Community Standards?!

Last week, I fell down a Facebook rabbit-hole. Nothing terribly unusual; I’m sure you know how it works… Read a post, follow a link, click a shared picture, see a link for a group, click on that…

On What Feminism Means…

I talk a lot about the definition of feminism and I do it for a pretty good reason- I think that once you understand the definition, at it’s most basic, you see how it applies to you and how you apply it to the world around you.

I get so frustrated when people distance themselves from feminism or actively campaign against it. Feminism, as a word, has a definition. It seems ridiculous to reject feminism based on what some think it means as opposed to what it actually does mean- yet it happens all the time.

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The Pope Says Something Sensible

In the news today, I read that the Pope encouraged mothers to breastfeed if they needed to during a baptism. He reportedly said:

“You mothers give your children milk and even now, if they cry because they are hungry, breastfeed them, don’t worry.”

Stands to reason, really.

Mary breastfeeds baby Jesus in the 16th century artwork, “Virgin of the Green Cushion” by Italian artist Andrea Solario.

Growing Up With A Disordered Mother

Today’s post is a guest piece written by someone who prefers to remain anonymous. These words are a powerful reminder of how we shape the way our children view themselves- not only as the children they are but as the adults they will become. 

Life-Changing. Period.

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Surfing the crimson wave. That time of the month. Aunt Flo is visiting. The curse. Shark Week. Monthlies. Girl flu. Periods. Whatever you call it, we all know what you’re talking about.

Menstruation is something most women have to deal with and I’m writing about it today because I’m coming up to a special anniversary. I’m just a few days off a whole year of no tampons and no pads.

Quack Ban?

There’s been a bunch of articles about an upcoming series of seminars planned for a number of venues in Australia. These seminars feature well known anti-vaccination osteopath Sherri Tenpenny, author of Saying No to Vaccines. You can read some highlights from her here on Reasonable Hank’s blog. She’s the headline act, along with Norma Erikson, president of anti-vaccine group SaneVax. The seminars appear to be being run by Stephanie Messenger, who authored a (pretty terrible) book called Melanie’s Marvellous Measles.

Image courtesy of Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee

Celebrity Non-Feminism

Big Bang Theory star Kaley Cuoco-Sweeting is making headlines after her recent interview on Red Book Magazine. The interview contained this question, asking if she, one of the highest paid women on US tv, considers herself a feminist.

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One Woman, Every Week.

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Carbon Tax Repealed…for Women

In a recent interview, Lisa Wilkinson asked Tony Abbott a brilliant question. She asked him to name his greatest contribution to women as the Minister for Women in 2014.

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The Worst Can Bring Out Our Best

Update: 6:44am

I’ve woken to the news that the siege has ended, with two hostages having been killed. The gunmen is dead. Several people are injured. My heart feels heavy but I will leave these words that I wrote last night as they are, because even with this terrible outcome, now is not the time to let fear divide.

Have you seen the beautiful thing happening on twitter?
In light of the terrifying siege that is still ongoing at the time of writing these words, this was shared:

This, this is what good people do. #sydneyseige #MartinPlace pic.twitter.com/zxbHLWzxEp

— Michael James (@MichaelJames_TV)

December 15, 2014