The Arc of My Mother’s Brow

We called ourselves the Dead Mothers Support Group or DMSG for short. If there was a touch of the macabre in the name, that was okay with us. Losing our moms as kids had been devastating. Why sugarcoat ...Read More

My Own True Mother’s Day

The flowers come out and the prices go up. Balloons, cards, jewelry—gifts for every price point are hawked from every storefront. Even the slick, gender-neutral Apple stores are festooned with maternal ...Read More

A Mama’s Day for the Rest of Us

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. This Sunday, tradition dictates that we will celebrate our moms by showering them with flowers or brunches or candy and finding a way to say “I ...Read More

Young Mamas Need Support, Not Stigma

As we approach Mother’s Day (May 13), we’re inundated with celebrations of motherhood, but some kinds of mothers are not invited to the party. Hallmark cards and flower commercials rarely show ...Read More

“A Woman, A Lesbian, A Poet”

I’m the editor of the two-year-old Lavender Review, an e-zine of lesbian poetry and art currently fundraising for its next two issues at Kickstarter. Contributors to the first four issues included ...Read More

Trans Feminism: There’s No Conundrum About It

Aviva Dove-Viebahn’s recent Ms. blog post, “Transfeminism and Its Conundrums,” framed trans feminism* as a controversial and debatable submovement within feminism. I strongly disagree, ...Read More

Fifty Shades of Mommy Porn

I’d never heard of Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James until my 65-year-old sister-in-law clued me in. Her book group in New Jersey is tackling the best-selling trilogy that went viral as an e-book ...Read More

Yes, I’m Buying The Katniss Everdeen Barbie For My Daughter

When Mattel unveiled the new Katniss Everdeen Barbie this past week, I expected another hyper-sexualized Barbie that looked like Jennifer Lawrence. Eh. But who am I to dismiss a feminist Barbie? So ...Read More

Is Fellatio Finished?

This just in: Blowjobs are out. That news is via Esquire, which should be an authoritative voice on the subject. In the current issue, British author Geoff Dyer reports that in an informal survey ...Read More

Sh*t Men Say To Men About Street Harassment

For too many women—as well as LGBTQ folks and men who don’t “blend in”—crossing the street, riding a bus or running in the park involve the risk of catcalls, groping, leering or ...Read More

Next Page »