We often discuss issues of rape and sexual violence with our daughters, but are we having these critical conversations with our sons? The truth is that our sons can be victims of rape, too. They can also be bystanders, confidants, or rapists. Undoubtedly these conversations are challenging. So how do we start them, and what do we talk about? Here are a few tips.

Read More

As a feminist, an activist, a parent of two boys, and a sexual health educator, I struggle with how to balance my sensibilities with my parenting style. And an issue that I am very connected to is rape culture. How does a parent compete with the constant assault of stereotypes and overwhelming sex-negative messaging in the media? Here are a few suggestions.

Read More

Any time sexual assault is brought up, chances are there will be voices complaining that “if they were really raped, they should go to the police.” But that is far from fair. There are many reasons people don’t involve the police, none of which have to do with whether or not a rape actually happened. Here are eight barriers that keep survivors from reporting.

Read More

Generational violence is a huge normalizing factor, and challenging a youth’s parents, or at least their teachings, can be very difficult for some kids. Do I think we need to back off? No. Do I think we need to dumb it down? No. Do we need to acknowledge that violence is a foundational part of the lives of many young people? Absolutely. So how can you be a translator?

Read More

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 More

Have you ever had to deal with the dilemma of checking “male” or “female?” Some of us just can’t be confined to those boxes. And you shouldn’t have to be! Here’s a comic that captures the frustration of this moment. Let the hero of this comic be a hero for all of us whose true identities can’t be defined by these small boxes. You deserve to feel free to be you.

Read More
Two people sitting on a couch, playing video games

For women into online gaming, revealing the simple fact that we’re women can leave us vulnerable to harassment. Here, one woman shares how her problems went away when she played as a male character – and how one man who learned of her gender escalated his aggression to a dangerous level. Read her account of the gaming culture that made #Gamergate possible.

Read More

Unless you know queer men or you are one yourself, you probably have no idea just how many queer men struggle with eating disorders, exercise disorders, and/or incredibly negative body image. Fatphobia in gay male spaces is a social phenomenon, and it runs deep. This is a conversation we need to have both as queer activists and as feminists. Here’s why.

Read More

Negative attitudes toward women make it difficult for us to break into male-dominated fields, and sometimes our fear of living up to gender stereotypes makes it difficult to see ourselves being successful where it seems like we don’t belong. Breaking into a male-dominated field is not impossible; staying in it is the real challenge.

Read More

Nursing is very much a gender defined industry and one that has historically been dominated by women. And the work force certainly reflects that. I have had to explain why I work as a nurse because people often think that’s not what “real men” do. We need to work to break down this stereotype and value nursing work and nurses of all genders.

Read More
Person holding out a bouquet of roses

Nice guys, we know you’re out there. Misogynistic Nice Guys™ have earned a bad reputation, but there’s a difference between them and men who are genuinely respectful. But did you know there’s also a difference between being nice and being an ally to women’s causes? Here’s what you need to know to avoid the unintentional sexism that can come with gender socialization.

Read More