Links for Sexy Feminists: Against “Dieting”, Safer Sweatshops, Women Vote in Pakistan, More

Against the “Diet”: A poignantly inspiring tale of a woman who watched her father waste away due to self starvation and vows to embrace her own plus -ize figure. If you’re ever at a loss for body positivity, may we recommend reading and rereading this compilation of advice from fat women who love their curves. Meanwhile, having broken the “We don’t want fat people” Abercrombie story, Business Insider charts a precipitous drop in the brand’s popularity following the story.

Safer Sweatshops: On the other end of the fashion cycle, we were encouraged to hear that several prominent retailers are committing to improve factory conditions in Bangladesh.

Rethinking Choice: One woman’s interesting take on the semantic argument between “Life” and “Choice.”

Surprise!: Greater access to and education about birth control leads to fewer abortions. Interestingly, education in the study led many women to conclude that an IUD was the right choice for them, suggesting that the long-term solution may be underused.

Sex Positivity: Thanks to Jezebel for this primer on the so-called “looseness” of the vulva. NSFW.

Mommy Life: One woman’s story about coming to terms with postpartum depression and accepting that her husband could be the better caregiver at the beginning.

Activism Works: The Florida teen whose science experiment caused a minor explosion has had charges dropped after internet activists accused the accusers of racism. Meanwhile, though Disney has publicly backed down from its Merida makeover, only time will tell if they’re changing her back.

Women in the World: Pakistani women braved threats of violence to vote this past weekend, while Kuwaiti women are gaining grounds for athletic competition. Coming from a different religious perspective, Israel has struck down the mandate that women and men be segregated on public bus rides through conservative neighborhoods. Meanwhile, Canadian students created this funny and thought-provoking spoof of gender roles in advertising.


Links for Sexy Feminists: Elizabeth Smart, White Privilege, Female Sexuality, and more

Elizabeth Smart Speaks Out: The woman you may remember as a kidnapped and assaulted 14-year-old was in our thoughts as three women victims of trafficking were found alive in Ohio this week. Now a self-possessed 25-year-old, she was in the news recently for commenting that abstinence-only sex ed made her feel as worthless as a chewed piece of gum. Mormon commentator Joanna Brooks points out that this tactic is all too common in the religion’s sex ed classes.

White Privilege Alert: A Muslim American woman’s story of open bigotry from security guards at the White House Correspondent’s Dinner will have you quaking with rage.

Men Can Be Feminists: Enjoy this TED talk by activist Jackson Katz on the way ordinary men can prevent–or condone–gender violence.

Girls and Geek Culture: Not all women hate Game of Thrones, and Amelia McDonell-Parry wants folks to cut that sexist BS. Meanwhile, an intelligent analysis reveals that the “boob plate armor” found in videogame graphics doesn’t just objectify women: it would also make the wearer more likely to perish on the field of battle.

Save Merida: The Disney princess who was her own heroine in “Brave” has received a much maligned makeover.

Creep Alert: An NRA convention vendor is the subject of some (but probably not enough) controversy for marketing a female-shaped target as an “Ex.”

Freeing Female Sexuality: And lastly, here’s this charming essay from a sweet old lady about lust for life.


Feminism Is Evolution: Why “I’m Not a Feminist” Happens, and What We Can Do About It

Feminist Confession: At eighteen, I considered myself a postfeminist living in the postpatriarchy.  Now that I’m a feminist who thinks that if you’re not angry it means you’re not paying attention, just writing that makes me cringe.  It’s hard for me to remember what I was like when I sincerely believed that women’s oppression was a thing of the past.  Yet looking back, maybe I wasn’t so different from your little sister, or your college friend who didn’t get it, or your brother’s girlfriend whom you have nothing in common with.  So as I unpack my journey to feminism, I hope to discover a few kernels about what leads a woman to avoid the feminist label.

One thing stands out with startling clarity: I didn’t want to identify as a “feminist” because that would mean that I identified as an oppressed woman.  My mid-nineties girlhood was full of Girl Power!  Jewel, Sarah McLaughlin, Melissa Etheridge, and Alanis Morissette dominated the airwaves, and Meredith Brooks’ “Bitch” defined the summer of 1997 with the fervent embrace of a woman’s right to be contradictory and then leave her latest man in the dust.  Emulating famous male soccer players, Brandi Chastain tore her shirt off, exuberant that she’d scored the winning goal for the Women’s World Cup.  When my seventh grade class had to draw a scientist, I ignored the cliché mad old professor with beakers bubbling away to draw myself as a thirty-year-old biologist.

[Read more...]


Links for Sexy Feminists: Korean Beauty Queens, Masculinity in Crisis, Bisexuality, and more

Beauty and Pagentry: Photos of Korean beauty queens set the web abuzz with talk of plastic surgery, since they all looked so similar.  One Korean noted that this similarity was also startling and noticeable to Koreans.  Jezebel helpfully notes that many American beauty queens and celebrities also look very similar to each other.  And Kotaku says that the women look different in real life, blaming heavy makeup and overly zealous photoshop for the clone images.

Masculinity in Crisis: One man’s moving story of accidentally shooting his friend will have you crying and cursing out gun culture.

Women and the Priesthood: Meanwhile, this former Carmelite nun who decided to become a priest calls her excommunication a “Medieval bullying stick.”

Bisexuality is Real: Here’s a funny essay by a bisexual woman upset that she’s mostly lost her queer identity to her happy heterosexual marriage.  And, as this article points out, the existence of bisexual people should suggest that marriage discrimination is also gender discrimination.

The Importance of Choice: For Salon, Kerry Sheridan writes evenly and eloquently about counselling desperate women at an abortion hotline.

Women Writers: Amanda Filipacchi, the woman who broke the story of the “female ghetto” of American Women Novelists on Wikipedia, provides further clarity on a systemic problem.  This echoes back to Deborah Copaken Kogan’s recent piece on sexism in the publishing world.  Meanwhile, Michelle Dean of NYMag points out that since women are the main readers of books, shouldn’t they be taken more seriously?


Links for Sexy Feminists: Real Beauty, Anorexia, Girl Geeks, and more

Real Beauty:  We posted last week about Dove’s latest ad campaign, but The Frisky has a great article about issues the ad raises.  Writing for the Houston Press, Abby Koenig says that even if you find the ads problematic, they’re a step in the right direction.  Her article also discusses the controversial “You Are Not A Sketch” campaign, which Dodai Stewart of Jezebel says “passes the buck and misses the point.”

The Point Being: Speaking of anorexia, modeling scouts in Sweden apparently recruit from a clinic for those suffering from the disease.  Ick.

Girls and Geeks: The two terms aren’t mutually exclusive at all, of course.  But a great post by a guy about wanting to play videogames with his 9-year-old daughter is both sweet and thought-provoking.

Women Are Hilarious: And one of our favorite funny feminists, Katie Goodman, needs your help to get to Edinburgh Fringe.

Feminism in Action: A new UK arts project attempts to get us all thinking about how our feminism is part of everyday life.

Catcall Patrol: Writer Emmie Mears on why catcalls feel threatening.

Sex and Gender: After a recent post which compared a woman refusing sex with her husband to child neglect, NYMag has an appropriately eye-rolling response.  It’s worth mentioning that one of the experts quoted in the original article was talking about sexual desire irrespective of gender, and that’s clear in the article itself.

 

 

 

 


Links for Sexy Feminists: Gosnell Abortion Trial, Eve Ensler Tour, Female Sexuality, and more

Gosnell Abortion Scandal: We were horrified to learn about the unsanitary and unethical conditions which plagued a Pennsylvania clinic, and predictably, the right wing is using the case as ammunition.  The Atlantic asks why none of the protesters who prayed outside the clinic ever heard of the awful conditions.  Writing for Jezebel, Katie J.M. Baker points out that the clinic’s conditions show all too clearly the risks of overregulation: women with limited legal options may have no choice but to visit such a squalid clinic.

Go Meet Eve: One of the great feminist icons of our time, Eve Ensler will be touring in support of her latest book, so be sure to check out her site to find out if she’s visiting your city.

Wearing Makeup: Why no feminist has to choose between makeup and feminism, and makeup is about so much more than simply looking good.  On the other side of the beauty spectrum, you will doubtless be hearing about Dove’s “beauty sketches” in the coming weeks, but it may be helpful to keep these thoughts in mind as well.

Pregnancy Empowerment: Don’t tell pregnant women they should worry about getting their old body back; their new body could be an amazing testament to their experience.

Female Sexuality: Think it was always the case that women were stereotyped to want sex less?  Not at all!  Alternet explores how for most of Western history it went the other way, and traces the shift.

Teen Girl Watch: Cyberbullying has compounded the trauma of sexual violence in other cases besides Steubenville, with tragic consequences.


Links for Sexy Feminists: Workplace Politics, Tech Solutions to Human Trafficking, and more

Sexism at Work: In the wake of the firing of Adria Richards, Colorlines has a great commentary breaking down how racism and sexism caused her termination. Meanwhile, Lindy West has a great piece talking about the right and wrong way to complement a female colleague, in light of Obama’s problematic remarks last week. And this week we observe Equal Pay Day, which represents how far into 2013 many of us had to work to earn what a man earned in 2012.
DIY Activism: You can make a difference, since the online feminist community is significant, large, and growing.
M.R.S. Revisted:charming rebuttal of the idea that one’s early twenties is the right time to go after a mate, assuming one is privileged enough to spend those years in college.
Ending Rape Culture: Raffi called on men to speak out against the phenomenon, to the delight of inner children everywhere.
Accessible Plan B: Ever since the drug first launched, research has suggested that it must be given ASAP. A Federal judge in Brooklyn recently ruled that all troublesome age and ID restrictions should be lifted. This editorial concludes that “An appeal would be unwise, unnecessary, unwarranted.”

Links for Sexy Feminists: Men’s Rights Activists, More Steubenville Fallout, Keeping Dads Involved, and more

Death to the Patriarchy: Jezebel’s inimitable Lindy West succinctly breaks down why everything MRAs rail against are symptoms of patriarchy, not feminism.

Continuing the Steubenville Dialogue: A U of Rochester econ prof put up a thought experiment about “reaping the benefits” of a passed-out individual on his blog, which upset quite a few folks, understandably. Meanwhile, an awesome male feminist starts a dialogue with teenage boys on how to not rape girls. And a queer-friendly blog has some great thoughts on why the silence of a female partner should not signify her consent.

Involved Dads: Iceland requires dads to take paternity leave, and having Dad help out so much in the early stages helps gender equality, both for the household and across the small country.

Dating Dan: A well-intentioned, self-aware man with Asperger’s and OCD searches for love, raising interesting questions about self-disclosure for all of us who have “issues.”

Exotic Dancing: The Frisky offers an anonymous expose of what a dancer deals with at a high-end strip club.


Links for Sexy Feminists: Marriage Equality, lessons from Steubenville, and more …

Marriage Equality: The Supreme Court has now heard two cases, each of which could lead to a redefinition of marriage. There is also a chance that the court could refuse to redefine marriage, instead giving the issue more time to develop. But to refuse to broaden the definition of marriage would put them on the wrong side of history, Stephanie Coontz argued following Obama’s public endorsement last May: Straight people have already changed the definition of marriage. BeyondMarriage, meanwhile, makes a case for reframing marriage, family, and healthcare rather than focusing on marriage equality.

Pink Equality: On the lighter side, Facebook users are doubtless aware of the campaign to change all profile pictures to a pink and red equals sign. If you’d like to show your solidarity in a more quirky way, HuffPo has gathered some alternative examples.

Moving Past Steubenville: One high school teacher’s heartwarming narrative of talking to her ninth graders about consent.

Was Feminism Hijacked? A thought-provoking piece in Al-Jazeera argues that whether women are told to “lean in” or to “have it all,”  the feminist icons delivering the message are undercutting the movement.

Dating While Feminist: A great piece on how to negotiate that oh-so-tricky part of life.

Women in Prison: Oklahoma explores rehabilitating nonviolent female criminals.

Retro Housewives: Meanwhile, New York magazine unleashed a furor with a purposely controversial piece on the “retro wife.” When reached for interview by the Atlantic, Kelly Makino, the woman profiled in that piece, points out that systemic societal biases against women contributed to her decision and that she doesn’t consider herself a traditional housewife.

Cleaning House: Exercise your right to not be judged for a messy house!

 


Links for Sexy Feminists: Life After Steubenville, Hillary for Gay Marriage, Leaning In, and more

After Steubenville: Mainstream media coverage of the trial outcome focused on the repercussions for the perpetrators, even though they are not the victims here. One independent commentator points out that the two had different reactions at sentencing, with Ma’Lik seeming more redeemable. Mia McKenzie of Black Girl Dangerous points out that punishing the boys by sending them to juvie will “just break them harder.”

Jane Doe Recovers: The then-unconscious girl faces a tough recovery in a small town where everyone knows, but at least her mother has been supportive.

Women are People: Well-meaning commentators who ask “What if this happened to your sister?” are missing the point, because women are individuals in our own right. The New Statesman says that this is rape culture’s Abu Ghraib moment.

Hillary Watch: Embracing the freedom of having completed her term as Secretary of State, Ms. Clinton announced her support for gay marriage.

Malala Emerging: The Pakistani teen and world feminist icon started boarding school England, but the cause she fought for remains unfulfilled.

Leaning In: Sheryl Sandberg is creating quite a stir with her book, but improving policies to mandate that women have access to part-time leave could actually foster subtle job discrimination, preventing other women from reaching the very top. Meanwhile, workplace gender segregation has broad implications for how men and women see each other. And at least one career woman wonders if the sacrifice was worth it.


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