Latest Stories from Flo
Why ZAYN’s all-female band is so important
The singer has been praised for spotlighting the seven-women brand supporting on his latest tour. Zayn Malik’s decision to tour with a seven-woman band had people talking, and for good reason. While male-dominated lineups are the default in the music industry, this ensemble – featuring Molly Miller on guitar, Baby Bulldog on drums, and Tina Hizon on keys – breaks the mold. The question is why it’s still a rarity. The music...
Indigenous craft is still being co-opted by the fashion industry
Actor Lily Gladstone has called out Valentino, the latest brand to copy Indigenous designers. Protecting these cultural crafts from the capitalist machine is a longstanding – and often exhausting – battle. By now, it’s a familiar cycle: a fashion house unveils its latest collection, the press fawns, social media unearths its problematic roots, and the brand issues a half-hearted statement about inspiration versus appropriation. This week, it was Valentino’s turn under the microscope,...
Wicked star slams ableism on social media
Marissa Bode has called out ‘very gross’ comments about her ‘Wicked’ character Nessa Rose, as internet trolls prove that – despite growing representation – disabled individuals are still pushed to the fringes. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll be well aware that Wicked, a movie adaptation of the award-winning Broadway show of the same name, is one of the most commercially successful films of 2024. The glittering sets, showstopping musical...
One of the world’s greatest female footballers faces transphobic abuse
Barbra Banda’s mistreatment highlights the insidious misogyny and transphobia launched at women in sport. Barbra Banda, a Zambian footballer, was awarded the BBC’s Women’s Footballer of the Year last month. The prestigious award marked a milestone in Banda’s illustrious sporting career and should have been an opportunity to spotlight women’s football, which continues to grow in popularity. Soon after she was surprised with the award by her teammates, Banda shared...
Should UK CEOs earn the same as Premier League footballers?
Lord Michael Spencer, founder of ICAP, has suggested that British CEOs should be paid like professional footballers. It’s a claim that’s ignited a fiery debate. If society accepts footballers raking in up to £20 million annually, why does it balk at CEOs of major companies, like BP or HSBC, earning comparable sums? That’s what Lord Michael Spencer, founder of financial firm ICAP, has argued. It’s a controversial suggestion, and one...
Should cis-gender actors ever play trans characters?
Actor Park Sung-hoon has been criticised for playing a trans woman in the latest season of Netflix’s ‘Squid Game’. But those defending his casting say the issue of on-screen trans representation is more complex and layered than we'd like to think. Squid Game’s second season is one of the most hotly anticipated shows arriving this side of the new year. Since the trailer dropped earlier this month, fans have been...
Chinese blockbuster Her Story sparks feminist discussion globally
The last week of November saw an unexpected champion at the Chinese box office. But beyond the numbers, ‘Her Story’ has ignited debates about feminism, representation, and the global lens through which Chinese culture is often viewed. It’s unusual for a comedy drama, no less a feminist one, to smash records in China's film industry. For a country known for boosting high-budget action and sci-fi movies at the box office,...
Trans youth are turning to TikTok for support
In uncertain political times, America’s young LGBTQIA+ community are using social media as a vital crowdfunding tool. The day after the 2024 US presidential election, thousands of trans youth across the country woke to a sense of a dread. Iris, a 20-year-old Black trans woman living in Texas, was one of them. ‘This changes everything’ she told Wired. ‘If I stay in the state now that going to...
UK women less likely to receive CPR than men
A new study suggests a lack of CPR dummies modeled on women’s bodies is to blame. By all accounts, cardiac arrest is a condition that demands swift and decisive action. Every second counts. But for women who collapse in public, the timeline moves slower. A new study has built on existing evidence that determines women are significantly less likely than men to receive life-saving CPR from bystanders because people ‘worry...
How to navigate family politics this festive season
For many of us, awkward conversations have become a mainstay of winter gatherings. The festive period promises a lot: turkey, tinsel, and a soundtrack of perennial arguments. For a large portion of us, the season has become something other than a celebratory get-together and more of an endurance test, especially in recent years marred by political polarisation. So how do you survive these annual interactions without severing ties or weaponizing a...
