I’d like to take this opportunity to celebrate some of the women in my life who have influenced me.
My mother, who taught me to stand up and speak out, who took me to my first peace marches, who kept loving me even when I was impossible, who wrote to the Council and the newspaper and whoever would listen until things changed.
Helen Irving, lecturer at UTS, who taught so many of the political and social history classes that inform my understanding of the world now, in particular the one on utopian thought.
Christina Flann (daisynerd), my best friend, who is straight-forward and down-to-earth and smart, always there when I need her. We have a similar outlook on many things. She is ethical and determined and organized. And she introduced me to Bring it On. I love ya, babe.
Aveline Rubinshteyn (abiuro), who showed me that it was possible to be radical, strong, outrageous and still work in the system. Oh, and somehow make everybody feel like they were the only person in the world when she talked to you. You’re missed, babe, every time I walk down that creek path.
Kate Devitt (qamar), who has become one of those shining lights of inspiration for me, a tireless worker for the environment, a supersmart polymath working on her PhD in philosophy and a totally hawt woman to boot.
Jaime Yallup who just Gets Things Done and comes up with incredibly inspiring ideas.
If I haven’t mentioned you here, it doesnt mean that I don’t think you’re amazing. And if you think you don’t do anything much, this is also a day to remember that the personal is the political. That’s one of the vital lessons from second-wave feminism.
Today is a day to celebrate all the women in the world, the struggle for equality, which is still not won, the women who have lost their lives fighting for it. In the past, I’ve often saluted Emma Goldman and women who’ve fought for suffrage. Today it’s those closer to home, and also the women fighting for their rights in Iran.