Just days since a massive campaign was launched by a coalition of more than 40 groups and individuals, advertisers have already begun to act swiftly about seeing their ads adjacent to images depicting rape and violence against women on Facebook. Indeed, the response has inspired hope that the demands in the Open Letter to Facebook [...]
The ‘Elephant in the Room’
On May 9th, thousands of Canadians traveled to the nation’s capital and took part in the ‘Campaign for Life’ - an annual gathering of the anti-choice community to protest Canada’s pro-choice stance. In ‘solidarity’, regional chapters of the Campaign for Life coalition organized similar small-scale protests that will occur throughout the month of May. Last week was [...]
Coalition: Time for Facebook to take responsibility for gender-based hate speech
*Trigger warning* Starting on May 21, a coalition of more than two dozen organizations — including Led by Women, Action & the Media, The Everyday Sexism Project, and author Soraya Chemaly — are calling on Facebook to end its complicit approval of memes and pages that promote violence against women and gender-based hate speech. As [...]
Harassed at the Corner Store: the Men and the Milk
Ten minutes. I was hitting the ten minute mark of just standing in front of the freezers, seemingly debating whether to buy a quart or a gallon of milk. Or perhaps unsure of which kind I wanted. Skim or whole? Maybe 2%? I had a pensive look on my face.
It’s the look I get when I’m frozen inside. Generally from shock. Often from fear. Almost always after a harrowing experience that’s left me momentarily paralyzed.
A Learning Curve: From Human Rights to Reproductive Justice, And a Glimmer of Universal Justice
My antenna zoomed up in February when Loretta Ross, currently Activist-In-Residence, at Smith College, in her key-note address at the Take Root conference, spoke about how Reproductive Justice framing had been stimulated by women of color’s exposure to and interaction with the international women’s community. The human rights framing that international activists spoke from was [...]
Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the NVRA, #NVRAat20 Twitter Party
Monday, May 20 is the 20th Anniversary of the signing on the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA). Let’s celebrate! Join us Monday, May 20 at 1 PM ET for a Twitter chat on #NVRAat20. Join Project Vote, Demos, Fem2pt0, Asian American Justice Center, Fair Elections Legal Network, Advancement Project, National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials, League [...]
Angelina Jolie’s Decision
When I read about Angelina Jolie’s announcement this week, I cringed. I have greatly admired her willingness to speak out on important issues over the years. Her public announcement about her mastectomies will certainly reassure some women that losing a breast to breast cancer isn’t quite as frightening as it had once seemed. But Ms. [...]
Is Pepper Potts No Longer the “Damsel in Distress” in ‘Iron Man 3′?
Superhero films often exhibit assertive, outspoken female characters. Yet they often simultaneously objectify women’s bodies, reduce them to ancillary love interests or perpetuate gender stereotypes. So when I heard that Pepper Potts would have a more active role in Iron Man 3, I was excited yet remained cautiously skeptical.
Women Must Lean In to Political Leadership
If you had asked me when I was a first year in college, would I personally have worked in politics or run for office, I would have laughed, like hysterically. Well the joke was on me, three years later, I ran to be Vice President of the Student Council at my University. I was compelled [...]
A Specific Happy Mother Day Wish for Women Who’ve Had Abortions
On Friday, I got a wonderful Happy Mother’s Day wish from Fem2.0 in Twitter. Of course, that meant that some random man asked in a mean-spirited tweet whether the wish included “abortive pro-choice mothers of dead babies.” I didn’t respond, because, well, why would you respond to a person who rudely interrupts, willfully chooses to [...]