The Truth about Being Bold

Thank you for your posting regarding rock-star cop Shari Mackay.



She has been instrumental in my healing process and was the critical driving force to ensure the police did their job to see this case through to conviction. I have read some of your other postings today, and I really admire your bold, strong, direct attitude to hitting issues head on, and not being afraid to share your opinion or speak out for what you believe in.



Ann

Thank you Ann!



Seriously, thank you. I needed that vote of confidence.



The truth is I sometimes don't feel all that bold. I know I am bold online, often because I sometimes write when I am angry or standing up for something. But the truth is most of my friends would probably describe me as being weird or eccentric, and I hope they say I am easy going (or as Americans like to say "down to earth").



My boldness seems to come out mostly online and when I am pissed off about something. Not that I am not bold in person, but sometimes I am also tired / stressed and/or just don't feel like it.



ie. Today I was feeling down so I was going to sit at home, watch cartoons and eat cereal straight out of the box. I am supposed to be working on my book today but when I woke up I didn't feel like it. And then I got your email and I suddenly found the urge to write again.



So thank you Ann. I hope you will continue to read my blog Feminist Truths, check out the Feminist eZine and continue to persevere despite hardships. I know I will continue to do the same (even if I do pause and take a break every once in awhile).



Yours Truly,

Suzanne MacNevin

The Truth about Persephone

RELIGION - In Greek mythology Persephone is the goddess of fertility, death and rebirth. Its a bizarre set of ethos for a goddess to have.

Persephone is the daugher of Zeus (God of Space and Time) and Demeter (Goddess of Agriculture / Plants). Persephone is also the lover of Hades (God of the Underworld and her uncle...?) and often associated with seeds and spring.

The central story of Persephone is that she was abducted by Hades who had become smitten with her and carried her off to the Underworld via a chasm in the earth. Demeter chased after them and shouted to Persephone to warn her not to eat any food while in the Underworld.

While in the Underworld however Persephone became so hungry she ate a pomegranate seed (note: pomegranate juice looks like blood, another fertility symbol). Following this event Demeter caused a great drought to convince Zeus to bring back Persephone. Demeter and Hades then had an argument and it was eventually agreed that Persephone would spend half the year with her mother and the other half of the year with Hades.

Thus the seasons were created, wherein Persephone spends time with her mother during Spring and Summer and everything dies during the Autumn and Winter.

Amongst the Romans she was known as Proserpina. There are a number of artistic and literary references to Persephone.

As a goddess Persephone isn't much of a feminist symbol. She is more of a victim than anything else. The true heroine of the story is Demeter, who causes a big fuss and eventually convinces Zeus (King of the Gods) to go to the Underworld and release Persephone.

Now causing a big fuss may seem annoying to some people, but it is an effective tactic of persuasion when it comes to all forms of activism. How can someone be a true activist unless they cause a big fuss and are truly annoying about it?

So the lesson learned my fellow feminists is to get out there and bang those drums, become an amateur publicist, send out news releases, network with other feminists... that is how you get stuff done!

The Truth about Bald Women

SHAVING YOUR HEAD - The truth is being bald can be very beautiful. It really depends on the shape of your head.

Some people have really nicely shaped heads and look absolutely amazing bald.

The Truth about Car Advertising

AUTOMOTIVES - The thing about car advertising is that, yes, it often uses sex to sell a product... but really it just keeps going further downhill all the time.

Its like car companies are competing to see which one can make the raciest / most controversial ad, because the shock value ends up creating lots of buzz. But what happens when they annoy people by going TOO FAR?

Below is a series of examples of car advertisements that go too far.










Of course its not limited to car ads... sometimes its just plain ridiculous what companies will stoop to sell anything from bubble gum to beer.

Suffragette School of Birmingham

FEMINIST - A new wave of feminists is off to ‘Suffragette School’ at the University of Birmingham!

What is it?

A Summer School to train a new wave of feminists on how make the world a fairer place for women.

When is it?

Saturday 13th August – Sunday 14th August 2011.

Where is it?

University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham. B15 2TT

Over 400 budding feminist activists will converge at the Summer School to learn how to tackle the ongoing inequalities between women and men. Featuring a range of workshops, talks and film screenings, attendees will be trained in everything from Suffragette-style direct action to mobilising the masses through Facebook, Twitter and blogging. The Summer School is organised by UK Feminista.

The Summer School will feature talks and workshops by:

Mozn Hassan (Nasra for Feminist Studies, Egypt), Nesrine Malik (the Guardian), Hannah Pool (UK Feminista), Anna van Heeswijk (OBJECT), Emma & Abi Moore (Pink Stinks), Rosalind Miles, Shahida Choudry (Women's Networking Hub), Cath Elliot (Too Much to Say For Myself), Estelle Hart (NUS Women's Campaign), Louise Jenkins (Eaves), Tamsin Omond (Climate Rush), Kat Banyard (UK Feminista), Anna Bird (Fawcett Society), Chitra Nagarajan (GAPS & Black Feminists) Matt McCormack Evans (Anti Porn Men Project), Kate Nustedt (Women for Women International), Adam Ramsay (People and Planet) and Darinka Aleksic (Abortion Rights).

For further information contact Kat Banyard: kat@ukfeminista.org.uk, 07775 855037

The Truth about Book Writing

Hello folks!

Yes, its true, I am writing a book about feminism. More specifically an eBook (although maybe someday I will publish it on recycled paper).

Those people interested in pre-ordering my eBook should email me [suzannemacnevin {atsymbol} gmail.com] and I will add you to a growing list of people interested in purchasing it.

Not to worry, you won't be paying for it right away when you join the list, you can still change your mind later! When my book comes out I will be adding a PayPal button link here and I will email all you wonderful people and tell you its ready.

My book will be filled with feminist facts, quotes, truths and humour. Some of it may be sad, but I hope to enlighten and education you with some of the feminist wisdom I've garnered over the years.

For now I am working with the possible title of "Feminist Truths", but I might change it if I think of a better name.

Also I've decided to opt for the Edition route... that way I can create 2nd Edition and 3rd Edition versions later. My hope is that my book will someday be mandatory reading for university students studying feminism or gender studies.

And thus inspire a whole new generation of feminists.

Yours Truthfully,
Suzanne MacNevin

The Truth about Conservative Feminism

FEMINIST - What is the role of Conservative Feminism?



Well first that depends on how you define "Conservative Feminism"... it does seem like a bit of an oxymoron. How can someone be a Conservative and yet a Feminist?



Well, you see there is really a variety of different definitions of Conservative Feminism...



#1. Traditional Feminism... This implies feminists who are more prone to modesty and they don't want to upset the apple cart. So they're Conservative in the respect that they don't like to mess with the traditional routine, but they still believe in equality.



#2. Pro-Life Feminism... They believe in equality, but not in the right to choose an abortion. They can even be radical or anarchist in other ways, but for whatever reason (ie. religion) they don't believe in the right to choose an abortion.



#3. Phony Feminism... These are power hungry people (ie. Sarah Palin) who denounce feminism while simultaneously seeking the support of other women while promoting themselves as a Conservative Feminist (or even Anti-Feminist) icon. The example of Sarah Palin shows how this is sometimes done. Politicians lie and use whatever means at their disposal to garner votes.



#4. Insert Your Own Variation / Definition Here... :)



Now to get back to what the role of Conservative Feminism plays we have several options...



Option A) To enlighten Conservatives about feminist issues (and hopefully not muck it up).



Option B) To offset radical/anarchist feminism who are too extreme.



Option C) To annoy the **** out of Pro-Choice Feminists. Seriously, there is nothing more annoying than a Pro-Life Feminist arguing their (usually religious) reasons for why abortion should not even be a choice. (My retort to them: An Open Letter to the Anti-Abortionists.)



Option D) To serve as a vanguard against prostitution and pornography. Some semblance of decency in society has to be maintained.



Option E) To support the right of women to be homemakers if they opt not to choose a career path.



So while we may not like Conservative Feminists, they do provide a productive role in the post-feminist world we live in. People have a choice and they can make whatever choice they want, whether it be Madonna, Whore or a Duality of Both.



See Also



Conservative Feminist Views



Feminism Vs Pornography



Feminism and Anarchism



Where have all the feminists gone?



Feminism in the New Gender Order



What is Socialist Feminism?

The Truth about Vietnamese Girls

By Ai Lung Nguyen - July 2011.

I am a globe trotting Vietnamese girl... I've been all over Asia, North America and Europe... so many places to go, so many things to do, so many men to leave disappointed.

And that is the truth of it.

Western men (no thanks to Hollywood movies about the Vietnam War) have got it in their minds that all Vietnamese women are "Me love you long time". And that is really all they know about Vietnam and its women.

So when they meet women like me and discover that Vietnamese women have brains and brawn, wow, they have to stop and rethink what they've been brainwashed to believe.

So here is some FACTS for you!

#1. Vietnamese women outnumber the men. Vietnamese men often die before the age of 65. There is a lot of Vietnamese women out there who are in their 70s or older and lonely. (The ratio of men to women older than 65 is less than 2 men for every 3 women.)

#2. Prostitution is actually pretty low in Vietnam. Quite a few Vietnamese women are very traditional and would never stoop to such a degrading occupation. (Las Vegas on the other hand...)

#3. Vietnamese women are not "dragon ladies". Although some of the feminists might enjoy describing themselves that way... it does not in any way mean that Vietnamese women are "cold blooded reptiles". We're like any other women. We have feelings, if you prick us do we not get pissed off?

#4. Vietnam does have a feminist movement. Feminist groups in Vietnam started appearing during the 1960s and have been growing stronger ever since.

#5. The birth rate in Vietnam is low compared to the rest of the world. 17.07 births/1,000 population. 1.91 children born / woman. For comparison purposes the USA has 2.06 children born / woman.

#6. The literacy rate for women in Vietnam is 92%. The average for the country is 94%. (Mostly its the older generation which is illiterate.) Note: Literacy in the USA is 99.1%.

#7. Historically Vietnamese girls stay in school less than boys. Boys usually quit after 11 years of schooling whereas the average for Vietnamese girls is 10 years. The numbers are due to the fact that older generation of women often weren't schooled as much, but these numbers are improving rapidly as the younger generation realizes the importance of a good education. (In the USA the averages is 15 years for boys and 17 years for girls.)

#8. Vietnamese women have surprisingly lower breast cancer rates than women in North America. Why? We live and eat healthier. Less smoking, less carcinogens in our food. Our life expectancy is going up. In the USA life expectancy is going down due to skyrocketing obesity rates.

#9. Most women in Vietnam ride motorcycles, scooters or bicycles to work. Although this is equally true of the men. Motorcycles/etc are EXTREMELY popular in Vietnam.

#10. Vietnamese women rock! Okay technically its more pop music, but Vietnamese girl bands are an ever growing phenomenon. (Spice Girls eat your heart out.)

[Sources: CIA World Factbook and other sources.]

Vietnam is a modern Asian country and it is changing rapidly. The country is currently in a stage of massive industrial expansionism and these means lots of jobs for both men and women in Vietnam. There is a problem with 'sweatshop' labour of uneducated women, often immigrants not even from Vietnam, but this problem is gradually going to disappear as the government cracks down on illegal operations.

Vietnam does have some government corruption issues, but this is the same everywhere in the world. The difference is that in Vietnam everyone knows the government is corrupt, in comparison Americans are often blinded by their own biases and don't care that they're being swindled by men in Wall Street.

So to all the Asiaphile men out there you guys need a reality check. If you guys are so easily swindled by Wall Street what makes you think your opinion of Asian women is as accurate as the stock market? Apples and Oranges, but the point is made.

Some people just can't see the lies when they're surrounded by them.

The Truth about Online Privacy

TECHNOLOGY - A fellow feminist by the name of Julian (I shan't say her last name) recommended to me recently that I be careful about posting things online with respect to men out there who might try to harrass me, stalk me or whatever.

Specifically she was worried about "... Men's Rights guys and other
anti-feminist fools who occasionally like to terrorize feminists."

She recommended something called "HideMyAss", which I presume is software, to prevent people from easily tracking me down.

Well lets just discuss this for a moment...

I don't have a Facebook account (I used to, but I deleted it... thats another story). I think I might have a twitter account, but its been ages and I have probably forgotten the password.

Often I don't use my real name online, instead going by "Glowing Maid" or even "Radioactive Girl". So I don't think its a huge necessity to be hiding every little detail.

And I mean whats the point of being a feminist if I can't express my freedom? True, having my privacy is nice too, but I doubt anybody would be able to track me down. (Camden is a big area and its not like I am there constantly.)

And then there's the Sarah Connor effect... Watch the first Terminator movie and count the number of Sarah Connors who were killed before Arnold finally found the right one. I am certain there are other Suzanne or Suzy MacNevin's in the London area, possibly even a few in Camden... and besides... the address isn't under my name. Its under my lover's name.

So chances are highly unlikely that anyone would ever be able to track me down. I don't get sick very often and I haven't been to any hospitals in the area. I don't have a criminal record. I have been unemployed ever since I arrived from Canada so I am not paying taxes while here either.

Instead I just sit at home and write my book. Sometimes I go for walks and explore London. Sometimes I go to the pet store and look at the kittens. Sometimes I find a nice place to sit and read the newspaper. You get the picture.

I truly doubt I am dropping enough hints that someone could track me down. ie. How many pet stores are in Camden and how many can I look at the kittens?

The real danger I think is morons who send me hatemail. That is just asking for a retort and to be exposed online for being an idiot.

People sending me hatemails = Blog fodder. Go ahead. I welcome the chance to talk about whatever you're complaining about in front of the whole world. (Well not literally the whole world, not that many people read my blog, but you get the idea.)

My advice for women is to come up with a fun and catchy pseudonym / nickname. Don't take Glowmaid, that name is MINE!

The real reason why you should do this is because employers now frequently Google your name online to check what you've been up to. Hopefully nobody disreputable is using the same name as you...

And while you're at it remember to clear your search history. :)

Feminist eZine set for relaunch

So its 6 AM in the morning here and I've been up all night.

I just can't sleep. (If I make any spelling or grammar mistakes here its because I am a bit sleepy.)

Just too dang excited, but do you want to know why?

Its because the Feminist eZine is set for a relaunch of sorts. We're updating all the old website templates, making it easier for the website to navigate, and once all the old pages (all 370+ of them) are updated to the new template we will be redoing the index page in a more "magazine esque" or "wikified" style, instead of the current routine which is just lists of links to feminist articles by category.

True, its easy to find stuff under the current system and we will still have all the links organized by category, but once the main page is in stage 2 of the relaunch each category will include a paragraph or two on the category topic.

There will also be a new section for "recent additions" to the Feminist eZine.

Its all very exciting to me. I've been writing / editing things which ultimately became part of the Feminist eZine for 11 years now. Its good to have a big relaunch.

A big part of this is we're going to be trying to bring in more volunteer writers to the Feminist eZine. We're all volunteers, but we need new blood.

Sad to say it but as we get older we feminists sometimes lose the itch to write. We get caught up with work, children, love, our obsession with healthy eating or something equally fascinating.

Take Victoria Van Dyke for example. She used to be a regular to the Feminist eZine / Lilith eZine. Now she has gone back to university, has "settled down" a bit and has lost some of her radical edge. Keeping in mind here this is the same girl who once jumped in front of a subway in an attempt to kill herself, professed for years to be a cannibal, had herself committed in a mental asylum and later chopped off her little toe, stuck in a jar and called it art. So yeah, to say that she has settled down feels a bit like an understatement.

So yeah, even the most hardcore / die hard / sometimes outright insane feminists eventually settle down. (Although the words "die hard" and "settle down" do seem to contradict themselves, don't they?)

I am sure, deep down, she is just as die hard as ever. The difference is that she doesn't write or make art much any more. Lost the itch.

And that is just the way it goes for some feminists. Like tonight I was browsing a bunch of feminist blogs... some of the blogs date back years ago and the feminist bloggers have since stopped writing. Its a crying shame from my perspective, but its something we have to learn to deal with. The feminist bloggers in question lost the itch.

But the real question is how the torch is passed on... which is why websites like the Feminist eZine are so important. They create continuity between historical feminist writing, especially a lot of the feminist writing from the 1960s to 1970s, as well as more modern feminist writing from the 1980s to 2000s... all the way up to our current era of feminist bloggers / writers.

The Torch of Feminism must be kept lit for each generation of feminists to follow.

Anyone interested in writing / submitting articles to either the Feminist eZine (or to Feminist Truths) can contact me at suzannemacnevin {at symbol} gmail.com

Maybe now I can sleep...