You know we like our snark. We try and pepper our stories with sarcasm, cheeky quips and side-eyes, for your sake. Why? Because we know how bloody exhausting it is to be a feminist. We know it'd be tough to receive bad news about women every week without eventually withering in despair. It's better for our heads if we laugh (bitterly) rather than cry.
But there are some things even we, your perpetually cackling hags, can’t find anything funny about.
And the events of the last week left very little room for snark. You don’t need us to tell you that between Sarah Everard being found, Meghan Markle being put through the (social) media wringer again, and the shitshow at Clapham Common, it was a fucker of a week for women. Sandwiched between International Women’s Day and Mothers’ Day, no less. That is what you call a shit sandwich. This week’s AAPI shootings are a bitter side salad.
These aren’t exactly isolated incidents, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. In fact, they may be writ large, but they tell us just how society perceives all women. What happened on Saturday was literal and figurative violence against women. The police protect us by our consent, and they have betrayed that consent; Tobi Oredein, Founder of Black Ballad, gave true insight into how this pain is compounded for Black women and women of colour.
So in short, we’re fucking furious. So furious that you won’t find much levity in this issue of HEX. But we think you’re probably furious too. Let’s get furious together...AND CHANGE THIS SHIT UP.
DON’T GET SAD - GET ANGRY
Sick of sitting with your head in your hands? Here is some stuff you can actually do.
Call shit out
Share your experiences, make yourself heard. Call out bad reporting and passive headlines. Words have power. Who do you think is committing violence against women? Imps? Ghosts? Nope, it’s men. Let’s name them.
Fill in the government survey, Tackling Violence Against Women and Girls and the VictimFocus survey
Write to your MP and tell them you want more funding for women’s services, that you don’t support the new Crime Bill, that protecting women is more important than protecting statues – you get the picture.
Write a blog, go for article pitches, answer calls on social media for personal experiences – and back up other women who may have less of a voice.
Pass on details of organisations like White Ribbon to your menfolk
Boycott documentaries or TV series that glorify violence against women. We can’t be the only ones who are glad Game of Thrones is done.
Donate/volunteer for shit
Let’s be real – charities need your cash and/or time. Especially if they are local or grassroots organisations. Find some very worthy ones here. And some of your local women’s services here.
Spread the word about shit
Follow and share key organisations – they could help someone. You can find a few on our Twitter list, here. And tweet us with any that you know of.
Read shit
Four key articles to equip you for the road ahead...
Protest or vigil?
We’re not going to make changes by being ‘Good Feminists’. In the light of Saturday’s events, Gal-dem’s Diyora Shadijanova takes a tough, critical look at organisation Reclaim the Streets and ‘girl boss feminism’.
Blame game
Harmful beliefs against women and girls persist, while the perpetrators of violent crimes against women – men – often get to remain invisible. How can we change this?
We can dream...
Imagine a world where men had to stay home after dark, and women had more hours in the day to, you know...live their lives without fear. Caitlin Moran explores the idea here.
Advance!
A lot of being a feminist feels like you’re doing an endless dance with a tone deaf partner who gropes your arse. This piece gives you six tips for using your energy wisely so you don’t wilt under the weight of it all.
TO THE KRAKEN 🦑
Please stand by; normal service will resume shortly.
We regret to inform readers that our beloved kraken is off sick. The sheer volume of absolute arseholes she has consumed the last week has upset even her (literally) iron-clad stomach. Ms K appreciates your well wishes during this difficult time and asks that if anyone knows a grocery app that delivers to the bottom of the Mariana Trench, please let her know.
FEMINISTS RUIN VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
A Very Special Episode of FRE
“All this violence against women isn’t on,” you tweet, or say, or write. Like a naïve fool. Instantly, every dickhead within a 5-mile radius somehow senses a woman is trying to have an opinion and congregates in front of you. “But like, hashtag, not all men,” they say. They are drooling, probably.
“Of course not!” you reply, confused. “I’m just talking about the overwhelming evidence that men commit more violent crime, and you know, all those women being murdered.”
“But I have NEVER murdered a woman, and you are HURTING MY FEELINGS,” gibbers the unmitigated twat you have made the error of engaging with. “Furthermore, men are very likely to be VICTIMS of violent crime”.
“That’s terrible! Who is committing the violence against those men?”
“Er… well, mostly other men I suppose.”
“Interesting.”
“But not REGULAR men. Not men like ME.”
“But how do I know which men? Which ones are the bad and violent ones?”
“Look, it’s very simple. All those murders were committed by Bad Men. The Bad Men are totally separate from ‘men’ as a concept.”
“Except they look the same, and sound the same, and smile just as helpfully when they offer to buy you a drink, or give you a lift home?”
“Exactly.”
“So what happens if I mistake a Bad Man for a regular man and he hurts or kills me?”
“Well you should be more fucking careful, shouldn’t you? Now, can I have your number?”
Things keeping us from burning shit down this week:
Soothing tales of farming in the Yorkshire Dales | Ice skating is now easily 90% of Marie Fury’s YouTube feed and she’s ok with that | Hey, dirty bitches! Enjoy this comparison between feminine hygiene and erectile dysfunction adverts | We’re obsessed with online escape games – Team HEX just finished this tale of bankers and blood sacrifice
The HEX Science team
🧬Jean Splicer | ☢ Marie Fury | 🧠 Rorschach Tess | 🔬 Rosalind Frankly