Author Archives: Nick Kiddle

"What if your mother was pro-choice?"

Posted on February 22, 2006 by Nick Kiddle

[The use of “pro-choice” in the title is borrowing, purely for rhetorical effect, the pro-lifers’ definition of “favouring mandatory, recreational abortion”. This is in no way an endorsement by me of this clearly nonsensical definition.] I learned an interesting piece … Continue reading →

Posted in Abortion & reproductive rights | 132 Comments

Why I still more-or-less support same-sex marriage

Posted on February 13, 2006 by Nick Kiddle

This is mostly me thinking aloud. 1. Society’s institutions were mostly created by heterosexuals for heterosexuals. 2. Many of these institutions can only deal with relationships that are formalised with the state by means of marriage. 3. This causes all … Continue reading →

Posted in Same-Sex Marriage | 36 Comments

New prostitution strategy in the UK

Posted on January 17, 2006 by Nick Kiddle

The British government has set out a new prostitution strategy. It seems to consist of helping sex workers, for instance by allowing them to work in pairs away from the street and offering them help with any drug or alcohol … Continue reading →

Posted in Sex work, porn, etc | 57 Comments

Sex-for-visas in the UK

Posted on January 4, 2006 by Nick Kiddle

According to the Sun newspaper, British immigration officials have been granting visas to foreign nationals in exchange for sex. (Now updated with a link to the Sun’s original story – many thanks TheInkSlinger.) I find it ironic that a newspaper … Continue reading →

Posted in Immigration, Migrant Rights, etc, Media criticism, Sex work, porn, etc | 24 Comments

Baby blogging: Andrea meets her tribe

Posted on January 2, 2006 by Nick Kiddle

At approximately quarter to one on the 23rd of November, the midwife in the delivery room helped get Andrea’s baby blogging career off to a great start by taking a picture of her as she met from the outside someone … Continue reading →

Posted in Baby & kid blogging | 41 Comments

Civil partnership in the UK

Posted on December 25, 2005 by Nick Kiddle

I’m late posting this, but since Wednesday, same-sex couples here in the UK have been able to register civil partnerships and get most of the benefits of marriage. (I don’t know what benefits they can’t get, and, alas, have no … Continue reading →

Posted in Same-Sex Marriage | 27 Comments

A very short post about rape culture

Posted on November 12, 2005 by Nick Kiddle

I heard this joke from my mother, when I was about 11 or 12. Two nuns were walking through the woods when they were set upon and raped. One said to the other, “Whatever shall we tell Mother Superior?” The … Continue reading →

Posted in Feminism, sexism, etc, Rape, intimate violence, & related issues | 50 Comments

On victim-blaming and control

Posted on November 10, 2005 by Nick Kiddle

It’s virtually a law of Internet discussion that any conversation about rape will turn into a debate about the need for women to keep themselves safe. The attitude that women have the responsibility to protect themselves from rape is, at … Continue reading →

Posted in Rape, intimate violence, & related issues | 262 Comments

My rape story

Posted on November 8, 2005 by Nick Kiddle

The discussion about the man who claims he can’t be a rapist because his penis is too large set me thinking about my own near-miss a couple of months ago. It feels odd to talk about rape in connection with … Continue reading →

Posted in Rape, intimate violence, & related issues | 293 Comments

Another post about husband notification

Posted on November 7, 2005 by Nick Kiddle

I’ve stayed out of Supreme Court discussions because the system here in the UK is completely different and my ignorance of the whole subject is so profound I have nothing useful to contribute. But this quote from Alito about husband … Continue reading →

Posted in Abortion & reproductive rights, Elections and politics, Supreme Court Issues | 30 Comments