Giving Beyond the Holidays

Recently, I’ve been noticing that a lot of people around me have been expressing anxiety about the future, about determining their purpose in life, or figuring out “what it all means”, both as activists and as individuals. I hope this doesn’t sound condescending, but these are actually not concerns that I relate to. I feel […]

On Choosing Silence

This post was written by a special guest author, Julia Davidson. Julia is a program manager at Sexual Assault Response Services of Southern Maine. She has a Master’s Degree in Social Work and minored in Women and Gender Studies. In 2013, she received the Outstanding Graduate Award in Women and Gender Studies from University of […]

Not Angry Anymore

(Yes, I am totally aware that Ani has done some hella problematic stuff this past year. I condemned that at the time and I condemn it now, but I just really need this song right now for my sanity, ok?) Hello, Blogland! It has been a while. I don’t know if y’all have missed me, […]

Honey, Whose Turn Is It to Do the Dishes?

Recently, a new discovery has turned my world upside down. I was diagnosed with a particularly severe case of fibromyalgia, a neurological disorder that causes widespread muscle stiffness, pain and fatigue. The symptoms, albeit without the diagnosis, have been lifelong. Because of this, many things that require little thought or planning for most people have […]

How to Offer Support After Rape

In a devastating stroke of coincidence, I have had multiple friends over the past month or so reach out to me immediately after experiencing sexual assault. Part of this is likely selection bias: I speak and write about sexual assault often and I’m open about the fact that I am also a survivor, making me an […]

A Tribute to Funny Women

This is a response to a recent guest post on Steed, “Why Aren’t Women Funny?” by Rachel Flehinger. I would like to note at the outset that Alex Steed is one of my favorite BDN bloggers and, while I disagree with many things about the post, I have nothing but respect for Alex and his guest […]

Maybe We Don’t Have to Be Beautiful

    “Men dream of women. Women dream of themselves being dreamt of. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at.” – John Berger I recently came across this article at Beauty Redefined, which I strongly recommend reading, about Dove’s so-called  “Campaign for Real Beauty”. The authors, quite correctly, note that Dove is […]