feminist blogs in english

When I graduate in May, I'm going to miss college moments like this. For Women's History month, there is a "Women and Social Movements" display in the library. Several glass cases hold photos and information on all different groups of women: feminists, queer women, Latina women, sex workers, and many many more. It is a beautiful representation of women's history. Here's a photo of the cases put together by two clubs I'm in: the Feminist Collective (right) and Take Back the Night (left):


(Thanks to Kay for the photo!)

This video is a little old (I just found it on the International Women's Day website), but it is something that I would not doubt is still going on in Afghanistan. It's heartbreaking, to say the least.

Warning: this video may be triggering for some.



You can visit the sites of organizations like Women for Afghan Women and the Revolutionary Association of Women of Afghanistan to learn more about the hardships of post-Taliban life, and to find out how you can help.

It's March 10th, the National Day of Appreciation for Abortion Providers. But the wonderful people who work in clinics to ensure that women have access to a safe and legal abortion deserve our appreciation every single day. Their work isn't easy, but they have many reasons to stick with it. I cannot thank them enough for being there for the women who need them.

Today also marks the anniversary of Dr. David Gunn's death in 1993. He was murdered by anti-choice activist Michael Griffin in Pensacola, Florida, becoming the first abortion provider to be killed simply because he provided abortions. And supporters of reproductive justice were greatly shaken when Dr. George Tiller was murdered last May. My heart goes out to the families and friends of Dr. Gunn, Dr. Tiller, and other abortion providers/clinic workers who have lost their lives.

There are many things you can do to honor today. A simple, but powerful, action would be to send a thank you card to your local abortion provider(s) and/or clinic workers. You can also (if you have the means) make a donation to any of several organizations that work towards reproductive justice. The National Network of Abortion Funds allows you to find a local fund for low-income women who need abortions. There's also Medical Students for Choice and Physicians for Reproductive Choice and Health.

Also, be sure to head over to the National Abortion Federation to add your name and thank you note to their collection.

Sign the petition here.

It's today! What are you doing to celebrate?

February 17th marked the beginning of the 40 Days of Life campaign, which is basically an excuse for anti-choicers to harass people outside clinics even more than usual for 40 whole days. If you need to access a Planned Parenthood or a similar clinic, be aware that the crazies will probably be on your ass.

BUT... oh, how I love reproductive rights activists. There is an excellent response campaign (hat tip to Feministe, who posted about this) called 4000 Years for Choice. This is especially great to check out in honor of Women's History Month. One need only take a look at their timeline to see that women have been finding ways to control their reproduction for thousands of years.

And guess what? 4000 trumps 40.

I saw this posted on The Sexist. It's a video created by Amanda Hess, where she interviewed men on birth control and how it works. Watch!



Wow. Some of the things said by the men (the birth control pill is the same as Plan B? wtf?) are just shocking. Unfortunately, a lot of men who have sex with women don't bother to learn about birth control because they see it as something only women have to deal with. Birth control is as much a man's concern as it is a woman's, and deciding on a method of contraception should be a collaborative process.

But too many men take the birth control pill for granted - there seems to be this idea that it's this simple process involving popping a pill a day with ease, and there's no need to think or talk about it. But men should know how it works, and men should understand that it's certainly not easy for a woman to take birth control. It takes awhile to find the right brand, and with every brand comes a slew of terrifying side effects. Can most men even name one side effect of the birth control pill?

I'm not blaming men for being ignorant. I know the real reason is that somewhere down the line, men got the message from society that birth control is not a man's issue. So men, it's time to unlearn what society taught you and hop on Wikipedia to learn about birth control. It'll be one of the most manly things you'll ever do.

Same-sex marriage is now LEGAL in Washington, D.C.

Congratulations to all couples who are finally able to tie the knot, and thank you to the D.C. politicians who voted in favor of equality.

I just want to give all of you a heads up that posting might be sparse over the next week - I'm performing in The Vagina Monologues on my campus this weekend, and evidently have two exams next week, so I'm stretched pretty thin.

But I am super excited for The Vagina Monologues. This will be my fourth year in a row performing in them, and it's so wonderful every time. If you've never seen it before, I highly recommend you do. Granted, the show has its flaws, but overall it's a really empowering experience, and the proceeds always go to a wonderful cause. This year, the spotlight is women in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Search for V-Day events near you to find a production. And if I didn't convince you to see the show, I bet the below video will.