Nicaragua v the Church:

Pope Francis used his New Year’s Day address to highlight concern over the worsening situation of the Roman Catholic Church in Nicaragua as a result of a protracted crackdown by the government of President Daniel Ortega, which has detained clerics, expelled missionaries, closed Catholic radio stations and limited religious celebrations.

Of course the church itself has a long long history of doing all that to others. It has detained people, expelled people, closed libraries and burned books, and limited non-religious celebrations. It’s a very coercive organization.

Speaking to the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the traditional New Year’s Angelus prayer and blessing, Francis said he was “following with concern what is happening in

There are a lot of links worth following up in that piece by Natalia Mehlman Petrzela. One is University of Alberta fires Sexual Assault Centre director for signing letter questioning Hamas rape reports:

The University of Alberta fired its Sexual Assault Centre director for signing an open letter questioning sexual assault and rape claims against Hamas during the Oct. 7 attack in Israel.

Samantha Pearson’s use of the centre’s name was “improper and unauthorized” and “raised understandable concerns from members of our community and the public,” U of A president Bill Flanagan said in a statement Saturday.

Pretty much the last category of person who should endorse such an open letter, you’d think. “Bitches be lyin’,” said the … Read the rest

No solidarity for women:

So why, then, in a moment when statements of solidarity fly fast and furious, have feminists and their progressive allies not been more outspoken about the grotesque sexual violence visited upon Israeli women on Oct. 7?

Many feminist organizations rushed to express support for the Palestinian cause while eliding the plight of Israeli victims. The organization UN Women issued a four-page report last month exclusively addressing the impact of the war on women and girls in Gaza but made only a brief condemnation of the Oct. 7 attack that made no mention of the sexual violence that had been reported. A group of prominent scholars circulated a letter under the title “Feminists for a Free

Grrrrr. Now we’re “non-trans women” – a subset of ourselves.

1. The Equality Act allows “places where it is reasonable for” non-trans “women only to have access”. The designation of a non-TW space must be a “proportionate & legitimate response” to need, but the Courts have not held any private & separate spaces eg toilet stalls, or … https://t.co/Q4wimsyHOk

— Prof. Stephen Whittle OBE, PhD, DLaws, FAcSS, (@stephenwhittle) December 31, 2023

Sneak sneak sneak. Sneak in the “non-trans” bit as if it needs to be spelled out that women are not men who call themselves women. No thank you, that is surplus to requirements; we are women; men who pretend to be women are men.… Read the rest

Peter Tatchell tries to school women on who can be a woman and Rosie Duffield reminds him that we don’t need him to tell us who can be a woman. Go school yourself Peter.

Thanks Peter, but we (the majority of the population) don't need you to explain our own biology back to us, or tell us who may opt in if they feel like it. The use of spurious pseudo-science-speak to #mansplain and patronise makes your biological sex pretty clear… #NoThankYou.

— Rosie Duffield MP (@RosieDuffield1) December 30, 2023

… Read the rest