More Than A Magazine, A Movement
Each month, we provide Ms. readers with a list of new books being published by writers from historically excluded groups.
This month, our Ms. book editor recommends Abortion: Our Bodies, Their Lies, and the Truths We Use to Win by Jessica Valenti, Doll Seed by Michele Tracy Berger, Humans in Shackles: An Atlantic History of Slavery by Ana Lucia Araujo, and more.
From Oct. 25, 2024, to Jan. 1, 2025 the school of architecture and urban planning at the University of Wisconsin-Milwalkie will be hosting Spatializing Reproductive Justice, a traveling exhibition and programming series working to spread awareness on how design fields can help increase equity in reproductive healthcare in a post-Roe landscape.
Although the reproductive rights movement is often not directly associated with the design space, Spatializing Reproductive Justice brings together the areas where they overlap, hopefully prompting designers and architects to consider how they can have an impact and support reproductive justice in their communities.
Nico Lang’s American Teenager spans states and perspectives, interviewing transgender teenagers from all walks of life—a girl in Florida who’s trying to figure out who she is while helping support her family financially; a boy in Chicago who’s excitedly planning for his first year of college in a city far away; kids who’ve been advocates since the were in diapers; and kids who just want to live their lives, away from the limelight.
Ms. spoke with Lang about the current state of the anti-trans movement, why children are an oppressed class, and what it means to foreground trans joy in a moment when institutionalized anti-trans hate is at an all-time high.
Since its original posting, the ‘man or bear’ debate has surpassed social media, reaching mainstream media outlets, personal essays and pop culture references. Now, the campaign “What We Carry” is further expanding on the conversations surrounding women’s security. It features portraits of real women holding the objects they carry every day to ensure their safety, such as pepper spray or their phones.
Not only does the campaign bring attention to and question this systemic issue of violence, it provides resources so vulnerable individuals can protect their safety. No one should have to prepare for the worst-case scenario every time they leave the house—regardless of man, bear or any other reason.
The Man Card: 50 Years of Gender, Power & the American Presidency is a masterful exposé of the portrayal of gender roles in electing presidents.
I am a Shakespeare scholar—one who has had the audacity to put the word “race” next to his name. I frequently receive angry emails from strangers, primarily men, who think my scholarship is disgraceful.
The future depends on how we understand and teach the past.
Since Taylor Swift announced her endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris on the night of the debate with former President Donald Trump, publications from NBC to Fox have been debating what it might mean for Harris’ campaign and the outcome of November’s election.
An Instagram post from Sept. 10 shows the pop star posing with a fluffy cat in her arms—a direct reference to JD Vance’s quip deriding single and childless women. Before signing the post, “With love and hope, Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady,” Swift told followers that she plans to vote for Harris “because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.”
Ms. spoke with contributing editor and scholar Dr. Janell Hobson about about what the endorsement might mean.
Since the fall of Roe, anti-choice politicians have rushed to champion “crisis pregnancy centers” (CPCs) as a legitimate alternative to qualified reproductive healthcare. As they funnel millions of taxpayer dollars into these unregulated clinics, abortion ban states suffer high rates of maternal and infant mortality and widespread maternal care deserts.
A new documentary, Preconceived (now available to stream), shines a clear light on this evasive industry, deftly navigating a complex landscape of deception, privacy, finances and faith.
Ordinarily, celebrity endorsements don’t matter much in a presidential race. But Taylor Swift is no ordinary celebrity.
In every issue of Ms., we track research on our progress in the fight for equality, catalogue can’t-miss quotes from feminist voices and keep tabs on the feminist movement’s many milestones. We’re Keeping Score online, too—in this biweekly roundup.
This week: Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose admits anti-abortion groups helped him write abortion rights ballot language; Kamala Harris and Donald Trump spar over abortion, Project 2025 and immigration at the presidential debate; Paralympics athletes and Emmy winners break records; Taylor Swift endorses Harris and Walz; Montana Supreme Court protects minors seeking abortion care; attacks on women journalists and LGBTQ people; new pay gap data is worse than last year; and more.
