If anyone out there knows Nicky Leap, they should ask her about an experience she had with a little three year old aboriginal boy and wimmin! It happened during the March 2000 Celebrating Midwifey tour. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Kartini Thomas" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2003 12:28 AM Subject: [ozmidwifery] Bumper stickers for ladies!
> Aviva, > I have a lot of 'wimmin' friends on the west coast of the united states who > use "lady" to describe themselves, such as in "Hey, ladies, let's get on our > bikes and paint the town".... > I think that, as has happened in the U.S. with the words 'queer' and > 'nigger', you can take pejorative terms that were used against you and add > your own meaning to them... it all depends on how you embody your > definition. If I want to call myself lady, then a lady for me is a strong, > laughing woman who is passionate about birth reform and delights in reading > emails from midwives. How's that for a definition? Maybe a little utopic, > but hey, it's the new year. If I think women are great, how can a 'lady' be > bad? > kartini > > > > >From: "Aviva Sheb'a" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Bumper stickers for ladies! > >Date: Mon, 30 Dec 2002 13:04:59 +1030 > > > >It's only taken me a month to get around to looking up "Lady" in Blackie's > >Compact Etymological Dictionary. > > > >"Lady, n. O.E. hlaefdige, f. hlaf, bread, LOAF + (prob.) root dip- , as in > >Goth. deigan, to knead. DOUGH. LORD. Formerly, the mistress of a household. > >A female ruler; the Virgin Mary; a woman of high position in society or of > >good breeding; part of the custormary designation of certain women of high > >rank." > > > >Alas, it doesn't say exactly when the term came about, but O.E. being Old > >English means it's a bloody long time ago. > >I think Female Ruler is a good term for women, especially in labour and > >birthing! > >Female Ruler does not imply being at all submissive -- on the contrary, it > >implies just the opposite. > >It doesn't say anything about sitting with the legs together. As a matter > >of fact, one of the reasons long, full dresses were worn, was so that women > >-- ladies -- could sit with their legs apart without men getting carried > >away, also it meant being able to wear sanitary pads, which were more like > >nappies, without it being obvious. > > > >Another entry: > >"Girl" Origin obscure. A female child. No wonder I don't like being > >referred to as a girl. Female children don't get much credit in our society > >as a rule. > > > >I love being a woman, a lady, a femme. Shall we reclaim the title, Lady? > > > >Aviva > > > > > >----- Original Message ----- > >From: Denise Hynd > >To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >Sent: Sunday, December 01, 2002 12:06 AM > >Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Bumper stickers for ladies! > > > > > >Dear kathleen > > I agree with what you say re Lady tagg. > > > >Can anyone with an etymological dictionary explain the derivation of woman > >I just here > >WOE MAN when it is said and the rib from Adam stuff, man came/ comes first > >therefore women are God's afterthought?? > > > >Denise > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Kathleen Fahy > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] ; Carolyn Hastie ; Lyn Ebert > > Sent: Sunday, December 01, 2002 11:53 AM > > Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Bumper stickers for ladies! > > > > > > Dear Aviva, > > > > I am one of those people who object to the term 'lady' and here is why. > > > > Lady is a term that has a particular set of expected behaviours. Those > >behaviours are the traditional feminine and submissive ones. Some women > >like behaving like ladies as it gains approval and assistance. Other women > >don't like behaving in those ways, or at least not all the time. In other > >words we don't want those expectations of behaviour put upon us by others. > > > > Thus, I cringe when I hear women who are the clients of midwifery > >services referred to as 'ladies' instead of 'women'. The concept of woman > >has not such behavioural expectations associated with it. > > > > Best wishes, > > > > Kathleen > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------- > > Kathleen Fahy > > Professor of Midwifery > > Head of School of Nursing and Midwifery > > Faculty of Health > > The University of Newcastle > > University Drive, > > Callaghan, 2308 > > > > Ph 02 49215966 > > > > Fax 02 49216981 > > > > >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 12/01/02 11:04am >>> > > > > Hello, All, > > > > I refer to myself as a human being, a woman, as a lady, but most > >importantly, as me. > > > > One of my definitions of Woman: Woe to any man who attempts to harness > >me! > > > > A very dear male friend of mine defines a lady as a woman who has the > >patience to sit while the gentleman goes around to make her life just that > >little bit easier for a moment, by opening the car door and hold it open > >for her...to show his appreciation of her. After all, if she's wearing a > >dress, &/or high heels, OR is pregnant, mothering, menopausing, PMT-ing, or > >otherwise feeling in any way vulnerable, small acts like opening heavy > >doors etc., can make her life easier. Personally, I like that. It was only > >when I was pregnant with Leslie and found opening very heavy doors to > >public buildings, and standing in trams became an issue for me, that I > >realised being a lady DID NOT mean sitting with one's knees together, but > >meant allowing others to make my life pleasanter. > > > > Enough of my prattling...I have some wonderful news! I'll put it in a > >separate email, so for those who have had no interest in the lady bit will > >still read it! > > > > Love to all the women, ladies, gents etc. on the list, > > > > Aviva > > > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: Denise Hynd > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Sent: Thursday, November 28, 2002 8:38 PM > > Subject: Re: [ozmidwifery] Bumper stickers for ladies! > > > > > > > > Dear Pinky > > I enjoyed and then thought > > about what the title we use for ourselves means etymologically, overtly > >and co-vertly. > > Do I refer to myself as a Woman, lady or girl?? > > Which do I prefer and why. > > Possibly neither! > > Denise > > > > > > > --- > > _________________________________________________________________ > Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online > http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963 > > -- > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. 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