Tropic Cinema/Judy Blume/Rocketman/Key West

Yesterday I had a couple of hours spare to myself so I took myself off to see Rocketman at the Tropic Cinema in Key West...
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
…ummm, so I'm coming back to this blog after an hour or so has passed since that first line above.  The Tropic Cinema got me thinking about Judy Blume (she, and her husband George Cooper conceived and funded it), and that got me to reading articles about Judy Blume. This Guardian one here was particularly enjoyable. The last hour of my life has been a good one!

Hey did I ever mention that I have met Judy Blume?! In fact, I've met her twice.  My second meeting with her was extremely special to me because I told her about what was going on in Ireland in respect of the fight for Irish women's rights and bodily autonomy at that time, which she listened carefully to, and pinned on a badge that I brought her showing her support for the referendum to Repeal the 8th Amendment.  She was awesome both times.
How friggin' lucky am I???

Well I better get back on topic and tell you how much I loved Rocketman.  I thought it was great and would actually go see it again straight away (if you are a regular reader of my blog you will know how obsessive I get about films that I like and how I like to see them multiple times...case in question..La La Land!!! Which I saw about six times over three weeks in the cinema!!).

I thought it was heartbreakingly sad, but also theatrical, fantastical and ultimately uplifting - by the end.  I recommend this film thoroughly, go catch it in the cinema before it closes!

We made history

One week after the referendum result and I can finally breathe.  We made history.  And not only did we make history, but we made it by a landslide.  We had an incredibly high turnout for a referendum and then of course the result - 66.4% of the electorate said yes.  66.4%!!!  That's a ratio of 2 to 1.

For those of you who follow my blog you will know this was something I was passionate about for a long time.  I truly believe this was a bad and dangerous law for women.  Women were put at risk, women were left in pain and agony, and worst of all women actually died because of this law.

Closer to home I have two friends who have been through cancer treatment recently.  Both told me about how before each of their multiple chemotherapy and radiation sessions a pregnancy test was carried out.  Had those tests been positive, their lifesaving medical treatment would not have proceeded. 

Soon (by the end of the year) we will have abortion in Ireland.  This will mean 9 women every day, who currently travel for abortion  - for varied reasons none of which require my judgement - can receive healthcare in our own country.  It means that the 3 women who order (online) abortion pills daily in Ireland can instead be prescribed and take this medication under the care of their GP.

Do I believe abortion rates will go up in Ireland?  No. I don't.  Irish women don't need a law to protect Irish babies.  Because do you know who are great protectors of Irish babies - Irish women!

Good God I digress.  Amy we've won! It's over.  You don't need to go over it all again.

OK I will move on.  So! Let's talk about that landslide victory shall we?  Many people have asked me over the last week did I know we would do it by so much.  Simple answer is no.  No, no, no, no.  With hindsight maybe we should have been more confident.  Maybe we should have known...? Maybe we should have known when we raised €500k via crowdfunding in two days when our goal was €50k? Maybe I should have believed we could do it when I saw the amount of people walking around Dublin wearing Yes badges and stickers?  Maybe I should have believed it when I saw the crowds that came out every Saturday to canvass? 

But I didn't know. Or didn't dare to believe.  The anxiety and stress blinded and worried me.  I agonised  that maybe we were in an echo chamber in Dublin and it would be lost outside of the capital?.  I formally apologise now for ever doubting the rural vote!  It passed in every single county of Ireland bar one, and even that one (Donegal) was so so so close to passing.

So what does this tell us?  From my perspective I woke up to an Ireland that felt kinder, compassionate and more equal than it is has ever felt before. We have grown up as a country and are now not hiding behind "there are no abortions in Ireland" and will no longer export our medical responsibilities and will care and support for our own. 

And I can now stop randomly crying on my bicycle ride home when I think of how Ireland failed Savita Halpannavar.  6 years ago I marched on the Dail to say Never Again, and last week we made that a reality.

Thank you Ireland

For posterity...here is yours truly after just casting my vote

Together for Yes, to repeal the 8th amendment

I have a small break from college classes at the moment so I am going to take advantage of it and get off the keyboard and out to have some real life conversations with people on the doorsteps of Dublin.

 

I contacted the Dublin Bay South chapter of Together for Yes and on Saturday I joined them for a canvass in the little cottages and redbricks of Harolds Cross

We knocked on the doors in parties of two...

Note the Repeal the 8th Maser Art sticker on this door.  No conversation was needed to see how the residents of this house are voting!

 

Overall we got a positive response, in summary

Mainly positive and firm Yes'

A lot of doors unopened/people not home however

Some non Irish people who said they are not eligible to vote - all noted support for repeal though

The odd couple of No voters

 

I hope to get out again very soon - all going to plan I will be able to join this coming Wednesday after work for a couple of hours.

Campaign to Repeal the 8th. How can you help?

Some practical hints of how you can support the campaign to Repeal the 8th in advance of the upcoming referendum

 

 

1. Represent!



Regularly wear your Repeal jumper, Free Safe Legal tshirt or Repeal the 8th badge.  I try wear mine out and about most weekends.  This is me this morning in the hairdresser on Grafton Street.  Last week I wore it to college to my Saturday class.  The college was having an open day so I felt good walking through the hallway and cafeteria that my message was getting good exposure.

 

2. Support your fellow repealers

It's can be difficult and lonely putting yourself out there.  Whenever I see someone out on the street in a Repeal jumper I say hi and "Nice Sweater!" .  Yes that's a bit of an alien thing to do in Ireland but so far everyone has responded with a big smile and thank you

 

3. Have those conversations

Ok so this is the important one,  and I KNOW it's the difficult one too.  It's a sensitive issue.  But you need to talk about it, gently and sensitively, with your family and friends. If you are a woman and  want your fundamental human rights to be passed in the referendum you need your people to know how important it is to you and all women as they walk through the doors of the polling station.

There are some very good resources/videos out there of how to have these conversations, I will find the links and post here.

 

 

4. Follow and support pro-choice campaigners on social Media. Like their posts, share their posts. Here are few suggestions for you

Abortion Rights Campaign

London Irish ARC

ROSA

  

5. Update your fb profile pic/twitter pic/instagram etc to something Repeal related (there's an important reason for this - see point 6!)

 

6. Engage on Twitter on Non repeal related items
How great does my Repeal message via my profile pic look via the hashstag #salsurvey18 - which was the twitter handle at a breakfast briefing I attended last week

7. Question
Could you not find a woman to answer that question?

My friend Tony sent me this last night and I think it's an excellent suggestion and something I am going to start doing

  

8.Healthcare not Airfare

Whenever you are in Dublin airport (or travelling anywhere) post on social media using the hashtag #healthcarenotairfare

Feel free to take my photo of my healthcare luggage tag (available from London Irish ARC) from Instagram and use it on your post.  See my instagram here

9. Support your local campaign groups
In addition to the national groups in point 4 there are also local groups all over Ireland.  The very best thing you can do is get involved and meet with your local group and see how you can support locally

10. Canvass
We will need people pounding the pavements and knocking on people's doors. Just like the marriage equality referendum it's the conversations on the doorsteps that will be crucial to this battle. Again I know this is not an easy thing to do, but link up with your local group - they will support you and talk you through it all.  Good luck!

Any other suggestions?!  If I've missed anything please post in the comments and I will add them to this post.

Oireachtas Committee - 8th Amendment

When asked by a journalist for a few words on the lobby at Dail Eireann today this is what I said:

"As a supporter of the Repeal the 8th campaign I felt that the "Handmaids" made for a powerful visual representation of how a lot of women in Ireland are feeling today - you must remember that many women who are of an age where they are accessing healthcare under the regime of the 8th Amendment have not actually had an opportunity to have their say previously. And equally there are people who have voted previously who will never actually have to make choices related to the amendment. I believe that the results of the recent Citizen's Assembly was a considered and fair reflection of the people of Ireland today. And I thank the citizens for that.

Our stand today, was to say to the Oireachtas Committee that we will not accept any retreat from the recommendations of the Citizen Assembly."

We got a tremendously positive reaction today with many people stopping during their lunch break to take photos and say messages of support to us. I truly believe Ireland is changing for the better (again), and now we just need a referendum (on legislation according to the citizens assembly) to demonstrate that"



The Irish Handmaid's Tale

I have been intending to do a detailed post about my feelings about the 8th Amendment in the Irish constitution and why I believe it needs to be repealed - that is for another day as it is a complex issue about women's healthcare and rights (which extends so much further than just abortion rights) which deserves some time and attention to explain my thoughts fully.

In the meantime I would like to record details of a protest I shall attend tomorrow at Dail Eireann.  The plan is to dress in the costume of Margaret Attwood's handmaids and the objective is to call attention to the Oireachtas Committee (on the 8th amendment) as they start their deliberations  - that after the clear pro-choice recommendations of the recent Citizen's Assembly we will not accept any retreat.

The Oireachtas Committee is made up of 21 politicians and it is in their hands to decide what legislation we will get/get to vote on.  Our objective is to put them under pressure that they cannot but recommend pro-choice legislation - again along the lines of the Citizens Assembly.

It took me just under two hours to make my handmaid's cape and hat this evening. If Enid wasn't away I would have zipped through it on her machine but unfortunately I had to do it all by hand sewing.

I was only able to buy a sheet in the correct colour in a Single bed size.  I was worried it would not be big enough but actually there was so much material to battle with that I was glad I had not got the double.

I created it with a simple long/high collar which came out really good I think.  Plus I think I will get away without a hood because of this collar - which is a relief because I simply don't think I have the energy or will to make a hood as well.

 Finished! Cloak (or cape) and hat.

 

 

 

International Women's Day 2017

I arrived into work yesterday to a flower on my keyboard from one of my German colleagues.  How sweet was that. 

A great way to start the day I can tell you!

I had wanted to get up to O'Connell Street on my lunch break to support the Strike for Repeal protest.  Unfortunately I had meetings booked practically right through.  In fact when I came into work I noted that literally my last spare half hour without a meeting had been booked up overnight.  So I couldn't go...but, considering the attendance and the photos from the event it was a huge turnout so my one little no show did not impact!  I did however wear black as requested to show my support for the Repeal the 8th Amendment agenda (something I think you know I am passionate about).

And then later that day we had ice-cream in work! 

It was a pretty good Women's Day all in.

What I did this weekend....and what two other Irish women did this weekend

This weekend was another good weekend

 

On Saturday morning Enid and Ciaran called for breakfast (bringing starbucks).  Enid and I threw a dash of baileys into our starbucks, plus had a screwdriver so that was a nice start to the day!

We then went for a stroll up to Grafton Street.

Enid bought a nice outfit for Saturday night in the "new" Dunnes in Stephen's Green - it has had a beautiful makeover - and then we went to Brown Thomas specifically to go to their Christmas shop which opened this week.  Enid just LOVES Christmas and bought a lovely decoration for her tree.

That evening I went with my Dad to Ukulele Hooley in Dun Laoghaire. We had a lovely evening - a few drinks (me!) and some great amateur open mic ukulele players.  And then we hung on to hear the most phenomenal ukulele trio play an acoustic set.

This morning Katie called and we had breakfast

Then got the bus down to Smithfield Square

There was a great vibe on at the marker in the Generator Hostel

We had some nice lunch.  Just sweet potato fries. Just lovely!

 

While I was enjoying this really really lovely weekend, some Irish women out there were not.

 

#TwoWomenTravel

The hashtag #twowomentravel went live on Saturday morning at 5am in Dublin Airport where two Irish women were setting off to travel to the UK.  One of the women is travelling to have an abortion, the other woman is going with her to support her.

 

Abortion is not available within Ireland aside in a very (strict and) specific circumstance: within our constitution the Eighth Amendment equates the right to life of a pregnant woman with that of an embryo or foetus. In doing so it criminalises abortion in all cases except where to continue a pregnancy would result in death. 

 

Therefore if you (as an Irish woman) want or need an abortion one of your options is to travel to another country to have an abortion.  This to me is something that makes what is, I am sure, a difficult and traumatic choice to make, even more difficult and traumatic.

The other option that Irish women are doing is (illegally) ordering on the internet, pills to bring on an abortion.

Both "options" are incredibly unsafe for Irish women in my opinion.  And cruel things to make a fellow human to go through.  I strongly believe that the 8th Amendment needs to be repealed.  If you do too please sign the online petition here.