Here is a story about the rise of domestic violence in Iraq. There have also been many reports about the rise in prostitution and sex trafficking during the invasion. It may seem pretty obvious, but why isn't the link between the military and gender violence explored more? Why is the formation of hegemonic masculinity within the military so important?

Perhaps the pantomine masculinity created within the armed forces is the only way to turn (mostly) young men into trained killers. Women are the traditional nuturers and carers and men the protectors, so when attempting to normalise what is essentially murder it is neccessary to create a hyper-masculinity that creates soldiers. But how does it spread to the domestic population? and why is it not addressed in military training?

If you are a) a prostitute or b) a woman, do not go out alone, do not wear revealing clothes, do not drink, do not talk back and do not have sexual relationships.

This is apparently the only way for women to protect themselves from rape, murder or domestic violence. There's a great piece in the guardian today about curfew's placed on women during gender based violence sprees. The language of curfews places the blame on the women's shoulders, it is her fault she was murdered, it was her fault she was raped. How about-for once-the advice was- "Men, don't go out".

It is not our fault we may be attacked, it is not our fault we may be raped and beaten in our own homes, it is the perpetrators choice and therefore always their fault. For people who say that there is no need for feminism, ask yourself-why then, are men's lives and behaviours not restricted? For as much as all women should fear attack, all men should fear doing it.

16 days starts now...
The 16 days of activism is a UN led campaign to raise awareness of violence against women across the globe.

WHITE RIBBON CAMPAIGN IN SCOTLAND

The White Ribbon Campaign, an international initiative to involve men in taking more responsibility for reducing the level of violence against women, has been launched in Scotland by Amnesty International and the Men's Health Forum Scotland .

Wearing a white ribbon signifies a commitment to never commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women. Their new website can be seen at www.whiteribbonscotland.org.uk.

Communities Minister Malcolm Chisholm said earlier this month: “Wearing a white ribbon is a symbol of men's opposition to men's violence against women. It signifies a commitment never to commit, condone or remain silent about such violence. I for one will be proud to wear one during the 16 days.”

As part of the 16 Days of Action to eliminate violence against women, White Ribbon activists at Caledonian University in Glasgow are holding a stall in the Saltire Centre (library and social space at the heart of the campus) at GCU on Friday 24th November, the day before the 16 days of action officially starts. The stall will remain in place until Thursday 30th November.

If you would like more information about this event, or the White Ribbon Campaign, please email iainjwallace@hotmail.com or ltenne10@caledonian.ac.uk.

This campaign highlights how important it is for men to be involved with this. Women have been campaigning for 30 years and now it's mens turn. Join the white ribbon campaign and stand up for a world free of gender violence!

just written my little subtext update below and noticed that my ads by google at the top of the page were- Lap dancing in Birmingham and pole dancing in Bristol... and society isn't pornified at all then. grr..

kick arse feminist mag issue two out now. yay!!
check out the article by yours truly....

NUS attacks lads mags.

However, at my university, the football team is now being sponsored by a lap dancing club. One step forward and all...
In regards to the lap dancing issue- my opposition to this sponsorship is based on two arguments:
1)As a union I think this goes completely against what unionism is about-university societies should be financed by the university and private partnerships shouldn't really come into it. Having local businesses (however ethically contentious) sponsor suppossed public bodies just doesn't seem to fit with what unions are about
2) football + lap dancing= where are the women? Is the football team neccessarily male? Are all these men heterosexual? Do they all support sex work? Again, it's the old masculine mores that are defining and trapping many many men and exploiting and exluding many more women. Union societies are suppossed to fulfill the Equal Opportunities Act- ie no women only societies- but apparently the exploitation of women is ok within this charter.

I'm totally in favour of lads mags on the top shelf and whilst the Leicester University Editor says

Having to buy them from behind the counter is a bit dirty old man-ish."

I say-good!! We need to have a full debate about the influence of these pornofied mags and the pro-anorexia celeb rags and not turn it into a debate about freedom and choice. Yes, it may be your choice to read Nuts (where real women are ignored but fantasy women are stripped and contorted) but it is not mine, nor many others. And yes, I can turn away or go to a different shop but I cannot un-porn culture. I cannot stop having conversations about g-strings, bikini waxes, plastic surgery, pole dancing for children, strip bars sponsoring football clubs, hearing that women can't be involved in football and most importantly, hearing that if I got raped in a skirt and with a drink it would be my fault anyway.
The NUS, I salute you!

Many football clubs are now working to become champions of gay players in a move to distance English football from the homophobic, racist, misogynist culture it is associated with. Yet one has to go and spoil it all by proudly announcing that

"It is bad enough with the incapable referees and linesmen we have, but if you start bringing in women, you have big problems.

"This is Championship football. This is not park football, so what are women doing here? It is tokenism, for the politically-correct idiots."

Full story here
Lovely.. Much has been said about sports culture but mainly in America.With jocks and college football huge over the pond there has been much feminist analysis of how sports masculinity is formed. The recent "alleged" rape of a black stripper in a fraternity house certainly exposed the very much pervasive exploitation of women, colour and class within frat and sports houses. However, there is little studied knowledge of hegemonic masculine behaviour in sports in the UK. Sports, especially football, do seem to foster an exclusive culture that is not only heterosexual but also white and male. Tenous link perhaps-but isn't it interesting that women are "free" to be pole-dancers and strip for nuts but when they enter the very male domain of English football it becomes all apparent as to who is actually "allowing" who to behave.

So many women seem to think there should be an equivalent term for the male 'stud' to describe the same actions of females. Yes, women are villified for sexually promiscuous behaviour. But to be honest I dont think the male 'stud' is an applauded and prevalent stereotype anymore. I genuinely think there has been a more towards equality when it comes to sexual politics. People are more health conscious for a start. Equality for me doesnt mean becoming more like men. I dont want a label that describes female sexual promiscuity in an open-minded way without judgement. I want men and women to have more respect for themselves!

Pro-choice week is running from the 23rd-29th October. While abortion is a painted as a highly controversial issue, the bottom line is that it is about choice. You may not feel comfortable with it or you may feel passionately about it, but ultimately it is about respect for choice and personal freedoms. It is about not "allowing" a woman control over her body and her life but it is respecting that control that should have always been there. Abortion happens and has happened for decades,centuries maybe even millenia but we are still led to believe that it is a shameful, guilt ridden act that is esssentially murder. The facts and figures are there though- unsafe abortion kills an estimated 68,000 women every year globally and accounts for 13% of all pregnancy-related deaths.(from not a feminist..) So whilst the anti-choice ( I refuse to call them pro-life, I am pro-choice but not pro-death)lobby contests that women are killing their unborn child what they forget to mention is that they themselves, as a group, are effectively killing a living human being 68,000 times a year.
For more info go to Abortion Rights homepage as to how you can help save the lives and uphold the freedoms of your sisters, mothers, friends,daughters,neices, ourselves and the lives of women around the world who have yet to be "given" the right to control their own body.

Britain now No 1 al-Qaida target ...

Good. Maybe we should keep on asking about the veil/religious practices instead of listening that actually, western foreign policy IS recruiting young muslims....

It's the fear from the cold war with the ideology of the crusades.

Oh my god-I'm agreeing with a conservative..

Outburst on Bush and Blair threatens foreign policy rift
By Andy McSmith
Published: 04 October 2006
Tony Blair should cut the "umbilical cord" tying him to George Bush's administration, pull British troops out of Iraq and open negotiations with radical Muslims, Michael Ancram, a former Tory spokesman on foreign affairs, has said.

His remarks at a fringe meeting shattered the unity of the Conservative front bench. David Cameron and the shadow Foreign Secretary, William Hague, have been trying to convince voters that a Conservative government would be pro-American but would not be as "slavish" as Tony Blair, and would be tough in dealing with radical Muslims.

Delivering areport on foreign policy to the Tory conference yesterday, Mr Hague said the West must never "besmirch" the values it upholds by abusing prisoners or abandoning the rule of law, which observers saw as a sideswipe at the US prison camp in Guantanamo Bay.

"We need to know how we can manage an alliance with the United States that is not seen as one-sided, that is solid but never slavish," Mr Hague added. But Mr Ancram, who was shadow foreign secretary in 2001-05, accused the Prime Minister and US President of being stuck in a "time warp" with a foreign policy that was "actively bad" because of their obsession with the 11 September terrorist attacks. He also accused them of making "an enormous error" by refusing to press Israel for a ceasefire during the war in Lebanon.

"The war simultaneously strengthened Hizbollah and made new enemies of those whose co-operation will be needed in any future peace process," he said. Mr Ancram claimed that the "moralistic intransigence" of the two leaders had created a "vacuum" in Iraq that was attracting terrorists. He added that Mr Bush and Mr Blair should stop threatening to use force against Iran, and should work out clearly what they wanted to achieve in Afghanistan.

"We have achieved much for the people of Iraq over the past three years, but not stability nor security," he said. "The chance of doing so - or anything else positive - is now remote. It is time for us, while we still can with dignity and honour, to come home."

"It is naive to seek to demonise an Iran which is dealing commercially with China and Russia," he added. "This is a situation for dialogue rather than threats.

"We urgently need a new foreign policy. Get out of Iraq. Talk to Iran. Chase hearts and minds as well as insurgents in Afghanistan. And start 'dancing with wolves'. Above all, cut the umbilical cord with George Bush, and have a British foreign policy again."

Tony Blair should cut the "umbilical cord" tying him to George Bush's administration, pull British troops out of Iraq and open negotiations with radical Muslims, Michael Ancram, a former Tory spokesman on foreign affairs, has said.

His remarks at a fringe meeting shattered the unity of the Conservative front bench. David Cameron and the shadow Foreign Secretary, William Hague, have been trying to convince voters that a Conservative government would be pro-American but would not be as "slavish" as Tony Blair, and would be tough in dealing with radical Muslims.

Delivering areport on foreign policy to the Tory conference yesterday, Mr Hague said the West must never "besmirch" the values it upholds by abusing prisoners or abandoning the rule of law, which observers saw as a sideswipe at the US prison camp in Guantanamo Bay.

"We need to know how we can manage an alliance with the United States that is not seen as one-sided, that is solid but never slavish," Mr Hague added. But Mr Ancram, who was shadow foreign secretary in 2001-05, accused the Prime Minister and US President of being stuck in a "time warp" with a foreign policy that was "actively bad" because of their obsession with the 11 September terrorist attacks. He also accused them of making "an enormous error" by refusing to press Israel for a ceasefire during the war in Lebanon.
"The war simultaneously strengthened Hizbollah and made new enemies of those whose co-operation will be needed in any future peace process," he said. Mr Ancram claimed that the "moralistic intransigence" of the two leaders had created a "vacuum" in Iraq that was attracting terrorists. He added that Mr Bush and Mr Blair should stop threatening to use force against Iran, and should work out clearly what they wanted to achieve in Afghanistan.

"We have achieved much for the people of Iraq over the past three years, but not stability nor security," he said. "The chance of doing so - or anything else positive - is now remote. It is time for us, while we still can with dignity and honour, to come home."

"It is naive to seek to demonise an Iran which is dealing commercially with China and Russia," he added. "This is a situation for dialogue rather than threats.

"We urgently need a new foreign policy. Get out of Iraq. Talk to Iran. Chase hearts and minds as well as insurgents in Afghanistan. And start 'dancing with wolves'. Above all, cut the umbilical cord with George Bush, and have a British foreign policy again."

From the independent

Jack Straw. What a strange political animal. NUS leader in his student days,no leftyness left when he got to parliament. Now old Jacko is saying this about Iraq-

I think many mistakes were made after the military action - there is no question about it - by the United States administration

Why did he not tell us when he was FOREIGN SECRETARY??
All these outsted cabinet ministers-everone from the late Robin Cook, Claire Short (who I do love) to now Charles Clarke and Jack Straw suddenly regaining their own opinions and able to speak candidly about reality and divisions within the Labour party. Very good for humiliating your political rivals, politicising an issue and generally being a bit of a rabble rouser-but I can't help but question the value of having a party line. Sure, no electorate likes to see a party divided- hence the trouble over the Blair v Brown issue a few weeks ago, but to suddenly admit errors-when you are no longer in a position to negotiate or change it- is disgraceful. Yes, we need politicians who are open and honest but what good is Jack Straw's admission now? Did he try and remedy this whilst he was in office?

With senior military officials calling for a withdrawal in Iraq in order to support troops in Afghanistan and the American Intelligence admission that Iraq and Afghanistan HAVE politicised and encouraged radical Muslims- did Labour really need a swan song conference. Are they that arrogant to believe that TB is AOK? I will not be voting Labour after the axis of evil debacle and horrific spectale of war and destruction due to Tony Blair's indifference to his electorate and desire of Bush's approval. Grrr...Jack Straw, Claire Short, Robin Cook-why did you not make your voices clearer!!!!!

Please read these following reports and do your best to get writing/support/talking about these horrific cases.

Imminent execution

IRAN

Kobra Rahmanpour (f), aged about 25

It is feared that Kobra Rahmanpour is at imminent risk of execution
for murder. The Office for the Implementation of Sentences, which
carries out executions, has set a deadline of 12 October for the
family of the murder victim to agree to forgo their right to have
Kobra Rahmanpour executed, and accept the payment of diyeh (blood
money) instead. If they continue to ask for the execution to be
implemented, it is likely to be carried out soon after 12 October.

Kobra Rahmanpour was arrested on 5 November 2000 and was sentenced
to death by Branch 1608 of Tehran's Criminal Court in January 2002
for killing her mother-in-law. In 2003 the sentence was upheld by
the Supreme Court. She claimed she had acted in self-defence after
her mother-in-law had tried to attack her with a kitchen knife.
Kobra Rahmanpour was allegedly forced into marriage against her will
by her parents, due to the poverty of her family, and was subjected
to domestic violence during her marriage. She did not have access to
a lawyer until the beginning of her trial.
.....
Kobra Rahmanpour has been detained in Evin prison for nearly six
years, for four of which she has been under sentence of death. In
September 2006, she wrote an open letter, published on the internet,
in which she said:
"I am a human like you. I don't want to die. But right now I am more
like a lifeless body who has forgotten happiness and laughter scared
of the execution rope...I am only a step away from death. I, like
all of you, am scared to die. Help me so this wouldn't be my last
letter. So many times I think with myself, wishing my life would
follow a different path. Wishing I could finish my pre-university
course. Wishing I wouldn't be forced to work and to serve my
husband's family. Wishing I wouldn't reach the borders of madness.
But I have suffered so much. I am really a victim. And it is this
victim who they are going to hang to death. This is not a destiny
that I deserve. In these days of fear and horror, I come to you
again. I thank all the media, papers and people who supported me and
said that "Kobra shouldn't be executed". This time, maybe for the
last time, I want to ask you to do your last efforts for me so I am
not executed and have a chance to be free. In my dreams I always
think of freedom and a good life after that. I have suffered enough.
Help me so this horrible nightmare that has so many times chased me
in sleep and has made me wake up and scream, won't come true. Help
me to be away from death. Do whatever you can, there is little time.
These days would be gone too, and for me, every click of the clock
is a sign that death is near. Please help me! I am scared of death
and execution. I hate the execution rope and the crane. I want to
live. All other ways are closed to me. Nobody is here for me. My
only hope lies in people and my fellow humans. I want to hug my
father and mother. In the end, I'd like to thank my family and
everybody who struggles to save me, for their efforts."

For more info go to amnesty's home page here

Kyrgyzstan: Bride-Kidnapping, Domestic Abuse Rampant Despite Progressive Laws, Violence Against Women Goes Unpunished

(Bishkek, September 27, 2006) – Kyrgyzstan’s government is allowing domestic violence and the abduction of women for forced marriage to continue with impunity, Human Rights Watch said today in its first report on human rights violations in this Central Asian country.

"Police in Kyrgyzstan have an obligation to ensure that perpetrators of domestic violence and bride-kidnapping are brought to justice," said Holly Cartner, Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "But more often than not, they simply don’t treat these as serious crimes."

The 140-page report, "Reconciled to Violence: State Failure to Stop
Domestic Abuse and Abduction of Women in Kyrgyzstan," concludes that
although Kyrgyzstan has progressive laws on violence against women,
police and other authorities fail to implement them. As a result, women remain in danger and without access to justice.

Based on in-depth, firsthand interviews with victims of violence, the
report tells the stories of women who have been kicked, strangled,
beaten, stabbed and sexually assaulted by their husbands. The report also tracks what happens when women seek help from the authorities. Instead of attaining safety and access to justice, they are encouraged to reconcile with their abusers.

A 38-year-old woman, "Elmira E." told Human Rights Watch about being
beaten by her husband for years and hospitalized, once for a knife
wound and another time for a concussion after he kicked her in the head. "The situation was so bad that I thought it would be better if he killed me," she said.

For more information read Human Right's Watch report here

An article in The Times today discusses the development of female boxing with the introduction of the the first female title- English bantamweight, sanctioned by the British Boxing Board of Control. This will please all the 'Million Dollar Baby' wannabes clearly.
Is this a development in the world of sport and related attitudes to sporting women? Is this going to result in more equality between men and women in the sporting arena by aligning the perception of 'aggression' as neither masculine nor feminine but human? Or are women just abandoning their female-ness and embracing stereotypical male roles- a step, but not a step forward arguably.

Modern notions of femininity — which embrace the athleticism and ambition of the likes of Serena Williams and Paula Radcliffe — seem to balk at the concept of female prize-fighting.

By literally fighting for their rights are women moving towards equality or becoming masculine in order to win the fight?

I love this idea-enforced codes of conduct for fashion shows and magazines.
Here's a little snippet-

Last week, Madrid City Council, which is the sponsor and regulator of the Spanish capital's annual fashion week, announced that it was imposing a ban on the use of models with a BMI of less than 18.
....
The Spanish rules would mean that a model who is 5ft 9in tall will have to weigh at least 8st 11lb to work.

According to estimates, the average catwalk model is 5ft 9in tall and weighs just 7st 12lbs - giving a BMI of only 16.

Mr Bloomfield said a cut-off point of a BMI of 18 was appropriate because at that level, an adult was considered to be at significant risk of an eating disorder, while a rating below that meant it was "highly likely" that a disorder already exists.

Kate Moss's BMI is just 15..

Whatever the magazine and fashion worlds claim, the bottom line is they are very much responsible for perpetuating the beauty=ill myth. Size 8 and below is the norm in their world, but not in ours and it is incredibly damaging to ONLY see exceptionally thin women in the media. I would totally support this-not sure how-possibly a petition?

In a depressing, but unsurprising move, President Pervez Musharraf dropped hoped for reforms on Pakistan's rape law.

At present under sharia law, a women can only have been raped if she has 4 witnesses to the crime, otherwise she can be tried for adultery. President Musharraf did say this though..
Absolutely sickening, disheartening and disgusting.

I have to ask-sharia law seems to outrightly discriminate against women-why do women support this law? How do they find peace and liberation though this combination of religion and law? No judgements, just confusion.

Now, I normally love a bit of JK-angrier than Trisha before him and so much more patronising it's wickedly wonderful BUT..
Yesterday I had the day off work and so settled down to watch Jezza prior to heading out, and his guests where teenage tearaways and their hopeless parents.
All three young girls were fiesty, smug, drinking, bunking,swearing bad girls and were all around 15.
To smarten them up, Jezza and co decided to take them to..A FINISHING SCHOOL!!!
yep, these institutions still exsist, whereby a young lady can learn to walk properly, apply terrible makeup (uber orange and bright red lipstick..nice) and learn to get out of a car properly. The last lesson was taught just in case the young lady met "a rich gentleman friend who had a nice car". SERIOUSLY..
I know it's trashy and horrible but I had hoped for better. One of the girls said she'd like to be a lawyer when she grows up. Having only attending school for about an hour a day, obviously this would be quite tricky. Why didn't they take her to meet a lawyer? To talk to someone about the profession and all the hard work neccessary to become a lawyer!!??
Nope, this girl didn't need educational motivation, she needed to walk properly.
Excellent work.

Wandered to Tesco on my lunch break today and whilst queuing to pay for my sarnie a tannoy announcement asked everyone to observe a 1 minute silence in memory of the 9/11 atrocities. The reaction made my blood boil. You'd have thought shoppers had been asked to hand over their first born. Chatter continued throughout the 'silence', most irritating was the cashier who after 30 seconds repeatedly asked 'is one minute up yet?". 5 years on the appalling truths of the fateful day are still being uncovered and it saddens me that so many people consider it unworthy of their time and thought.

All those men who opt for a motorbike to increase the perception of their virility are sadly mistaken it seems. I read in the Daily Mirror (It was the only available thing in the waiting room, honest) today that the vibration of the motorbike saddle decreases male fertility. Or is it just that most men who own a motorbike are over the age of forty, in mid-life crisis mode and thus their lack of fertility is nothing to do with their mode of transport at al...whoops, excuse my political incorrectness...bad day!

"I did everything that Fred Astaire did, but backwards and in high heels."
Ginger Rogers

Is it true that women have to work harder than men to achieve the same level of and success and recognition? I think Ginger Roger's words are still very poignoint even after all these years. Certainly in my experience in the Film industry women have to put in longer hours for less money and experience slower career progression. In comparison the men have extra time to network at the pub (always good for scoping out the next promotion) and spend with their families. Whereas women are sacrificing their chance of having a family for time spent in the office. Unfortuntely this seems to result much of the time in bitter and exhausted female workers and to be honest who wants to promote them or go for a jaunt to the pub? And thus the cycle repeats itself...

This weekend I travelled down to Manchester to attend pride with my bf. (I know, feminist with a cat and a gay best friend-stereotypes r us) Thoughts from the weekend were-

1. I normally HATE the pussy cat dolls, but watching a club full of men with men and women with women grinding away made me rethink my whole objection to them. It's all about the context. Young girls watching strippers lap dance for snoop (who is hardly known for his women friendly lyrics) is disgraceful, and that horrific "don’t cha" song boils my blood-regurgitating all the damaging myths about heterosexual relationships and competition between young women-BUT here it was in an out and proud environment where all this seemed to reflect nothing but entertainment. Grown men and women enjoying their day in their space and dancing to music they wanted too…
2. Dancing, drinking and laughing in an environment where I was completely free from grabs and gropes was excellent. I didn’t worry at all about someone saying/doing anything to me and I loved it. However, not so for my bf, he said it’s completely the opposite for him and he’s had numerous occasions where someone’s tried to put their hands down his trousers!
3. Dancing behind some drag queens made me think about the whole issue of gender behaviour. They were, dare I say it, acting like the worst kind of women. Giving the evil eye, coming over all swooning and incompetent, waiting for a big strong man to rescue them from not having a light. It just made me feel weird watching a man act out all the behaviours, I as a woman, feel uncomfortable with.
4. There was lots of semi naked dancing men giving it some on podieums and I’ve got to say, a man in nothing but hot pants is actually a very nice sight. I don’t like the idea of women dancing like that-but why is it ok for a man? Am I being completely hypocritical, or is it more about context? (A woman lap dancing in the context of societal gender exploitation is more degrading than a man doing the same thing)

Brought up a lot of interesting thoughts which we tried to talk over, unsuccessfully, with raging hangovers and we ended up watching the x factor instead. So, any thoughts?

There's a story in todays Independent about the prospects of having a male pill.

It's been researched for over 15 years now but still nothing has been released to the public.

There's the health argument (nobody knows the side effects for individuals) and there's the social argument (men can't be trusted to take the pill).

I think both these arguments are pretty poor, women have been taking the pill for about 40 years, and the health effects are still being debated (cause/prevent cancer?) but it is so much easier for women to "take care" of the issue of contraception. It is still a "woman's issue". Well, men can have children too! Albeit they can't actually give birth, but I like the idea that in a responsible relationship you both take control of contraception.

Many long term couples rely on the pill or the injection as a form of contraception, and ultimately it is the woman's responsibility. Therefore, if she gets pregnant it's her fault. Balancing the responsibility will be a huge step forward for sex. Imagine, not only will it be queues of 16 year old girls at the family planning centre, there will be boys too!

Boys will get the baby/period/contraception talk as much as girls. It wont neccessarily be a closed door conversation between girls and women.

The whole "men won't take it" argument is pathetic I'd trust my partner to take it, as much as he trusts me-but clearly we all still perpetuate the idea that contraception is a women's issue and men are just dithering, forgetful dunces who need a helping hand.

I'm not saying that in all contexts this would be appropriate, but I do think in many situations it would be great. What do you think?

Just pinched this off the guardian.

It's a game in which you work in a sweatshop trying to make trainers against the clock. Is a very good idea in raising awareness of where exactly those nikes come from. Go here to play

The idea that Big Brother is a social experiment has sort of fallen by the way side. The 15 minutes of fame has been exdended and editorial rigging (aka Nikki) have changed the programme extensively since its inception.

However...in the past years we've had a Porteguese transexual and this year a man with tourette looks ready to win. Fair enough, there has only been 1 female winner but look at the last three in for the last few years. It normally features a gay man. Pete, the expected winner of this years Big Brother, is a sensitive, open minded young man. A straight man who enjoys a cuddle with his gay buddy Richard, a man who agreed with Aisleyne that Spiral and Mikey had to no right to touch here just because they thought "she was asking for it". Spiral, Mikey, Sezar all horrible misogynist "geezers" who pride themselves on the notches on their bedposts came and went. (Mikey who famously proclaimed "I hate feminists")

It makes me wonder how much Big Brother reflects society (if at all). There are lots and lots and lots of disgusting, heat adorning people dying to get in that house, but ultimately, the winners and runners up are people who are or, at least seem, nice but not the norm. Nadia won huge support from the British public and therefore tabloids,and I think as a transexual that it is quite surprising.

Are we more accepting as a society than we may think? The most trashy, low brow programme manages to pull in millions of viewers around the UK, and seems to produce unexpected winners and runners up.

Did Big Brother make us (the sun reading great British public) more open? Are we more inclusive? More tolerant?

The Queen of Pop turned 48 today on the last day of her sell-out 'Confessions' tour. She has been criticised for continuing to persue her career 'at her age', wearing that leotard and her crotch grabbing dance moves. But why is the same never said of Mick Jagger or Bono, both middle age musicians still performing and bringing in large audiences (with even more crotch grabbing) as Madonna does. And oddly Rod Stuart wears spandex in his senior years but doesnt seem to cause the same offence. Plus, I am so bored of hearing people whine about Madonna being a bad role model. I would much rather encourage younger generations to become successful in their chosen career through hard work, determination and impose the importance of intelligence and inner-calm etc than show them a picture of Lyndsay Lohan falling out of a nightclub three days in a row and let them be inspired by that. Yes, Madonna did cultivate a very controversial image in earlier days of her career, but to have the kind of success she has achieved, as well as juggling (that awful word again) a marriage and children makes me really respect her. So what if she masturbates on stage in a wedding dress every now and then...

Canary Wharf is an incredibly male environment. There is a really small female population. Hmm... Are women really making a mark in professional high-powered industries..?

My blood started to boil when I read this in the Metro on the way to work this morning...
The son of an Oil Millionaire has essentially been let-off after sexually assualting a swedish fashion student because the Judge reasoned the 33-year-old from New Delhi knew no better. He will avoid a prison sentence by writing a letter of apology to his victim. After a night out clubbing in London with three female friends, the normally shy and 'geeky' Prashant Modi went back to a hotel room with the ladies where they ordered a meal and fell asleep. One girl awoke to see Modi on-top her friend, having removed her underwear and his jeans. The Judge deemed the circumstances as exceptional because Modi was not accustomed to 'Western ways.' Judge Jeremy Roberts said:

It's a situation he had never come across before. I am told in India it is not heard of...He found himself alone with three young women asleep in his room and had fallen into temptation.

I am appalled and disgusted. I do not believe it is human nature to force un-consented sex onto another person. I would argue that sexual violence is understood to be catagorically unacceptable, and not something that needs to be taught no matter where in the world you live. The fact he was 'unsocialised' does not make his behaviour understandable. The implication that the girls should not have shared a bedroom with their male friend knowing he was socially stilited makes me realise we really haven't come that far in terms of feminism in the courtroom.

Scary. My boyfriend is trying to fly back from London today. not any more. That man is getting on a train. This is horrible. It makes me angry, upset and scared. One of the best things about Britian is our multi-culturalism. We are all British.

Or so I thought... Another set of young British born men. Another denial that it has anything to do with foreign policy expected. I don't want to live in fear. Every time I go to London,when I think about my friends and family who live there, every time I get on a plane, train or tube. Is this now what we live in?
I don't buy the "if youre scared they'll win argument". It's not about "winning" it's about sharing the planet.