I have been following the story of Lara Logan and the horrible assault that she survived in Egypt. I have read the articles about people questioning what she was wearing, the asserting that her “good looks” played a role in the assault, claiming that she deserved it because she was in a Muslim country (never [...]
Social justice advocates are often accused of exaggerating the oppression faced by marginalized people. In fact, hierarchies of bodies (thin over fat, cisgender over transgender, white over brown) are reinforced daily. That process is so common it has become nearly invisible to those not directly affected by it–but now, helpfully, Apple has provided us with [...]
When I first discovered Frida Kahlo many years ago, something about her work called to me. During her lifetime her politics were decidedly leftist and revolutionary. She engaged in affairs with both men and women and her paintings centered on women, or more specifically herself. What’s not to like about this incredible woman? But there [...]
Physical trainer Jillian Michaels became a household name when the reality weight-loss show The Biggest Loser hit the airwaves, and now she’s adding to her resume with the new NBC show Losing It With Jillian, which debuts tonite. Each week on Loser, viewers tune in to watch Michaels whip “fatties” into shape; in her new [...]
Justice John Paul Stevens announced on Friday that he intends to step down from the bench of the U.S. Supreme Court, and the belly-aching began almost immediately. The whole notion that White-men-need-not-apply for the soon-to-be-open seat caused cries of radicalism, presumably because a person of color or a woman in a position of power unbalances [...]
Nadya Suleman became a household name when it was revealed that she gave birth to octuplets. That was news enough, but her notoriety grew even larger after it was revealed she had already borne six other children. Notwithstanding the Duggars, by modern day standards that’s an extremely large family. But not every child born is considered a [...]
What can you buy for five dollars? What if five dollars was all that stood between you and hunger and homelessness? Five dollars is not a safety net; it’s barely a bag of chips. Yet according to a study reported in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, it is the median net worth of single Black women. Single [...]
Long before 9/11, Americans had a firm understanding of what terrorists looked like. They’re assumed to be of Middle Eastern descent and, predominantly, men. With these characteristics in mind, racial and gender profiling have been implemented to make the country safer (supposedly): Brown male bodies signify danger. The federal indictment of Colleen R. LaRose, a.k.a. [...]
