Search results for: intimate partner violence
How To Help A Friend Who Has Been Sexually Assaulted
It can be difficult to know what to do or say when you learn that a friend has been sexually assaulted. Here are some tips to support them with sensitivity and grace.
Read MoreWhy We Act to Stop Street Harassment
I was lying in bed when suddenly, I heard a blood-curdling scream. “STOP IT!” the voice said. “PLEASE, STOP IT.” Thankfully some bystanders stopped the man who had his arms around the woman’s neck from behind. I soon learned that he had attacked her because she didn’t respond favorably to his street harassment. And there are still people who say it’s not a legitimate issue?!? (Trigger warning)
Read MoreWhat’s Wrong with Gossiping and How To Speak Out Against It
Gossip is a form of emotional and verbal bullying that many people minimize. While you may not be pushing someone into a locker or stealing their milk money, it’s extremely hurtful to the target’s self esteem, mental health and friendships. Learn some tips on how to speak out against it.
Read MoreHow I Became a Rape Victim
Society doesn’t want to blame men for making the choice to rape women. It wants to blame women for enabling men to make that choice and usually it succeeds. Rapists very rarely get to accept responsibility for their choice to rape. Even rape victims blame themselves for their rapist’s choice to rape them. So I spent between two or three decades feeling unable to tell anyone in case they wouldn’t believe me. (Trigger warning.)
Read MoreEveryday Sexual Assault
We’ve received hundreds of reports of women being groped, grabbed, manhandled, slapped, tweaked, pinched, stroked and smacked in public, usually by complete strangers. Yet our society not only downplays and accepts this crime but deliberately normalizes it, telling women not to overreact, not to make a fuss out of nothing, or even to be glad of the attention.
Read More7 Steps You Can Take To Address Street Harassment
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.
Read More5 Excuses for Street Harassment We Need To Stop Making…Now
When people normalize and defend public sexual harassment, they silence those who would speak out. But as more activists around the world stand up and say they’ve had enough, these misconceptions are getting kicked to the curb – where they belong.
Read More7 Ways to Help a Teen Survivor of Sexual Assault
It’s devastating to discover that a teen you love has been a victim of sexual violence. Learn how you can compassionately support the teen survivor in your life (Trigger Warning).
Read More13 Lies We Have to Stop Telling About Bisexual People
Despite all of the gains the LGBTQIA+ community has made, bisexual people are still looked upon with confusion — or outright scorn — by gay, lesbian, and straight people alike. Here we are in the supposedly enlightened year of 2014 – and yet, biphobia persists. Here are a few tiresome lies society really needs to stop telling about bisexual people.
Read More10 Ways to Support Friends and Family Members in Prison
Have incarcerated loved ones? If you feel stuck about how to support them, try these tips from someone who’s been in your shoes.
Read MoreGetting With Girls Like Us: A Radical Guide to Dating Trans Women for Cis Women
Trans women are a component of queer women’s communities, so a lack of respect amongst us just means more devaluing of women, when society dishes out plenty of that for all of us already. So with that in mind, I have put together some suggestions for cis women on thinking through some basic trans issues, including ideas on approaching trans women in a romantic or intimate context.
Read More4 Ways to Put a Spark Back into a Tired Relationship
I hate to break it to you, but it’s possible your relationship is actually making you tired. Maybe you’ve been together a while or have fallen into a routine, but most likely it’s because you, your partner, or both of you have stopped feeling excited in your relationship. Want your relationship to keep you energized? Try out my four go-to techniques.
Read More6 Questions to Ask Yourself While Planning a Wedding
“Who is this really for?” At 20, she said she’d never get married. These questions helped her define her wedding day for herself.
Read MoreMore Than a Theory, More Than a Trend: Making Your White Anti-Racism a Lifestyle Commitment
If your white anti-racism allyship is more about talking the talk than walking the walk, then people of color need you to reevaluate and come back when your anti-racism is a lifestyle commitment. Learn how.
Read MoreOn Approaching Women Who Distrust Men
Often, straight men become frustrated when they meet a woman who doesn’t trust them immediately. They’re frustrated that women impose a “guilty until proven innocent” mentality on all men. But there are reasons why women feel this way. If we can work to understand those reasons, we can learn how to work with her in a supportive role, if that’s what she wants.
Read MoreSurviving a Bad Reputation
Did the racy pictures get sent around the school? Did you hook-up with someone’s boyfriend and now the whole school hates you? Are you the victim of slut bashing and don’t even know why? The pain and embarrassment of being labeled a “slut’ or ‘ho” can be unbearable but there are steps you can take to navigate a bad reputation.
Read More3 Ways Men Wanting to ‘Focus On Her Pleasure’ During Sex Can Still Be Sexist
Why would hearing a guy say “I love giving a woman pleasure!” make this author cringe? We’re all for women’s pleasure, but these are great points about how it can be sexist – and solid advice for you if this feels familiar.
Read More4 Reasons Why I Don’t Need Sex in My Relationships (Even Though I’m Not Asexual)
Wait – is a romantic relationship without sex doomed? That’s what people say, but here’s an entirely different perspective on the idea that couples should be having sex.
Read MoreThe Dangers of Dating Faux Feminist Men
“Do I have to break up with him?” What does it mean to date a man who’s got all the feminist lingo down, but fails to live by feminist values?
Read More3 Reasons We Need to Be Critical of Sex Positivity in Queer Spaces
Is your queer community super sex-positive? That may not always be a good thing – check this out for some important reasons why.
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