In a class this semester, we’ve been learning about this thing called the Social Pain Overlap Theory. Basically, what it says is that social exclusion and being stigmatized register in the brain along the same neural pathways as physical pain. This fact blew my mind, but it makes sense. Recently, I got to see this […]
Read More Ignorance is…painI once had a long conversation with a man who proudly hung confederate flags from his house and his truck, and belonged to the Sons of the Confederacy. On his fridge there was a magnet that said, “A government that’s big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything […]
Read More How to be free, P.C., and remember historyPicture This: You are in a car accident and are rushed into the ER. Doctors move you from the stretcher to the hospital bed, remove your clothing, and immediately seem shocked to see that your genitals do not match your outer physical appearance. Instead of focusing on your broken bones, they are too concerned with […]
Read More 5 Horrible Ways the U.S. Health Care System Fails Transgender IndividualsHave you ever blown bubbles in a plate of instant mashed potatoes without any gravy? That is the United States Congress. With the House and Senate both being around 80 percent male, House being roughly 79 percent and the Senate being 90 percent white, the 115th Congress will be the most diverse in American History. […]
Read More Ways to Increase Women’s Political RepresentationLet’s set the record straight: I have just as much of a celeb-centered mind as the next person. The Kardashians are my guilty pleasure, and you know I am watching Beyoncé’s every move. For me, it’s about their fashion choices, but for others, it may be something else; to each their own. But there is […]
Read More The Problem with Belly WatchingNot Just Products. “Okay, please facilitate this conversation.” My professor allowed them to just.. Lead. Privilidge. Of course. Where is she? My only other Black friend. The only other sister. Not here, I guess. And here we have it; The facilitators. One two three, all white. Let’s discuss, class. They say. The barbershops. Let’s […]
Read More Not Just Products; a poem for white people.When I was ten years old, a boy in my class relayed a discouraging message from his parents. “Boys are better at math and science and girls are better at writing…and history I guess.” Funny how a seemingly innocent comment stayed with me. At the time, I did not believe him, but allowed the generalization to be an excuse […]
Read More Let’s Get Physics, Girl (and other sciences)Why would you stay in an abusive relationship? Just Leave! This is the common expression that many men and women hear who are in abusive relationships. From the outside, getting up and walking out the door sounds like an easy task. It is not always as simple as packing your bags and walking away. One […]
Read More The Cycle of Domestic Violence #WhyIStayedMy first thought for a Valentine’s Day post was just a pure rant. Valentine’s Day is a day that I haven’t really cared about since elementary school when there were classroom parties and we all got candy. But I feel like there’s enough of that (such as this one, or this other one) so then i decided […]
Read More Valentine’s Day: A Pros and Cons ListIn the fight for fairness, equity, and acceptance, the true equalizer for all humankind is the rugby pitch. According to rugby folklore, some 200 years ago, William Webb Ellis broke the norm in his school’s daily football game and made the first moves in what we now know to be rugby. Fact or fiction, since 1823, the game has spread from this […]
Read More Support Your Local Hooker: Play Rugby
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