Tag Archives: pussy riot

Kim Gordon Thinks Women Make Good Revolutionaries

Julie GersteinApril 23, 2013 //

The Sonic Youth member takes on the fashion world. Read More »

Who Are Pussy Riot?

Meet the feminist punk band from Russia. Read More »

Pussy Riot Found Guilty

The three women were sentenced to two years for "hooliganism." Read More »

Sonic Youth on "GG"?

Huh? The band appeared on "Gossip Girl"? Read More »

QUOTABLE

“Women make natural anarchists and revolutionaries, because they’ve always been second-class citizens, kinda having had to claw their way up. I mean, who made up all the rules in the culture? Men—white male corporate society. So why wouldn’t a woman want to rebel against that?”

–Former Sonic Youth member and sometimes-fashion designer Kim Gordon, on why women excel at fighting against oppression. Here, she’s speaking directly about imprisoned Russian feminist activists Pussy Riot, but I think this quote kind of applies to all of us, no? Also, her daughter Coco (with soon-to-be-ex-husband Thurston Moore) is a freshman in college. My, we’re old. [Elle]

IKEA Pulls Pussy Riot Photo From Web Site

Jessica WakemanSeptember 24, 2012 //

Everything Pussy Riot

Everything you need to know about the case. Read More »

Madonna Loves Pussy Riot

Madonna supports the Russian punk band. Read More »

Pussy Riot Found Guilty

The three women were sentenced to two years for "hooliganism." Read More »

today's lady news

IKEA has pulled a photo depicting four people dressed like Pussy Riot, sitting on their couches wearing brightly-colored face covering balaclava masks. The image — which appears to be a reference to the three punk rockers who were jailed this summer for speaking out publicly against the government — was uploaded onto IKEA’s Russian website in a section that posts pics of customers posing with their furniture. The company said it did not want to become “propapanda” for Pussy Riot by keeping the image up, so it was removed. [The Local SE]
“Brides” magazine has named Keija Minor its new editor-in-chief, making her the first-ever black EIC ever named by Conde Nast. [Madame Noire]
A young mother about the four years she spent raising a child on welfare. [New York Times Magazine] Keep reading »

German Court Rules Insurance Must Cover M-To-F Transexuals Breast Implants

Jessica WakemanSeptember 12, 2012 //

A German court has ruled that male-to-female transsexuals have a legal right to have their breast implants covered by health insurance if their hormone therapy does not give them an A-cup. The Federal Social Court in Kassel was ruling in a case of a 62-year-old trans woman whose insurance covered a sex change and hormone therapy, but no implants. [The Local]
Russia’s Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev called for the three jailed members of the feminist punk band Pussy Riot to be freed. The three women were sentenced last month to two years in jail for “hooliganism” after they staged a protest inside a church and spoke out publicly against President Vladmir Putin. Prime Minister Medvedev, who is considered more liberal than Putin, said today, “In my view, a suspended sentence would be sufficient, taking into account the time they have already spent in custody.” From your lips to God’s ears, buddy. [AP] Keep reading »

Pussy Riot Book To Raise Money For Feminist Punk Band’s Legal Defense

Jessica WakemanSeptember 12, 2012 //

Everything Pussy Riot

Everything you need to know about the case. Read More »

Madonna Defends

Madonna spoke out in defense of Pussy Riot at recent concert. Read More »

Frisky Feminism!

Everything The Frisky has ever written about feminism! Read More »

pussy riot

A who’s-who list of indie musicians and artists are contributing to a new e-book of essays published to help raise money for the Pussy Riot legal defense team. Three members of the Russian feminist punk band were sentenced to two years in prison for “hooliganism” last month after they staged a protest inside a church and spoke out publicly against Russian president Vladmir Putin. Yoko Ono, Le Tigre’s JD Samson and Johanna Fateman, Justin Vivian Bond, and others will contribute essays to the $2.99 Pussy Riot! A Punk Prayer For Freedom, which is out September 21. [Gallerist NY]

Pussy Riot: Two Members Of Feminist Punk Band Flee Russia, Fearing Arrest

Amelia McDonell-ParryAugust 27, 2012 //

Everything Pussy Riot

Everything you need to know about the case. Read More »

Pussy Riot Pleads

The feminist punk band has pleaded "not guilty." Read More »

Pussy Riot Found Guilty

The three women were sentenced to two years for "hooliganism." Read More »

Following the conviction of three members of the Russian feminist punk band Pussy Riot, two additional members have fled the country, fearing arrest for their participation in the band’s punk prayer performance at Moscow’s Christ the Savior Church. Last week, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova (above), Mariya Alyokhina, and Yekaterina Samutsevich were sentenced to two years in prison for the crime of “hooliganism.” Their punk prayer performance criticized Vladimir Putin and Kirill I, the Moscow Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church. Pussy Riot wore their trademark face-covering balaclavas during the performance, which made police only able to identify and thus arrest three of the five participating members.

In a statement posted to their Twitter over the weekend, Pussy Riot cheered, “In connection with the search, our two participants have successfully left the country! They are recruiting foreign feminists for new actions!” Pyotr Verzilov — husband of imprisoned member Tolokonnikova — told the press, “They are in a safe place beyond the reach of the Russian police.” [Huffington Post]

The Man Married To Pussy Riot

NYMag.comAugust 20, 2012 //

“Media attention has blown the girls up to the size of Russia’s government,” said Pyotr Verzilov, husband of 22-year-old Pussy Riot member Nadya Tolokonnikova, in a Skype chat two weeks ago. This was before a Russian judge sentenced Nadya and bandmates Katya Samutsevich, age 29, and Maria Alyokhina, age 24, to two years in prison. Before Yoko Ono called for his wife’s release and the Associated Press cooed at Nadya’s “Angelina Jolie lips.” Even then, though, Pyotr believed Pussy Riot had “superhero status.”

For 40 seconds on February 21, Pussy Riot crashed the services at Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Saviour. Doe eyes fluttering behind neon balaclavas, they pumped their fists in the air and screamed “Mother Mary please drive Putin away.” In court, allegedly traumatized onlookers described their actions as “skirt kicking” and “demonic seizing.” Read more…

Pussy Riot Found Guilty Of Hooliganism [UPDATED]

Julie GersteinAugust 17, 2012 //

Pussy Riot Pleads

The feminist punk band has pleaded "not guilty." Read More »

Everything Pussy Riot

Everything you need to know about the case. Read More »

Madonna Loves Pussy Riot

Madonna supports the Russian punk band. Read More »

A judge found three members of Pussy Riot — Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alekhina, and Yekaterina Samutsevich — guilty of “hooliganism,” while hundreds of people protested outside the courthouse, calling for “Russia without Putin.” The judge in the case, Marina Syrova, said the three defendants “committed hooliganism driven by religious hatred.” The sentence has yet to be handed down, but Putin himself has publicly called for leniency in sentencing, though many believe he wishes to make an example out of the punk collective.

The women have been held in prison awaiting trial for the past five months, and prosecutors in the case have asked for a three year sentence, though they could face up to seven years, according to Russian law. The women of Pussy Riot have amassed an international cadre of supporters, including musicians Bjork and Madonna, actress Chloe Sevingy, and even Russian chess champion Gary Kasparov.

UPDATE: The women received a sentence of two years in jail, with the judge saying that they had “crudely undermined social order.” [Huffington Post]

Pussy Riot Issues Statement On Eve Of Court Verdict

Jessica WakemanAugust 16, 2012 //

Pussy Riot band member Nadezhda Tolokonnikova has written a letter, passed through her lawyers, on the night before her court verdict is read. Pussy Riot has been on trial these past two weeks in Russia over an incident in February when the feminist punk band disrupted a church service and spoke out publicly against President Vladimir Putin. ”Our being in jail is a clear and distinct sign that freedom is being taken away from the whole country,” she wrote in her letter. “And this threat of destruction of the liberating, emancipatory forces of Russia is what makes me angry.” [Guardian UK]
Need more proof that Mitt Romney’s running mate Paul Ryan is a scary, scary man? Ryan sponsored a bill that would define a fertilized egg as “a life,” which is the same logic used in personhood amendments that could render IVF, some birth control, and all abortion illegal. [Jezebel]
Why presidential debate moderators should reflect the United States’ diversity. [Clutch Magazine] Keep reading »

Pussy Riot: Everything You Need To Know About The Case That’s Rocking Russia

Julie GersteinAugust 13, 2012 //

Pussy Riot Pleads

The feminist punk band has pleaded "not guilty." Read More »

Madonna Defends

Madonna spoke out in defense of Pussy Riot at recent concert. Read More »

Frisky Feminism!

Everything The Frisky has ever written about feminism! Read More »

Back in February, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina, and Ekaterina Samutsevich — three members of the controversial Russian feminist band Pussy Riot — walked into Moscow’s Cathedral of Christ the Savior and engaged in a raucous performance at the church’s altar. Shedding their winter clothes, the girls, clad in colorful dresses and balaclavas, danced and jumped around. The women then turned the 30-second clip into a music video for their song “Punk Prayer: Holy Mother, Chase Putin Away,” a raucous, punk-tinged rant against Russian president Vladmir Putin. Within days, the video had gone viral — and the women of Pussy Riot had been arrested.

Keep reading »

Madonna Speaks Out For Pussy Riot At Moscow Concert

Jessica WakemanAugust 8, 2012 //

Pussy Riot Pleads

The feminist punk band has pleaded "not guilty." Read More »

Mistreated In Jail

Lawyers say Pussy Riot has been mistreated in jail. Read More »

Biased Judge

Pussy Riot says the judge in their trial is biases against them. Read More »

Madonna Speaks Out For Pussy Riot

Last night at her concert in Moscow, Madonna appealed for the release of Pussy Riot, a feminist punk band which has been jailed for five months after speaking out publicly against President Vladimir Putin. This video sent chills up and down my arms as Madonna spoke about censorship, democracy and freedom. What an incredible reminder not to take our freedom of speech for granted.

The three women were charged with hooliganism for performing a “punk prayer” at a Moscow church and praying for Putin to be removed from the presidency. During their five months of imprisonment, the women say they’ve been mistreated in jail. Their trial began on Monday and the women have said their judge is biased against them. I’ve been writing about Pussy Riot daily in Today’s Lady News, but Mother Jones has a good recap here. [YouTube]