In Cardi B and Meg Thee Stallion’s “Bongos” and Flyana Boss’ “You Wish,” Black women hip-hop artists create spaces for pleasure, joy and sisterhood. If this is what hip-hop’s feminist future looks like, we’re here for it.
Tag: Sex and Relationships
Healing From an Abusive Relationship: The Ms. Q&A With Psychotherapist Amira Martin
Psychotherapist Amira Martin knew that it made sense to move slowly when starting a new relationship, but after a whirlwind romance, she married a man she’d known for less than a year. After all, the courtship had been perfect—indeed, the man himself appeared perfect—and however improbable, Martin believed that she had found her soul mate.
She hadn’t.
Amira Martin spoke with Ms. about her marriage, its dissolution, and what she learned from it.
A New Alimony Law Makes Florida Even Less Safe for Women
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ new law ending permanent alimony sends the message that in order to be eligible for any financial support after marriage—whether that is support in service of eventual independence, or compensation for years spent supporting the other spouses’ career—women must choose to stay single. And, it gives their exes permission to monitor their behavior.
It’s not surprising that a governor who has been gleefully taking away women’s autonomy would sign this law. Women continue to have fewer and fewer choices in Florida.
U.S. Tax Code Disadvantages Single Women, Married Black Couples and Gay Couples the Most. Here’s How
The current U.S. tax code is an outdated system that does not benefit or reflect the needs of our modern society’s social structures or increasingly diverse demographics. Among those it costs the most: single women, married Black couples and gay couples.
Research finds women who are single and without children are America’s happiest and healthiest group. But thanks to our antiquated and heteronormative tax code, they’re also financially penalized. It’s time for our tax code to reflect our reality.
The Danger of Incels—and How We Shift the Thinking of Men Attracted to These Groups
The sources of misogyny and violence against women are complex, and it is critical to examine them—not just during National Sexual Assault Awareness Month, but always.
One such perpetrator of violence: incels, or “involuntary celibates.” The grievances of this group over their perceived sexual exclusion often takes the form of violence, especially violence against women. Society must come together to address the root causes of incel violence—or continue to face the deadly consequences.
Young People Don’t Know Their Emergency Contraception Options
Emergency contraception methods are ones people can use after they’ve had sex and are concerned with becoming pregnant. They work by preventing or delaying the release of an egg from the ovary to prevent pregnancy after the fact.
With young people facing increasing constraints on their reproductive health, they need to be aware of emergency contraceptive methods, where to get them and how to use them. However, the vast majority of providers aren’t counseling young people about emergency contraception. It’s key for healthcare providers to inform their patients about emergency contraception, and to offer a supply in advance to have at home.
What Is a Woman’s Novel? For That Matter, What Is a Man’s? (August 1986)
From the August 1986 issue of Ms.:
“Men’s novels are about men. Women’s novels are about men too, but from a different point of view. You can have a men’s novel with no women in it, except possibly the landlady or the horse, but you can’t have a women’s novel with no men in it.”
“Men’s novels are about how to get power. Killing and so on, or winning and so on. So are women’s novels, though the method is different. In men’s novels, getting the woman or women goes along with getting the power. It’s a perk, not a means. In women’s novels, you get the power by getting the man.”
The Secret History of the Vulva
The vulva is the oldest and most common object in prehistoric art. Carved in stone or painted on cave walls, images of the vulva were created around the world. Once revered, the vulva’s inherent power in bringing forth new life made it dangerous, and men tried—and are still trying—to denude it of power, tame, control and erase it.
‘The Martyrs, the Lovers’: Revelatory Fiction Inspired by the Life of German Activist Petra Kelly
Catherine Gammon’s fifth book The Martyrs, the Lovers tells the fascinating story of Petra Kelly, a modern-day Joan of Arc who stood up to the powers that be, and who dedicated her life to causes we are still fighting for. Kelly’s life and mysterious death are carefully reconstructed in a way that is deeply resonant for our current day and age.
March 2023 Reads for the Rest of Us
Each month, we provide Ms. readers with a list of new books being published by writers from historically excluded groups.
March is a very popular month for new books—and this year is no exception!