i hope this helps

"Male violence – whether domestic abuse, a stranger attack, or terrorism – is not a case of a few bad apples or a rare lone event. It is systemic, a result of a thousand moments, big and small, that teach men to hate and women to be afraid."

If you’re interested in abortion rights, take a look at this new book from my clever friend Deirdre Duffy. It’s got academic rigour *and* Derry Girls references.  Pre-order here: bloomsbury.com/uk/abortion-tr…

Friendly reminder to the British media that the next week is not the only time to hire disabled journalists. Disabled people are for life, not just for the Paralympics.

This is a shocking insight into how abusive men can use the family courts to re-traumatise their victims. I cannot imagine any circumstances in which a child should be left unsupervised with a rapist, even if he is her father. theguardian.com/uk-news/articl…

Absolutely. It’s immoral - and unnecessary - to charge parents hundreds for branded uniforms. I went to a primary school where 90% of families were on a low income and many in poverty and pupils were subsequently allowed to wear “anything blue or white.” Kind and sensible.

Few things sum up the rot of the modern Tory party better than this. Badenoch wants to lead the official opposition and the most pressing issue she can think of is - not the NHS, child poverty, or social care - but a culture war with the bloke who used to play Doctor Who.

And here it is. Badenoch is deeply Islamophobic and - crucially - feels entirely safe in a Tory leadership contest being quite open about her bigotry. A dangerous figure who should be nowhere near power.

Honestly, all respect to the Paralympics, but this is why I just cannot watch it. If I ever want to hear non-disabled people philosophise about disability, I will just go to a Walkabout at 1am and ask a man’s opinion on my wheelchair.

This is a fascinating and disturbing piece on the voyeurism of the true crime trend and how it impacts the loved ones of the victims. slate.com/life/2024/08/c…

The replies:

It’s staggering how little this has been reported: a new law in Afghanistan means women cannot speak in public or sing in their own homes. It’s a cliche but if this was happening to (white) men as a sex class, it would be on the front pages. thetimes.com/world/europe/a…

A pregnant woman and six children are amongst the twelve people who died when their boats capsized in the Channel, French officials say. I don’t know how much more horror needs to occur before politicians will find the nerve to provide safe routes for asylum. Few words are left.

Thinking today not only of the victims who perished in Grenfell but Dawn Foster, one of the journalists who was at the forefront of coverage standing up for residents and who would undoubtedly have plenty to say this morning if she were still with us.

7 years on, every Grenfell death has been found to be avoidable. The police are now under pressure to prosecute. If 72 rich white people had been burned alive in their beds, I can’t possibly imagine we’d still be calling for justice. Some lives really are worth more than others.

The Pelicot case is the most horrific rapes I’ve ever read but I can’t stop thinking about this part. For years, she went to doctors for answers about memory loss. She must have felt like she was losing her mind. And her husband sat right next to her, knowing he was drugging her.

There is nothing a woman can be, no strength or success she can acquire that can protect her from male violence. Rebecca was an Olympian. And her ex-boyfriend burned her alive. There are no words.

I swear to Christ if I see a tweet like this one more time… I’m going to publish a book called Who Wants Normal? The Disabled Girls’ Guide to Life with Fig Tree in spring 2025.