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CW: Addiction, Sexual Assault, Sex… in general. This article is about sex. I have always had a negative relationship with sex. I discovered masturbating early, around six or seven years old. I would use masturbating combined with my active imagination and constant daydreaming as a way to escape the loneliness and isolation I felt not…

“My dysphoria fluctuates almost hourly. I can feel fine, look in a mirror, not like what I see, and my day is ruined.”

The growing rift between mainstream and marginalized LGBTQIA+ people who are often trans, of color, poor, and homeless exposes a dangerous truth about the movement. Here’s why we need to do better.

I’m not saying that it makes sense for everyone to center all conversations around the patriarchy and drop everything to get a Master’s in Gender Studies. That would probably leave you friendless and broke. As selfish as it sounds, it can be helpful to ask “What’s in it for me?” And human issues are all interconnected, so making someone else’s life easier can help you, indirectly or otherwise.

Chronic pain is no joke – so what can you do to cope? Check out these tips from someone who knows how it goes!

Kids are selfish. And I’m not just saying that because I’m a jaded New York City nanny. Children, out of self-preservation instinct, only care about what benefits them. So how do we make politics matter to children? Make the lesson benefit them. Whether you’re a parent/guardian, cool family member, teacher, or caregiver like me, here are some ideas to cultivate politically-minded kids.

Young person looking toward the camera in a sunny room

Have people tried to define your race, make assumptions about your identity, or call you “racially ambiguous?” Your race is yours to determine. In a society that invalidates multiracial identities, reclaiming your identity is both an act of preservation and a political act. So here are some affirmations to help you come back to your own skin, your own identity, your own self.

Person holding up a piece of paper that's been cut into a heart shape

Sex can bring up painful feelings for non-binary people working through trauma. But if you want, you deserve to have positive experiences of sexual exploration. Here’s a guide to defining sex on your own terms, educating yourself with all the information you need to know about your body, and more. Read this to grow your self-confidence – even when you’re naked.

“What are you?” is a question that comes with assumptions. But race isn’t a taboo topic. We need to know how to engage in these conversations without forcing people into an “other” and making them censor themselves. You might be thinking, “Then what do I ask?” This short video shows how to throw self-censorship out the window and open a deeper conversation.

Women get tons of useless advice about how to “protect” ourselves. Whether or not we follow the advice, we’re still blamed for our own assaults. We all have the right to assert our boundaries, but saying that we can defend ourselves sounds like victim-blaming. So how do we reconcile those two messages? One way is through feminist, empowerment-based self-defense.

This author isn’t suffering some tragic confusion. But she has dealt with a struggle that may be familiar if you have a multi-racial identity – the fight to self-determine how she identifies. Read how the US’s socially constructed racial hierarchy plays out for someone mixed with non-white races – and how this author started with herself to change it.

A group of children are silhouetted, playing a ball game against a setting sun

Non-binary kids are kids who feel that they are multiple genders, none, or some mixture thereof. As a former non-binary kid myself, this author has some thoughts about how best to parent non-binary kids. Because knowledge is power – and knowing how to wade through your child’s non-binary identity can help you be a better parent and your child be their authentic self!

Feminism is a creature with many faces these days. But bottom line, the goal is homogenous: Feminism aims for gender equality within a currently patriarchal society. Sometimes it’s just hard to get massive amounts of people to agree exactly what the best means to achieving that goal is. So here is a list of five things that the current movement of feminism absolutely is.

Person sitting by a window, their head resting on their hand, looking sad

Trying to be body-positive is hard enough without the complications of binge eating disorder. How can you celebrate “Eat what you want!” while also recognizing that you can’t?

Are you only thinking about thin people’s experiences when you talk about sex apps like Grindr? These common assumptions show that we need to change the conversation.

With police brutality threatening black children’s lives, it’s hard to let them be “carefree.” Here’s a powerful message on education and parenting for the life your kids deserve.

A group of people at the beach, reaching one hand into the center of the circle to join together in solidarity.

This author has noticed some disturbing trends in how trans folks can actually perpetuate transphobia against other trans folks in the community. Here are some important ideas for what to do about it.

A parent nuzzles their baby

According to society, this author’s mother isn’t hard-working, responsible, or defined by anything but motherhood. These touching observations show just how wrong those common myths are.

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.

I have become so accustomed to calling myself fat – and fat being a word that I associate with pride and joy – that at times, I forget how radical (and scary) an act it truly is. And I think that when we make room for only the most radical people or the most radical vocabulary, we leave many people behind. So I explored this feeling through conversations with women about what other words they love in describing their big bodies.