Search results for: gender identity
Feminism 101: A Crash Course in Vocabulary
There’s a whole lot of lingo in social justice circles these days – and if you don’t know all the vocab, you might feel out of the loop. Here’s Marina Watanabe with a handy guide to the basic terminology of feminism.
Read More5 Ways That Being Against Sexism Doesn’t Mean You Hate Men
When women express discomfort with sexism, men in particular jump to the conclusion that they must be man haters to make such a fuss. This seems to be the primary deterrent preventing women from speaking out against sexism. But here’s the thing: Being against sexism is not the same thing as being against men. Let’s debunk five myths about this misconception.
Read MoreI Didn’t Realize I Internalized the Male Gaze – Until I Was Sexualizing Women
Feeling as if she needed to prove her own lesbianism outwardly, this author adopted the male gaze. Here’s her story of how she became one of the boys – and not shockingly, a very poor one – and how we can all do better to respect the women in our lives.
Read More‘Who’s the Man?’: Heteronormativity and Queer Relationships
People in queer relationships are often subjected to a barrage of ignorance from the straight community. The most annoying is: “Who’s the man and who’s the woman?” Ah yes, because as queer-identified people, the first thing we want you to do is shoehorn normative gender roles into our relationship! But believe it or not, it’s none of your business.
Read MoreGender Equality Explained in a Simple Mathematical Equation
In math, equality signifies that two entities have the same value — it does not communicate that an entity is greater, lesser, weaker, stronger.
Read MoreIs Gender Bias Causing a Disparity in Mental Health Diagnosis?
Do you know who’s most likely to be diagnosed with depression, depending on gender? Celia Edell explores mental health diagnosis across genders.
Read MoreWhy ‘Looking Like a Lesbian’ Isn’t an Insult (And How the Thought May Be a Reflection of Your Homophobia)
Why do so many straight girls think being seen as a lesbian is an insult? Unpacking the driving social forces behind the fear shows how we’ve been taught to cater to the male gaze. Here’s how to break the cycle, de-condition yourself from patriarchal beliefs about femininity, and eradicate lesbophobia and queerphobia among women. As long as you’re happy in your own skin, rock on.
Read MoreComplicating the Stereotype of the Homophobic and Transphobic Black Community
You’ve probably heard the over-simplified stereotype of a homophobic, close-minded Black community. But like any other stereotype, the truth is much deeper and more complicated than some easily consumed narrative used to validate one’s own prejudice. So come delve deeper. Learn about where these ideas come from, the impact they have, and the truth of the matter.
Read MoreHere’s Why the Gender Binary Hurts Us All
You might have come across the term “gender binary” in discussions on trans issues. But do you know what it means to call everyone either a “man” or a “woman” – and how it affects you?
Read MoreIf Gender Didn’t Exist, Would Trans People?
As feminists, we’re trying to eradicate harmful gender norms. Have you ever wondered if that means accepting trans people perpetuates gender stereotypes? Kat Blaque gets this question a lot, and here’s her smart answer.
Read MoreHow Teaching Can Support Gender-Variant Children
Toys, clothes, games – you could probably name dozens of ways society creates rigid gender boxes around us from a young age. But do you know how much those boxes can oppress gender-variant children? Here’s one teacher’s story about the impact and importance of breaking down gender norms. Learn how she taught all her students that it’s okay to be different.
Read MoreHow Gender Double Standards Cause the Wage Gap
On average, women in the US are still paid considerably less than men. This we know. But the reasons for the wage gap are, apparently, still up for debate. Plenty of people will try to argue that the reason is not actually sexism — that the real reason is that they don’t ask for raises. This comic by Lefty Cartoons puts this distraction to rest.
Read MoreWhy Feminism Must Discuss the Intersection of Race and Gender
Flavia Dzodan responded to white feminism with: “My feminism will be intersectional, or it will be bullshit.” We need to be inclusive of all struggles, including racism — even when it makes white feminists uncomfortable to have their white privilege pointed out. Check out this spoken word poem on why feminism must be intersectional around race.
Read More5 Gender-Neutral Alternatives to ‘Boyfriend’ and ‘Girlfriend’
There are gender-neutral words that can better describe the nature of one’s relationship than “boyfriend” or “girlfriend.” So here are some other ideas to choose from.
Read More5 Gender-Based Myths about “Good” Parents
Society says a lot of things about gender and parenting and these stereotypes just make it more difficult for both men and women to be good parents. So let’s unpack some of these myths.
Read More5 Myths About Gender Neutral Parenting
Trying to parent outside the mainstream boy/girl binary can seem daunting to say the least. Some parents are turning to Gender Neutral Parenting, which focuses on not forcing any preconceived gender norms onto their child so they can find their own comfort spot on the continuum we call gender. But there’s a lot of myths and misconceptions out there, which we’ll break down here for you.
Read MoreI Was 13 and Wearing a Hijab – I Didn’t Expect My Teacher to Be Afraid of Me
“The walk to our seats felt like an eternity.” This author’s account of how she was treated when she began wearing hijab really shows the impact of Islamophobic stereotypes – and why Muslim students deserve better.
Read MoreThe Woke Black Person’s Guide to Talking About Oppression with Family
What happens when you’ve been immersed in anti-racism, and then you spend time with a family that’s not as engaged in social justice? Here are some tips for the best possible justice-centered conversations with your family.
Read MoreLittle Boxes: 6 Ways to Make Room for Bigger Truths
Every day, our children are shown the gender box they are expected to live inside of and are encouraged to shrink down the parts of themselves that don’t fit that narrow mold. If we truly want our children to succeed in this world, they need our help to smash open the very boxes we’ve constructed for them – to claim their place, their voice, and their power. But how?
Read MoreDo You Know All These Prefixes for Sexual Identities?
Heterosexual, bisexual, pomosexual, demisexual… There are more prefixes to describe us than you might think. Which words, if any, describe your identity?
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