Linkspam: poems and schooling and art, oh my!

Posted by Lashings of Ginger Beer Time

People of Colour in European Art History (Because You Wouldn't Want To Be Historically Inaccurate) is a brilliant, brilliant response to the tired old argument that we can't have characters of colour in historical/mediaeval fantasy because it's just not accurate...

Dr Meg Barker (pronoun: they) has put out a call for speakers on the subject of Mindfulness and Mental Health, to coincide with their book launch (London, November 1st).

One of Jill Peters' recent projects involves photography and interviews with burnesha ("Sworn Virgins") of Albania, preserving some of the history of the variety of gendered reality and expression in European history.

On the topic of photography, via the tumblrs we also bring you Hidden in the Open: A Photographic Essay of Afro American Male Couples.

New York City has redesigned the symbology denoting accessibility [content note: use of "handicapped"], with the impact expanded on by Sociological Images in the past.


Want some (more) history? Alas, A Blog brings us Male Feminism in 1914.

And finally, elsenet kaberett wrote a personal exploration of the poem How To Make Love To A Trans Person [explicit; contains detailed discussion of surgery].

Linkspam: libraries, accessibility, family

Posted by Lashings of Ginger Beer Time

In a post entitled Fitness and Accessibility, Fit, Feminist and (Almost) Fifty does an excellent job of - among other things - deconstructing the difference between accommodations and accessibility.

On a related theme, this week at Captain Awkward sees letter #487: I use a wheelchair, and people are condescending as fuck. It's great not only because of the scripts the Captain provides, but also because of the detailed, respectful conversation in comments about solidarity and education and how to do things better (content note: comments do include ableist language and internalised ableism - but also a lot of excellent examples of how to react to being called out on same).

Amal el-Mohtar writes brilliantly about the backlash she faces for calling for the expulsion of an SFWA member (content note: racism, misogyny; for context, please see last week's links round-up.)

An MA student from Sheffield is seeking information on secondary-school library services for LGBT pupils via a survey.  Aims of the research include exploring what members of the LGBT community think about the support and services offered to them by their secondary school library; exploring the views of secondary school librarians regarding provision of support and services for LGBT students; and establishing recommendations for how secondary school libraries can best support their LGBT students.

In the New Statesman, Paris Lees explains Why I won't be sending you a father's day card (content notes: abuse, bullying, heterosexism, cissexism) - for all of us who've been feeling alienated this weekend. Well done, us: we did a great job of bringing ourselves (and each other) up. <3

Ursula LeGuin writes, in The Diminished Thing, about the experiences of age and aging, and of others' reactions: it's fascinating stuff, and it's so very her.

The charity Signature is calling for British Sign Language to be introduced as a modern foreign language at GCSE level - and is working with exam regulators to put together a syllabus!

Lashings Trivia Quiz Answers

Posted by Lashings of Ginger Beer Time

Well, the first run of Fanny Whittington is over and done with -- thank you so much to everyone who came along and made such wonderful audience members (and a special thanks to a certain performer's parents, who heckled the show gloriously and then took the cast out for drinks!).

Below the cut are the answers to the Lashings Trivia Quiz, so don't click through unless you've already answered all the questions -- we'll be back to your regular scheduled blog post next week!

Linkspam: ableism, activism, and sex ed

Posted by Lashings of Ginger Beer Time

There's been a lot going on in the world of the Science Fiction Writers of America this week, as relates to sexism. Jim Hines has a round-up of reactions and rebuttals to (tired, tedious) complaints of "censorship", and Seanan McGuire provides her perspective as a member of the SFWA.

Labour is calling for lessons on relationships - and consent - as part of the national curriculum.

[CONTENT NOTE: Steubenville rape case; rape culture] The individual who distributed the evidence key to convicting the Steubenville rapists has had hacking charges brought against him. If convicted, he faces more prison time than the rapists received. There's a petition requesting that the charges be dropped, and we think it's important that it get as many signatures as possible.

The Association of Women Prostitutes of Argentina, AMMAR, recently ran a striking ad campaign calling for legal protection and regulation of their work. (PS: AMMAR were 2010 winners of the Red Ribbon Award, which recognises community leadership and action on AIDS.)

Let's have yet another call-out of bullshit about "slacktivism", because we can never get too much intersectional feminism and this memo still doesn't seem to have reached everyone it needs to: "What are you doing except snarking on Twitter?": Ableism and activism.

What have you been reading?

It's the Lashings of Ginger Beer Time Trivia Quiz!

Posted by Lashings of Ginger Beer Time

While we're running around pantomiming at the tops of our lungs this week (by the way, it's not too late to pick up your tickets for tonight and tomorrow night's shows!), we bring you the very first....  Lashings of Ginger Beer Time SUPER FUN TRIVIA QUIZ!

How well do you know your Lashings? Answer all our totally-serious-and-not-at-all-ridiculous questions and either send them to us or comment below -- the most correct answers will win... no prize at all, but lots of congratulations and imaginary glitter thrown at you. 

Answers will be published next week -- pencils up, and no cheating!

1. Which of the following cities has Lashings of Ginger Beer Time NOT yet performed in?

a) Dublin

b) Nottingham

c) Edinburgh

e) Cambridge

f) Durham

g) Brighton

2. In the Lashings version of Cinderella, the names of Ella’s awful step-siblings were:

a) George and Iain

b) Margaret and Dennis

c) Dave and Boris

d) Winston and Neville

3. The first Lasher to perform the role of ‘Mok Wan’ was:

a) Carlotta

b) Sebastienne

c) Annalytica

d) Lilka

4. The 2012 Lashings Edinburgh show was titled:

a) Sex Education: The Musical

b) Lashings of Sex Education

c) Alternative Sex Education

d) Lashings of Ginger Beer Time: The Sex Ed Show

5. Which of the following is NOT part of the Kink Scout Promise?

a) To respect my partner/s and myself

b) To accept all consenting sexualities

c) To never forget to close my timber hitches

d) To uphold the Kink Scout Law

6. Complete the line: “We lived our lives in subtext / Holding hands and doing spells...”

a) “Then Whedon hired new writers / Suddenly things went to hell”

b) “When our show moved its network / We could come out of our shell”

c) “But actually, we were totes doing lesbian sexytimes the whole time!”

d) “But if you knew the context / We think you could probably tell”

7. Which of the following is NOT a catchphrase used by Cinderella’s Snotty Step-Siblings?

a) Marvellous!

b) Literally!

c) Hilarious!

d) Totty!

8. What does ‘Vagina Dentata’ mean?

a) A discredited misogynist superstition about toothed vaginas

b) No penis for the rest of your days.

c) Our phallus-free philosophy.

d) All of the above.

9. Which of the following animals have been specifically mentioned in Lashings performances? Circle as many as apply.

a) Rats

b) Weasels

c) Golden retrievers

d) Cats

e) Marmosets

f) Moles

g) Velociraptors

10. List three figures from the Eurocentric Queer History Song.

11. List two books which have appeared on Lashings' Edinburgh posters.

12. Which of the following catchphrases has NOT been featured in the Sci-Fi Skits?

a) “Fuck you all, I’m off to Miss Cackle’s.”

b) “Pants, magic pants!”

c) “I am Loki, God of Tumblr.”

d) “Faithful, devoted and completely heterosexual boon companion.”

e) “You manipulative DEAD BASTARD!”

f) “America! Heck yeah!”

g) None of the above

13. What is Fanny Whittington’s birth name?

a) Inuendia Whittington

b) Francesca Whittington
c) Fiona Whittington

d) Tiffany Sparkletrousers

e) Geraldine Whittington the Third

14. What is the most-frequently-destroyed Lashings prop?

a) Chairs

b) Corset laces

c) Riding crops

d) Ginger beer bottles and cans

Linkspam

Posted by Lashings of Ginger Beer Time

Straight Allies, White Anti-Racists, Male Feminists (and Other Labels That Mean Nothing To Me).

There are currently huge protests ongoing in Turkey, with massive state violence in response - and very little of it is being reported in the international mainstream media. This is a blog post from someone involved [content notes: state violence, serious injury].

If you're in Oxford on Wednesday June 5th, why not check out the university's annual Pride Week lecture? This year, the title is 'Not There Yet: Oxford LGBT Life: Then and Now', and it will run from 5.30pm-7pm at the Natural History Museum on Parks Rd.

Geeky webcomics time: Nimona! A very weird but also completely adorable comic that reads a bit like a mash-up of the Tamora Pierce and Marvel universes: evil arch-villain Ballister Blackheart is saddled with Nimona, a wide-eyed, cheeky and horrifyingly powerful young apprentice who wants nothing more than to cause chaos and take over the world. Gets bonus points for depicting a variety of body types, none of which are used as lazy shorthand for their characters' personalities.

In cheerful news: Femme Flagging using creative nail-polish art! This is a thing that has caused at least one Lasher to double over with squee.

In  not-even-a-tiny-bit-cheerful news, we bring you a post on current memes circulated among people privileged enough to despise welfare, and a comprehensive takedown of their bullshit.

And in just plain cynical news, this tumblr post combines a bunch of Sinfest comics to bring you... PATRIARCHAL MOVIES IN FOUR PANELS! It's distressingly accurate, and either saddening or hilarious depending on how much sugar you've had today.