Search results for: pregnant women
How My Dad Taught Me That My Sex Appeal Determined My Worth
Certain memories of my father stick out on my mind. I remember how he joked that he liked women who looked cheap. I remember I rolled my eyes and laughed with him, I didn’t find it funny at all. Because what did it mean for me, a girl just past puberty, hoping to be wanted by the world? What would I have to do to get love and attention? Who would I have to be?
Read MoreIncredible Young Poets Get Real About Growing Up in the US
Here’s the devastating truth about growing up in the US. We all know about the lessons we learn in school, but what’s missing from our history books? As these young women tell it, “The greatest lessons are the ones you don’t remember learning.” Since we don’t hear the brutal truth about injustice in history books, check out the stunning lessons in this poem.
Read MoreAnita Sarkeesian Explains Gamergate to Stephen Colbert
If you haven’t heard, the gaming world has been facing quite a bit of criticism for its extreme and pervasive misogyny… and some gamers aren’t handling the criticism well. They’ve responded with threats of rape, death, and mass shootings and have forced Anita Sarkeesian and other women who have spoken out in the gaming community out their homes for fear of their safety. But Anita isn’t backing down. Watch her appearance on the Colbert Report to find out what #Gamergate is really about.
Read MoreWhy Make-up Is a Waste of My Time
Some women (and men) derive tremendous joy from makeup, and to them I say, continue on your merry way. But if your make-up use is driven by fear that what you were born with is not enough, that if only your lashes were longer, or your lips pinker, then people would be better to you and good things would happen – to hell with that. You’re way too cool for that.
Read MorePondering Male Privilege Post-Transition
The reality of male privilege is well established. There is no question that being female carries a significant “life penalty” with it. There’s no denying that male privilege exists. However, sometimes it feels taboo to ask how far male privilege goes. Who better to ask about it, though, than trans men and women who have lived on both sides of the divide?
Read MoreWas Blind, But Now I See
In recent years, it has become apparent to me that I have traveled through my life with blinders on. This restriction limited the chance of my challenging societal norms associated with my biological sex and seeing them for what they are, ideas and judgments created long ago by a few members of a patriarchal society whose sole purpose and desire was and is to keep women in a subservient role.
Read MoreWeighting to Be Seen: Being Fat, Black, and Invisible in Body Positivity
The body positivity movement has made great strides in helping bodies of all shapes feel loved, cherished, and acceptable. But what does it mean when major media outlets create lists of body image heroines and virtually every woman listed is white? In this article, Sonya Renee Taylor details the racist undertones that have caused the movement to overlook and neglect her and other black women’s body-loving activism for far too long.
Read MoreSo You Want a Feminist Job
I believe strongly in the idea that women need to lift one another up; it’s a basic tenet of my feminism. And because one system that tends to give us a lot of trouble is the workplace and our attempts at career advancement, when young feminists write to find out my supposed secrets to success, I’m all for it. So you want a feminist job? Here are some things to keep in mind.
Read MoreWhat It’s Like to Be a Woman at the Gym
What is it about the gym that makes guys so much more likely to bother women who clearly aren’t interested in doing anything besides, you know, working out? (After all, that’s what gyms are for.) If you’re a woman and you’ve ever been stared at, offered unnecessary help, or had to listen to guys talk at you while you’re just trying to exercise, this video is for you.
Read MoreOn Feminism and Faith
If feminism becomes synonymous with anti-religion, we risk alienating the women we seek to uplift and support. Because while modern religions are all very male-centric, they simply mimic the world that we live in. That is, religion isn’t the problem – the patriarchy with them is. Let us show support and solidarity with feminists of faith, especially as they fight from within for greater equality.
Read More2014: The LGBTQ Year In Review
There’s been a lot of awesome victories for LGBTQ people in 2014! From protection against workplace discrimination, famous people coming out, to trans women of color changing the world, this video of Camille Beredjick of GayWrites provides an awesome list of how more and more people are talking about and taking action to support LGBTQ rights.
Read More4 Myths About Intimate Partner Violence in Lesbian Relationships
The idea that intimate partner violence occurs in lesbian relationships may seem ridiculous. But this belief isn’t only false; it’s damaging. It can prevent lesbians from seeking help when they are in an abusive relationship. After all, who’s going to believe them? Here are four myths about IPV in lesbian relationships that can prevent women from seeking help.
Read More4 Ways to Help Your Pre-Teen Daughter Navigate New Attention to Her Body
I look at my oldest girl and I see what she is experiencing. Her body is transitioning, and she’s particularly concerned and curious about her new bouncy parts that garner attention from a variety of eyes. And as I watch my daughter navigate her new body, I’ve identified some methods to creating support and raising confident, mindful, fully expressed women.
Read More5 Reasons Fitspo Is Bad for Your Health
(Trigger Warning: Body Image) According to Glamour, “Fitspo refers to images and words that women post with the purpose of inspiring themselves and others to live a fit, active life.” The problem that we see with fitspo, though, is that it looks too much like a not-so-cleverly-disguised thinspo. And these ideas that our bodies just aren’t good enough the way that they are is still dangerous.
Read MoreWhy Not Say Everyday Humanism Instead of Everyday Feminism?
Humanism and feminism are not mutually exclusive and can coexist. A vested interest in general human welfare is an implicit goal of feminism. If you’re helping women, you’re helping people. Some might prefer to call this humanitarianism, humanism, or being-a-decent-human-being-ism, but many of us are content to call it feminism. And there’s nothing exclusionary about that.
Read MoreTrans Folks, Body Image, and Eating Disorders: Why We Must Shift the Narrative
Conversations about eating disorders, body image, and beauty standards often focus on straight, cisgender women. But they’re not the only ones struggling. If you’re transgender and dealing with body image concerns and disordered eating, you’re not alone. And you deserve support. Here are some barriers and solutions for trans folks learning to love our bodies.
Read MoreThe Ladies to Look Up to in Television and Why Their Representations Matter
I remember when my parents subscribed to cable television. I began to realize where I, as a young woman, received value. While I wasn’t consciously critiquing TV as a tween, I was absorbing their messages, and the message was primarily that women are objects. And don’t get me started on diversity! But today I’m not here just to critique. I’m here to celebrate.
Read MoreFantasy vs. Reality: Lesbian Sex in Pornography
Pornography sucks at depicting realistic sex, including lesbian sex. Yes, it’s supposed to be a fantasy. But the problem with that excuse is that without any factual knowledge to keep you grounded paired with misconceptions already being spread by mainstream media, you can become miseducated and end up believing that’s what they’re probably like. And that has a real effect on queer women.
Read MoreJourneys in Self Acceptance
This week’s video headline is all about self-love! Watch as popular vlogger Angelina LB breaks down the toxic mentalities that lead us to demean our own worth. She gives personal examples of how she learned to throw away the rules to an impossible-to-win game society has created for women, and encourages people to express themselves in ways that make them feel good, regardless of reception.
Read More7 Ways to Love Your Body (Through Thick And Thin)
As women, our relationships with our bodies are often dysfunctional. With a multibillion-dollar cosmetics industry and social pressures to be thin, loving our bodies is no stroll in the park. But when we don’t feel comfortable in our bodies, we miss out on all the joy that life offers. Here are seven ways to fight the pressure and practice loving your body, just the way it is.
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