This post is delivering on that request – I got several of our mixed gender team on board, so you can see some of our feet here rocking various shapes and styles of red shoe from the subtle to the spaceboot. (Yeah, those are mine. I have no taste and proudly revel in it.)

But I also wanted to scribble a few notes about HIV as a feminist issue and our own battle to save our National Health Service. I have much less know-how about HIV in the USA, so I’ve bolted on some UK-based rambling to go with my more general cheerleading.

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes

On the most basic symbolic level, shoes are about Going Places. Michele Roberts’ short story Your Shoes, so beloved of GCSE anthologies nationwide, is about a missing girl who has flown the nest, leaving behind an unworn pair of shoes which seem to speak of unspent potential. Waiting For Godot – a play where no one goes anywhere – opens with a lonely visual of a worn-out pair of boots that no longer fit. Nancy Sinatra’s had enough; her boots are gonna walk all over you.

The red-shoed woman, too, is a woman who dares, who takes the bull by the horns, from Hans Christian Anderson’s thoroughly judgey tale of woe to Dorothy’s ruby slippers. So for me the visual of all our shoes on show is a good way to put the question: where from here? whilst also adding god damn it, somewhere, though. Somewhere good. Somewhere better.)

But I want this post to be more than just flag-waving – after all, since we are not in the US and cannot fully participate in the project at large, it surely doesn’t change much about HIV stigma for us to simply photograph our feet. The arresting visual of the shoes – and the Red Pump Project are running a full fashion show at the end of the month – is a starting point or conduit, like wearing the World AIDS Day red ribbon, to having a conversation. So I’m gonna put a lot of UK links in here too.

Across the Pond

In that post I made I talked about the importance of awareness/prevention campaigns not using a kind of shock tactic to alienate and stigmatise people living with HIV. Without going too deeply into UK/USA healthcare provision comparisons, initiatives like the RPP (excepting the NAT-spearheaded fundraising drives pre-World AIDS Day) don’t feel so common over here. Perhaps because we assume the NHS will carry our HIV testing and awareness needs, but also because services who do take a non-discriminatory approach, like Positive East and the Terrence Higgins Trust are very much up against Tory cuts just now. Unfortunately, this dovetails with the fact that the NHS is facing “reforms” that threaten to stitch it up like a free market kipper, so in drumming up awareness for the RPP I guess I’d also like to talk briefly about the importance of trying, in the UK, to both appreciate the gravity of our own situation, and the commonalities between the areas the RPP is concentrating on – urban districts where people just aren’t talking or thinking openly or inclusively about HIV – and UK equivalents. HIV affects so many people that a lot of UK feminists simply don’t see it as a specific enough issue, but the thing is, it often interacts with more commonly accepted feminist issues such as contraception, sexual assault, and so on in complex and – as far as the feminist blogosphere is concerned – markedly under-analysed ways.

HIV transmission rates, access to support services, and the level of stigma faced by people living with it, all intersect with, and are influenced by, cuts to advocacy, disability benefits, education and healthcare services. And when the latter are in play to the level they currently are in Britain, they mean that existing social inequalities get very heavily underscored. Stigma around living with HIV then gets worse, and this underscores inequalities even further, and you get a snake-chew-tail plughole situation. Stigma is very often doled out in inherently gendered terms, with a load of harmful assumptions about what kind of woman or man would be likely to contract or transmit the virus, so not engaging with it feeds more general problems of racism, homophobia and gendered prejudice. As far as I’m concerned this makes it very much a feminist issue in the same way that issues of poverty, class and race are, and indeed these areas are all affected by HIV in complex ways which keep people in disadvantaged groups one step removed from the care they need, and have a right to access.

In the UK at least, I don’t think enough women, feminists or otherwise, are receiving the information and discussion they need and deserve on this issue, so I’ll always come out loudly shouting for a project like the RPP which encourages a discussion which takes into account the intersections of gender, race and class and their impact on HIV issues.

‘Girlhood in the time of AIDS’

For an illustration of how a lot of ‘western’ mainstream “girl culture” – like teen magazines – has historically displayed an unfortunately privilege-waving “us and them” attitude to the prevalence of HIV, along with some harmfully obtuse ideas about who contracts it, where, why and how, I would recommend the essay Girlhood in the time of AIDS by Nancy Lesko and Elisabeth Johnson, from the book Girl Culture. Reading it – it’s pretty US-focussed – just makes me that much more relieved there are initiatives like the RPP going strong.

As founder Karyn put it in her comment on that earlier post:

One of the main goals of our nonprofit and the campaign is to promote open dialogue, to fight the stigma around the disease, and to share knowledge around the issues so that women are EMPOWERED to advocate for their health and the health of the women in their lives.

I couldn’t agree more.

Back on the UK Front…

It’s important to recognise the power of grassroots projects like this whilst also refuting David Cameron’s position that community-based initiatives are a “Big Society alternative” or in any way an oppositional model to a free national health service. Some NHS Trusts in the UK work in partnership with community-specific schemes such as, for example, the Terrence Higgins Lighthouse projects – a fact this article, for example, which contains a great example of a grassroots HIV activism project, fails in my view to take account of. There are lighthouses and there are ports. Having both is generally not a bad idea. I would not be optimistic about the storm of social inequalities facing either in the event this bill passes uncontested.

Tonight the TUC are declaring a rally at Westminster to make this point again. In the week a doctor was caught on film openly challenging Lansley’s bloody-minded assault on our services in the hospital in which he works, in the week June Hautot cried “Codswallop!”, and as an NHS employee myself, I would invite anyone who is in the area to swing by and raise your voice.

Boots, after all, were made for walking.

Have some bonus daleks on us.

On with Part 2, then.

Let’s talk about UK Uncut as a movement. Do you reckon it’s pretty equally gender split, and if so, do you reckon acting as a collective helps achieve this more effectively?

“I wouldn’t feel confident commenting on the gender split in UK Uncut – I’d be referring to tens of thousands of people across the UK. However, in terms of active groups working within the UK, the majority are dominated by white males. But this is why we need to be talking about cuts in terms of gender: to encourage women to join the frontline.

“I do feel that acting publically as a collective has strengthened the movement and UK Uncut’s message – the cuts are something that everyone should be concerned about and everyone should be acting against. However, it is still true that certain vulnerable groups within society are to be hit in ways that the more privileged may not be. Disabled people are losing their Disability Living Allowance, poorer students have lost the EMA that they and their families rely on, and some women will no longer be able to work because they now have to care for elderly family members or young children. I strongly believe that highlighting the different ways in which the cuts fall should spur people into action, on behalf of themselves or those less able, instead of acting in some divisive way. So what if today we’re standing up against cuts to childcare and you don’t have or want children – don’t you want to protect those in society who do?

“These aren’t just issues for women, because protecting women and vulnerable groups is in the interest of the whole of society.”

Have you found any women’s protest movements around the world or in history particularly inspiring?

“There are so many instances of women’s protest that inspire me consistently. At the moment I’ve been reading about the experiences of Assata Shakur and Angela Davis, and find myself inspired by their unrelenting power (and their incredible writing!).

“I am inspired by the endurance of the women at Greenham Common, and the physical strength of the four women who destroyed a Hawk fighter jet with hammers that was being sold by the British government to East Timor to be used in the government’s illegal occupation of the country. I also recall an image of a row of Zapatista women standing in line with their faces covered but still wearing these incredible bright dresses – and that image alone inspires me. But closer to home, I am inspired by the women close to me and the support we provide for each other.”

What would your advice be to young women reading our blog who are concerned about the impact of the cuts? Maybe they’ve never been on a protest before. Perhaps they’re even a little nervous to start – do “clicktivism” and hashtags and so on make a difference in themselves?

“Well, I wouldn’t say hashtags aren’t worth anything – that’s how UK Uncut started! But my advice to anyone nervous to get involved would be that anything that is worth fighting for is going to be a little scary, so that’s even more reason to give it a go. It’s scary because there is so much at stake. The kind of action UK Uncut takes is a great way to get involved. It’s fun and creative and there is always space for people to choose their own style of action, and meet other people who share the same views.

“Although other types of protest can be effective, I believe that direct action is necessary in any situation where other avenues have been exhausted and shut down. And that is the situation we are in now. For example, the reforms the NHS is facing weren’t in the Conservative or the Lib Dem manifesto, and this coalition government is not even acting on behalf of the majority vote. So how is it fair that these radical changes are being made to a health service that Britain should be so proud of achieving, but is instead determined to destroy, without a say from the public who use it?

“The leaders in charge of pushing through the bill do not have the population’s interests at heart, are not interested in what we want or what we have to say. But this is our NHS – we rely on it, and we must protect it.”

Is it hard for protesters to keep momentum going in the face of these cuts? What’s next for you?

“The groups organising actions every week across the country keep momentum going. This issue isn’t going away, the cuts are already being felt, and the fight against them will continue.

“UK Uncut have just announced the next day of mass action, called ‘Block the Bridge, Block the Bill’ – 2000 people are already attending on the Facebook event, and hopefully will be showing how serious they are about not losing their National Health Service by transforming Westminster Bridge into hospitals, medical lectures, and a space to share stories about the NHS.

“On October 12th, the Lords have one last chance to amend the Health and Social Care Bill in Parliament before it is voted on again, and we have one last chance to show that we won’t lose our health service. So join UK Uncut on October 9th and take part in the fight against the cuts!”

Thanks again to Rox for giving us her time.

• Visit UK Uncut’s blog
• Follow UK Uncut on Twitter
]]> /2011/10/05/take-it-to-the-bridge-beyond-the-rage-of-the-girl-rioters-part-22/feed/ 0 7662 /2011/10/04/take-it-to-the-bridge-beyond-the-rage-of-the-girl-rioters-part-12/ /2011/10/04/take-it-to-the-bridge-beyond-the-rage-of-the-girl-rioters-part-12/#respond Tue, 04 Oct 2011 08:00:02 +0000 http://www.badreputation.org.uk/?p=7563 So. March For The Alternative hit Manchester’s Tory Party Conference last weekend, and this weekend there’s more direct action on the way.

In the era of headlines like RAGE OF THE GIRL RIOTERS, what’s it like for women on the front line of anti-cuts protesting in the UK right now? Roxanne was at that first sit-in at the London Vodafone flagship store on 27 October 2010 – out of which a nucleus of energy exploded into the movement we now call UK Uncut.

Hey Rox, thanks for talking to us. What do you think is the struggle for women in terms of the impact of these cuts? Obviously “women” aren’t a monolithic or homogenous group, but is there a distinct fight?

“The full scale of the public sector cuts fall in a way that is unbalanced in terms of gender. Women make up most of the public sector jobs being cut, women rely most heavily on public services and on certain benefits that are being cut, and where vulnerable people like children, the disabled and the elderly are stripped of their governmental support, it has historically been women that step in to bridge the gap and become carers.

“The cuts attack services that women depend on in order to live ‘equally’ with men, services that are there to compensate for existing gender inequalities – Rape Crisis centres and helplines, SureStart and childcare benefits. These are not privileges. Many women rely on these services. Without them, the progress that past generations have made by fighting to get us this far is being unnecessarily sacrificed. The cuts will push us back in time in terms of women’s rights and equality.

“I don’t believe the struggle is distinct – this is a fight that everyone should be fighting – but we should be aware of what we are fighting for and what we, as women, truly stand to lose. The message out there is not clear enough yet – as these cuts fall, they will cut through the progress women have made.

“The problem is, because of existing sexism within our society and a scepticism towards ‘feminism’, it is still so hard to have conversations about women and the inequality we struggle with. I believe we need more and more great acts of exciting and inviting civil disobedience to get people thinking seriously about gender and the cuts.”

Have you found that the police and the media have treated you differently as a female protestor?

“Not so much the media, but the police yes. Of course. In the most extreme sense, my personal experience of being arrested was interesting in terms of my treatment as a woman. The fact that I am young and female was repeatedly used against me, as a way to make me feel inferior. Of course, that’s often what the police aim to do with any arrestee; to intimidate and isolate. But after talking to male activists, it seems to me that the treatment is often different if you are a woman in custody.

“I was arrested by a woman. She commented frequently on my appearance, asking things like, “Do you never brush your hair?” and when I was asked if this was my natural hair colour, she pulled at my roots and answered on my behalf, “No.” A friend of mine was arrested at the same time, and the woman arresting her was even worse. She searched through her backpack, pulled out a pair of underwear and pulled a face like she was disgusted to be holding them. She stretched them out and waved them in the faces of the male officers around, who seemed genuinely embarrassed and uncomfortable at the treatment this woman was giving my friend.

“It wasn’t any better when I was in the cell. I was not allowed to use my own tampon, and when I asked for a new one I was told the police station didn’t keep any. I was then given one hours later, which I had to use until I was released after 24 hours. Why don’t police stations have to stock tampons? They have to go out any buy you food if you have special requirements. I was also told I had to be watched closely as I inserted the tampon, which I later found out did not happen to other female activists in different stations. Taking away human rights as basic as this seems like just one more way to reduce an arrestee to a more helpless and regretful position.”



So how did this all get started for you, and is anti-cuts action your first foray into public protest?

“I was involved in environmental activism before UK Uncut, and that is where I learned about the use of direct action as a political tactic. I also learned how to use the consensus model of decision making which empowers each individual to have their say and play an equal part in the movement. These skills have been invaluable to me in every action I have been involved in.

“I felt that I had to do something to try and stop the government cutting the services that I am most proud of, that society’s most vulnerable people rely on to live in this country. I used to be proud of the structures we had built here to support our population- we built the NHS when we had a bigger deficit than we have today. We should all be proud of such universal services, and we shouldn’t give up the fight and watch as they are all sold off to profit-making companies.”

Come back tomorrow for part 2 – more from Rox, why Block The Bridge should be your next demo, and how to get involved with protesting the cuts. Thanks to Rox for giving us her time.

• Visit UK Uncut’s blog
• Follow UK Uncut on Twitter
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