Bad Attitude: Radical Women's Newspaper (1992-1995)

From the editorial of issue one:

"A tense atmosphere surrounds the collective as we toil to bring out the first issue of Bad Attitude. Our debates over burning issues- such as which pub should we go to after the meeting?- have been suspended, for we know when we are finished, it will be well past closing time.

The only sounds in the room are the clattering of computer keys and occassional queries: - "should we change 'scumbags' to 'bastards'? - as hard editorial decisions are being made.

The deadline approaches, the morning traffic has just started and those fucking crummy birds will begin their squawking soon. So what can we say about 'overthrowing civilisation as we know it' when the firs tthing on our minds is staggering off to bed? Well, tomorrow is another day, and though we're knackered now we'll be even more knackered is we keep quiet and let the bastards grind us down!

People told us we were mad to start a paper like this. After all, this is a time of 'backlash', poverty, and world reaction: when even the smallest gains of the last twenty years are threatened. But fuck it, there's enough pissed off women about to make this paper. As things go from bad to worse, its even more necessary to have a voice - to bring news of women fighting back internationally, a forum for suppressed ideas and struggles.

We see now that reforms have easily been taken away, and if we want to get anywhere we can't limit ourselves to just defending them. We have to go on the offence and be offensive! In this paper we want to look at how we can go to the root of it all - to fight back, take control, and begin to create something better.

Of course, we'll we're at it we're trying to have a laugh and a fucking good time! At a time when we're supposed to be silent and miserable, scared and competing for crumbs and the barest minimum for survival, humour and pleasure can be subversive. And perhaps we can get some ideas of what life can be like in a world without the rule of state, capital, and men.

We'll end this introductory rant with a few words about our editorial policy. All our articles represent the views of the authors only (especially the one that mentions Kevin Costner, yuck!). We print articles if they're informative, provactive or entertaining, but we don't always agree with everything in them. That would be difficult anway seeing that we've got five women on the collective - and 20 opinions at the last count. If you read anything that you disagree with or you think the coverage could be more complete, then write in with your ideas! We welcome further contributions."