So the last 12 months have been pretty… Traumatic.
For me, ignoring Brexit and the fact that I wholly disagree with us leaving the EU (but then the research area I work in was and is funded by the EU, and it pays my wages, and I believe in the research we do, so I would say that wouldn’t I?), we’ve lost a lot of incredible cultural influences, the latest today. We’ve got a new US president who… words fail me. I’d like to say that I didn’t expect this after the Brexit vote, but I kinda did. We seem to be taking a massive step backwards for some reason.
I normally don’t write about this stuff on here, I keep it pretty fluffy and light (ish) but last night I went to a meeting with LadyFest, and though I was only there for a short time (a quick 45 minutes as I ran about like an idiot as usual), it did give me one thing – though my input was tiny.
Hope.
You see LadyFest had a number of us writing on our experiences, what was wrong with the world as women – what hurt us, how we hurt ourselves, how we dealt with expectations – realistic, unrealistic, or just downright ridiculous. How people’s actions or inactions impact on us. How we’ve experienced everything from abuse for our bodies, we’ve abused our bodies, loved them, hated them, made peace with them.
We spoke on panels, and in groups. Created safe spaces where we could feed in our experiences, stories and ideas for change.
And that’s the key bit. Change.
I hate that Brexit is here – that it’s fuelled this undercurrent of hate that seems to have festered. I don’t like the result, I don’t like where it’s taking us. I’ve also been shocked at the result in the USA – I’m a global citizen. I travel, I have friends all over the world and I’m terrified by what I see happening. From the abuse, the assaults (yes already they’re stating that Trump means they have permission to grab you by the pussy) to the protests.
That all of this seems to have tapped into some weird nostalgia of the older generation for something that never existed – both Brexit and Trump used words like ‘take back control’ and ‘Make American great again‘. Pushing this idea that both were great superpowers before and we can be again. Glossing over the other elements of history that occurred at the same time that should have us hanging our head in shame.
So, like others, I’m going to fight. If that makes me an arsey cow, or a whinge or whatever. I don’t care. I’m still going to disagree and post pictures of stuff that people are experiencing in the name of Brexit, Trump or whatever excuse they’ve got going right now.
And I’m taking inspiration from that group of women last night – talking about making the world a better place for women’s bodies. I think I’m safe in saying I was probably only one of three ladies there with grey roots. The rest were the next generation. Those decades younger than me who want to see change too.
Thank fuck for that.
So these women are going to create change here in Manchester. No doubt about it.
And I’m going to help them.