Don’t Ms.: BIG MOUTH, Sandra Bernhard, The Help and so much more!

I never wanted a private jet–until now. With so many sweet feminist events going on all over the country, I’m trying to figure out how can I be in D.C. on Tuesday, New York on Wednesday and back in Los Angeles by Thursday. Maybe you’ll have better luck making it to one of my top six picks for this week.

Online: The fight for contraception coverage isn’t over yet: The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ruling last week that birth control must be covered by insurance had a caveat–certain religious employers can still opt out. So NARAL Pro-Choice America is asking for your help. Go to the NARAL website and write a message to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to let them know you think ALL women should have access to contraceptive coverage, regardless of their employer. www.naral.org

Washington D.C.: Men Can Stop Rape (MCSR) is hosting a signing of Joe Erhmann’s brand new book, InSideOut Coaching, which makes the case for a healthy and constructive sports culture. MCSR is dedicated to using men to create “cultures free from violence, especially men’s violence against women.” Tuesday, Aug. 9, 6:30 p.m., Barnes and Noble 555 12th Street NW, Washington, DC.

New York: Ever notice how “feminist movements have historically grown out of interventions within radical communities in the face of silence, anger, and often, violence”? BIG MOUTH: contemporary voices in feminist art + illustration showcases artists who seek to break those silences. Check out the exhibit at Brooklyn Fire Proof. Tuesday-Friday, Aug. 9-12, located at 119 Ingraham St, Brooklyn, N.Y.

Nationwide: The Help, based on the bestselling novel by Kathryn Stockett, is coming to theaters Wednesday. Set in the 1960s, the narrative follows Skeeter, the daughter of a wealthy white family and recent college graduate, as she talks with the African American “Help” in her hometown in the hopes of writing a book about their lives. Though Ms. gave a mixed review to the book for sometimes sacrificing depth for comedy, it explored important issues of race, class and injustice. Let’s see if the film (despite its cheery bright-yellow marketing materials) can better live up to its subject matter. Check your local listings for showtimes.

Los Angeles: One of my favorite feminist comedians is performing at REDCAT this week: the bitingly sarcastic Sandra Bernhard. She performs her latest act I Love Being Me, Don’t You? with a live band and chorus of audience laughter. Tickets range from $45-$50. Opening Thursday, Aug. 11, 631 West 2nd St, Los Angeles, Calif.

37-City Tour: Forever Young Adult (FYA) bloggers Sarah and Erin, known for their blog’s snarky feminist critiques, have organized a 37-city Worldwide Book Club to discuss Libba Bray’s novel, Beauty Queens. Find out if the FYA Worldwide Book Club has a chapter in a city near you.

Promotional poster for BIG MOUTH.

About

Sarah is a visual journalism student at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Wash. She has a near obsession with ending injustice and is a sucker for a good cause.