This originally appeared on MichaelKaufman.com. Republished here with permission. There are concerted efforts by the extremists who now run the Republican Party to push through draconian laws in the United States that not only make abortions unavailable under any circumstances but put huge barriers to women obtaining safe and effective forms of contraception. In recent […]
Let me say up front that I’m all for questioning cultural norms around gender and sexuality. I’m certainly not going to have a “normal” Valentine’s Day. My sex-positive film series here in Chicago always happens on the second Tuesday of the month, and this month that happens to be V-Day—so on the 14th, I’ll be screening a […]
Remember Britney Spears? Oh, that’s right, Britney Spears: one of the most famous recording artists in the world. I gotta admit I don’t think about her much, although it turns out she’s still going strong—the music video for her latest #1 single even includes a dubstep-ish interlude during which she boxes a high-heeled clone of herself. But as absurd […]
This piece originally appeared at The Beheld. Hot is tanned, free of body hair, and in a miniskirt. Hot likes to party, and we know better than to take hot too seriously. Hot is younger than most; Google will find 24 million hot women for you, but 31 million hot girls. Hot is purchased, packaged, […]
This was originally published in slightly different form at No, Seriously, What About Teh Menz? Republished here with permission. I was arguing with a friend a while back; we’re both atheists, but he’s one of the ones who feels compelled to be rude about it. He was asking where the notion that one has to […]
This week’s roundup of our favorites from across the interwebs to help you make sense of men and women. 1. Why Did Susan G. Komen Pull The Plug On Planned Parenthood? by Megan McArdle of The Atlantic breaks down the backstory of the controversial split. 2. Vast Gender Disparity In Super PAC Giving on Salon.com […]
This originally appeared on ThoughtCatalog.com. Republished here with permission. All I’ve wanted to do this past week is take Cynthia Nixon out, buy her a cappuccino and a scone, and spend an hour or so commiserating over how awful people can be. On January 19, Nixon, best known for playing Miranda on Sex and the […]
When it comes to sexual relationships between minors and adults, those who say “age is just a number” are usually trying to justify the indefensible. On the other hand, it defies everything we’re learning about adolescent development to say that an 18 year-old guy and a 40-something man should always be punished equally for a […]
This article originally appeared at Charlie Glickman’s website. Republished with permission. I’m generally in favor of anything that gets more discussion of sexual and relationship diversity into the news, but the recent allegations by Newt Gingrich’s second wife about his demand for an “open marriage” after having an affair for six years has highlighted the […]
It’s been a while since I felt simultaneously very into someone, and very sure about him. It’s a strange feeling. I’ve been playing with theories about how “flirtation is basically an exercise in strategic ambiguity” and “insecurity is an integral part of romantic intoxication” and “uncertainty is an emotional amplifier,“ and I do think that […]
This was originally posted in slightly different form at My So-Called Polyamorous Life. Republished here with permission. Now, first of all, I should say that casual sex is not for everyone. I don’t believe that just wanting to have casual sex makes you more awesome or that wanting to avoid it makes you less awesome. I […]
This was originally posted at Love, Joy, Feminism. Republished with permission. Libby Anne describes herself as having grown up in a family influenced by the Christian Patriarchy and Quiverfull movements. A good deal of the pain we feel in our day-to-day lives comes from unmet expectations. As an example, if my husband doesn’t put his […]
