Feminist pub no 12: The Bluestocking Returns, this time with goats!

[YonicScrewdriver]

Welcome!

In a nutshell, I don't see how we can liberate ourselves in a neoliberal capitalist system, given the symbiotic relationship between capitalism and the patriarchy. Not a new thought by any means, but on a personal level it is troubling as I feel myself lurching leftwards again after having previously reconciled myself with much of Labour's platform for the next election.

I second that BOOM, Yonic

I know I shouldn't rise to it when people say things like "little women" but I hope you got him squarely somewhere sensitive with the cannon Yonic...

TBF the little women bit was paraphrasing.

The excitable, stake burning and pitch forking were quotes.

Oddly, the subject of the thread was such that getting men somewhere sensitive with the cannon would be apt!

Sorry you found it so upsetting Demis.

The "snip" thread in relationships.

Have got important work thing tomorrow am so am logging off now. Bonne nuit, mes sœurs!

Ah I had hoped to see you yesterday, Buffy. I wanted to thank you in person for your recent help

Thanks Norma

Yes we missed you, Buff - hope all is well

I was a bit moved by the conference, but am angry enough to feel energised. Some of the testimony of young women contending with generation porn was terrifying from the point of view of being a parent. But I have a potential space in my life for making work right now, so I think the possibility of taking action is saving me from just feeling depressed and defeated.

I'm also a bit more forgiving of the art, though I was hugely embarrassed in one of the poems, I literally blushed. The other poem was alright though, I really liked the woman performing it, she was a great performer. I do like the art, even the earnest vagina stuff - I like the overall aesthetic of a wall covered in earnest art even when individual bits are like a slightly cringey memory of pages of my diary circa 1989.

I did like Finn, she almost has me convinced that my next feminist step is to become a school governor. For context, I am home edding my two

Some of us mentioned that MN FWR was a positive experience for us as feminists. Cos you lot are lush and have never read me poetry that I find embarrassing.

A Christmas pissup has been mooted, I am sooooo up for that and any number of practicing for Christmas pissups.

Yes yes to Christmas piss up

So what kind of Christmas piss up wwould we like? I fancy a pub with no loud music so we can rant talk, and I'm not really into clubs or dancing (am old).

Hi! Been out and about. :)

No pubs with loud music please.

I'd love a Christmas piss up. But it needs to be up North for me.

We can have synchronised ones throughout the country relayed by skype.

Sorry to hear you found parts upsetting Demis.

I know some people find the soft space a bit hippy-woo, but I'm a complete convert - we're not talking just about theoretically upsetting things but about things that happen to us as women, and we're doing it in the context of a society which expects women to put our feelings aside and debate our own oppression impersonally. And then when we're encouraged to have some "down time" we're sold manicures and spa days because nothing is more relaxing than preparing your body to be cosmetically acceptable to the patriarchy. So bring on the soft space and the gentle music, I say.

I'm feeling really positive after the weekend, we had such a lot of good feedback including from the volunteers we had from Working Chance. Organising for 2015 starts now…!

Thanks Karma. I shall certainly do my best to attend next year. Your comments make perfect sense. I guess that's what I'm trying to adjust to - it's not a bad thing to be distressed by distressing things. It's not weakness to be moved by the suffering of others and to be upset by memories of difficult things from your past. And I will embrace the soft spaces next time

and going back to Outs' comment about becoming a school governor, I suppose for me the way forward is to try harder to integrate my feminist ideals into projects in which I am already involved.

Buffy I've been thinking about that too. I'm in a position at work where I can influence hiring, and I'm fairly unashamedly hiring as many women as I can. They are contract positions but it's better than nothing. And I also have been making pointed comments about the (woefully bad) gender imbalance in our team. Baby steps...

Well done Unwitting. I'm not in a situation where I can influence hiring at this point, but I aim to be .

Thanks Zazzles

I keep having twinges of "am I being unfair" guilt, but I justify it to myself as one of the sub-teams (not technical, customer facing) is ALL male, and recent hires too, so it's so blatant that there is bias already. I feel like I'm redressing that slightly! And I also remind myself that men have been unfairly preferred for having a Y chromosome for all most of human history and they don't seem to feel too bad about that situation.