leaving readers desperate for more.

Click here to read the rest of this review and comment

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New review - In the Loop

By Jess McCabe | 10 August 2010, 10:47

This collection of essays goes well beyond glossy photos and patterns, weaving together a serious assessment of knitting, its role in activism, art and more, says Kaite Welsh

“Knitting is many things to many people - it can be cosy, sexy decorative, classic, oversized, micro, clinging, enveloping, chunky, see-through, sophisticated or theatrical.”

Sandy Black’s words in her essay, ‘Knitting technology comes full circle’ could serve as a mission statement for this diverse and witty exploration of essays. Edited by Jessica Hemmings, In the Loop: Knitting Now examines the craft’s renewed popularity in the context of activism, modern literature and contemporary art.

Books about knitting and related crafts have proliferated in recent years - Debbie Stoller’s Stitch and Bitch was the first book to analyse and celebrate the trend and countless others have followed, but none have come close to the intelligent discussion of third wave feminism’s favourite hobby displayed here.

Anyone expecting a light-hearted look at knitting - a few patterns, perhaps, mixed with some yarn porn - will be disappointed. There are no knitted bikinis or artfully-shot pictures of phallic needles to be seen.

Instead, we are treated to essays like Lacey Jane Roberts’ ‘Craft, queerness and guerrilla tactics’, interspersed with glossy photographs of Louise Bourgeois’ Red Room and Mark Newport’s knitted superheroes.

Click here to read the rest of the review and comment

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Le Tigre documentary screening to raise funds for Ladyfest Ten

By Jess McCabe | 10 August 2010, 10:23

Le Tigre fans, there is a chance to see a preview of their in-progress backstage documentary in London later month. And raise money for Ladyfest Ten at the same time.

On their blog, Le Tigre say:

The film edits together 20 shows from our 2004-2005 world tour along with backstage footage and interviews. The movie highlights our motivations and the many ways we attempted to use humor when confronted with the inherent sexism and homophobia of the rock world.

Unskinny Bop and friends are putting on a Le Tigre-theme night on 29 August - as well as the preview screening, there will zine stalls, and the a chance to be involved in a karaoke contest.

Tickets are not on sale yet, but keep an eye on the Facebook event page, apparently they will be available soon.

And a literary pub quiz and book swap is taking place in Bermondsey, London this Thursday, also to raise funds for Ladyfest Ten. More details on Facebook.

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Support

By Jess McCabe | 9 August 2010, 14:45

I am sure many of you are familiar with Renee from Womanist Musings, an often-linked blog here at The F-Word. Renee has had a loss in her family and is fundraising to pay for the funeral of her nephew, who died at age 20. If you’re able to help out, please go over to her blog where you can find information on how to donate and help support Renee:

His name was Jesse James Cox and he was known as the gentle giant. He was 6’5 240 lbs. He was much loved by his mother, father, two brothers and extended family. Jesse always had time for everyone and a bear hug for everyone that needed it. As a family, we are absolutely devastated by his loss and this is magnified by the fact that we are unable to pay for his funeral.

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Weekly Round-Up and Open Thread #2

By Philippa Willitts | 9 August 2010, 10:29

Each week there are things which we would love to blog about, but which pass us by. So, here is a weekly round-up of things we wanted to share. If there are things you want to add, consider this an open thread to add items of interest or chat with other feminists.

• A lack of specialist medics is hampering rape conviction rates


• In the US, a Long Island man kills an infant boy for acting like a girl


• Back to the UK, a man described as ‘respectable’ by a judge is given only an 18 month sentence for killing his wife


• Red Chidgey has launched a new blog, Feminist Memory; and Musings is a new feminist blog by Natasha Roxanne.


• The Equality and Human Rights Commission has backed a legal challenge to the Budget on the failure to do a gender audit


• The Girl Guides have called for airbrushed photos to be labelled. The twitter hashtag for the discussion is #gukforrealimages


• Theresa May, the Minister allegedly for Women and Equality, has scrapped plans to ban violent partners from homes


• The chick lit label of death


• Dawn Foster has created a blog cataloguing the insults and comments shouted at her while riding her bike, all placed on a map to create the London Wankermap, at 101 Wankers


• Crochet. For science!


• Bidisha on feminist activism giving her a renewed sense of optimism


• Proposition 8 overturned, restoring same sex marriage in California


• In May, Helen posted about the Bring Back the Pansy Project facebook page, and The Pansy Project Group has finally been restored.


• The 10-year checkup on the U. N. Millennium Development Goals is coming up in September. Ahead of that meeting, civil society groups are editing an outcome document with an eye to ending the segregated treatment of women’s rights


• An overview of the same-sex marriage debate in image form


• A call for action following transphobic language use in the press


• Influence is bliss: the Gender Divide of Influence on Twitter - speaking of which, don’t forget to follow us on twitter @thefworduk too!


• Selling Sex and Symphonies: the image of women in classical music


• Sarah Jaffe at Tiger Beatdown on feminism and the erasure of desire


• From The New Inquiry, Intimacy as Text; Twitter as Tongue


• Laurie Penny reports on going undercover at a Young Conservatives event


• There is new evidence of high street chains using sweatshops


• The Telegraph delights in telling feminists that an LSE study shows that men work harder than women


• And finally, The Well-Rounded Mama details a study which shows that when healthcare practitioners are put on the diets that they tell their patients to go on, they finally began to understand why they are not so easy to stick to, and their own fat phobia was significantly changed as a result.

So, what else did we miss?

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Met police name and shame sex workers

By Laura Woodhouse | 8 August 2010, 13:28

The Met’s Operation Monaco team have issued ASBOs to six street sex workers in London and published their full names, photos and dates of birth on their website because they were “persistent offenders”. Quite how naming and shaming women who are already engaged in a dangerous and highly stigmatised activity will bring any benefit to society is anyone’s guess, and may well increase the risks these women face.

Two other indoor sex workers also had their home raided and photos taken. These photos then ended up in the News of the World:

“Why have the police done this to me?” said Vicky, one of the two. “I work as a childminder and a cleaner and do some sex work to make ends meet. I pay tax and national insurance and am not doing anything illegal. A lot of people know me, and even though the News of the World blocked out my face I’m still identifiable by my hair, clothes and jewellery.”

“The police were looking for money and found £50 from a customer,” she added. “We never use drugs and are always sober when we’re working. The police kept asking us over and over again if we’d been trafficked. We haven’t been, and we signed a piece of paper to say that.

“If the police continue to behave like this, none of the women doing sex work will speak to them if they do have information about any crimes. I think they have been watching too much Diary of a Call Girl.”

Presumably these two women were believed to be breaking the law under the Policing and Crime Act 2009, which bans two or more individuals from selling sex indoors (i.e. from a brothel). Yet the main underlying issue for these two women (from the limited information given) would appear to be that our society so undervalues childminders and cleaners - and so values women as a source of sexual titilation - that they have to undertake sex work to “make ends meet”, not that they are technically working in a brothel. Addressing the poverty and sexism that leads to some women opting for sex work when they would perhaps not do so in better financial circumstances would surely be more sensible and much fairer than criminalising and shaming them because they engage in sex work.

Image by ﴾͡๏̯͡๏﴿ /streetart#+_♥.tk www.ALT3.tk, shared under a Creative commons license.

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