Memes and the Vilification of Modern Feminism
From voting to reproductive rights, the feminist movement has made major leaps over the last few decades. But the fight for gender equality is not over. Women continue to face new challenges each day, juggling issues like workplace sexism and the Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. These struggles are compounded by social media, […]
Nevertheless, She Persisted: A Conservative Perspective on Feminism
I am a Republican feminist. In saying so, I know I will receive scorn from both sides of the political spectrum; some conservatives will conflate my belief that the sexes are inherently equal with the progressive allegation that they are the same. Conversely, some liberals will posit that my acceptance of traditional family structures, individual […]
Jewish Women: Intersectionality of Race, Class, and Gender
Every morning while reading the Torah, traditional Jewish men thank God, “who has not made [them] a woman,” as part of their daily prayers. This phrase is representative of the quintessential misogyny that lies at the core of extreme Judaism. The United States is a hodgepodge of different ethnicities and religions, and their coexistence has […]
RIP RBG: The Political Climate Post-Ruth Bader Ginsburg
For our companion piece about how Ginsburg’s death illustrates the need for term-limited Supreme Court justices, click here. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away on September 18 due to complications from metastatic pancreatic cancer at age eighty-seven. Just days before her death, Ginsburg stated, “My most fervent wish is that I will not […]
Not Cute: The Sexualization of Youth in Netflix’s Mignonnes
Photo By Jean-Michel Papazian/Netflix The following includes plot details, including the film’s ending. Mignonnes, or Cuties in English, is a French coming-of-age drama that garnered criticism for its hypersexualization of young girls. The scrutiny began in August when Netflix released an explicit poster advertising the movie and has continued through the movie’s release, despite the […]
Sports as a Mirror to Society
Sports in America have evolved similarly to the country itself: with slow, painful change pushed by minorities and women risking everything to stand up and demand the right to play. Waves of change in sports are reflected in trends throughout society; each step forward for women’s sports have aligned with the different waves of feminism, […]
#MeToo and the Realities of Power Dynamics in American Society
Power defines nearly all aspects of American society, whether covert or obvious. It impacts the way in which people behave, shapes workplace environments, and determines relationships between people by granting some power over others who have no choice but to be subordinate. Historical patterns of domination in this country have put men at the top […]
A Notorious Traffic: A History
It is a sad but inescapable truth about the history of international law—and internationalism more broadly—that much of it is fraught with racism, imperialism, and moral crusading. The counter-human trafficking regime is no exception. The earliest legislative action against human trafficking on an international level was conceived of as the International Agreement for the suppression […]
Fitting In Nowhere: The Case for Trans-inclusive Feminism
“Feminist: a person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.”[1] The ringing wisdom of acclaimed novelist, artist, and activist, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie sounded in billions of ears upon the release of Beyoncé’s hit single “Flawless***.” This excerpt from a TEDx speech turned novella was authored by one of the most […]
Whitewashed Feminism: The Imaginary Gender Vacuum
Feminism, defined by the Oxford dictionary as “the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social, and economic equality to men,” is becoming a mainstream movement. You may have heard a similar definition spoken by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie over an instrumental interlude in a hugely popular Beyoncé song. Critics and proponents of feminism […]