Wom*n's Vertigo 2013 by feministcollective

Thanks to… Beyoncé Intersectional wom*n scholars who forged a path for us The UTSSA Wom*ns Collective Our contributors – each and every one Alison Whittaker Lucy Bonanno Lyndal Butler Maggie Sheen Freya Newman Gaby Coombs Food Our readers RU4MyChoice? Intersectionality

Cross-campus supporters

Indigenous women prisoners are the least likely of all prisoner groups to access housing and support services upon their release.

There is significant need for a transitional and post release approach informed by Indigenous women and support workers themselves.

TW: abortion, anti-choice rhetoric An anti-choice lobbying group named LifeChoice recently lodged an application to affiliate with the UTS Union. It is worrying news for those of us who consider UTS a safe space for all students, and in particular those with reproductive capacity*.

LifeChoice describes itself as a group focused on the promotion of discussion around reproductive rights and bioethics. However the collective experience of our fellow students at UNSW, USYD and Macquarie with LifeChoice points to a much more sinister, anti-choice agenda.

Across other Sydney campuses, LifeChoice have aggressively sought to push affiliation with university unions, distributed misinformation and repeatedly refused to cooperate with university wom*n’s officers, representatives, departments and collectives on campus. Infamously, at USyd, LifeChoice used the funding given to them by the University of Sydney Union to distribute dangerously misleading leaflets about the abortion drug RU-486. The leaflets claimed that persons using RU486 have ‘the same risk of up to 20%’ of developing mental health problems. However, according to the American Psychological Association, the Royal College of Psychiatrists and John Hopkins University surveys, there is no increased risk of developing mental health issues. The only verified medical article cited by the leaflet noted that chemical abortions are safe within the first nine weeks of pregnancy (RU486 is only used within the first seven weeks of pregnancy).

* note - not just ‘women’. Trans* men and gender non-conforming people also seek abortions. 13 Not everyone who has an abortion is a woman, so it’s important to avoid cissexist language which frames reproductive rights as a ‘women’s issue’.

Hannah Smith, the 2013 USyd Wom*ns Officer, believes ‘student unions should prioritise the safety and wellbeing of their members over the ‘free speech’ of those who don’t have a stake in these discussions’. Hannah is one of many from campuses outside UTS who have warned UTS students about the ‘aggressively… anti-choice and ill-informed rhetoric’ of clubs such as LifeChoice.

By stigmatising and intimidating persons who have accessed or considered this medical procedure, LifeChoice has created unsafe spaces for students on campuses across Sydney. Their presence on UTS campuses will only serve to create a threatening and toxic environment for students, by clouding discourse surrounding reproductive rights and bodily autonomy.

In response to the application by Lifechoice, an online petition encouraging people to voice their concerns about LifeChoice received hundreds of signatures, and prompted more than 600 submissions to the inboxes of those in charge. This petition no doubt influenced the UTS Union’s decision to deny LifeChoice from affiliating, which was handed down on August 28 2013.

A pro-choice group, RU4MyChoice?, has also been established in affiliation with the UTS Student’s Association. The group is intended to be a safe space for UTS students to discuss reproductive health issues, and to help provide access to health information and services.

The group is non-autonomous, meaning anyone can join. If you are interested in becoming a member, you can: 1. email utswomenscollective@gmail.com, or 2. make a request via the online Facebook page at www.facebook.com/RU4MyChoice.

By Freya

CW: abortion & discussion of medical procedure

NOWSA Report-Back, Jess Xu At Network of Wom*n Students Australia, hosted by Melbourne Womyn’s Collective this year, I dedicated just under a week to learn. I learnt that I am not the only first generation immigrant child in Australia who counts how many ‘white Australians’ there are in the room compared to migrant children. I learnt that my shame of my parents – how my mum speaks too loud on the phone, how I had to teach my dad how to use a knife and fork at the airport, how I resented my home packed lunch because opening my container would release a waft of pungent dumplings – I learnt that this was internalised racism. I learnt that my refusal to learn Chinese as a child and now my shame in being in limbo, not Chinese nor Australian, is a full circle that many go through. I learnt that feminism is not just abortion rights and academics in the public eye. Feminism is also my mum’s fierce independence and perseverance in providing us three meals a day despite her bodily pains leftover from chemotherapy. I learnt that I have a lot to learn. I am not the only one. You are not the only one. If you’ve ever been discriminated against based on your cultural background, and want a space to talk, vent, read or do whatever, we’ve just set up a national network for wom*n of colour students on Facebook. We’re also starting a Sydney network for wom*n of colour this semester – exciting stuff! So if you’re interested, please contact me on ethnoculturaluts@gmail.com  Solidarity in sistahood!

by: anonymous

Ling McGregor

Poem by

He is wearing New Balance sneakers with jeans. She watches him approaching from across the room. He walks with a swagger that’s all too comfortable for someone so clearly out of place – weak chin (with attempts at stubble which make it look more like a sparsely-spiked cactus), band t-shirt from three years ago, grin like he’s just invented the search engine. He’s, like, post-hipster, or something. He’s the guy who makes fun of the hipsters but doesn’t realise he’s a million times worse for thinking he’s above them when, really, he’s just a loser. Ten bucks, she thinks, he’s gonna say something about the music. He stops in front of her. “How about this song, eh?” She lifts her drink to her mouth, purses her lips, takes a sip. “I don’t know it.” Now is his moment. “That’s your loss. You haven’t heard of xxx xxxxxxx? They’ve been around for a while, but people’re only just starting to pay attention to them now. This isn’t their best – you’ve got to hear Strawberry Death- but it’s an easy one to start with.” 24 She grunts, a little.

What sort of music are you into, then? No – no, don’t tell me – ” he looks her up and down – “you look like a Belle and Sebastian kind of chick, something safely weird but boppy. You know.”

She clears her throat and takes another sip.

“Actually, at the moment I only really listen to Taylor Swift.”

This has the expected effect. He can’t cover his surprise – cactus-stubbled jaw drops, rapidly, then is just as rapidly corrected as hetell raises one eyebrow, headhe’s slightly, folds his arms, smirks. “Oh god, don’t me that.” He thinkscocks she’shis joking, flirting hardcore now.and “I might have believed you.”

“I’m not lying.”

Having this conversation is like hate-reading Ricky Gervais’ Twitter feed, she thinks. Nauseating and infuriating and completely depressing, but addictive.

He laughs. “I’m going to get a drink. Want another one? Stay right here, when I get back I’m gonna tell you more about xxx xxxxxxx. I think you’d really like them.”

As soon as he’s gone she goes to look for Ella. She finds her sitting on the kitchen bench talking to some guy with tight pants and an actual beard and his hand on her thigh. God, Ella would always get the decent one. She turns around and sees Cactus Chin across the room with two drinks and – oh, fuck, he’s seen her.

She takes the drink and inspects the loose stitching on the back of an old armchair, while he talks about what Pitchfork said about Strawberry Murder or Raspberry Slaughter or whatever, how he doesn’t agree, how you just need to appreciate the cohesion in that song, how it’s not about the layers, or lyrics, or something. She has to interrupt. “Do you play?”

“What? I mean yeah, a bit of guitar. I’m nothing special.”

“Oh.”

There’s a silence. The first.

“So, what’s with Taylor Swift then?” She smiles wide at the chair stitching, then looks him in the eye. Bats her eyelashes. “How did you know that’s what I wanted to talk about?” Cactus Chin’s distinctly uncomfortable. “Look, I just really can’t tell whether you’re joking or…” “Oh – ” and she’s gleeful now – I’m not joking. I’m dead serious.” She can tell he’s mistaking her glee for

flirting, which is perfect,

really, because it means he’ll stick

around to listen.

“I’m not saying she’s ideologically perfect, but she’s criticised for – what? Writing mean songs about boys who treated her badly? And they can’t handle it? Or, you know, they can, but no one else can handle the thought that a girl could publicise her thoughts about boys are aren’t ‘I love him so much’ or ‘fuck me fuck me’, that a girl could publicly humiliate a boy when girls are constantly publicly scrutinized and humiliated and degraded. And then the rest of her material is girly stuff, happy stuff, and of course it’s all criticised as being frivolous and unimportant because that’s how femininity is defined and has been for thousands of years, rights? And that’s the attitude her fans – teenage girls – are met with by the majority of the rest of the world, all the time. No one wants to listen to a teenage girl, or admit that what she has to say could be relevant or worth listening to or that her emotions are real. Not to mention that Taylor Swift is completely, one hundred percent dedicated to those female fans and Taylor Swift doesn’t fucking care whether the rest of the world likes her.”

There’s silence number two, though he’s smirking again. “Yeah, okay, I guess I can appreciate that, but the music – “ She raises both eyebrows. She’s never been able to do just one. He can win on that count. “The music? It’s well-written pop music, sure. Catchy, distinctly lyrically not-lame, not pretending to be anything it’s not, thematically relevant to its audience which is made up of human beings who are no less ridiculous than you are, and, you know, cohesive.” She downs the drink and spends the rest of the night dancing and not paying Cactus Chin any attention, and at one point she plays DJ and puts on 22 and Ella leaves Beard Man to dance with her, and it’s fun. 26

N.B. THIS ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN ON SUNDAY JUNE 16 2013

Launching Women for Gillard on Tuesday June 11 (2013), Prime Minister Julia Gillard spoke on how women might fare in political representation and policy outcomes under an Opposition government. Alas the cries of "GENDER WARS" were heard all over the nation. Two genders go in, only one comes out… dun dun dun. Seriously though, the highest woman or man in Australian politics says the A word (I’m not going to say it for baby ears over here but it rhymes with shmashmortion) and apparently she’s whipping out that ever coveted and all-powerful ‘gender card’. She was attacked for instead of talking about policy, something you would assume the Liberals would be cheering about seeing as they pretty much have no policies, she brought up the idea that an Abbott government may not treat women as well or give them as much access to the reproductive health services they need. Never mind that as Health Minister Tony Abbott did try to keep ministerial control over the abortion drug RU486 and decided himself that “abortion is the easy way out”. And yea, maybe the Prime Minister’s comments were just a distraction from “the real policies" but if we’re pretending women’s rights and health aren’t political issues in this country now then what the actual fuck are we doing? Do we have to wait for an old white man to bring it up or maybe one of two Liberal women in the Shadow Cabinet?

Speaking of the women of the shadow cabinet this week with sexist and misogynistic attitudes running rife in the Australian media and institutions Julie Bishop was asked today if women are disadvantaged by their gender she replied "I don’t believe so". I DON’T BELIEVE SO. You can laugh, I did. Please keep “I don’t believe so" in mind as you read on because this shit is just too good to make up. She said this at the end of the week we’ve had too like seriously, c’mon Jules. 34her bra but she’s been the deputy leader for the past 3 It’s not like I want her out there burning Opposition leaders. I wonder if she questions why she isn’t running the show yet. Anyway, on to more sexism because I just can’t get enough.

The Socceroos beat Jordan. What does this have to do with sexism may you ask? The revered and knowledgeable coach of the Australian Soccer team was on a high after he had lead his team to victory. At the media conference afterwards an organiser told the coach where to sit which he responded with “you push me around like my wife" followed by a comment that "women should shut up in public" IN A ROOM FULL OF JOURNALISTS. But don’t worry guys he was just joking, "I have a lot of respect to women. I’ve been married for a number of years and I’m pretty happy with my wife." Ohhhh he has a wife – my bad. Abort mission he’s not sexist he has a wife and they’re pretty happy. I repeat he has a wife. Girls hold your fire; he’s one of those Nice Guys. Which apparently would have been fine had a Junior Liberal Party member not tweeted that the coach’s comments should apply to Julia Gillard, our Prime Minister. By the way the Coach said this the day of the Women for Gillard event, the day where many people including renown feminists said the PM was just playing that good old gender card all us girls keep in our back pocket. But who cares about what sporting coaches say right? I couldn’t agree with you more right now so lets move on to another Australian institution that has done shockingly this week. The Australian Army (of Sexual Harassment) has been plagued with deeply entrenched sexism with the investigation of "explicit and repugnant" emails, texts and distortion of imagery that denigrate women, with around 100 implicated in the scandal. The scandal focuses on photos and films of female soldiers and civilians. The email scandal involves a Lieutenant Colonel, majors, warrant officers, sergeants and corporals. So at least we know that our armed forces can work together on things right? The Chief of the Army says it is much worse than the 2011 Skype scandal due to the seniority of those involved, most of the men being in the armed forces for over 10 years. Speaking of my new husband and only possible love of my life, Lieutenant General Morrison is not taking their shit and made a public address to his troops calling on them to step the fuck up and respect their women colleagues or gtfo.

After having her big red vagina referred to Gillard carried on with her duties of running a fucking country that has an economic rating of AAA and trying to push through massive education and disability reforms. She had a radio interview with some fuckface called Howard Sattler who straight out asked the PM if her live-in partner was gay. Seriously he asked the leader of our country if her boyfriend was gay, and pushed her on it, I’m assuming because he is a hairdresser. She brushed it off as ridiculous and the next day he was fired. He says if he doesn’t get a radio job or something equally as appropriate where he can spread his ill informed hate speech, he may go into politics… just let it die man. It did not end after he was fired though, as the outraged grew over this questioning Pier Akerman, a conservative journalist, today thought it appropriate to acknowledge that people have been wondering about Tim’s sexuality since the PM took office in 2010. Later, Mr. Akerman delivered an apology to Ms Gillard and Mr. Mathieson, who he described as a ‘‘blokey bloke’’. Yep, don’t worry guys he knows the First-Bloke (which is seriously what he is referred to as here) couldn’t possibly be gay because what a man he is, he builds fires and grunts when eating and plays footy and smashes chicks and blah blah blokey bloke. As a side note I’d like to throw in here how when a man’s masculinity (masculinity and sexuality are not synonymous but I don’t think most of Australian media knows this) everyone is truly outraged and disgusted but what about the rest of the disrespectful questions and comments and shit that the PM has to put up with? The sexist remarks and actions directed at her are overwhelming yet it takes calling a man’s sexuality into question that raises the alarm.

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Last but by no means least; this is what tipped me over this week. Grace Collier, an Industrial Relations consultant, today shared her ever valuable and sought after opinion that she thinks the PM is inappropriate for having cleavage in parliament. How dare she have boobs on her chest in such a masculine environment? How dare you be a woman while sitting debating for the better of our nation? You know what is inappropriate in parliament Grace? When that minister sniffed the chair of a female minister, when Tony Abbott was asleep for the passing of multiple bills, when Liberal MPs say that mining companies are “pussy whipped” by the Prime Minister and when the Liberals denied an MP to go home to take care of her sick child. By the way Grace, the photo of the Prime Minister’s cleavage that is circulating has actually been elongated though editing to make her cleavage look more pronounced because I guess if you weren’t upset by her small lady lumps then maybe some big ones will draw more confected outrage. If I were Julia Gillard I would have punched some fucker in the face long ago.

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Having disadvantage doesn’t erase your privilege in other respects. Being an amazing wom*n and feminist won’t always stop someone from experiencing Cis Privilege and sometimes being cissexist. Intersectional people ought have total access to politics that concern them and expect that, for example, their feminism politic will not erase/demean/be otherwise oppressive or shit about their anti-racism politic and vice versa. Politics have never belonged exclusively to non-intersectional persons and as such, a queeridentifying wom*n ought have access to sufficient mechanisms, discourses and spaces to reflect their right to be represented in the queer politic as a queer person. We do not invite or ‘include’ queer wom*n to/in queer events, they are there by their right as queer persons and not by the goodwill or provision of male-identifying queer persons.

We meet weekly in the Wom*n’s space (go to the Students Association for directions!) to discuss, share, pull apart and activate our own personal and collective struggles against misogyny. For all her flaws, ex PM Julia Gillard put it well in her fierce reply to sexism: gone is the day where misogyny is merely the realm of extremists. It’s distributed throughout our experiences: street harassment on campus, assault, slut -shaming, body policing and a plethora of shaming, restriction, objectification and discrimination. And whilst we lack the Spandex of a lot of super-human troupes, we ball our fists and throw some feminist punches for justice.

It’s not all rallies and bra-burnings. In 2013 we hosted events and forums to celebrate and commemorate International Wom*n’s Day, Blue Stockings Week and Equal Pay Day, and we held various events, meetings, lectures and movie nights surrounding the struggles of wom*n.

We’d love to have you join us in whatever way you can! Sign up for our email list for updates, write some feminist fiction or non-fiction for our special edition of Vertigo, or join our Facebook group!

You can be as involved as much or as little as you’d like  

Visit www.facebook.com/groups/utswom.nscollective for our online group (autonomous) and/or…

www.facebook.com/pages/UTS-Wom.ns-Collective to keep tabs on what we’re up to (non-autonomous)

You can also email us at utswomenscollective@gmail.com 39

In solidarity, and with love!