Kate Smurthwaite

Feminist writer, activist and stand-up comedienne.

Posts Written by Kate

By Kate Smurthwaite • 12 years ago

Abortion Rights under attack in the UK

I had a piece published on Huffington Post about the issue. Be great if you could highlight the link. And if people want to do something about it they can mail their MP here.

By Kate Smurthwaite • 14 years ago

Fourth Plinth Faker Highlights Abortion Disparity in the UK

Abortion rights campaigner and comedienne Kate Smurthwaite impersonated her way into Anthony Gormley’s exhibit One & Other on the vacant fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square in London on Wednesday, quite possibly becoming the world’s first living art forgery.
One & Other is an art project by the Anthony Gormley, putting up one person every hour from around the UK onto the vacant fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square from 6 July through 14 October and webcast live at www.oneandother.co.uk.
This slot was originally allocated to Goretti Horgan from Alliance for Choice, the campaign for Northern Irish women to be given the right to an abortion. However, Kate Smurthwaite, at Horgan’s request, secretly took Horgan’s place.
“Of course it would take a ...

By Kate Smurthwaite • 15 years ago

Come On Germaine!

Reposted from Cruella-blog in the UK.

I love to see someone whose work as a feminist I have long respected adding to the steaming heap of bullshit that makes it harder to do my job every day. Thanks for this one Ms Greer. I’ll give it the careful dissection it so blatantly doesn’t deserve…

"I should probably not have said, in so few words on television recently, that women aren’t as funny as men."

No you should not have, not unless you could really justify it, which we are about to see – you can’t.

"Put so baldly, the observation sounds like deliberate provocation, as if I was baiting feminists, or looking for some kind of a knee-jerk ...

Reposted from Cruella-blog in the UK.

I love to see someone whose work as a feminist I have long respected adding to the steaming heap of bullshit that makes it harder to do my job every day. ...

By Kate Smurthwaite • 15 years ago

Festive Message From The UK

Enjoy! If you do you could also go over to the Current TV website and vote for it to be televised. But that is very shameless self-promotion so if you prefer – just enjoy. And happy winterval to all!

Enjoy! If you do you could also go over to the Current TV website and vote for it to be televised. But that is very shameless self-promotion so if you prefer – just enjoy. And happy winterval ...

By Kate Smurthwaite • 15 years ago

Mayor of London Backtracks on Funding for Rape Crisis

From Cruella-blog .

No major paper has reported on this. The BBC didn’t seem to think it was important enough for an article… Do however take a look at this .

Mayor of London Boris Johnson made an election promise about rape crisis funding. He said he would increase funding to £744,000 to pay for four new centres as well as funding the one that already exists. Studies suggest that as many as one in four women experience rape, attempted rape or sexual assault in their lifetimes so really who ever thought one rape crisis centre was enough for a city the size of London? So far, so good.

Well Happy Christmas London. Johnson has just made an ...

From Cruella-blog .

No major paper has reported on this. The BBC didn’t seem to think it was important enough for an article… Do however take a look at this .

Mayor of London Boris Johnson ...

By Kate Smurthwaite • 15 years ago

Hey Facebook, Hands Off My Self-Esteem!

Reported from Cruella-blog.

I have just changed my Facebook profile so that it no longer has my gender on it. Not that it’s a secret or that I can’t remember what it is any more – I’m just really fed up with every time I log on being bombarded with hundreds of adverts for diet products. I’m not on a diet. I have a BMI in the normal/correct/healthy range, I exercise regularly and I eat when I’m hungry or near a sushi restaurant.

The Facebook advertising system is supposed to allow advertisers to target the customers most likely to be interested in their product. But I don’t seem to be getting any adverts that are hitting me because I’m a ...

Reported from Cruella-blog.

I have just changed my Facebook profile so that it no longer has my gender on it. Not that it’s a secret or that I can’t remember what it is any more – I’m ...

By Kate Smurthwaite • 15 years ago

British Women – Your Help Needed Now!

I went to a meeting last night at the House of Commons about abortion rights and the up-coming amendments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill. At the meeting I heard some very moving stories about the experience of women in Northern Ireland . For instance a woman who was told after having a child that if she became pregnant again she could lose her eyesight. Then her contraception failed but under Northern Irish law since she only MIGHT go blind she was not able to access abortion.

By Kate Smurthwaite • 15 years ago

Why Does Religion Trump Women’s Lives Every Time

The UK is supposed to be secular. Of course it’s not. In two days two different religious groups are threatening not just women’s rights or freedoms but – their lives.

Life-threatening screw-up number one. We now have Islamic Sharia courts operating in the UK. Yes, I know you’re thinking – that’s impossible, people would NEVER tolerate this. But these courts don’t deal with big crimes – just little trivial ones like inheritances, divorces and domestic violence. So far they’ve ruled in six domestic violence cases and in each case decided it’s best for the husband to take anger management classes and the wife to be sent back to live with him. And the British judicial system will enforce these rulings despite ...

The UK is supposed to be secular. Of course it’s not. In two days two different religious groups are threatening not just women’s rights or freedoms but – their lives.

Life-threatening screw-up number one. We now have Islamic ...