Thursday 2 December 2010

Feminist blogging in Aotearoa New Zealand

I thought it might be useful to have a record of feminist blogging in Aoteaoroa New Zealand, as at December 2010. If there's something happening that you think might have a feminist / gender angle, then chances are that one of these wonderful women might have written something about it.

Of course, many other women in New Zealand write feminist posts from time to time, on craft blogs and on mummy blogs, on political blogs and business blogs and rural blogs and cooking blogs and gardening blogs and fashion blogs and... all over the place. My list here is of currently active blogs that are primarily feminist in their focus.

Boganette
Bogan. Feminist. Atheist. Bleeding Heart Liberal.

I am offended because...
Ally: An oft-offended lady in Wellington. Likes sex positive feminism, fat activism, collecting lipsticks, theatre and the active consumption of dessert wine.

Ideologically Impure
Queen of Thorns: one-woman ginger group

LadyNews
Steph: Information in bite-sized pieces for the feeble ladybrain

Pickled Think
Amanda: Writing. Voice. Geek stuff. Random lady-brain musings. The odd bit of hulk smash.

Well behaved women rarely make history
ScubaNurse: Enjoy the ramblings of a woman with a passion for music, people, adventure, the ocean, theatre, and well, life really!

And of course, there's The Hand Mirror team! Some of us have our own blogs as well as writing at The Hand Mirror. You'll find links to our blogs in the sidebar, under "Other Places We Write". Of our other blogs, here the ones that have a strong feminist / activist focus:

Capitalism Bad: Tree Pretty by Maia

Elsewoman by Anne Else

In a Strange Land by Deborah

stargazer by anjum

Let me know if there are other blogs that should be included in this list. I'll try to update it from time to time, so that should you be looking for feminist comment on a particular issue, you can try these blogs for starters.

62 comments:

Scuba Nurse said...

I made list on the Handmirror! The HANDMIRROR!!!!!
It's not even a really long list.
Boy oh boy. What an honor.
Thanks, you have made my day a sunny one!

Amanda said...

*blush*

I didn't start out being feministy (femin-feisty?), it just kinda happened.

Thanks for the support THM. It really means a lot :)

Maia said...

Don't forget Ally Garret of I'm Offended because!

Cactus Kate said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Cactus Kate said...

Absolutely offended to be left off this list given I promote feminism at its finest.

www.asianinvasion2006.blogspot.com

Lindsay Mitchell said...

Cactus, These ladies are not interested in liberal feminism. They pursue gender gains courtesy of the state, via legislative regulation (force).

LadyNews said...

Thank you for the mention!

unPC lesbian said...

I'm with Cactus...why am I not here, I'm always prattling on about gender stuff. Go have a look at this....http://gaynz.com/blog/vanityrules/archives/51

and my home blog has feminist content. Or am I jsut too gender diverse?

www.unpclesbian.blogapot.com

stargazer said...

um, cactus kate, if feminism to you means a total lack of empathy, looking down at women who are in a less fortunate position, and a failure to acknowledge structural & institional bias that leads to injustice, then sure, you're good at that stuff. however, that's not what feminism means to us. you probably have made some strong feminist contributions on occasion, but based on your history of comments here, i really don't see you fitting in with deborah's description in the post.

leslie, we aren't ladies here, we're women. remembering the advertising tag line from back in the 80's: "the art of being a woman is knowing when not to be too much of a lady". you might try it sometime, & break out of the restrictions that being a lady places around you. very liberating.

and yes, sometimes you do need regulation to ensure justice & fairness - that's why we have the crimes act for example. and the human rights act. and every other piece of legislation. legislation alone will not solve issues of discrimination, but it sure does send a strong signal & provides some very valuable paths for redress.

unPC lesbian, i've never read your blog so won't comment.

Cactus Kate said...

"if feminism to you means a total lack of empathy, looking down at women who are in a less fortunate position, and a failure to acknowledge structural & institional bias that leads to injustice, then sure, you're good at that stuff. however, that's not what feminism means to us. you probably have made some strong feminist contributions on occasion, but based on your history of comments here, i really don't see you fitting in with deborah's description in the post".

I am appalled you think that I lack empathy and look down on only women.

If the man isn't doing anything to help himself and is constantly whinging rather than having a go at bettering himself you will find I have an equal lack of empathy for them as well.

Your "type" of feminism isn't actually very supportive of women who are ahead, not because they are women but because they are committed to getting themselves ahead. In fact you are trying to drag the rest of us down to your happy medium of mediocrity of collectivist woe and pity.

For heaven's sake "women up" and see opportunity rather than obstacle.

Lindsay Mitchell said...

Stargazer, Funny that you are so hung up on labels yet get my name wrong. And why not address the same comment to LadyNews? Tut tut. Bad blog name by your definitions.

And you think I need liberating.

Anonymous said...

I share Scuba Nurse's glee!

Also rec:

http://inthegateaux.blogspot.com/
http://robotpies.blogspot.com/

And I know I for one ain't no f$%&ing lady!

Hilariously, I must point out that Cactus Kate *has* been featured in the Down Under Feminists' Carnival ... like, once.

Amanda said...

"Your "type" of feminism isn't actually very supportive of women who are ahead, not because they are women but because they are committed to getting themselves ahead. In fact you are trying to drag the rest of us down to your happy medium of mediocrity of collectivist woe and pity."

I'm really offended by that Kate. I believe in equality and raising up ALL women. Yeah, I'd even be there for the likes of you, if the chips were down, but Jesus, do you have to shit on EVERYONE'S parade?

Amanda said...

And Linday, wth? I'd gladly light a fire under the Nact's govt ass. I'm only an armchair political commentator, but I'm certainly swinging left.

unPC lesbian said...

Oh give me Cactus's feminism any day.

Give me smart self driven woman any day.

Pleeeeeze.

Lindsay Mitchell said...

Amanda, You just don't get it.

Cactus calls it on individual merit or need. The only team she plays on is the one she chooses. Not the one she was born into by your edict.

stargazer said...

hah, totally correct QoT. & if i remember correctly, it was one of us that was hosting the carnival at the time, & i know i definitely suggested a prickly - though i think the host had already wanted to include it. so there you go, we support you even though we don't agree with you most of the time. and i agree with amanda, we're trying to raise all boats, not trying to drag anyone down. just highlighting injustice where it exists & looking at ways to improve the situation. some solutions do require a structural, cultural or societal change; and almost always benefit the whole population.

lindsay, apologies for the incorrect name, i've done that a couple of times over the last few days. it must be my feeble ladybrain! as for the ladynews blog: had you read the description in the post, i think you might have cottoned on to the fact that the use of "lady" by steph is somewhat satirical.

Anonymous said...

@Lindsay: I'm thrilled Kate calls things/people on individual merit. The entire point of my being feminist is that I wish the rest of the world would too.

Lindsay Mitchell said...

I did belatedly. Actually 'ladies' isn't a term I normally employ. It conjures bad associations with bombastic and bitchy netball coaches who address 6 and 7 year-old girls as 'LADIES' when they want to bully them. Not sure why I didn't simply say the 'women' here.

Anonymous said...

There seems to be two types of feminism, One type that needs government funding and special groups and safe areas to survive. They are based around the idea that women are equal but yet do everything in their power to have their hand out claiming victimisation and entitlement. Just because of their sex. They are more often than not unemployed, or studied courses at University that guaranteed they would have difficulty finding a job that would allow them to be contributing to society.

The other type, the majority, gets up every day and goes to work. They are promoted on their skills and abilities and do not cry foul and point fingers if they are not treated differently. They are incredibly strong and successful and are true role models who I aspire to be like. These women are winners and are seen as equals by their male peers.

This blog is firmly in the first camp. Cactus Kate, whose blog I follow, despite me being actually a complete and utter leftie. I voted Alliance and am firmly in the Green camp. The difference is though I am a true feminist and celebrate my strengths, not wallow in self pity. You should try it sometime Stargazer, Amanda etc…

Anonymous said...

oops, I forgot my name for the above anon comment.. sorry grrls.

I'm Sue.

unPC lesbian said...

Go Sue! My personal politics are based in a non gender concept but I would never sit round going woe is me no one understands.

We get to choose. When I became a single parent I chose to go it alone, no government handouts, no finanical support from the Father. It was all me working all the jobs keeping it together, being responsible for my life, and the decisions I had made in life.

End result, a happy successful life that I am proud of, and all created by me. My version of feminism, being strong and making things happen. It's hard, but far more rewarding than sitting round waitng for someone to give you stuff.

stargazer said...

ah sue, would you like to provide a quote of anywhere i've said "woe is me"? or just continue making sh*t up as you please. and perhaps remember that the reason you have the opportunities you do is precisely because feminists fought the good fight for decades, highlighted injustices & fought for structural & legal change. that's why no employer can advertise for jobs saying "males only need apply" as i saw in singapore not so long ago.

& unPCL, no it wasn't all just you. guess what, i too am a single mum who hasn't had to take a benefit. but i don't need to boast about it, because unlike you, i'm able to recognise my privilege. eg being brought up by parents who cared about my education & supported me through it (helping with homework, providing all the necessities); that i was lucky enough to be able to grasp the concepts i needed & afford a university education because the government paid the bulk of fees & a universal allowance in the 80s; & any number of other privileges. if you feel the urge, go through my blog posts of aug & sept for a list of privileges that i was blessed with.

because i can recognise those things, i don't look down at people who haven't had them. i'm willing to recognise & understand the factors that contribute to people being in difficult situations, sometimes because of bad decisions, sometimes because of unfortunate circumstances, & sometimes because of discrimination & injustice. & i'm happy to advocate for a fairer society so that everyone gets a chance to work towards that goal of a full and happy life. the notion that "i did it, so everyone can & should" takes quite a degree of blindness & self-centredness which i'm really not interested in. if that's who you want to be, good for you, but then don't complain that you've been left off the list. it's a list you've shown you despise, so what's your beef?

LadyNews said...

Just a quick comment: yes, the name of my blog is meant to be satirical and taking the piss. It kind of came from people on the internet making fun of fail: commenters on an article about how women in short skirts cause car crashes would make fun of it by talking satirically about LadyDrivers, and that type of thing.

Amanda said...

I absolutely resent and reject the concept that I "wallow in self pity". You know absolutely nothing about me or my circumstances, but I'm big enough and ugly enough to recognize my privilege when need be. What I argue about on my blog is a tiny SMIDGEN of what I see and do and feel and advocate on a daily basis. I don't talk about the bulk of my life, personal or professional, simply because judgmental assholes will use it against me.

I agree with stargazer here: "because i can recognise those things, i don't look down at people who haven't had them. i'm willing to recognise & understand the factors that contribute to people being in difficult situations, sometimes because of bad decisions, sometimes because of unfortunate circumstances, & sometimes because of discrimination & injustice. & i'm happy to advocate for a fairer society so that everyone gets a chance to work towards that goal of a full and happy life. the notion that "i did it, so everyone can & should" takes quite a degree of blindness & self-centredness which i'm really not interested in."

And what's with this bullshit of what a "true" feminist looks like? That's divisive poppycock. We all give to feminism in our own ways. If I recognize your right to own the title/concept and do it in your own fashion, why the hell can't I do it in mine?

Self pity. Fuck that noise. Angry, yes. So is your anger better than mine?

I mean, really (who throws a shoe) who gets a kick out of stirring up a hornets nest just shits and giggles? I thought some people could be adult about it - it's not a fucking high school popularity contest. I couldn't give two shits if I make some "list". I talk/blog for myself more than anything else.

Deborah said...

I think CK and unPC lesbian and Lindsay have missed the point a little. There are plenty of people who write feminist posts on their blogs from time to time: this list here "is of currently active blogs that are primarily feminist in their focus." For example, Ele at HomePaddock occasionally has posts that are feminist (for example, she had a lovely snippy one about some tradie/agent/whatever ringing up and asking to speak to the farmer, and not realising that the woman he was speaking to was the farmer), and they have been included in the Down Under Feminists Carnival. But I don't think she would characterise her blog as being primarily feminist.

I put together some submissions for the December Down Under Feminist Carnival yesterday, and as is my usual practice, quickly scanned a bunch of blogs written by NZ women to find posts. Even though I looked, I didn't find any posts to submit from CK's and unPC Lesbian's and Lindsay's blogs, but I found plenty in the blogs I've listed here. It's not a failsafe test, but it's a good indication that the blogs listed here are "primarily feminist in their focus."

Also, I am not, never have been, and never want to be a lady.

Finally, there's plenty I don't agree with CK about, but there's plenty that I do, and I enjoy her blog, because one thing she never does is patronise her readers.

Anonymous said...

I see I struck a nerve with Amanda and Stargazer... and it proved my point exactly. Such whining! Thankfully I woke up one morning and realised I was the one who determined my future.

Rubbish that feminists laid the tracks for me, if they did then they were people like Cactus and UNPC and not those who sat around eating fairtrade chocolate in the womyns room on campus.

This blog is so full of anger and failure. The only way for a woman to succeed isn't by having a token ministry set up for us, which frankly is embarrassing - but we should be allowed to prove we can do it ourselves without the handouts.

Sue

Boganette said...

Sigh. What bullshit.

A website you constantly bitch about and never visit other than to bitch and complain and troll and completely miss the point on every topic EVER didn't include you on a list of FEMINIST bloggers who proudly call themselves feminists and you're going to have a fucking cry about it. God give me strength!

What a fucking tragedy. These are the most fucking ridiculous comments I've ever read on here (well maybe not most but definitely up there).

Why the fuck should The Hand Mirror advertise your shitty blogs? You get a big old Get Fucked from this proud feminist. Why don't you write your own list of 'self-loathing beneficiary bashers who claim to be feminists but don't actually do sweet FA for womens rights' and you can include both your blogs on there? Deal?

This list isn't actually about getting traffic to your blogs. It's about women having a place to go to read about feminist issues. If you want more traffic why don't you just post a bunch of tits on your page in the name of breast cancer awareness?

Thanks for including me among such wonderful and intelligent women. I feel very honoured.

Ally said...

Thank you for the lovely mention!

Some of these comments though... egads.

stargazer said...

thanx for showing your complete ignorance of history, sue, iced over with plenty of condescending arrogance. who do you think got women the vote? women who saw the institutional injustice, organised, rode around the country on horseback getting signatures etc etc. who do you think got us the equal pay act? women who were feminists, who saw societal & institutional injustice & did something about it. i can give you a whole long list, but i think you get the point. so you want to write off all women activists working to reduce injustice as whiners, while taking full advantage of the gains they have won for you, that have made your life better. no-one gave us handouts sweetie, all gains for women have been hard-fought and hard-won by political activists who cared about others. that's what we do here: raise issues, look at solutions etc. action will only happen when there is awareness of issues, but oh no, that's "whining" according to you. every time those earlier women raised issues (eg we should be able to vote), you'd have written them off as whiners as well. so how about you stop your whining here, and go do something else.

and ooh, we're angry? bingo! says you with your rants full of nastiness? damn right we're angry, & proud of it. there are plenty of things that should make us angry, anger motivates many people to action & telling us we're angry is a compliment.

Boganette said...

Oh and Sue - You didn't prove any point. If you loathe this blog and it's writers and commentators so much why are you here? And while I think your 'two types of feminism' rant was suitably idiotic you missed the category you're in: "those women who troll feminist blogs claiming those feminists don't do enough/do it all wrong/yell to loudly/are too quiet etc etc while enjoying the benefits of feminism like say voting, having your own bank account, being able to work or work at home etc".

Keep working hard at it Sue! You're really making a difference with your stereotyping and bitching.

And "true feminist" what a load of shit - Show me your membership card! True feminists have special swipe cards that get them into the special building where we plan world domination, have pillow fights, drink cocktails and sacrifice men at an altar made of fire. If you were a 'true feminist' you would be able to tell us the magic true feminist password and handshake we use when we meet each other. And you'd have a badge and a hat with a feather in it. So you're obviously lying.

Amanda said...

Sue, you really are a piece of work. You deserve a hand signed copy of "Derailing For Dummies" and a first edition of "The Best of Privilege Denying Dude".

What do you want me to do? Not reply, and let you think you've one with your high school shit kicking trolling? Or get more angry that justifies your bullshit antics.

Fuck yes I'm angry. Being accused of something I'd not, being accused of cognitive dissonance and not "caring" about other women. Fuck that, you have NO CLUE what I care about, and I'm not about to give you a personal biography of everything that means something to mean.

You might step over me if I was dying in a fire, but at least I have some empathy for every person in this world, even if they are a someone who gets their jollies out of destroying strangers on the internet.

Amanda said...

Sorry about my typos.

Anonymous said...

ATTENTION PEOPLE, I think some of you don't understand how the internet works. it goes like this.

Bloggers post blogs. People comment on their blogs and then people get to know each other and start reading each others' blogs. Then sometimes bloggers make posts linking to people they know being like "These people are cool/interesting/clever and you should read them."

Here's how the Internet doesn't work:

Bloggers link to people they don't know, have never interacted with, and/or disagree with, suggesting that their readers read those blogs.

The deepest irony here is that women who claim to be against feminist critiques of institutional culture are themselves complaining that the institutional culture at THM is biased against them. The problem is that THM isn't an institution and isn't obligated to be unbiased, it's a blog.

Amanda said...

Thanks Tui. Having said that, I abhor cliques, would never go on to another person's space to troll/call them names, and I'm not around here to have my arse kissed.

It didn't fly with me in Form Three, and it sure as hell doesn't fly with me now.

So Sue, Kate et al. What pushed your buttons that you thought it was suitable to come and spew all over other people for fun?

Anonymous said...

"Having said that, I abhor cliques, would never go on to another person's space to troll/call them names, and I'm not around here to have my arse kissed."

I don't think I recommended any of the above?

Amanda said...

Tui. No no, I am in agreement with you :)

Just my opinion said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Just my opinion said...

Heheh, that was too easy... thanks for the entertainment :)

stargazer said...

yawn, clint. if that's how you need to get your entertainment, you must lead an extremely sad life. you have my sympathies & i hope you get better soon :)

Anonymous said...

Ummm did anybody notice Cactus lit the fire and disappeared? As did UnPc.....off drinking champers and having a giggle. Of course they might come back (busy jobs an all). In the meantime just wanna say re.tuitalks comment - the internet has no rules, none and there is no such thing as blogger etiquette.....so really, throw it into the public domain and you take your chances. Cactus sent you all down a rat hole.....

Scuba Nurse said...

I've got to say I put my feminist labor in the same category as my sexuality and personality. I'm no les straight for the fact I get the hots for lady celebs.
I'm no less a sociable person for enjoying my quiet time.
I'm no less feminist for putting up with macho BS in my job situation.
There is no hard and fast rule to feminism, but we do all have our own personalities and politics. Naturally those blogger networks that build up do so around those that are similar. E.g. I don't follow any NZ Conservative feminists.
If you don't agree with the hand mirror and they don't agree with you, why complain when you don't receive recognition from them.
Why would you want it?
Every one take ten paces backwards and figure out whether they really want the territory they are fighting for.
And if you are here to wind people up, sod off and find a functional hobby like arson.

Scuba Nurse said...

Sorry about the typos I'm exausted and have been having a post work meeting snivel! Makes editing on my little phone screen hard.

unPC lesbian said...

Anonymous I have diaappeared because I have been working, generating revenue, yet you assume something else.

Stargazer tars me with her brush of white upperclass middleclass privilege, again with no basis.

I am retiring from this debate as it seems to based on assumptions and sweeping generalisations....

Boganette I deserved my slap for srirring up debate. I respect your blog and opinions.

The politics and feminism on this site is way too binary for me.

stargazer said...

unPCL - sorry, but i didn't tar you with anything. i spoke about recognising my own privilege & made no comment on any details of what you're actual situation might be. i said nothing about skin-colour at all, so i'd appreciate it if you wouldn't misrepresent me.

the only possible bit of that comment that applied to your privilege was that, unlike you, i recognised mine. you may not think you have any, but the fact that you have the ability to write well enough & have regular enough access to the internet to run a blog speaks to known privileges. i couldn't & haven't made any other assumptions about you personally & in fact didn't even mention those two in my earlier comment.

unPC lesbian said...

Stargazer your comment implies that the fact that I learned how to use the brain and intelligence I was born with is a privilege, whereas my command of language and words is really only a result of my own desires.

My pal who was raised on an estate in South London by alcoholic single mother. Who had to move into a squat at 16, yet managed to haul herself through Uni and get a PhD and a job that makes her happy....does that mean she is privileged too?

Is this site then feminism for dummies?

Mrs Happy said...

unPC lesbian.. yes, I think it is a dumbed down feminist blog. That is why I choose to read about real feminists like Cactus Kate.

Boganette said...

And yet you're here, commenting, "Mrs Happy". Jeez where did all these sad losers come from? If you think this is such a terrible blog why the fuck do you keep coming here and bitching about it?

For what it's worth I think The Hand Mirror is a great site. It's entirely the reason why I started blogging in the first place. It has inspired me to be more vocal with my activism and it has taught me a great deal about issues I'd previously not been all that interested in.

I don't know why people feel the need to come to a blog and complain about how that blog - that they don't write for, or ever contribute to in any meaningful way - doesn't suit them. Honestly, how self-absorbed do you get? I certainly don't care that you don't like this blog or my blog or any of the other blogs. How narcissistic do you have to be to come to someone else's blog and expect them to change their educated, considered opinion on issues so that they suit your half-baked, part-time philosophy?

So you lot feel this isn't *your* brand of feminism. So you want to divide women into "real" feminists and "true" feminists and other redundant bullshit - fine, do that. But do it on your own fucking blog. It's pathetic. I don't come to your blog and complain about how your learned experiences don't match mine and therefore you should write like me and think like me. I don't come and correct your grammar or encourage you to actually *think* before you blog.

The women at The Hand Mirror aren't here for your entertainment. They're not dancing monkeys. If you want to read about issues that aren't addressed on this site - fucking write about them yourself then. Don't be lazy pieces of shit and expect someone else to do it for you.

I mean you do realise that there's actually a LOT of blogs on the internet. I'm happy to teach you how to use Google so that you can find some that match your 'ideals'.

Adele said...

Cactus Kate is a self-made woman that idolatrises her creator.

A religious fundamentalist she must be. I imagine her inner sanctum to be sharp edged and rigidly stark. A vestibule for the narrow-minded with hollow aims and self-centred walls.

Kate's type of thinking has been around for eons, in various shades of deficit, a veritable living fossil that has yet to realise it is neurologically defunct. Hard right thinking that reduces human potential to productive capacity only has a long-term consequence in oblivion. It is a failed ideology that every so often raises its guillotined head towards the masses.

Women to be admired and role modelled are high achievers - for the betterment and advancement of others. Ambitions are motivated by contribution to community and passions are compassionately driven. All, wrapped up in the sweet embrace of humility.

Any fool can be ruthless and mean-spirited – so why aspire to such a low ebb?

stargazer said...

unPCl, you miss the point. i'm saying that the fact that you were born with a certain level of intelligence is a privilege. what if you had reading difficulties that went unrecognised, & so you were put off eductaion from an early age? what if you could read, but for example, had trouble learning difficult concepts. there are a whole heap of privileges in the area of literacy, and yes, once you're lucky enough to be born with a certain level of intelligence, it's up to you to use that. there may be any number of reasons why you weren't able to. your pal got through, others don't. your pal didn't have privilege in some areas, she may well have done in others - i can't say because i don't know that person.

the key difference between you and me is this: when you see someone who has made some bad decisions, you seem to look down on them (based on what i've taken from your comments here), and think yourself so much better than them. you may well think they deserve no support or understanding. you possibly wouldn't want any public funds spent on that person, and may be happy to let them fall through the cracks and continue to live in a similar or worsening situation, since you think it's all their own fault.

when i see such a person, i think: what were the factors that lead to poor decisions? given those factors were they really poor decisions or actually the best that could be done at that time and place? what can we do to improve that person's position and get some better outcomes? is this something that can be fixed at the individual level, and if so what needs to be done? is this something that needs family involvement, and if so, how can the family be strengthened or supported to make the situation better? is this something that the community needs to help with, and if so, what mechanisms need to be set up to ensure the community provides what's needed? is this an issue faced by a whole lot of individuals, based on the way our society is structured or the cultural values we hold? if so, what can we do to dismantle those structures & build better ones? what can we do to change the culture?

i believe in community, i believe in caring when someone is clearly in a difficult situation. i don't feel comfortable in saying "that's there problem, if they don't help themselves then it's nothing to do with me". yes, there is individual responsibility, yes there may well be some people who can't ever be helped, but you won't know that until you try. and even for those who can't be helped, the one thing they will never get from me is contempt.

unPC lesbian said...

Stargazer you assume because I am proud and boasted of my achievments that I therefore look down on others. By saying I chose to work instead of woe is me etc is saying of the choice I made, and not of what I feel for others.

I only jumped into this debate to defend the fact that Cactus's form of feminism is just as valid as what is written here.

If you actually read the gaynz link you will see the community I am involved in.

My politics is based in gender, and I support of all across the gender spectrum. I do not limit it to one section of society based solely on genitalia.

The End.

Sandra said...

It started out such a useful and entirely positive post. It still is, of course, but I am staggered at the level of abuse in the comments.

The Hand Mirror is possibly my very favourite blog. Of course I haven't agreed with everything - who could with such a diversity of approaches? But it is always worth reading and I treasure some particularly thought provoking articles posted here.

I love the HM blog roll. No need to be a particular 'kind' of woman - all kiwi-linked blogs by women welcome and I have discovered some wonderful women via this blog roll. So that's the wide church aspect of THM and then this particular post focuses on blogs with a specifically feminist angle. All good, surely. I think adult humans should be able to read this positive, celebratory post without throwing a tantrum because they are not on it.

stargazer said...

thanx sandra. unPCL, just because the feminist blogs listed regularly discuss issues that pertain to women doesn't indicate any kind of lack of support of other genders. and if your main beef is not being on the list, i think deborah has covered that quite adequately in the post & in her comment on friday, 11.49am, as have other commentors here.

captiver said...

Interesting discussion. I think progressives, sadly, are constantly handicapped by a lack of awareness by subsequent generations of what was fought for and won. Whether it's feminist advances (big things like getting the vote, smaller things like not being legally barred from working as a knife-hand at the freezing works because you're a woman) or union-won gains (40 hour work week, sick leave, holidays, etc. etc. etc.) or other human rights protections, environmental, industrial etc., when you grow up with them, you tend to assume they're just THERE, like air and water. I wonder how the successful strivers -- and I'm certainly not denying them their success or their striving for it -- would do in a more repressive age or a more repressive culture/country than NZ in the 2000s. One can never learn too much history, methinks. It's a pity that pointing these things out is always seen as whining by second-wave feminists who want to be patted on the back. I don't think they want that (I'm not one, btw), they are just hoping for some historical awareness. All of which links pretty directly to Stargazer's discussion of privilege. I think all she and others are calling for is a little more awareness. Whatever kind of 'feminism' you practice, having some knowledge of what came before is a good thing.

stargazer said...

thanx captiver, i agree with what you say. i think also that we need to acknowledge the work of others that allowed us to achieve what we did. eg we go to school and may work hard and achieve good results. it's easy to think that our achievements are the result of our own efforts. but we didn't actually build the school, nor train the teachers. we didn't develop the curriculum or write the textbooks. there is a whole heap of work by a community of people & the collective earning of hundreds of thousands which mean we can get the education that we did. moreover, if we go back over centuries, there were the activists who fought for state-funded education to be available to everyone, who fought for equal educational opportunities for women etc etc. so when i hear people saying "it was all me, i did it all myself", i tend to react quite negatively.

which is not to say that i want to dismiss the fact that somone has put their heart and soul into making the most of the opportunities they were presented with (as you also point out). quite the contrary - i like to honour the achievements of others & i think we do that quite consistently here. i simply ask for due recognition of all the factors that lead to a person's success. and for those who have achieved to also invest in helping others to achieve as well. that's how community works.

Mrs Happy said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Boganette said...

Mrs Happy - Stop making shit up and go get a life.

Mrs Happy said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Boganette said...

Mrs Happy - can we quit the foreplay? Nobody reading The Hand Mirror is interested in your issues with me. Feel free to head over to my blog and compliment me there.

stargazer said...

mrs happy, we don't tolerate nastiness towards other commentors here, particularly not in the way you have been commenting. i'd suggest you grow up, & take your issues with boganette to her blog, as she suggests. if you can't argue the point without denigrating the person, then you don't belong here.

Boganette said...

For goodness sake, get over it Mrs Happy. Christmas is coming - cheer up! Life surely isn't that bad for you.

stargazer said...

and mrs happy, there are such things as internet troll who we don't tolerate here. it really is quite sad that you feel the need to keep coming back to a place to do this. you have my sympathies but not my tolerance.