Tagged: politics
Short article published in Teen Vogue
My latest journalistic article, published in Teen Vogue. While a different audience than I’m used to writing for, I’m quite heartened that there’s an appetite for feminist discourse analysis in a publication targeted at young women.
The editing process was also different from usual. I would not have made the same headlining/ standfirst choices, so it was instructive to see how my words were interpreted and presented by the Eds.
In the coming months, I’ll write up a more in-depth, scholarly analysis of the data I gathered for this piece (a surprisingly large dataset, so a lot to go through).
On migrants drowning on European shores
May 5, 2006, on Spain’s Canary Island of Fuerteventura. (Juan Medina, Reuters)
1,500
The word “genuine” proliferates
In comments threads and candidates’ speeches
As 1,500 are lost at sea
(A conservative estimate)
(The highest on record)
And we ask: How authentic is your desperation?
Ignoring the calculation of risk
That precedes stepping onto a precarious float
Already overburdened
Teetering on the edge of submersion
How authentic is your desperation?
Immigration reform without a politics of pity
A few quick thoughts on demanding immigration reform, without a politics of pity:
Reading a lot of Op Eds this week calling for Executive Action on Immigration Reform. Some are written by people directly affected by deportations, others are by organization leaders/ advocates, but featuring example stories of those similarly impacted. While it’s extremely important that those voices are heard, I’m frustrated by the increasing common framing of the issue around a politics of pity, rather than of justice. Immigration reform advocates are relying far, far too heavily on emphasizing individuals’ suffering and making impassioned, heart-string tugging pleas for compassionate action. While there’s space for testimony in the movement, it seems to be coming at the expense of a more forceful critique, which I believe is much-needed right now.
Article on the UK Marriage (Same-Sex) Act 2013
My latest article for Red Pepper, “Married Strife” written in response to the UK government passing the “Marriage (Same-Sex Couples) Act 2013” back in July. It would have been better published immediately after, but that’s the beauty/frustration of print magazine journalism. In many ways, this debate is regarded as old news. Critiques of state-endorsed marriage and how LGBT-rights campaign groups decide their priorities remain valid, however, as they have done for over forty years. Continue reading
Article in defense of Thatcher “Death Parties”
Glasweigans celebrating Thatcher’s death
Being a lefty British woman in DC, I tired quickly of people offering me their condolences and/or offering me their opinion on Thatcherism after the grand old Dame passed away last week. More exhausting–and frustrating–was the commentary in the British press running along the lines of: “These death parties are grotesque!” In reality, they served a hugely important service. They will not undo Thatcher’s legacy in terms of party influence (on Labour as well as Conservatives). They will forcefully prevent, as I claim in my article, the history books from “cannonizing a monster.” I’m quite glad about that, so I wrote about it. Read the full piece here.
