Some detrimental cultural ideals run so deep that no one even questions whether they might operate as support beams of status quo oppression. Let’s take the word “bitch” for example. As an exercise in identifying some potentially hibernating connotations that can perpetuate harmful gender stereotypes, here are a few common uses of the word “bitch” and their problematic subtexts.

Read More

Racialized sexism sneaks into spaces that claim to have the best interests of women and People of Color at heart. Dealing with racialized sexism means dealing with the fact that every person holds multiple political and social identities that blend and intersect. Therefore, assuming that all experiences of sexism are just variations of the same thing is a mistake.

Read More

Some believe that since gay men do not want to be sexually intimate with women, our uninvited touching and groping is benign. In a culture that doesn’t see gay men as “men”, our sexist acts are instead read as “diva worship” or “celebrating women” even when they are acts of objectification, assault, and dehumanization. We must question these assumptions in ourselves and in our communities.

Read More

About one year ago, I lost my job. The 6 months it took me to find a new position changed me, and maybe more importantly, it informed my feminism. It also brought me face-to-face with my own privilege. Having a “career” instead of a “job” is a privilege. Benefits, health insurance, and a living wage are all privileges, too – and I no longer take them for granted.

Read More

In parenting, the real issue isn’t that there are differences between genders, but how parents react to those differences. If we can identify areas where we may have a bias, we can direct our awareness there to overcome it or compensate for it. Let’s look at some ways to compensate for implicit bias in our parenting.

Read More

When women take note of sexism during their daily lives, they stop accepting it as “normal.” But, in general, sexism, so densely woven into our habits, language, and traditions, is a subtle and slippery thing. Research shows that most people don’t see sexism even when it’s right in front of their noses. How do you think about and respond to these 10 everyday sexisms?

Read More