Category Archives: Westminster Skeptics
Westminster Skeptics – Juliet Jacques thinking critically about transgender issues
The emergence of gender variant people, practices and identities following the publication of Magnus Hirschfeld’s Transvestites (1909) and the inter-war invention of sex reassignment technologies posed considerable challenges to conservative, socialist, feminist and gay/lesbian politics: if ‘male’ and ‘female’ were no longer true, then what was?
Consequently, transgender people became an object of fascination, and plenty was written about them – by the mainstream media, feminists and the medical establishment whose management of transsexualism has proved especially controversial – with transgender people themselves frequently excluded from the conversation, with their identities erased or discounted, or having their experiences framed by people or outlets with no lived experience of being transgender.
Juliet Jacques author of the Guardian’s Transgender Journey series which documents the gender reassignment process from a first-person perspective, critically examines some of the ideas and myths that grew around transgender people, and the gulf between mainstream political and media discussions of transgender issues and the autonomous transgender theory and identities that developed in response.
Westminster Skeptics – Paul Lewis on the riots
Kindly recorded by Simon Bennett on 22nd August, Paul Lewis talks about the recent riots that have hit London.
[Direct MP3 Link] [Podcast Feed] [Add to iTunes]
Westminster Skeptics – Phone Hacking (Hackgate)
Former Daily Star journo Rich Peppiatt (previously interviewed here), James Ball from the Guardian, former Tory Westminster PPC & lawyer Joanne Cash and founder of the Skeptic Magazine Wendy Grossman join David Allen Green to discuss the implications of the phone-hacking scandal on journalism.
[Podcast Feed] [Add to iTunes]
Westminster Skeptics – Mark Henderson on ‘The Geek Manifesto’
Recorded on February 7th, Times Science Editor Mark Henderson and Westminster Skeptics President Evan Harris talk about Mark’s forthcoming book ‘The Geek Manifesto’, for which he was soliciting ideas.
Sorry the sound is a bit ropey – the recording wasn’t very good, so I’ve had to wrangle it into something audible, even if it is difficult at times.
You can hear a more succinct interview with Mark on the book on Episode 71 of the Pod Delusion.
Westminster Skeptics – Belinda Brooks-Gordon and Brooke Magnanti
Critical thinking and an evidence based approach about sex work with Dr Belinda Brooks-Gordon and Dr Brooke Magnanti, otherwise known as Belle Du Jour. Here are the slides Belinda used:
(Thanks to Teela Sanders for providing the first few slides!)
After the Digital Economy Act – Cory Doctorow and Tom Watson MP
Last night’s Westminster Skeptics discussed the Digital Economy Act with two of it’s most eminent critics – author and blogger Cory Doctorow and Labour MP Tom Watson.
[Direct MP3 Link]
Westminster Skeptics – Heather Brooke
Freedom of Information campaigner Heather Brooke (of MPs expenses scandal fame) speaking about FOI and evidence based policy. Kindly recorded on Monday 13th September by Craig Lucas for us.
Westminster Skeptics – Frank Swain, the Science Punk
Last night’s Westminster Skeptics talk by Frank Swain, the Science Punk, offering ‘A critique of skepticism’. It was interesting stuff – and you can hear it in full here (aside from 3 minutes removed for legal reasons). Also features Councillor John Dixon.
Westminster Skeptics – Brooke Magnanti
Dr Brooke Magnanti, otherwise known as blogger Belle de Jour gave last night’s talk. Before becoming well-known for her blogging, Dr Brooke Magnanti worked in forensic macrobioinformaics research at the University of Sheffield. She is currently based in Bristol, specialising in developmental neurotoxicology and childhood cancer aetiology. Last night she spoke about the construction of identity.
The sound is a bit ropey for the first five minutes or so, but then dramatically improves.
Listen to the Libel Reform Campaign Free Speech Hustings LIVE!
This will be live from 6.30pm with the hustings beginning at 7pm. Please twitter your questions or comments to #libelreform or email: news@libelreform.org.
The Libel Reform Campaign is hosting the official “Free Speech Hustings” of the General Election 2010 in association with English PEN, Index on Censorship and Sense About Science. Speaking at the event will be Dominic Grieve from the Conservatives, Evan Harris from the Liberal Democrats and Michael Wills from the Labour Party who will go head to head over libel law reform and protecting our freedom of speech.
When the live broadcast begins, the square in the top right will be RED AND GLOWING – click this to listen.
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