The Washington Post published a story today on a topic near and dear to Men’s Rights Advocates (MRAs): child support payments. The author, Janice D’Arcy, discusses a recent ruling (Turner v. Rogers) by the Supreme Court. In this ruling, the court suggests that prior to punishing “deadbeat dads” due to a lack of payment, lower [...]
The Team
Christina Black
Christina Black is a law student at Stanford University. She previously interned for a government relations firm in Washington, DC, and prior to that worked at a nonprofit focused on women’s issues. One day, she hopes to work at a nonprofit engaged in legal advocacy. Christina has a BA in History and Philosophy of Science from the University of Chicago, and serves on the Executive Board of Fem2.0. You can often find her at a museum, the Kennedy Center, or Rock Creek Park. Christina tweets at @black_christina.
Recent blog posts written by Christina Black
Female Politicians and Sex Scandals: Why Women Aren’t (Necessarily) Better Than Men
To be a real feminist, do you have to argue that women are better than men? Or is that just a fun optional thing? In the wake of the Anthony Weiner scandal, I’ve seen many articles with the same reaction: this is why we should elect more women. Women avoid these kind of scandals — [...]
The Power of the Purse: The GOP and Elizabeth Warren
Recent Pew Research Center data suggests Republicans are warming to the idea of a female president. But that doesn’t mean they’re comfortable with women in power – as shown by the recent Elizabeth Warren hearings. Warren was nominated by President Obama last September to head the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Warren, a bankruptcy [...]
so this feminist walks into a bar: on feminism and humor
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the role of humor in feminism – and feminism’s role in the face of offensive humor. Rebecca Traister made an interesting point in Big Girls Don’t Cry, her book chronicling the 2008 election and specifically, Hillary Clinton. Traister says that historically, feminists have refrained from showing their humorous sides. [...]
Today’s News on Women: Healthcare, Paychecks, and Budgets
It’s only Wednesday, and it’s already been a rough news week for women. Several research studies were released about the acute health problems faced by poorer women: According to Time, the abortion rate in the United States dropped for every group between 2000 and 2008 – except poorer women. The rate for these women actually [...]
Who’s Afraid of the Big, Red Heel?
For several weeks now, I have been seeing the same set of advertisements around DC. Every time, I pause for a moment to let their strangeness wash over me. No, I’m not talking about those “Free Abortion Alternatives” posters plastered across the buses. No, in this case, I’m talking about the pedestrian safety advertisements produced [...]
The Specter of Rape, at Home and Abroad
Last week, our blogger Maggie Arden wrote a great post on the prevention of sexual assault on college campuses. Maggie noted that sexual assaults happen on college campuses more often than we think—even in “safe” areas. She suggested that universities should have more formal prevention programs, taught to both men and women. Sometimes sexual assault [...]
Negotiating Equal Pay for Equal Work
It’s 2011, and women still make only $0.77 on the dollar to men, on average. People around the country celebrated Equal Pay Day on April 12. This occasion marks the day when women finally catch up to men’s wages—from the following year. That is to say, we never really catch up. Some efforts to address [...]
Women and Weddings: How Much Should We Really Care?
These days, I cannot escape the subject of weddings. I’m at the point in my 20s when lots of friends are becoming engaged. The royal wedding is in the papers and on the news. The BBC just ran a photo essay on extreme weddings. Last night, the subject of “bridezillas” came up in conversation. We’ve [...]
Online and Offline Communities: Part Three
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about feminist communities. Why do we join them, and what do they do for us? Should we even discuss them in these terms? And what do online communities provide, as opposed to those in “real life?” I found myself drawn into the online community before I made any moves [...]