Recently, the internet has coined a new term describing moms who push harmful notions of diet/exercise culture and force less than helpful eating advice onto their children — the “almond mom”. Several TikTokers are utilizing this term and creating video skits depicting things a typical almond mom would say or do. As a self […]
Read More Almond Moms and Eating DisordersWhile thinking about some of the most influential female artists of our time, names like Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, and Ariana Grande come to my mind. But along with their incredible careers and massive successes, I can’t help but think about their criticisms and animosity, mostly because I used to be one of those critics. Sadly, […]
Read More I Was A Taylor Swift HaterRecently, a radical feminist who I’ve followed on Instagram posted her opinions on, as well as art of, JK Rowling. I was never a fan, so when I had heard about people ‘canceling’ Rowling in 2020 over tweets, I didn’t care to learn more about it. However, because this influencer was posting about Rowling, I […]
Read More Making Sense of FeminismLocal News JMU’s “Holocaust-Centered” program is distasteful and non-inclusive. Two-dozen Jewish faculty, faculty emeriti, and staff from JMU intended to boycott “Holocaust-centered” lectures, according to an article published on January 26, 2023, by The Breeze. The event lacked support from the Jewish community as well as several others. The event, which we supposed to be […]
Read More Newsroom round up 1/31Hey, friends! ShoutOut! JMU is back with a brand new cohort of bloggers and we can’t wait to show you what we’ve been working on. In anticipation of the feminist brilliance about to be offered up on our blog, we’d like to welcome our new bunch of bloggers. appreciatingstillnessLife moves fast. Real fast. Yet, I […]
Read More We’re baaaaack!I recently watched a documentary for a class called The Mask You Live in, and it opened my eyes to some of the reasons why men are the way they are. It is an amazing documentary and if you’re interested, I definitely recommend it! (It is available through JMU libraries on Kanopy!) https://www.kanopy.com/en/product/141116?vp=jmu This documentary […]
Read More “Be A Man”My mom just recently got a new job offer after being with her previous employer for over thirty years. Switching companies and starting a new job at the start of a recession in our country was terrifying to her, but she was so excited for the opportunity of a lifetime to work her dream job. […]
Read More Women in PowerLOCAL NEWS: “GOVERNOR GLENN YOUNGKIN & HIS “POLITICALLY MOTIVATED” PLAN TO REMOVE ALL MENTIONS OF DR.MARTIN LUTHER KING JR, IN THE ELEMENTARY HISTORY CURRICULUM” The drafted plan was originally introduced in August 2022 and placed an emphasis on valuing Virginia’s history and fixing the curriculum to adhere to the “new” standards. The year 2015 was […]
Read More Newsroom RoUNDup (11/30)According to the National Center for Transgender Equality, transgender people are people “whose gender identity is different from the gender they were believed to be at birth.” They explain how most people who were labeled as either a male or a female are most likely to continue to carry this gender identity throughout their lives, […]
Read More Transgender IndivIduals’ BARriers to health careAs I re-adjust to school after a much-needed Thanksgiving break, I’ve been reflecting on the holiday and the time I spent with my family and friends. At Thanksgiving this year, my entire family gathered at our shared log cabin deep in the woods of Maine. It was wholesome, intimate, and a perfect moment to bond […]
Read More thankfulIt is sad to see that complete gender equality has not yet been accomplished anywhere across the globe. Growing up in America and learning about Women’s rights in places like Afghanistan and Iran has made me feel incredibly fortunate. Even though America is not perfect and has definitely not reached perfect gender equality, we are […]
Read More Womens Rightd around the worldLet’s talk about race baby, let’s talk about you and me, let’s talk about all the things that are happening within healthcare baby. Okay, not to offer a new edition of Salt-N-Papa but it’s about time we talk about the disparities that are happening between black and white women when it comes to the healthcare […]
Read More Protect Black Women: The DISPARITIES We Face In healthcareMany of us senior students are approaching the transitional time of leaving school and entering a job or career. Personally, I wanted to touch on this topic because I am going through this transition right now as I approach my graduation date in December. Additionally, as I identify as a woman through this journey of […]
Read More do you identify as a woman and are feeling anxious about entering the business arena? here are a few guidelines to help ease the transition:*Trigger warning for people that have suffered from an eating disorder* “It’s the most wonderful time of the year” well for some. Christmas dinner, a joyous event, eating delicious food surrounded by your loved ones. An event that most suffering from an eating disorder dread instead of look forward to. With a lack of control […]
Read More Fear: holiday dinnerI had the pleasure of interviewing Lilia Souri, a close friend of mine and a women’s rights activist who works in Brooklyn, NY! We will learn more about Lilia’s past and ideas on being an activist below! We talked about the Iranian Revolution currently happening over women’s rights in Iran and how she views that […]
Read More WAKE UP! Big Things are Happening in Iran and You NEED to be Informed.The new pro-life argument in the abortion debate. Following the recent election results, the anti-abortion population has developed a new approach in their fight for pro-life. Interestingly enough, their new argument is based on the environment. Generally a democratic concern, these right-wingers are now showing “care” towards the environment. However, this newly professed concern for […]
Read More Are abortion rights an ENVIRONMENTaL issue?Turkey, Cranberries, a heated political discussion, pumpkin pie…aahh all the staples of a classic Thanksgiving Dinner. A holiday a lot of us are now fortunate enough to know as a day of thanks, did not start off that way. Although I understand many are already familiar with the harsh realities of Thanksgiving, it is important […]
Read More Ways to Feminize this ThanksgivingAs a big rap ad hip-hop music fanatic, I pay attention to the lives of many rappers I listen to or even rappers always in the blogs. So I’ve vividly noticed how gun violence has robbed a lot of artists of their lives in the past 5 years, and has even robbed the black community […]
Read More These Black Men Deserved To Grow OldGrowing up, I was a dedicated tomboy. I loved soccer, video games, and Pokemon. Going into each recess I knew I had the choice to play sports with the boys or crafts with the girls. No matter what I chose, I knew I would be accepted into each group. This allowed me to find different […]
Read More “You Play Like a…”Today is the first day of the 2022 FIFA Men’s World Cup in Qatar. It is estimated that Qatar spent over $229 billion in hosting the tournament and over 3 million tickets were sold for the tournament. The World Cup is held every four years with the men’s and women’s cups occurring in consecutive years (i.e., 2018 […]
Read More the world cup: a practice in inequalityAs I continue into my last year at James Madison University, I want to take the time to explore how the implementation of inclusive language in my courses has positively impacted my understanding of feminist discourse.
Read More Inclusive language is necessary in academiaLOCAL NEWS: Harrisonburg High School students hold walkout in response to Gov. Younkin’s policies Repercussions of the policy concern students of Harrisonburg High School, stating that this action could create a potentially dangerous environment for school youth rooted in transphobia, seeking to harm trans and nonbinary youth. Teachers and school staff may forcibly “out” students […]
Read More NewsroomYes, birth control has the amazing ability to prevent contraception, but in the recent wave of the government overturning Roe v Wade and moving the discussion to birth control, do male politicians understand that birth control has the ability to combat other women’s health issues. I personally know this as I suffer from endometriosis, a […]
Read More Dear male politicians, birth control saves lives.Hey Besties! Can you believe it’s my last time talking to you? Hella sad faces :(( With this being my last post, I want to present the topic of the “glass ceiling” within the workplace. But, Bestie…What is the Glass Ceiling? The “glass ceiling” is an unofficial, yet, acknowledged barrier to advancement in a profession, […]
Read More the glass ceiling for women in the workplaceThere’s a new slang term going around calling mothers who fit the bill a “wine mom”. The term came to be recently as mothers have been posting more openly about their struggles with parenthood and being overworked in their every day lives. Some see her as a good time, even the life of the party. […]
Read More WHAT’S A WINE MOM?Have you been asked by people why you’re still single? Or asked constantly if you’re dating or talking to someone? I have. There is constant pressure for people to be dating or in a relationship, I know I’ve felt that pressure. While being in a relationship may be beneficial in some aspects, you don’t always […]
Read More How to thrive single lifeSince being diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2017, which is a disease that causes my body to not be able to absorb gluten or the proper nutrients, I have always been on the underweight side. This has caused many issues throughout my everyday life, including developing an eating disorder, comments being made by everyone around […]
Read More Skinny Shaming And Body ImageLocal news: Midterm elections were on November 8, 2022. Regarding the state of Virginia, there were record-high numbers in voting compared to midterm elections in previous years. Virginians had the option to vote early in person by Nov. 5. and could mail-in ballots postmarked by Nov. 8. 799,099 people in Virginia voted early. This value […]
Read More NEWSROOM ROUNDUP 11/9Have you ever been a called a b****? If you’re a girl or who has friends that are girls, you probably have heard the term thrown around here and there. But is being called a b**** really a bad thing? Yes, the word is considered an insult but it doesn’t always have to mean that. […]
Read More “You’re a B****”The first thing that happens when you are born is being assigned a “gender”. If you are born a male, the societal expectation is you will grow up to be a “masculine man” and vice versa for females. Yet for some people, it is not this simple because that is not how they wish to […]
Read More FabulousnessFrom a very young age I have understood that the patriarchal view of my purpose on this earth is to bear children and raise them, the way my mother did, and generations of women before her. I remember expressing fear of the pain of childbirth to my mother in elementary school, and she told me […]
Read More No I Don’t Want A Baby, Stop Asking.Throughout high school, I was very active. I played both field hockey and lacrosse. When I got to JMU and decided not to join any sports, I wanted to continue my fitness, however, the University Recreation Center at JMU always had me wanting to draw away. I usually only worked out in training for the […]
Read More Going to the gym as a womanRoe V Wade is something we are all familiar with as it was the 1973 Supreme Court case that allowed individuals to obtain abortions legally. However, in June, Roe V. Wade was overturned 50 years after its creation and shocked the nation. While many know this happened and know how HUGE a deal this is […]
Read More ROE V WADE WAS OVERTURNED: WHAT NOW?I always find myself procrastinating the gym for a million reasons. I am too tired, I don’t feel well, and most importantly I don’t want to embarrass myself. I would love to learn how to lift weights and I know that many women including my friends love to life weights at the gym. I am […]
Read More Do you need help with that?“Hello Friends and Welcome back” Today I wanted to get into the nitty gritty and allow myself to share a few experiences of my own. I feel like I skipped a few steps, so let me reverse and formally introduce myself. To all who do not know. This is my second year here at James […]
Read More Declassified Guide PresenTs: The dating Life of a Black Women PWI EditionAn exploration into the concept of “Clitoracy” My roommate is a women and gender studies minor, so we often get into great discussions about the overlap of the things we learn in classes. Recently, she introduced me to a ted talk from a woman named Sophia Wallace about the concept of Clitoracy. This was a […]
Read More The Hole is not the wholeThe next general election in Harrisonburg, VA is coming up this November, 8th! As citizens of the United States, individuals are given the ability to vote for people that represent their ideals and needs in society. Although we are lucky to have this power, there is a damanging misconception individuals have about our democracy, that […]
Read More Vote: use your voiceIt’s time for an update! The last time I heard about vaginal care was in a middle school classroom and consisted of awkwardly seeing a pad for the first time. If you’re like me, sex-ed left me confused, scared, and quite honestly kind-of grossed out. You would think that sex-ed would better prepare us for […]
Read More Down-There CareFor this weeks newsroom roundup we discussed the local news of an all woman staffed charity celebration, the national concern of voter ID laws for the upcoming election, and the global headline of Brittney Griner’s appeal being denied. All of these news stories were presented and discussed with a feminist lense, and hopefully this recap […]
Read More Newsroom Round up October 28th, 2022Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, there have already been many anti-abortion laws put in place across the country. Most abortions are now banned in 13 states and more states are pushing to ban all together or make extremely strict laws. We already know these laws are a feminist issue that strips the rights […]
Read More Roe v. wade overturned; a disability issue*Content Warning: The following blog contains content about street harassment that can be triggering for some. Have you ever had unwelcome comments, gestures, or acts directed at you by a stranger? I have many times. This is street harassment. Street harassment means disrespectful, offensive, or threatening statements, gestures, or other conduct directed at an individual […]
Read More Street Harassment: A Problem That Needs Legal Regulation!Besties, let’s talk about the media. Specifically, how women are portrayed in the media and advertising. Background: Women have been portrayed as objects of pleasure in the media since the 20th century. A post by Swagata Sen states: Advertisements, music videos, and films dehumanize girls and women and portray them as commodities […] Over the […]
Read More SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF WOMEN IN THE MEDIAAs the divide between political parties increases, and the tensions of our current political climate become more dangerous, it is important now more than ever to participate and vote in local, state, and national elections. Next week on November 8, incumbent Elaine Luria or opponent Senator Jen Kiggans will be elected to serve in the […]
Read More now more than ever… Vote!For the purpose of this article, I anonymously surveyed 30 participants ranging in age from 18-25. All quotes used in this piece are from the anonymous survey. As a child, Halloween was the most liberating and exciting night of the year. I simply was obsessed. Playing dress up was part of my everyday life as […]
Read More HALLOWEEN: THE SADDEST HOLIDAYThere is a negative relationship between healthcare and women. You can take an intersectional approach to this topic and see how womanhood along with other identities can impact one’s relationship with doctors and healthcare. Identities and appearances can impact the quality of healthcare that one gets. Larger women are a group who experiences a negative […]
Read More Fat Stigma in HealthcareThe university required all executive members of JMU organizations to attend a training hosted by the Center of Student Engagement. How relevant was this topic to the group it was presented to?
Read More I attended JMU’s Hazing Prevention Training and Here’s What I ThoughtIn a time where everything is very unstable and uncertain, so was my “struggle” with my sexuality. I quote the word struggle because internally, I never questioned or felt guilty about who I was attracted to, both physically and romantically. From the time I began to consider dating people, I always knew that I was […]
Read More Inclusive language matters
ShoutOut! James Madison University 