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, […]
Author: Renee Martin
Apple’s “PeekaBoo Tranny” App Is an Exercise in Transphobia
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 […]
Does Jillian Michaels Know What Fat is all About?
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 […]
Stevens Steps Down; White Men Clutch Their Pearls
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 […]
Raising Octomom’s Kids Takes a Village
Instead of being seen as casualties at the interaction of capitalism and sexism, mothers who find themselves on the margins economically are often shamed. Anyone who has ever applied for social services can attest to the rigors and embarrassment required before one is blessed with the scant funding that is available.
What Does Five Dollars Mean to Black Women?
Marriage cannot be the solution for women because it is an institution based not on agency or empowerment but on oppression. Even in its modern manifestation, where women are no longer legally considered to be the property of their husband and fathers, the division of labor insures that gender equality is still a dream. Women perform most of the domestic chores, child-rearing and elder care, yet this institution is magically supposed to provide protection in the public sphere?
Jihad Jane Upsets Notions of “White” and “Woman”
When LaRose took the name Jihad Jane–thus identifying herself with Islam, a religion many westerners view as violent despite its core teachings and the behavior of most followers–she disassociated herself from whiteness. And that made it impossible for commentators to once again apologize for a white American who commits domestic terrorism.