The author is tired of being told that she should be flattered by the unwelcome catcalls she receives from random men on the street. Before I went to study in the States, my parents and grandparents wanted to cut all my hair off. They wanted me in an old-fashioned bob. Their reason? So I would not […]
Emily Shepard discusses the importance of letting kids be who they are—even when it goes against what society says they should be. In first grade, I said I wanted to be a boy. I demanded short, spiked hair and my favorite shirt had a surfing T-Rex on it. I am not a transgendered person. At […]
Some women have an easier time making guy friends than girl friends. But calling her a ‘guy’s girl’ can be insulting. Here’s why. During my junior and senior years of college, I lived in an off-campus house with, depending on the semester, four to five male friends. For brief periods of time, a female friend […]
Emily Heist Moss asks: Why is the Way to Succeed in Business to adopt traditionally masculine behaviors? Is there an alternative? A few months ago, during salary negotiations for a new position, I finally had an opportunity to take my own advice. In the past, I’d told female friends that, when confronted with professional hurdles, […]
After a woman was fired for being “too attractive,” Soraya Chemaly discusses how women are lifelong subjects of the male gaze. Last week, in a terrific-though-clumsily-titled article in the New York Times, “Fired For Being Beautiful,” Michael Kimmel wrote about the Iowa Supreme Court’s confirmation of its findings that employers can fire a person for […]
This originally appeared on The Daily Life. Republished here with permission. My marriage proposal to my wife Kasey went something like this: Kasey: ‘I just told Stephen that we want to have a baby and he asked when we were getting married.’ Me: Silence. Kasey: ‘I told him that marriage was an antiquated institution that is set […]
Emily Heist Moss debates a controversial claim recently presented in The Atlantic that said disempowered men street harass women as a means to feel more powerful. In last week’s Atlantic, cultural commenter Ta-Nehisi Coates penned an essay on masculinity and powerlessness in the face of eviction and racism. In broad strokes, he argues that certain […]
Marni Hochman’s husband shares in the cooking, cleaning and childcare responsibilities in their home. This doesn’t mean she’s “lucky,” as people continue to tell her, it just means they’ve got an equal partnership. Dear Friends, Family, and Complete Strangers, Recently my husband had minor surgery. My in-laws came to town for a brief visit while […]
Early feminists fought for the right to control their own fertility. Twenty-first century feminists are getting tired of having to control it for so long, says Samantha Eyler. I became an instant feminist the moment a nurse told me I was pregnant. Peeing on a pregnancy test for the second time just to be sure, […]
Sydne Didier wanted to teach her son that men are caregivers too. Trevor was 12 years old when I hired him to take care of my son. The same age my son is now, it was his first time babysitting and he was nervous. He lived across the street and I’d asked him to come […]
It’s fairly typical for women to fold into themselves making room for others in public spaces, while many men seem comfortable splaying themselves out. Where did this behavior come from, asks Soraya Chemaly? I’m guessing that people aren’t going through their days thinking to themselves, “How much space do I displace?” It’s an interesting question […]
We must improve our assumptions about dads and domesticity if we’re ever going to solve the problems plaguing female breadwinners and derelict dads, says stay-at-home dad Vincent O’Keefe. Last week I had the torturous pleasure of chaperoning five 13-year-old girls around an enormous amusement park for 10 hours. So imagine my irritation later when I […]
