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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg

@alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social
1.1K followers 796 following 120 posts

She/Her/Elle | Assistant Professor at the University of Montreal | Forensic Psychology | @uSask, @OTfpsych and @LaurentianU alum | #FirstGen | Views are my own 🏳️‍🌈

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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
New paper alert! We surveyed 2,197 zoophiles worldwide on neurodevelopmental conditions: 23.8% formal ADHD dx, 15.7% formal autism dx, 17.7% social anxiety. Only ~1/3 reported none. First study of its scale on neurodiversity in this population. #Neurodiversity #ADHD #Autism #Zoophilia #SexResearch
A screenshot of the abstract of the paper
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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social · 14/06/2026
New paper that follows up our "No ragrets" study by testing if therapist gender (male/female/non-binary) changes tattoo stigma for psychologists. Short answer: Nope! Tattoos ≠ less competent either way. #tattoostigma #psychology #tattoo #psychologist www.pjp.psychreg.org/wp-content/u...
pjp.psychreg.org
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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social · 09/06/2026
Taking my commitment to community-based participatory action research up to the next level by presenting with a pigeon 🐦
A pigeon sits above the projector screen with the title reading "Les profils des zoophiles" A pigeon flaps its wings while Dr. Zidenberg presents Dr. Zidenberg and the other presenters smile at the pigeon who sits on the lectern
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Brandon Sparks @brandonsparks.bsky.social · 30/04/2026
Excited to announce our (w/ @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social) paper--the first ever direct study of femcels--has now been published open-access in Personality and Individual Differences! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
sciencedirect.com
The sexual well-being of female involuntary celibates (Femcels): A comparative survey study
Femcels (female involuntary celibates) are an online collection of women united by their shared frustrations in forming romantic and sexual relationsh…
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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social · 17/02/2026
🎓 Just received my Credentialed Evaluator (CE) designation from @evaluationcanada.ca! Proud to be one of only ~30 CEs in Quebec. Excited to continue advancing evidence-based evaluation in forensic psychology and community research. #Evaluation #ProfessionalDevelopment #ProgramEvaluation
A CE certificate from CES for Alexandra Zidenberg
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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social · 02/02/2026
Humane Canada is looking to connect with organizations and individuals that are studying, supporting or working with young people, particularly in online spaces. If you’re seeing signs of online radicalization, take the survey: qualtricsxmnxnww5vzq.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_...
A poster for the study specifying that the study is 20 minutes long and to contact Kerri Thomson for more information
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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social · 15/01/2026
#PsychSciSky
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Brandon Sparks @brandonsparks.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
📊 New research on femcels and sexual well-being with @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social Femcels reported significantly: ⬇️ lower sexual esteem, satisfaction, and agency ⬆️ higher sexual preoccupation, anxiety, depression, and fear of sexual relationships doi.org/10.13140/RG....
doi.org
(PDF) The Sexual Well-Being of Female Involuntary Celibates (Femcels)
PDF | Femcels (female involuntary celibates) are an online collection of women united by their shared frustrations in forming romantic and sexual... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ...
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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social · 17/12/2025
🎉 Thrilled to announce our new paper in the Journal of Sex Research! "Exploring Sexual Attraction to Animals: A Qualitative Analysis of Zoophile Experiences" One of the largest qualitative studies on this topic, with 960 participants sharing their experiences. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....
A screenshot of the title and abstract of the article (accessible by screen reader by clicking the link)
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Brandon Sparks @brandonsparks.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
Another preprint hot off the press 🔥 Interviews with 12 incels found that social exclusion, loneliness, and knowledge-seeking trigger incel identity adoption—NOT extremist ideology. doi.org/10.13140/RG....
doi.org
(PDF) "There Must Be Something Wrong with Me:" An Exploration of Incel Identity Development
PDF | The Netflix series Adolescence has dramatically increased the public's awareness about incels (involuntary celibates) and has even influenced... | Find, read and cite all the research you need o...
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Brandon Sparks @brandonsparks.bsky.social · 27/11/2025
New preprint 📑: @jessmaxwell.bsky.social, @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social, Arthur Woods, and I found that fear of being single (FOBS) is associated with more dating anxiety, lower self-esteem, and greater depressive symptoms in an online dating context doi.org/10.13140/RG....
doi.org
(PDF) Online Dating, Dating Anxiety, and Fear of Being Single
PDF | The fear of being single (FOBS) represents an internal disposition wherein a person places a high value on being partnered, resulting in feelings... | Find, read and cite all the research you ne...
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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
Nous recherchons des professionnels de la #SantéMentale pour participer à une étude sur les clients ayant un intérêt sexuel pour les animaux. Si vous êtes un professionnel de santé mentale/étudiant dans un programme clinique, veuillez participer ! pacificu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_... #psych
pacificu.co1.qualtrics.com
Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management
The most powerful, simple and trusted way to gather experience data. Start your journey to experience management and try a free account today.
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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
We are looking for #MentalHealth professionals to participate in a study looking at clients with a sexual interest in animals. If you are a mental health care professional or a student in a clinical program, please consider participating! pacificu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_... #Psych #SocialWork
pacificu.co1.qualtrics.com
Qualtrics Survey | Qualtrics Experience Management
The most powerful, simple and trusted way to gather experience data. Start your journey to experience management and try a free account today.
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Canadian Psychological Association @canadianpsychology.bsky.social · 11/09/2025
There is very little evidence that criminal profiling works at all. However, television has made many of us far more confident in the process than is likely warranted. Listen to Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg on the newest episode of Mind Full wherever you get your podcasts. buff.ly/113s3RH
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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social · 26/09/2025
Our new study "Exploring motivations for using fantasy-themed and animal-shaped sex toys" is now published in Psychology & Sexuality. This is the first study of motivations behind non-traditional sex toy use. #PsychSciSky #SexToys #FantasyCreatures 50 free copies: www.tandfonline.com/eprint/XSRU3...
A screenshot of the study described in the thread
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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social · 07/09/2025
👥 CONFÉRENCE 📌 La Zoophilie : Recherches Actuelles et Orientations Futures - Par Alexandra Zidenberg 📅 Mercredi 24 septembre 2025, de 11h45 à 13h 👉 La présentation sera en français 🔗 Détails et inscription : www.cicc-iccc.org/fr/evenement...
A poster with the details of the conference (same as in post)
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Canadian Psychological Association @canadianpsychology.bsky.social · 04/09/2025
Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg from Université de Montréal joins Mind Full to talk about criminal profiling. How much does binge-watching TV enhance our ability to profile a suspect? Do true-crime podcasts skew our beliefs about the effectiveness of law enforcement? buff.ly/gYZyWpM
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Meghan Ford @meghanford.bsky.social · 24/07/2025
📢 Psychologists, psychological associates, trainees, and allies: Big changes proposed by CPBAO could erode psychologist registration standards in Ontario. I’ve partnered with Dr. Jenn Bossio to launch a petition in opposition. Sign & share: chng.it/6hKSNnJnkv #onpsych #ProtectOurProfession
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Dr Madeleine Pownall @maddipow.bsky.social · 10/07/2025
My comment about open research and qualitative methods is out! I argue that open research needs to take seriously the notion that "rigour" looks different for different methods and can learn from qualitative traditions. It feels very apt to be at #QMIP2025 for this publication day rdcu.be/evEpk
A screenshot of the paper, titled "Bridging qualitative methods and open research"
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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social · 09/07/2025
🧵 THREAD: New research in Crime Scene from the Criminal Justice section of @canadianpsychology.bsky.social challenges what we think we know about crime TV and real-world #profiling skills cpa.ca/docs/File/Se... #Research #CriminalJustice #ForensicPsychology #MediaLiteracy #MilitaryPsychology
A screenshot of the article
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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social · 04/07/2025
: 📢 Thrilled to share that our paper "Understanding the Psychological Profile of Children and Youth Engaging in Sexual Contact with Non-Human Animals: A Scoping Review" has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse 🧠📄 #ChildProtection #Research #Psychology #OpenScience

A screenshot of an email displayed on a mobile phone. A warning banner in French from the Université de Montréal states: *"AVIS: Ce courriel provient de l'extérieur de l’Université de Montréal. Veuillez ne pas cliquer sur les liens ni ouvrir les fichiers joints si vous n’êtes pas certain(e) de la légitimité du courriel."* Below the banner is a message from Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business, congratulating Alexandra M Zidenberg on the acceptance of her article titled *"Understanding the Psychological Profile of Children and Youth Engaging in Sexual Contact with Non-Human Animals: A Scoping Review"* for publication in the *Journal of Child Sexual Abuse*.
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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social · 19/06/2025
Presenting some pretty cool cat research at #ISAZ2025 😸
Dr. Zidenberg stands in front of a scientific poster
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Shannah @shannahe.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
Do you teach #selfcompassion or have completed #mindfulselfcompassion training? We’d love to hear from you! We are looking for #selfcompassionteachers to take part in an interview about your experiences. If you would like to participate, please see below. Please share! #MSC #selfcompassionresearch
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Daniel P. Moriarity @dpmoriarity.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
"Awaiting Editor Decision"
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James Fallows @jfallows.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
Almost every line of this story would have been simply unbelievable a few months ago: —Pioneering cancer researcher; —*Arrested* at airport in Boston; —Now indefinite ICE detention in Louisiana; —"Crime": not declaring some frog-embryo samples for research. Read it. www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...
nbcnews.com
New images could change cancer diagnostics, but ICE detained the Harvard scientist who analyzes them
Without scientist Kseniia Petrova’s expertise, no one can fully unlock the data’s potential, putting crucial advancements in early cancer detection at risk.
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Dr. Stephanie Craig @drstephcraig.bsky.social · 19/04/2025
Well this is terrifying. Canada, please please vote. www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
cbc.ca
Trump is freezing funding for universities they don't adr | CBC News
U.S. President Donald Trump has been threatening to cancel funding for some universities unless they accede to his demands to change ideological policy, similar to a pledge Pierre Poilievre has made f...
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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
This is dumb and harmful and false for so many reasons, but I also feel the need to point out that there's literally a very popular show called "Love on the Spectrum" about autistic people dating...
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Matt Thiessen @mattthiessen.bsky.social · 15/04/2025
The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) strongly recommends that academic staff travel to the US only if essential and necessary. www.caut.ca/latest/2025/...
caut.ca
CAUT advises academics against non-essential travel to the U.S.
Given the rapidly evolving political landscape in the United States and reports of individuals encou
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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social · 10/03/2025
We're still recruiting women who identify as #Femcels for this study! #PinkPill #RedPill #BluePill #PurplePill #femcel #incel #women #woman #PsychSciSky
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Amanda Fanniff, PhD @amandafanniff.bsky.social · 24/03/2025
If you had a grant cancelled, consider submitting info about your terminated grant using this Google Form [Contact Scott Delaney with Qs on Signal (sdelaney.84)] docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F... Also, see @scott-delaney.bsky.social 's post below for the database of cancelled grants #defendresearch
docs.google.com
Cancelled NIH grant information submission form
Please use this form to submit information identifying specific NIH grants that have been cancelled for any reason after January 20, 2025. Data from this form will be used to update the Rescinded NIH...
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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social · 22/03/2025
New research by some fabulous students (and myself) explores correlates of multiple perpetrator rape proclivity in women. Click here for access (or let me know you want a copy): connect.springerpub.com/content/sgrv...
A picture of the article titled Exploring Correlates of Multiple Perpetrator Rape Proclivity in Women by Michelle Schwier, Alexandra Zidenberg, and Saad Iqbal.
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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social · 10/03/2025
An absolutely brutal username assigned to me by a journal in CATS 😂 #Publishing #PsychSciSky #Academia
A username in the CATS system really "Alexanaly9" closely resembling "Alex Anally" in spelling
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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social · 10/03/2025
We're still recruiting women who identify as #Femcels for this study! #PinkPill #RedPill #BluePill #PurplePill #femcel #incel #women #woman #PsychSciSky
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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
Do you identify as a #femcel ? You are invited to participate in our study. You will be asked to complete a survey on your mental health, attitudes, and experiences. If you would like to participate, click the following link: stfx.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_... #incel @brandonsparks.bsky.social
A poster that says "are you a femcel?" There is a QR code for the study
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Elizabeth Jacobs, PhD @elizabethjacobs.bsky.social · 19/02/2025
RFK Jr. thinks that a clinical trial should be done for the entire childhood vaccine schedule. Here’s why that will never happen. 1. You can’t do a randomized trial of something that we already know is safe and effective. There would have to be a placebo group that didn’t get vaxxed. Unethical.
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ex-Lethality Jane @lethalityjane.bsky.social · 15/02/2025
The measles outbreak in Texas is reminding me of the public letter Roald Dahl wrote about losing his daughter to measles in 1962, just before the vaccine was publicly available.
Excerpt from a public letter Roald Dahl wrote encouraging people to vaccinate their children.

Olivia, my eldest daughter, caught measles when she was seven years old. As the illness took its usual course I can remember reading to her often in bed and not feeling particularly alarmed about it. Then one morning, when she was well on the road to recovery, I was sitting on her bed showing her how to fashion little animals out of coloured pipe-cleaners, and when it came to her turn to make one herself, I noticed that her fingers and her mind were not working together and she couldn’t do anything.

“Are you feeling all right?” I asked her.

“I feel all sleepy,” she said.

In an hour, she was unconscious. In twelve hours she was dead.

The measles had turned into a terrible thing called measles encephalitis and there was nothing the doctors could do to save her. That was twenty-four years ago in 1962, but even now, if a child with measles happens to develop the same deadly reaction from measles as Olivia did, there would still be nothing the doctors could do to help her.

On the other hand, there is today something that parents can do to make sure that this sort of tragedy does not happen to a child of theirs. They can insist that their child is immunized against measles. I was unable to do that for Olivia in 1962 because in those days a reliable measles vaccine had not been discovered. Today a good and safe vaccine is available to every family and all you have to do is to ask your doctor to administer it.
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19thnews @19thnews.org · 13/02/2025
The company behind more than a dozen dating apps, Match Group, has known for years about the abusive users on its platforms, but chooses to leave millions of people in the dark. Produced in partnership with the @pulitzercenter.bsky.social and @themarkup.org and copublished with @us.theguardian.com.
19thnews.org
Dating app cover-up: How Tinder, Hinge and their corporate owner keep rape under wraps
The company behind more than a dozen dating apps, Match Group, has known for years about the abusive users on its platforms, but chooses to leave millions of people in the dark.
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Mitch Prinstein @mitchprinstein.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
Happy to report that APA wrote this letter, gathered a coalition across science, and will now pay for ads for it to be disseminated in Science and Chronicle of Higher Ed to spread the word!! unitedsciencealliance.org
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The Beaverton @thebeaverton.com · 02/02/2025
Woman who agrees with Doug Ford halting US liquor also needs that liquor to deal with fact she agrees with Doug Ford
thebeaverton.com
Woman who agrees with Doug Ford halting US liquor also needs that liquor to deal with fact she agrees with Doug Ford
HAMILTON, ON — With Premier Doug Ford ordering Ontario LCBOs to stop selling US alcohol due to President Trump’s tariffs, accountant Marianne Thompson has expressed frustrated that she won't be able t...
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Brandon Sparks @brandonsparks.bsky.social · 30/01/2025
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Scott Hadland, MD @drscotthadland.bsky.social · 24/01/2025
The NIH Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office website has been taken down. LGBTQ+ people are disproportionately subjected to violence, discrimination & stigma, affecting their health outcomes. Ignoring these facts endangers us all. #MedSky #LGBT #LGBTQ #NIH #research #science
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Brandon Sparks @brandonsparks.bsky.social · 22/01/2025
Excited to announce that our incel interview paper is now live in Current Psychology! Great job Chloe on a well-done dissertation link.springer.com/article/10.1...
media.tenor.com
kermit the frog is typing on a typewriter in a messy room .
ALT: kermit the frog is typing on a typewriter in a messy room .
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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social · 27/11/2024
We're still looking for participants for this study!
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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social · 12/12/2024
We are looking for individuals to participate in #research looking at how crime related media affects criminal profiling skills. If you like crime media, please consider participating! www.surveymonkey.com/r/JLWQV9M #survey #psychology #crimemedia #PsychSciSky
A poster with the same information as the post
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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social · 07/01/2025
Another navy day #temperatureblanket
A crochet project in progress sits on a sleeping car. The crotchet hook sits in a stitch in the middle of the row. There are 2 violet rows and 4 navy rows completed. Another navy row is in progress.
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McSweeney's @mcsweeneys.net · 04/01/2025
"At some point, you will be required to dress nicely for a formal dinner. They will say this is a chance for you to relax and enjoy yourself. You will suspect that this, too, is part of the game. You will not enjoy it."
buff.ly
Academic Job Market or Squid Game?
1. You and 500 other people compete for the chance at one prize due to the rigged economic system and bad life decisions that have landed you in a ...
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Dr. Alexandra Zidenberg @alexandrazidenberg.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
Starting off the new year with a bang! 🎉
Dear Alexandra. It is a pleasure to inform you that your manuscript "Exploring Correlates of Multiple Perpetrator Rape Proclivity in Women", has been accepted for publication in Violence and Victims.
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Jeff Kukucka @kukucka.bsky.social · 31/12/2024
“The rebranding of shaken baby syndrome preserved the diagnosis and allowed it to live on with less scrutiny." www.propublica.org/article/shak...
propublica.org
He Frantically Called 911 to Revive His Infant Son. Now He Could Face 12 Years in Prison.
Exonerations and new science continue to raise questions about shaken baby syndrome, a diagnosis that lives on under a different name: “abusive head trauma.” Critics say the name deflects scrutiny whi...
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Shannon Mattern @shannonmattern.bsky.social · 28/12/2024
Missed this back in April: “When will art institutions begin to pay respect to the legacies of our foremothers’ artistry? And when will we, as a culture, move beyond rigid hierarchies of value and celebrate domestic crafts in their own right?”
hyperallergic.com
My Grandma's Doilies Are Not a Joke
When will art institutions finally pay respect to our foremothers’ artistry?
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Rachel Gilmore @rachelgilmore.bsky.social · 19/12/2024
🚨NEW: Is Pierre Poilievre breaking conflict of interest rules? He recently lavished praise on the right-wing broligarchs at Shopify. But it turns out, just weeks before, his wife announced Shopify is supporting her project. Let's talk about it. SUBSCRIBE: rachelgilmore.substack.com
youtu.be
Is Pierre Poilievre breaking conflict of interest rules with this tie to Shopify broligarchs?
YouTube video by Rachel Gilmore
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