Squeamish Bikini
  • Home
  • Squeamish Features
  • Squeamish Reviews
  • Squeamish News
  • Squeamish Contact
  • About Squeamish

Buts & the Geez Education

27/2/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Home made! Image: Squeamish Kate
Because we are (mostly) wimmin at Squeamish we follow BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour on Twitter (you can follow us here! Or, while we're shamelessly self-promoting, like us here). Balanced as it is we often see the Woman's Hour Twitter account juggle new trends such as wearing neon with matters such as age, equality and the how to cook the perfect lasagne.

Today they are asking if parents are leaving too much to schools when it comes to sex education. A look at a certain paper and it looks a lot like the answer is yes. Or rather it would be preferable for neither teachers nor parents to broach the subject of, you know, you know. The birds and the bees. It is, apparently, a parent's right to ignore any signs of their child's burgeoning sexuality and a breach of this right for anyone else to keep the kids informed.


Read More
0 Comments

Get Cuties, Cameron

19/2/2013

0 Comments

 
Picture
Hey ladies. Image: Steve Bowbrick
You know it, I know it, Annie Lennox knows it: 'Behind every great man there had to be a great woman.' So it should come as no surprise that David Cameron would like to get in on this act and tell us his wife Samantha Cameron has been taking time out from London Fashion Week to inform him he needs more women in his cabinet.

Speaking at Unilever's headquarters in Mumbai in response to the question of Britain having anything to teach India about opening up opportunities to women. “If you look at politics in Britain, there aren't nearly enough women around the Cabinet table.” Cameron conjured up the image of he and Sam in the marital bed. Morcambe and Wise style. Sam looking up from her iPad and saying: 'Babe,* I think you need more girlies on the cab' and David nodding in acknowledgement saying: 'Babe, I might tweet that. Night.'


Read More
0 Comments

a Moment of Silence

31/12/2012

2 Comments

 
Picture
On this last Squeamish Bikini post of 2012 it's definitely worth noting this was the year the word 'intersectional' was brought to the attention of many feminists. I know a lot of feminists have probably started to form a twitch every time they see the words 'intersectional' or 'privilege' on Twitter. I know some feminists have despaired and branded much of this year's feminist discussion in-fighting.

I am sure there has been some in-fighting this year, in playgrounds, boardrooms and social networking. But I don't believe calling a person who would like to identify as an ally out for ill used language, for instance, is in-fighting. Can it really be such a terrible power sap to listen to minorities? Frankly if I ever find myself part of a movement that doesn't question itself, that isn't striving for constant development or evolution then I want out. Immediately. 

TRIGGER WARNING


Read More
2 Comments

Synod Enough - Bishopgate

13/11/2012

0 Comments

 
Picture
Image: Uggboy
In July we wrote about the General Synod's decision to adjourn the debate on the legislation of women bishops. The votes were counted as 288 for the appointment of women bishops, 144 against and 1 abstentions. Perhaps you're not particularly interested in the fight over who gets to wear what hat. Maybe you think it doesn't apply to you – you're not of the C of E domination, you aren't a church goer. Perhaps you are someone who enjoys discussions about all the evils organised religion has brought on the world. Or you are simply of another faith. Yawn, are we still talking about this? Surely it's just another sign of how behind the times the Church of England is.

But is it? Is the hostility towards women in pointy hats something that belongs in our shameful past (hah) of witch hunts or is it bang on to the present? It isn't necessarily a question of readiness, tradition or scripture (the difficulty with which I will discuss later) but precedent. Consider the apparent lack of consideration for a woman Director General of the BBC. There's no real reason why there shouldn't be one besides the fact it just isn't done. 


Read More
0 Comments

The Naked Feminist

28/8/2012

2 Comments

 
Picture
NYC Slutwalk 2011 Image: David Shankbone
Feminism. Even before Caitlin Moran launched her book How to be a Woman feminism has been finding itself brought up in conversation. A new unapologetic ownership of the word 'feminism' is rising up. American feminist magazine Bust interviews usually ask their interviewees if they are a feminist. A surprising amount of women would take the opportunity to distance themselves from woman's lib. Gwen Stefani, the woman who fronted No Doubt singing about how the boys in her band (it was the 90s – it was kinderwhore era - nobody grew up) got a different deal from her, who wrote the song Just a Girl, informed Bust in 2007 that she was not a feminist. This year the young women Kat Dennings, Tavi Gevinson and Mindy Kaling were all happy to discuss their feminism in Bust Magazine.


Read More
2 Comments

By the Bi

16/8/2012

14 Comments

 
Picture
The Bisexual Pride flag. Image: Salanki
Once a year, a couple of hundred people gather somewhere in the UK for a weekend of discussion, socialising, and workshops known as Bicon.

I spent last weekend at Bicon 2012, and when Squeamish Kate asked me to write about it for this site, I wasn't sure where to start at first. But then I realised that when I've said where I've been, I often get the same few questions: what? how? And, perhaps most often – why? So I'll do my best – newbie to the scene that I am – to answer them. Not necessarily in any particular order mind you...

The most straightforward is probably the 'what?'

As the name might suggest, it's largely a place for bisexuals. But the event is not exclusive – as the main website explains, “We don't all use the labels "bi" or "bisexual" or even agree on what it means to be bi, but bisexuality is the common theme.” Friends, allies, lovers and the curious are welcomed with open arms, so long as they abide by the code of conduct (which I'll come onto in a moment). 


Read More
14 Comments

Pride in your community

9/7/2012

1 Comment

 
Picture
Image: Rev Dan Catt
On Saturday, London hosted World Pride – an event that should have been a riotous combination of political protest, partying and spectacle. But that's not quite how it happened.

The event has been in the news for all the wrong reasons during the run-up, with the organisers and City Hall arguing over financing and regulations. Floats were banned from taking part after groups had already hired and decorated them, the start time was moved from 1pm to 11am, and all of the events that usually take place in Soho were cancelled, with venues warned that excessive noise or outside drinkers would see their licences revoked.

It's hard to know where to point the finger of blame for what can only be described as a massive débâcle. It seems that the organisers, politicians and bureaucrats  all need to take a share of the blame – as detailed in this uncharacteristically thoughtful article by Peter Tatchell. All in all it looks like a series of miscalculations that would put Gerald Ratner to shame. 


Read More
1 Comment

The Political Bun in the Oven

13/12/2011

0 Comments

 
Picture
Following the unsurprising news that having an abortion does not increase women’s chances of having any form of mental illness a debate went ahead yesterday in Parliament.

Gavin Shuker, Labour MP for Luton South, called for an Adjournment Debate on pregnancy counselling which was held yesterday in the House of Commons.

This debate covered the Amendments to the Health and Social Care Bill tabled by Nadine Dorries MP and Frank Field MP which proposed changed to abortion counselling requirements. Oh, you thought the fact that it was comprehensively rejected by Parliament in September meant it was over? Ha! And again ha! 


Read More
0 Comments

Weird Politics

29/9/2011

0 Comments

 
Picture
Not David
This week on Radio 4 Ed Miliband was informed that the word coming up most in polls about him was ‘weird’. The combination of "Standing against his brother for the leadership…his apparently reluctant marriage, and his manner of speaking” has all resulted in a public conclusion of oddness.



Read More
0 Comments
Forward>>

    Archives

    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    September 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011
    October 2011
    September 2011
    August 2011

    Categories

    All
    Books
    Booze
    Cinematic
    Dress Up
    Educating Sue
    Educating Sue
    Friday 5
    Friday 5
    Geekery
    Gender Agender
    Gender Agender
    Glitter And Twisted
    Glitter And Twisted
    History Repeating
    History Repeating
    How To
    Just A Thought
    Just A Thought
    Let's Get Political
    Let's Get Political
    Music
    Nom Nom Nom
    Nostalgia
    Tellybox
    Why You Should Love

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photos used under Creative Commons from Pink Sherbet Photography, anunez619, NikRugby23!, Asso Pixiel