Links round-up

Posted by Lashings of Ginger Beer Time


Blabbeando reports on J-FLAG’s newest campaign, ‘We Are Jamaicans’ - a video campaign against homophobia by Jamaicans, for Jamaicans.

Philippa Willitts at The F-Word on how the newly-announced changes by the DWP are making an already-dire situation worse:

The latest changes which have been announced by the DWP are taking what was already ridiculous to an obscene level. The system that found a man in a coma fit for work, and seemingly contributed to many suicides is now going to use imaginary objects and limbs to make their decisions. If your assessor judges that you could benefit from using a power chair (~£2,500), then they will judge your ability to carry out tasks as if you had one. If they think that if you had a prosthetic limb (~£3,000 - £30,000) you could work at a supermarket, they will assess your ability to work as if you had one. If they think that a specialist computer keyboard (~£150) would help you to work, then they will consider you able to work, whether or not you, or a potential employer, could buy or use one.

Pioneering feminist literary scholars Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar, the co-authors of The Madwoman in the Attic, are to be awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by the (American) National Book Critics Circle - Maureen Corrigan reflects on the book.

Greta Christina opens up a conversation on how someone might write kinky porn without feeding into rape culture - content warnings apply, especially given that it’s a long and growing comment thread, but it looks like a valuable discussion.

Spectra at ‘Spectra Speaks’ on the exploitation that can come from white saviourism in Africa:

But, one day, a young white American couple (that had been backpacking through the region) arrived at her doorstep, and offered to help Lindiwe raise money from abroad. The plan was to set up a non-profit in the U.S. to serve as a fiscal sponsor (i.e. serve as an umbrella organization) to the orphanage, which would enable them to collect tax-deductible donations from their network back in the states. Lindiwe couldn’t believe her luck. And, perhaps she shouldn’t have.

… This past year alone, the U.S. organization has raised over $30,000. But, since their launch there years ago, only $3000 has made it to Lindiwe’s orphanage, and this is after Lindiwe has had to keep calling, emailing, and begging to receive the funds owed to the local orphanage to cover basic necessities: food, medicine, school uniforms.

Jameson Fitzpatrick at Lambda Literary on the queerness of My Best Friend’s Wedding (contains spoilers).

The media storm continues around trans issues, Suzanne Moore, and Julie Burchill continues and once again there’s an awful lot being said - Hel Gurney has written a number of round-ups, so check out the latest one and follow all the links!

Across the pond, Rush Limbaugh proves he hates trans men as much as he hates women as he reacts to the media-hyped rumour of a trans student in all-female Salem College. Salem alumna Fervid Feminist analyses the story, and here at Lashings, we’re hoping that trans students in the USA will find the TONI Project a useful resource.

The Secret Histories Project: Why do we need Secret Histories anyway?

It’s a hard thing to feel that you don’t have a past, or that everyone in history who was ever like you has been shut down, vanished and so lost that you can’t even read about them any more. Not surprisingly, you tend to end up with the impression that one day soon, you’ll be shut down, silenced and lost to history too... Here is the thing though: no matter who you are — female, LGBTQ+, person with disabilities, PoC, neurodiverse, working class — you have a history too.

Finally, the trans people who shared their stories on #TransDocFail are being invited to share them on this survey too (anonymously if desired), as the basis for a complaint to the GMC. Please share this as widely as you can!