Weekly round-up and open thread (14-20 December)

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It’s that time of the week again for flagging up the material we didn’t get around to covering in detail on the blog but want to let you know about. As ever, we’re just sharing links to articles that we think may be of interest (or were of interest to us!) and don’t necessarily agree with every viewpoint expressed in the posts listed.

Please feel free to add more relevant links or comment on any of the pieces linked below!

Helena Kennedy joins Julian Assange’s defence team (The Guardian)

Feministing calls to make December “Decembrow”

New study debunks research suggesting abortion leads to mental health problems (Guttmacher Institute)

Washington Post piece on the above study

Microaggressions

Meredith Tax: Women have human rights too (The Guardian)

UKuncut guest post on lone protests against tax avoiders (by Bryony Evens, who staged a one woman protest in Topshop on on 4 December)

Women question the unusual zeal in pursuing Julian Assange for rape allegations (Women Against Rape)

Stem Cell Transplant appears to have cured someone of HIV

(Huffington Post)

Do you use Boy Words or Girl Words? Or the other words, but I can’t amember them. (thoughtsonblank)

Wik-Bee Leaks: EPA Document Shows It Knowingly Allowed Pesticide That Kills Honey Bees (Fast Company)

Student protests may be banned altogether if violence continues (The Independent)

A landmark for women’s rights in Ireland? (The Anti-Room)

Pictures of Diana and Charles indicative of the manufacture of men’s greater height (The Society Pages)

Government to press ahead with radical NHS reform plans (BBC News)

Measuring the value of culture: a report to the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS)

Filament readers review Salacious, a new feminist queer sex magazine

MooreAndMe: On Progressives, Rape Apologism, and the Little Guy (Tigerbeatdown)

Rape Apologist Bingo, Julian Assange Edition (Lightbox)

WikiLeaks inspires feminine hygiene billboards in Pakistan (KABOBfest via BoingBoing)

A new conversation: fat and health (Red No.3)

Charlie Swinbourne on criticisms of Cricketer Jimmy Anderson for taking paternity leave (The Guardian)

Judy Dench’s wonderful profane embroidery (Via Sarah Jaffe at champagnecandy and other Tumblrites)

Children write to Santa for basic needs instead of toys (USAToday)

Statement from Abortion Support Network on the disappointing ruling of the European Court of Human Rights on the challenge to Ireland’s abortion ban

Beyond Male and Female: The Biology of Who We Are (Daily Kos)

The link itself is from September but I’m told it seems to be picking up some commentary more recently. As has been mentioned, a well-illustrated anatomy lesson which also includes trans men and women is a rare thing so this is definitely worth a look.

Feminisnt: The feminist left vs Julian Asange: how a fanatical belief in every sex crime allegation hurts everyone

NB: The profile picture means this may not be suitable for workplace viewing

Addendum: As the title potentially indicates, this piece contains material that may be triggering

RH Reality Check on treating violence against sex workers as hate crime (to commemorate the International Day to End Violence Against Sex Workers, December 17th, 2010)

Teresa Noll: The Sexual Politics of Meat Revisted (On the Issues Magazine)

First interviews from Women in Rock

(Littlefish)

Lonergrrrl: My feminism

The Onion’s ‘World’s 10 Most Powerful Women’ magazine cover

Captain SKA – “Liar Liar”

Captain Ska on “Liar Liar” (New Statesman)

Picture by Jorge Balarezo, shared on a Creative Commons licence.