Samhita Mukhopadhyay is the executive editor of Feministing.com, one of the largest feminist or social justice blogs. Her new book, Outdated: Why Dating is Ruining Your Love Life (Seal Press) questions the traditional relationship advice so often aimed at young people. Unlike other dating manuals, her book doesn’t assume you’re straight, white, cisgendered, middle-class or looking [...]
No discussion of Queer History Month would be complete without paying homage to the woman whose multi-disciplinary approach to queer theory, Chicano/a studies, gender, cultural theory, spirituality and aesthetics transformed the feminist movement’s understanding of what it means to navigate oppression and privilege. Gloria Evangelina Anzaldúa was born in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas on September 26, [...]
It started as a zine, but then it turned into something more. The Revolution Starts at Home: Confronting Intimate Violence Within Activist Communities, a new anthology released by South End Press, is currently drawing attention for climbing up to the top of Amazon’s Top 20 Feminist Theory bestsellers in mid-June. Edited by Ching-In Chen, Jai [...]
On Sunday night, Reese Witherspoon, an Oscar winner, accepted a very different kind of award: the MTV Generation Award in Los Angeles. Witherspoon, 35, took the stage, teased Robert Pattinson, then offered the usual celebrity thanks. So far, so good. But then her speech took an unexpected turn: I want to say to all the girls out there, [...]
What’s a microaggression, anyway? The term, which came into popularity from theorist Chester M. Pierce, is defined by American Psychologist as “brief and commonplace daily verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative … slights and insults.” In other words, it’s a putdown. An example: You’re so much [...]
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, but the MPAA is censoring a movie aimed at a teen audience because it includes a rape scene. Trust, which is directed by David Schwimmer and opened in U.S. theaters on April 1, centers on an online relationship between 14-year old Annie (Liana Liberato) and her cyber boyfriend, “Charlie,” [...]
Women’s History Month gives us an opportunity to celebrate and reflect on the legacy of global women. Yet, year after year, the faces of Women’s History Month are the same: slideshows and commemorative stamps of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Simone de Beauvoir, Betty Friedan and Gloria Steinem. These women all provided groundbreaking work for women’s rights, [...]
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