Republicans in Congress are refusing to support any federal budget proposal that provides funding for Planned Parenthood. If they don’t budge, they could shut down the government for the second time in two years. The trouble started after the Center for Medical Progress, an anti-choice group, released a series of heavily doctored videos in which Planned Parenthood […]
Author: Anita Little
Associate editor of Ms. magazine
Twitter Reacts to Matt Damon ‘Splaining Diversity to Black Filmmaker
Some of you may be familiar with the term mansplaining and its equally exasperating cousin, whitesplaining. But actor Matt Damon inadvertently created a whole new word last week on his HBO show, Project Greenlight, that the creative minds of Twitter have coined “Damonsplaining.” What’s Damonsplaining, one might ask? It’s when a Black woman filmmaker is talking about how we need a more diverse […]
We Heart: East Los High‘s Representation of Genderqueer Youth
It would be an understatement to say that gender-nonconforming characters are having a bit of a moment right now. Though pop culture representations still have a long way to go, television seems to be quickly picking up the mantle in creating multi-faceted queer characters. Online streaming services especially seem to be at the forefront of […]
Women Aren’t Here to Smile for You
Serena Williams, the winner of 21 Grand Slam titles and arguably the greatest living female athlete, was understandably exhausted after defeating her sister and best friend Venus Williams in the U.S. Open earlier this week. So she wasn’t having it when, during a post-match press conference on Tuesday, a reporter had the gall to ask […]
When You’re Homeless and Menstruating
The following is a reprint from the latest issue of Ms. To get the entire magazine in your mailbox or inbox, subscribe now! When you think of survival items a homeless person may need, menstrual- hygiene products probably don’t immediately come to mind. The reality is that pads, tampons and liners often aren’t readily available to women […]
What Makes Olivia Benson “America’s Favorite Female Character”
Television shows that feature empowered, multi-dimensional women and girl characters seem to be having a moment. One doesn’t have to channel surf for long during a typical weekday night before coming across the face of Olivia Benson, Cookie Lyon or whatever character Jessica Lange happens to be playing on American Horror Story. Entertainment and content marking […]
#NotOurStonewall Calls Out the White-Washing of LGBT History
Since the trailer for the film Stonewall was released earlier this month, it has faced mounting criticism from LGBT advocates. Many have accused filmmakers of erasing key roles played by trans people of color in the 1969 Stonewall Riots in New York City. The film centers on the experiences of a fictional white, cisgender gay male named Danny […]
We Heart: Beyonce’s History-Making Vogue Cover
Queen Bey snagged the highly coveted September issue cover of Vogue, which was teased on the star’s Instagram yesterday and set the BeyHive abuzz. Beyoncé has graced countless covers in her music career—and this is her third time covering fashion bible Vogue—but this was no ordinary cover. This marked the first time a black woman artist has […]
Kimberlé Crenshaw on Sandra Bland & Why We Need to #SayHerName
The jailhouse death of Sandra Bland has her family and activists asking a lot of questions—which don’t seem to have good answers. Bland’s case is the latest example of police violence against Black women, joining many other women and girls of color who have been harassed, abused or killed at the hands of law enforcement. […]
Everything You Need to Know About Sandra Bland
“Once I put this baby in the ground, I’m ready…This means war.” These were the words spoken by Geneva Reed-Veal as she eulogized her late daughter, Sandra Bland, last week. On July 10, 28-year-old Bland was pulled over by police in Prairie View, Texas for allegedly failing to signal before changing lanes. According to police, she became […]