Sorry/not sorry: Why Blanc and Redfoo’s apologies are misguided and insincere
Because Blanc and Redfoo fail to identify, acknowledge, and discuss the factors that sparked outrage to begin with, they are incapable of sincerely promising to change By Natalie Jovanovski You may have heard about the misogynist antics of self-proclaimed “pick-up artist” and Real Social Dynamics (RSD) coach, Julien Blanc, whose recommendations for picking up women include […]
Why I kept my baby after finding out he had Down syndrome
My Oma was born in a little village near the town of Hadamar. Hadamar sits in the shadow of a tall hill called Mönchberg – Monk’s Mountain. On top of that hill stands an old Franciscan monastery, which was converted into a state hospital and nursing home in 1803. In 1940, however, that hospital was […]
Surrogacy, Reproductive Prostitution and Child Trafficking
A New Form of Women’s Oppression Swedish journalist and feminist Kajsa Ekis Ekman, author of ‘Being and Being Bought: Prostitution, Surrogacy and the Split Self’ will be speaking at the Festival of Dangerous Ideas on the weekend. I’m looking forward to hearing her – and meeting her. This piece appears on the Festival of Dangerous […]
Two prostitution survivors describe how it feels to be paid to be raped
Paid For: My Journey Through Prostitution: a compelling take down of pro-prostitution myths I recently read Rachel Moran’s autobiography Paid For: My Journey Through Prostitution (Spinifex Press, 2013). It is the most compelling take down of pro- prostitution myths I have ever read. As Amnesty International goes against all it supposedly stands for in backing […]
Misogyny Re-loaded: An Interview with Abigail Bray
I introduced Abigail Bray’s new book Misogyny Re-loaded to you at the end of the year. Here’s a great interview Abigail did recently with Meghan Murphy at Feminist Current. You really should have a listen to it.
‘I am a real victim of child pornography and it affects me every day and everywhere I go’
[Trigger warning: graphic description of sexual abuse] ‘Amy’ was a victim of sexual abuse by her uncle as a child. He uploaded images of the abuse on to the internet, they became known as the ‘Misty Series’. These images have been globally trafficked since the late 1990s and are the most widely viewed in the […]
‘I have lost count of how many women have told me they have been raped. All of the rapists have gotten away with it while the women are burdened with years of unspeakable shame and self-hatred’ –an explosive new manifesto against rape culture
‘Misogyny Reloaded’ by Abigail Bray In 2011 Dr Abigail Bray, a researcher and writer now living in the South of France, joined with me in co-editing Big Porn Inc: Exposing the Harms of the Global Pornography Industry published in 2011 by Spinifex Press. Spinifex has just released Abigail’s new book Misogyny Reloaded . This is an extract […]
“I would never go through that again”: Women have a right to know risks of abortion drug
Advocates obliged to put an end to misconceptions Recent publicity for abortion drug RU486 has given women assurances of its safety. The drug is promoted as do-it-yourself, easy, private and ”more natural”. In this pro-RU486 spin, the voices of women harmed by the chemical cocktail have been drowned out. ”Rose”, 27, from South Australia, shares […]
Why Big Porn Inc had to be written: an interview with Hennie Weiss
Feminist Conversations is a regular feature here at Feminists for Choice. Today we are talking to Melinda Tankard Reist, co-editor of Big Porn Inc: Exposing the harms of the global pornography industry. Melinda is also the co-founder of Collective Shout: for a world free of sexploitation. How did you become interested in researching pornography? There […]
‘What the book does so well is to capture, discuss, analyze and provide evidence for the many ways that pornography is harmful to women and children’: Metapsychology reviews Big Porn Inc
‘The pornification of culture and the normalization of (increasingly violent) porn is contributing to a society where pornography, even the most brutal forms, are in many ways sanctioned, defended as well as protected’ By Hennie Weiss Edited by Melinda Tankard Reist and Abigail Bray, Big Porn Inc: Exposing the Harms of the Global Pornography […]
‘Edgy, engaging, well-written’: Big Porn Inc highly commended in Education Publishing Awards
Maybe we should have included recipes? Dr Susan Hawthorne, Director, Spinifex Press Last Thursday, the 2012 Australian Educational Publishing Awards were held in Melbourne. Big Porn Inc. was one of three shortlisted entries in the category of Secondary Reference Resource. The winner of the category was announced as Cookery the Australian Way, 8th edition, by […]
Declare yourself insulted
By: Danielle Binks You know the one thing that’s more insulting than blatantly sexist/misogynistic advertising? Advertising that touts pseudo-feminism but sends the exact same bigoted message, only cloaking it in women’s liberation to soften the blow. Take the new ad from Triumph Lingerie Australia, for example. The ad’s tagline reads ‘Welcome to the Republic of […]