Good Weekend letters to the editor: November 11

Helen Goh’s Halloween brownies with chocolate ganache [October 28].Credit: INSTAGRAM/@madam_godzilla

Good Weekend

The articles on Dr Victor Chan and Troye Sivan [November 4] were a good example of sublime to ridiculous – one a diamond, the other just fluff.

John Elder
Annerley, QLD

Man of patients

Unless you’re faced with the heartbreaking decision of having an abortion or considering it [November 4], no-one has the right to make that decision for you. This is a difficult subject on so many levels, but in the end, it’s a decision that isn’t made easily or without guilt. I think of my aunt, who I never knew, who died many years ago as a result of a botched “backyard abortion”. The stigma surrounding abortion remains today, but we should be thankful for people like Dr Victor Chan and the healthcare available to women faced with such a traumatic choice.

Judith Caine
Donvale, VIC

Modern Guru

I read your article about cleaning kettles with vinegar [November 4] … I can assure you that if you pop a quarter or half a lemon in your kettle (don’t squeeze it) and add just enough water to make it float, then boil the kettle twice and empty it, it will be squeaky-clean with no after-taste. If you’ve got scum all the way up to the top, chop the lemon into quarters and fill the kettle completely - and follow the same instructions. Good luck!

Neil Feller
Potts Point, NSW

Dicey Topics

Love your work, Benjamin Law, and look forward to reading this page each week. This one made me cry (and copiously) for the first time [November 4]. I’m horrified that Michelle Lim Davidson has experienced so much racism and so glad she’s been able to overcome it and prosper. I love that she has been able to connect with her birth family, and visit that home space which was so vivid in her imagination. It’s hard to believe those agents could be so ignorant, insensitive, hurtful and WRONG! All power to her for her hard-won success! I look forward to seeing much more of her in future.

Lindy Reid
Mosman, NSW

Get it?

Looks like Greg Bakes has been playing with the Bulls and the Bears down at the bourse [November 4].
Allan Gibson
Cherrybrook, NSW

ONLINE COMMENTS

Troye Sivan

Great article. Loved hearing more about this talented artist. DJ

Lovely article on an inspirational young man. Enjoyed having a look inside your happy Carlton home. byo

Good to see you being happy and doing well, Troye.Wile E. Coyote

What a fantastic family. Pedro

A stunning artist, mature beyond his age, sublime musician and lyricist. @louise.edmonds.media

Great writing from @brodielancaster. @sagebass

Man of patients

Thank goodness for the early pioneers. Every woman deserves a choice. If you’re against it, you don’t require these services but, for everyone else, they’re a godsend. This article was well-written, given how divisive this topic is. I had an abortion 30 years ago and it has never left me. I have wondered at different stages but I don’t regret it: it wasn’t the right time. My teen daughter is aware and knows I’d support her decision either way. Australian of the Year – definitely! long_wish_list

“Doing abortion is just a health issue,” says Dr Victor Chan. “I just wanted to get on with it.” Abortion is not a simple issue but a complicated and difficult one with long-term implications on mental health resulting from guilt, regret and sadness. A mother will never forget her child.
Another Day

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Dr Chan. Sarah

Thank you for a lifetime of excellent work, Dr Chan. Your work in the space of women’s reproductive health is so appreciated. Miffy11

Two of Us

These gals have it completely right. Good on them. And thank you so much for your service, ladies. Nurses are a shining warm light in a tough world. Sarah Nelson-Jonas

Nursing is easily one of the hardest jobs of all. We’re fortunate these amazing nurses chose Australia as their home. You can tell by their personalities that they’ve helped people through dark times. And what a great attitude to life. Warwick P

Dicey Topics

Yes, gender discrimination is economic, but it’s also so much deeper than that. It’s endemic to the whole way in which society is structured and organised even though a lot of those ideas actually come from past customs and practices that advantaged men and disadvantaged women. It is in every stereotype and joke about women. It’s in the beauty industry and the pressure on women to be young, beautiful and sexy and the punishment of women who aren’t. It’s in the number of women killed or injured by their partners which barely raises an eyebrow. It’s in every boardroom, political party or management structure where women aren’t equally represented. It’s in every woman who, due to social structural barriers, isn’t reaching her full potential. It’s everywhere.
tackers

There should be more of a partnership between parents so that by sharing childcare, any “gap” can also be shared between the two. I find it strange that, come retirement, there are couples who assume that superannuation must remain separate, not to be shared between the two, which always disadvantages the female. workwest

Want to chat? We’d love to hear from you. Send your letters to goodweekend@​goodweekend.com.au. Or send us a picture or Instagram one of Good Weekend in your life, using the hashtag #goodweekendmag.

All letters are edited for reasons of clarity, syntax and space.

To read more from Good Weekend magazine, visit our page at The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Brisbane Times.