Girls, taught to ignore their anger, become disassociated from themselves. Anger is a recurring theme of the current presidential election. Every male presidential candidate has directly and overtly tapped into the very evident rage that the American public feels. They thump podiums, raise their voices, curse, and shout without being called divas, shrill, unhinged, ugly, or unlikeable. […]
I am the girl who grew into a woman who had to bury her identity to pass through life without judgement. Dear Mr. Trump: I am an American Muslim. When I think of you, all I see is black. Wet, sticky darkness like silicone or tar. Sharp. Piercing. Jagged. I think of you and my […]
By daring to enter traditionally male spaces, like bars, by themselves, women project that it is open season. My friends and I were recently blindsided by the closing of our favorite bar. Over the years, the small Irish pub in our hometown had hosted our birthday celebrations, going away and welcome back parties, nights where […]
In the areas closest to my heart, my conclusion is that the Catholic Church has improved its public relations much more than its actual substance. Like many ex-Catholics, I pay careful attention to the words of Pope Francis. I left the church when I came out as a lesbian in my mid-20s and Pope Francis’ […]
We need to move away from the oppressive myth that rape and assault only happen in violent fits of rage, a narrative that reinforces the idea that “real” rape is uncomplicated and straightforward. Content warning: rape and sexual assault My friends and I are telling the types of stories that only come out with a combination […]
My abortion allowed me to be the best mom I could be for the son I already had. When I became pregnant with my son, I was a 24-year-old sixth-year senior studying English, with no real prospects for a stable post-graduation life. It was a scary time in my life, even though it was also […]
Given that women have been sexually harassed and assaulted by their male coworkers and bosses, why don’t we pass a law against men in management positions? A couple weeks ago, I wrote a Role Reboot article called “Stop Using Women’s Safety To Justify Transphobia.” Since then, an unprecedented number of people have taken it upon […]
Perhaps behind our insistence of “preference” and “desirability” lurks something far more insidious, far uglier than we first thought. When talking with the foreigner female community in Japan, the topic of dating Japanese men usually comes up and we quickly bemoan how so many of them really don’t want to date us. We curse, shake […]
