Spectra, 30, is an award-winning Nigerian writer and women’s rights activist, and the voice behind Spectra Speaks, which publishes news, opinions and personal stories about gender, media and diversity as they pertain to Africa and the Diaspora. She is also founder and executive editor of Queer Women of Color Media Wire, a media advocacy and publishing organization that [...]
The Femisphere: African Feminist Bloggers, Part 2
July 11, 2012 by 5 Comments
Though it’s still seen as a peripheral movement in Africa, Afro-feminism communities are flourishing online. In the latest “Femisphere” series, Avital Norman Nathman speaks with three leading African feminist bloggers about the growth, triumphs and challenges of the movement—and why they refuse to be silenced. Lesley Agams, 46, is a feminist lawyer who was called to [...]
The Femisphere: African Feminist Bloggers, Part 1
July 9, 2012 by 1 Comment
Despite centuries of cultural practice that has routinely silenced the voices of African women, one of the most vibrant and vocal online global feminist communities comes from Africa. The online writers from the African feminist movement are nuanced and complex as they share their stories, their lives, their struggles and their triumphs. I had the [...]
The Femisphere: Trans-Feminist Bloggers (Part 3)
June 6, 2012 by 2 Comments
This is Part 3 in my roundtable discussion with trans-feminist bloggers for The Femisphere. Please check out Parts 1 and 2. The bloggers: Emily Manuel from Global Comment, Monica Maldonado from TransActivisty, Stephen Ira from Supermattachine, and Avory Faucette from Radically Queer and Queer Feminism. Ms. Blog: I have a final question that hopefully builds [...]
The Femisphere: Trans Feminist Bloggers (Part 2)
June 5, 2012 by 12 Comments
This is Part 2 of my roundtable discussion with trans-feminist bloggers for The Femisphere, a series on the many diverse corners of the feminist blogosphere. You can find Part 1 here. The bloggers: Emily Manuel from Global Comment, Monica Maldonado from TransActivisty, Stephen Ira from Supermattachine and Avory Faucette from Radically Queer and Queer Feminism. [...]
The Femisphere: Trans Feminist Bloggers (Part 1)
June 4, 2012 by 55 Comments
The relationship between the trans community and the feminist one has been riddled with frustration, anger and accusations of exclusivity. Despite myriad challenges, however, there are those who feel that trans issues and feminist issues can co-exist and even that they naturally intersect. I recently conducted a roundtable with four trans feminist bloggers on this [...]
The Femisphere: Reproductive Rights Bloggers
May 12, 2012 by 6 Comments
Sites such as RH Reality Check and Abortion Gang have long comprised a thriving reproductive-rights blogosphere. In the past year, their numbers have swelled, as legions of pissed-off feminists take to the Internet to oppose the growing war on women’s reproductive rights. One of the new kids on the repro-rights block is Keep your Boehner [...]
The Femisphere: “Mommy” Bloggers
April 16, 2012 by 2 Comments
Last month I wrote a quick overview of feminist parenting bloggers for Ms.‘s “Future of Feminism” series. The huge response I received spurred me to launch “The Femisphere,” a virtual tour of the feminist blogosphere’s overlooked corners. So it feels quite fitting to begin my series with an in-depth look at mothering bloggers. If I had [...]
The Femisphere: Welcome to a New Series
April 4, 2012 by 24 Comments
All too often, when mainstream media turns its attention toward anything related to feminism, one of two things happens. The first is a heavy-handed criticism of feminism, either for being too radical or too obsolete in “this day and age.” The second is that contemporary feminism is given due credit for its incredible energy and [...]
Future of Feminism: Music To Our Ears
March 7, 2012 by 5 Comments
For every little girl who grew up fantasizing of becoming a fairytale princess, there was another who dreamed of being a rock ‘n’ roll queen. Thankfully, there are organizations popping up across the country who help girls explore such musical dreams, the Institute for Musical Arts (IMA) in Western Massachusetts being one of them. Founded [...]
