The latest incident of a female teacher sexually involved with her male student came out just last week, but it’s not as clear-cut as some previous scandals. Hugo Schwyzer takes a look at the facts and suggests that the victimizer in this case may also be the victim. Since the Mary Kay Letourneau-Vili Fualaau story […]
Lynn Beisner warns all women to always trust their gut, but sometimes the guys we label as “creepy” aren’t sexual predators, they’re just insecure. In her experience, it’s the charming, popular guys who can be the most dangerous. The recent discussion about creeps has been both encouraging and concerning for me. I am encouraged because […]
This was originally posted at Mockingbird Don’t Write. Republished here with permission. I’m having one of those difficult conversations you dread as a parent, but can’t avoid. And I can’t be as honest with her as I want to be because she’s at that age where she repeats everything she hears, with horrific, lightening fast […]
Holly Kearl’s parents have always been her greatest fans. And whether it was teaching her to fight for what was right, or leading by example, she says she owes much of her success to those lessons from her mother and father. As my parents Beckie Weinheimer and Alan Kearl often say, in our family, we […]
This piece originally appeared on ChildWild. Republished here with permission. I started working on this post a year ago no, that was two years ago, my god, and never managed to finish writing it. I like to pretend that’s because I got busy with other writing projects. The truth is it freaks me the fuck […]
Much of the media coverage of the recent Secret Service scandal in Colombia has focused on the “boys will be boys” logic and the potential danger to our national security, but Corey Barr says too little attention has been given to what these events say about power relations in military cultures. I have to admit, […]
Are men the more dominant sex? Are they more prone to violence? Clarisse Thorn discusses this in the wake of the hugely successful novel 50 Shades of Grey, which explores S&M erotica and features a strongly dominant lead male character. Much is being made of the highly successful S&M erotica novel 50 Shades of Grey. People […]
Hugo Schwyzer says that a man can redirect his desires away from young girls, but doing so requires three serious steps. Can the age of the people to whom we are most attracted age with us, or is it doomed to stay stuck at one particular chronological point? Our culture teaches us that female desirability […]
This originally appeared on Fem2.0. Republished here with permission. I was on a date recently with a man I’d met through mutual friends. When the waiter brought the check to the table, my date casually remarked, “I’ll get this one.” “Oh that’s alright, I’m happy to split it,” I replied with a smile. He pressed […]
This originally appeared on Fem2.0. Republished here with permission. Ani Chopourian, a 43–year-old surgeon’s assistant, received a $167.7 million dollar award last week from a California jury for sexual harassment. It is believed to be the largest verdict ever granted to a single victim for sexual harassment in the United States. The jury allocated $42.7 […]
The warning signs of emotional abuse aren’t always as apparent as you might think. Ozy Frantz found this out during a long-distance relationship with an Internet boyfriend. My name is Ozy Frantz, and I am one of the estimated 48% of men and women who has experienced emotional abuse from a romantic partner. Let me […]
As a sports fan, the NFL playoffs is my second favorite time of the year (next to the World Series). The games are exciting. The fans are energized. And there’s a feeling of camaraderie amongst people around the city sporting jerseys on Sunday mornings. But as an activist for sex workers’ rights, this time of […]
