If former president Donald Trump is reelected, advocacy groups expect him to enact anti-LGBTQ+ policies that are more far-reaching and extreme than those he put in place during his first term—based on his campaign promises and policies suggested by the Heritage Foundation, a conservative think tank that has shaped the GOP’s agenda for decades.
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The Upcoming Presidential Debate Is Really a Masculinity Contest
The GOP and its mouthpieces in conservative media repeat constantly that Trump and MAGA are the natural home of “real men,” who are the only ones that have what it takes to protect and defend this country.
By contrast, Biden embodies a wonkish, managerial masculinity that is calm, measured and empathetic. But that matters very little in terms of how he will be judged on his debate performance. What will matter is his energy level. His assertiveness and aggressiveness. The way he responds to Trump’s verbal aggression and bullying behavior. Whether or not he “scores points” in verbal repartee. In other words, the way he performs his “manhood.”
Ain’t I a Princess? Including Black Women and Girls in Fantasy and Play
It is only fitting that Netflix chose Juneteenth to debut the Shondaland-produced documentary film, Black Barbie. The film tells the story of Black women who worked at Mattel and gave us the titular doll, showcasing the joy of freedom through play. And yet, while the film shows that today’s Black children may no longer have feelings of being “ugly” or “bad,” as demonstrated during Clark’s doll experiment, they clearly understood Black Barbie wasn’t the “real Barbie,” wasn’t the “hero” of her own story.
To that end, are we needing to ask a similar question about other fantasies: “Ain’t I a princess?”
It is not enough for Black women and girls to enter fantasy and play as “corrective” heroes. While we are as indebted to the Black women imagineers who worked on the new Disney ride, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, as we are to the Black women at Mattel for giving us Black Barbie, we are equally in need of imaginations that transcend our limited realities and revel in our most whimsical dreams.
The Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban Survives Yet Another Attack
The Feminist Majority—the advocacy arm of the Feminist Majority Foundation, which publishes Ms.—together with the National Network to End Domestic Violence and its then director, Donna Edwards, played a pivotal role in passing the original Domestic Violence Offender Gun Ban at the heart of the Rahimi case, often referred to as “the Lautenberg Amendment,” after its sponsor, the late Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.), in 1996. After passage, feminists stood firmly against all attempts to gut the law, like the 1997 and 1999 attempts to exempt police officers and military service personnel from its coverage (which both failed).
“The law prevented countless tragedies,” said Eleanor Smeal, president of the Feminist Majority. “It has saved the lives and harm of countless domestic violence survivors, most of whom are women.” Here’s to the feminist allies and advocates ensuring those days stay behind us.
Abortion Bans Are Changing What It Means to Be Young in America
Following the Dobbs v. Jackson Supreme Court decision, more than half of U.S. adolescents, ages 13-19, now live in a state with severely restricted or no legal abortion access.
As a result, today’s young people are coming of age in what one expert in health law and bioethics has termed an “era of rights retractions.”
‘I’m Looking for a Man in Finance’ Trend Is a Sign We Must Invest in Young Women’s Ambition
Millions of people have now watched the satirical TikTok, “I’m looking for a man in finance.” The song’s success reveals a cultural fault line about what it means to be ambitious and autonomous as a young woman in 2024, and just how hard society is making it for them.
All the Single Ladies … Shouldn’t Struggle to Pay Rent
Single women—particularly single women of color—are far more likely than single men to be severely cost-burdened by housing.
Ensuring families can stay in their homes is one of the most basic and vital roles government can play in strengthening our economy.
‘Sharing Our Stories Loosens the Grip they Have on Us’: Watching Students Claim Voice to Power
I have been a professor for almost 25 years and can’t imagine any other job. One of the most gratifying parts is being there for my students, but by June of every year, I’m tired. Especially after teaching The Power of Feminist Writing.
Misogyny induced pain and trauma shouldn’t only be acknowledged and validated in a gender studies classroom. The students and I should feel confident that *anyone* would believe our trauma is real. But we all know that is not the case, which is why many of us were sad to see the class end.
What Do the European Parliament Elections Mean for Gender Equality in Europe and Beyond?
This month, citizens across Europe headed to the polls to vote for their representatives to European Parliament. Representatives are directly elected by voters in E.U. member states every five years, and European Parliament is responsible for passing a wide array of laws, including human rights and equality measures.
Far-right parties made significant gains, even going so far as to elect representative from neo-fascist parities. This will mean substantial setbacks in gender equality. In the past, far-right parties have cut funding for tackling gender-based violence, restricted access to reproductive healthcare and abortion, and suppressed speech around gender equality issues and LGBTQ+ rights.
Keeping Score: Trump Convicted of 34 Felonies; Biden Celebrates Pride Month; New Anti-Abortion Law in Louisiana
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: Trump convicted of 34 felony charges; President Biden officially recognizes Pride Month; a new law criminalizes medication abortion in Louisiana; Meghan Markle reflects on Ms.; the first Professional Women’s Hockey League championship; Mexico elected their first woman president; and more.