Stitch 'n Bitch anyone?

Do you often feel there is so much to bitch about in life? Can you not have enough of bitching? What do you say if we come together to bitch as a group?

In over 300 cities worldwide, Stitch ‘n Bitch groups organize social gatherings during which the participants chat or gossip while engaging in knitting, needlework and hand sewing. The term dates back to at least World War II, during which certain social, political, ethnic groups rarely found safe shelters.
Performing a public stitching session will not only be relaxing but also expressive. It will be about claiming and re-playing with traditional roles in public space. It will also express individualism and anti-consumerism for some…
If you can’t think of anything to bitch about, we have some suggestions !
The fact that:
* 78 countries in the world criminalise same sex relationships.
* Many more – 70% of the world population – live under regimes which restrict freedoms of expression and assembly for LGBT communities.
* In Europe, 16 countries deny trans people the rights to change their name and gender on official documents.
* And 23 of the 33 countries which do allow it, require forced sterilization as a pre-requisite for such changes. 19 countries require divorce.
* Only a grim 7% of the world population benefit of explicit laws restricting hate speech against sexual and gender minorities !
Depending on your context, you can play with the name of this public gathering.
For example, you could hold a ‘Stitch and Kitsch’ (for extra stye!), or a ‘Stitch, Bitch and Get Rich’ (if you wanted to blend the event with a community fundraising push!).
The possibilities are sew endless !
Photo: from the Glasgow women’s library history article here !