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In a world filled with misogyny, children are taught to diet at terrifyingly early ages and women are perpetually assessed by oppressive, fatphobic, Eurocentric, patriarchal standards of beauty (as opposed to character or skill). Liz Boltz Ranfeld vows to break the cycle of fat-shaming by loving and celebrating her daughter regardless of weight or size.

A key component in battling rape culture is encouraging survivors to speak out about their experiences. This can be beneficial not only for the cause, but also for individual survivors as they heal. But the strong focus on story-telling has an unfortunate side-effect. Let’s learn more about why focusing on survivor stories as inspiration can actually be damaging and how to avoid doing that.

There’s never a shortage of discord within the feminist community. These internal disagreements are often spoken about as being negative. But what if we collectively decided that disagreement isn’t inherently bad? I’m here to argue that we need difference of opinion within the feminist community — both for the good of the movement, and for the end of oppression.

People often discuss class as if it’s independent from other forms of oppression. But class is at the heart of feminist work – here are some important points on how.

Have you ever done something that contributed to patriarchal oppression, even after finding feminism? Ever criticized a woman for her looks, or shaved your body hair? I know I have. We all can be complicit in our own oppression. It’s not always other people or other genders that are responsible for sexism. Sometimes, it’s actually you. Hear me out.

I’ve considered myself a feminist for a few years now and I’m only 19. I can tell you first hand that young people are building this movement. I’m proud to be one of them. But as much as I think being a feminist activist at a young age rocks, there are a lot of misconceptions and untold truths around what being a young feminist actually entails.

I like what sex-positivity sets out to do, but the problem for me is the way that a lot of people practice sex-positivity in the mainstream movement – namely, without a critical analysis component. And I want to talk about that. So here are three points to consider when thinking through this stuff.

Our society is filled with all kinds of mixed messages and myths about abortion. These myths have real effects on policy. So let’s bust some.

Fat shaming is very detrimental to a person’s health, mental well-being, and relationship to their body. Eating disorders are also very detrimental to a person’s health, mental well-being, and relationship to their body. Dealing with both of these at the same time? Unbelievably difficult. But we have to learn how to effectively deal with it. Recovery is possible.

Feminist works garner a spectrum of responses, from life-affirming to life-threatening. Maybe it’s the emotional weight of the material. Maybe it’s the unflattering light we shine on the ugly truths of patriarchy. Either way, feminist pieces get a wide range of comments. We can use them to improve, but they can also be scary. Here are just a few of the commenters you’ll meet as an online feminist.

Sometimes – well, most times – there’s pain in a relationship. And sometimes, things can become so fragile and hard to navigate that irreparable cracks surface, and the relationship becomes broken. And I’ve been there. Far too many times. Learning, growing, and working hard to understand why brokenness breaks you – and what to do about it – is a journey. But it’s one worth taking.

With rare exceptions, no one who is throwing a party spends the time, energy, and money so that people will get assaulted. Yet there is a clear connection between college party culture and sexual violence. To mitigate the risk, most colleges simply take a punitive approach (with varying levels of alcohol education thrown in) to alcohol on campus. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

You’ve seen the signs: “Pregnant? Scared? Alone? We Can Help.” Have you ever responded to one? Thousands of women have. Usually promising free services like pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, and “judgment-free” counseling, these centers reach out to women in potentially vulnerable positions, claiming to offer hope and help. But what are they really like?

I was raised to believe that I should only be with one person. Anything else wasn’t moral. But when you don’t know that it’s your birthright to love and express your emotions in whatever way your heart desires, how is one supposed to discover that there are infinite choices? I stumbled across the world of polyamory five years ago, and it has forever altered the way I see my connection with others.

Women’s rights in the United States have come a long way. But as we reflect on the remarkable progress the feminist movement has made in creating a more just and equal society, I challenge us to also look ahead to our next few decades of work. By 2040, let’s make sure young feminists can marvel at the following ten things that women of our generation were once not able to do.

Most articles about being a good lover begin with “How to Please Your Man” directives. Not this one. The heart of being a good lover starts with communication and self-awareness, making sure that you always carry a self-awareness and communication tool-kit. So here are a few more pointers that I’ve developed on how to take a feminist approach to good loving.

I used to think that street harassment was entrenched in our culture to the point that it was unchangeable. All I could do to address it was to cope – walk fast; avoid eye contact; pretend to be on the phone. But I got tired of feeling powerless. I decided to respond to it and change the culture that allows it to continue. Here are seven ways to make this change.

If you grew up Latinx in the United States, you might have spent your most formative years going to church with your abuelita — not talking openly about sex or relationships with your parents. I was raised in a very Catholic, Mexican-American family. My Catholic school education included lectures by religion teachers about the dangers…

“We should be able to feel our own beauty on our own terms.” Let’s unpack how our beauty norms reinforce racism – so we can heal from the impact.

Feeling ashamed of your kink? We need more positivity to counter the negative messages we get about being kinky, so let these guide your view on your kink!