TERFs, Big DNA and putting the ass into astronaut
And we're making a zine
TERF Island
This month, the highest court on this sad sad island ruled that the legal definition of a woman is based on "biological sex," and does not include trans women. After refusing to hear from any trans people, allies or organisations, the judge has determined that "woman" means those born female at birth.
The implications aren't yet known, as we don't know how anyone, including medical services, sporting bodies, or the police, will take this into action. The judges emphasised that gender reassignment was still protected in law, so it's illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis that they are trans. But it's a sad move for that marginalised group, who are already the punching bag of the right.
This was a simple definition, according to the judge. Anti-trans lobby group LGB Alliance said "This is a victory for biology, for common sense, for reality." As Morgan M Page points out so well, where does this stop?? Is a woman based on genetics but is it genitalia? Their chromosomes make up? Or simply because we can look at them and just know. Anyone not confirming to feminine aesthetics can be questioned. And beyond that, this is a threat to everyone living in this country. By opening us up to critique the Equality Act, we are opening ourselves up to contest other protected characteristics - sex, disability, race, and religion are all for the taking.
We already know there's a resurgence in the eugenics movement and this obsession with genetic purity ties into so many Musk-y moves. Whilst people are talking about the fascist regime breaking down DEI across the pond, we must be looking closer to home to see what rights we are dismantling. Transphobia has had its flames fanned by online communities, with their mouldy commander in chief J K Rowling at the helm. After all, she donated £70k to For Women Scotland, the group behind bringing the anti-trans dispute to the Scottish court.
We also recently learnt the first permanent facial recognition cameras will be installed permanently in South London. This follows the very strong history of surveillance technology implemented in areas of high black and Brown populations. We already know that facial recognition does not work and very rarely leads to any real intel for policing powers. This all makes me feel a bit nervous about the future of "policing" women-only areas and the slippery slope of how some groups may push to change this ruling.
Girl bossing to the moon and back
Continuing the theme of fake feminist power girl boss moves, we saw Katy Perry go to space in Jeff Bezos's spaceship???? Girl, read the room. The short trip to space included other famous faces and some actual scientists. But the limelight is definitely on Katy, mainly thanks to her recent feminist album flop and her dream to put "the ass into astronaut".
I know it's really funny to dunk on a celebrity so out of touch, especially one that said you never truly know "how loved you are until the day you launch." But she's popped up on a billionaire's vanity trip to space as part of an all-women trip to space at a time when the USA government is slashing STEM resources everywhere. NASA was literally instructed to remove all references to women in leadership on their website. It's interesting to find a celebrity who hasn't moved past 2010 feminism, where this an all-female space trip might have landed better.. but now? This is performative feminism at best and at worst? A sock puppet for capitalism, kissing the boot of fascism.
23AndMe and Them and Him and Her
The sale of tech companies is not new. We've spoken about Pokemon Go's sale and what it might mean for location data. But now we've got 23AndMe, the company that collected your data, going bankrupt. They were less of a genealogy product and more of a big data guy, selling customer's DNA to pharmaceutical companies for profit.
Yes, I can concede that there were some interesting stories that came out of it, but at what cost? Your DNA is your most private and unique data set you own, but we were willing to sell it off for what? To know "where you come from"? Such a complicated question goes beyond DNA, but in our age of wanting to quantify everything about our identity, to live an easy life with labels, we struggle with the unknown.
And now our quest to conquer our bodies means our personal data of being sold off to the highest bidder. So if you did use it, opt-out and delete your DNA…whilst you can.
What we’re up to:
We’re one of five artists commissioned by BRAID to make a zine about AI resistance! The project will culminate in an exhibition at Inspace during the Edinburgh Art Festival in August 2025. Get in touch if you want to know more 👀
And finally:
50 of the best things Microsoft has ever made (shout out to the Kinect - an amazing piece of kit used in all sorts of ways)
Google are helping to beef up the USA migrant surveillance program